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Morph

Best City Manager........

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Cap''n Jack will invariably jump in and complain about this note but I don''t care.

The thread of discussion about Worthy and his defensive inadequacies made me ponder on the topic of who is the best City manager to date. Clearly the best manager is the one we have now ;-) Sorry, but I''m not sure on that one but I''ll support Nigel as he is who we have at the helm at present although at times I doubt his ability to adjust and learn quick enough. He will of course be remembered as the manager who got City back to the promised land after nine years in the wilderness, but does he have anything else up his sleeve?

Anyway I tried to do some digging to find out records of the various managers that City have had. So here''s some data in no particular order:

Ron Ashman (01/12/1962 to 31/05/1966)
Record (W-D-L): 60-41-64

Ron Saunders (01/07/1969 to 16-11/1973)
Record (W-D-L): 65-58-64
Second Division Winners 1971/72. League Cup Runners-Up 1973.

John Bond (27/11/1973 to 31-10-1980)
Record (W-D-L): 91-105-110
League Cup Runners-Up 1975.

Ken Brown (01/11/1980 to 09/11/1987)
Record (W-D-L): 131-85-114
Milk Cup Winners 1985, Second Division Winners 1985/86

David Stringer (09/11/1987 to 01/05/1992)
Record (W-D-L): 85-56-75
Two FA Cup Semi-Finals and fourth place in the old Division One.

Mike Walker (01/06/1992 to 06/01/1994) and (01/08/1996 to 30/04/1998)
Record (W-D-L): 36-20-24 and 32-26-40
Most famous for City''s highest ever Premier League placing and the resulting European adventure with the great win in Munich. However, also remembered for his acrimonious exit to Everton and his unsuccessful second spell in charge.

John Deehan (12/01/1994 to 31/07/1995)
Record (W-D-L): 17-25-30
Most notably remembered as the man who had the reins when City got relegated from the Premiership.

Gary Megson (21/12/1995 to 31/07/1996)
Record (W-D-L): 5-9-13
Probably not worthy to even be listed here given his lack of games in charge.

Bruce Rioch (01/07/1998 to 13/03/2000)
Record (W-D-L): 30-31-32

Nigel Worthington (4/12/2000 to present)
Record (W-D-L): 85-51-73
First Division Winners 2003/04.

...

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Martin O''Neill for me...

But here are the stats up to 31 December 2004:

  PWDLFAAv
1George Swindin (1962)20105541251.75
2Martin O''Neill (1995)26129546291.73
3Norman Low (1950-55)25812956734493241.72
4Archie Macaulay (1957-61)22410560593942961.67
5NIGEL WORTHINGTON (2000-?)1998448672552291.51
6John Bowman (1905-07)78312324114921.49
7Ken Brown (1980-87)367150931244834421.48
8Doug Lochhead (1947-50)1044228341781701.48
9Willie Reid (1961-62)311361250441.45
10Dave Stringer (1987-92)2298958822902921.42
11Ron Saunders (1969-73)2218461762682661.42
12James Kerr (1929-33)1686543602912771.42
13Tom Parker (1933-37, 55-57)27110469983172591.41
14Mike Walker (1992-94, 96-98)1796946642352571.41
15Ron Ashman (1962-66)1625939642532571.33

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The best manager we''ve ever had has got to be Martin O'' Neill.  The guy has been hugely successful wherever he has been.  If Chase had loosened the purse strings we would have been promoted just before the sky boom.  I hate to think where we could be if that had happened

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[quote]Martin O''Neill for me... But here are the stats up to 31 December 2004: P W D L F A Av 1 George Swindin (1962) 20 10 5 5 41 25 1.75 2 Martin O''Neill...[/quote]

you cant possibly choose Martin O''neill!!!

OK he has been VERY successful since leaving us but to say that he was our best manager is not true as he was not here long enough. Unfortunately.

Its like saying that Steve Bruce is our most sucessfull premiership player even though the success was at manure united!!! 

 

Personally think that Nigels stats stand up quite well all things considered. Just a shame he has been tactically naive this season on  occasions

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Had a soft spot for Dave Stringer, thought he was a gentleman who carried himself well. He left at a point when he felt he couldn''t take the Club any further - clearly a man who knew his limitations as a manager and knew at what point he would be kidding people if he stayed on.

Doesn''t necessarily make him the most successful or even ''the best City manager'' but I liked him.

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Yep, always had a lot of time for Dave Stringer.

Very modest and understated, yet has a great knowledge of the game, he did very well with us, had a settled top flight side and some great players introduced (Sutton for example) into side during his time.

He is an example of how the club likes to look "within" when appointing a manager-been done with him, Walker, Hamilton, Deehan, Worthy...what price someone who is already with us as Worthy''s eventual replacement?

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Has to be period one Mike Walker for - highest ever league placing, proud performances in Europe and one of the most exciting city teams I have had the pleasure of watching.  Dave Stringer remains under-rated and left Walker with a good ship to take forward.

With O''Neill it was a question of ''if only and what might of been'' but with only half a season under his belt its impossible to judge - city are notoriously better in the first half of a season and there was no guarantee that that season would have been any different. 

 

 OTBC

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Ron Saunders

We had year after year after year of nothing, until he joined us.

Everything from that point onwards was started by his first promotion.

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Surely Mike Walker''s success in his first season was due to him inheriting an excellent set of players put together by Dave Stringer. I think the man was hugely underrated.

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Dave Stringer, best manager and best player in my opinion, also a perfect gentleman.

Archie Macauley though, gave me my most memorable Norwich City moments, during our great third division F.A.Cup run.

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[quote]Surely Mike Walker''s success in his first season was due to him inheriting an excellent set of players put together by Dave Stringer. I think the man was hugely underrated.[/quote]

I have always said walker struck it lucky with what he inherited , but i guess you still have to steer the ship.

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It has to be Dave Stringer, he only managed in the top division, two F A semi finals and top 4th finish.  With the foresight of Ken Brown he handed a top team, on a plate, to Mike Walker.

Above all he was loyal, at all times, to Norwich. Hold your heads in shame Mike Walker and Martin O''Neil.

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[a] Peter........Web Team

     What was John Bond''s statistical record, please?

[b] The statistics are interesting but only tell a part of the story. They really need to be weighted according to the division(s) that the managers listed operated in.

[c] We have had quite a few successful managers, but I think the two who created a real fundamental and permanent change in City''s status were Archie Macaulay and Ron Saunders.

Worthington had the opportunity to join this group but has messed up badly in terms of psychology and tactics this year.

[d] My nearly man is Martin O''Neill. Just look at his stats and subsequent record. But for a few pounds. Oh Mr Chase, what did you do to us!!

[d] However, overall my vote for our best manager of all time has to go to the excellent DAVE STRINGER.

[e] But I could not end without paying tribute to those other wonderful managers who achieved so much - John Bond, Ken Brown and Mike Walker. 

OTBC.

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[quote]Cap''n Jack will invariably jump in and complain about this note but I don''t care. The thread of discussion about Worthy and his defensive inadequacies made me ponder on the topic of who is the best C...[/quote]

No complaints Morph, your thread been interesting.

Best Managers?, easy, Mike Walker no contest with me. Although Dave Stringer runs him close.

PS. The Large Delia Photo has really messed up the layout of this thread, its not cool or clever. Can''t something be done Moderators?.

A sure candidate for the plank or lash me thinks.

Yo ho ho!

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I''ve sent barclayendboy an email asking him to reduce the size.

The only way we can edit the avatar is to change his nickname and access his profile, something I''m only comfortable doing as a last resort.

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[quote]No complaints Morph, your thread been interesting. Best Managers?, easy, Mike Walker no contest with me. Although Dave Stringer runs him close. PS. The Large Delia Photo has really messed up the lay...[/quote]

Yeah exactly right Capn about barclayend boy''s avatar.  Firstly it''s far too big and secondly do we need a constant reminder of one of the biggest embarrassments of our season?

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i dont see how any manager that hasnt done the job over at least a two year period could even be considered.Dave Stringer and Ken Brown both done fine jobs and i would pick one of those two.ken getting the edge for getting us the milk cup(when it was a trophy everyone wanted to win).

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For me it is a close run thing, between Nigel, Mike Walker and Ron Saunders - with Ron just winning as he was the very first to take us to the then premier division.

However Nigel is a very close second and I just hope and pray that he stays with us as I do not see anyone else doing what he has done over the last few years on such a limited budget.

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[quote]i dont see how any manager that hasnt done the job over at least a two year period could even be considered.Dave Stringer and Ken Brown both done fine jobs and i would pick one of those two.ken gettin...[/quote]

Steve, you also have to remember that a the time it was City''s route into Europe as well had the Heysel Stadium incident not occurred. I remember driving down to Bournemouth listening to the announcement on Radio 5 how all English teams had been banned from Europe - that after being amongst the Canary faithful on that day at Wembley in ''85 when the Milk Cup was won.

As for my opinion on who City''s best manager has been it has to be a toss up between Ken Brown, Dave Stringer and Mike Walker. Many have noted that Walker inherited the excellent foundations laid by Stringer and his predecessor Brown. However, I take my hat off to Walker for his tactical awareness in the games that City had in Europe, but I still think Stringer is the man who deserves my vote having taken City to two FA Cup Semis and that fourth placing in the top division.

I was fortunate enough as a kid to meet all the ''72 squad of which Stringer was such an integral part. They used to do pre-season training in the grounds of a private school in Scratby where I was living at the time. Kick myself even now for turning down the offer of a game of cricket with those players.

...

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[quote]No complaints Morph, your thread been interesting. Best Managers?, easy, Mike Walker no contest with me. Although Dave Stringer runs him close. PS. The Large Delia Photo has really messed up the lay...[/quote]

OH sorry how stupid of me to post such a photo and there was me thinking i was so clever by doing such a thing .

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