Jurgen Klopp becomes 2nd-longest serving manager – surprises in top 10

A managerial dismissal means Jurgen Klopp is now the second-longest serving manager in the Football League, with some surprising names making up the top 10.

Two League Cups, the league title, one European Cup, one FA Cup and more to come with a bit of luck – it has been an incredible time to be a Liverpool supporter with Klopp at the helm.

At Liverpool, we are used to our managers being at the club for sustained periods, Roy Hodgson being the only real exception since Bill Shankly‘s time.

Not every club has the same philosophy when it comes to managers, though, and there are some names towards the top of the EFL and Premier League‘s longest-serving managers list that are real surprises.

Due to the dismissal of Merseyside-native John Coleman as Accrington Stanley boss, Klopp has took his spot as the second-longest serving manager among the 92 current Football League clubs.

Coleman’s second spell at Accrington Stanley lasted nearly 10 years, until he was sacked by the club on Sunday with a bizarrely short statement announcing the news.

As mentioned, Klopp is now second on said list of managers, having been Liverpool manager for nearly eight and a half years.

Pep Guardiola follows closely behind in third, with his time at Man City approaching the eight-year mark.

First place, though, goes to Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver. He has been in his post since May, 2009, over six years longer than second-placed Klopp.

Now 46 years old, Weaver took over the Yorkshire club when he was aged just 31 and they were in the National League North, the sixth tier of English Football.

They now lie 13th in League Two, having been promoted to the fourth division in 2020.

Harrogate’s stable league position means Klopp is unlikely to take top spot on the list of longest-serving managers before he leaves Liverpool in the summer.

Some of the names that lie below Klopp and Guardiola are surprising, with clubs’ short-sightedness clear to see..

Amazingly, Mikel Arteta is sixth on the list, despite being at Arsenal for just four years, while David Moyes occupies the spot below, with six fewer days in the West Ham job.

Also in the top 10 are Thomas Frank and former-Red Nigel Clough, the son of legendary manager Brian Clough.

Another example of how trigger-happy clubs are becoming is the fact that Eddie Howe lies 14th of 92 managers, despite being at Newcastle for under two and a half years.