The Manchester United manager is having a difficult time of it since stepping into some big shoes this summer.
Currently lying in seventh place in the league 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, they have been dumped out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle and find themselves 2-1 against Sunderland going into the second leg of the Capital One Cup.
The former Everton manager has received the support of the majority of the Old Trafford faithful, but some have already concluded that the Scot is simply out of his depth and should be removed from his position.
Even if Moyes was sacked by the United board, a move which seems unlikely given the length of the contract signed in the summer, his tally of 20 games wouldn’t even get him into the top 10 shortest reigns in Premier League history. Not even close in fact.
Here are the men who failed to get past a fortnight in the hotseat.
10. Steve Wigley (Southampton) – 14 games
Reign: 23 August 2004 to 10 December 2004
A two-game tenure as caretaker aside, Wigley’s only managerial experience came with Aldershot Town between 1995 and 1997. Yet Southampton fans were delighted with the appointment by virtue of him not being Glenn Hoddle. It didn’t last long – one win, albeit against rivals Portsmouth, saw him demoted back as a youth coach. Currently working with the Fulham academy.
9. Terry Connor (Wolves) – 13 games
Reign: 24 February 2012 to 30 June 2012
How do you solve a problem like relegation? It isn’t hiring a manager with no previous experience in the hotseat. After the sacking of Mick McCarthy, chief executive Jez Moxey stated the job would be given to an experienced manager. Connor – zero games, zero wins – did not tick that box. He won four points from his 13 games in charge proved, sending Wolves down. Now McCarthy’s assistant at Ipswich.
8. Paolo Di Canio (Sunderland) – 12 games
Reign: 31 March 2013 – 22 September 2013
Not even hindsight was required to suggest this was going to end in tears. The charismatic Italian took charge of Sunderland with the brief to avoid relegation. Victories against Everton and rivals Newcastle, the latter prompting a knee-slide the length of the Tyne, ensured that.
They proved to be his only two league victories however and, sitting bottom of the league after five games of this season with players unhappy, Di Canio waved goodbye.
7. Iain Dowie (Charlton) – 12 games
Reign: 30 May 2006 – 13 November 2006
Dowie was an ascending star in management after promotion with Crystal Palace in 2004, which led to him being granted the task of succeeding Alan Curbishley at Charlton. It didn’t go well. With the club in the relegation zone in October, Charlton and Dowie parted company. A regular pundit on Sky Sports.
6. Chris Hutchings (Bradford City) – 12 games
Reign: 18 June 2000 – 6 November 2000
A trusted number two at Valley Parade who helped Bradford move from League One into the Premier League, Hutchings took charge after Paul Jewell moved to Sheffield Wednesday. He took Bradford into the semi-finals of the Intertoto Cup and won just one game. Not even given until Christmas.
5. Chris Hutchings (Wigan) – 12 games
Reign: 14 May 2007 – 5 November 2007
Hutchings makes his second appearance on this unwanted list. After taking over Paul Jewell at Bradford failed to work, Dave Whelan decided to give it another chance and it appeared to work with Wigan even moving top early in the season. Six straight defeats however saw him sacked yet again after 12 games and nearly seven years to the day of his Bradford departure. Just a touch of déjà vu.
4. Jacques Santini (Tottenham Hotspur) – 11 games
Reign: 17 June 2004 – 5 November 2004
Spurs hired Santini after he guided France to a disappointing quarter-final place at Euro 2004 but it was Santini who decided to end the relationship prematurely, surprisingly resigning due to personal problems. Tottenham were mid-table with three wins and four draws at the time of his departure.
Has been out of the managerial games since he was given the bullet at Auxerre in 2006.
3. Sammy Lee (Bolton) – 11 games
Reign: 30 April 2007 to 17 October 2007
The sidekick of ‘Big’ Sam Allardyce, ‘Little’ Sam was handed the headset after Allardyce left the Reebok Stadium. Lee proved size does matter sometimes, winning just one of his 11 games before losing his job and joining Rafael Benitez at Liverpool as assistant.
In February 2012 Lee returned to Bolton for a third time as the Head of Academy Coaching.
2. Paul Sturrock (Southampton) – 9 games
The most Scottish of all Scotsmen, Sturrock had enjoyed four excellent years at Plymouth Argyle but his time at Southampton was an unhappy one. Named as Gordon Strachan’s replacement, his time at the club never truly got going and he was sacked after two games on the 2003-04 season with rumours of player unrest.
Was sacked as manager of Southend United on 24 March 2013, although bizarrely it was agreed that he could lead out the players in the final of the Football League Trophy to be held at Wembley. Sturrock declined the offer
1. Les Reed (Charlton Athletic) – 7 games
Reign: 4 November 2006 – 24 December 2006
An absolute disaster from start to finish for Reed, who was assistant to Iain Dowie before promotion. He was knocked out of the League Cup by Wycombe Wanderers of League Two and managed just one victory in the league. The shortest reign in Premier League history and ended, brutally, on Christmas Eve. For Charlton fans, Christmas had come early.
The man with the unwanted record has been the Head of Football Development at Southampton since 2010.
Written by Steve Milne – What are your thoughts – Have your say below 🙂
