Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2008

[Citizen Green]

In a similar vain to the 'Most Clueless City Manager' thread I thought I'd flip it around, so with that said then... Before Sheikh Mansour's takeover of City in 2008, who do you think was our best manager tactically and in the market?, obviously the era/chairman in charge when they were at the club has to be taken into account.

I think baring the obvious Mercer/Allison partnership, Howard Kendall did well after taking over under Swales in '89. Took over a team in the drop-zone & brought in some very good players for peanuts and built into a very well oiled unit.

Joe Royle also did a fantastic job taking over a sinking ship and stabilising the club, eventually leading us back to the Premier League, I thought him & Bernstein were a superb team.

Tony Book another...

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manger Before 20

Billy McNeill for me in terms of money spent.

 

[Paul Lake's Left Knee]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manger Before 20

In my match going lifetime (first game in 81) i would say Kendall, even though he made us into Everton lite and kept picking Adrian Heath, he made some astute signings and was tactically on the money, was probably the most gutted of any manager that left us, which says a lot in my mind

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Beanie the horse never put a hoof wrong.

 

[Skashion]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Steve Coppell. The man had masterful exiting tactics.

 

[nmc]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Alan Ball - when he managed to swap an excellent striker in Paul Walsh (and £500,000) for that lump of s#ite Gerry Creaney. Creaney was valued officially at £1,500,000 but I think there's 5 too many zeros in that figure. The Scottish pie eating champion therefore cost city a staggering £375,000 per goal - before taking into account the significant addition costs incurred in the players canteen.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Steve Coppell.

Didn't take him long to work out the best course of action.

Oops Skashion and I think alike!

 

[Bill]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

sven

 

[Platini Pollock]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Brian Horton for me. We played great stuff under him. He seemed to get the players fighting hard for the shirt.....which given his standing when he arrived was no mean feat. So the players must have known he had some tactical nous etc.

Bad move getting rid of Bri when we did.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Re: Most Tactically/Financially Astute City Manager Before 2

Peter Reid was the first manager I really remember our team under, but I was pretty young. I'd go along with Sven out of the ones I saw. He had a fairly decent hit rate with his signings (at least while they were playing for him) and tactically, I thought the team was very solid and would've progressed further if he'd been given a second year.