This was mentioned on another thread, but it's worth opening out for a wider discussion. Below is a list of Swans managers down the years. Some great, some not so great Who would make your top three and who would make your bottom three? Take into account that our last few managers are dealing with tens of millions of pounds, while managers in the past didn't have two sixpences to rub together........ Manager Start Date End Date Michael Laudrup 15 June 2012 Present Brendan Rodgers 16 July 2010 30 May 2012 Paulo Sousa 22 June 2009 5 July 2010 Roberto Martinez 24 February 2007 15 June 2009 Kevin Nugent 15 February 2007 24 February 2007 Kenny Jackett 5 April 2004 15 February 2007 Alan Curtis 18 March 2004 5 April 2004 Brian Flynn 19 September 2002 18 March 2004 Roger Freestone 8 March 2002 20 April 2002 Nick Cusack 8 March 2002 19 September 2002 Colin Addison 13 September 2001 7 March 2002 John Hollins 1 July 1998 12 September 2001 Alan Cork 22 October 1997 30 June 1998 Micky Adams 9 October 1997 22 October 1997 Jan Molby 22 February 1996 8 October 1997 Jimmy Rimmer 14 February 1996 22 February 1996 Kevin Cullis 8 February 1996 14 February 1996 Bobby Smith 1 August 1995 31 July 1996 Frank Burrows 23 March 1991 31 July 1995 Terry Yorath 15 March 1990 21 March 1991 Ian Evans 27 February 1989 13 March 1990 Terry Yorath 12 July 1986 2 February 1989 Tommy Hutchison 21 December 1985 1 May 1986 John Bond 16 December 1984 20 December 1985 Colin Appleton 16 May 1984 6 December 1984 John Toshack 21 December 1983 4 March 1984 Doug Livermore 29 October 1983 21 December 1983 John Toshack 1 February 1978 29 October 1983 Harry Griffiths 22 November 1977 1 February 1978 Harry Griffiths 1 January 1975 29 October 1977 Harry Gregg 1 November 1972 1 January 1975 Roy Bentley 1 August 1969 16 October 1972 Billy Lucas 1 February 1967 1 March 1969 Glyn Davis 1 June 1965 1 October 1966 Trevor Morris 1 August 1958 31 May 1965 Ron Burgess 1 July 1955 1 August 1958 Bill McCandless 1 November 1948 1 July 1955 Haydn Green 1 May 1939 1 September 1947 Neil Harris 1 July 1934 1 May 1939 Jimmy Thomson 1 February 1927 31 May 1931 Joe Bradshaw 1 August 1919 1 May 1926 William Bartlett 1 August 1914 31 May 1915 Walter Whittaker 1 August 1912 31 May 1914
Walter? Sure it wasn't this guy? [video=youtube;hR-KRWeAU6I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hR-KRWeAU6I[/video]
Yes our manager deals in millions these days but he's still not got the resources of the bigger clubs. I maintain it's much easier to manage a bigger club because although expectations are much higher you can more or less buy whoever you want and players want to come to you because of your club's history. The real test imo is achieving a lot with a little, and there are three managers who have done that so I'm agreeing with Monty's assessment on another thread: 1: Laudrup: Best league position in donkeys years and won a cup. Signed Michu at a snip. How many truly world class players have managed us? 2: Martinez: The guy who started it all (with nods to Jackett and Flynn). He laid the real foundations imo and signed some bargains that are still with us. 3: Rodgers: Getting us promoted and the signing of Sinclair was genius even though I accept he was very much in the right place at the right time. Crucially, he seriously tweeked Sousa's overly defensive style and that was enough. He was the guy who had the world talking about the swans in our first season and we shouldn't forget that - even though I always want Liverpool to lose now I can understand other shout outs for Toshack etc but those three are the ones for me. Bottom three I haven't thought about as there's been too much negativity this week.
Tosh has to be in there for me. I'll never forget the rollercoaster ride to 6th in the First Division having languished at the bottom level for years. I really identified with that team as there were so many locals in it eg, Robbie, Curt, Leighton James, Jeremy Charles, Speedy, Wyndham, and Dai the Drop etc. Link those up with the likes of Ante (possibly the best centre back I've seen), Jimmy and big Bob Latchford up top, and we had a fabulous team. And it was such a buzz to see us on the Saint and Greavsie show being credited as the first and only team in British football to play with a "continental style" sweeper. Not Tosh's fault that our second season was absolutely devastated by a lot of chronic injuries to key players, which was the main factor for our relegation. Nevertheless, he was the first manager to take us to the top level and has more than earned his place near the top of the tree in our history.
I'm not that old Ivor - ask Phil I'm not sure who I would actually put in my top three. Martinez/Laudrup/Rogers/Toshack are the headliners, but John Hollins/Yorath/Flynn/Sousa all did good work at some stage along with Harry Griffiths/Roy Bentley. Stand out for the worst is Stan Cullis
