5 Premier League managers who were ridiculed for their appointment, but turned out successful
It is human nature to pass judgement on people even before one gets to know them and football is no different. A number of Premier League clubs have had to face the wrath of fans and pundits alike when popular managers are given the sack for new – and sometimes relatively unknown – managers to be given the keys to the club.
However, in some cases, such managers have risen above the all the noise and mud thrown at them by the critics to prove everyone wrong. We look back at five such managers who were written off even before the first ball was kicked.
1) Claudio Ranieri: Chelsea and Leicester City
The Tinkerman has been a football manager since the mid-1980s and was a revered figure in Italy where he had helped promote a clubs such as Cagliari and Fiorentina. A brief stint in Valencia had also seen his stock rise as he led them to a Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup title. He was the man who had set Los Che – a club in La Liga’s doldrums – on their way in the Champions League.
So it came as a surprise when his appointment at Chelsea was met with some criticism and a sprinkle of ridicule. Gianluca Vialli had been a popular man at Stamford Bridge and his sacking did not go down well with the fans who saw Ranieri as the enemy, chanting Vialli’s name early in the season. The Italian spoke very little English and struggled with the language, leading to fans naming him ‘Clownio’.
However, his impact was soon evident. Ranieri was the man who brought a young Frank Lampard to the Bridge, he signed the likes of Emmanuel Petit, William Gallas, Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo and Claude Makelele in subsequent seasons and it was he who identified Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben as potential targets.
Chelsea’s points tally improved every season as they slowly showed the makings of a ‘Top Four’ club. But even finishing second to Arsenal’s once-in-a-century Invincibles side was not enough to save his job as Roman Abramovich ran out of patience and replaced him with Jose Mourinho.
Even when he was signed on by Leicester City, there were questions raised again as he had just been sacked by Greece. We all know what happened next – the Foxes became only the sixth team to win the Premier League as Ranieri’s side overcame 5000/1 odds. And Lineker lost a bet leading to the Match of the Day host appearing on the show wearing nothing but his underwear.