Table of Contents
- The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are often celebrated as managers who have really mastered their art
- With most sources often talking about the top coaches, the worst managers in football remain unknown to many fans
- We bring you the bottom five managers with the very low winning ratio and points per game
Everyone talks about the best coaches, but who are ranked as the worst managers in football history?
The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are often celebrated as managers who have really mastered their art. To them, it’s not only about winning matches but trophies too.
On the contrary, managers who are on the bottom of the list of game-winning coaches have not only struggled to compete for titles but also win matches. Here, we bring you the bottom five managers with the very low winning ratio and points per game. Each of them has been in charge for at least twenty games.
1. Howard Wilkinson – Sunderland
Howard Wilkinson. Photo/ Sky Sports.
Starting the list of the worst manager in football is Howard Wilkinson. The English boss signed with Sunderland in October 2002, six years since he had last been on the dugout, and went on to have a horrid experience having a winning ratio of just 14.81%. He was in charge of 27 games, guiding the Black Cats to just four wins before being sacked in March 2003.
Sunderland ended up being relegated at the end of the season and Wilkinson was partly to blame for that considering his point per game ratio of 1.35 made it difficult for them to survive. At the end of the season, Sunderland managed just 19 points.
2. Lawrie Sanchez – Fulham
Lawrie Sanchez had an amazing spell as Northern Ireland manager. He was respected by the fans, especially after picking impressive results against the likes of England (1-0 win) in World Cup qualifiers and Portugal (1-1 draw), who would later reach the semi-final stage of the 2006 World Cup.
After sacking Chris Coleman, Fulham decided to offer Sanchez the caretaker role. He led the English side to one win, three defeats and one draw as interim boss. Despite the questionable performance, Fulham decided to offer Sanchez a permanent deal and he shocked many by leaving his job as a national team coach for the Fulham job.
However, the love affair between the two didn’t last as Fulham decided to sack Sanchez in December 2007, which was barely eight months since he started his managerial reign at the club. Sanchez’s point per game was 1.2 and he had a winning ratio of 16.67%. Out of the 24 matches he was in charge, Fulham won four, drew eight and lost twelve.
3. Jaap Stam – Cincinnati
Jaap Stam, who had an amazing career as a defender, turned out to be one of the worst managers in football after transitioning to coaching. During his time as Cincinnati FC boss, he looked on as his side picked just one win in sixteen matches. Interestingly, Cincinnati still believed in him and he was in charge for a few more months before eventually being sacked. At the time of his exit, he had only managed to pick eight wins in 47 matches. His win ratio was 17% and points per game 1.2.
Jaap Stam had a horrid time managing Cincinnati. Photo/ Eurosport.
There was a hint that Stam wouldn’t last in the Major League Soccer (MLS) when Cincinnati used someone’s else picture during his announcement as manager. Since parting ways with the American club in September 2021, the Dutch is yet to be seen giving instructions on the sidelines.
4. Tony Adams – Portsmouth
Like Stam, Adams was a strong figure in defence and is often considered one of the best defenders in Arsenal’s history. However, he struggled to shift his heroics on the pitch to management.
Adams became Portsmouth boss on 28 October 2008 after the departure of Harry Redknapp. However, the odds were against him at Portsmouth considering he inherited a club that was heavily in debt and had uncertain future. Fans, on the other hand, expected him to deliver considering Redknapp had guided the club to FA Cup glory.
The Arsenal legend would go on to lead Portsmouth in 21 matches, winning just four. During his reign as manager, the club picked just ten points from a possible 48 and he had a win ratio of 18.2% and his points per game came to 1.1. He was sacked on 9 February 2009 and would later have spells at FK Qabala in Azerbaijan and Granada in Spain.
5. Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher. Photo/ South China Morning Post.
Wrapping up the list of worst managers in football history is Terry Butcher. Like his predecessors on this writing, Butcher was also a fantastic player during his days. However, he couldn’t make his career as a manager glittering and had a difficult time at Hibernian
With the Hibs, Butcher had a run of one win in eighteen matches, something which led to the club’s relegation and his sacking. The supporters were not impressed with his tactics and some even described his coaching as “Gutless”. His points per game was 1.1 and win ratio 20.69.
