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Les Reed Frank de Boer Premier LeagueGetty/Goal
GOAL

Which managers had the shortest reigns in Premier League history?

Premier League
Top scorers
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From Les Reed at Charlton Athletic to Steve Wigley at Southampton, here are the managers with the shortest spells managing in the Premier League

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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 CharltonAthletic 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.

ReneMeulensteen 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 CrystalPalace 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 BobBradley's lacklustre management of Swansea City (where Ryan Giggs was expected to land the job initially), QuiqueSanchesFlores' short stint as Watford manager, and TerryConnor's ill-advised management of Wolves in 2012 after replacing MickMcCarthy.

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.

ManagerClubLength of time managing
Les ReedCharlton AthleticNovember 14, 2006 - December 24, 2006 (41 days)
Rene MeulensteenFulhamDecember 1, 2013 - February 14, 2014 (75 days)
Frank de BoerCrystal PalaceJune 26, 2017 - September 11, 2017 (77 days)
Bob BradleySwansea CityOctober 3, 2016 - December 27, 2016 (84 days)
Quique Sanchez FloresWatfordSeptember 7, 2019 - December 1, 2019 (85 days)
Terry ConnorWolvesFebruary 24, 2012 - June 30, 2012 (91 days)
Colin ToddDerby CountyOctober 8, 2002 - January 14, 2002 (98 days)
Tony AdamsPortsmouthOctober 28, 2008 - February 8, 2009 (106 days)
Claudio RanieriFulhamNovember 14, 2018 - February 28, 2019 (106 days)
Steve WigleySouthamptonAugust 23, 2004 - December 10, 2004 (107 days)

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