Football management has always been a ruthless business, but this season has felt particularly unforgiving. Early sackings have become the norm rather than the exception, with patience in short supply and pressure arriving almost instantly.
Even the bookmakers and exchanges — from traditional sportsbooks to platforms like Betdaq — have reflected the volatility, with markets on the next manager to go moving as fast as a betting exchange on a matchday.
While the manager standing on the touchline is usually the first to take the fall, many of these failures can be traced back to boardroom decisions that simply didn’t make sense at the time — or unravelled spectacularly soon after.
From Scotland to Germany, and from the Championship to the bright lights of the Premier League, here’s a look at some of the worst managerial appointments of the season.Top of FormBottom of Form
Erik ten Hag – Bayer Leverkusen
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was handed the reins at Bayer Leverkusen, but his reign lasted just 62 days—equating to only two Bundesliga matches.
Following the extraordinary success achieved under Xabi Alonso, expectations were sky-high, but Ten Hag’s tenure brought the club crashing back down to earth.
Warning signs appeared early in pre-season, when Leverkusen were humiliated 5-1 by Flamengo’s under-20 side.
Competitive action offered little improvement. An opening-day defeat to Hoffenheim was followed by a damaging draw with 10-man Werder Bremen, despite being 3-1 up. The drop-off from former champions to chaos was swift, and the club acted just as quickly.
Ange Postecoglou – Nottingham Forest
Fresh from winning the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur, Ange Postecoglou’s availability raised eyebrows—and expectations—when Nottingham Forest moved for him in September after parting company with Nuno Espírito Santo.
What followed was a disastrous 39-day spell at the City Ground, the second-shortest managerial stint in Premier League history.
Forest failed to win any of Postecoglou’s eight matches in charge, and while the Australian has a reputation for building long-term projects, immediate results were non-negotiable. This was one gamble Forest simply couldn’t afford.
Will Still – Southampton
Once heralded as one of Europe’s brightest young coaching talents, Will Still earned widespread acclaim for his work in France with Reims and Lens.
His move to Southampton felt like a natural next step, with the Saints aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Instead, the gamble backfired badly. Still was dismissed after just 13 games, having won only twice and with Southampton hovering just three points above the relegation zone.
At just 33 years old, the appointment always carried risk, and the lack of Championship nous ultimately proved costly.
Russell Martin – Rangers
Russell Martin’s appointment at Rangers was the first major call made by the club’s new owners, 49ers Enterprises—and it turned into a decision they will want to forget quickly.
Tasked with restoring dominance at Ibrox, Martin instead presided over a run of historically poor results. He departed after 123 days, the shortest tenure of any permanent Rangers manager, and with a win rate of just 29%, the worst in the club’s history.
Five wins from 17 matches, including just one victory in seven Scottish Premiership games, left Rangers adrift and supporters furious.
Wilfried Nancy – Celtic
If Rangers’ start to the season was grim, Celtic somehow managed to outdo their city rivals. The appointment of Wilfried Nancy from the MLS side, Columbus Crew, quickly descended into farce.
Nancy lost his first four matches in charge—a sequence not seen at Celtic since 1978. Brief hope emerged with wins over Aberdeen and Livingston, but defeats to Motherwell and Rangers swiftly extinguished any optimism.
He was sacked after just 33 days, having won only two of his eight games, marking arguably the shortest and most disastrous spells in the club’s modern history.
