A veteran football manager has praised several coaches across English football for exceeding expectations this season, highlighting remarkable achievements in both the Premier League and lower divisions amid growing pressure and instability in modern football management.
Speaking ahead of the League Managers Association (LMA) annual awards dinner, the former Crystal Palace F.C. manager reflected on his own experience winning Premier League Manager of the Season in 2014 and explained why this year’s recognition should go beyond simply rewarding title winners.
While acknowledging the impressive campaigns of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal F.C. and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City F.C., he reserved special praise for managers who delivered success despite limited budgets and lower expectations.
One of the standout names mentioned was Keith Andrews, who guided Brentford F.C. through an impressive campaign in his first managerial season. Brentford had been widely tipped for relegation before the season began, yet the club nearly secured European qualification.
Another major success story was Andoni Iraola at A.F.C. Bournemouth. Despite repeatedly losing key players over recent seasons, Iraola managed to lead Bournemouth into European football for the first time in the club’s history after a strong and consistent three-year rebuilding process.
The manager noted that Iraola struggled early in his Bournemouth tenure, failing to secure a league victory in his first 10 matches. However, he said the Spaniard’s eventual success proves that good managers need time to build strong teams — something increasingly rare in modern football.
In the Championship, Daniel Farke received praise for helping Leeds United F.C. recover from a difficult spell and successfully retain Premier League status. Régis Le Bris was also applauded for guiding Sunderland A.F.C. to survival after promotion.
Further down the football pyramid, clubs such as Bromley F.C., Milton Keynes Dons F.C., and Cambridge United F.C. were recognised for strong performances in League Two. Managers Andy Woodman, Paul Warne, and Neil Harris were praised for leading their teams beyond expectations.
Woodman’s achievement with Bromley was described as “unbelievable” after the club went on a remarkable 21-game unbeaten run between December and March before eventually winning the title.
Attention also turned to Cardiff City F.C. and Lincoln City F.C., whose managers exceeded expectations in difficult circumstances. Michael Skubala earned particular praise for Lincoln’s impressive campaign.
At the top end of the Championship, Coventry City F.C. and Ipswich Town F.C. secured automatic promotion to the Premier League. Kieran McKenna now faces the challenge of keeping Ipswich in the top flight after previously suffering relegation during the club’s last Premier League appearance.
Meanwhile, former England international Frank Lampard was credited for helping Coventry return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
The veteran coach also used the opportunity to criticise football’s growing culture of impatience, warning that managerial jobs have become increasingly unstable due to demands for instant success. He reflected nostalgically on older traditions in football, including Football Association coaching seminars at Lilleshall, where managers once gathered to learn from one another and build relationships across the game.
According to him, modern football has lost much of that sense of unity and long-term development, replacing it with constant pressure and rapid managerial turnover.
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