How long does a Premier League manager's job last?

Published on: 21 October 2022

Steven Gerrard's first managerial appointment in the Premier League ended after 11 months and nine days

"It seems every day a manager loses his job or their job is under threat. I think stability and patience seems to be running out."

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, who has been under pressure for most of the season, probably spoke on behalf of all Premier League managers on Thursday after Aston Villa's Steven Gerrard became the fourth boss to be sacked this season.

Scott Parker was the first out of the door at Bournemouth back in August, followed by Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and Bruno Lage at Wolves.

With almost a quarter of the 2022-23 Premier League season gone, BBC Sport looks at how long a Premier League manager lasts.

What's the average tenure for a Premier League boss?During the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season, a large portion of games were played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic

As well as the four sackings so far, Rodgers, Leeds boss Jesse Marsch and Southampton's Ralph Hasenhuttl have all been the subject of sacking speculation at some point this season.

The average tenure currently stands at two years and four days, but back in 2012, managers tended to last for nearly four years.

Gerrard managed just 11 months and nine days at Villa Park.

The Premier League's two most successful teams in recent years, Manchester City and Liverpool, top the chart for having the longest-serving current manager in the English top flight.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola have a combined tenure of 13 years and 125 days. If it wasn't for their longevity, the average time of a Premier League manager would be lowered to one year and 169 days.

It is also worth noting that Graham Potter had been in a job at Brighton for three years before he swapped the south coast for London, stepping in to fill Tuchel's empty shoes at Chelsea.

Who are the longest-serving Premier League managersCurrent average tenure of Premier League managersTeamManagerJoinedTenureLiverpoolJurgen Klopp08/10/20157 years 013 daysManchester CityPep Guardiola01/07/20166 years 112 daysBrentfordThomas Frank16/10/20184 years 005 daysSouthamptonRalph Hasenhuttl06/12/20183 years 319 daysLeicesterBrendan Rodgers27/02/20193 years 236 daysArsenalMikel Arteta22/12/20192 years 303 daysWest HamDavid Moyes29/12/20192 years 296 daysFulhamMarco Silva01/07/20211 year 112 daysCrystal PalacePatrick Vieira04/07/20211 year 109 daysNottingham ForestSteve Cooper21/09/20211 year 030 daysTottenham HotspurAntonio Conte02/11/20210 years 353 daysNewcastleEddie Howe08/11/20210 years 347 daysEvertonFrank Lampard31/01/20220 years 263 daysLeedsJesse Marsch28/02/20220 years 235 daysManchester UnitedErik ten Hag01/06/20220 years 142 daysBournemouthGary O'Neil30/08/20220 years 052 daysChelseaGraham Potter08/09/20220 years 043 daysBrightonRoberto de Zerbi20/09/20220 years 031 daysWolvesSteve Davis03/10/20220 years 018 daysAston Villa---

While the average time for a manager to stay in a Premier League job seems low at two years and four days, the number is reduced again when looking further at the English football pyramid.

Across the 91 league clubs, with Villa excluded, the average tenure is one year and 172 days - another mark Gerrard failed to make with Villa.

What about the longest-serving managers in the league?Longest current serving managers in Premier League and EFLTeamManagerJoinedTenureHarrogate TownSimon Weaver01/05/200913 years 173 daysWycombe WanderersGareth Ainsworth24/09/201210 years 027 daysAccrington StanleyJohn Coleman18/09/20148 years 033 daysLiverpoolJurgen Klopp08/10/20157 years 013 daysManchester CityPep Guardiola01/07/20166 years 112 daysCoventry CityMark Robins07/03/20175 years 228 daysOxford UnitedKarl Robinson22/03/20184 years 213 daysBrentfordThomas Frank16/10/20184 years 005 daysSouthamptonRalph Hasenhuttl06/12/20183 years 319 daysSutton UnitedMatt Gray01/05/20193 years 173 days'A very volatile job' - how have managers reacted?

Rodgers said he was "bitterly disappointed" for Gerrard, who was Liverpool's captain during the Leicester manager's three years in charge at Anfield.

"He did a fantastic job at Rangers and the ambitions at Villa, I assume, are to be challenging for Europe," Rodgers said.

"I'm clearly aware if you are not doing so well, you are going to have critics but the key thing is to get a laser focus on what you can control. When you do that, everything else really is noise."

Liverpool boss Klopp said: "I am very sure Steven Gerrard will come back from that. We had a little exchange this morning, nothing too deep. I can imagine that it is disappointing for him because of the ambitions he had and the things he wanted to achieve with Aston Villa.

"We all get knocks; it is about how you respond. He will come back from that, no doubt. A lot of great managers out there had to leave their previous clubs for different reasons.

"He will be back 100% but now I hope, actually, that he takes a bit of time for him."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said: "I think he is a very good manager and I think it shows the short-term nature of everyone's thinking and reactions.

"We are in a very difficult job and a very volatile job at times, with a lot of short-term opinions and reactions."

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl added: "It's a pity when a manager loses his job but when a club [owner] thinks he has to do it for a better situation then they should sack him, like they did with Dean Smith, which didn't work too well."

Patrick Vieira, manager of Crystal Palace, said: "We are in an industry where we say that the long-term in our job is the next five games.

"This is the business we are in. It's really ruthless, it's really tough."

Everton's Frank Lampard, who played alongside Gerrard with England, said he knows from his experience at Chelsea how difficult it can be to be sacked in the public eye.

"I've huge respect for him as a player, person, coach and manager - it's not nice for someone to lose their job," Lampard said.

Chelsea boss Potter added: "It's part of the job. We know it can happen, but it's not nice when a colleague loses his job."

Tenures of Premier League managers sacked in 2022/23 seasonTeamManagerJoinedLeftTenureChelseaThomas Tuchel26/01/202107/09/2022595 daysWolvesBruno Lage01/07/202102/10/2022458 daysBournemouthScott Parker01/07/202130/08/2022425 daysAston VillaSteven Gerrard11/11/202120/10/2022342 days

    Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment

Source: bbc.com

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more