Would Fabricio Coloccini be the strangest managerial appointment of all time…
Reports in the Independent confirm that Fabricio Coloccini is in line to be the next manager of Newcastle United, with Alan Pardew’s move to Crystal Palace nearing completion.
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The 32-year-old Argentine defender, who is still a regular in the Magpies team, would be a surprise choice to say the least, considering his lack of managerial and coaching experience.
However, it wouldn’t be the first time a Premier League team has made a shock appointment. Here are the top ten via Talk Sport:
10) Felix Magath (Fulham)
An unpopular appointment in a disastrous season for Fulham, which saw them relegated from the Premier League. Magath had never managed in English football before, and it’s hard to see him ever doing so again.
9) Gary Megson (Bolton)
Replacing Sam Allardyce proved a thankless task for Bolton, who oversaw a dramatic decline in form following his departure. Megson declared on his first day: “I have to accept that maybe I’m not their number one choice.” He wasn’t wrong.
8) Brian Laws (Burnley)
When Owen Coyle jumped ship to Bolton to replace Gary Megson, Burnley were forced to find a manager capable of keeping them in the Premier League as quickly as possible, but their choice was a strange one – a man that had recently been fired at Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.
7) Alan Irvine (West Brom)
Irvine recently became the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season, but his appointment in the summer seemed a strange one considering his lack of experience at the top level. His last period as the top boss came at Sheffield Wednesday in 2011, and he’d spent the last three years working with the Everton youth team.
6) Rafael Benitez (Chelsea)
After sacking former playing star and club legend Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea appointed the former Liverpool boss, a man with whom the Blues had endured a long-standing rivalry during the mid 2000’s. The Spaniard had also been accused of being disrespectful of the Stamford Bridge side in the past, but he still enjoyed a successful spell in London.
5) Joe Kinnear (Newcastle United)
A bizarre choice as interim boss for Newcastle when Toon hero Kevin Keegan quit following a long running feud with the board in 2008, Joe Kinnear had been out of work for nearly four years since being manager of Nottingham Forest. Ultimately he will be remembered for one foul mouthed rant and largely contributing to the club’s relegation.
4) Alex McLeish (Aston Villa)
Having led arch rivals Birmingham to League Cup success the previous year, he was never going to be a popular appointment at Villa Park. Inevitably, he struggled in the role, and Villa’s poor form compounded the fans low opinion of a man that was sacked within the year.
3) Roy Hodgson (Liverpool)
A disappointing 7th placed finish and the departure of Benitez in 2010 left Liverpool fans crying out for an inspirational appointment. What they got instead was flavour of the month Roy Hodgson, who had recently taken Fulham to the Europa League final. He proved to be a huge flop, and one of the most unpopular managers at Anfield ever.
2) George Graham (Arsenal)
A fierce North London rivalry with Arsenal ensured a barrage of discontent from the Spurs faithful when the club saw fit to appoint former league and cup-winning Gunners boss George Graham in 1998. Aside from links with their rivals, supporters found Graham’s ‘boring, boring’ brand of football far from inspiring.
1) Avram Grant (Chelsea)
There was uproar in West London when The Special One got the boot from Roman Abramovich, despite clinching Chelsea’s first league triumph in more than 50 years, as well as another Premier League title, FA Cup, two Carling Cups. Grant did lead the Blues into a Champions League final later that year – losing out to Man United on penalties – but was sacked in the summer.
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