Top five Premier League managerial meltdowns

By Liam Apicella, Features Editor | 04 October 2015

Following Jose Mourinho's meltdown yesterday evening, Sports Mole picks out five other Premier League bosses that have lost their cool in front of the cameras.

Having witnessed his side lose 3-1 at home to Southampton yesterday evening, it appeared that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had gone into meltdown mode.

The 52-year-old took seven minutes to answer one question that had been put to him by a Sky Sports News reporter, during which he ranted about referees, a lack of confidence and costly individual errors.

Of course, Mourinho is not the first Premier League boss to have lost his cool in front of the cameras and journalists. Here, Sports Mole has picked out five others that can rival Mourinho's tirade.

5. Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

With his Liverpool side top of the Premier League table and embroiled in a title race with rivals Manchester United, Benitez's paranoia went into overdrive.

Following suggestions from his opposite number Sir Alex Ferguson that the fixtures had played into Liverpool's hands, the Spaniard produced a sheet of paper which he bizarrely stated many "facts". Looking back the meltdown was seen as a crucial moment as United went on to win the title by four clear points.

4. Joe Kinnear (Newcastle United)

Thoroughly unhappy with what had been written about him by journalists and mainly The Mirror's Simon Bird, Newcastle's interim boss Kinnear let rip in expletive fashion.

What was all the more shocking was the fact that it was only his first official press conference as manager of the club.

3. Nigel Pearson (Leicester City)

With his Leicester team looking like relegation certainties, quite frankly, Pearson lost the plot following his side's defeat to Chelsea in front of their own supporters at the King Power Stadium.

Having been offended by a question, the Leicester boss went on to brand the reporter that had posed it "an ostrich" and then strangely asked him if he was flexible enough to stick his head in the sand.

2. Ron Atkinson (Coventry City)

In 1996 another manager looking down the barrel of relegation was Coventry's Atkinson, who took exception to questions from presenter Richard Keys following a 1-0 defeat at Southampton.

Keys was informed that he could "sit there and play with all your silly machines as much as you like" as Atkinson ranted that his side had not played that badly. He then walked off, but not before he had thrown away the headphones and microphone.

1. Kevin Keegan (Newcastle United)

It's highly unlikely that there will ever be a managerial rant that tops this one from Keegan towards the end of the 1995-96 campaign.

Under his watch Newcastle had blown a 12-point lead on Man United and the pressure had started to show, which prompted Keegan to produce the famous "I would love it if we beat them" line. Sadly for Keegan, they didn't.