Manager of the year?

Well folks the transfer window will be closing shortly and there doesn't seem to have been much activity so far. Are we in for last minute supermarket dash like Venger did in the summer, or are clubs reigning back because of the new finance rules.

In the Premiership I think there have been some good results by Swansea and Norwich, so a couple of managers who seem to be punching above their weight. I like Lambert as he seems to have done a great job with Norwich and has bought cannily, but gets his team playing to their strengths and without fear, on a low budget. Rodgers has done the same but think the Barcelona style of play mentioned in the media is bigging them up a bit much. Moyes at Everton has no cash, but yet again has managed to keep them in and around the top half and have no doubt that if they can find someone to hit the net, they'll be pushing for a euro spot. Red nose started the season on fire but some really bad results and a couple of injuries is showing that the squad has gone backwards, AVB has managed to take an ageing Chelski backwards and I'm sure his oligarc owner is not too pleased about results so far. Mancini and his petroleum backers have brought the game into disrepute and took what Chelsea started to a whole new level of unfairness in football. The reputed £19m wage loss that Tevez has suffered could have bought the whole squads Norwich, Swansea, and Villa combined, very unfair. I suppose we need to feel sory for Mancini though has he's now lost half his squad to the African Cup Of nations, leaving him with dregs like Silva, Balotelli, Dzeko, Richards, Milner, and on and on .... Alan Pardew who works for an idiot and was always going to struggle to win over the geordies, but has managed it with aplomb so far, besides the recent disaster, but they're banging on the door of Europe and have to be commended. They look like struggling though until the new winderkind Ba gets back from Africa, and the new African signing. The Anfield faithful were singing the praises of kenny not so long ago after he ousted the previous manager unfairly. But Kenny was given a huge lump of cash and seems to have wasted it a huge lump of wood so far, and what of poor Arsene, as he seems to stumble from one problem to the next with much unrest from the Highbury (Emirates) faithful. he's done wonders for the club but seems to have lost the plot.... What of Keane who I thought should never have been offered the job, after the chicken george bought the club and sacked Big Sam. He was obviously out of his deptyh, as were the new owners, but he's battled on and has started winning me over, but as for Coyle, well it could be the end of Boltons premiership after all those years. Roberto at Wigan could still produce the odd shock and keep Dave Whelans club in the big time, but he'll need to do something soon. Did you feel sorry for Bruce at Sunderland, I did to start with as he lost his top striker through him being greedy, and then brought in a whole new team at the 11th hour, who started ok. These players with some from Old Trafford need to look at themselves because they got their boss the sack, but O'Neil has done what only he can do and brought some backbone and self respect into the team, as well as blooding a couple of youngsters, they'll be fine and not far off the top 6 by the end. Why did Alex cross the city and take on the Villa job. He knew full well that the yank owner was in trouble and he would have no cash to buy, but to fair to him he's doing ok, but his star players need to start earning their corn soon

Swansea and Norwich have done astoundingly well so far this season. It was as if the more established teams thought they just had to turn up to win. However, from now on they are playing teams for the second time this season. For example I can't see Swansea beating Stoke or Fulham a second time. It will be interesting to see if Lambert and Rogers can motivate the players to raise their game or vary the tactics if (when) either team has a poor run.

Manager of the year? I'm hoping it will be Mark Hughes.

If Norwich stay up then for me the Manager of the Year would have to be Paul Lambert.

Much as it pains me to say it, as a Col U fan he was our manager when he orchestrated a 7-1 win for us against Norwich at Carrow Road, on the opening day of the season two years ago. That result cost their manager Bryan Gunn his job and the Norwich board offered the position to Paul Lambert, much to the disappointment of the Col U chairman and us fans.

He took them up as League 1 Champions that season, and then straight to the Premiership as runners up to Ray's QPR in the Championship last season. Any manager that can take a team from League 1 to the Premiership in two seasons and keep them there more than deserves the title of Manager of the Year in my opinion.

Still can't stand the Scottish git though...Yes alright I'm still bitter and twisted about it!

Paul Lambert for me
followed by Rogers, McKay, Lennon and O'Neil.

The obvoius choices will be the likes of Lambert and Rogers. i think oooo'neil by default should not be able to qualify, same for hughes as they are not there all year

i think one man being greatly overlooked here is Alan Pardew, all the money Newcastle got for Carrol and what did he get out of Ashley and Lambiad! Naff all really, but bringing in Cabaye of the cheap and Tiote, what I would call 2 currently of the best central midfielders in the league and willing to take a risj on Demba Ba who failed a medical. He has newcastle really punching above their weight.

Twat of the year easy Wenger!

If your looking outside the prem then my vote as things are at the moment Nigel Adkins what's he's done at St Marys on a shoestring budget with southampton is superb and if they finish even just in the playoffs then he has exceeded what any Saints fan could surely hope for in the first season in the Championship

Mav: Adkins hasn't been working on a shoestring though. The bulk of his team was put together by Pardew before he joined the geordies. They have new Swiss owners who pulled them out of the fire and have invested in the squad, plus they got £12m for Oxlade-Chamberlain. They have a prolific striker in Lambert who always bags over 20 goals, and have another couple of strikers who could also outscore Lambert. They have however played some stunning football and deserve to be in the top 2, and even made my side look stupid on the opening day. Southampton will do a Norwich and get back to back promotions from L1 to prem.

Ot as much has gone into the puchase of players as you may think doc, a lot has gone into payments that were left over from the administration but that aside I can't see whose achieved more outside the prem than adkins

No I would agree with that Mav, because i certainley won't be voting for my bloke Grayson, who has his tongue permanantly stuck up Ken Bates's arse. Leeds should have won back to back promotions last season as this time last year they were in 2nd spot, and in the top 6 all season until the death. They didn't invest last January and in fact sold players and brought nobody in as good. Then in the summer we let Johnsone go on a free because we didn't want to give him what he was worth and we also let Kilkenney go on a free as well as selling Gradel and Schmiechel, without bringing anyone in of the same quality. Grayson should have the cojones to tell Bates he can't stay and watch his squad be depleted anymore. We've now sold Howson our club captain and under 21 international for £2m but yet again no replacement.

Other managers to watch in the championship are Houghton at Birmingham who have games in hand, the Burnley guy who is mounting a challenge, Barmby at Hull but a big surprise for me is the failure of paul jewell at Ipswich. Big Sam was always favoiurite to win this league, but Gus Poyet could still do some damage, and watch out for the ex Celtic manager at Middlesboro' or Pearson at Leicester, even though they've spent a fortune

Martin O'Neill is clearly the greatest manager in the world and soon it will just be Sunderland a Barcelona with everyone else nowhere (to paraphrase Ian Poulter).

Following Digger's prompt to cast the net further, I actually think Jose Mourinho has got to be worth a shout if he can keep Real Madrid top of the league.

Mourinho is not everyone's cup of tea, but the current Barca side is one of the greatest teams of all time, so to win the league would be a hell of an achievement (even if Real Madrid can't actually beat Barca when they go head to head).

Ray, I was reading that even if Mourinho wins the league he might get the push. Especially if they do it without beating Barca and Barca win the Champions league.
Would be a tad harsh I think.

Very harsh, but that's what it's like in Spain. 19th in the league would be acceptable to Real Madrid fans as long as Barca finish 20th.

Mourinho has actually built a great team. They have some world class players like Casillas, Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Ozil and Kaka, and he has combined them with more dependable players like Carvalho and Diarra. As always, he seems capable of getting big time players to put the team first and their ego second.

I would rate them as the second best team in world football right now. The recent clasico matches have been... er ... clasico. Even the disgraceful play acting has become entertaining due to its comical nature.

Yes they are a very good side, physically far bigger than Barca and when the games get tight they can bully them a little bit.
I think Kaka has completely lost it though, has looked very average when Ive seen him in the side, hard to believe a few years ago he was talked of the way we talk about Messi and Ronaldo now.

Kaka has had a series of injuries. I think he's coming back now, but he won't ever be up there with Messi / Ronaldo

makes you wonder about tools like Abramovitch and their toys. He takes on the best manager in the world, who builds a team able to compete with anyone, and in the 1st season. But the Russian wants to bring in a couple of mates like a past it Shevchenko, and also decide that winning trophys isn't enough, he wants it to be 'total football', Where are Chelsea now after a train of managers trying to replicate what Murinho did.