Best ever manager

[Hollism]

Think we'll have to disagree on this one then mate. I don't think it's harsh to dismiss MON (or anyone else) in a discussion about our greatest ever manager. I don't want to belittle him and if it helps, I think he's our second best manager ahead of everyone else by a long, long way

[Dan]

I think it makes it more impressive. How many managers do you hear given or giving excuses about it not being their squad? To take someone else's choice, win them over and improve them takes real skill.

 

Taken over from a manager who many thought was wrongly sacked (including me) as well. A potentially volatile situation at a bottom half side and we're 7 points clear with 5 to go. I have absolutely no idea how much of a self-important arsehole anyone has to be to try and play that down. It's absolutely incredible.

[Strokes]

Let's not pretend Ranieri isn't already. (Unless we collapse to 3rd or something), but a top 2 finish and he has to be.

 

MON was a very good manager for us, but come on? Finishing 8th-10th and winning a couple of League Cups isn't in the same league as this season. This is the season that will live with us all on our deathbeds.

 

Even if we got relegated next season and Ranieri left he would still be the greatest ever. No question about it in my mind.

It feels weird seeing the Martin O'neill period being talked about so condescendingly, only 6 months or so ago it was still the benchmark.

[LanguedocFox]

I think everyone would agree that this season is our best ever - even if it all goes tits up now (which it won't) we are, as a very minimum, going to be playing Champion's League football next season. That's fvckin awesome. Ranieri is our manager and he's taken us to where we are despite many of us (me included) thinking he'd take us towards relegation before being sacked by Christmas. So Ranieri has to be in with a shout as our best manager.

 

But as I've said earlier in this thread, Claudio took over an incredible set-up which was mainly (with our owners' money and support) down to Pearson. The players, the backroom, the facilities - these were all down to Pearson, and he deserves immense credit for the legacy that he left.

 

So I'd vote for Pearson and Ranieri jointly as our best manager, with MON a decent third-place choice (because the second half of the 1990s was amazing).

 

After that, I would have to put Ian Rentagob Holloway, because without him, we could never appreciate what jewels we have had.

[v6rat]

Top 3 for me,

Bloomfield, O'Neill and Ranieri.

Bloomfield and O'Neill for what they achieved in the past and Ranieri for what he's achieving now, something that I never thought would happen in my lifetime.

[Sionnach gorm]

I'd put MON above Pearson. We seem to give Pearson credit for Walsh's work way too often. But, surely he deserves some credit for years past, but let's remember we were struggling all last year up until the end. It was Ranieri ultimately that is managing this team this year. Person deserves nothing. MON is another wonder also.

[Clever Fox]

I think everyone would agree that this season is our best ever - even if it all goes tits up now (which it won't) we are, as a very minimum, going to be playing Champion's League football next season. That's fvckin awesome. Ranieri is our manager and he's taken us to where we are despite many of us (me included) thinking he'd take us towards relegation before being sacked by Christmas. So Ranieri has to be in with a shout as our best manager.

 

But as I've said earlier in this thread, Claudio took over an incredible set-up which was mainly (with our owners' money and support) down to Pearson. The players, the backroom, the facilities - these were all down to Pearson, and he deserves immense credit for the legacy that he left.

 

So I'd vote for Pearson and Ranieri jointly as our best manager, with MON a decent third-place choice (because the second half of the 1990s was amazing).

 

After that, I would have to put Ian Rentagob Holloway, because without him, we could never appreciate what jewels we have had.

 

I've read your two posts and your spot on. Nobody can deny what Pearson done for us. He brought a level of professionalism to the job that we haven't seen before.

However we all know he wasn't the best Coach and Ranieri has taken us to a level none of us thought possible. His Knowledge of the game both as a Coach and a Manager has very few equals. So if we do win the league he'll have to go down as our greatest. But none of it possible without Pearson's  input. So it's equally a little unfair to say it's not Pearson.

 

We all have our favourites but the one I have a soft spot for was Mike Kelly. He was dealt a lousy hand with poor players no money and no support from the Chairman. Yet he managed to keep us in the Championship.

[Fatty Arbuckle]

If we win the league surely Ranieri won't just be our best ever manager, he'll be the best manager ever full stop!

Yes Pearson laid the foundations and did a great job but come on....what's happening right now is ridiculous. It still doesn't make any sense at all. Claudio is a managerial genius.

[Sampson]

It feels weird seeing the Martin O'neill period being talked about so condescendingly, only 6 months or so ago it was still the benchmark.

 

There was absolutely no condensation intended towards MON in my post. I was just saying it is not in the same league as this season. It was still a great era and he was a great manager for us, I certainly didn't mean it to sound condescending, but Ranieri has overtaken it and I didn't understand people still saying Ranieri isn't our best ever or that he needs another season and another cup to prove that. He doesn't. Even if we get relegated next season, this will be the era we'll all remember.

 

If anything my condensation was meant towards people who always think things in the past were better when this is clearly an incomparable achievement in the club's history. and this is the one we'll all remember on our deathbeds, rather than a condensation at the MON era itself.

[Strokes]

There was absolutely no condensation intended towards MON in my post. I was just saying it is not in the same league as this season. It was still a great era and he was a great manager for us, I certainly didn't mean it to sound condescending, but Ranieri has overtaken it and I didn't understand people still saying Ranieri isn't our best ever.

No I agree with you, I was just saying how surreal it all feels that those achievements are now somewhat inferior to what could be achieved.

[Mark_w]

O'Neill, Pearson and Ranieri did everything we could have asked of them impeccably and more, it's not a competition.

[Guest Bilo]

If we win the league, it'll live with us forever. 

 

Ranieri will always be remembered as a hero at this club, spoken of in tones we've not seen for any manager before, perhaps not even MON.

Let's be clear, he'll have achieved that legends such as Gillies, Bloomfield, Wallace and O'Neill couldn't. 

[Oxfordfox83]

If we finish top six next year then yes best manager of all time. MON for me, for now....

So if we win the Premier League, not, but to then finish upper mid table, then yes??

That's the weirdest thing I've ever read.

[Dodgy Bob]

Whether you look at it by best as in most talented manager, or by best as in judged by achievements, then winning the league would put Ranieri ahead either way. One premier league win is worth more than MON's top half finishes and league cup wins.

I'd probably put Pearson third during my time as a fan (since the late 80's) in terms of achievements, but in terms of managerial talent I'd have him 4th behind Little, possibly 5th behind Adams. The best thing Pearson ever did was employ Steve Walsh. Pearson could hardly fail with the players Walsh brought to the club. In fact if we were talking about most influential club employee instead of purely looking at managers, Walsh would top the lot.

[Oxfordfox83]

Can you truly judge a manager before he's left the job? It's sometimes what follows afterwards that points to how good a manager was.

Yep. How good was Paisley or Shankly before they left Liverpool? How about Fergie before he retired, or Clough before he was too pissed to stand up? You can judge them if they achieve outstanding things, and this is one such..

[stretch1965]

So if we win the Premier League, not, but to then finish upper mid table, then yes??

That's the weirdest thing I've ever read.

Mon gave us consistency and trophies over a period of time, this is CR first season, so I am not giving it up that easy.

Whats weird about that?

The point I am making is realistic in my opinion, with extra CL games next season a top six finish would be a fantastic achievement.

You are probably one of those that think anything less than finishing top next season will do........

[Guest Manini]

I love Claudio, like, absolutely love the bloke.

But I hold Pearson in probably as high a regard as anyone else. He brought us right out of the shitter and built us a platform to accelerate from. It's fair to say that none of what is happening now would have been possible without Nigel, he instilled a work ethic through his teams that has almost become our trademark now. Where Pearson did lack, was clearly his tactics, thankfully we've brought in a manager who can get the best out of this team but Pearson is right up there for me.

[iancognito]

O'Neill, Pearson, Ranieri, Gillies, Wallace & Bloomfield. Based on their achievements in what they had to work with at the time.

[Mark_w]

I'd probably put Pearson third during my time as a fan (since the late 80's) in terms of achievements, but in terms of managerial talent I'd have him ... possibly 5th behind Adams.

 

I'm struggling to see how you'd justify that?

[cjslcfc]

I'm sorry but if we win the league this season I'm not sure how anyone can dispute him being our best ever manager.

This is the bloody top division in England we are talking about, over 38 games, against what was previously a closed shop. We've got the majority of the same team as last season.

I know it's about opinions but that achievement would top everything.

[Oxfordfox83]

Mon gave us consistency and trophies over a period of time, this is CR first season, so I am not giving it up that easy.

Whats weird about that?

The point I am making is realistic in my opinion, with extra CL games next season a top six finish would be a fantastic achievement.

You are probably one of those that think anything less than finishing top next season will do........

There are loads of things less than top next season that will do. In fact if we win the title, he can relegate us and change our name to Ranieri Rovers for all I care.

What I didn't follow in your original post was that if he seals this sensational achievement, unparalleled in our history, that would put him second in the all time list, but by following that up with Europa League qualification, that would be the real deal.

I suppose I follow to a point-sustainability is helpful, and further succes would be lovely, but for me this prospective win, after our horrible run until March last year is so far beyond our ambitions, or anyone could ever have predicted, that it stands all alone. The title, FFS! (we have lost THREE TIMES! We often lose that many in August!)

Last year, our best match ever was widely regarded to be beating Man U at home in what to all intents and purposes seemed a relegation season, simply because it seemed so unlikely. One season on, we were a bit miffed to draw as Vardy scored his record breaking goal, and we took teaching Man City what football was on their own turf pretty much in our stride. What a turnaround.

This team is incredible, and a League win would be a hundred times more so. Because we've led all along, it might have trivialised and normalised the scale of our achievement. But if Wales beat England in the final at the Euros, that will be vastly more likely than Leicester City winning the league this year was. And that is utterly impossible.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

People these days seem to spend their entire lives comparing this and that and the other.

 

Maybe just try and enjoy every achievement in their own right.

[Sionnach gorm]

Surprised by some of the comments. Very surprised. But it's all opinion certainly mine too.

Ranieri is probably the only manager in the Prem that has reached top three in the worlds best leagues. Not even van gal has done that. That's why I find these comments personally odd. Leicester up to now has not had as good a manger as Ranieri. It never has. Even the heroic MON (and I absolutely love that man). If Ranieri wins the Prem, then there should be no argument. To me it would be daft.

[ithuriel]

If he manages to win it and wins the Community/charity shield too then you cant argue with him being promoted as the best but we still have won nothing yet.

Would be so damn nice though to have that big ass cup in the trophy cabinet outshining all the others.

[stretch1965]

People these days seem to spend their entire lives comparing this and that and the other.

 

Maybe just try and enjoy every achievement in their own right.

Well said Mr P