Frank Lampard joined the list of the five biggest failures in the history of the interim English Premier League coach, losing all four of his matches with Chelsea so far. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Do not imagine the return of fairy tales
Premier League giants Chelsea relinquished their usual top-four spot due to imminent defeat under Frank Lampard, who quickly became one of the worst caretaker managers in the league’s history.
The club has a worse record with four straight losses
And Lampard, who was sacked by his former team in January 2021 less than half a year before Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League, was reinstated as interim coach last month after Graham Potter was relieved of his post. But while Super Frank was supposed to bring back the spirit and camaraderie he enjoyed during his playing days, he was rewarded with the club’s record worst start with four straight losses.
Lampard, despite securing Champions League qualification and finishing in the top four as a full-time manager, is proving to be one of the worst caretaker managers in Premier League football history.
Listing the worst EPL caretaker managers ever…
The five worst caretaker managers of the EPL
No. 5: Frank Lampard – 2023
It’s usually polite to avoid gory details, but since Lampard’s backstory has already been provided, it’s best to jump to the numbers.
Lampard, Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer and Premier League record holder for most goals as a midfielder (177), saw his side win 7-1 in his first four touchline matches, resulting in four losses. The only goal Chelsea scored during his reign was a deflection from Conor Gallagher off a Brighton & Hove Albion player who vanished mercifully on the goalkeeper’s outstretched arm.
The scariest part for Lampard’s Chelsea is the way forward. They have six matches left, including one against Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle, and have nothing to play for. His record losing streak could easily be extended to an unbearable length – for Chelsea fans, that is.
No. 4: Les Reid – 2006
Reid only manages one club, and yet it was enough to find his way onto our infamous list. His only stop at then Premier League club Charlton Athletic came in 2006, during which he recorded one win, one draw and six losses.
Reid’s 41 days made him manager of the EPL with his shortest tenure as full-time chairman (excluding convenience managers). This is ironic because he wrote a book titled The Official FA Guide to Basic Team Training, A book that should be read with more skepticism in the aftermath.
Nicknames like “Les Misérables” and “Santa Clueless”
The Charlton side of Reed was so bleak that the media began giving him nicknames like “Les Miserables” and “Santa Clueless”. He was also later voted the “worst manager ever” in an unofficial online poll, but unlikely for Charlton fans, he was replaced by Pardew. Charlton went on to finish 13th but were relegated the following season.
No. 3: Alan Shearer – 2009
Shearer is the most prolific goalscorer in Premier League history, and in 2009, he returned to his former club to help them avoid impending relegation to the Premier League.
Shearer was appointed as the replacement for Chris Hughton, who was serving to replace Joe Kinnear, who was recovering from heart surgery. He said during his introductory press conference that he only accepted the position because of his love for Newcastle and would not do it for any other club, including the two other clubs he played for (Southampton and Blackburn).
While Shearwater was successful in capturing the hearts of Magpies fans the world over, it was less successful on the art box. Newcastle won just one game and produced just five points from a possible 24 during Shearer’s short tenure at the end of the season and were relegated from the Premier League.
No. 2: John Carver – 2015
Newcastle had another infamous appointment as caretaker manager in John Carver and shockingly, they put him in his place twice. The first time happened in 2015, when he replaced Alan Pardew, who left for Crystal Palace.
In January, Carver led the team to one draw and three defeats in his first four matches. Then, from March to May, he oversaw eight consecutive league defeats, Newcastle’s longest losing streak in the top flight of English football.
Best coach in the Premier League
What does such a case require? An injection of confidence! Carver boldly claimed that he was “the best manager in the Premier League” (although he later said that quote was taken out of context), and Newcastle finished the year safe and sound in 15th place.
No. 1: Joe Kinnear – 2009
Sorry Newcastle fans, but the bad news doesn’t stop here. Kinnear was appointed in September 2008 to lead the team and has enjoyed great success.
In his first week on the job, Kinnear swore more than 50 times in the first five minutes of an interview with national media. He was also shown a red card for his sideline actions during the December battle with Stoke City and failed to communicate with most of his players, whose body language reflected that of someone unconcerned about their situation.
Kinnear fell ill in 2009 and had to undergo heart surgery, leaving his Newcastle club record five wins in 26 matches. His absence opened the door for Shearer to return to the spotlight, and unfortunately, we already know how that turned out.
