Your three best and worst Boro managers

E

equaliser

Well-known member
Worst:
1/ Warnock - not for his performance particularly, just because he's such a horrible niggly bloke, probably a Tory to boot, who made lots of bitter comments after he was sacked. SO glad he WAS sacked and no longer the manager of my club.
2/ Monk - spent loads on mostly terrible signings and set us back years
3/ Pulis - dire football, sold Bamford, humorless character

I know a lot will say Strachan, but for me he partly redeemed himself when he tore up his contact. Wilder is close, just because of the nasty vibe he brings

Best:
1/ McClaren - brought us our first ever trophy, got us into Europe, made some great signings
2/ Big Jack - first one I remember, and still the yardstick others are measured against
3/ Rioch - led us back from the brink with two successive promotions (and some memorable football along the way). Ended in tears but still a proper manager.

Carrick may achieve top 3 if he gets up up this season with the same football he's had us playing. Honorable mentions for Robbo, Mogga, Lenny L, Karanka
 
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In my lifetime

Worst:
1/ Strachan - Was excited when he came, straight talking, experienced and what followed was just an awful period to be a Boro Fan
2/ Monk - Spent big, raised hope, failed, blamed everyone else
3/ Wilder - Really left a sour taste for me and never took to him even in the beginning when things where going ok

Best:
1/ Robson - Boro Manager when i got into Football properly, some amazing high's, some awful lows. Some amazing players, some amazing games and moments.
2/ McLaren - The success alone, the players we had at that time and competing at the level we did.
3/ Karanka - The season we lost the play off final was a fantastic season to be a fan, the excitement and bond between the squad, something we had lacked for years. It did end sour with Karanka, so i expect him to fall off this list in due course. Carrick, repeated that season for me last year so hoepfully he can replace him.
 
WORST:

1) Wilder - hated him, absolute odious w@nker. Wish i could put his name 3 times.
2) Pulis - Just horrific to watch. Those 2 playoff games against villa left me seething
3) Strachan - Almost got a reprieve after leaving and not accepting compensation etc, but horrible time to be a boro fan

BEST:

1) Mclaren - based on the trophy and european success
2) Karanka - Brought some great times back, we were immense that promotion season. Loved that squad.
3) Carrick - Don't care how long he's been here, transformation was incredible
 
Best:
McLaren - for obvious reasons
Rioch - saved the club and took us to the top league
Big Jack - a bit before my time but we were a whisker away from really doing something
Special mention to Robson

Worst:
Monk - wasted a load of money of $hite players
Strachen - wasted a bit less money on $hite players
Karanka - its a tough one but I just genuinely disliked the guy, yes he did well getting us promoted but throwing his toys out the pram, dividing the dressing room, basically just being a total pr!ck and possibly the most arrogant manager we have had, although Wilder runs him a close second
 
McLaren
Robson
Karanka

Monk
Strachan
Agnew

Few years ago we would be seeing loads more Southgates in the worst Boro managers including mine.
Pulis escapes as he did manage to get in the playoffs, though the transfer window in which we sold bamford to bring in saville was the worst since I've followed the club.
 
BEST
1 - Sir Bruce. No explanation needed but to take a club where you weren't being paid with a threadbare squad to the top division in 2 seasons is one of the greatest managerial achievements at any football club.

2 - Karanka. Not everyone's cup of team and the football from the premiership season took a bit away from the 2 previous seasons where we were relentless and played some really good football even if it was based on defence. Helped me fall back in love with football after the wilderness years under the wee Scot and Mogga.

3 - Smac. Had his ups and downs but we'd never seen those heights he achieved for a long time and the names on the team sheet were remarkable. For me he ranks higher than Robson as I always felt Robson could attract players but couldn't manage a game as well as his playing experience suggested he would e.g. No subs in dying minutes of league cup final v Leicester, 5 CBs v Leeds away in 98/99?

Worst

1 - Monk. Absolute charlatan. Spunked so much money on unneeded players that we were still suffering 4 years later. Seemed to think he was a master tactitician but in reality he was just a money grabbing , egotistical tw@t.

2 - Strachan. Another who thought he was better than he was on the basis of a couple of decent years in the EPL followed by the uncompetitive SPL. His attempts at being sarcastic after defeats left me wanting to stick pins in a wee ginger voodoo doll. I actually gave up my season ticket for half a season because of him but renewed once Mogga came in.

3 -- a hybrid monster named Tony Warnock. This Frankenstein like mash up has haunted me since my wife shouted to tell me that 'Tony Warnock is on the tele'. After I stopped laughing I realised that she had in effect summarised pretty accurately the horror that these 2 old school battlers brought to the club. Thanks for keeping us up Tony Warnock but your football was sh1te to watch, sorry endure.
 
equaliser said:
Worst:
1/ Warnock - not for his performance particularly, just because he's such a horrible niggly bloke, probably a Tory to boot, who made lots of bitter comments after he was sacked. SO glad he WAS sacked and no longer the manager of my club.
2/ Monk - spent loads on mostly terrible signings and set us back years
3/ Pulis - dire football, sold Bamford, humorless character

I know a lot will say Strachan, but for me he partly redeemed himself when he tore up his contact. Wilder is close, just because of the nasty vibe he brings

Best:
1/ McLaren - brought us our first ever trophy, got us into Europe, made some great signings
2/ Big Jack - first one I remember, and still the yardstick others are measured against
3/ Rioch - led us back from the brink with two successive promotions (and some memorable football along the way). Ended in tears but still a proper manager.

Carrick may achieve top 3 if he gets up up this season with the same football he's had us playing. Honorable mentions for Robbo, Mogga, Lenny L, Karanka
Click to expand...
Why have you put Neil warnock because he probably a tory ? You need something in your life perthetic
 
KDG said:
3/ Wilder - Really left a sour taste for me and never took to him even in the beginning when things where going ok
Click to expand...
Me neither, never bought into it. Always thought he was over-hyped, tactically inflexible and unpleasant to boot
 
sledge said:
Why have you put Neil warnock because he probably a tory ? You need something in your life perthetic
Click to expand...
And you need a spellchecker.

I just don't like Tories - or managers that go on about "Good old Boris" in press conferences. If he's going to hang it out there, you can't complain if others don't like it. It just confirmed all my instincts about him. I'm not claiming he's objectively the worst - he's fairly successful, in his own niggly way - but my heart sank when we appointed him and I was glad (if a little surprised) when he was iced.
 
Worst:

WGS
Monk
Woodgate (The manager, not the person. I don't question his good intentions or commitment, but we were only going 1 way. I accept that he wasn't backed).

Best:
Brucie
Robbo
SMac (Again, manager, not the person. Otherwise would go LL)
 
Worst
1.Monk
2. Strachan
3. Murdoch...and I name him with a heavy heart, because Bobbys tenure was doomed and had little chance of success due to the utter mis-administration of the club by the then board of directors and the chairman.

Best
1. Jack
2. Bruce
3. Robbo/El Tel
 
In my lifetime.

Worst:

Monk, Strachan, Agnew.

The first 2 speak for themselves. As for Agnew, dropped in at the deep end but so utterly uninspiring it was ridiculous. We needed a spark and/or fresh ideas and he offered neither. A "Gibson knows best" masterstroke.

Best:

Smac
Championship Karanka
Robson, if only for the ride.

Hated Pulis and Warnock, but both did reasonably well initially. Whereas the 3 I've picked had no redeeming features whatsoever.
 
Best:
Robson, transformed the club, smashed the glass ceiling of what we could achieve and how we were perceived

SMac, won a trophy, European final. These were pipe dreams as a kid, but it actually happened.

Rioch the perfect manager for a difficult time and to mentor that young team.

Worst:
Strachan by a country mile

Woody the pressure got to him badly and he didn’t have any answers

Warnock, had character but wound up refs, press, and fans with nonsense and blame culture. Tactically he was utterly basic. Entertainment value low
 
I think the three best is a pretty easy choice (though you could argue about the order. I'd go:

1. Steve McLaren - you can't overlook a pot and a European final. Nuff said.

2. Jack Charlton - everything except a trophy

3. Bruce Rioch - putting life and belief back in the hearts of supporters

I'm not sure about "worst" but there are four managers during my "Boro Life" that I never liked or warmed to, Pullis, Monk, Warnock and Wilder. I'd order them:

Worst: Monk

Not quite as bad: Pullis

Better than Colin: Wilder
 
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