The last English bosses in the Premier League's Big Six mainly did not seem to have impressive stints.
English managers in the Premier League are still not as many as they should be. Their numbers do not seem to improve. In 2023/24, only five Englishmen were in charge of the team at the beginning of the season. Now only four remain. It is quite decreasing compared to the last five years. There were at least seven English managers from 2020 to 2023.
Their number in EPL’s big six is even lower. No one has been appointed to be at the helm of any big club since Graham Potter at Chelsea two years ago. The only English boss in the top ten teams this season is Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth boss is still in command of Newcastle United, which is not even one of the Premier League's Big Six. He was fairly successful last season as he guided the Magpies to finish in the top four and during his spell with The Cherries. He served them for eight years and led them to gain promotion in 2015 and sit ninth. No wonder Bournemouth tickets were in huge demand during his tenure. Unfortunately, even Howe’s position in the Tyneside is still uncertain. He is rumoured to be replaced by a more high-profile gaffer, which will be another setback for the future of the English boss.
Next season, Manchester United could be the first elite team to be led by English managers, should Gareth Southgate accept their offer. The current Three Lions boss has been linked to the Old Trafford post, as Erik Ten Hag’s position is reportedly in danger.
Unsurprisingly, the big six tend to pick foreign managers to take charge of the team instead of the local names due to at least two reasons: the limited number of figures with outstanding experience in the top sides and their relatively disappointing results. Such is understandable since the top teams want a guarantee of positive results. Hiring English managers is more like an experiment, if not considered gambling, for those elites. Sadly, the solid proof is on record. Here are the last English managers’ tenures in the Big Six, who also did not deliver satisfactory results as expected.
Stuart Pearce (Manchester City)
The former England international in the 1990s was the last English boss in the Citizens. He was at the helm of the club for two seasons, 2005/06 and 2006/07. At that time, they were not one of the elites that regularly fought for the European place. Yet Manchester City was already in their rebuilding phase, as they had attempted to sign several top players. Unfortunately, the team did not thrive under Pearce. Richard Dunne and Co. only finished 15th and 14th on the table.
After leaving Etihad, he had no further success on the international stage with England U21, the Great Britain Olympic team in 2012, or at the club level with Nottingham Forest and West Ham. The Hammers were his final club in his managerial career as David Moyes’ assistant before stepping down in 2022.
Don Howe (Arsenal)
The last English manager in charge of the Gunners was before the Premier League era. Don Howe was named Arsenal manager from 1983 to 1986. Yet his spell was not that impressive. They only finished tenth, sixth, and seventh positions twice in a row. Howe was then succeeded by George Graham, who guided the Gunners into their trophy-laden era with six titles, including two league titles, one FA Cup, and the UEFA Winners Cup in 1994. Meanwhile, Don Howe moved to QPR after helping Wimbledon clinch the FA Cup in 1988 as an assistant manager. His last club in his managerial career was Coventry.
Roy Hodgson (Liverpool)
The former Crystal Palace, Inter Milan, and Fulham boss might have been one of the best English managers who won titles abroad. Yet, his spell in Liverpool was not the one to remember. He was named to lead Steven Gerrard and Co. in the 2010/11 season after bringing Fulham to the UEFA Cup final in 2010. Hogdson did not even last for a year at Anfield, with only 13 victories and nine draws in 31 games.
The former Switzerland and Finland manager eventually joined West Bromwich before taking charge of the England national team after Fabio Capello’s resignation. The Three Lions did not have a remarkable result during his tenure at EURO 2012 and 2016, plus the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Joe Hart and Co. could not progress further than the round of 16.
Tim Sherwood (Tottenham)
The former Blackburn Rovers skipper when they won the Premier League in 1995 was Spurs’ permanent last English manager so far. He was appointed for the 2013–14 campaign. It was the only full season in his managerial career. He was dismissed by the management after only guiding them to finish sixth in the standings. Sherwood then took over Aston Villa in 2015 when he led them to the FA Cup final before suffering a heavy loss of 4-0 to Arsenal. That was his last job in the dugout.
Graham Potter (Chelsea)
He is the most recent English manager on the elite side. Potter had an impressive CV in Brighton, where he built the team to a solid dark horse and finished ninth in 2021/22, their best position in the Premier League before his record was broken by his successor, Roberto de Zerbi, in 2023. The former Swansea and Ostersund boss was hired by Chelsea to replace Thomas Tuchel. Unfortunately, his time at Stamford Bridge was cut short despite signing a five-year contract. Potter did not even make it to the end of the season, as he left after failing to get the Blues into the Champions League. They dropped to 11th place before his departure. Overall, his team was only able to secure 12 games and 8 draws in 31 games.
Ron Atkinson (Manchester United)
Manchester United's last English manager was Ron Atkinson. He was the head coach during the 1981–1986 period. At that time, the Red Devils were none but the dark horse in EPL. Under Atkinson, they only finished third or fourth on the table, even though they managed to lift FA Cup trophies twice in 1983 and 1985. He was eventually replaced by Alex Ferguson, who transformed United into a rising giant during his long reign. Atkinson later joined Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa. He led them to the EFL League Cup titles in 1991 and 1994, respectively.
