recent managers - you decide:

[sweeneymcfc]

i liked sven best and if all 3 had a go with the currrent squad i have no doubt sven would finish highest

[the_georgian_genius]

Like all managers, including the top ones like Wenger, Mourinho, Ferguson - Some good, some bad.

[patrickblue]

Dabo was signed in 2006 so wasn't Sven's signing was he?

Psycho signed him. It seemed to fall through and everyone one on here was slagging SP off for cocking it up. Then a mpnth or two later he signed out of the blue, and everyone was quite excited.
The good old days eh!

I'm with Sweeney about Sven though, if he had been here when the money arrived, we'd have been champions by now.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I enjoyed the football under Hughes more than the other two by a long way.
I think he would have us doing better this season than we currently are.
Liked Sven at first but he lost his way quite early on.

[Im_Spartacus]

What strikes me with all 3 managers is how many of their signings played well from August to January and then faded away completely.

To me this means that they are poorly managed and training is not good enough for them to continually improve. They get by in the first half of the season by being fresh and new to league but then get found out.

There are very few players we have bought that have improved whilst at the club. If anything, they stagnate.

Eg, the "they will be better when they gel" argument is bollocks?

It seems that we actually coach some of the natural ability out of the very best players at city to fit them into the manager's system, which is why they start off good, then fade badly. Why the fuck do we keep feeling the need to buy a player then put him in a style of play/system completely alien to them. On this score, Sven was by far the best (although not perfect) as he bought players we actaully needed, and players who would slot straight in.

[aaron bond]

I enjoyed the football under Hughes more than the other two by a long way.
I think he would have us doing better this season than we currently are.
Liked Sven at first but he lost his way quite early on.

I know things have been far from perfect under Mancini but the tripe Hughes served up I never want to see ever again. After spending £100m and finishing 1 place lower than we did under Sven (including being in the bottom 3 at Xmas), he then proceeded to build a team that you just knew was always going to concede a goal no matter what. OK - so he wanted his teams to 'go for it' but we blew a lead so often it was pathetic. He did make some very good signings, however, I'll give him that.

Mancini's signings have been questionable so far. Kolarov and Boateng both look poor. Yaya has been poor far too often but does look better in his more natural position. Same with Milner - he would be great if he was given an opportunity to play centre midfield more often. Silva is class and will only get better after adjusting to the Premier League. Dzeko, unfortunately, doesn't suit the system Mancini wants to play at present. If we crossed the ball more, I think he'd be great.

Considering the time frame Sven initially had, his signings in general were very good, although did fade in the second half of the season. He wasn't helped by having a mental chairman who basically told him in March of that season he would be sacked. If we'd had kept Sven, I think we wouldn't be worrying about making Champions League now.

[Lee_R]

Sven best with immediate signings.
Hughes best with training and keeping team happy.
Mancini best dressed.

I do think given time Mancini will win stuff but its always going to be crap to watch. Personally I'd like a Sven and Mancini partnership but it wont happen.

[BlueinBosnia]

Were Jo and Robinho really 'Hughes' signings, though? Hughes-era, certainly, but I thought Jo was part of some money-laundering deal to keep Thaksin afloat, and Robinho was a statement of impact by our new owners.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Were Jo and Robinho really 'Hughes' signings, though? Hughes-era, certainly, but I thought Jo was part of some money-laundering deal to keep Thaksin afloat, and Robinho was a statement of impact by our new owners.

that's how i understand it. i'd certainly mentally discarded them when judging.