Sometimes the caretaker manager has it easier than the main manager, but sometimes it is the worst job in football.
There are times however, when it has worked out well for these guys. Here’s my top five.
Mario Zagallo – Brazil
In 1970 Brazil had some of the greatest players ever to grace a football pitch – Pele, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto to name but three. However the egos of these superstars proved too much for manager João Saldanha to control, so Mario Zagallo was thrust into control.
With revolutionary new tactics, Brazil claimed the World Cup in 1970 and earned the right to be described as one of the greatest teams of all time.
Brazil embraced a classic 4-4-2 formation with two defensive midfielders – a concession to the principle of not losing possession.
Zagallo got the job on a permanent basis from 1970-1974 and again from 1994-1998. He was also an assistant manager from 1991-1994 and again from 2003-2006. He collected 37 caps as a player, winning 30 times with a mere four draws and three defeats. He coached the national side for some 154 encounters, 110 of which ended in victory, along with 33 draws and just 11 defeats.
He has won the World Cup four times in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994.
Roberto Di Matteo – Chelsea
In May 2012, Di Matteo was appointed caretaker manager of Chelsea. Within three months he had won the FA Cup and Champions League, the latter a prize that Chelsea had never won. Chelsea produced a heroic defensive performance to defeat heavy favourites Bayern Munich in the final.
Di Matteo was appointed permanent manager on a two-year contract, but was later sacked in November 2012. Di Matteo, who played 119 games for Chelsea, won 24, drew nine and lost nine games while in charge.
Tony Barton – Aston Villa
Tony Barton was appointed manager of Aston Villa after the departure of Ron Saunders in 1982. Saunders was an outstanding manager, guiding Aston Villa to their first league title in 71 years.
However Barton was even more successful. He guided Villa to victory over Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup Final, just three months into the job, and followed this up with the European Super Cup. However Aston Villa’s league form slipped. They were sixth in 1983 and tenth in 1984 and didn’t match their success in Europe.
Barton was sacked in May 1984 and had spells at Northampton Town, Southampton and Portsmouth before he died in 1993. His overall record at Aston Villa was 58 wins, 24 defeats, 48 draws.
Stewart Houston – Arsenal
In the middle of the 1994-1995 season, George Graham was abruptly sacked after 460 games as manager of Arsenal. Graham was replaced by assistant Stewart Houston. Within three months, Houston took Arsenal to the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, but the Gunners lost to Real Zaragoza in the final minute of extra time, after a 40-yard lob from Nayim.
Arsenal appointed Bruce Rioch in the summer of 1995, but Houston remained on as his assistant. Just over a year after his appointment, Rioch was sacked, and Houston was reappointed as caretaker. Houston only managed 25 games in total, winning nine. Arsene Wenger was eventually appointed full-time manager in 1996.
Tony Parkes – Blackburn/ Blackpool
Tony Parkes played 350 times for Blackburn Rovers, and when manager Bobby Saxton left the club in 1986, Parkes was appointed caretaker manager. It was a position he would hold a further four times at Rovers and once at Blackpool.
His record was 27 wins, 28 draws and 27 defeats. Parker never landed a full-time managerial job.
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