Arne Slot has had the fourth best start of any Premier League manager over his first 10 games at a club but he’s no John Gregory…
10) Avram Grant (Chelsea, 23 points)
Just two months after becoming Chelsea’s director of football, Grant found himself leading Chelsea in September 2007 after Jose Mourinho was mutually consented. Despite five dropped points in the Blues’ first two games under the Israeli, they were then unbeaten throughout October, November and then deep into December as Chelsea moved from fifth to third. Defeat to Arsenal in Grant’s 11th match would actually be their last Premier League loss of the season, but that still wasn’t enough to keep Grant in the job.
9) Pep Guardiola (Manchester City, 23 points)
Initially it really did look like Pep Guardiola – much to the chagrin of the ‘he thinks he can come over here…’ brigade – was going to flatten every Premier League team in his path after his arrival along with John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane. Frankly, it looked like a piece of p*** until the seventh game of the season when they got Spursed. Then came 72% possession and two saved penalties to see them emerge with just a point v Everton. Welcome to the Premier League, Pep. They eventually finished a lowly third. Embarrassed for you, Pep.
8) Luiz Felipe Scolari (Chelsea, 23 points)
It’s extraordinary how many Chelsea managers start with a bang, with this 2007/08 iteration of the Blues scoring a ludicrous 22 goals across those first 10 games. But Scolari’s style eventually exhausted the Chelsea players and he was out on his ear by early February. Remember when Chelsea sacked managers for being fourth?
7) Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea, 24 points)
A year after Scolari’s Chelsea began with a bang, Ancelotti’s Chelsea went a step further, winning eight of their first 10 games with the only blips coming in a lacklustre performance against Wigan marred by a sending-off and a defeat away at Aston Villa. Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were on fire, Terry and Carvalho were resilient, and this was the midfield of Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien. What a bloody team. What a manager. And this one actually won the Premier League title.
6) Maurizio Sarri (Chelsea, 24 points)
Remember when Sarriball was an innovation that could bring glory back to Chelsea and the spark back to Eden Hazard rather than a dirty word. Chelsea were unbeaten across the first 12 games of the Italian’s reign, though a smattering of draws meant that they never looked like potential champions. Things – as so they often do at Chelsea – soured over the winter months and Sarri left at the end of the season with all happy to part ways. But that start was far better than we remembered.
5) Guus Hiddink (Chelsea, 25 points)
The Dutchman proved there wasn’t an awful lot wrong with Scolari’s Chelsea squad as he began with four straight wins before defeat at Spurs. But they recovered to settle into third and an automatic Champions League qualifying spot, all while reaching the semi-finals of the actual Champions League.
4) Arne Slot (Liverpool, 25 points)
It’s not been spectacular but they have conceded just six goals in 10 games, with home defeat to Nottingham Forest a wake-up call.
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3) Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham, 26 points)
That Tottenham started last season with a 10-match unbeaten run now feels like a fever dream but IT HAPPENED. Without the departed Harry Kane and with excellent new signings James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario, Tottenham looked unstoppable, mate. They beat Manchester United and Liverpool in those first eight heady games that ended with a narrow 10-man victory over Luton that took them top of the actual Premier League. Two months later they were fifth. Fantasy over.
2) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United, 26 points)
The only man to remain unbeaten across his first 10 games at a Premier League club. No wonder people were losing their minds and screaming ‘Ole’s at the wheel’. After the dismal days of Jose Mourinho, the smiling face and twinkling eyes of the Norwegian brought joy and freedom to a United side that rose from sixth to, erm, sixth as Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and even Anthony Martial were on fire. How did that end again?
1) John Gregory (Aston Villa, 27 points)
Brian Little resigned (remember when managers resigned?) in February 1998 with Villa looking like outside bets for relegation. Villa decided against a big-name replacement and instead turned to Wycombe manager John Gregory. His first game was a come-from-behind Villa Park win over Liverpool featuring two Stan Collymore goals; the Villa fans were on board. By the end of an 10-game run with a bizarre home defeat to Barnsley the only blip, Villa had moved from 14th to seventh and a place in Europe. Now that’s what we call a new manager bounce.
