Greatest Leicester Manager

[Profondo Rosso]

I would say Pearson has reached the point now where he is more respected than Adams ever was.

Adams did a very good job that first season but largely inherited his squad. I thought we even put up a decent fight in the Premier League season considering our crippling finances at the time and Les Ferdinand was brilliant in that season too, but a lot of Adams signings were past it old duffers. He was a good man-manager undoubtedly, but not great in the transfer market, limited tactically and couldn't keep hold of a lead to save his life. However, he got us through one of the toughest times in our history, anything could've happened that season and he was the right type of manager we needed at that time. I still have a lot of time for him though and was a bit sad to see that he has failed in management by and large since he left Leicester (bar at Cov, where I welcomed his failure).

 

[alex]

Spot on Rosso.

 

[suffolk fox]

Interesting thoughts re Jimmy Bloomfield and his team this is what Mark Wallington thought:-( taken from an edition of the FOX).

FOX: There was always a feeling with Jimmy Bloomfield’s team that they should have achieved more, would you agree with that?

MW: Yes, I do, because the ability in the team, they were some of the best players that I ever had the privilege of playing with – as individuals. Playing against the top sides they seemed to draw it out of us, but we couldn’t always turn it on against the lower sides. I think we were playing to our best maybe one in three games, always much better when we were allowed to play. I felt that if we met a more physical side then they could ride us a bit. Possibly we didn’t have the mixture quite right. I always thought, and Jimmy would say this too, we were always two players short.
I mean we had four internationals out there, and there was myself, Steve Whitworth, Dennis Rofe, all England under-23s, Jeff Blockley, Frank Worthington, Keith Weller, Birch, Stevie Kember… we had the experience and a phenomenal amount of ability out there but if one or two dropped out we didn’t have the strength in depth.

 

[David Gwilliam]

Same for me.

I have a very limited knowledge of players/managers before I was alive, as it isn't really relevant anymore! Don't want to be like Forest and bleating on about how good things used to be!

But yeah, even the ones I do know about, I can't really give a proper opinion. Referring to the other thread... Even the big players on the list (Lineker, Shilton etc), I don't really know how good they were, other than clips I've seen and things I've heard.

Everything anybody ever is comes from their History. It is events in my History that made me a Leicester supporter. There have to be events in your History (perhaps your parents moving to Leicester, perhaps your dad taking you to a match) that made you a Leicester supporter.Occasionally people suffer from amnesia and forget their own History. It is a tragic condition.

Birmingham is a bigger city than Manchester but the fact that neither Birmingham club is as big as Man U is down to their history. There are many London clubs but a man called Herbert Chapman in the 1930s led to Arsenal becoming bigger than say Fulham. Throughout the country Liverpool are preferred to Leeds - to understand that you have to go back to the personalities of Bill Shankley and Don Revie.

Historically Leicester are either a poor First Division club or a good Second Division club. Occasionally a Bloomfield or an O'Neill will be appointed and the club will overachieve. Occasionally a Taylor or an Allen will be appointed and it will underachieve. But eventually History will out - Burnley will sadly drop out of the top division and sadly Leeds will come back.

Because of History Bolton are called Wanderers, Sheffield have a team called Wednesday, Fulham play at Craven Cottage, there is no Great Britain football team, England matches against Germany or Argentina have a special resonance, catholics support Celtic, Derby bring in a manager called Nigel Clough, people drink at Worthos bar and the road to the Walkers is called Filbert Way.

William Faulkner wrote that "The past isn't dead. It isn't even past."

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I don't agree that all clubs have there place and that Burnley will fall and Leeds will rise, this is true a lot of the time but clubs can change in their stature over time.

Up until about 10 to 15 years a go when Gianluca Vialli took over, Chelsea were seen as a mediocre yo-yo side no bigger than someone like Birmingham or West Brom are today.

Also, you mention Herbert Chapman bringing Arsenal to the forefront, but remember he also did the same at Huddersfield who have fallen into the breaches of lower league football and never returned and Wolves were also the unofficial "best team in the world" during the 1950's under Stan Cullis.

In fact I believe the reason the European Cup was invented was because the French press were annoyed with Wolves being generally heralded as so with little proof.

Huddersfield have not risen to the same stage, neither have Wolves, though they are back in the top tier at the minute.

A side who contested 2 of the first ever European Cup finals incidentally were a side called Stade du Reims, who a certain Mr. Yann Kermorgant played for last season, a side who were once by far and away the dominante force in French football and one of the most feared teams in Europe under the leadership of the great French manager Albert Batteux a side which featured, according to critical acclaim, 2 of Europe's greatest ever talents: Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine, the latter still holds the record for the most goals in a World Cup finals tournament.

Incidentally one of the biggest sides in France nowadays is AJ Auxerre, a side who were once living in perennial mediocrity in the French third tier until a manager named Guy Roux took over and became one of only 2 managers in world football to lead a side from the third tier to being champions of their national first division. The other being a certain Sir Alf Ramsey at Ipswich Town, who was awarded a job in management which many still talk about in England as a result.

 

[David Gwilliam]

I would say Pearson has reached the point now where he is more respected than Adams ever was.

Adams did a very good job that first season but largely inherited his squad. I thought we even put up a decent fight in the Premier League season considering our crippling finances at the time and Les Ferdinand was brilliant in that season too, but a lot of Adams signings were past it old duffers. He was a good man-manager undoubtedly, but not great in the transfer market, limited tactically and couldn't keep hold of a lead to save his life. However, he got us through one of the toughest times in our history, anything could've happened that season and he was the right type of manager we needed at that time. I still have a lot of time for him though and was a bit sad to see that he has failed in management by and large since he left Leicester (bar at Cov, where I welcomed his failure).

I thought that in the first season Adams was tactically astute in the way he used Scowcroft to augment the brilliant teaming of Dickov and Deane. He even used Benjamin effectively despite Trev's great limitations.

He did seem to lack confidence. I remember when he signed Martin Keough he sounded in awe of him saying he could learn from him. I cannot imagine Shankley, Clough or Ferguson talking like that about a player.

I remember seeing Micky Adams soon after La Manga running along the canal near the Kings Lock Tearooms. He looked completely stressed out with all the cares of the world on his shoulders. I often thought since that what he needed was one of their delicious cream teas to put his problems in perspective.

 

[Macky]

I remember seeing Micky Adams soon after La Manga running along the canal near the Kings Lock Tearooms. He looked completely stressed out with all the cares of the world on his shoulders. I often thought since that what he needed was one of their delicious cream teas to put his problems in perspective.

I was going to suggest a few rocks of crack might sort him out, but I s'pose a cream tea is good too

 

[Blue Maniac]

I remember when he signed Martin Keough he sounded in awe of him saying he could learn from him.

Keown?

I cannot imagine Shankley, Clough or Ferguson talking like that about a player.

Shankly.

 

[Hazzman]

.

Incidentally one of the biggest sides in France nowadays is AJ Auxerre, a side who were once living in perennial mediocrity in the French third tier until a manager named Guy Roux took over and became one of only 2 managers in world football to lead a side from the third tier to being champions of their national first division. .

Auxerre...biggest in France.....they are averaging 15th best in the league. Dany N Guessan came from their academy as a note.

 

[Blue Maniac]

Incidentally one of the biggest sides in France nowadays is AJ Auxerre, a side who were once living in perennial mediocrity in the French third tier until a manager named Guy Roux took over and became one of only 2 managers in world football to lead a side from the third tier to being champions of their national first division.

44 years managing one club. That, my friends, will never ever happen again.

 

[tedfoxxx]

44 years managing one club. That, my friends, will never ever happen again.

Huh? Nige will be here for ever and ever.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Auxerre...biggest in France.....they are averaging 15th best in the league. Dany N Guessan came from their academy as a note.

Well, they've slipped since I was a kid, I haven't looked at the French table in years and yes, I doubt Roux's stint will ever be matched.