League One Manager of the Season

[BCFC Jordan]

With the 46 game season finished, I'm curious as to what the general consensus is on this forum for who deserves the accolade?

 

[Bottega Don]

Paul Cook without a shadow of a doubt.

Got his team promoted last year and has them playing attractive football at a higher level. He coped extremely well with the loss of their top goal scorer and has made sure that the rest of the team have stepped up in Doyle's absence. Not many people would have picked Chesterfield to make the Play-Offs. Paul Cook is a fantastic manager and I think it's him.

Looks great in a wooly hat, too.

 

[LuSiVe]

He had Liam Cooper sold to Leeds earlier in the season as well, and at times we've coped with a threadbare squad.
I'm going to be gutted when he leaves, which'll probably be sooner rather than later ....

 

[BCFC Jordan]

I was going to vote for either Cotterill or Cook. I'm afraid I had to let my bias make the decision.

 

[JJ1532]

Paul Cook by a long way.

 

[JoeJoeJoeJoe]

Tony Mowbray. Obviously.

 

[BCFC David]

Paul Cook. Done a great job. Fancy them in the play offs too.

 

[hodge]

Without attempting to be biased Cotterill has done an incredible job, look where we were last season (still finished 12th or whatever). First stage our recruitment, the sale of Baldock and the releasing of a few other high earners allowed Cotterill some finiancial flexibility. To then sign Freeman, Agard, Ayling, Little, Smith, Wilbraham (Matt Smith on loan too) for a net spend of roughly 0, I think it's been the most sucessful season of transfers I've ever known. The sucess can be seen in the fact that we've probably had the smallest squad in the league and used the money effectively to go for quality over quantity is a great display of squad management.

Then club records for this season, highest points total, fewest defeats and potentially most league goals (96), fewest league goals conceded (mid thirties), longest unbeaten start in England (16) and now on an unbeaten run again of 15 league games unbeaten. The first club title in 60 years, first club double, first team in England to confirm promotion and their league title. 5 players making PFA team of the season, every outfield player who made an appearance has scored. Also the fact that we've not lead the league for a matter of a few weeks in the season.

Paul Cook has had a fantastic season with Chesterfield no doubt, but I feel that everything Cotterill has achieved this season and the circumstances of how he's gone about it mean he's the man for the award.

 

[BCFC Jordan]

SC's record with us is incredible.

P88 W49 D25 L14 - 56% win ratio.

 

[Bottega Don]

SC's record with us is incredible.

P88 W49 D25 L14 - 56% win ratio.

Andy Dawson has a better win percentage for us.

P1 W1 D0 L0 - 100% win ratio.

 

[joethegill]

Definitely Cook. Cotterill has done well but he had the best squad by a mile to do it with. I, and many others thought that Chesterfield would drop away without the goals of Doyle, so to have them in the play-offs is remarkable.

 

[Aaron-Bcfc]

Spot on hodge. People say Cotterill had the team at his disposal but it was him who assembled that team based on the departure of Baldock. Every one of them has been outstanding and the whole team gelled from game one (not easy with 7 new players in the starting lineup.) He's also turned 35 year old Aaron Wilbraham into a 20 goal a season striker and Aden Flint into a 15 goal a season centre back. We've romped the league by playing good football but also with the capability of being able to mix it up. I'd say he's more than deserving, despite how good a job Cook has done. At the beginning none of us actually expected to win the league, personally I would've settled for the playoffs.

 

[hodge]

Definitely Cook. Cotterill has done well but he had the best squad by a mile to do it with. I, and many others thought that Chesterfield would drop away without the goals of Doyle, so to have them in the play-offs is remarkable.

The counter argument would be Cotterill had to assemble that squad to be able to do that well, and didn't break the bank to do so.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Bristol City fans, you've won shit loads of awards already, don't be greedy. Let Paul Cook take his rightful title of "1FF League 1 manager of the season".

 

[joethegill]

The counter argument would be Cotterill had to assemble that squad to be able to do that well, and didn't break the bank to do so.

The squad was still heavily financed, whether by Lansdown or the sale of Baldock - it doesn't really matter which. If you can afford to buy decent players then you'll do well. I think Cook has worked absolute miracles at Chesterfield, especially after losing his best centre back on the eve of the season, and then the leagues top scorer in January.

 

[hodge]

But its a purple patch for us (pun very much intended)

 

[hodge]

The squad was still heavily financed, whether by Lansdown or the sale of Baldock - it doesn't really matter which. If you can afford to buy decent players then you'll do well. I think Cook has worked absolute miracles at Chesterfield, especially after losing his best centre back on the eve of the season, and then the leagues top scorer in January.

So Chesterfield weren't able to reinvest the money they got from Doyle?

 

[This Charming Mike]

Cotterill has done what was expected of him. Yes, he's done it in some style and Bristol City have had a fantastic season but at the end of the day, he's met expectations. I think we'll see just how good he is next season (and I'm backing him to succeed in the division above). The same could be said for Robinson too.

For that reason, it has to be Cook or Cooper. Probably the former.

 

[SpireiteDan]

So Chesterfield weren't able to reinvest the money they got from Doyle?

Does a few one month loan deals count as reinvesting? probably not i'd say.

 

[joethegill]

So Chesterfield weren't able to reinvest the money they got from Doyle?

I'm not sure they did to the extent City were able to, probably because they aren't owned by a billionaire! City deserve all the plaudits they're getting this season as they've been truly fantastic, but in terms of expectations in relation to results Chesterfield have had a better season IMO.

 

[Bottega Don]

Let's just look at Chesterfield's starting XI to see how well Cook has done.

Tommy Lee - Chesterfield for ages, Cook not really involved in this.

Darikwa - Youth team player who was originally a winger, Cook converted him into a RB and it's worked brilliantly.
Evatt - Free transfer from Blackpool, smart signing that brought some experience to the back line.
Hird - Another free transfer.
Jones - Free transfer again. Seen as a c*** after the fiasco with Doug Loft but Cook has turned him into a good player.

Total spent on defense - £0

Roberts - Not sure how much he cost, believe it was a free though. Struggled at Swindon but Cook helped bring back the form he showed at Huddersfield.
Morsy - Vale fans didn't like him but Cook has turned him into one of the best midfielders in the entire league. Was a free but compensation was involved, probably very little.
Ryan - Struggled at Scunthorpe but Cook has turned him into a fantastic little player. Was another free transfer.
Clucas - Signed from very cheap, supposedly around 100k. Was one of the best players in L2 last season and has been very good this year.

Total spent on midfield - About 100k plus compensation for Morsy.

O'Shea - Another free transfer, likes to play in behind the striker which he does very well.
Byron Harrison - Money from the Doyle transfer was used for this signing. No clue about the fee but doubt it was too much.

Correct me on anything that I have put wrong Spireites but I think this shows just how well Cook has done without spending barely any money.

 

[JJH]

Cotterill.

Next..

 

[Aaron-Bcfc]

Definitely Cook. Cotterill has done well but he had the best squad by a mile to do it with. I, and many others thought that Chesterfield would drop away without the goals of Doyle, so to have them in the play-offs is remarkable.

Do we? A lot of people were saying PNE have the strongest team a few weeks ago

 

[SpireiteDan]

Shit, forgot about Harrison (shows how much of an impact he's made), but he will have cost peanuts and was signed before Doyle was sold.

Good knowledge, Spireite Don.

 

[BCFC David]

Thought that was just a couple of overly excited North end fans?

Cotterill has done what was expected, just in very impressive style. Cook lost his best forward in January and hasn't had the money to improve his squad. See how the play offs go? If they win its no contest.

 

[hodge]

I'm not sure they did to the extent City were able to, probably because they aren't owned by a billionaire! City deserve all the plaudits they're getting this season as they've been truly fantastic, but in terms of expectations in relation to results Chesterfield have had a better season IMO.

Not again?!

Lansdown's money had nothing to do with our transfers for the 47827498273rd time!

 

[Alex_BCFC]

Got to be Cook. Cotteril maybe 2nd.

 

[hodge]

Also we were expected to win the league? I remember at the start of the season Sheffield United, Preston, Peterbrough and MK all being given a better chances than we were by many pundits and bookies. Expectations were play offs, not to win the league in the manner we did.

 

[LuSiVe]

Theres also the fact that the majority of our squad is the league 2 winning squad with only really the addition of Dan Jones and Sam Clucas. Any other additions have really been fringe players or loans (although only really Georg Margreitter and Daniel Johnson had much impact).

 

[Alex_BCFC]

Also we were expected to win the league? I remember at the start of the season Sheffield United, Preston, Peterbrough and MK all being given a better chances than we were by many pundits and bookies. Expectations were play offs, not to win the league in the manner we did.

Indeed. We were probably expected to be top 6 but I think some of us didn't realise how good Korey and Wilbraham would be - plus the improvement of Joe Bryan etc.