AND HE MIGHT JUST WIN A CUP THIS YEAR AFTER ALL
BRENDAN RODGERS is the hot favourite to be named Manager of the Year by the members of the League Managers’ Association. They are asked to consider the bosses from across all four divisions based on who has made best use of his resources. But Swansea’s upwardly mobile boss is not the only candidate to have enjoyed a successful season.
MATT BARLOW looks at the claims of the leading contenders...
BRENDAN RODGERS (AGE: 39) His Swansea team are 11th in the Premier League with 39 points despite losing at Tottenham on Sunday. They have dazzled in the top flight with an attractive pass-andmove style and even out-passed Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium in January. ‘I don’t think you’ve seen a team come up and play the way we’ve done in the Premier League,’ said defender Neil Taylor. ‘People compared us to Blackpool at the start of the season and now they’re comparing us to Barcelona. It’s the way we’ve done it that’s impressed.’ Swansea play with balance, rhythm, pace and width and have made smart, low-cost additions to the team which won promotion, notably Michel Vorm for £1.5million, and used the loan system well to recruit Steven Caulker and Gylfi Sigurdsson. Total spent this season: £8.45m Points: 39 Pounds per point: £216,667
PAUL LAMBERT (42) Unlike Rodgers, who inherited a Swansea team with sights on the Premier League, e, Lambert took over with Norwich languishing in League One. He e secured back-to-back promotions and appears to have topped that this is year ea by b securing sec ig top-flight survival. Like Swansea, Norwich have 39 points but have scored sco more goals and have beaten be the Swans home and away aw this season. However, they are lacking a catchy ‘Swanselona’ ‘Sw nickname and Lambert La is sometimes guilty of shielding shi his own team’s achievements ach behind a dour and reticent ret public manner. He has a reputation for being organised, org thoughtful and a keen ke motivator, with messages pinned pin to the walls of the training tra ground. Lambert La has resisted the temptation te to chase big-name bi players, trusting those who wh won promotion and insisting in upon a strict wage structure. st He manages his players pl carefully, giving them time ti off and rotating his squad for fo each game.
To Total spent this season:
£1 £12.25m Points: 39 Pounds per point: £314,103
ALAN PARDEW (50) Newcastle are neck and neck with Chelsea on 53 points (they got 46 last season) and could make a return to Europe in the Europa League. ‘He’s got to be a contender for Manager of the Year,’ said winger Jonas Gutierrez. ‘If you think about t expectations before the season on started, nobody y expected Newcastle to be in the top six. Not even the fans. He’s doing a great job.’ Pardew has succeeded in uniting a club riven with splits, restoring pride on Tyneside and winning over fans who identified him as another of the Cockney Mafia when he replaced the popular Chris Hughton in December 2010. He has traded well. Demba Ba on a free, Yohan Cabaye for £4.3m and Papiss Cisse for £7.5m have all made an impact. Total spent this season: £21.8m Points: 53 Pounds per point: £411,321 DAVID MOYES (48) What better way to celebrate your 10th anniversary at Goodison Park this season than with yet another budget-defying campaign which is showing signs of finishing at a gallop. Everton have hit form since the turn of the year, helped by smart business in the January window w when they signed Nikica Jelavic and Darron Gibson and brought back Steven Pienaar on loan. . They’ve eased past Liverpool into seventh in the Premier League and will tackle their Mersey rivals at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final this month. Moyes is a popular figure among his peers due to his hard-working and honest approach to tackling wealthier rivals. Total spent this season: £6.5m Points: 43 Pounds per point: £151,163
SIR ALEX FERGUSON (70) This may not be one of United’s greatest seasons but that in itself highlights the impact of the manager, who is looking good to win the Premier League again despite the emergence of Manchester City. If United do complete their 20th title, the sheer force of Ferguson’s personality will have played a huge role, lifting young players when things were unravelling and encouraging Paul Scholes out of retirement t in mid-season. Perhaps this will l make it an even finer personal achievement than some of the e glorious campaigns built on undisputed world-class talent. nt. Total spent this season: £50.3m Points: 73* Pounds per point: £689,041*
* (beforelast night’s game)