Why 3 Managerial Appointments in a Single Season Will Doom Fulham to Relegation

Fulham's appointment of Scott Parker last week made them the most recent club to appoint three managers in one season, a trend rarely seen in the Premier League.

Things are bleak if a club is sacking two managers in one season, but can it make a difference?

Darren Moore

In the Premier League era teams have appointed three managers in one season on eight occasions, each time it has been a relegation-threatened team looking to survive.

Only one team has survived after sacking two managers in one season and with Parker facing an almost impossible task at Fulham, this stat may not change anytime soon.

The Whites have sacked two managers in a season before, as in 2013/14 Martin Jol, Rene Meulensteen and Felix Magath all had spells in charge before Fulham were eventually relegated. 

Charlton, NewcastleWest Brom and Southampton join the London club on the list of clubs relegated after employing three managers in a season with Newcastle's 2008/09 season being perhaps the most famous case.

Kevin Keegan resigned early in the season and Joe Kinnear left due to health problems meaning that Alan Shearer was tasked with keeping the Magpies up.

Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer (L

Portsmouth have had three managers in a season on two occasions. Both times with Harry Redknapp leaving to join another club.

The south-coast club bucks the trend of clubs being relegated when employing three managers in a season, but this is because they didn't sack Harry Redknapp on both occasions as he left to take up another job at Southampton and  Tottenham respectively. Portsmouth were not in a terrible position when Redknapp left the club, therefore, had a much easier time of staying in the Premier League.

Swansea City are therefore the only club to have sacked two managers in a single season - in 2016/17 - and still stave off relegation. 

Bob Bradley

The Swans were managed by Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley and Paul Clement that season and finished in a respectable 15th place.

Unfortunately for Fulham however, their situation doesn't mirror the circumstances which led to Swansea staving off relegations. Clement - hired at the start of January as opposed to the start of March - was given enough time at the club to implement his footballing philosophy, and save the club from almost certain relegation. 

Unlike Clement, Parker finds himself with just nine games to claw back a ten back deficit to save Fulham from relegation. 

Can he do it? Only time will tell, but as previous teams who have had three managers in one season attest, it will be a near impossible task. 


Source : 90min