The LMA Manager of the Year Award is always a popular betting market and one that can spring a few surprises. The prestigious annual award is voted by all of the 92 managers from the Premier League and the Football League, who can pick a winner from any of those four leagues. The winning manager will have had an outstanding season and the award will be reflect his achievements. The winner has come from the Premier League on all but two occasions since the award was introduced in 1995. In 1997 Danny Wilson's remarkable success at Barnsley, who he guided to the Premier, was recognised by his fellow managers, as were Steve Coppell's who won the Championship with Reading in 2006.
The past three winners of the award have been Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011, former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson (2010) and Everton's David Moyes in 2009. Fergie gained plaudits last year for winning a remarkable 12th league title with United, and for reaching the Champions League Final for the third time in four seasons. He side also had decent runs in both The FA Cup and Carling Cup. The legendary Scot is the 2/1 favourite to retain the LMA award and win it for an unprecedented fourth time. However, you feel that in order to do this, he will not only have to win yet another Premier League trophy but go one better than last year and win the Champions League, both of which are harder said than done, even for a club like United and a manager of Ferguson's expertise.
At 7/2 the new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is also in the running, as is Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini at 5/1. Although he is desperate to distance himself from comparisons to Jose Mourinho, Villas-Boas would love to repeat The Special One's achievements at Chelsea, and what a statement it would be if he was to guide Chelsea to their fourth Premier League crown in eight years. However, we all know it is the Champions League that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich craves, although a trophy of any means will be a confidence booster for Villas-Boas and will be well recieved by the Chelsea faithful. Following their impressive third place league finish and FA Cup win last season, Man City are finally looking like a force to contend with, and they will certainly be major contenders in all competitions in the 2011/12 season. If Mancini can guide his troops to Premier League glory then the award would most certainly be his.
Outside of the major contenders for the award, available at a temping 14/1 each are the Premier League new boys Neil Warnock, Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert. In the past, Reading and Wigan Athletic have enjoyed fantastic first season's in England's top flight following their respective promotions from the Championship, and the three new promoted club's will be looking to follow in their lead. They will also take inspiration from the fantastic starts from Hull and Blackpool in recent years. If Warnock, Rodgers or Lambert can masterclass a top ten finish and perhaps string together a decent run in one of the domestic cup competitions, then they can count themselves as real contenders for the award.
Elsewhere, under pressure Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is priced at 8/1 and Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is available at 10/1.
2012 LMA Manager of the Year Outright Betting - correct as of 14/07/2011
