5) Nigel Pearson unnerves the nation
From calling a journalist an ‘ostrich’ to fighting off a pack of wild dogs in the Carpathian Mountains, Pearson had previous for being confrontational.
In February 2015, in charge of Leicester, his belligerent streak veered into the realms of the just plain weird.
It all began when Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur accidentally slid into the manager in the technical area. The middle-aged man with the haircut of an 11 year old bully clasped his hands around the player’s throat, only releasing when others intervened.
Even then, he wasn’t done, holding onto McArthur’s shirt sleeve for an uncomfortably long time. So what, you may ask. A manager has an altercation with an opposing player. It happens all the time.
But here’s where it gets unnerving. Pearson smiled throughout.
4) Ron Atkinson vs ‘silly machines’
A classic meltdown, made all the sweeter with a finale of farce.
In the spring of 1996, Ron Atkinson’s Coventry City were among the favourites in the football betting to drop, a grave situation made worse by a horrible run of results dating back to December.
So when Sky Blues supporter Richard Keys witnessed another defeat, this time against fellow strugglers Southampton, under the Monday night lights, he went in especially hard on the under-pressure gaffer in his post-match interview.
Keys later admitted to purposely ‘needling’ Atkinson. The response was nothing short of spectacular.
“I’m sorry, you can sit there and play with all of your silly machines as much as you like. I’m an experienced manager and if I feel the boys haven’t done enough, I’ll whip them. I’m not whipping them for tonight.”
‘Big Ron’ ended his tirade by flinging his headphones away in disgust, unintentionally hitting a nearby technician square in the face.
3) Alan Pardew butts in
Newcastle were two goals up at Hull in 2014 and all told the Magpies were enjoying a pretty decent campaign.
You would have thought their manager Pardew would be in a chipper mood at the KC Stadium.
Clearly not however judging by his extreme reaction to opposition player David Meyler retrieving the ball nearby, gently pushing Pardew out of the way in the process.
Affronted by the push, Pardew squared up to Meyler, landing a headbutt on his forehead.
The force was minimal but the punishment was not. By the time Newcastle and the FA were done he was £160,000 poorer while a seven-game ban proved costly too.
2) John Sitton offers a dinner invitation
A bad season can do strange things to a manager’s mindset. As we’ll see from our number one choice, the same can be said of a good season too. Who’d be a football manager?
In 1994/95 Leyton Orient were enduring a horrendous time of it and this had sent O’s gaffer Sitton into full-on Julius Ceasar mode. Infamy, infamy, they all had it in for him.
The fans had turned. The local media were sharpening their knives. Even his own players were questioning his every decision. At half-time, a goal down to Blackpool, Sitton had endured enough.
That his explosive rant was filmed for a documentary and aired on Channel 4 made it all-the-more memorable and we’d love to transcribe it below but alas it is far too expletive-strewn.
Save to say, a particular highlight was when the volatile boss offered to fight two of his players, suggesting they bring their dinner with them.
Why? Because they’d need it for later of course.
1) Kevin Keegan would love it
The only thing missing from Keegan’s unforgettable disintegration in 1996 was a shot of Sir Alex Ferguson at home, pouring himself a single malt and smirking at a job well done.
With a titanic title race reaching its climax, Newcastle beat Leeds to keep themselves in the fight and bolstered by this, their emotionally wrung-out manager used his post-match interview to fire some shots back at a rival who – true to form – had indulged in some mind games that week.
Ferguson had suggested Leeds and Newcastle’s next opponent, Nottingham Forest, would not be as committed against them as they were when facing United earlier in the season.
Keegan viewed this as a besmirching of the players’ professionalism and furthermore added how much it would mean to him to beat Manchester United to the crown.
In fairness, these were all valid points, but it was the jabbing of a finger that did it, not to mention a pair of over-sized headphones. He looked like a man deranged.
Keegan’s Newcastle were a live betting nightmare that term, capable of any scoreline and unfailingly entertaining. They gave us so much.
Right near the finish line, their manger then gave the Premier League it’s very own moon landing.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
