Just Who Is Arsenal's Greatest Ever Manager?

[flash gunner]

I am gonna spend the rest of the day kicking myself for getting into a debate with the guy - normally I ignore the fool but am in foul humour today and allowed myself to get drawn in

Just be grateful i didnt ban both of you

[QuartzGooner]

As much as I respect Graham for re-instilling Asenal's sense of pride, for the awesome defence, and for his trophies, I cannot see him as best ever manager.

Pre 1991-1992 we were an exciting team on the up, with a skillful and creative midfield that could also tackle tough when needed.
Post 1991-1992 we became a cup team, with a functional but dull midfield, and we were not again realistically in the running for the title until Wenger took over.
By the time Graham was sacked it felt to me like a merciful release from a regime that had passed it's best.

As for the bung I always thought that it (or three of them) were discovered when Lydersen's former club questioned Arsenal as to why the full transfer fee had not been paid.

Not that Graham was the only one at it, but it was sheer greed.

[I Hate Hleb]

To be fair to Graham, he did have the best trophies won/years served average. And at the time who really cared about the style of football? Maybe that is where we are now after having become conditioned through years of Wenger and media speak about 'good football' being the 'be all and end all'. Style over substance - Very Tottenhameque if you ask me and something we have had great fun in taking the piss out of them for over the past 50 years!!

Anyway, I'm surprised that no-one else has suggested other categories on which we could judge the managers (my list wasn't that comprehensive was it?) or that no-one has yet appeared to use my 'world famous' point scoring system to see what results it brought them, rather than going on their natural reaction. You should try it - might be amazed by the results.

[flash gunner]

To be fair to Graham, he did have the best trophies won/years served average. And at the time who really cared about the style of football? Maybe that is where we are now after having become conditioned through years of Wenger and media speak about 'good football' being the 'be all and end all'. Style over substance - Very Tottenhameque if you ask me and something we have had great fun in taking the **** out of them for over the past 50 years!!

Spot on mate

[rolypoly]

augie

your defence of graham is imaginative as is your attempt to distinguish between outright theft and a bung. he was a crook -end of and simply because he may have been the only one of many crooks to be caught does not make him any less of a crook.

his achievements will be tainted forever which is a shame but his own bloody fault - however he had run out of steam anyway and it was time to move on.

quarz is right -greed and his time was over anyway.

i dont agree that success was ever the be all and all. why were leeds of revie era so hated and one of the great things about wengers success was that done with style, made us loved and that really did piss of scum-us being everyone`s darlings -style combined with success.

graham was good - the dawn of a new era but he never touched wenger`s heights -its as simple as that.

i`m off to pub - augie-chill out -you will have a heart attack otherwise.and you are probably too young for that.

[enjibenji]

Bruce rioch

[Henry Norris 1913]

Great to see rolypoly back

Got to be Chapman for me. More of an innovator than Wenger, better as a manager than GG, never had these 7 year spells of crapness.

well actually as much as I admire Chapman from 1927 to 1930 we finished 9th, 10th and 11th. Not taking anything away from him as he said when he arrived it would take 5 years to build a great side and by that time we'd already won the FA Cup and the First Division. Not to mention his innovative WM formation and the scouting of 17 year old Cliff Bastin. What a geezer!

[Monkeymaw]

It was Grahams fault I stopped going full time to the Arsenal.
I was gutted when he was sacked (in hindsight it was definitely for the best) and thought the effect would be catastrophic
When he went to Sperz I was in total shock and made me question why I should spend all my available cash on following the team home and away when Arsenal Legends obviously didn't feel the same way at myself.
He was destined to be the greatest manager but the script was not played out correctly.

[StuartL]

Chapman made Arsenal the biggest and best known club in the world - unfortunately there wasn't commercial branding as exists today - We built luxurious stands, bought the best players and won trophies year in year out. from 1930 to 1936 we were the best in England and probably Europe but there was no official competition to see and the war stopped us from continuing our dominance.

Wenger made Arsenal the best club in England for a couple of seasons, 98, 02 and 04 and we gained a reputation for playing lovely football but were too often runners up - even against teams we should have beaten. A preoccupation with making unknowns into stars has ruined his chances of supassing Chapman, which he could have done.

Graham made me love Arsenal with a passion as during my time watching them home and away we won trophies that I had longed to win since a kid. In 1989 and 1991 we were fantastic - winning the league on amount of goals scored and only losing one match respectively - don't let the latter years of his reign tarnish the first five or so.

Before Chapman Arsenal were nothing special, after him we were a club known over the world.

Chapman no 1
Wenger no 2
Graham no 3

[UTU The Arsenal]

Herbert Chapman but a close 2nd and my all time favourite Georg E Graham

[I Hate Hleb]

Given the discussion currently raging in the Arsene Wenger thread I thought I'd bump this one up as it would be interesting to continue the discussion here. (I have even added an 'official' poll now!! )

[northbank123]

Where's Bruce Rioch in the poll???

[georgeknows89]

Arsenal club level and box sales are full of bungs - world would be boring without them

love GG, still like AW but Herbert is the daddy in my eyes and from all what i have read.

I love arriving home from a stressful shit day and seeing people throw their toys out the pram on the forum it makes my day and brings a big smile so keep it up lads

[SteveO 35]

The hardest task of all is to create something from nothing. Chapman was the visionary that started off the Arsenal that grew into a genuine big club. Graham will always have a special place in my heart because he was the first manager that delivered success in my lifetime and rescued us from mediocrity, whilst Wenger produced without any shadow of doubt the finest team I ever saw in the red and white

But because Chapman was the creator in many ways, I would have to opt for him

[Nos89]

Surely Pat Rice has to be considered. Don't think he ever got beaten when in charge of the team?

Herbert Chapman is currently the greatest as he moved the club into an elite group and left a legacy that is still felt at the club today.

Wenger's success was built on Grahams legacy, and that's the criteria I'm judging it on. Chapman, Graham and Wenger. Nothing to do with the fact we havent won a trophy in 7 years, we've had the chances but blown it. If this team wins a trophy this season then it will be wengers first with a team he built from scratch.