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Which managers had the shortest reigns in Premier League history?
From Les Reed at Charlton Athletic to Steve Wigley at Southampton, here are the managers with the shortest spells managing in the Premier League
Legendary managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger had long tenures in the Premier League, as the pair are two of the longest-serving coaches in the game with their time at Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively.
Figures like Ferguson and Wenger become synonymous with their club, but others barely lasted long enough to make an impression.
What about the managers who have had the shortest stints in the Premier League? Goal takes a look.
Which managers have had the shortest reigns in the Premier League?
Les Reed's 41 days in charge of Charlton Athletic is the shortest managerial reign in the Premier League, sacked after crashing out of the League Cup against Wycombe and managing just one win in the league. Reed was given the nickname of 'Les Miserables' due to his sullen mood during games, and was eventually replaced by Alan Pardew.
Rene Meulensteen is second with his 75 days managing Fulham, and was notable for his unconventional approach in asking his players which species of animal they most identified with. He was able to win just three of his 13 league games in charge of the Potters, and was sacked in favour of Felix Magath.
Frank de Boer rounds out the top three list, with his 77 days as coach of Crystal Palace from June 2017 to September 2017. De Boer came from a sorrowful tenure managing Inter, and his Palace side failed to score a single goal in his opening four league games of the season.
Other managers with infamously short reigns in the Premier League include Bob Bradley's lacklustre management of Swansea City (where Ryan Giggs was expected to land the job initially), Quique Sanches Flores' short stint as Watford manager, and Terry Connor's ill-advised management of Wolves in 2012 after replacing Mick McCarthy.
Shortest-serving managers in the Premier League
You can view the full list of top 10 managers with the shortest reigns in the Premier League below.
| Manager | Club | Length of time managing |
|---|---|---|
| Les Reed | Charlton Athletic | November 14, 2006 - December 24, 2006 (41 days) |
| Rene Meulensteen | Fulham | December 1, 2013 - February 14, 2014 (75 days) |
| Frank de Boer | Crystal Palace | June 26, 2017 - September 11, 2017 (77 days) |
| Bob Bradley | Swansea City | October 3, 2016 - December 27, 2016 (84 days) |
| Quique Sanchez Flores | Watford | September 7, 2019 - December 1, 2019 (85 days) |
| Terry Connor | Wolves | February 24, 2012 - June 30, 2012 (91 days) |
| Colin Todd | Derby County | October 8, 2002 - January 14, 2002 (98 days) |
| Tony Adams | Portsmouth | October 28, 2008 - February 8, 2009 (106 days) |
| Claudio Ranieri | Fulham | November 14, 2018 - February 28, 2019 (106 days) |
| Steve Wigley | Southampton | August 23, 2004 - December 10, 2004 (107 days) |
