Is Gustavo Poyet our best manager of all time.

[itszamora]

I think the fact that we are even having this discussion less than 2 years into the great man's tenure speaks volumes about what he has done. IMO, it's very difficult to compare players and managers from different eras, so hard to call him our greatest ever. If he takes and keeps us in the Prem he will be though.

 

[Bwian]

It's a bit too soon to be declaring him as our best ever manager but in 50+ years of following The Albion I have never seen a man transform a team and club so quickly. He not only motivated a bunch of players heading for League 2 before his arrival, into winning games, he totally changed how they played the game. He then took that same style of play and got the reserves/development squad playing the same way, and now the whole club plays the same way. In less than 2 years-that is remarkable.

I don't think any previous Albion manager has ever had such an impact on the whole club. Others will be watching and if they don't get his services then I think they'll try to emulate what he has done for us.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

It's a bit too soon to be declaring him as our best ever manager but in 50+ years of following The Albion I have never seen a man transform a team and club so quickly. He not only motivated a bunch of players heading for League 2 before his arrival, into winning games, he totally changed how they played the game. He then took that same style of play and got the reserves/development squad playing the same way, and now the whole club plays the same way. In less than 2 years-that is remarkable.

I don't think any previous Albion manager has ever had such an impact on the whole club. Others will be watching and if they don't get his services then I think they'll try to emulate what he has done for us.

The only thing we can say is-The Falmer effect? this makes the Best,so hard,regardless of era hard to establish-would Gus have done this,with just Withdean? still lets not talk about that now,and rejoice the future-Gus N01 for Gold since 1988.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

He's certainly done well, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Alan Mullery (of whom I am not a fan) took us from Division 3 to Division 1 in three seasons, and kept us there for two years.

For me the greatest is Steve Gritt, he took a team that was 13 points adrift at the bottom of division 4, wracked by uncertainty about the club's future, and became the buffer between the players and the board, allowing us to escape by the skin of our teeth.

Gus, if he stays, could certainly become great, I would certainly say he is the most charismatic, even more so than Clough.

Thank god somebody also thinks highly of Steve Gritt...he was cannon fodder for those whose name must not be mentioned,yet he gave all for the Albion and the fans.Mullery had it laid on the plate from Peter Taylor mark1,Micky did well the first time...but Gus is surely the man to go forward,not only does he know the game inside out,he is good at man management,has a great sense of humour...probably one of TBs best gamble.

 

[shaolinpunk]

He has done incredible things. Micky Adams Pt. 1 took over a bunch of, let's face it, no hopers and with bunch of quality signings in his first season (Cullip, Watson, Zamora) made us into a great team at League Two level. By keeping the same bunch together the next season he took us to the top of League One, then left for a better job when he was, in hindsight, better off staying put. Undoubtedly in my mind, the Albion 'coming home' to Withdean and the whole Skint/fashionable club image we had at the time helped massively with the enthusiasm and 'spirit' - which is, for those of us who were at those games, how we won most our matches. Micky Adams was the right manager at the right time for us - ala Winston Churchill during the war - but you wouldn't want to necessarily invest too much in modelling a club around his image, if you get my meaning..

Gus Poyet on the other hand took over a bunch of, let's face it, mediocre to below average League One players and taught them from scratch how to play football. The ones who were likely to struggle in terms of attitude or ability were shown the door early doors and Tony Bloom fronted the cash to buy us some quality to replace them, signing many players Gus requested. This made the players Gus kept who, perhaps, were starting to look out of their depth (El-Abd is the biggest one who springs to mind) believe that they too were good enough to play the beautiful game. I think before Gus took over, if we had released El-Abd he'd have ended up with Eastbourne or dropping out of the game entirely. It's amazing what unconditional belief from an inspirational manager can do to a seemingly poor player almost overnight. El-Abd must've thought "Gus got rid of XYZ player, but kept me - this means he thinks I'm worth keeping and I'm going to prove he was right" - the result being El-Abd was arguably our best player for large swathes of last season.

Gus has done incredible things in such a short space of time it is unreal and, in my humble opinion, is the most talented manager the club has ever had. A visionary, passionate and iconic individual who should be cheered vociferously every single match win, lose, or draw.

It's very easy to simply attribute Gus' success to Tony Bloom's money; but money doesn't buy success. If present-day Manchester City had Micky Adams at the helm, they wouldn't be playing the football they are and giving Manchester United a run for their money. If the Albion had Steve Cotterill at the helm..

In my mind, he is the greatest manager the club has ever had because he is more than a manager, he is a figurehead and a Brighton legend.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Thank god somebody also thinks highly of Steve Gritt...he was cannon fodder for those whose name must not be mentioned,yet he gave all for the Albion and the fans.Mullery had it laid on the plate from Peter Taylor mark1,Micky did well the first time...but Gus is surely the man to go forward,not only does he know the game inside out,he is good at man management,has a great sense of humour...probably one of TBs best gamble.

In at number 5 on my list & this highlighted area you are bang on!!

 

[HenryC]

Not dissing Gus, but the net cost is pretty high compared to his predecessors.

CMS £2.5m
Buckley £1m
Hoskins £500k
Noone £300k
Greer £300k
Harley £300k
Barnes £60k
Holroyd £60k
Casper, Calde and Marcus £0k

Total £5.02 million

Out
Bennett £1.5m
Croft £350k ( a STEAL)
Dickinson £150k (a RIPOFF)

Total £2.0 m

Net outlay £3.02m

I'm loving watching the Albion at present, but anyone who went to Stoke last season will testify we are in no way a position to compete at a higher level.

If you look at results this season

Donny: Outplayed for first half, won due to a 97th minute goal.
Pompey: Would have been a draw had they not missed a pen
Cardiff: Excellent performance
Blackpool: Buckled under pressure in second half
Posh: Good result, but a flat performance, had less possession (not what you would expect from a Gus team), two great goals though.

Have to take my hat MAJORLY to Gus in that whilst many of us (me included) were in a panic about lack of cover at centre half, Gus KNEW just how good Dunk is, and we have looked better with him than we did with AEA last season (IMO).

Can't agree on the cost issue. He's put together a team that COULD get into the PL for a net outlay of £3m. Come off it that is worthy of Penn & Teller!

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Mullery took us from 4th in division 3 to 19th in division 1 (a rise of 31 league positions)

Poyet took us from 20th in league 1 to 1st in the championship (a rise of 43 league positions)

Micky Adams Mk I?

 

[Caveman]

I have a couple of questions marks on Gus, if he doesn't like you your out as was the case with Forster and Cox and at present he does seem to be overlooking the defensive positions, I'd like to see a Centre Half and Goalkeeper come in and not just attackers as is the case.

I'm not taking anything away from Gus the stats say it all but maybe ask the question again in May.

Seriously dude, would you want Forster or Cox in our squad now?

We are an attacking team, not a backs against the wall long ball team. He knows who is players are, Dunk has done very well at CB.

 

[Norman Potting]

Possibly, I think we need to bounce this thread in a couple of years time though.

 

[HenryC]

Mullery took us from 4th in division 3 to 19th in division 1 (a rise of 31 league positions)

Poyet took us from 20th in league 1 to 1st in the championship (a rise of 43 league positions)

Micky Adams Mk I?

An interesting way of measuring success. Does anyone know of this has been beaten by any other manager?

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Steve Gritt. End this thread.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

and no one wanted his job when ALBION were 11 points adrift.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

An interesting way of measuring success. Does anyone know of this has been beaten by any other manager?

Thank you. Micky Adams Mk I took us from 15th in the Division 3 (4th tier) to 4th in Division 2 (3rd tier), a rise of 34 league positions.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Mullery took us from 4th in division 3 to 19th in division 1 (a rise of 31 league positions)

Poyet took us from 20th in league 1 to 1st in the championship (a rise of 43 league positions)

Micky Adams Mk I?

Nowadays, TV revenue heavily favours those in the league above. Sponsorship heavily favours those in the league above.

 

[kalinski]

No Alan Mullery

I was about to say that myself...When Gus takes us to the top flight then he overtakes Mullery...but he is bloody brilliant and it is the best football i have ever seen at the Albion

 

[bn1 seagull]

agreed best ever

 

[peterward]

He's certainly done well, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Alan Mullery (of whom I am not a fan) took us from Division 3 to Division 1 in three seasons, and kept us there for two years.

For me the greatest is Steve Gritt, he took a team that was 13 points adrift at the bottom of division 4, wracked by uncertainty about the club's future, and became the buffer between the players and the board, allowing us to escape by the skin of our teeth.

Gus, if he stays, could certainly become great, I would certainly say he is the most charismatic, even more so than Clough.

totally this.... If Gus stays he will likely become the best, but for me Mullery is still number 1. From 3rd div to first and kept us there.

There is a massive feel good factor today, and Gus has done absolutely brilliantly winning league 1, but a lot of the feel good factor is the stadium and that infrastructure is down to fans persistence, Dick Knight/Martin Perry and Tony Bloom's money.

As someone who first watched Albion in the early 70's, this feels again like those incredible Halcyon days and I never thought I would witness anything like it again, but I am and I love it.

Gus is writing history, savour it....... He is already a legend, but Tony Blooms ambition will not be satisifed unless we get to the premier league and that I believe has always been Gus's job description. If he fulfills that, he will be the best ever.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I was about to say that myself...When Gus takes us to the top flight then he overtakes Mullery...but he is bloody brilliant and it is the best football i have ever seen at the Albion

Agree with all of that!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

1. Mullery
2. Lane
3. Poyet (and climbing ...)
4. Adams
5. Gritt
6. Brady
7. Taylor
8. Goodwin
9. Sayward
10. MacCauley

I don't remember Lane or MacCauley so you must be older than me! The rest good shout, I'd stand alongside that choice.