Is O'Driscoll the Best Manager in the Country?

[Lord Farquaad]

I think we have to go to the very top of the Premier League to even begin to have a discussion.

Kevin Blackwell clearly is not fit to wash SOD's car, never mind sell him a used one. So let's go straight to the top:

Wenger? Sod has everything he has apart from selective eyesight problems. He lacks O'Driscoll's integrity.
Benitez? (snigger)
Ferguson? Difficult to compare the two, but Sir Alex had longer to turn Man UTD around than our man did.

Is there anyone else?

I know he won't be here forever, he may not even be here next season, but be happy in the future with the knowledge that we have had a genius at the helm.

[Townender]

David Moyes is one of my top managers, he has to be worth a mention.

[DaveDRFC]

I think you'll find Brian Laws is a better manager...surely that's why Burnley chose him over O'Driscoll?

     

[nightporter]

We haven't seen any youth players through yet either.

[River Don]

Sean is a very good manager but he ain't the best, he's still got a lot to learn.

I can't stand old red faced Taggart but given his track record, the number of teams he's built and the remarkable way his teams can pull something out when they most need it, how his team have improved tactically over the years and the sheer doggedness of the man, you can't really look any further than Alex Ferguson.

[wilts rover]

Roy Hodgson has done a pretty good job at Fulham

[BigH]

No

Sean's good and he's got many qualities - an appreciation of high quality, technical football, an eye for a diamond in the rough when it comes to lower league/reserve players and knowing how to defend a lead to name but a few.

However, he does have a couple of blind spots. Inspiring passion (Ferguson, Billy Davies?), the odd tactical error and the ability to develop youth players into top notch pros (yet to be proved at Rovers) are real question marks.

But he is good.

[BobG]

I think in years to come, provided he chooses his next club very carefully, he really could be the very best. He's got the brain, the experience and the depth. But can he deal with the spending of millions? That's a big unknown right now. And what would he be like without ROK alongside him? I remember Brian Clough was nowhere near as succesful once he split with Peter Taylor. That could be an issue for SOD one day.

I think it's unfair to use the lack of players coming out of the youth set up as a reason for decrying Sean. Those things take years and years to get going. How long has ours been running peoperly? 3 or 4 years? It's nowhere near long enough.

He's 'one to watch' for me.

BobG
Cheers

[Lord Farquaad]

But the question is, is he the best in the country, not is he the perfect manager.

How would Fergie et al deal with 9k crowds, tiny budgets and Lewis Guy?

[BobG]

Fair point. Dunno then. But as far as I@m concerend he's God. So he can't be that bad can he?

Cheers

BobG

[BillyStubbsTears]

Lord Farquaad wrote:

How would Fergie et al deal with 9k crowds, tiny budgets and Lewis Guy?

Of course, the reverse question applies.

PS: Re the Lewis Guy question: Capello would know how to deal with him. One of Fergie's horses would wake up one morning with Lewis Guy's head on a pillow at the side of him.

[The Red Baron]

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

Lord Farquaad wrote:

How would Fergie et al deal with 9k crowds, tiny budgets and Lewis Guy?

Of course, the reverse question applies.

PS: Re the Lewis Guy question: Capello would know how to deal with him. One of Fergie's horses would wake up one morning with Lewis Guy's head on a pillow at the side of him.

It wouldn't make any difference Billy- Lewis would still run around like the proverbial headless chicken- only with more reason!

[BillyStubbsTears]

The Red Baron wrote:

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

Lord Farquaad wrote:

How would Fergie et al deal with 9k crowds, tiny budgets and Lewis Guy?

Of course, the reverse question applies.

PS: Re the Lewis Guy question: Capello would know how to deal with him. One of Fergie's horses would wake up one morning with Lewis Guy's head on a pillow at the side of him.

It wouldn't make any difference Billy- Lewis would still run around like the proverbial headless chicken- only with more reason![/quote

Post of the week TRB. Post of the week.

[BigH]

BobG,

You're right. Fair point well made and all that.

The ability to bring youngsters through and turn them into top notch pros is no longer a core requirement for being considered to be the best (or even among the best) of managers.

By my recollection, only 3-4 managers in the last 20 years have achieved a meaningful throughput of youngsters: Ferguson, Gradi, Roy Evans... perhaps Moyes?.

Even Wenger would have to admit that nicking some wunderkind from Barcelona or paying £5m for the likes of Walcott doesn't qualify himn in this regard.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Best this club has ever had by miles and miles.....extremely lucky to witness the performances we do and thank f**k he is so understated as he would no longer be here!
Mark my words SOD will achieve massive things in the game and I cannot understate if he goes, unfortunately so does the DREAM!

[i_ateallthepies]

Norfolk N Chance wrote:

Best this club has ever had by miles and miles.....extremely lucky to witness the performances we do and thank fcuk he is so understated as he would no longer be here!
Mark my words SOD will achieve massive things in the game and I cannot understate if he goes, unfortunately so does the DREAM!

Totally agree there norfolk.  The 'dream' will last only as long as we keep SO'D.

On the youth question, not sure we can credit managers of the massive clubs with bringing youngsters through, they have an army of coaches doing the work for them whilst they focus on running the first team.