The top 10 worst football managers… ever

10 Claude Anelka

If ever you're feeling a little down, seek solace in the fact that there is always someone less able than you. To do anything. Claude Anelka is that man. Having given up getting his brother signed to any club that would pay more than £20m, he decided he could go and manage a football club, despite never having played the game before. He offered £300,000 to Raith Rovers, using some kind of mystery magic dust to make them believe that he was the next Wenger. He brought in some French players that nobody in France had ever heard of - in fact, many of them had never played in a side with eleven players before - and got an amazing one, yes, one single point, from 24. Brilliant.

9 Tony Adams

If one horrible failure at Wycombe Wanderers doesn't underline the fact that this man can't manage, the hatchet job he did on Portsmouth was enough to convince the whole world. Tony Adams always looked like his house had just been burgled - that far-away, troubled stare did nothing to inspire the Pompey players who fell apart, probably because his team talks were all in rhyming couplets. Ten points from sixteen games was enough for Tony, who will unfortunately never, ever become a manager.

8 Peter Reid

It's rather unfair to place Peter Reid here for his Leeds days, as they were already on the slide. And Manchester City fans will rightly remind us that they were sixth when he was sacked - something of a crime. However, Sunderland fans will recant, misty-eyed, the days when they had all that money to spend on Argentinian midfielders nobody, not even manager Reid, had heard of. Coventry fans will wax lyrical about the time Monkey Heid took them to the bottom of the Championship. Good old Peter had a penchant for expensive foreign signings that would rot away in the reserves, wrecking clubs wherever he went. Remember most of those old First Division sides now slumbering away in the Championship or League One? Monkey Heid did that. Everton fans still tremble at the thought that when Davie Moyes does leave us for someone with a bit of money, the headlines will read: "Peter Reid New Everton Manager". Sleepless nights indeed.

7 Dave Bassett

Wherever Dave Bassett went, the spectre of relegation followed. In one ludicrous season, he managed to relegate two clubs, proving his worth on this list. Having made his reputation at Wimbledon as a hit and hoper, Bassett stumbled from club to club, and was even brought in as a 'technical adviser' at Nottingham Forest before being given the opportunity to f-ck it up completely as manager.

6 Bryan Robson

Captain Marvel could get a Man of the Match award from ITV's Big Match commentators even if Utd weren't even playing. That's how highly regarded he was until he became a manager. At Middlesborough, he benefited from some benevolent chairmanship, and even got Boro promoted a couple of times. He also got them relegated, too, and lost Cup finals on the way. He then went on to manage West Brom, getting them relegated, and was kicked out of Sheffield United for being horribly crap there, too. His record at Bradford is even funnier. Get this: 22 points from 27 games. And he still manages to keep finding jobs. Captain Marvel has become Manager Pooh.

5 Paul Sturrock

It's amazing that this man took Plymouth up the leagues, especially as the enduring image of this chubby waster is of him scoffing pies at Southampton while his players. Now he's back, he is averaging a wonderful 1.08 points per game.

4 Mike Walker

You'll forgive me if there's a slight Everton twist to this, and Norwich fans will forgive me for including one of their managerial legends. Mike Walker's ghost still stalks the halls of Goodison Park, with stories of his shocking management style. He lost the dressing room early during his tenure at Goodison, turning up late to training and rarely participating. Neville Southall refused to back down, telling the boss that he had the "warmest bed in Liverpool", they saw him so infrequently. Walker somehow kept Everton up, although Hans Segers' back pocket may have been weighing him down. He proceeded to muck it all up at the start of next season, and Joe Royle stepped in to show him how it was meant to be done, winning the FA Cup with the same squad.

3 Glenn Roeder

This man should come with a warning. One of the greatest con artists to have ever managed a club - Glenn's record as a manager was shocking, wherever he went, but he still turned up at interviews boasting that he got more points than any other relegated manager. Not much to shout about. Five months without a home win is even less to shout about, and his record at Norwich was second to everyone.

2 Alan Ball

A great man, and a great player in his day, but my God, what a terrible manager he was. Alan Ball shrieked from the sidelines to little effect. Of the six clubs he managed, he succeeded in getting five of them relegated, including one hilarious episode where he told his Manchester City players to play for a draw when they really needed a win to stay up.

1 Graeme Souness

You know the feeling. When your team's manager gets the sack, you're inevitably thinking that you might be linked with a former player or an international boss, or some bright young thing who has taken clubs up a few divisions - maybe the next Cloughie. But then the papers start talking about Souey - the bookies stop taking bets - and you know the club's in trouble. The man who dismantled Liverpool's array of stars and replaced them with the likes of Piechnik (us Everton fans still laugh to this day), and then got scammed at Southampton by 'George Weah's cousin', Ali Dea - not even watching the guy in training - is top of every worst manager's list, and is most definitely top of this one.

published: 27th September 2009 by Free Bet Bookmaker

Comments

Something to say about this article? Post your comments below!