Your bestest, favourite City manager.......ever!

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Wiz"]Personally, I hope not, I''d rather see a Walker Mk III era first. [;)][/quote]
I''m still surprised that Walker hasn''t returned to manage in the last decade or so following leaving APOEL.

The problem now is that 10 years is a long time in football and he''d probably end up like Dalglish in that he used to be great but is now clearly behind the times...
[/quote]

 

Same thought here Indy, he would be ideal at Colchester Utd, when, not if, they sack their manager.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

Great thread, Wiz. Walker for me, 2nd Worthington and then Brown or Stringer. 3rd in Prem, could have won the bloody thing, and those incredible games against Bayern Munich etc... Will remember those days till the day I die

[whoareyou? 0]

As a few have mentioned the time under Walker is unlikely ever to be surpassed in my lifetime and as a result he HAS to be the best manager ever.8 points clear at the top of the first ever Premier League at Xmas, finally finishing 3rd and then the European adventure the next year. It wont ever happen again.You had to be there to take in what it all meant to a City fan.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

Walker for me, best football I''ve ever seen at Carrow Road against the very best teams. Stringer i know put in alot of the ground work team wise but we over passed it under him, suddenly under Walker we looked like we really meant business against anyone. Lambert a close second just for the share bravery in his decision making on changing a match with subs almost always with the intention to get three points, overall though i dont think the football was as good as Walkers.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

WhoAreYou summed it up nicely - I too really feel for any City fan who was too young to have witnessed those great days under Walker and his brand of free flowing football - Arsenal, you saw it here in the Prem first ; ). Poor old Smudger would have missed it too, sat in his nappy at Filbert Street. We WERE the club that everyone was talking about - christ, those were the days when even MOTD pundits Hansen and Banana Chin were nice about us. We were the dogs bollocks back then... We really were.

[nutty nigel 7,533]

It''s all relative though Alex. The old boys who were around have told me we played awesome football in the late 50s. I went from mid 60s onwards and think Stringers was the best team and played the best football. Just needed Sutton. I enjoyed them all though. Even the odd game under Roeder[:$]

 

 

[Old Shuck 183]

Bloody excellent thread this-thought I had an answeer when it appeared but a lot of the subsequent posts on here have made me think again.

 

I was inclined to say John Bond-for reasons already given. He put the club on the map outside of Norfolk and rebooted the reputation we have as an attractive footballing side to watch with players to match. Yes, he left under more than a cloud and yes, he has since said if he had his time again he wouldn''t have gone to Man City. I believe that, in around 1977, he was offered a 10 year contract by our then board-ten years, imagine that-unheard of then, let alone now. Respect to him and honourable mention. I hear he hasn''t been so well lately so hope he has, does, make a full recovery.

 

Honourable mention also  to Paul Lambert. Talk about seizing something that was down and rather more than out and shaking it back to life by sheer force of will, personality and a determination to win. His mentality infected the whole club-and how. I rather think, like Bond, he may, one day, look back and wonder if he''d made the right decision to leave us, but, for now, and for what he did for the club, I hope he does well at Villa-and am sure he is enjoying his slightly reduced media profile at the moment.

 

Final honourable mention goes to Dave Stringer-whose side played with the same joie de vivre that we associated with both Bond and Lambers side-and a team that, in 88/89, were in serious contention for and being considered likely candidates for a League and Cup double-quality players-Townsend, Fleck, Phelan et al-plus, of course, the foundation of the next great side to come out of Norwich, possibly the best ever. Dave has admitted he went a season too far with us and its remarkable now to look back at his 91/92 side and see how close we came to being relegated that campaign with something like 11 defeats from our last 13 matches. But one of our great Managers, unquestionably.

 

Respect is also due to Ken Brown and Nigel Worthington.

 

But its, after much deliberation, Mike Walker for me. I still can''t work out why he was removed in his second spell here-just as things seemed to be coming together again. Maybe it wasn''t purely for footballing reasons, who can tell. But he took on Stringers side, one that had faded a little and re-energised it, made the players believe in themselves, and making some of them-Gossy is the prime example-go from average into very very good. Gossy had been at the club for about 10 years before Mike became Manager, a regular reserve and bench warmer, had also nearly left the club twice-yet he became a fulcrum of that team that threatened to achieve unheralded success in 92/93, him and someone like Gary Megson who Walker had to fight to sign, Mr Chase being against signing him at the time-age and no sell on value being the main reasons-Walker won that battle of wills and, I think, from then he and the Chairman never saw eye to eye completely. He lost Fleckie days before the start of that first Prem season but replaced him well with Mark Robins and, in turning a 2-0 half time deficit at Arsenal round into a 4-2 win masterminded one of the most significant 45 minutes of NCFC history. His team played with a swagger and self belief borne of confidence in themselves and their team mates and only lack of playing resources, in my opinion, prevented us from winning that first Premier League-hardly his fault. For that, he gets my vote-for nearly achieving the impossible and for making everyone-players and fans-believe in our team in a way that had not been experienced before and which has only  come close to being replicated under Lambert.

 

So yes, Mike Walker-then Lambert, John Bond and Dave Stringer.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Old Shuck"]

Bloody excellent thread this-thought I had an answeer when it appeared but a lot of the subsequent posts on here have made me think again.

 

I was inclined to say John Bond-for reasons already given. He put the club on the map outside of Norfolk and rebooted the reputation we have as an attractive footballing side to watch with players to match. Yes, he left under more than a cloud and yes, he has since said if he had his time again he wouldn''t have gone to Man City. I believe that, in around 1977, he was offered a 10 year contract by our then board-ten years, imagine that-unheard of then, let alone now. Respect to him and honourable mention. I hear he hasn''t been so well lately so hope he has, does, make a full recovery.

 

Honourable mention also  to Paul Lambert. Talk about seizing something that was down and rather more than out and shaking it back to life by sheer force of will, personality and a determination to win. His mentality infected the whole club-and how. I rather think, like Bond, he may, one day, look back and wonder if he''d made the right decision to leave us, but, for now, and for what he did for the club, I hope he does well at Villa-and am sure he is enjoying his slightly reduced media profile at the moment.

 

Final honourable mention goes to Dave Stringer-whose side played with the same joie de vivre that we associated with both Bond and Lambers side-and a team that, in 88/89, were in serious contention for and being considered likely candidates for a League and Cup double-quality players-Townsend, Fleck, Phelan et al-plus, of course, the foundation of the next great side to come out of Norwich, possibly the best ever. Dave has admitted he went a season too far with us and its remarkable now to look back at his 91/92 side and see how close we came to being relegated that campaign with something like 11 defeats from our last 13 matches. But one of our great Managers, unquestionably.

 

Respect is also due to Ken Brown and Nigel Worthington.

 

But its, after much deliberation, Mike Walker for me. I still can''t work out why he was removed in his second spell here-just as things seemed to be coming together again. Maybe it wasn''t purely for footballing reasons, who can tell. But he took on Stringers side, one that had faded a little and re-energised it, made the players believe in themselves, and making some of them-Gossy is the prime example-go from average into very very good. Gossy had been at the club for about 10 years before Mike became Manager, a regular reserve and bench warmer, had also nearly left the club twice-yet he became a fulcrum of that team that threatened to achieve unheralded success in 92/93, him and someone like Gary Megson who Walker had to fight to sign, Mr Chase being against signing him at the time-age and no sell on value being the main reasons-Walker won that battle of wills and, I think, from then he and the Chairman never saw eye to eye completely. He lost Fleckie days before the start of that first Prem season but replaced him well with Mark Robins and, in turning a 2-0 half time deficit at Arsenal round into a 4-2 win masterminded one of the most significant 45 minutes of NCFC history. His team played with a swagger and self belief borne of confidence in themselves and their team mates and only lack of playing resources, in my opinion, prevented us from winning that first Premier League-hardly his fault. For that, he gets my vote-for nearly achieving the impossible and for making everyone-players and fans-believe in our team in a way that had not been experienced before and which has only  come close to being replicated under Lambert.

 

So yes, Mike Walker-then Lambert, John Bond and Dave Stringer.

[/quote]

 

Top post Shuck.

 

Now I''m probably way off here, memory puddled and all that, but wasn''t it Rioch who followed Walker MkII?

 

Rioch was a friend of................................Delia Smith.  [^o)]

[Indy 3,298]

I thnik Walker was a great manager, but we would have had an Eurpean adventure under Brown too if it hadn''t been for the ban from Europe.

 

It''s a tough call as most clubs have one out and out manager who stands head and shoulders above all else, Ippo had Robson, Liverpool had Shanks, Manure have Ferguson and so on......

 

Shuck has made me think too as he has some great points to Walker, but he left for Everton and that marks him down in my book to second behind Brown, 3 promotions, a 5th place finish in the top flight and a League cup, not to mention just a really nice chap too!

 

I can''t see how Worthy can be considered unless your younger than 20 and have no knowledge of the golden age of Norwich City.

 

Good thread with great references!

[Billabong 0]

Glen Roeder probably had the biggest impact on the club than any manager, he was so incompetent in every department, it brought about a complete make over, which we now enjoy.

Every manager before and every manager after has been better than GR but where would we be now without him?

[RvWs 4 year contract 0]

If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...

As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.

There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us.
[/quote]

 

Just what I was thinking last night, he has an aura about him which demands respect.

 

And 40,000 geordies plus 20,000 blue noses can''t all be wrong can they? [;)]

[RvWs 4 year contract 0]

[quote user="Wiz"]

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us. [/quote]

 

Just what I was thinking last night, he has an aura about him which demands respect.

 

And 40,000 geordies plus 20,000 blue noses can''t all be wrong can they? [;)]

[/quote]Exactly Wiz [Y]. I went to Spurs this season and the tributes that they gave to him - both in the match day programme and the jumbo screen thingy they have- almost took me aback. They LOVE him in North London! He''s certainly sorted our defence out and he''s only been here 3 months.

[Carra Rud 17]

Without doubt or hesitation Mike Walker.

[BroadstairsR 2,164]

It''s  probably easier to pick out the "worstest" as we have, in their various ways, had some good ''uns over the years.

 

Hamilton and Roeder stand out by a mile for me as being bad ''uns. Grant was hopeless but I, like most others, have a soft spot for him. He even managed to make Lambert seem like an expert in the art of spoken English and that was always fun.  

[4th floor 4]

For sheer performance has as to be Walker. For an overall ability to build (and rebuild) a team Stringer, closely followed by Brown. Say what you want about Chase, but we really seemed to profit well on transfers under him and Stringer, much like Arsenal have under Wenger. After Stringer we never really traded as well, for example letting players like Eadie and O''Neill go for peanuts.On the point of Walker''s second spell, he seemed to have a lot of anger, understandably as his wife was dying of cancer at the time. I would have stuck with him if it was up to me rather than get Rioch in.One thing about Hughton I haven''t seen mentioned is that although he was mainly a Spurs man, he played for and grew up not far from West Ham, as did Bond and Brown. I''m hoping that''s a good omen!

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="JonnyH"]After Stringer we never really traded as well, for example letting players like Eadie and O''Neill go for peanuts.[/quote]I''d hardly call 3 million peanuts (at that time anyway), although I agree he was arguably worth more.O''Neill was a tough one and we really should have taken the 4 mil Newcastle apparently offered, but being fair we still got around 2 mil for him with a good sell-on clause, the problem with this was that due to his injury problems he never made the major impact his talent should have.In both cases at the time we looked to have gotten slightly rough deals, but with hindsight they both turned out to be very good based on both players future form.

[ricky knight 0]

Mike Walker by a country mile we actually lost the little friendly Norwich tag under him beating the big teams in their own back yards, playing some great football we used to expect to win even at the big grounds, my best years supporting City..

[ricky knight 0]

[quote user="JonnyH"]For sheer performance has as to be Walker. For an overall ability to build (and rebuild) a team Stringer, closely followed by Brown. Say what you want about Chase, but we really seemed to profit well on transfers under him and Stringer, much like Arsenal have under Wenger. After Stringer we never really traded as well, for example letting players like Eadie and O''Neill go for peanuts.On the point of Walker''s second spell, he seemed to have a lot of anger, understandably as his wife was dying of cancer at the time. I would have stuck with him if it was up to me rather than get Rioch in.One thing about Hughton I haven''t seen mentioned is that although he was mainly a Spurs man, he played for and grew up not far from West Ham, as did Bond and Brown. I''m hoping that''s a good omen![/quote]

Dont think Walker was sacked second time round for football reasons.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="ricky knight"][quote user="JonnyH"]For sheer performance has as to be Walker. For an overall ability to build (and rebuild) a team Stringer, closely followed by Brown. Say what you want about Chase, but we really seemed to profit well on transfers under him and Stringer, much like Arsenal have under Wenger. After Stringer we never really traded as well, for example letting players like Eadie and O''Neill go for peanuts.

On the point of Walker''s second spell, he seemed to have a lot of anger, understandably as his wife was dying of cancer at the time. I would have stuck with him if it was up to me rather than get Rioch in.

One thing about Hughton I haven''t seen mentioned is that although he was mainly a Spurs man, he played for and grew up not far from West Ham, as did Bond and Brown. I''m hoping that''s a good omen!
[/quote] Dont think Walker was sacked second time round for football reasons.[/quote]

 

I''ve always said the same Ricky, but proving it, thats a different matter.

 

Back to back 5 nil home wins hardly merits a sacking you''d think.

 

I do know he was deeply upset by it though.

[ZLF 274]

walker

stringer

lambert

brown

ONeill - could have been but for the chairman and lack of hambition...

[Dubai Mark 0]

Whilst PL is probably "the best".......for me its between two as my "bestest, favourite"......Bondy.......just pipped by Mike Walker, great iconic Manager who was a great fit for our club and who I remember had two 5-0 wins at the end of his second period with us (or was it one 5-0 vs Huddersfield??)....agree was sacked in haste that second time.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Wiz"]

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us. [/quote]

 

Just what I was thinking last night, he has an aura about him which demands respect.

 

And 40,000 geordies plus 20,000 blue noses can''t all be wrong can they? [;)]

[/quote]40,000 geordies, 20,000 bluenoses... or 1 contrary man in a Lowestoft bungalow?There''s only one way to settle this......

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="Wiz"]

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...

As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.

There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us.
[/quote]

 

Just what I was thinking last night, he has an aura about him which demands respect.

 

And 40,000 geordies plus 20,000 blue noses can''t all be wrong can they? [;)]

[/quote]

40,000 geordies, 20,000 bluenoses... or 1 contrary man in a Lowestoft bungalow?

There''s only one way to settle this......

[/quote]

 

6 pages of constructive posts.........then you come along.

Sorry for this posters.

[lake district canary 0]

I''ve already posted that John Bond was my favourite - because he was manager when I was starting watching and things were getting exciting - and his legacy continued with Brown Stringer and Walker - an era that lasted 21 years.    After his recent passing it was a solemn reminder of him and his impact on the club and the warm affection to him shown by the supporters yesterday.   I haven''t changed my mind, but if Hughton pulls off a good season - especially after the difficult start to his tenure - he will be set to stay here a while and who  knows, for todays young supporters just starting out, he could become a favourite manager too.    After all, all the managers mentioned in this thread have had their go.  The only really important manager is the one we have now.......

There, does that get the thread back on track?[;)]

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="lake district canary"]I''ve already posted that John Bond was my favourite - because he was manager when I was starting watching and things were getting exciting - and his legacy continued with Brown Stringer and Walker - an era that lasted 21 years.    After his recent passing it was a solemn reminder of him and his impact on the club and the warm affection to him shown by the supporters yesterday.   I haven''t changed my mind, but if Hughton pulls off a good season - especially after the difficult start to his tenure - he will be set to stay here a while and who  knows, for todays young supporters just starting out, he could become a favourite manager too.    After all, all the managers mentioned in this thread have had their go.  The only really important manager is the one we have now.......



There, does that get the thread back on track?[;)]


[/quote]

 

Cheers LDC, lets hope so. [Y]

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

1] Bond 2] lambert 3] Worthington 4] walker

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Wiz"][quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="Wiz"]

[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]If Hughton turns us into a comfortably midtable Premiership side he''ll soon rocket up the lists...As for my current fav City manager I''d have to go for either Worthy or PL.There''s also something about Hughton that leads me to think he''ll do very well for us. [/quote]

 

Just what I was thinking last night, he has an aura about him which demands respect.

 

And 40,000 geordies plus 20,000 blue noses can''t all be wrong can they? [;)]

[/quote]

40,000 geordies, 20,000 bluenoses... or 1 contrary man in a Lowestoft bungalow?There''s only one way to settle this......[/quote]

 

6 pages of constructive posts.........then you come along.

Sorry for this posters.

[/quote]If you''re going to apologise for changing your mind, you''ll need to hit a few more threads than this one.So where did the aura go, Wiz?

[Fraz 2]

Paul LambertSimple reason that with him in charge, as fan you always believed before any match that you could win that game no matter who you were playing against and that the team was always capable of scoring a goal.

[Firedawg 3]

Gotta be Walker, remember coming back from a fire and hearing we were 2-0 down against arsenal and thinking ''That''s the season start we need'' could not believe it when I heard we had won 4-2. Fantastic memories and travelling abroad on the ''european adventure'' simply the best. as said I could never see why he was sacked second time around.

Worthy deserves a mention and the last three years with lambert, just the way he left leaves a bitter taste.

I can poke up with Walker leaving cause I genuinly believe if chase had released the purse strings a bit he would have stayed. What a happy thread !