Betting.Betfair

Following the news that Steve Kean will be in charge of Blackburn at least until the end of the season, Max Liu profiles five Premier League bosses the Venky's Group will be hoping their man can surpass...


In politics there was Lyndon Johnson, George Bush Senior, Gordon Brown and many more. In football management the list of second lieutenants who have failed when the number one job finally came their way is even longer. Frequently described as "real football men" by those within the game, these characters come to their roles with a backroom steeliness about the eyes but soon look lost and feckless on the touchline before leaving the club after less than a year. With Kean, 1.3 to get the job on a permanent basis, here are five number two's who became number one's whom he will be desperate not to emulate.

Les Reed was nicknamed "Les Miserable" by the press during his humiliating six weeks in charge of Charlton Athletic. The former-FA Technical Director became Iain Dowie's assistant at the Valley in the summer of 2006 but was put in charge of the team when his boss was sacked as they slid down the table. Reed's tenure was utterly uninspired as he watched the Addicks' become relegation certainties and exit the League Cup against a team from three divisions below. Reed was sacked on Christmas Eve and replaced by Alan Pardew, who failed to keep Charlton in the Premier League.

Steve Wigley got the Southampton job in 2004 when Paul Sturrock departed St Mary's after just two games. Wigley, who had been Sturrock's assistant, didn't fare much better and lasted only 14 games. Big things were expected of the former Nottingham Forest player, who was regarded as one of the most talented assistant managers in England, but, although he did manage to win a South Coast derby against Portsmouth, his tenure was woeful.

Having twice failed to make the step up, Chris Hutchings might well be the daddy of assistants who make bad managers. He has twice succeeded Paul Jewell - at Bradford in 2000 and Wigan in 2007 - and on both occasions made an impressive start before his teams embarked on disastrous runs which lead to his sacking. The Derby board were wise to this in 2008 when Jewell left Pride Park and Hutchings took charge as caretaker manager. They only gave him one match in charge before the appointment of Nigel Clough.

Brian Kidd occupies a special place in Manchester United fans' hearts, not only for scoring in a European Cup final but also for his exuberant, semi-religious celebrations of Steve Bruce's destiny-changing brace against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993. The same cannot be said of Blackburn supporters; Kidd left his position as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant to take charge of Rovers in December 1998, spent £20 million on new players, got the club relegated and was sacked less than a year into his tenure.

Sammy Lee was an able midfielder for Liverpool for ten years and impressed as a member of Graeme Souness, Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier's backroom staff at Anfield. However, when he got the Bolton manager's job in 2007 it seemed inevitable that his reign would end in disappointment. The man they called Little Sam, following his predecessor Big Sam, was sacked after winning only one of eleven games.

Read more at betting.betfair.com