Manager Debuts
The first league match for every manager at each club they managed, best and worst
Sam Allardyce could hardly have asked for a better start at Bolton: a 5-0 win at Leicester on the opening day of 2001-02, a debut margin he shares with Michael Laudrup's Swansea (5-0 at QPR in 2012). At the other end, Roberto Di Matteo's first game in charge of West Brom ended 6-0 at Chelsea. Each row below is the first league match a manager took charge of a club for — permanent appointments only — split into the five biggest wins and five biggest defeats.
Top 5 Biggest Debut Wins
Biggest winning margins in a manager's first match in charge
| # | Manager | Team | Opponent | H/A | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Allardyce | Bolton Wanderers | Leicester City | A | 5-0 | 18 Aug 2001 |
| 2 | Michael Laudrup | Swansea City | Queens Park Rangers | A | 5-0 | 18 Aug 2012 |
| 3 | Mike Walker | Everton | Swindon Town | H | 6-2 | 15 Jan 1994 |
| 4 | Ole Gunnar Solskjær | Manchester United | Cardiff City | A | 5-1 | 22 Dec 2018 |
| 5 | Luiz Felipe Scolari | Chelsea | Portsmouth | H | 4-0 | 17 Aug 2008 |
Top 5 Biggest Debut Defeats
Biggest losing margins in a manager's first match in charge
| # | Manager | Team | Opponent | H/A | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roberto Di Matteo | West Bromwich Albion | Chelsea | A | 0-6 | 14 Aug 2010 |
| 2 | Alan Smith | Crystal Palace | Liverpool | H | 1-6 | 20 Aug 1994 |
| 3 | Dave Bassett | Nottingham Forest | Newcastle United | A | 0-5 | 11 May 1997 |
| 4 | Chris Hughton | Norwich City | Fulham | A | 0-5 | 18 Aug 2012 |
| 5 | Claudio Ranieri | Watford | Liverpool | H | 0-5 | 16 Oct 2021 |