Manager of the Season

Would like to gain opinion on who you guys think will be Manager of the Season in the Premier League.
All 20 current managers are there, you guys have one vote!
Who will be Manager of the Season?

I have put my two pennies worth in with Paul Lambert. It is a little biased but for me it is between him and Pardew for this award

Alan Pardew
David Moyes
Paul Lambert
Martin O'Neill
Brendan Rogers
Roy Hodgson

have all performed very well. Then there are also
Alex Ferguson
Harry Redknapp
Tony Pulis (his team have been rather stretched by their Europa League adventure)

I suppose the most surprising performances have been from
Alan Pardew
Paul Lambert
Brendan Rogers

I went for Sir Alex. Pardew, Lambert and Rogers have all had amazing seasons but Sir Alex has done the unexpected this year. This isn't a good Man U team and Man Ciity were big favourites to win the title at Xmas.

That was tough, I had a few I was thinking of:

SAF:

Going for his 13th premier league title and United's 20th, despite not having the greatest united side compared to one's in the past. I think to come back from the City defeat, the Champions league exit and the humbling from Bilbao to come within touching distance of a side with so many quality players is a great achievement.

Moyes:

Once again you have to say, Everton are punching well above their weight. Their now above Liverpool in the league and have reached the FA cup semi-final. We keep saying it, but on Everton's budget Moyes has done a wonderful job to get Everton in and around the Eurpoean places. He'd dealt with the loss of two key players in Arteta and Saha and brought in some excellent signings in the form of Drenthe and Pienaar on loan, bringing pace and creativity to their midfield, whilst also bringing in Jelavic, who's already proving his goal scoring touch.

Lambert:

Quite a superb season for him and Norwich. They were probably one of the favourites to go straight back down, but their team spirit and work ethic is incredible and in the form of Grant Holt they have a proven goal scorer. They've picked up some great results along the way, not to mention the defeat of Spurs at White Heart Lane yesterday.

Rodgers:

Somewhat over shadowed Lambert's Norwich's great season, but by no means undeserved. The football they have played this season has been a breath of fresh air. Theirs an sense of calm and fluitidy about it. You always felt Blackpool played nice football, but didn't really have the players with the right technique to really hurt teams with it. Swansea, on the other hand, have a vast pool of players put together by Rodgers who are combfortable and more importantly are good and passing the ball around, with one touch two touch passing. What's great is they never get frustrated, they go back to the keeper if nessesary , and if there isn't a pass on they will play it safe and wait for the next opening. He's brought in some shrewd singings, like Sigurdsson, Caulker, Routledge and Graham. They have a solid defence and have been a credit to the league.

Pardew:

What more can you say. Talk about over achieving. No one gave Newcastle a chance of finishing above 8th. They lost their key striker Andy Carroll all be it for a hefty sum, lost their club captain Nolan to West Ham and their main midfielder Joey Barton to QPR. But Pardew didn't panic and brought in some gems, like Cabaye, Santon and Tiote, not to mention Demba Ba, snatching him from the jaws of Stoke city. What a buy he's been and all for that huge sum of £0. The signing of Papass Cisse in January has brought in another talented goal scorer, which has propelled them to on the verge of champions league football. Many questioned pardew's appointment, now they're questioning when he'll sign a long term contract.

So for me, for the incredible season he and his side have had, my vote went to newcastle, and there' s a large part of me which wants to see them back in the champions league and challenging for the top 4 on a regular basis. Big up the toon

I've seen a few people say Pardew signed Tiote, but I'm sure he was a Chris Hughton signing was he not?

And West Ham got Demba Ba away from Stoke City who didn't want to sign him on account of his dodgy knees.

I think it was Hughton but it doesn't really matter who signed him. It's up to the manager that's there now to get the best out of a player and Pardew has done that with not just Tiote but a few more especially Ben Arfa who good managers like Deschamps couldn't get the best out of.

He took a chance on Ba when others weren't interested so he deserves a lot of credit for that as well.

Pardew, Lambert, Fergie and Rodgers all deserve a mention, even Wenger.
Arsenal have lost some world class players and will still finish third.

Wengers a good shout if Arsenals ambition is to qualify for the Champion League which it seems to be. They are fantastically run club just like a bigger version of Ajax. He got a bargain in Chamberlain as well that boy looks like a star. No Wilshere all season either who is nailed on as a future England captain.

SAF has done fantastically well in the Premier League, but shouldn't he have been doing a little better on the European stage, considering the resources he has at his disposal and the length of time he has had at the helm?

ps another manager I should have mentioned that has done well this season is Martin Jol.

ps There seems to be a limit to the number of squad players a team can have twenty three or something? Is this true and when was it brought in? Does it apply at the European level? If so the English premiership teams would be most affected as it seems to be recognised that the Premiership is the most competitive / attritional league in Europe.

pps Why hasn't SAF played last seasons top scorer in the league - Berbatov, more often?

They have a 25 man squad limit but that doesn't include players that are currently in their youth set-up. They don't need to be included in the squad but can be called up at any time. It was introduced this season.

Sir Alex seems to have went cool on Berba he likes Wellbeck and Hernandez. I think he wants to bring more pace into the side like he had in 2008 that was a fantastic team.

Berbatov not working at OT is a mystery. Great feet and mind but maybe a bit of a sulker.

Wellback will be a good player if and when he gets a first touch. I agree about pace. A new Ronaldo would be nice for SAF

Between Rodgers, Pardew and Lambert for me with Fergie close behind. I obviously went for Brendan but then I'm hardly neutral.

A new Ronaldo would be nice for anyone but they sort of players usually only come around once in a generation we are very lucky to be in a generation where we have 2.

I think he needs something else up front. I like Rooney in midfield I think it suits his game better and I think its where Sir Alex sees him long term but he doesn't have enough up top to let him loose in the middle of the park. I would like to see him bring Giuseppe Rossi back or Fernando Llorrente they would fit right in at OT.

One of the toughest contests for many years. I think Sir Alex is the only one from one of the traditional 'big boys' to be in with a sniff but the award in my opinion should really go to one of Rodgers, Lambert or Pardew.

Rodgers and Lambert have done fantastically well and defied everyone's preconceptions by turning their home grounds into fortresses but playing attractive passing football along the way. Never thought a newly promoted club could do it, WBA tried a couple of seasons back and it was their downfall (Stoke on the other hand stuck to ugly but tried and tested and stayed up).

What Pardew has done on a budget is fantastic and they're on form now to possibly squeek into the Champions League spots which is truly amazing. And he's done it whilst being unassuming and just quietly going about his job.

If Newcastle take fourth I'd have to plump for Pardew, but making the call at this stage of the season I'll have to use league position to split Rodgers and Lambert and go for the Scotsman!

I think people might be getting a bit carried away with Rogers and Lambert they have had fantastic seasons but it's not the first time this sort of thing has happened. Steve Coppell with Reading and Alan Pardew with West Ham both done similar. Got promoted and played great football and finished in a surprisingly high position in the Prem. Pardew also lost an F.A cup final to Liverpool on penalties.

Both got relegated the next year.

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:A new Ronaldo would be nice for anyone but they sort of players usually only come around once in a generation we are very lucky to be in a generation where we have 2.

I think he needs something else up front. I like Rooney in midfield I think it suits his game better and I think its where Sir Alex sees him long term but he doesn't have enough up top to let him loose in the middle of the park. I would like to see him bring Giuseppe Rossi back or Fernando Llorrente they would fit right in at OT.

Agree re Llorrente, would love to see him at OT. Very talented and skillful player but, importantly for the EPL, big strong aggressive and determined to boot. Really think he could be the perfect striker for us.

Still need to sort out the CM though, there I'm a little short of ideas. Really curse not getting Ozil

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:I think people might be getting a bit carried away with Rogers and Lambert they have had fantastic seasons but it's not the first time this sort of thing has happened. Steve Coppell with Reading and Alan Pardew with West Ham both done similar. Got promoted and played great football and finished in a surprisingly high position in the Prem. Pardew also lost an F.A cup final to Liverpool on penalties.

Both got relegated the next year.

They still deserve to be recognised for this season's effort though.Next season will be harder, ask Paul Jewell (Bradford), Phil Brown (Hull) and Coppell of Reading.

TopHat24/7 wrote:

SugarRayRussell (PBK) wrote:A new Ronaldo would be nice for anyone but they sort of players usually only come around once in a generation we are very lucky to be in a generation where we have 2.

I think he needs something else up front. I like Rooney in midfield I think it suits his game better and I think its where Sir Alex sees him long term but he doesn't have enough up top to let him loose in the middle of the park. I would like to see him bring Giuseppe Rossi back or Fernando Llorrente they would fit right in at OT.

Agree re Llorrente, would love to see him at OT. Very talented and skillful player but, importantly for the EPL, big strong aggressive and determined to boot. Really think he could be the perfect striker for us.

Still need to sort out the CM though, there I'm a little short of ideas. Really curse not getting Ozil

I don't think anyone can compete with Barca and Real if they want a player they get them. Arsenal are always willing to sell a player Wilshere would make a real difference at OT.

Yeh, big big fan of Wilshere, would love to see how a CM partnership of him and Cleverley would get on.....

That sounds like the Engalnd midfield for 2014 World Cup.

Manager of the year has to be Pardew. Especially as he was about as welcome as a fart in a space suit when he took over.