Manager of The Season

Nalz

1. Hogdson
2. Ferguson
3. Moyes
4. O Neill
5. Benitez

Morzadec

leninbenjamin wrote: »

no one has put them under serious pressure really.

3 seasons in a row is an amazing achievement, but giving Fergy the management award would be a bit like giving Giggs the PFA award.

As a Liverpool fan I'd have to disagree with this. We're likely to end up on 86 points which many other seasons would be enough to win the League (its the same points tally as Arsenal's invincibles in the 01/02 season I'm pretty sure). Chelsea aren't far behind either. United have been under pressure all season. As have Liverpool. The top teams are pretty much expected to win every single game. This hasn't always been the case - Arsenal won it with something like 68 points in 97/98.

To say United haven't been under pressure is ridiculous. Just as this myth thats been going around that United were 'there for the taking' this year is also fairly ridiculous as they're likely to end up on 90+ points. (Just out of interest have United ever done this before?? Maybe once, I'm not sure...) And to compare Ferguson winning it to Giggsy winning PFA is also ridiculous IMO.

At times United haven't played well and Berbatov is maybe looking a bit overpriced, but you can't argue with their results and that's what managers get judged on (no one is going to doubt Pulis' nomination due to the way Stoke play). Similarly Rafa deserves a lot of credit for pushing United close with a relatively inexpensive squad, picking up max points against their 2 nearest rivals, and for amassing Liverpool's highest ever points tally in the Premier League to date (and this being the year he supposedly bottled it :rolleyes:).

Agree with the shouts for Hodgson though, he's done brilliantly with such limited funds. But it wouldn't be anywhere near the travesty of the PFA awards if Fergie (or Rafa for that matter) were to win it.

mike65

Fergie will win it, you watch.

jesus_thats_gre

1: Roy Hodgson (if Fulham get the Europa Cup spot)
2: Alex Ferguson (if they win the double again)
3: Tony Pulis
4: Rafa Benitez
5: Moyes
6: Redknapp/Zola (depending on who gets the Europa Cup spot)


or

1: Tony Pulis
2: Roy Hodgson (if they fail to quality for the Europa Cup)
3: Alex Ferguson (if they just win the league)
4: Rafa Benitez
5: Moyes
6: Redknapp/Zola (depending on who gets the Europa Cup spot)

Unearthly

David Moyes

Morzadec wrote: »

As a Liverpool fan I'd have to disagree with this. We're likely to end up on 86 points which many other seasons would be enough to win the League (its the same points tally as Arsenal's invincibles in the 01/02 season I'm pretty sure). Chelsea aren't far behind either. United have been under pressure all season. As have Liverpool. The top teams are pretty much expected to win every single game. This hasn't always been the case - Arsenal won it with something like 68 points in 97/98.

To say United haven't been under pressure is ridiculous. Just as this myth thats been going around that United were 'there for the taking' this year is also fairly ridiculous as they're likely to end up on 90+ points. (Just out of interest have United ever done this before?? Maybe once, I'm not sure...) And to compare him winning it to Giggsy winning PFA is also ridiculous IMO.

At times United haven't played well and Berbatov is maybe looking a bit overpriced, but you can't argue with their results and that's what managers get judged on (no one is going to doubt Pulis' nomination due to the way Stoke play). Similarly Rafa deserves a lot of credit for pushing United close with a relatively inexpensive squad, picking up max points against their 2 nearest rivals, and for amassing Liverpool's highest ever points tally in the Premier League to date (and this being the year he supposedly bottled it :rolleyes:).

Agree with the shouts for Hodgson though, he's done brilliantly with such limited funds. But it wouldn't be anywhere near the travesty of the PFA awards if Fergie (or Rafa for that matter) were to win it.

Good post, and to answer your question about points total in prem. Man Utd only got 90+ on one occasion in a 38 game season. 99/00 when they got 91 points. Finished something ridiculous like 18 points ahead of 2nd.

Royale with Cheese

Morzadec wrote: »

As a Liverpool fan I'd have to disagree with this. We're likely to end up on 86 points which many other seasons would be enough to win the League (its the same points tally as Arsenal's invincibles in the 01/02 season I'm pretty sure).

You got both the points total and the season wrong.

Also 68 points in 97/98? It was 78, which was probably the lowest total to win a league title alright. Seriously just go look up wikipedia before posting stuff like that. It'll take you 2 minutes.

mike65

Who would win the underachiver of the season award?

Mark Hughes? Paul Ince? [insert random Newcaslte manager]?

el rabitos

scolari for me mike, when you consider the squad at his disposel.

mike65

Forgot about him, yes he gets the boobie prize for sure

wandatowell

Roy Hodgson without a doubt

lordgoat

I' d go with Roy H too, he's a gerat manager and deserves some kudos.

busted flush

Has to be Moyes, spend 15 million on fellianie eveyone gasped, now he looks value and is in double figures for a "defensive midfielder" turned "attacking midfielder", lost yakubu before christmass and saha was out too, so between cahill, fellianie and anichbe he managed to guide his team into the top six and for a long time had an eye on a top four place. The emergance of rodwell and gosling all nobodys before the season began and all in their teens! The acquisition of jo on loan (a player who could not score in a whore house with a blank cheque at city) from city where he got 1 in 18 games , he has 6 in 12 games with everton. Beating liverpool, villa and man utd to reach the fa cup final. Lescott, jagellika and bains all called into the england squad all players who moyes bought into the club himself . Moyes.

yahoo_moe

busted flush wrote: »

"defensive midfielder" turned "attacking midfielder"

I'm not disagreeing with how well Moyes has done but when was Fellaini ever a defensive midfielder?

Morzadec

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

You got both the points total and the season wrong.

Also 68 points in 97/98? It was 78, which was probably the lowest total to win a league title alright. Seriously just go look up wikipedia before posting stuff like that. It'll take you 2 minutes.

Sorry yeah information a bit dodge, was in work and was trying to get my post in before my boss came back from lunch! Yeah Arsenal invincibles were 03/04, apologies. But the points in general are still valid.

This years United team will be one of the best ever to have won the Premiership if you take points total as a marker. And Liverpool have kept pace and kept them under pressure for most of the season. This is the point I was trying to make, as to why Rafa and Ferguson shouldn't be dismissed in talking about this award.

Out of interest, does the award for manager of the year take into account all competitions or just the Premiership? As good as Hodgson has been, I think it would be hard to ignore Ferguson if they did the double (as much as it pains me to say it). Moyes must be in with a shout if they can win the FA Cup also.

Aidric

I have huge respect for both Moyes and Hodgson, doing what they have on a restrictive budget. It's hard to look past Ferguson though for the sustained brilliance of what looks like a back to back double.

MR NINE

Hate to say it but it has to be Ferguson. United have looked thoroughly unbeatable for large parts of this season, and, even when they have looked beatable, they've been able to turn it around, largely thanks to Ferguson. He introduced Macheda Vs Villa and Tevez Vs Tottenham, both having a massive impact. Hes helped giggs reinvent himself as a player at 35(?) years old. Hes stood by players like O Shea and Fletcher for many years and they've certainly proven him right this season. I have to disagree with people who think Utd have had it easy this season, because they haven't. They've had to work hard and grind out results until the very end, at the same time winning the league cup, reaching the final of the CL and the semi finals of the FA Cup. Assuming United do go on and win the league, I think it will have been one of Fergusons and Utds best and most hard-fought titles (and will probably set a new Utd premiership record points tally in the process).

No disrespect to Roy Hodgson, but pushing for a Europa League place really doesn't compare.

eagle eye

Roy Hodgson has to be seriously considered, as hard as it is for me to say that (Blackburn fan and he destroyed us in the late nineties).
Fulham were in serious trouble and he came in and kept them up, then goes and signs a lot questionable players and gets them all playing excellent football. Its a remarkable achievement in such a short time.

I certainly don't agree that Tony Pulis should get it. Ok they survived but they play horrific football which can get results or be a disaster, they got lucky this season with a few important games going their way.

Gianfranco Zola has impressed me too. I like the way West Ham have played football under him. David Moyes continues to perform miracles with Everton. Big Sam is not long enough with Blackurn to be considered but he performed a miracle to keep us up. And how about Harry Redknapp, in all fairness he has done a fantastic job at Spurs and they currently lie in eight place in the table.

Clearly Alex Ferguson has be to considered seriously but in all fairness they are European and Premier League Champions and imo they have to repeat for him to get, if they do repeat that then he does deserve it imo.

For me its

1. Alex Ferguson (If United retain the CL and PL)
2. Roy Hodgson (No.1 if United don't retain them titles)
3. Harry Redknapp
4. Gianfranco Zola
5. David Moyes

Third_Echelon

This season... I think it should be Hodgson at Fulham.

Fulham were a shambles last year and looked prime for the drop. Did a good clear out of players that he didn't want and made, what now turns out to be some really good additions to their squad.

He has them playing a nice brand of football and they also work hard. They are solid at the back (Schwarzer, Pantsil and Hangeland have been excellent this season) and attack with pace (Andy Johnson was a good buy for them) and they also have creativity in the midfield with the likes of Clint Dempsey.

They have made Craven Cottage a place where teams don't look forward to visiting as they know they are in for a tough match. Getting that final Europa League spot I think will top off a really good season for them.

For me the top 5 would look like:

1. Hodgson

2. Pulis - (Did a great job in keeping them up. Very important in a first season after promotion)

3. Moyes - (Very little cash resources, bad injuries to key players Yakubu, Saha and Arteta at important parts of the season and still managed to maintain progress. FA cup final on the way putting out Boro, Villa, Liverpool and Man Utd en rout to the final...)

4. Zola - (Similar job to Hodgson in turning West Ham around. Still a bit of work to do with them though)

5. Ferguson - (looks like they are on course to maintain their titles in what was a very close season in the top 3/4 of the league)

slingerz

Hodgson should get it but we all know it will be Ferguson.

Moyes has done well with Everton and Zola has been great for West Ham.

Redknapp turned Spurs around too when he went there.

Hiddink has been immense with Chelsea in his limited time there.

But what about Alan Shearer!!

loyatemu

agree with Hodgson, Pulis and Moyes as the standouts this season, and obv Fergie if United pull off the double again.

Can't agree about Rafa though - Liverpool have played well the last couple of months, but they're gonna finish the season empty handed, they were absolute pants for the first 6 weeks or so (won most of their matches through last minute goals etc) and had another extended spell of wretchedness after Xmas. The fact that they're playing well now just illustrates how wrong he got it earlier in the season.

staker

My tip would be Ferguson.
How he keeps them hungry down through the years is unbelievable.
A mention for Pulis, I enjoyed Stoke's football this season.
Hiddink would be close had he been in charge from the off.

Chucky the tree

loyatemu wrote: »

agree with Hodgson, Pulis and Moyes as the standouts this season, and obv Fergie if United pull off the double again.

Can't agree about Rafa though - Liverpool have played well the last couple of months, but they're gonna finish the season empty handed, they were absolute pants for the first 6 weeks or so (won most of their matches through last minute goals etc) and had another extended spell of wretchedness after Xmas. The fact that they're playing well now just illustrates how wrong he got it earlier in the season.

:rolleyes:


They had the best start to a season they've had in a long time. 1st goals, last minute goals, 32nd minute goals they all count.

Xavi6

yahoo_moe wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with how well Moyes has done but when was Fellaini ever a defensive midfielder?

Before he joined Everton

riflehunter77

Moyes but im just been biased, small squad, injury after injury to senior players, top 6 finish and a F.A Cup final to come.

Hodgson, Pulis and Redknapp would be up there as well

chopperbyrne

If they win the treble it will have to be Ferguson.

After that it's a toss up between Hodgson, Moyes and Zola.

steod

1. Hodgson for taking fulham to their highest finish, coming off last years
survival from relegation.

2. Pulis stoke not the most entertaning to watch but they have deserved to
stay up.

3. Zola done well especially with all the financial uncertainty at west ham.


But if west brom stay up tony mowbray has to get it, would love to see them stay up and newcastle go down.

Morf

Jupp Heynckes, has kept Bilbao into the Primera and put together a great cup run. If Bilbao beat Barca on Weds he should definitely be up there with a team solely of Basques.

gosplan

While we're on the subject of Hodgson (who for me it simply has to be given the players at the various candidates disposal), he had this to say today.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has condemned the death threats made against Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following his controversial handling of Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.

Hodgson, who managed Viking FK in Norway in 2004-5, also took issue with Jamie Redknapp, the TV pundit and former England player, who had questioned the decision to put a referee from the Norwegian League in charge of the high-profile Champions League semi-final.

"I find it quite appalling that referees should be under death threats," said the Fulham boss.

Hodgson, who has also worked in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and Finland during his 33-year managerial career, then defended the rights of smaller countries to be involved on European football's biggest stages.

"Do you want to go down the Jamie Redknapp route - only England, Italy and Spain count, everywhere else is no good?

"There's 60 countries in Europe. Do we say to the other 57: 'Sorry pal, you're not Premier League'.

"Norway is good enough. The average crowd in Norway is 15,000 and that's in a country of four million. We can only average 25,000 in a country of 60 million people.

"What are we going to do in future? Are we going to make certain because the Premier League has Sky Sports behind them and loads and loads of money if you are not in England then forget all about it?

"Are we going to say 'You're from Spain, you might be just about okay but the rest of you, Switzerland, France, Poland, Russia, Austria, Ukraine, Slovenia, Serbia, you don't count?' It's nonsense."

He's right to have a go at Redknapp. Obviously he was disappointed at seeing Chelsea knocked out but his comments after the match were uneducated, unresearched and basically the kind of thing that gives Sky Sports and English football a bad name.

Someone pointed this out to me the following day:

http://www.worldreferee.com/site/home.php

Take a look at the refs and their scores and see how many are from Spain, Italy or England.

Also the idea of sky sports punditry suggesting all of a sudden that English refs are more worthy of the big international events. What a load of two-faced, sensationalist, populist, scumbag rubbish!!

Fair play to Hodgson for pointing out that Redknapp is indeed a total tool. Manager of the season for that alone!!!

Third_Echelon

gosplan wrote: »

While we're on the subject of Hodgson (who for me it simply has to be given the players at the various candidates disposal), he had this to say today.



He's right to have a go at Redknapp. Obviously he was disappointed at seeing Chelsea knocked out but his comments after the match were uneducated, unresearched and basically the kind of thing that gives Sky Sports and English football a bad name.

Someone pointed this out to me the following day:

http://www.worldreferee.com/site/home.php

Take a look at the refs and their scores and see how many are from Spain, Italy or England.

Also the idea of sky sports punditry suggesting all of a sudden that English refs are more worthy of the big international events. What a load of two-faced, sensationalist, populist, scumbag rubbish!!

Fair play to Hodgson for pointing out that Redknapp is indeed a total tool. Manager of the season for that alone!!!

I like Hodgson even more after this!! Legend!

GLaDOS

Very well said, Hodgson always comes off as a bloke with plenty of common snese in his interviews, a refreshing change

Boggles

Shearer?

M5

Boggles wrote: »

Shearer?

lol

OPENROAD

Sir Alex Ferguson

Another big plus for Hodgson is he always refers to Arsenal as "The Arsenal"

OPENROAD

OPENROAD wrote: »

Another big plus for Hodgson is he always refers to Arsenal as "The Arsenal"

And due to him... I've learnt that there is no Finnish word for "Ring of Fire"

everdead.ie

Sir Alex Ferguson

Is it time for a poll yet with Hodgson,SAF,Moyes,Bruce,Megson,Zola and Pulis I think they where the main one's

OPENROAD

Sir Alex Ferguson

Can one of the mods please change the poll options for me meant to put Rafa in instead of other option, tks

mayordenis

OPENROAD wrote: »

Can one of the mods please change the poll options for me meant to put Rafa in instead of other option, tks

or instead of wenger

CHD

Sir Alex Ferguson

Who is that David Moyles character?

OPENROAD

Sir Alex Ferguson

CHD wrote: »

Who is that David Moyles character?

New Chelsea manager:p

Typo if mods can correct pls, tks

Thanx 4 The Fish

Martin O'Neill

I've given it to Pulis. With very little to work with he has managed to keep a Stoke side, who on paper are easily amongst the worst in the league, in the premier league and with a couple of weeks to spare too. I hope that he gets a few quid this season now and while sticking to his principles gets in a couple of players who will allow them to push on a bit next season and maybe be safe with 5 games to go

Highsider

Rafa Benitez

I'd give it to ferguson if they win the double but tbh it's an embarrasment not having Benitez in that poll. Pushing united all the way for the title whilst missing his two top players for a good part of the season. Say's a hell of a lot i guess.

Highsider

Rafa Benitez

loyatemu wrote: »

agree with Hodgson, Pulis and Moyes as the standouts this season, and obv Fergie if United pull off the double again.

Can't agree about Rafa though - Liverpool have played well the last couple of months, but they're gonna finish the season empty handed, they were absolute pants for the first 6 weeks or so (won most of their matches through last minute goals etc) and had another extended spell of wretchedness after Xmas. The fact that they're playing well now just illustrates how wrong he got it earlier in the season.

"Played well the last few months"?? They have been fantastic. Played "pants" the first few weeks of the season?? Winning is pants now? "The fact they're playing so well now just illustrates how wrong he got it earlier in the season"?? You mean when they where winning right? :rolleyes:

IvySlayer

Sir Alex Ferguson

I voted for Roy Hodgson. Nearly relegated to 7th. Amazing.

eZe^

In 2 weeks time we can see if Guardiola can earn the title of best manager in the world this season. Took a team that had won sh*t all in 2 years, finished third last season, and now has a team that could potentially win 100% of the trophies it competed in this year. Fantastic achievement for a legend of a player, and to think I was extremely reserved about his appointment...


PEP I LOVE YOU!!!


Honourable mentions to Joaquin Caparros (Athletic Bilbao), Unai Emery (Valencia) and Mauricio Pochettino (Espanyol)

PiE

Sam Allardyce

Consolation vote for Rafa.

eZe^

I'm COMPLETELY forgot Juande Ramos, definitely deserves a nomination tbh...