[Albion] Best ever Brighton manager?

[withdeanwombat]

I go back to Billy Lane, who was a solid manager and who finally got us out of Div 3(S).

I’m tempted to vote for Gritt, or Chris Cattlin. Chris Hughton too. Mark McGee should win it for the best song.

In the end I’d have to go with Pat Saward, though, because memories of that time are the best.


We have had so many good managers!

 

[Seagull58]

Dont get your nickers in a twist, mate.

I can tolerate people getting Hyppia wrong; he wasn't here long and he was shit. But Hughton is possibly the best manager we have had, certainly up there with Powet, Mallory, Grott, Tatler, Batley and Adems. At least get his name right.

 

[severnside gull]

Archie Macauley - maybe not the best but a real character and my favourite

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

In my time watching the Albion I'd say, in order of time of tenure:

Gritt: The greatest of great escapes. Fans United, Doncaster, Hereford, still having a club to support.

Adams mk 1: Zamora, the return to Brighton, our first promotion in 13 years, our first league title in 36, then our second a year later(it was his team...)

Poyet: We kept up with Saints, another league title, ensured the Amex era got off to a flying start, arguably building the foundations for the club to succeed in its premier league ambitions.

Hughton: 2015-18 were three incredible years. That unbeaten start to the season, the drama of Middlesbrough then Sheff Weds, then pissing the league the following year, that first season in the premier league. The dignity with which he lead the club over his tenure, through good times and bad(in particular the Shoreham Airshow disaster), the team built in his image. Legend.

Like many others have said, Potter has the potential to top the lot. He hasn't yet but fingers crossed because if he does we're in for an incredible few years.

 

[Bish Bosh]

Alan Mullery for me. Four consecutive seasons of success, even though we should never have come near to relegation in the last one. Excepting the 1990s it's always been a good job to take on, with bigger expectations than ever now.

 

[Cpt. Spavil]

For me Poyet was the bigger signing as a Manager and we had lots of flair especially that March in 2011 where we had the 8 game on the win bounce.

Hughton brought us to the promised land and kept us up.

I think its too early to say for Potter currently, maybe at the end of this season after we finish top 10.

 

[warlingham seagull]

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.

Peter Taylor - absolutely a great judge of players - even strikers!

 

[Hamilton]

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.

What didn't help Baz was the poisoned chalice he inherited. Remember, that he was part of the team that got us relegated to what's now League 1 just 3 years after we had appeared in the FA Cup Final. For many fans, that sense of entitlement (conscious or otherwise) had crept in and they kind of expected more, so while he got us back up and to a play off final, the expectations were a little heightened.

Personally, I loved those years. We were scrapping and fighting and while the crowds were a bit crap, it was entertaining in a way.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

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.

True, although playing devil's advocate, he did have Mike Bamber's cheque book to play with.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Mullers for me

76-81 our greatest period up til now

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

What didn't help Baz was the poisoned chalice he inherited. Remember, that he was part of the team that got us relegated to what's now League 1 just 3 years after we had appeared in the FA Cup Final. For many fans, that sense of entitlement (conscious or otherwise) had crept in and they kind of expected more, so while he got us back up and to a play off final, the expectations were a little heightened.

Personally, I loved those years. We were scrapping and fighting and while the crowds were a bit crap, it was entertaining in a way.

The simple fact that he came to us from little old Worthing probably didn't do him any favours either, a lot of fans thought he just wasn't up to the job.

 

[Seasidesage]

No room for Mullery?

Not for me no. I accept he got us to the promised land but for me he did it with Taylor's team and his second spell was pretty poor.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Chris Catalin was sacked way too early, great players at that time. Not the best ever as he wasn’t given the time he needed to achieve something.

 

[JBizzle]

This is so tough as everyone had different things to overcome. This is where I feel for Potter in these stakes: Joining us in the top level makes it nigh on impossible to deliver something like a promotion. Keeping us up is an achievement, but we're at a place when everyone now thinks that staying up is a starting point, not an end point. Unless he picked up a trophy in his tenure...

For me, I'd go (but the order changes almost constantly):

Poyet: Now I know he was the first real recipient of Bloom starting to open the cheque book, the players he got in (Barnes, Sparrow, Bridcutt, Greer, Ankergren, Lua Lua and my absolute hero Inigo Calderon) and getting a serious tune out of Murray, El-Abd, Navarro. It's astonishing how quickly he not only changed the direction of the club, but transformed the football to a style that was, until then, not seen as viable at that level. For the first time in my time, he gave Brighton a football identity.

Hughton: Similar to Poyet, he benefited from Bloom opening the chequebook again after the Burke years, but the turnaround from the turgid first 3 months of "survival only" led to two absolutely glorious years of Championship football. So often the disappointment of losing in the playoffs leads to a worse follow up season, but we absolutely battered the division 2 years in a row. Not only that, this gives a bloody nose to anyone who sees Hughton as a boring manager, most of those two seasons were electric. Once promoted, we were certs for relegation and never really in danger until the back end of his last season. Legend

Adams #1: This is the first Brighton side I remember that actually looked like winning more than 5 matches in a season. Similar to those mentioned before, he had some money to spend but he took a group of journeymen footballers from all his previous clubs and build a winning mentality that laid the groundwork for the wonderful Cheaterfield season, and the following season too. So many players played above their level and the team spirit was fantastic. It's one of the only times I can remember when we were both good at football and also nasty so-and-so's. That he left to be an assistant again was really sad, but Adams was ruthless and superb.

Special Mention - Gritt: Nothing we have now would have happened without him, none of the aforementioned managers would have had any platform without him. Making a group of players who were down, out and down again haul themselves away from disaster and give us some moments like Doncaster and Hereford will always be incredible.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Not for me no. I accept he got us to the promised land but for me he did it with Taylor's team and his second spell was pretty poor.

Fair comment

But Mullery did deliver

Especially at home

76-77 (Div 3) W19 D3 L1
77-78 (Div 2) W15 D5 L1
78-79 (Div 2) W16 D3 L2
79-80 (Div 1) W8 D8 L5

And he did sign Lawro

 

[Ethelwulf]

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

Yes as I never took to Slade and Mullers was stitched up by the board . We were 15th and had just won 2-1 at Grimsby when Mullers was sacked he had been told to sell the family silver and when he refused he was sacked . Lloyd took over and we came last and 4 years after being in the cup final we went down to Division 3 . Still cringe now thinking a team with Penney, Wilson and Young, Gatting and co went down that season.

 

[Questions]

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.

We were struggling the following season though after our 13th place,.actually just checked we were 18th in the December when he went

 

[BluesRockDJ]

Archie MacAuley

 

[vagabond]

I’ve always had a soft spot for Micky Adam’s, thought he was always quite underrated. LOVED Poyet, don’t care what anyone says, it was thrilling at times with him in charge.

Hughton. Legend of course, but disappointed with the negative surrender he showed towards the end.

GP is on his way to being my all time favourite Albion manager. Certainly in terms of the technical quality of football played and the sort of players we have.

 

[BluesRockDJ]

Think this post is a little invalid........lots of younger generation supporters who can't remember black and white TV, or when you had to dial a telephone, or more importantly the Goldstone in the 60's....................