Alex McLeish and 4 Managers Who Should Never Be Hired Again

Football is a ruthless business, and managers are often times the ones who bare the brunt of its cold, callous nature. 

It is easy for impatient chairmen, annoyed fans and writers who need stories to be critical of an under-performing manager. Those on the outside looking in have the power of hindsight to scrutinize every minuscule choice made by a manager.

Most managers do not deserve the amount of the flak they receive. A lot of the criticism is unfounded and, in most cases, is detrimental to the team.

However, there are some managers who fully deserve the bad press they get. It is amazing that certain managers continue to find employment after continually doing a poor job.

Here are five managers who should never again find employment as a football manager. 

Alex McLeish Is in the Process of Relegating Two Clubs from the Same City

It seems like the Aston Villa fans knew something those in charge of the club did not. Alex McLeish was not fit to manage the club because he is not very good.

Villa are now a threat to be the second club from Birmingham McLeish has managed to relegate. The fact that it would have happened in consecutive seasons is even more alarming.

It seems like McLeish is hellbent on ruining football in Birmingham. It would not be that surprising if he somehow cajoled his way into the West Bromwich Albion hot seat to attempt the hat-trick of Second City relegations.

McLeish seems to be living off the glory of Scotland upsetting France in Paris and winning a bunch of trophies with Rangers. The fact is, despite beating France, McLeish still failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and it is easier to win at Rangers than it is to lose.

Anyone who watched Villa this season or Birmingham last season knows McLeish does not deserve another shot in management.  

Claudio Ranieri Can't Win No Matter the Club

In the past 12 years, Claudio Ranieri has managed Chelsea, Valencia, Parma, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan. In that time span he has only won a single trophy, and that was the lowly UEFA Super Cup.   

Ranieri is not a terrible manager and seems like a nice guy both on and off the pitch, but the problem is that he has never gotten over the hump as a manager.

Every time Ranieri is faced with pressure he flames out spectacularly. From the Champions League semifinal debacle with Chelsea in 2004 to letting the Coppa Italia and Scudetto slip away to Inter in 2010, Ranieri loses it when his team needs him the most.

The Tinkerman has to be the last person fans would want to see manager their team because of his ability to disappoint. It remains to be seen if the 60-year-old Ranieri will get another shot a big club, but for all intensive purposes he should not. 

Sven-Goran Eriksson Will Work but Shouldn't

Sven-Goran Eriksson has become a caricature of a football manager. That is one of the reasons his Special 1 TV character is funny.

The Swede's time as England boss saw him transform from respected manager to running joke. His spells with Manchester City, Mexico, Ivory Coast and Leicester City, as well as the Director of Football position he held at Notts County, only served to enhance his reputation as comic relief.

Eriksson still wants to work, but every team he has been in charge of over the past decade has underachieved. Like with Ranieri, you feel a certain sympathy for Eriksson because he seems like a nice guy, but football is a results business.

There have been no positive results to speak of for Eriksson since his time at Lazio in 2000. Only a fool or a chairman with an appreciation for comedy would give Eriksson a job, and it is probably best that way. 

Sam Allardyce Will Kill Football If He Keeps Finding Work

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is the only manager on this list who wins on regular basis. The problem is that these victories are so awful to watch that even West Ham fans are turning against him.

The Hammers are pushing for promotion this season, but Allardyce's not-so-secret plan to have every player kick the ball upfield to Carlton Cole is painful to watch at best.

Big Sam has been able to get results with his route one football, but the abject fashion in which it is done has never won him any fans. Most of his signings also fail to inspire fans to get behind him.

The world of football would be a better place with Allardyce and his questionable style of play.  

Gary Megson Just Won't Go Away

Gary Megson is a human white flag. 

If he shows up at a club, those in charge are basically saying they have no idea what to do and are too cheap to attempt to solve the problem.

Fans of West Brom, Nottingham Forest, Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday will all tell you they were thrilled when Megson left their club. He just has this inherent quality that makes a person not want him to manage his or her favorite club.

His results are not great, and his record in the transfer market leaves a lot to be desired. The only positive thing a person can say about Megson is that he has not been a complete failure.

That is hardly enough to justify his hiring, yet Megson always seems to find some team desperate enough to hire him. Megson is once again out of a job after being sacked by Wednesday, and fans across the world will hope he doesn't show up at their club next.