Greatest British Football Manager Of All Time??

(24-02-2011 01:55 )Master Yoda Wrote:  ****my apologies for misspelling Kenny Dalglish's name in the poll...It cannot be rectified either!!****

Looks fine to me...

Skateguy....you never cease to amaze me!!! Cheers mate

the1967 lisbon lions (celtic for the heathens among you) were the first british team to win the big one. the whole team that beat inter milan in the final were born within 30 miles of glasgow (most within minutes of the stadium!!) think about that. it'll never be done again in a million years, literally!. so i of course vote for herbert chapman!!! (sorry jock!)

Brian Clough for taking Derby and Forest 2 unfashionable clubs from mid table in the old second division to league champions and the European Cup with Forest, he probably would have won the European Cup with Derby if he had stayed that could never happen in this day without the help of some Sudi Billionaire

(24-02-2011 03:08 )Master Yoda Wrote:  I just noticed on my list that there are a few SIR's. Sir Alex Feguson, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Alf Ramsey, Sir Matt Busby. All these men were given their knighthoods for their contributions to football and each deserve their knighthood. But how in the name of christ, Bob Paisley OR Bill Shankly were never knighted for their contributions is beyond me. It's a bloody disgrace if you ask me

You are absolutely right, Yoda!

The answer, plain and simple is all about timing. Shankly and Paisley had their successes at a time when the Thatcherite Conservatives governed; Margaret Thatcher was not known as a fan of football or indeed of football-related matters - remember the 1980s were a time more synonymous with football hooliganism than matters on the field of play. Football was seen by Thatcher as an enemy of society.

Cometh the 1990s, and the Premiership coming on the back of Italia '90 and all that, and the game became trendy and something seen as cool to be associated with. The opportunitstic Tony Blair cottoned onto cool Britannia and declared himself a Newcastle fan. High achieving (and Labour Party supporting) football figures were rewarded with honours as a result of this blatant bandwagon-jumping.

Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Brian Clough all deserved knighhoods, but sadly were all successful at the wrong time. I'm sure no self-respecting football fan anywhere in the world would disagree that all three should have been Sirs. Wouldn't it be great if such things as post-humous knighthoods were bestowed upon them to right these wrongs.

(24-02-2011 09:14 )terence Wrote:  the1967 lisbon lions (celtic for the heathens among you) were the first british team to win the big one. the whole team that beat inter milan in the final were born within 30 miles of glasgow (most within minutes of the stadium!!) think about that. it'll never be done again in a million years, literally!. so i of course vote for herbert chapman!!! (sorry jock!)

Absolutely right Terence! Becoming the first British club to win the European Cup was achievement enough, but as you rightly point out, this was made all the more impressive by the fact that all the players were so locally born. Even Barcelona today, with their large collection of Spanish World Cup winners, still owe much to the genius of Messi and Dani Alves plus a few foreigners. Stein's achievement will never be matched.

(24-02-2011 12:08 )WestCountryBoy Wrote:  Brian Clough for taking Derby and Forest 2 unfashionable clubs from mid table in the old second division to league champions and the European Cup with Forest, he probably would have won the European Cup with Derby if he had stayed that could never happen in this day without the help of some Sudi Billionaire

Once again, spot-on WestCountryBoy! Brian Clough's achievements - like Alex Ferguson's - were with two clubs, thus proving that once was not a fluke. Younger fans of today need only think of Cloughie's staggering achievement with these two unfashionable east Midlands' clubs to see their sheer enormity. Furthermore, Cloughie, together with Shanks, were the two most fantastic to listen to managers ever, always controversial, always edge-of-the-seat interviews, always talking sense, and always pure entertainment.

All that said, whilst this is by no means an easy choice, as a United fan who's match-going experiences have been enhanced umpteen-fold these past twenty years, I quite simply have to go for Alex Ferguson.

His achievements with Aberdeen north of the border were phenomenal enough, and given the present strength of the Auld Firm, it seems unlikely that any outsider will even penetrate runner's-up spot in Scotland let alone win Championships and cups on a regular basis. And don't forget, the Cup-Winners' Cup win was against the same Real Madrid side who Liverpool had beaten in Paris just twelve months earlier.

When Ferguson took over at Old Trafford in November, 1986 the club was a shambles; Liverpool and a fine Everton side dominated, and the mess that Ron Atkinson left behind was such that the clear-out took more than three years.

However, once he had moulded the club in his own shape, from the backroom staff to the playing staff, he finally set about the process of winning major trophies once again. His eleven Premiership titles, three doubles, a treble and all the rest tell their own story. The players he has brought to the club probably make up the majority of the club's all-time best eleven, he has ruled with an iron fist at a time when players have become ever-more powerful, and how he retains the energy and desire to keep going I will never know.

Master Yoda makes a great point regards Bill Shankly - he not only built a club, but laid down the bootroom foundations for future Liverpool generations of success; likewise Ferguson's achievements will only truly be measured long after he has quit (that's if he ever quits) and his successors have built upon his foundations at Old Trafford.

^^^ Lindor's pretty much explained my reasons for voting for SAF as well (Cloughie a close second though)

I vote for Brian Clough. Taking 2 second division sides to winning the league championship takes some beating, even without the European success. There was a book on this subject by the way, a few years ago. I can't remember the title now, but the author went through the achievements of various managers and eventually concluded that Clough was the one that had most 'over achieved' as in winning his titles he beat much bigger clubs. The author felt that nobody else had out performed the resources available to him as much as Clough had done.

The mad scouser I am it pains me to accept the fact that Ferguson is the best. Based on consistent success and longevity.Yes Paisley is a good shout Clough is a great shout but 24 years in the job and still looks like he is gonna win more.

Lets hope King Kenny can restore what are becomeing distant memories