5 Best Norwich Managers

[stoke canary 0]

Got a few replies for 5 worst managers ,how about 5 best,much harder i think......mine starting with best  MR JOHN BOND  loved him      WALKER 1st time     LAMBERT  3great seasons      BROWN  if nothing else 1 sunday in London   WORTHINGTON millenium stadium + promotion with teams I didnt think could do it ....Your turn

[rattlesnake 0]

1) John Bond     Cavalier attacking football, probably the most exciting time to be a fan

2) Mike Walker  Again, brilliant attacking football and the european adventure, great times

3) Ron Saunders  The old warhorse, with his team of hard workers achieved the 1st promotion to the top flight

4) Archie Macauley  Before my time, but the great 59 cup run speaks for itself

5) Chris Hughton   Hope he will have a bit of the character of the above 4 and lead us on a great new era

OTBC

 

[PKC 0]

I would have to find room for Ron Saunders in there somewhere, First time in top league first time at Wembley. He is also the only manager to leave Norwich and be a big success although not at his next club.

[rattlesnake 0]

[quote user="PKC"]I would have to find room for Ron Saunders in there somewhere, First time in top league first time at Wembley. He is also the only manager to leave Norwich and be a big success although not at his next club.[/quote]

Great manager had the total respect of his players and what leaders he had in Forbes and Stringer

[Mister Chops 7]

LambertStringerSaundersBondWalker

[Norfolk Mustard 106]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]

Lambert
Stringer
Saunders
Bond
Walker

[/quote]

 

Ditto - in the same order too...

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

1. Bond. For bringing the West Ham style of passing football to the club. A legacy that lasted, with gaps!
2. Walker. A lucky inheritance, but impossible to ignore 3rd place in the PL, and Europe.
3. Saunders. For providing the ruthlessness we had lacked, and - also impossible to ignore - the top flight.
4. Macaulay. Not just the cup run, but taking us from 91st-equal to the second division.
5. Stringer. The zenith of the West Ham passing style, and a great inheritance for Walker.

 

 

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]Lambert
Stringer
Saunders
Bond
Walker

[/quote]

 

 

1. Bond   (single handedly transformed the club instigating  an attacking, attractive style of play)

2. Stringer (rose to the occasion after the Bond/Brown era directly led to Walker''s success)

3. Walker (Europe sucess, finishing third in the premiership)

4. Brown (Milk Cup 1985)

5. Saunders  (started the ball rolling in 1972)

Lambert? Would be number six - great success - but lost the love of the fans.

 

 

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="lake district canary"]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]LambertStringerSaundersBondWalker[/quote]

 

 

1. Bond   (single handedly transformed the club instigating  an attacking, attractive style of play)

2. Stringer (rose to the occasion after the Bond/Brown era directly led to Walker''s success)

3. Walker (Europe sucess, finishing third in the premiership)

4. Brown (Milk Cup 1985)

5. Saunders  (started the ball rolling in 1972)

Lambert? Would be number six - great success - but lost the love of the fans.

 [/quote]

How popular was Walker when he left to join Everton?  Give it time and people will acknowledge the amazing job Lambert did for this club.

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="lake district canary"]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]Lambert
Stringer
Saunders
Bond
Walker

[/quote]

 

 

1. Bond   (single handedly transformed the club instigating  an attacking, attractive style of play)

2. Stringer (rose to the occasion after the Bond/Brown era directly led to Walker''s success)

3. Walker (Europe sucess, finishing third in the premiership)

4. Brown (Milk Cup 1985)

5. Saunders  (started the ball rolling in 1972)

Lambert? Would be number six - great success - but lost the love of the fans.

 [/quote]

How popular was Walker when he left to join Everton?  Give it time and people will acknowledge the amazing job Lambert did for this club.

[/quote]

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly,  there was a strong feeling that he was entitled to have a go at a bigger club, which Everton were at the time, as Norwich wouldn''t push the boat out for him.

 

 

He spoilt it a bit though by coming back for another go!! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="lake district canary"]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]LambertStringerSaundersBondWalker[/quote]

 

 

1. Bond   (single handedly transformed the club instigating  an attacking, attractive style of play)

2. Stringer (rose to the occasion after the Bond/Brown era directly led to Walker''s success)

3. Walker (Europe sucess, finishing third in the premiership)

4. Brown (Milk Cup 1985)

5. Saunders  (started the ball rolling in 1972)

Lambert? Would be number six - great success - but lost the love of the fans.

 [/quote]

How popular was Walker when he left to join Everton?  Give it time and people will acknowledge the amazing job Lambert did for this club.

[/quote]

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly,  there was a strong feeling that he was entitled to have a go at a bigger club, which Everton were at the time, as Norwich wouldn''t push the boat out for him.

 

 

He spoilt it a bit though by coming back for another go!! 

 

[/quote]Not sure about your first point, I think it depends who you speak to and certainly when Deehan''s Norwich beat Everton there wasn''t much of a welcome for MW where I was sitting.Couldn''t agree more with your last point.  It may have been gossip but I think his wife was seriously ill during his second spell? Anyway, they say "never go back" for a reason.

[YellowFellow 0]

5 Best Norwich Managers? well Ken Brwon was sacked not long after i started supporting norwich so will have to start after

1)Paul Lambert-3 continuous years of unparrelled success, in terms of consistency and is the only manager i felt would try to win every game

2)Dave stringer-got us to 4th in league and 2 cup semi finals, playing some great football

3)mike walker-18months of unbeleivable results, when for a time we could quite rightly call ourselves a top 3 side, the only reson hes behind stringer is because i feel the bulk of success was down to the mainstays from stringers era, patricularly in defence

4)nigel worthington,-probably our longest serving manager and good success until we got promooted then it was downhill, but up until then he hadachieved alot, maybe a little too cautious and negative at times

5)martin oneil-maybe controversial but when you consdider the other choices are gunn grant roeder megson and deehan, i think oneill wins, pity it was too short a stay.

 

[Dubai Mark 0]

Can only really judge on the Managers since I have been a supporter, which started during Lol Morgan''s reign.

It''s difficult, but putting aside any sour taste still lingering since PL left...

1. Paul Lambert - from where we were when he started to where we are now speaks for itself

2. Mike Walker - regardless of what he inherited he created a unified team spirit that also included the fans and the football was excellent

3. John Bond - definately moved us up a level with our style of play and reputation...we werent little ole Norwich when he was in charge

4. Ron Saunders - at the time I remember what he achieved as a huge achievement and it was

5 = Ken Brown, Dave Stringer and Nigel Worthington - because its not right to leave any of them out of the Top 5, but if I had to choose it would be Nigel Worthington not just because of the great job he did in getting us to The Premier League and The Millenium before that, but also to remind a large minority of City "fans" for the disgusting way he was treated by them after what he had done for our club...you know who you are!

[andy cousins 11]

Saunders

Lambert

Bond

Stringer

Brown

[Victor Segura and the Yellow Cards 0]

Threads like this are so difficult to gauge because of the differing ages and memories of contributors.

A lot of nice sentiment on here though, even some for those that were less than popular in some parts towards the end of their tenure.

I''m a little surprised that Ken Brown doesn''t rank a little higher though, delivered our only major trophy and then despite Coventry cheating to stay up had the wherewithal to take us back up immediately after. And he signed Kevin Drinkell...

Lambert deserves his praise, the bitterness about the way he left has me saying that if you take a club on at rock bottom the only way is up, but, that''s a massive injustice to what we achieved under him.

Stringer and Williams was a glorious period, graced by great players, beautiful football and a top 4 finish, that side in 1989 was pretty damned good.

Walker of course took us on our wildest adventure, had it not been for the bin dippers we could have been almost old hands at European level by then though.

Skipping a few years, mostly easily passed over, you also have Worthington. Cardiff, Prem, Fulham away and the Sutch penalty, he really have you both ends of the emotional spectrum, sometimes all in one afternoon (Iwans header, The Sutch pen) but he was a decent man and a decent manager.

I''d hate to have to rank just these few, all the ups and downs, the joy they bring, the devastation they might leave, it''s why we just can''t get enough.

[Boyo 0]

I assume all the people not putting Lambert in their top 5 are just bitter because he left for Villa?

 

He''s number 1.  Fantastic manager.

[lake district canary 0]

quote user Boyo - "I assume all the people not putting Lambert in their top 5 are just bitter because he left for Villa? He''s number 1.  Fantastic manager".

 

 

 

There''s more to football than promotions and cups........................the legacy of John Bond may be the single most influential figure the club has ever had  in terms of club development,  but its so difficult to judge, as each manager that comes along has some influence in the greater scheme of things.      Lambert??  He kick started us from a very low place.    Saunders kick started us in 1971/1972 but it took someone like Bond to take it on further.   I suspect that Lambert has kick started us and it will be up to the next manager to take that on.  It will be fascinating to see what happens next!!!

 

 

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

[quote user="Boyo"]

I assume all the people not putting Lambert in their top 5 are just bitter because he left for Villa?

 

[/quote]

 

I can''t speak for anyone else (though I think there should be a law that I can...) but not my reason. I was saddened by the rewriting of history and opinions that went on here after he left.

Partly I feel it is hard to judge Lambert because his career at Norwich, unlike those of the other managers, was unfinished. How, for example, would a second season in the Premier League have gone?

Secondly, the five managers I picked ahead of him (and he would be sixth on my list) all had something special about them, either in terms of specific achievement, or what they brought to the club by way of a cultural change. Lambert was an exceptional manager for Norwich, but in a more general way. He had a kind of super-competence.

[TIL 1010 5,246]

Ron Saunders

John Bond

Ken Brown

Mike Walker

Paul Lambert

[Mister Chops 7]

Win rate stats are interesting.  I''m sure Purple, Tilly, Nigel and Bly can tell us all about the first two managers when I presume Norwich played in white at home and black away from home? [:P]I think "super-comptetence" is a little unfair on Lambert.  He had some magic about him and he wouldn''t get bad marks for style.  To have both Stringer and Walker ahead of him seems a little unfair considering what they inherited compared to Lambert''s inheritance. I personally remain convinced Walker got a little bit lucky and most of the credit for Stringer''s hard work and team building.I was surprised Ken Brown had such a good win record but he didn''t like draws, did he? Same for our Nigel.

Name	Nationality	M	W	D	L	Win %
George Swindin	England	20	10	5	5	50
Norman Low	England	258	129	56	73	50
Paul Lambert	Scotland	142	70	35	37	49.3
Archie Macaulay	Scotland	224	105	60	59	46.9
Martin O''Neill	Northern Ireland	26	12	9	5	46.2
Mike Walker	Wales	80	36	20	24	45
Willie Reid	Scotland	31	13	6	12	41.9
Ken Brown	England	367	150	93	124	40.9
Nigel Worthington	Northern Ireland	280	114	62	104	40.7
Duggie Lochhead	Scotland	104	42	28	34	40.4

[Mr Brownstone 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]

Lambert
Stringer
Saunders
Bond
Walker

[/quote]

 

^^^This^^^

[crabbycanary 2]

Can''t  really define a 1 to 5 list, as names mentioned on here are all viable contenders for any given spot.

How do people quantify what puts one manager over another, is interesting. What''s more important to each fan? Is it trophies,style of play, resurrection or what they had to  work with?

As an aside, I have always found it strange how Mike Walker never really cam close to a top football job again. Was it purely down to his wife''s illness? If so, understandable, but if not, then on footballing terms, he delivered us a great product, that not all managers have been able to show/reproduce here.

[lake district canary 0]

Its such a difficult question.  Every manager has something that they have offered which is unique.  Stringer laid a fantastic foundation for Walker to come in and tweak to have the success we did.    But then Stringer had Bond/Brown era which had built the club so well.  And Bond/Brown had the Saunders era behind them.    Walker, maybe was not the best manager because he relied so much on what had gone on previously and imo is why he didn''t have success anywhere else.

 

 

Lambert - and I am going to be shot down here - inherited  a set of circumstances where things could only get better.   He was bound to did well given that he is such a competetive individual.    The club was crying out for such a no nonsense approach - much like when Saunders came in.   Those circumstances also include a certain individual who imo was equally important - Grant Holt.   Capatain fantastic in Leagiue 1 - and in the Championship.   The premiership? Actually, when we were seemingly going to struggle - the Liverpool away match where we were hammered - or would have been had it not been for L''pools''s inept finishing - seemed to bode badly for the rest of the season - Holt came on and "changed" the season with that goal.     We didn''t look back after that - he gave us belief.  Holt''s impact should not be underestimated.  That is why it will be fascinating to see how Lambert gets on now, having left Norwich.  

 

 

In choosing the top 5 managers would be easy to just go on results - cups, promotions etc,  but as someone else said - some managers are ''lucky''.  Walker may be one of those.  Lambert may be one of those (lets not forget he did not sign Holt).   I''m not denigrating their achievements, just trying to look at a wider picture.    I still think Bond was the most influential manager,  but if you go on results Walker had the best results, closely followed by Lambert.  But Stringer was key to the development too.     Great question!!!!

 

 

 

[Old Shuck 291]

1. John Bond-  Completely changed the culture and philosophy at the club. Where do we get this reputation as a side that plays "good football"? Thats his legacy. He got us back into Div 1 and kept us there, he signed players for peanuts who became big name players in the top flight, one sold for a million pounds, others played for England. He was Paul Lambert to the power of ten. When he was appointed, the club had no youth policy or recruitment system, he got us into the SE Counties League, and, when the FL said we couldn''t as we were too far away, he said we''ll play all our games away from home-we were in. So much of what this club is today and where it is going, is because of what Bond did all those years ago. Why he isn''t in the Hall of Fame is completely beyond me.

2. Dave Stringer- Established us beyond the realms of "survival" -(then) record league finishes on three occasions, Cup semi finals, and, again, unheralded signings who became established stars and made the club big money-Townsend, Sherwood et al-modest and self effacing but talked and played a good game. Chris Sutton was one of his players, so was Gossy and others. Spotted Dave Watson-Brown signed him but Stringer "discovered" him-an expert eye for a player, a man who laid the foundations for Walker.

3. Paul Lambert- Dragged us up and away from the abyss. No nonsense, tunnel vision, saw only success and progress. Made everyone believe, players, staff and fans alike. Effective football, bespoke tactics, inspired substitutions, always chasing a game. Such a shame he couldn''t, wouldn''t, stay longer-but maybe the best ever thing he did for the club was leaving when he did, creating new impetus for Hughton. I am certain he will make Villa what they want him to do.

4. Ron Saunders- Did the same as Lambert, albeit over 30 years earlier. A club that was going nowhere and which was living on relative past glories and didn''t quite know what it was doing or where it was going. Hard work was his mantra and thats what he brought to the club, that was his vision. And, like Lambert, took the club as far as he could before letting someone completely different in character take over.  Made us a top flight club, status that has been our goal and minimal requirement ever since.

5. I''m not doing this one as it means missing out some very worthy people all of whom deserve to be mentioned in one way or another and for so many reasons.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Lambert - and I am going to be shot down here - inherited  a set of circumstances where things could only get better.[/quote]Let me be the first to shoot you down!Your statement is full of the benefit of hindsight.When Lambert took over, we had a club in serious financial trouble.  We had Theoklitos as first choice goalkeeper.  A squad of unfit, never mind match fit, players which included journeymen such as Matt Gill, Simon Whaley, OTJ, Otsemobor, McVeigh.  To get them fit, shape them into a decent side, apply the unusual diamond formation, and get them to a decent standard within three or so months was little short of amazing - but this was certainly not "bound to happen". To put things in perspective, before we got Lambert people on this board were calling for people such as Steve Tilson to lead the team. Would things have only got better under his leadership, do you think?I know we''ve been as good for Lambert as he''s been for us, but let''s give him a little credit for turning round the shambles he inherited.  After all, people thought things could only get better when Worthy left.... and when Grant left... and when Roeder left...

[lake district canary 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="lake district canary"]Lambert - and I am going to be shot down here - inherited  a set of circumstances where things could only get better.[/quote]

Let me be the first to shoot you down!  Your statement is full of the benefit of hindsight.
When Lambert took over, we had a club in serious financial trouble.  We had Theoklitos as first choice goalkeeper.  A squad of unfit, never mind match fit, players which included journeymen such as Matt Gill, Simon Whaley, OTJ, Otsemobor, McVeigh.  To get them fit, shape them into a decent side, apply the unusual diamond formation, and get them to a decent standard within three or so months was little short of amazing - but this was certainly not "bound to happen".
To put things in perspective, before we got Lambert people on this board were calling for people such as Steve Tilson to lead the team. Would things have only got better under his leadership, do you think?
I know we''ve been as good for Lambert as he''s been for us, but let''s give him a little credit for turning round the shambles he inherited.  After all, people thought things could only get better when Worthy left.... and when Grant left... and when Roeder left...

[/quote]

 

 

 

Don''t get me wrong, I''m not denigrating the achievement.  Lambert was the ideal candidate to come in and sort things out.   But things were in his favour.    He had Holt - and I was very excited when Gunn bought Holt because I have followed his career and knew he would be a success.   Holt to me is at the heart of the success, as much as Lambert imo.     Lambert got us organised and focused and did a great job. But I don''t think it could be denied that things could only get better - and they did.   Its just that in this question of top five managers, where does Lambert figure?    

 

 

 

Could he have taken us on to consistently high finishes at the top level like Bond and Stringer, win a cup like Brown?   We''ll never know - and neither will he.   He copped out imo.    That''s why he is lower on my list than some of the others.

 

 

 

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]Win rate stats are interesting.  I''m sure Purple, Tilly, Nigel and Bly can tell us all about the first two managers when I presume Norwich played in white at home and black away from home? [:P]

I think "super-comptetence" is a little unfair on Lambert.  He had some magic about him and he wouldn''t get bad marks for style.  To have both Stringer and Walker ahead of him seems a little unfair considering what they inherited compared to Lambert''s inheritance. I personally remain convinced Walker got a little bit lucky and most of the credit for Stringer''s hard work and team building.

I was surprised Ken Brown had such a good win record but he didn''t like draws, did he? Same for our Nigel.

Name	Nationality	M	W	D	L	Win %
George Swindin	England	20	10	5	5	50
Norman Low	England	258	129	56	73	50
Paul Lambert	Scotland	142	70	35	37	49.3
Archie Macaulay	Scotland	224	105	60	59	46.9
Martin O''Neill	Northern Ireland	26	12	9	5	46.2
Mike Walker	Wales	80	36	20	24	45
Willie Reid	Scotland	31	13	6	12	41.9
Ken Brown	England	367	150	93	124	40.9
Nigel Worthington	Northern Ireland	280	114	62	104	40.7
Duggie Lochhead	Scotland	104	42	28	34	40.4

[/quote]

 

Chops, I agree. I didn''t like the "super-competence" phrase, but couldn''t think of a better one. I should never write when I''m sober. But I do stick with my view that  the managers I''ve picked (and it was a close run thing) ahead of Lambert all brought something new to the club, whereas he (as ldc says) took over a mess and sorted it out, in spectacularly successful fashion. Old Shuck''s description...

 Paul Lambert- Dragged us up and away from the abyss. No nonsense, tunnel vision, saw only success and progress. Made everyone believe, players, staff and fans alike. Effective football, bespoke tactics, inspired substitutions, always chasing a game.

...is a much better one than my "super-competence" but I think has an element of what I was trying to get at. I certainly wasn''t trying to  damn Lambert with faint praise.

--

 

PS. I DO remember George Swindin, thank you, but NOT Norman Low...[:P]

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="lake district canary"]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="lake district canary"]Lambert - and I am going to be shot down here - inherited  a set of circumstances where things could only get better.[/quote]Let me be the first to shoot you down!  Your statement is full of the benefit of hindsight.When Lambert took over, we had a club in serious financial trouble.  We had Theoklitos as first choice goalkeeper.  A squad of unfit, never mind match fit, players which included journeymen such as Matt Gill, Simon Whaley, OTJ, Otsemobor, McVeigh.  To get them fit, shape them into a decent side, apply the unusual diamond formation, and get them to a decent standard within three or so months was little short of amazing - but this was certainly not "bound to happen". To put things in perspective, before we got Lambert people on this board were calling for people such as Steve Tilson to lead the team. Would things have only got better under his leadership, do you think?I know we''ve been as good for Lambert as he''s been for us, but let''s give him a little credit for turning round the shambles he inherited.  After all, people thought things could only get better when Worthy left.... and when Grant left... and when Roeder left...[/quote]

 

 

 

Don''t get me wrong, I''m not denigrating the achievement.  Lambert was the ideal candidate to come in and sort things out.   But things were in his favour.    He had Holt - and I was very excited when Gunn bought Holt because I have followed his career and knew he would be a success.   Holt to me is at the heart of the success, as much as Lambert imo.     Lambert got us organised and focused and did a great job. But I don''t think it could be denied that things could only get better - and they did.   Its just that in this question of top five managers, where does Lambert figure?    

 

 [/quote]

Well, let me try another way.How much better did people think things could have got?To work under the financial constraints and with the limitations of the squad he inherited, and to take the club into the top tier of English club football in two seasons is an achievement of the highest order. 

[Lets be aving you! 0]

"Mister Chops wrote:

Lambert Stringer Saunders Bond Walker

Ditto - in the same order too..."

 

Ditto for me as well.

 

Lambert (+ Culverhouse of course) had an uncanny knack of getting virtually every decision right:

1) Formations. Hoolahan in the hole was simply inspired.

2) Transfers out. Remember all those questioning his decisions to get rid of Spillane, or Doherty, or Mcdonald, or Askou? He never got rid of anyone who subsequently achieved very much.

3) Transfers in. His failures were very few, including McNamee & Oli Johnson. Most were good players for the relevant division (Crofts), and usually brilliant value (Fox, Whitbread, Ruddy). Some outstanding loan signings, too (Forster, Lansbury, Naughton). The usual record for managers is about one good signing in three, his must have been about two and a half in three.

4) Getting the absolute maximum out of pretty ordinary players, e.g. Nelson, who was a bit of a standing joke for some fans.

5) Substitutions - so many games he would make a winning substitution (Oli v. Southend), often late on, e.g. Leeds at home when he brought on Stephen Hughes and C. Martin. Hughes supplied the cross, Martin the finish for the winner. His substitutions were usually brave as well, when often it would have been easier to keep the one point rather than risk losing it.

 

That said, Stringer built a really, really good team, which played brilliant football at times, but ultimately built on Ken Brown''s legacy.

 

As for Bond, the media loved him and he really put Norwich on the map after Saunders'' dour personality and effective but pretty limited and not particularly attractive football.

 

The football that Bond''s teams played was as exciting as anything you could wish to see, 3-5 v. Liverpool home, 4-5 v. Coventry away, 5-3 v. Burnley away, 5-3 Villa home, 4-2 Everton home, etc, etc. But his signings were often very poor, showing a penchant for players whose best days were long behind them (Clive Woods, McDowell, Chivers, Corrigan, Osgood, that awful defender from Arsenal whose name escapes me, etc., etc. though with the glorious exception of one Martin Peters). He also got lucky from his feeder club at Bournemouth.

 

Walker also got lucky, inheriting essentially Brown''s/Stringer''s team, but nonetheless achieving some astonishing results. Ken Brown would be sixth for me.

 

But Lambert was the bravest, most single-minded, tactically aware (+ Culverhouse) manager I have seen at Norwich.

 

He single-mindedly achieved what no other manager has achieved since Sheffield United in the early 90s: get a League 1 up to the Premier League and keep it there for at least one season. And, remember, we were only one from bottom of that League One when he took over, with Theoclitos, Tudur-Jones, et al. Talk about pulling a club up by its bootstraps.

[lake district canary 0]

The Bond/Brown/Stringer/Walker was a  dynasty of continuity and success that has never been seen at Norwich since and is unlikely to happen again.   1974 - 1994.  Twenty years of almost unbridled success due to the loyalty of the managers and coaches, with the odd foray back into the then first division, but then straight back up.  Simply wonderful years for the club.     Twenty years.     

 

 

 The Paul Lambert  dynasty lasted only three years before he jumped ship.   I know times have changed and over three years our club was transformed,  but  the continuity started and stopped with Lambert.     Each of the above managers contributed to a rise of the club to the heights of the top three of the premiership and Europe.   Lambert got us to the promised land then jumped without seeing if he or the club could go further. that for me will always temper his legacy at the club.    Loyalty  isn''t to be found so much these days  - but  if loyalty can be found (eg Huckerby)  then it is still recognised as a trait to be admired and should be one of the considerations when considering who is the best  manager.    Lambert''s loyalty?  Nowhere to be seen.     Not knocking him - just trying to compare with figures in the past.