Special mention: Mark Hughes

therecklessone

I've been a critic of Blackburn in the past (well me and Lemlin used to bounce off each other if that counts ) but I have to say I'm very impressed with Blackburn's showing this season, indeed over the last three years.

2005/06 6th with 63pts
2006/07 10th with 52pts
2007/08 7th with 58pts

Considering he works on a relative shoestring (net spend about £8m in that period) I think he's worked wonders with Blackburn.

Roque Santa Cruz for best signing of the season?

And Hughes for ManYoo when Fergie steps down?

Necronomicon

He's done an amazing job.

I still remember the season he took over, they were certs to go down. Now they consider it a disappointment if they don't achieve European football.

The calibre of players he's brought in for peanuts has been excellent. Santa Cruz, Bentley, McCarthy for starters. He has a great eye in the transfer market. I think his name will be thrown about quite a lot when Fergie retires.

You'd hope for his sake that missing out on European football won't make some of the players want to leave. Santa Cruz has already committed himself, but I could see Bentley leaving.

grames_bond

therecklessone wrote: »

Roque Santa Cruz for best signing of the season?

And Hughes for ManYoo when Fergie steps down?

santa cruz was an amazing signing allright but signing of the season i'd give to torres!

anf i wouldnt mind seein sparkey back at old trafford allright but fergie doesnt look like he's goin anywer (and long may that continue)

Mitch Connor

grames_bond wrote: »

santa cruz was an amazing signing allright but signing of the season i'd give to torres!

anf i wouldnt mind seein sparkey back at old trafford allright but fergie doesnt look like he's goin anywer (and long may that continue)

indeed - if we win in MOscow and Fergie doesn't announce his retirement within 1 week, he'll be at OT at least another 2 years - however long it takes to rack up more league titles than Liverpool.

As for Sparky - I have been impressed with what he has done at Blackburn, but i can not see him getting the top job at OT when fergie does retire. I can see the Glazers going for a big name appointment, or it will go to Carlos Q (if he is still at OT at the time)

gucci

Necromomicon wrote: »

He's done an amazing job.

I still remember the season he took over, they were certs to go down. Now they consider it a disappointment if they don't achieve European football.

The calibre of players he's brought in for peanuts has been excellent. Santa Cruz, Bentley, McCarthy for starters. He has a great eye in the transfer market. I think his name will be thrown about quite a lot when Fergie retires.

They have all been very wise signings, and have paid off very well. He got players of good calibre and experience (McCarthy and Santa) for very decent prices too, which is impressive.
Be interesting to see how he progresses.

JimiTime

therecklessone wrote: »

And Hughes for ManYoo when Fergie steps down?

I'd put my neck out and say, not a chance. I'd be almost certain it'd be a top European name.

grames_bond

JimiTime wrote: »

I'd put my neck out and say, not a chance. I'd be almost certain it'd be a top European name.

....like roy keane?!

JimiTime

grames_bond wrote: »

....like roy keane?!

unless he starts doin well in Europe, not Keane either. I know people think its almost a fore gone conclusion that Keane will be back at united, I certainly don't hold that view. I think if fergie left, it'd be a search for one of the best european managers of the time. There'll be no sentiment for former greats. I wouldn't be surprised if we never see Keane back at United. Unless he does something remakable, that makes him one of the best managers in Europe.

grames_bond

JimiTime wrote: »

unless he starts doin well in Europe, not Keane either. I know people think its almost a fore gone conclusion that Keane will be back at united, I certainly don't hold that view. I think if fergie left, it'd be a search for one of the best european managers of the time. There'll be no sentiment for former greats. I wouldn't be surprised if we never see Keane back at United. Unless he does something remakable, that makes him one of the best managers in Europe.

+1 ye i agree wiht you, maybe have him as a coach alá tony adams at pompy but i dunno if he'd wanna step down from number 1 to a number 2!

loyatemu

Tauren wrote: »

indeed - if we win in MOscow and Fergie doesn't announce his retirement within 1 week, he'll be at OT at least another 2 years - however long it takes to rack up more league titles than Liverpool.

I agree, he'll either go out at the top this year (unlikely but possible), or he'll go for those extra 2 titles.

If he does go this summer I'd expect Queiroz to take over.

Boggles

JimiTime wrote: »

Unless he does something remakable, that makes him one of the best managers in Europe.

I think what Keane has done so far is pretty remarkable to be fair to him, there is nothing so far in his brief managerial career that doesn't suggest he will be a very competent manager. Will he be one of the best managers in Europe? Impossible for anyone to say, that would be predicting the future.

Spud83

Brilliant manager and I would definitly give Santa Cruz as signing of the season. Torres scored more and is a better player but looking at the prices 20m v 3.5m. An extra 16.5m for an extra 6 goals, puts Santa Cruz for me as the best signing.

JimiTime

Boggles wrote: »

I think what Keane has done so far is pretty remarkable to be fair to him, there is nothing so far in his brief managerial career that doesn't suggest he will be a very competent manager. Will he be one of the best managers in Europe? Impossible for anyone to say, that would be predicting the future.

thats my point though. Utd wont take a punt on him IMO, unless he does become one of Europes great managers. I'm not saying that he wont, but it looks like its some time away if its going to happen. I can't see Sunderland in Europe anytime soon. Maybe if he goes to Celtic or something, and proves himself at European level. I think he has all the traits of being a great manager, but he'll need to proove it with another club at the highest level of the game, before Utd would consider him IMO.

wheres me jumpa

JimiTime wrote: »

I'd put my neck out and say, not a chance. I'd be almost certain it'd be a top European name.

Id agree. I saw a comment from the Wigan chairman over the weekend. He was worried that United would steal Bruce if Fergie left. While Bruce has done well and Hughes even better, they are long shots for the OT job atm.

Quieroz is destined to take over imo. I dont think he would have stayed as number 2 this length and turned down job offers to not get the job when it comes up.

Back on topic, Hughes has done very well at Blackburn. I do feel he needs to be given some cash to take them further. Having money to spend will be another test of his abilities.

Mr Alan

JimiTime wrote: »

unless he starts doin well in Europe, not Keane either.

I'd imagine he'd actually have to do alright in the league too...£50million odd spent....3 points above relegation. I'd say Wenger is ****ting it!

Hughes is an excellent manager. I think he could very easily make the step up to a top club. He also conducts himself in an excellent manner.

Boggles

wheres me jumpa wrote: »

Quieroz is destined to take over imo. I dont think he would have stayed as number 2 this length and turned down job offers to not get the job when it comes up.

There is a big jump up from Number 2 to 1 to be honest, Quieroz got his chance at Madrid, to be fair he couldn't have picked a more difficult club, but ultimately he was a failure even if it was at that footballing soap opera.

Mr Alan

If rumours are to be believed Quiorez is already the Utd manager, and has been for quite some time.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

I'd imagine he'd actually have to do alright in the league too...£50million odd spent....3 points above relegation. I'd say Wenger is ****ting it!

Keane has taken the club up 30 odd places and a division in 18 months, the players he bought in were gambles from the off and to be fair some of them have done quite well e.g Reid, Jones, Gordon.

50 million is alot, but back in the day Ferguson could knock that out on 2 failures in a weekend, Benitez could easily knock out that amount of money on shíté players on a good Monday morning.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

If rumours are to be believed Quiorez is already the Utd manager, and has been for quite some time.

Well If that's true, he is doing an excellent job!!! Keep it up Carloz!!! :pac::pac::pac:

JimiTime

Mr Alan wrote: »

I'd imagine he'd actually have to do alright in the league too...£50million odd spent....3 points above relegation. I'd say Wenger is ****ting it!

Obviously just a silly Keane rant there. Ignoring that though, he does have alot to proove next season. He managed to keep Sunderland in the PL, thats task 1 complete. He's now got to bolster his squad, which could make or break him.

BTW, any reasonable football man who criticises Keane's management is being very premature and in alot of cases, probably just have a Keano chip on their shoulder. He took a team, in his first year of management, from the bottom of the table, to the championship. He then managed to keep them in the PL with a fairly poor squad of players. The players that really made a difference were players 'he' bought, Jones, Reid, Richardson, Evans. There were plenty of questionable signings, but hey, even the best get it wrong ala Djemba Djemba, Voronin. Once there are enough of the right ones, then it matters little. Its certainly too early to say if Keane will be one of the greats. However, its silly to snigger about his achievements thus far. I'm also a Neutral btw.

Hughes is an excellent manager. I think he could very easily make the step up to a top club. He also conducts himself in an excellent manner.

My point though, is that I don't think Utd would take a punt on someone who is not proven on the biggest stage of European football.

grames_bond

Mr Alan wrote: »

If rumours are to be believed Quiorez is already the Utd manager, and has been for quite some time.

the rumours are NOT to be believed!! :pac:

Mr Alan

ok, thanks for clearing that up for me

Mitch Connor

Mr Alan wrote: »

ok, thanks for clearing that up for me

i have heard that a good bit - rumours that fergie is a director of football, effectively, with more involvement in the first team. Training is organized and ran by Carlos Q, tactics heavily influenced by Carlos Q and transfers certainly seem to be too. dunno how true it is though - I can't imagine fergie handing power away til he retires.