5 Worst England Managers During The Golden Generation Era (1999-2016)

Steven Gerrard recently quipped that the ‘Golden Generation‘ England squad he played in were little more than a group of ‘egotistical losers’. This may be true – but the players weren’t the only ones who were worthy of blame.

We’ll take a look at five of England’s worst managers between the years of 1999 and 2016 in this piece. The ‘Golden Generation’ era differs for many, as such we will examine a broader period to try and keep everyone happy.

Sam Allardyce

It seems harsh to put Sam Allardyce on a list of this ilk, as he only led England for one game – and won! However, the manner of his departure has earned him a spot – it was a truly ignominious way for anyone to lose their job.

Allardyce was caught on camera admitting to several counts of corruption while England manager as part of a sting operation – no England boss has ever brought embarrassment to the role quite like this before or since. And let’s not forget that pint of white wine he was pictured alongside. One has to wonder if it was Dom Perignon or Blue Nun?

Kevin Keegan

It’s a huge shame that Kevin Keegan didn’t work out as England boss. Hugely popular and with an exciting style of play, he nevertheless merits a spot on this list for his dismal Euro 2000 campaign.

England failed to make it out of Group A as they were beaten by Portugal and Romania. While he remained in the job for several months after this, Keegan eventually resigned from his post in October of that year after a defeat against Germany in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

Fabio Capello

Unlike Keegan, Fabio Capello was a square peg to England’s round hole. He had been incredibly successful before landing the Three Lions job, but none of this prior success was replicated at England.

Many former England players have spoken on how strict Capello was – his man-management was cold at best and nonexistent at worst. Ultimately, this bred a deeply disenfranchised and unmotivated squad who woefully underperformed at the 2010 World Cup.

Roy Hodgson

Younger audiences may consider Roy Hodgson the worst England manager of all time. He is certainly among them – few England eras have been quite as miserable as Roy Hodgson’s time at the reins.

Unlike the rest of the managers on this list, the former Liverpool boss survived to see out three international tournaments. While England played well in qualifying games under Hogdson, their performances in Euro 2012, the 2014 World Cup and especially Euro 2016 were absolutely noisome.

Steve McClaren

Debate around England managers will always be heated, but one thing can be unanimously agreed upon – Steve McClaren was the worst manager of the Golden Generation era.

The ‘Wally with the Brolly’ still lives in infamy whenever people choose to bring up bad England managers. After failing to qualify for Euro 2008, McClaren was removed from his post in disgrace. He may have performed well at Middlesbrough and FC Twente, but his time as England manager was an unmitigated disaster.