New campaigns bring hope but sometimes clubs act swiftly when early results or boardroom disputes threaten momentum. The following cases record the earliest managerial departures in Premier League history, ranked by games played at the opening of a season.

Watford, 2018–19 — Games lasted: 4, Date sacked: September 4
Gracia began 2018–19 with four wins from four and a third-place position. The side finished the season in 11th after being seventh as late as Gameweek 34 and suffered a joint-biggest FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The club dismissed him four games into the next season after Watford had taken just one point. Still, he lasted longer than most.

Bournemouth, 2021–22 — Games lasted: 4, Date sacked: August 30
Parker had secured promotion to the Premier League three times as a manager but struggled to establish a top-flight methodology. His tenure ended after a 9–0 defeat at Anfield, the joint-heaviest loss in Premier League history.

Newcastle United, 2004–05 — Games lasted: 4, Date sacked: August 30
Sir Bobby Robson was dismissed 16 days into the season amid reported player discontent. Former chairman Freddy Shepherd likened sacking Robson to “shooting Bambi.”

Manchester City, 1993–94 — Games lasted: 4, Date sacked: August 26
Player-manager Reid was dismissed 12 days into the campaign after City earned a single point from their first four fixtures, and the fast start by champions Manchester United across town convinced the club to act.

Nottingham Forest, 2025–26 — Games lasted: 4, Date sacked: September 9
Nuno, who returned European football to the City Ground for the first time in almost 30 years and led Forest to a seventh-place finish in 2024–25, left after a summer of unrest following Evangelos Marinakis’s appointment of Edu Gaspar as Global Head of Football. The manager and the new executive reportedly fell out and were not on speaking terms. The club went on to appoint Ange Postecoglou.

Earlier and shorter spells include Tottenham Hotspur in 1998–99, Newcastle United in 2008–09 and 1997–98, and West Ham United in 2008–09, where managers left within the first three games of those campaigns. “And even Christian Gross…”, the draft of that era summed up the uncertainty in north London.

David Coote, the former Premier League referee dismissed in December 2024 after comments about Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp, has been charged with making an indecent video of a child. He was charged on Aug. 12 and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Thursday, Sept. 11. Coote has been released from custody on conditional bail.

Coote’s top-flight refereeing career was ended by Professional Game Match Officials Limited after those comments were judged a “serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract.” The Football Association also imposed an eight-week ban in August related to the remarks about Liverpool and Klopp.

Earlier, Coote initially disputed the legitimacy of the video but later admitted it was genuine. In a lengthy interview with The Sun he acknowledged drug abuse and spoke about his struggles with hiding his sexuality. He said that he “didn’t recognise” himself in the video where he called Klopp a derogatory term.

UEFA has already barred Coote from officiating until June 30, 2026. That suspension followed the publication of photographs showing him snorting a white powder, after he had been selected to appear as an assistant VAR official at Euro 2024.

The sequence of sanctions and allegations has removed Coote from match duties at domestic and European levels while criminal procedures proceed. He faces the upcoming magistrates court hearing in September and remains on conditional bail as the legal process continues.

Napoli could revive their loan interest in Kobbie Mainoo in the January window, a report has suggested. The Serie A club were one of several sides linked with a move for the Manchester United midfielder in the final hours of the transfer window.

ESPN say the England international’s temporary stay in Naples was “mapped out” but United rejected the offer. That account adds that Napoli might “resurrect” their interest in January provided Manchester United can identify a suitable replacement.

Amorim publicly rebuffed that approach, insisting that he valued the midfielder. Despite that reassurance, Mainoo has not made a single Premier League start this season, a situation that has reportedly left the 20-year-old keen to push for a move in the summer.

The Red Devils are already expected to look for a new midfielder in 2026. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba is presented in reports as an ideal candidate, although United are said to be prepared to sign a more affordable short-term option in January if the Seagulls resist losing their player mid-season.

Mainoo’s dissatisfaction at Old Trafford is said to stem not only from limited game time but also from his contract situation. The academy graduate signed a deal in January 2023 that runs until 2027, with a club option for a further year. “At that point, Mainoo was just 17 and had not yet made a single senior appearance.”

For Manchester United, any January movement would depend on recruitment options and the willingness to sanction a temporary exit for a young midfielder who has attracted interest since the close of the last window.