Best and worst managers in your life time

[LTA]

Given them debate over Remi Garde, it got me wondering who everyone's best and worst Villa managers in their lifetime was.

Best (since 1989) for me is a toss up between Sir Graham, Big Ron and Brian Little, but I think Graham edges for them way he sorted then place out (indeed Ron and Brian benefited from some of them things he put in place.

Worst would be DOL.  Patronising and demeaning and underachieved with a decent squad.

[Deano's Mullet]

Best - Taylor Atkinson and Little.

Worst - Lambert

[olaftab]

Best obviously Sir Ron Saunders but emotionally Brian.
Worst tough one as there have been so many but McNeil for me but the one I hated most was O'Leary.

[PeterWithesShin]

Best is obviously Saunders. Followed by, in no particular order, Little, Sir Graham and Tony Barton. I think Barton gets overlooked too much, he won the EC, the ESC, took us to another ECQF, an FAC QF and a LC SF. Plus 6th and 10th in the league in his 2 full seasons, all done while Ellis was destroying the squad and cutting costs left right and centre.

Worst is McNeill.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

He was only there for just over a year but Tommy Doc managed to be both.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I don't remember Vic Crowe, so my ranking is:

1.  Ron Saunders
2.  Tony Barton
3.  Ron Atkinson
4.  Brian Little
5.  Graham Taylor I
6.  Martin O'Neill
7.  John Gregory
8.  Gerard Houllier
9.  David O'Leary
10. Graham Taylor II
11. Tim Sherwood
12. Graham Turner
13. Jozef Venglos
14. Paul Lambert
15. Alex McLeish
16. Billy McNeill

Too early to rank Remi Garde. 

Once you get past O'Neill and Gregory, it gets grim fast.

Sherwood surprisingly high, but he ought to get credit for keeping us up last season, the FA Cup Final and at least making me love the Villa again for a month or so.

[tomd2103]

Best - Big Ron - brought a real buzz to the club from the opening game at Hillsborough. 

Worst - McLeish - decent guy but wrong on every level.  Still a really baffling decision. 

[wittonwarrior]

Obviously  Sir Ron was and is the best - He built the Villa back to the very top, McNeil by far the worst, he was a car crash even before he signed on for his Claret and Blue assignment.

[Legion]

Best: Saunders, Barton, Sir GT Mk I

Worst: O'Neill, O'Leary, McNeill

[Jon Crofts]

Best, Ron Saunders the full 110%.

Worst, so many choices, Lambert, O'Leary, Sherwood, McLeish, McNeill.

[walsall villain]

Best has got to be Ron Saunders. I think Sir Graham would have got close if he had stayed first time then it's a joint third of Little, Atkinson and Barton. The worst has got to be McNeil who did sod all as we slid to relegation. Tommy Docherty was hopeless too after so much optimism following the upturn in fortunes when he first came, for those too young it was Sherwood like. Most disliked? O'bloody-Leary.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Saunders
Lambert

[MarkM]

Best: Saunders, Little, SGT, Gregory (for a while)
Worst: Turner, McNeil, Lambert

[castlefields_villan]

Best is obviously Saunders. Followed by, in no particular order, Little, Sir Graham and Tony Barton. I think Barton gets overlooked too much, he won the EC, the ESC, took us to another ECQF, an FAC QF and a LC SF. Plus 6th and 10th in the league in his 2 full seasons, all done while Ellis was destroying the squad and cutting costs left right and centre.

Worst is McNeill.

Fully agree with this PWS - and also (as well as guiding us to European Cup glory) he stabilised the slightly perilous league position we were in when he took over early in 1982.

Tony Barton was a very under rated manager - sacking him to replace him with Graham Turner was definitely a backward step.

[Darlo Dave]

In my life - Best: Saunders - Worst: McNeill
In the time I've been old enough to understand football - Best: Big Ron (just edging out Taylor Mrk1) - Worst: Turner