As of late June 2025, the dust has settled on another tumultuous Premier League season. While champions Liverpool celebrate their historic 20th English title, and European hopefuls reflect on successes, a different, often painful, conversation emerges: who was the "worst" manager of the 2024/25 campaign?
It's a challenging, often unfair, assessment. The Premier League managerial hot seat is arguably the most demanding in world football, a relentless pressure cooker where reputations are forged and shattered with equal velocity. Yet, the brutal nature of professional football demands accountability, and for several clubs, the season saw significant underperformance that inevitably falls at the manager's door.
Defining "Worst": Beyond Just Points on the Board
To truly dissect managerial struggles, we must look beyond merely the final league table. "Worst" isn't just about accumulating the fewest points; it's a confluence of factors:
Performance vs. Pre-Season Expectations: Did the manager guide their team significantly below what was projected, considering squad investment, historical standing, or previous season's finish?
Utilization of Resources: How effectively did the manager use the transfer budget and the talent available? Were expensive signings integrated poorly or did existing stars regress?
Tactical Effectiveness & Adaptability: Was there a clear, coherent playing identity? Could the manager adapt tactics to neutralize opponents or respond to in-game challenges? Were consistent patterns of negative results attributable to rigid or flawed tactical approaches?
Player Management & Squad Morale: Were there public or reported issues with player relationships or dressing room harmony? Did key players underperform significantly under their guidance, or did the squad appear to lack fight or belief?
Club Stability & Fan Sentiment: Did the manager's tenure lead to increased instability, palpable disgruntlement among the fanbase, or frequent, unsettling changes in staff or club direction?
Impact on Club Trajectory: Did their performance directly lead to significant negative outcomes, such as relegation, or missing crucial European qualification by a wide margin, jeopardizing the club's financial and sporting future?
The Season's Underperformers: Key Candidates for Scrutiny
The 2024/25 Premier League season was littered with managerial casualties, a clear indicator of underperformance. Here are some of the key figures whose tenures faced intense scrutiny:
A. Managers of Relegated Clubs: Relegation is, for many, the ultimate metric of failure, and the managers of the three promoted teams who went straight back down faced immense pressure.
Russell Martin (Southampton) / Ivan Jurić (Southampton): Southampton endured a truly dismal season, finishing dead last with a mere 12 points from 38 games (2 wins, 6 draws, 30 losses). Russell Martin was sacked on December 15, 2024, with the Saints at the bottom after losing 5-0 to Tottenham, having secured only 1 win and 2 draws in 16 matches. His attempts to implement a possession-based style struggled immensely against Premier League quality. His successor, Ivan Jurić, appointed on December 22, fared little better, managing just 2 wins in his entire spell before leaving by mutual consent on April 7, 2025, after Southampton became the first team to be relegated, with seven games still to play.
Steve Cooper (Leicester City) / Ruud van Nistelrooy (Leicester City): Leicester City's return to the Premier League was short-lived, as they finished 18th with 25 points (6 wins, 7 draws, 25 losses). Steve Cooper, appointed before the season, was sacked on November 24, 2024, with the Foxes in 16th, having managed only 2 wins from 12 games. His successor, club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, took over on December 1, but his tenure also proved challenging, culminating in relegation. Leicester's struggles to score at home (failing to score in nine consecutive home matches) highlighted a deep-rooted offensive issue.
Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town): While Kieran McKenna's achievement of back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town was remarkable, their Premier League campaign saw them finish 19th with just 22 points (4 wins, 10 draws, 24 losses). They also had the league's worst clean sheet record (only 2 clean sheets). Despite the goodwill from fans, the stark reality of their performance against top-flight opposition puts McKenna's first Premier League season under the microscope.
B. High-Profile Underachievers: Not all struggles end in relegation, but failing to meet significant expectations can be equally damning.
Erik ten Hag (Manchester United) / Ruben Amorim (Manchester United): Manchester United's season was a disaster by their lofty standards, finishing a shocking 15th place with just 42 points (11 wins, 9 draws, 18 losses) – their lowest Premier League points tally and most losses in history. Erik ten Hag was the first managerial casualty, sacked on October 28, 2024, with United in 14th after nine games. His successor, Ruben Amorim, appointed on November 11, inherited a troubled side and struggled immensely, finishing with a paltry 1.00 points-per-game record in the Premier League. United's inability to establish a consistent identity and pervasive squad issues were hallmarks of their season.
Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham Hotspur): In stark contrast to their Europa League triumph, Tottenham's domestic campaign was a major disappointment. They finished 17th in the Premier League with a mere 38 points (11 wins, 5 draws, 22 losses) – their lowest top-flight finish in 48 years and a new record for most defeats (22) by a non-relegated Premier League side in a 38-game season. Despite the European success, Postecoglou's inability to translate his "Angeball" philosophy into consistent domestic results, coupled with significant defensive frailties, drew heavy criticism. He was eventually sacked on June 6, 2025.
C. Other Sacked Managers: Several other clubs made changes due to underperformance.
Julen Lopetegui (West Ham United): Sacked on January 8, 2025, with West Ham in 14th place, citing unmet ambitions despite significant summer investment.
Sean Dyche (Everton) / David Moyes (Everton): Everton continued their struggle near the relegation zone, leading to Sean Dyche's sacking on January 9, 2025. David Moyes returned, but the club remained embroiled in a difficult battle.
Gary O'Neil (Wolverhampton Wanderers): Dismissed on December 15, 2024, with Wolves 19th, having secured only 2 wins in 16 games.
Beyond the Table: Deeper Dives into Managerial Struggles
The numbers tell a story, but the underlying issues are often more complex:
Tactical Inflexibility or Ineffectiveness: For many struggling teams, a clear tactical identity was missing, or the chosen system simply didn't work consistently in the Premier League. Managers often failed to adapt to opponents, make effective in-game changes, or find solutions to persistent defensive leaks or offensive droughts.
Squad Cohesion and Morale Issues: Reports of player discontent, fractured dressing rooms, and a visible lack of motivation on the pitch plagued several clubs. When players appear to have lost faith in their manager's methods, results inevitably suffer.
Ineffective Transfer Business (Manager's Influence): While not solely the manager's responsibility, their input on transfers is crucial. For some, expensive signings failed to integrate or perform, or crucial squad weaknesses were not adequately addressed, leading to an unbalanced or thin roster.
Fan Sentiment and Club Disconnect: Growing unrest among supporters, protests, and a palpable disconnect between the manager and the fanbase often preceded dismissals. When fans lose hope and voice their displeasure, it adds an immense layer of pressure that few managers can withstand.
The Relentless Premier League Pressure Cooker
The 2024/25 season served as yet another stark reminder of the unique pressures of Premier League management:
High Stakes Environment: The financial implications of relegation are astronomical, turning every point into a desperate battle.
Short Leash Culture: The desire for instant gratification and fear of financial loss often leads clubs to pull the trigger on managerial changes quickly.
Competitive Landscape: The Premier League's increasing quality and depth mean that even minor slips can have catastrophic consequences.
A Look Ahead: Learning from Failure
For the clubs involved, the struggles of the 2024/25 season necessitate deep introspection. It's about re-evaluating recruitment processes, setting realistic targets, and ensuring a coherent long-term strategy. For the managers, it's a period of reflection, rebuilding reputations, and adapting their strategies for future challenges. The lessons learned (or not learned) from these difficult campaigns will undoubtedly shape the narratives and fortunes of many clubs and managers heading into the 2025/26 season.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, identifying the "worst" Premier League manager of the 2024/25 season is a complex and often unfair exercise. The sheer difficulty of the job means even highly regarded coaches can falter. However, the struggles endured by managers like Russell Martin, Steve Cooper, Erik ten Hag, and Ange Postecoglou, leading to record-low finishes, numerous sackings, and relegation for three clubs, paint a vivid picture of a season fraught with managerial challenges. Their experiences serve as a brutal testament to the unforgiving nature of English top-flight football, where only the strongest survive, and even then, often by the slimmest of margins.