Croydon McFarlane was assistant manager of non-league side
Croydon.
Whyteleafe In 2018, Croydon first team head coach Harry Hudson departed for
Whyteleafe, taking McFarlane with him.
Manchester City In 2020, Whyteleafe announced that McFarlane would be departing for
Manchester City. He served an assistant role in the
Manchester City Academy until 2023.
Southampton McFarlane left City to join the
Southampton Academy, leading the
Under-18s until 2025. In February 2025, he became head coach of the club's
Under-21s.
Chelsea McFarlane departed Southampton in July 2025 when he became the coach of
Chelsea's Under-21s, while also leading the Under-19s during their
2025–26 UEFA Youth League campaign. McFarlane became the
interim manager of the club ahead of their
Premier League fixture against Manchester City, resulting in a 1–1 draw. On 6 January, Chelsea named
Liam Rosenior as their full-time manager. However, McFarlane remained in charge of Chelsea's league match against
Fulham. On 8 January 2026, it was announced that McFarlane would join the backroom staff of new head coach Liam Rosenior. When Rosenior was sacked on 22 April 2026, McFarlane was once again promoted to interim head coach until the end of the season. On 26 April 2026, McFarlane won his first ever match as he guided Chelsea to a 1–0 win over
Leeds United in the
FA Cup semi-final. He thus became the first English manager to reach the FA Cup final since
Frank Lampard in 2020. == Managerial statistics ==