[Albion] Best ever Brighton manager?

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

In terms of the most simple (simplistic) metric of the win ratio (difficult to compare points per game averages if we go back to 2 points for a win), it's Peter Taylor: 38 games, 55.26%. Bob Booker once got 100% but that was only for a few games.

So, who would you nominate and why?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Probably needs a POLL.

Should this be on win % in a lower division? Should it be on taking us to the promised land (Mullery / Hughton)? Should it be back to back trophies? Highest ever finish (in which case it's Bailey!)? Or on a nice looking performance art project?

Mullers or Hughton for me. Despite what I have said elsewhere about Potter though, he has the POTENTIAL to overtake these two. But not there yet.

 

[Swansman]

grahampotter

 

[A1X]

Probably needs a POLL.

Should this be on win % in a lower division? Should it be on taking us to the promised land (Mullery / Hughton)? Should it be back to back trophies? Highest ever finish (in which case it's Bailey!)? Or on a nice looking performance art project?

Mullers or Hughton for me. Despite what I have said elsewhere about Potter though, he has the POTENTIAL to overtake these two. But not there yet.

Enjoy the bunker!

 

[Comrade Sam]

Which Peter Taylor?

 

[Gwylan]

I'd go for Hughton: we were in the depths of the second tier when he took over. He saved us from relegation, got us promoted and kept us up.

I'd also big up Poyet, it may have ended badly but he also got us from the depths, got us promoted and nearly did a second time. He also had us playing some great football.

But I'd also like to put in a word for Pat Saward. He took over when we had little money (having sponsored walks to buy players!) but he put a team together on a shoestring, played some great football and got us up. It was my first promotion and you'll always remember your first.

EDIT: I think Potter will end up as our best though

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

Poyet for me. That league one season was breathtaking (and they said you couldn’t play that style in L1!) and some of the football we played in the Championship was top notch. Obviously ended rather sourly but I prefer to remember the good times

 

[Bakero]

Ever the aesthete, I'm voting for the curator of our current all-passing, no-scoring yet barely-conceding art project.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I'd go for Hughton: we were in the depths of the second tier when he took over. He saved us from relegation, got us promoted and kept us up.

I'd also big up Poyet, it may have ended badly but he also got us from the depths, got us promoted and nearly did a second time. He also had us playing some great football.

But I'd also like to put in a word for Pat Saward. He took over when we had little money (having sponsored walks to buy players!) but he put a team together on a shoestring, played some great football and got us up. It was my first promotion and you'll always remember your first.

EDIT: I think Potter will end up as our best though

Your journey is my journey

Agree with [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION] that Potter has the potential to exceed everyone.

I will add a shout for Peter T. Taylor. We came so close that last season and it was tremendously exciting.

 

[Bakero]

Poyet for me. That league one season was breathtaking (and they said you couldn’t play that style in L1!) and some of the football we played in the Championship was top notch. Obviously ended rather sourly but I prefer to remember the good times

For pure entertainment value, that League 1 promotion season takes some beating. Unfortunately, I had to marvel from afar as I was based the best part of 6000 miles away.

 

[Giraffe]

Poyet for me. That league one season was breathtaking (and they said you couldn’t play that style in L1!) and some of the football we played in the Championship was top notch. Obviously ended rather sourly but I prefer to remember the good times

I concur. In another world where Gus realised what a great owner and club he was at he would still be here and we would have probably made the Premier League a little earlier.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Micky Adams #1

Built a team of over-achievers that was ridiculously greater than the sum of its parts, under budgetary constraints that would make any subsequent manager BLANCH at the prospect

 

[CheeseRolls]

In terms of the most simple (simplistic) metric of the win ratio (difficult to compare points per game averages if we go back to 2 points for a win), it's Peter Taylor: 38 games, 55.26%. Bob Booker once got 100% but that was only for a few games.

So, who would you nominate and why?

Mike Bailey - Fact (according to http://clubelo.com/Brighton anyway) This is based on the relative strength of the opposition. It is highly likely that Graham Potter will exceed that mark within weeks, with one notable exception.

Bailey's high point came at a time of English dominance in Europe and BHAFC were ranked 36th best team in Europe. This is attainable, but we would need a few big scalps to get there this season.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Great thread GNT, its really is a subjective issue.

Like Guinness Boy, I'm of the opinion that despite my previous concerns over GP, this is the best squad ever assembled by the club in its 120 year history, so therefore if he gets the best out of them in the next 2/3 years, he has to be shoo-in for the best ever manager.

What will we deem getting the best out of them?

Top ten finish, the possibility of Europa League football?

Take GP out of the equation, and look at the individual achievements, Alan Mullery has to be a contender, as does Mike Bailey, Steve Gritt effectively brought the club back from the precipice of disaster, Micky Adams arrived in 1999 with the club still on the floor and Chris Hughton rescued us from the Hypia nightmare.

I would have to go with Bailey, he was building a side as Don Revie did at unfashionable Leeds Utd in the 1960's, got us our best ever finish to date, yet was sacked 6 months later because according to Ron Pavey's Lottery Agents feedback on the doorsteps of Sussex, the football was boring and RP reported back to Mike Bamber as to why the 1st Div crowds had dipped below 15,000.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Well l think there should just be three on the short list really, Alan Mullery, Chris Hughton, and Graham Potter, the only three managers who have been in charge in the top division.

A matter of conjecture which order you would place them in though.

 

[Gwylan]

Micky Adams #1

Built a team of over-achievers that was ridiculously greater than the sum of its parts, under budgetary constraints that would make any subsequent manager BLANCH at the prospect

Adams did well but I'd question "budgetary constraints". We paid £100k for Zamora and £50k for Cullip and won out on bidding wars for Nathan Jones and (amazingly) Geoff Pitcher. It's nothing by PL standards but, at the time, that was decent money.

There have been times when we really up against it financially but Adams was well backed.

 

[blue-shifted]

Potter is probably the best manager we've had.

Poyet and Hughton were also brilliant, having very different strengths.

But you can't really judge it until after they are gone. In the middle of Hughton's you'd have probably said him.

Managers are like relationships. How they end defines their legacy. Not many go out like Fergie did at Man U

 

[DJ NOBO]

I only go back to the mid 80s but here are my contenders...
Adams - took us from oblivion to the brink of the second tier.
Hughton - saved us from relegation, got us promoted and kept us up.
Poyet - behind some of the best football I’ve seen from the Albion.
McGhee and even Lloyd had their moments.
But I’m going Adams
Relatively speaking, Potter is not in the conversation yet imo.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Well l think there should just be three on the short list really, Alan Mullery, Chris Hughton, and Graham Potter, the only three managers who have been in charge in the top division.

A matter of conjecture which order you would place them in though.

Mike Bailey?

 

[A1X]

Potter has the higher ceiling, but ultimately hasn't achieved anything tangible with the squad he has in the way Hughton and Mullery did with the squads they had (despite having arguably the best squad of the three). Therefore I don't see how you can say he is better than either of them at this present time.