More than 200 managers and coaching staff lost their jobs last season in English football in a “hire and fire culture” which “undermines the profession”, says League Managers Association (LMA) chief Richard Bevan.
Statistics provided by the LMA show that managers in the top two divisions of men’s football are staying in their job for the shortest time in history.
The statistics cover the top four men’s leagues in English professional football and the top two in women’s.
The Premier League saw nine managers dismissed last season with an average tenure of 0.87 years which is the shortest period of time in the LMA’s records,, external going back to the 2013-14 campaign.
A number of clubs in the league changed their manager on multiple occasions, with Nottingham Forest having four permanent head coaches, while Tottenham and Chelsea had three apiece.
“Certainly in my 18-19 years the hire and fire culture that’s ever-present definitely undermines the profession,” Bevan said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Bevan says managerial instability is not a bedrock for success and pointed instead to clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Newcastle as examples.
Arsenal won their first Premier League title in 22 years this season during Mikel Arteta’s seventh campaign as head coach, while Pep Guardiola has left Manchester City after winning 17 major trophies in 10 years.
Andoni Iraola has left Bournemouth after a three years which ended in the Cherries qualifying for Europe for the first time, and although Newcastle have under-performed this season, Eddie Howe has had a largely successful near five-year stint in charge.
“When you look at short-termism, compare it to the way Man City, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Newcastle … many other clubs look at the investing time and trust in their managers,” said Bevan.
“Longevity to managers, the same in many industries and people listening this morning, it’s the best recipe for success.”