SHORTEST PREMIER LEAGUE REIGNS

LES REED: Eight games (in all competitions), Charlton, 2006 Taking over with the club struggling after eight defeats in their first 12 league games, Reed failed to improve matters. He picked up just four points in seven games, suffered a League Cup exit against Wycombe and was sacked on Christmas Eve. BOB BRADLEY: 11 games, Swansea, 2016 The first American to manage in the Premier League, Bradley lasted only from October to December last year although, unlike Reed, he at least made it through Christmas before being axed on 27 December. He took eight points from 11 games and left Swansea 19th in the table, having also struggled under Francesco Guidolin, but they finally found their man as Paul Clement secured top-flight survival. TERRY CONNOR: 13 games, Wolves, 2012 Mick Mccarthy’s successor was hardly the experienced name Wolves fans had been promised, with his erstwhile assistant never having managed professionally. Four points from 13 games, and relegation, saw him go back to being Mccarthy’s assistant at Ipswich. JACQUES SANTINI: 13 games, Tottenham, 2004 The Frenchman’s only wins came against Newcastle, Birmingham, Everton and in League Cup ties against Oldham and Bolton, the latter after extratime. His resignation was put down to “personal reasons”, widely reported to involve disagreements with Spurs’ then sporting director Frank Arnesen. PAUL STURROCK: 13 games, Southampton, 2004 The Scot, a Dundee United legend as a player, won four of his first six games in charge, opening up with a 2-0 success against Liverpool, though defeat to rivals Portsmouth would not have helped his case and a five-match winless run to close the 2003-04 season left Saints in 12th place. Sturrock, pictured, was sacked two games into the following season, despite a 3-2 win over Blackburn in the second of those matches. The then League Managers’ Association vice-chairman Frank Clark described the sacking as “ludicrous”. CHRIS HUTCHINGS: 13 games, Wigan, 2007 Hutchings stepped up having been assistant to Paul Jewell but early wins over Middlesbrough and Sunderland proved a false dawn for the Latics, with only two further points and a League Cup exit to Hull to show for his subsequent time in charge. An earlier spell succeeding Jewell in similar circumstances at Bradford City had also lasted just 12 games into the Premier League season, but an Intertoto Cup campaign helped stretch his reign to 21 matches in all. PAOLO DI CANIO: 13 games, Sunderland, 2013 The Italian’s abrasive style provided the shock therapy to keep the Black Cats in the Premier League in 2012-13, aided by a 3-0 derby win over Newcastle memorable for Di Canio knee-sliding down the St James’ Park sidelines in celebration. He quickly wore out his welcome the following season, though, and was sacked before September was out. SAMMY LEE: 14 games, Bolton, 2007 “Little Sam” was handed the task of replacing “Big Sam” Allardyce, having previously been his assistant. He won only one of 11 league games, against Reading, with his only other success coming against Macedonian side Rabotnicki in the Uefa Cup.