The Premier League is ruthless, and the numbers don’t lie. Just ask Ruud van Nistelrooy, sacked by Leicester after picking up just 19 points from 27 games. That record now puts him firmly among the worst Premier League managers of all time.
To be clear, this isn’t about stand-ins or short-term caretakers. Every manager on this list took charge of at least 25 games and still couldn’t get it right.
We’ve crunched the numbers, ignored the excuses, and ranked the worst points-per-game records in Premier League history (minimum 25 matches).
10. Brian McDermott – 0.79ppg
It’s hard not to like Brian McDermott. He’s a likeable figure and a Championship hero at Reading, but the Premier League was another matter.
After guiding the Royals to promotion in 2012, McDermott’s side never found their footing in the top flight. A mix of limited resources and tactical naivety saw them sink fast.
Reading didn’t win a single league game until November. They only won four in total under McDermott before he was sacked in March 2013.
He left with just 23 points from 29 games and a points-per-game record of 0.79.
9. Mick McCarthy – 0.79ppg
Mick McCarthy built a reputation as one of football’s great characters: sharp-tongued, old-school, and never short of a memorable quote.
As a Premier League manager, though, his record didn’t always match the entertainment. Across 138 matches with Sunderland and Wolves, McCarthy averaged just 0.79 points per game.
Regis Le Bris will hope to do better than Mick’s 2005–06 Sunderland side, who earned a measly 15 points. McCarthy oversaw 25 matches of one of the worst campaigns in top-flight history.
Still, McCarthy’s press conferences almost made up for the results. Asked what happened when the team bus broke down before a match, he replied: “It wouldn’t go any further.”
Told his team had received no bookings: “I asked them to knock seven bells out of everyone. What were they playing at?”
8. Scott Parker – 0.77ppg
Scott Parker has the calm, considered presence of a man who irons his jeans, and sometimes, his teams reflect that too.
Parker earned praise for guiding both Fulham and Bournemouth to promotion, but his Premier League record is hard to defend.
Across 52 Premier League games with Fulham and Bournemouth, he averaged just 0.77 points per match. His sides were compact, neat and often hard to watch.
Fulham were relegated after one season under his watch. Bournemouth sacked him four games into his next campaign, just days after a 9–0 defeat at Liverpool.
Parker blamed the board. Bournemouth blamed the mood. Either way, it wasn’t working.
Now back in the top flight with Burnley, whose defensive record last season was remarkable, Parker has a shot at redemption.
7. Aidy Boothroyd – 0.74ppg
It’s easy to forget that Aidy Boothroyd once managed in the Premier League. These days, he’s better known for his time with England’s youth or for rocking up in the Indian Super League.
Back in 2006, he led an unfancied Watford side to promotion via the play-offs. The buzz didn’t last.
His Hornets managed just five wins all season and were relegated with a whimper. The football was direct, the results were worse, and his 0.74 points-per-game average reflects that.
Boothroyd hung around the Championship for a bit but never returned to the top flight.
6. John Gorman – 0.71ppg
Here’s a real blast from the past. John Gorman may be best known as Glenn Hoddle’s long-time assistant, including with England at France ’98.
But even that is just some ancient, bible-like occurrence to Gen Z. As well as teaming up at England, the pair managed Swindon. Yes, Swindon were in the Premier League.
Gorman was Hoddle’s right-hand man at Swindon Town until Hoddle left for Chelsea after securing promotion in 1993.
That left Gorman in charge for Swindon’s first and only Premier League season. It was a massive ask, and things went downhill fast.
Swindon didn’t win a game until December. They finished bottom with just five wins and a staggering 100 goals conceded across 42 matches.
5. Ruud van Nistelrooy – 0.70ppg
A Premier League legend as a player, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s return to English football was far less glorious as a manager. He goes down as one of the worst Premier League managers.
After replacing Steve Cooper at Leicester in November 2024, Van Nistelrooy inherited a struggling squad but failed to stop the slide.
His team lost nine consecutive home games without scoring and were relegated with five matches still to go.
By the end, he had managed just five wins in 27 games. That gave him a points-per-game figure of 0.70, the worst of any Leicester boss in the Premier League era.
To make matters worse, his departure dragged on long after the season ended. Leicester finally confirmed his exit in late June 2025.
Van Nistelrooy’s playing career earned him respect across Europe. As a manager, though, he has a long way to go to reach those same heights.
4. Rob Edwards – 0.68ppg
Rob Edwards gave it everything in Luton’s debut Premier League season, but the task was always going to be enormous.
He led Luton Town to their first-ever Premier League season in style, winning promotion via the play-offs in 2023. But once they got there, reality hit hard.
Luton gave it a good go, but the gulf in quality was clear from day one. They won just six matches, conceded 85 goals, and were sent back down with two games to spare.
Despite the effort, Edwards averaged just 0.68 points across his 38 Premier League games. It wasn’t enough to stay up, and not enough to stay in the job long-term.
Still, he left with dignity and moved on quickly. By June 2025, he’d taken charge at Middlesbrough, hoping for another crack at the big time.
3. Vincent Kompany – 0.63ppg
A legend at Man City, Vincent Kompany returned to the Premier League in 2023 with Burnley, having just stormed the Championship with 101 points and a slick, possession-heavy style.
But the Premier League is a different beast. Kompany stuck to his principles — high lines, build-up play, brave pressing — and got punished for it.
Burnley won just five matches all season and conceded 78 goals. They went down with a whimper, finishing 19th with 24 points and one of the worst goal differences in the league.
Critics pointed to tactical naivety, risky signings, and a lack of top-level experience in the squad. Still, Kompany somehow landed the Bayern Munich job within weeks.
The man may be going places, but he still goes down as one of the worst Premier League managers.
QUIZ: Can you name every manager to win Premier League promotion since 2000-01?
2. Kieran McKenna – 0.58ppg
Kieran McKenna worked wonders to get Ipswich Town into the Premier League. Back-to-back promotions, 194 points in two seasons, and a fun brand of football.
But once they got to the top flight, the dream died. Ipswich lost their first three games, went nine without a win, and never found any rhythm.
They were relegated with a record-low points tally and just four wins to their name.
McKenna’s cool, methodical style never wavered, but the results did. He averaged just 0.58 points per game across 38 matches.
There’s still plenty to admire about him as a coach. But his Premier League debut was one long lesson in how brutal the top flight can be.
1. Daniel Farke – 0.53ppg
Two Championship titles with Norwich and another with Leeds have proven Daniel Farke to be a master of the second tier.
The fact that the top four features managers promoted in the past three seasons highlights the divide between the rich and the rest.
However, the Premier League has been a very different story. Across 49 top-flight matches with Norwich, Farke averaged just 0.53 points per game. That is the lowest on record for any manager with at least 25 matches.
His Canaries sides were committed but consistently outgunned. At one point, he lost 15 Premier League games in a row.
At Leeds, things could turn out differently. Back in the Premier League for the 2025–26 season, Farke now has the backing and budget he never had at Norwich.
Farke has even spoken in more ambitious terms about his prospects with Leeds. “I don’t have to defend myself. I just want to establish this club in the Premier League.”
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club Ruud van Nistelrooy scored against for Man Utd?
