It’s been a record-breaking season of managerial casualties in the Premier League, with the total number of managers sacked swelling to 12 last weekend.
Brendan Rodgers departed Leicester with the Foxes in the relegation places, while Chelsea called time on Graham Potter’s short reign at Stamford Bridge following a home defeat to Aston Villa.
The ruthless results business of the Premier League has seen managers hired and fired at an unprecedented rate this season, with 13 managerial changes and a whopping 12 sacked in 2022/23.
We’ve looked at each of the unlucky lot to have lost their jobs.
Scott Parker (Bournemouth)
Scott Parker was the first manager dismissed this season, with the former Bournemouth boss sacked just four games into the Premier League season. Parker guided the Cherries to promotion during his debut season at the helm and began the club’s top-flight return with a win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend.
????????????????????????????????: Scott Parker has been sacked by Bournemouth ???????? pic.twitter.com/USXwQpq1Wm
— LiveScore (@livescore) August 30, 2022
However, a chastening run of results saw Bournemouth concede 16 goals, without scoring, to lose consecutive games to Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, the latter of which ended in a joint-Premier League record 9-0 defeat at Anfield.
It was an embarrassment enough for Parker to lose his job, with Gary O’Neill named as his replacement on an interim basis before taking on the role permanently after an upturn in results.
Parker took charge of Club Brugge in December, but was dismissed after just 12 games in charge of the Belgian side. Brugge won just twice during his reign, a run which left them 19 points off league leaders Genk.
Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
Chelsea caused a shock with the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in September, as the German was fired just 16 months after leading the club to Champions League success.
Friction emerged between Tuchel and the club’s new owners, who had been in power for just 100 days before making the contentious call to sack the head coach. The latter period of Tuchel’s reign saw a once dependable defence exposed regularly, while the club’s record £278.4m spend on 10 new players increased the immediate expectations of the owners.
???????? Thomas Tuchel on Chelsea sack: "It was a shock. I already felt it in the morning when I drove to training."
"We thought we'd stay longer and build something up. It still hurts. Chelsea was like family to me." (Abendzeitung) pic.twitter.com/sTuS5gPLd2
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 31, 2023
Tuchel was sacked after a Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, with Graham Potter named as his replacement. The German has since taken charge at Bayern Munich.
Bruno Lages (Wolves)
Wolves sacked Bruno Lage after the club dropped into the relegation places with a defeat at West Ham in October.
It was a defeat which continued a poor run of results dating back to last season, with Lage having won just one of his final 15 games in charge of Wolves. Despite being handed more than £100m to spend on new signings during the summer, Wolves won just one of their opening eight games to sit in the bottom three.
Julen Lopetuigi was named as Lage’s replacement and took charge for the first time following the season’s return from the World Cup. The Spaniard has won six of his 18 games in all competitions and Wolves have work to do to preserve their Premier League status this season.
Steven Gerrard (Aston Villa)
Steven Gerrard was sacked as Aston Villa manager after just 11 months in charge of the club, with the former England captain dismissed after Villa won just two of their opening 12 Premier League games this season.
Gerrard had arrived with big expectations after guiding Rangers to a drought-breaking Scottish Premiership title in unbeaten fashion, but endured a challenging time at Villa Park and was sacked after an emphatic 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
Aston Villa when Steven Gerrard was sacked: 17th and 3️⃣ points off the bottom of the table ????
Aston Villa now: 9th and 2️⃣ points off the top six ???? pic.twitter.com/yWlCOo1Zwm
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 2, 2023
Gerrard was criticised for his tactical approach and Villa have gone from strength to strength since his departure. Only Arsenal (12) and Manchester City (10) have won more Premier League fixtures than Aston Villa (10) since Unai Emery replaced Gerrard.
Ralph Hasenhuttl (Southampton)
Ralph Hasenhuttl departed Southampton after almost four years in charge at St Mary’s earlier this season, after the Saints began to stagnate under the Austrian’s management. Hasenhuttl was fired with Southampton in the bottom three, having lost eight of their 14 league games.
Hasenhuttl had won admirers for his high-energy style and faith in young talent, but the Saints appeared to be regressing under his management and two 9-0 defeats in 16 months had set alarm bells ringing.
Southampton made an immediate approach to appoint Luton Town’s Nathan Jones as his replacement. More on that later.
Frank Lampard (Everton)
Everton’s alarming run of form saw Frank Lampard sacked in January, with the Toffees mired in the relegation places with just three wins – the lowest number in the Premier League – and 15 points from 20 games.
Lampard had arrived the previous January and helped the club avoid relegation from the top flight, but there was little sign of progress from a coach who failed to convince in past roles at Derby and Chelsea. Only Mike Walker returned a worse point-per-game (0.87) than Lampard (0.92) of Everton’s Premier League managers.
"Are you kidding?" ????
"It's a big mistake."
Everton fans give their reaction to Frank Lampard getting sacked ❌???? pic.twitter.com/xrY6T0KBWY
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) January 23, 2023
Sean Dyche has since become the club’s seventh permanent manager since the 2016/17 campaign.
Jesse Marsch (Leeds)
Jesse Marsch always had an unenviable task, following in the footsteps of a Leeds legend in Marcelo Bielsa.
Bielsa retains heroic status in Leeds for his role in leading the club back into the Premier League and Marsch faced an uphill task to convince at Elland Road.
The American led Leeds to Premier League safety in dramatic fashion to earn some patience, but a summer spend of more than £140m failed to return improved results and Marsch was dismissed with the club above the relegation places on goal difference. A 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest extended Leeds’ winless run to seven games and saw the ex-Leipzig coach sacked.
Nathan Jones (Southampton)
Perhaps one of the most bizarre Premier League reigns of all time. Southampton sacked their second manager of the season in Nathan Jones, who had replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl but proceeded to lose seven of his eight Premier League games in charge.
Jones – a left-field appointment from Luton – appeared out of his depth at St Mary’s, while a number of strange soundbites – including his self-proclaimed titles as one of Europe’s best coaches and as ‘the fittest human being in history – saw the Welshman emerge as a caricature of himself.
This whole monologue from Nathan Jones must boil the piss of every Southampton fan on the planet.
He’s talking himself up as one of the greatest coaches in the game whilst blaming “compromises” for every issue. A strange approach to say the least.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) February 5, 2023
His spell with the Saints lasted less than three months and he left with the club bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety.
Patrick Vieira (Crystal Palace)
There was an element of regret in Crystal Palace’s announcement that Patrick Vieira had been sacked, with chairman Steve Parish acknowledging the Frenchman’s impressive first season at the helm. Despite mass changes in personnel, Vieira had led an inexperienced side to 12th in the Premier League with improved attacking football.
Vieira, however, struggled to replace the void left by Conor Gallagher’s return to Chelsea and Palace lacked the same punch this time around. A winless run of 11 league games saw the Eagles dragged towards danger and Palace pressed the panic button in a bid to survive.
Roy Hodgson was brought back to the club in the hope the vastly experienced coach can preserve Palace’s top-flight status.
Antonio Conte (Tottenham)
Antonio Conte’s explosive exit from Tottenham was confirmed last month, an inevitable parting of company given the Italian’s public frustrations.
Conte blasted his Spurs squad as ‘selfish’ and criticised the club’s culture in a remarkable rant after a draw with Southampton, before a decision was made for him to leave the north Londoners after 16 months in charge. Conte had been unable to turn Spurs into contenders for silverware, with the club off the pace in the Premier League and suffering tame exits in cup competition.
????️ “I see a lot of selfish players and I don’t see a team. We all have to take the responsibility.”
Antonio Conte’s INCREDIBLE post-match interview after Tottenham’s 3-3 draw with Southampton. ???? pic.twitter.com/nseJFl4bJ4
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 18, 2023
Spurs’ struggles – alongside a challenging campaign off the pitch that saw Conte deal with illness and bereavements – saw the 53-year-old leave. Spurs are now searching for a fourth permanent manager since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in 2019.
Brendan Rodgers (Leicester)
Brendan Rodgers’ reign at Leicester came to an end last weekend, following a mutual decision for the Northern Irishman to leave the club.
Rodgers had spent almost four years in charge of the Foxes, a period which saw the club compete in Europe and win the FA Cup in 2021. Leicester have been unable to build on that latter success however, and a concerning run of performances in 2022/23 saw Rodgers leave.
Brendan Rodgers has been sacked as Leicester manager ???? pic.twitter.com/zLVyEGwm6o
— GOAL News (@GoalNews) April 2, 2023
Leicester are 19th in the Premier League table and have not won in six league fixtures, with last weekend’s late defeat at Crystal Palace extending their winless run.
Graham Potter (Chelsea)
Graham Potter brought up a dozen managerial sackings in the Premier League this season, after the Chelsea coach was dismissed following the club’s 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.
Chelsea spent a world-record fee to prise Potter and his coaching staff from Brighton in September, but he lasted less than seven months in charge with results not good enough to appease the ownership or supporters.
Potter won just seven of his 22 league fixtures in charge and leaves the west Londoners 11th in the Premier League table, 12 points adrift of the Champions League places.
1.27 – Graham Potter has the joint-lowest points-per-game return of any manager to take charge of 20+ games for Chelsea in the Premier League:
1.27 – Graham Potter
1.27 – Glenn Hoddle
1.28 – Ian Porterfield
1.65 – Ruud Gullit
1.67 – Frank LampardExpelliarmus. pic.twitter.com/jucEgkXigD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 2, 2023
The club’s remarkable spending across the past two transfer windows left Potter with a bloated squad which needs time to be moulded, but there’s more than enough talent at Stamford Bridge to have performed far better than recent results.
Does Potter regret swapping the stability of the Seagulls for the chaos at Chelsea?
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