Houllier the right man for Villa
But the latest managerial appointment pales in comparison to this collection of blundering bosses who somehow managed to convince that they were capable of being entrusted with the managerial reins.
Paul Gascoigne – Kettering Town
Entertainer, genius, madman are all tags to have been justifiably thrown at Gazza during his enigmatic football career.
In 2005, Kettering Town decided to add 'manager' to that list.
It took 39 days for the non-league club to awake from their daze before promptly dismissing the former England midfielder citing an alcohol problem.
Attilio Lombardo/Thomas Brolin – Crystal Palace
With new owners and manager Steve Coppell heading upstairs to fulfil the, yet to be defined, post of Director of Football, Palace were primed for a high profile managerial appointment.
Instead, on the assumption that two heads would certainly be better than one, the club's two headline acts on the field were given the task of spearheading the team to pastures new.
The hapless duo succeeded to an extent, leading the club on an expedition, certainly, but one that ended in disaster and relegation.
Joe Kinnear – Newcastle United
Plucked from the managerial wilderness, Joe Kinnear arrived at St James's Park as the perfect ringmaster to orchestrate the Mike Ashley circus act.
After staging a press conference that included 52 expletives and publicly referring to Charles N'Zogbia as 'Charlie Insomnia', Kinnear had the Premier League audience in stitches.
The act had an altogether more serious ending as the former Wimbledon boss was forced to resign after a heart bypass operation before the Magpies captured the sombre mood by getting relegated.
Claude Anelka – Raith Rovers
Giving Nicolas 'le sulk' Anelka the responsibility of managing a football team was and still is a preposterous idea.
Raith Rovers knew that, so didn’t. Instead they plumped for his agent and brother Claude.
With no experience of coaching or Scottish football, Rovers were following the recipe for disaster and eight games and no wins later decided to bin the mixture before it was ready for the oven.
Diego Maradona – Argentina
Drug abuse, alcoholism and obesity were presumably were the necessary criteria for the Argentine FA when it came to appointing a new national coach.
Maradona fitted the bill perfectly and, much to their delight even had two failed domestic managerial campaigns to boot.
With plenty of hugs, kisses and oversized suits, how could the former footballer of 'Hand of God' fame fail?
His much publicised presence masked what was ultimately a disappointing 2010 World Cup for the South American giants whose defensive ineptitude was cruelly exposed by the expansive Germans.
Source: DSG
