Best British manager (other than Fergie)

[dww]

Obviously limited to those currently working, who do you lot think.

I was inspired by the Times podcast and a piece in the Guardian before the FA cup final. In the former they discussed how good a manager Redknapp was and came to the conclusion that he was good but that Moyes, Hughes and O'Neill were better. I tend to agree and I think part of my problem with Redknapp was revealed in the Guardian piece where he basically dismissed the notion of really improving players and basically said it is all about bringing in better players.

I think the emphasis on man management and not tactics or individual improvement is what has held back the British game for a long while. Fergusson has always looked to bring in new ideas and constantly striven to improve his coaching set up and to get strong assistants which has helped him to maintain United's competitiveness.

For my money Hughes and Moyes are quite far ahead of the other managers. they seem much more modern in their approach and to have genuinely learned lessons from the influx of foreign coaches/managers to the PL. I can see both looking to move abroad at some point to fulfill their ambitions.

[spud_gun]

Walter Smith?

[dww]

Interesting - good call. I'm not a huge admirer but you have to respect what he did to get Rangers to the UEFA cup final on such a small budget.

[Rich]

I like the look of Mark Hughes but his teams have flattered to deceive and often get beaten just when you think they're on a role; he does have a good idea for an attacking player mind you: with the obvious McCarthy and Santa Cruz brought in for relative small bananas.

[Joe King]

Bobby Robson and Terry Venables for me. They did it for years and proved it abroad. Thats the mark of a true great British manager.

I think Harry Redknapp isn't widely considered as a brilliant British manager because he is a 'wheeler dealer' which is rather disappointing. The stereotype because he is from the East End and pulled off some masterstrokes masks his ability to have built a solid team and his man management skills which has made Portsmouth a strong fixture in the Premiership. Sam Allardyce likewise, who was considered as a typical northern man and played 'rough football' and that stereotype rather discredits what he does behind the scenes.

Currently, its between Hughes and Redknapp. I know people will say Moyes has to be included but I couldn't care less what they think

[Shaggy]

Ah it's Redknapp for me.

Ultimately it's more about results, not so much how you go about getting them. The ability to coach and improve players is an obvious bonus, but we have coaches for that.

Redknapp buys often but buys well, always has his teams well-organised and seems to be a fantastic man-manager. He arrived at Portsmouth with Alain Perrin's shambles left behind him, and almost instantly turned it around - shipping out Perrin's dross and buying well.

Unlike Moyes his teams are good to watch.

Hughes has done a grand job at Blackburn but has more to do - he's a novice compared to Redknapp.

[Ferrrrnando]

Agreed, Redknapp followed by Hughes and then Moyes. MaClaren is then in position number 4056

[dww]

Ah it's Redknapp for me.

Ultimately it's more about results, not so much how you go about getting them. The ability to coach and improve players is an obvious bonus, but we have coaches for that.

Redknapp buys often but buys well, always has his teams well-organised and seems to be a fantastic man-manager. He arrived at Portsmouth with Alain Perrin's shambles left behind him, and almost instantly turned it around - shipping out Perrin's dross and buying well.

Unlike Moyes his teams are good to watch.

Hughes has done a grand job at Blackburn but has more to do - he's a novice compared to Redknapp.

So you wouldn't say that Moye's consistent finishing above him with arguably less finances counts as 'results'?

I can see the point that Everton have not won any silverware but would suggest that the FA cup this year was something of a fluke. Obviously it is still a credit to Redknapp and as you say at the end of the day it is a results business.

[Joe King]

For me, you have to look at the resources of both Hughes and Redknapp. Redknapp has spent more in the same time as Hughes has been at Blackburn. Hughes has done an excellent job with the money he has had at his disposal and so has Redknapp although I do expect him to get more money (possibly more money than us )

[Shaggy]

So you wouldn't say that Moye's consistent finishing above him with arguably less finances counts as 'results'?

I can see the point that Everton have not won any silverware but would suggest that the FA cup this year was something of a fluke. Obviously it is still a credit to Redknapp and as you say at the end of the day it is a results business.

Not really mate, no. I don't know the numbers involved but I think Everton have spent as much, if not more than Pompey. £11m on Yakubu. Redknapp picked him up for peanuts.

Everton are a bigger club and have always been a Prem outfit - Moyes had it ready-made to some extent.

Redknapp took over a Pompey side on the brink of League One and he's turned them into a top 7 or 8 Prem side (top 6 if they hadn't allowed the wheels to come off in focusing on the Cup final) and FA Cup winners.

No way was Pompey's Cup win a fluke. That's like those people who call our 2005 CL win a fluke. They knocked United out on their own patch!

[Harv]

yep droopy ol'arry has to be it

teams are always good to watch, always gets the best out of limited players, and has a bit of charisma.

[dww]

Not really mate, no. I don't know the numbers involved but I think Everton have spent as much, if not more than Pompey. £11m on Yakubu. Redknapp picked him up for peanuts.

Everton are a bigger club and have always been a Prem outfit - Moyes had it ready-made to some extent.

Redknapp took over a Pompey side on the brink of League One and he's turned them into a top 7 or 8 Prem side (top 6 if they hadn't allowed the wheels to come off in focusing on the Cup final) and FA Cup winners.

No way was Pompey's Cup win a fluke. That's like those people who call our 2005 CL win a fluke. They knocked United out on their own patch!

PORTSMOUTH

IN: Glen Johnson (Chelsea, £3m), Papa Bouba Diop (Fulham, £3m), David Nugent (Preston North End, £6m), John Utaka (Rennes, £7m), Sulley Muntari (Udinese, £7m), Sylvain Distin (Manchester City, free), Hermann Hreidarsson (Charlton Athletic, free), Martin Cranie (Southampton, £150,000), Arnold Mvuemba (Rennes, undisclosed), Callum Reynolds (Rushden & Diamonds, Undisclosed)

EVERTON

IN: Stefan Wessels (FC Cologne, undisclosed), Leighton Baines (Wigan Athletic, £6m), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United, £4m), Steven Pienaar (Borussia Dortmund, loan), Yakubu Ayegbeni (Middlesbrough, £11.25m), Thomas Gravesen (Celtic, loan)

So disclosed fees = £26m for Pompey, £21.25 for Everton. Added to the fact that Portsmouth have a much higher wage bill (mostly going to Campbell). I think the financial resources Harry has more than make up for the fact that Everton have been in the PL longer. I don't think they have been recruiting players at a different level to Pompey because of it. Both have had to shop in the middle bracket of player reputations.

I would say it was arguably a fluke in that unlike us when we won the CL they didn't outplay anyone on the way to the final. It would be a harsh judgment though I accept. You deserve what you get in general but I don't think it is very powerful evidence for the greatness of Redknapp as a manager which is what I would claim.

I thin the fact that Harry can win in the Championship with twice as much money as anyone else is not that big an achievement either. Keeping the club up and then moving forward in the PL is his main achievement in the last few years. For me that is equalled and bettered by Moyes who took over a relegation worthy team and has had them finishing higher than Pompey consistently. Tradition and club history has very little to do with how hard the two jobs were/are to my mind.

[machiavelli]

I would have to say Moyes...I hate him, but i have to give it to him, he has everton playing some good football, for the past 2 season punching above their weight. I think if Slur Alex retired, moyes would be a ready made replacement for them.

I also like old 'Arry as a manager.

[Parm]

But hasnt Harry only been given decent money this season?
I think his man management skills are superb, he has turned around the careers of campbell, james, johnson, defoe, these were guys who were going nowehre quickly and had lost a lot confidence. You look at them now and they are so much better now. I can see him picking up Crouch from us and making him a real goal scoring threat again.

As for hwho is better, not much to choose between moyes harry hughes and o neil/

[Rich]

When does Roy Hodgson's name get thrown into the pot after the utterly amazing way Fulham survived this season.