Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Albion] Best ever Brighton manager?



Razzoo

Well-known member
Sep 11, 2011
5,344
N. Yorkshire
There's lots of context involved as well isn't there. Everyone hated Barry Lloyd for a long time but he managed to take us to a playoff final on a very meagre spend.

For me, Gus really excited me - even if he was a bit of a basket case - and Steve Gritt must get a mention! He kept us in the league, so arguably pulled off the greatest achievement.

At last a bit of love for Lloyd.
 




Rookie

Greetings
Feb 8, 2005
12,324
Poyet for me - best football I’ve seen us play. Oscar is up there though - took over a broken team and got to the play offs playing good football. The next season shows what a good job he did.
Fully expect Potter to take the mantle in the next few years though.
 




Seagull58

In the Algarve
Jan 31, 2012
8,516
Vilamoura, Portugal
Poyet and Houghton for me.

Like others have said it ended on sour note with Poyet but he got us playing some great football, he really kick started our football revolution and signed some cracking players.

Then I go with Houghton too, needless to say he got us to the hallowed promise land, steadied the ship and made us a stable club and saved us from relegation.

FFS, we never had a manager called Houghton, any more than we have one now called Porter or once had one called Clogh.
 


Lincolnshire Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2009
816
In my time the leading contenders in my opinion are:

Pat Saward - great football and promotion from a very competitive div 3

Alan Mullery - double promotion to the top division

Micky Adams - back to back champions (almost)

Gus Poyet - unbelievable football in the third and second tiers

Chris Hughton - promotion to the prem and what a credit to the club

I don't think Graham Potter quite gets in this company yet - but the way things are going I am sure he will. Certainly the football his team is producing is as good as any we've seen
 




Seagull58

In the Algarve
Jan 31, 2012
8,516
Vilamoura, Portugal
Hard to evaluate never mind call.

Chris Cattlin - Did amazingly well with no money. Harshly treated.
Chris Hughton - Kept us up then got us up. Some truly great years.
Gus Poyet - Style and with a bit more backing and a lot more patience on his part who knows
Peter Taylor the 1st - What might have been? His core team got us to the 1st Div. The best judge of a player by a mile
Brian Clough - Skipped town before we got to find out, but given what he did elsewhere probably the best manager even if that wasn't for us.
Graham Potter - Early days but its going the right way

One of these, but all have their claims to be the best.

No room for Mullery?
 


Robinjakarta

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2014
2,163
Jakarta
Surprised not more have said Mullery or at least his first spell with us. Assembled a great team and did what no one else had in getting us to the top tier and keeping us there with exciting football all the way. The stuff of dreams that came true.
 






Silverhatch

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
4,696
Preston Park
It's all tied up in memories and emotions:

Best football - it's Potter because of the way the team shapes up and plays in the elite division of European football (it doesn't feel that we're just making up the numbers)
Most inspirational - Mullery because we blasted through the divisions in my early teenage years with Peter Ward leading the attack
Most emotional - Hughton because he got us over the line following a battle that was joined all the way back to Liam Brady, Dick Knight, Hereford, Falmer Campaign, Tony Bloom, Amex etc.
Most transformational - Poyet because he had the ego and arrogance to stamp his style of play on a homeless League 1 side that put the Albion back on the modern football map and delivered Championship football perfectly timed for the opening of the Amex (still hugely culpable for not keeping Muzza at the club)
 




Garry Nelson's teacher

Well-known member
May 11, 2015
5,257
Bloody Worthing!
I'm sorry I didn't have the wit to post a poll. But as a penance I've trawled through the various posts and I think I can pronounce with some confidence the interim winner, based on frequency of mentions and the passion with which the case for him has been made. Arise Sir Sami Hypia!
 




Ethelwulf

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2020
2,266
West Worthing
In my time watching Albion since 79

1 Alan Mullery
2 Gus Poyet
3 Chris H
4 Micky Adams 1
5 Chris Catlin
6 Steve Coppell
7 Oscar Garcia
8 Peter Taylor
9 Mike Bailey
10 Brian Horton
11 Liam Brady
12 Steve grit
13 Alan Mullery 2
14 Russell Slade
15 Barry Lloyd
16 Jimmy Melia
17 Micky Adams 2
18Jeff wood
18 Sami hypia
18 martin hinsh

Have not included Potter as he is still here but would if he left tomorrow have him at 5-7 might of missed some out
 


Lincolnshire Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2009
816
In my time watching Albion since 79

1 Alan Mullery
2 Gus Poyet
3 Chris H
4 Micky Adams 1
5 Chris Catlin
6 Steve Coppell
7 Oscar Garcia
8 Peter Taylor
9 Mike Bailey
10 Brian Horton
11 Liam Brady
12 Steve grit
13 Alan Mullery 2
14 Russell Slade
15 Barry Lloyd
16 Jimmy Melia
17 Micky Adams 2
18Jeff wood
18 Sami hypia
18 martin hinsh

Have not included Potter as he is still here but would if he left tomorrow have him at 5-7 might of missed some out

Nice list, but are you sure about Alan Mullery 2 being above Russell Slade?
 






neilbard

Hedging up
Oct 8, 2013
6,280
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? :moo:

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.

I would plump for the performance art project, the rest were numbskulls. :moo:
 




DJ NOBO

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2004
6,819
Wiltshire
There's lots of context involved as well isn't there. Everyone hated Barry Lloyd for a long time but he managed to take us to a playoff final on a very meagre spend.

For me, Gus really excited me - even if he was a bit of a basket case - and Steve Gritt must get a mention! He kept us in the league, so arguably pulled off the greatest achievement.

I was too young to understand it at the time so can someone answer why Barry Lloyd was despised by so many ?
He got us promoted once, and nearly twice, on very little money.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,351
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Interesting comparing Mullery's last season (his second top flight with us) to now.

We stayed up on the last day of the season by beating Leeds at home (I was sitting in the South Stand). A two points for a win, 42 game season so have had to work on averages, but had it been three for a win back then we'd have finished on 49 points at an average of 1.16 points per game. We also scored 1.28 goals per game. Last season we were 1.07 points per game and this season 1.08, scoring 25 in 24 games so far.

https://www.11v11.com/teams/brighton-and-hove-albion/tab/leagueTables/1981/

Only one team got dropped off (Palace :lolol: ) while we had an identical WLD record to Sunderland who finished two places above us, and more wins than any other team around us. Mullery left his post in the summer.

For me, not only does this reinforce to me that actually he should be our GOAT in manager terms, but also how poor the current Premier League really is for a top flight competition.
 








Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here