Norwich City have had many great managers through the years, but who do YOU think is the best ever? In my opinion itâs extremely difficult to pick just one because so many have contributed to our history. Iâve picked out who I think are the contenders. Apologies in advance for the length of this thread but for those of you who can be arsed to read it through I would really value your opinions as itâs taken me quite a while to put together. ARCHIE MACAULAY 01/04/57 â 01/10/61 ACHEIVEMENTS: FA Cup Semi-Finalists, Division 3 (League 1) Runners-Up Well before my time but Dad still talks about the â59ers who, as a third tier side, went on a remarkable giant-killing run reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup knocking out Manchester United and Spurs amongst others on the way. Still the only third tier side to reach a semi-final replay. As well as achieving this, the â59 team only narrowly missed out on promotion which was probably due to the huge fixture backlog. However, Archie did manage to take the Canaries up the very next year. RON SAUNDERS 01/07/69 â 16/11/73 please log in to view this image ACHEIVEMENTS: Division 2 (Championship) Champions, League Cup Finalists My first memories of watching City start here, 1971 to be exact. Ron was a disciplinarian and got his players to train hard and they were super fit. This was a contributory factor in Saunderâs team winning the 2nd tier title in 1972. He took City up to the top flight for the first time ever, keeping them up the next season, as well as reaching the League Cup final at Wembley. In a dour game they narrowly lost 1-0 to Spurs. The â72 team were generally rather average players but because of their fitness, they just ran and ran for the ninety minutes. In those days many players would not only consume copious amounts of alcohol, many would also be smokers ! JOHN BOND 27/11/73 â 14/10/80 please log in to view this image ACHEIVEMENTS: Division 2 (Championship) 3rd Place, League Cup Finalists Where do I start ? Bondy was the most charismatic of managers whose style of football was a joy to behold. He was the man that first introduced the fast free flowing passing game that until recently has been a trademark of Norwich City teams ever since. After taking over from Ron Saunders, he was unable to avoid Cityâs relegation back to Division 2 along with Manchester United. ( I know you younger posters will find it hard to believe but Manchester United did get relegated in 1974 !) However, City bounced back due to the fact that the 1974-75 season saw the introduction of the three up, three down system. Remarkably, Bondy also steered City to Wembley for the League Cup final the very same year where once again they suffered a narrow defeat, this time to Aston Villa. Bondy was the man that put City on the map for the first time, attracting fabulous players to the club. Ex World Cup Winner Martin Peters (still our best ever signing in my opinion ), Ted âSuperâ MacDougall, Colin Suggett, Phil Boyer, Jimmy Neighbour to name but a few. Bondy established City as a First Division side and over the next 23 years they would only spend 3 seasons outside of the top flight, bouncing back on each occasion. He oversaw the start of the stadium redevelopment and openly admitted later in life that his biggest regret was leaving Carrow Road for Manchester City. KEN BROWN 16/10/80 â 09/11/87 ACHEIVEMENTS: Milk (League) Cup Winners, Division 2 (Championship) Champions Ken had been John Bondâs assistant at Bournmouth and Norwich and it was widely expected that he would follow Bond to Manchester City. There appeared to be some kind of fallout between the two as Bond left on his own and Ken was duly offered the Managerâs position. He was in charge when City won their only major trophy to date a 1-0 win over Sunderland in the Milk Cup final at Wembley. Unfortunately this coincided with a drop in league form and City were relegated at the end of the season. Mind you, things could have been different if Everton who had just been crowned Division 1 Champions hadnât fielded a considerably understrength side at Coventry on the last day of the season. I remember it well, listening to the radio in Mumâs kitchen as Coventry stuffed Everton ensuring their survival and our demise. Itâs a grudge that I still hold today and Iâve disliked Everton ever since. Still, under Kenâs stewardship, the next season we bounced back once again as Champions. DAVE STRINGER 09/11/87 â 01/05/92 please log in to view this image ACHEIVEMENTS: Division 1 (Premier League) 4th Place, FA Cup Semi-Finalists twice After a poor run of results Ken Brown was sacked by Robert Chase and Iâll never forget that day either. The club had meant a lot to Ken and indeed by all accounts still does and you couldnât help but feel for him as the tears welled up in his eyes as he was interviewed. Ex player Dave Stringer was immediately installed and under his guidance City very nearly achieved the impossible dream of double winners. City were the talk of the national press and if Chase had loosened the purse strings who knows, we just might have done it. In 1991-92 Stringer took City to another FA Cup semi-final, Robert Fleck had sustained an injury just days before the match and spent a week I think it was, in an oxygen chamber to try to speed up his recovery . He did play but was shadow of his usual self, to be honest so were most of the other players. It was a real disappointment as Sunderland exacted their revenge for the Milk Cup final defeat by beating City 1-0. MIKE WALKER 01/06/92 â 06/01/94 and 01/08/96 â 30/04/98 please log in to view this image ACHEIVEMENTS: Premier League 3rd Place, European Adventure After probably taking City âas far as he couldâ, Stringer was relieved of his duties. A month later Mike Walker, who had been inexplicably sacked by Colchester when they were top of the Fourth Division, was brought in. Ex striker John Deehan was appointed as his assistant and in the inaugural Premier League season, City finished in an incredible 3rd place. The season went right down to the wire and will probably go down in history as the last time that a âsmallerâ club challenged for the title. City finishing behind Champions Man United and runners up Aston Villa. The following season, as well as City finishing a creditable 12th place in the league they played in Europe for the first time. Although they had previously qualified for European competition under Ken Brown and Dave Stringer, English clubs were banned from taking part. Thanks Liverpool fans ! After beating Vitesse Arnhem over two legs, they then had to face the mighty Bayern Munich. An incredible night in Munich saw City win by 2 goals to 1. The 2nd leg finished 1-1 and City went through to play Inter Milan where undeservedly they lost both legs 1-0. City remain the only British side to beat Bayern Munich on their own ground in European competition to this day. Bayern have since moved to a new home so Cityâs victory in the old Munich stadium remains the one and only by a British side forever. Walker returned as manager in August 1996 but was unable to re-create his past glories. NIGEL WORTHINGTON 04/12/00 â 02/10/06 please log in to view this image ACHEIVEMENTS: Division 1 (Championship) Play-Off Final, Division One (Championship) Champions When Mike Walker left for Everton dark days ensued for City, it wasnât until Nigel Worthington took over in 2000 that fortunes changed. After guiding City to the Division 1 play-off final in 2001-2002 he finally took them back to the promised land in 2003-2004. The inspired signings of Peter Crouch and Darren Huckerby seeing City over the line. Cityâs stay in the top flight was short lived however and they were immediately relegated suffering a humiliating last day defeat at Fulham 6-0. PAUL LAMBERT 18/08/09 â 01/06/12 ACHEIVEMENTS: League 1 Champions, Championship Runners-Up If we thought the mid to late nineties were dark days, they were nothing compared with what followed in the next decade. City had been relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in fifty years. After the well documented opening day 7-1 reverse at Carrow Road to Paul Lambertâs Colchester United he was then duly appointed as Cityâs next manager. The rest, as they say is history, recent history at that so Iâll leave it there. So there you have it, âthe management a brief history in time.â Iâm struggling to pick the best but I think Iâm going to go for Dave Stringer. Not only did he so nearly win âthe doubleâ but, in my opinion, laid the foundations for Mike Walker to kick on and so very nearly achieve the dream of a Premier League title. My favourite ? Well that goes to the late great John Bond. Rose tinted specs perhaps, but this was a decade of Glam Rock, flared trousers, beetle crushers and unashamed political incorrectness and I loved it. Bondy epitomised those days and his flamboyance and playing style really did put us on the map. RIP Big John. âOn The Ball City, City âtil I Dieâ
Firstly, can we make this an article? a lot of hard work gone into this, Well done sir. For me, every one of these have some what ifs that make them not certainties. What if Saunders had won the cup and started to play with more flair? What if Bond had got the consistency out of the talented players he had? What if Brown had had the chance to take us into Europe that he should have? What if Stringer had got us to the cup final or into the top two What if Walker had stayed and got some of Chase's money? What if Lambert had built his team over the next few years? For me, Worthington is not our greatest manager as he got the tactics wrong in too many key games. Lambert and Walker didn't stay long enough to ever know what would have happened. Saunders, Bond, Brown and Stringer transformed the club and laid the foundations for the club as a top flight team and as ones who could mix it with the big boys, often playing them off the park. Like you, it's a tough one. I too will go Stringer just for making me believe that Norwich City could win the double with a bunch of Spurs rejects and Robert Rosario as a striking option.
As much as I liked Mike Walkers first stint at CR, and the amount of "relative success" we had under him, I would probably have to concede that Dave Stringer was probably the best manager with Ken Brown not too far behind. As stated above, it's difficult because even before Ken Brown, John Bond did a tremendous job and gave City fantastic stability in the old first division and of course Ron Saunders for building the early foundations by getting us to the top division ion the first place.
Very valid points Kent but I suppose most clubs could say the same about their managers over the years. Mind you, I still say to this day if we had gone for it and Chase had opened those purse strings, we just might have done that double. Unfortunately we'll never know now, bloody Chase
Due to my youngish age I can only really go for Worthy onwards as I got into football late. Therefore, it's a no brainier really - Lambert. I won't mention the others. But Worthington has lasted longest at the helm under us in my short time supporting the club, getting Norwich to the play-off final and get us promoted in 2004. But what makes him lose out to Lambert is the way Lambert turned the club around from its darkest days in my lifetime with successive promotions and the fact that he left with his head held high. If I had to rank them it would be - 1 - Lambert - as said above 2 - Worthington - as said above 3 - Gunn - struggled with these two - he's a club legend, wasn't necessarily his fault we got relegated but some of the stuff I've heard he did as manager, poor fitness training etc doesn't help his place, he should have never been appointed 4 - Grant - poor under him, again not a great appointment, had the dignity to resign 5 - can't even bring myself to say his name - arrogant, held grudges, he brought on the relegation to League 1, only manager I've actively called for his sacking. Crap signings and ended Huckerby's time at Norwich in the worst possible way.
Worthington, Gunn, Grant & can't even bring myself to say his name Oh dear - you have had it bad Having said that, I like Worthington as the manager before we got promoted. Had we survived that season in the PL we may have gone on for some more stability and we shouldn't forget we did not go down until the last day (albeit in spectacular style)
KIO - three strikes and out! Strike 1 - Doomcaster last week! Strike 2 - The Rodent today! Think very carefully before you pull the trigger again!
Saunders was the guy who transformed the club, from, not really bothered to let's try and win something. Brown is probably the most successful in terms of trophies and achievements. Bond gave us the public attention to go out and get the Peters and MacDougalls. Stringers teams played the best football. How can you really say who was the best out of those achievements? It's like polls. If only 18 year old's and below vote, then Grant Holt would be voted our best ever and Lambert best manager.
Maybe we shouild have a creche on here where the youngsters can go, so that us more older ones can have our memories
please log in to view this image ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. catch me if you can Dave
