Neil Lennon v Tony Mowbray: who would you regard as the superior Hibs manager?

**CathroMustStay** · 07-10-2018 08:00 PM

Yesterday's annihilation of Hamilton was Lenny's 108th game as our manager. It turns out that figure is also the number of games Mogga presided over at Easter Road.

Neil Lennon's current record = P108 W56 (51.9%) D34 (31.5%) L18 (16.6%)

Tony Mowbray's record = P108 W52 (48.1%) D16 (14.9%) L40 (37.0%)

There are various factors to consider. League finishes. Lenny's first season being in the 2nd tier. The context of how strong Scottish football is today in comparison to 2004-06. Youth development. Transfers. Cup records. Derby records. European records.

Tough call but I reckon Lenny edges it, although I think it would be fair to argue that we need a top 3 finish this season for that opinion to be justified.

**~~cleanyman~~** · 07-10-2018 08:01 PM

Tony Mowbray is a bum compared to Lenny

***easty*** · 07-10-2018 08:06 PM

100% Neil Lennon

**DH1875** · 07-10-2018 08:07 PM

Neil Lennon and its not even close.

***Keyser Sauzee*** · 07-10-2018 08:09 PM

I’d prefer Efe tbh

**~~Fife-Hibee~~** · 07-10-2018 08:10 PM

When we turned up, the football under Mowbray was second to none. We just didn't turn up as often as we should have. Plenty of games we lost that we should have won, as well as a number of hammerings that are best forgotten about.

Now we're winning more games, drawing more games and losing less games. The football isn't always top notch, but we have a grind about us that makes us very hard to beat.

When it comes to tallying up the points at the end of the season, those couple of extra wins combined with all those extra draws makes all the difference.

**~~cleanyman~~** · 07-10-2018 08:10 PM

We need a fair comparison

Frank vs Terry

**~~BullsCloseHibs~~** · 07-10-2018 08:10 PM

There is no debate here. Neil Lennon all day long.

***blackpoolhibs*** · 07-10-2018 08:11 PM

I have to say the first season of Mowbray's tenure was as good a season as i'd seen from us in a long time.

The way he brought on the kids and supplemented them with some astute signings was brilliant, those were exciting times for us.

This is different under Lennon, we have a manager that is building a team, a more grown up team if you know what i mean.

Some very good signings on decent length contracts, and a solid spine, and he's also giving youth a chance with Porteous and Shaw figuring.

I hope Lennon goes on to top anything Mowbray did.

**hibsbollah** · 07-10-2018 08:16 PM

Mowbray didn't have Dempster. Which muddies the comparison a bit. The relationship between a chairman and manager is the most important relationship in a football club. For what its worth, Mowbrays team, when it clicked, was like a dream to watch, and was the best ive ever seen us play. Lennons team is equally as good, and is also much more clinical at times, but Neil has a better environment in which to work.

**ancient hibee** · 07-10-2018 08:20 PM

Mowbray’s team was very good but he had no idea what makes a good goalie.Whereas Lennon?

hfc rd · 07-10-2018 08:24 PM

Neil Lennon. Not even close.

He’s the best Hibs manager in my lifetime and I really hope he is still here for as long as possible!

***jacomo*** · 07-10-2018 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by hibsbollah

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Mowbray didn't have Dempster. Which muddies the comparison a bit. The relationship between a chairman and manager is the most important relationship in a football club. For what its worth, Mowbrays team, when it clicked, was like a dream to watch, and was the best ive ever seen us play. Lennons team is equally as good, and is also much more clinical at times, but Neil has a better environment in which to work.

Context is all. I love Lenny, and he’s done better overall, but important to remember that Mowbray and Mark Venus turned things around more or less on their own, and with very limited money too.

Boozy and David Murphy were simply astonishing signings at the time.

Of course, Mowbray did have the golden generation too, which was a massive help, but they were mostly pretty raw and needed good coaching..

***oneone73*** · 07-10-2018 08:32 PM

Mowbray bottled the big games, especially Hampden, twice.

**~~IGRIGI~~** · 07-10-2018 08:32 PM

After Mowbray huddle in the middle of the pitch at ER as Celtic manager the question should be Calderwood vs Mowbray: who's the biggest ****?

***bingo70*** · 07-10-2018 08:33 PM

I’m surprised people are being so dismissive about Tony Mowbrays side. That was a class hibs team.

FWIW I think Lennon too but I don’t agree with the ‘not even close’ sentiment from this thread.

The win % are similar but Mowbray has a much smaller budget and his whole hibs career was in the top flight.

**DickieDastardly** · 07-10-2018 08:33 PM

Lennon has brought a winning mentality and hard edge that I doubt I have seen in all my years watching Hibs.

Seems to have the total respect of the players, the media and the board - no one dares cross him nor under perform.

**SMAXXA** · 07-10-2018 08:39 PM

Here’s a question they should be asking Hibs or ehhh, let’s be honest when was the last Hibs manager to leave to go onto bigger and better things that actually worked out?

Btw if I’ve got a memory blank and there is an obvious time one excuseybatuoidness excuse my stupidness.

***stantonhibby*** · 07-10-2018 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by SMAXXA

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Here’s a question they should be asking Hibs or ehhh, let’s be honest when was the last Hibs manager to leave to go onto bigger and better things that actually worked out?

Btw if I’ve got a memory blank and there is an obvious time one excuseybatuoidness excuse my stupidness.

McLeish to Rangers

**Sir David Gray** · 07-10-2018 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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I’m surprised people are being so dismissive about Tony Mowbrays side. That was a class hibs team.

FWIW I think Lennon too but I don’t agree with the ‘not even close’ sentiment from this thread.

The win % are similar but Mowbray has a much smaller budget and his whole hibs career was in the top flight.

Agreed.

I think the passage of time fades people's memories a bit.

Some of the football we played under Mowbray was outstanding and a number of the signings he made were top notch.

David Murphy and Guillaume Beuzelin were two of the best players I've ever seen at Hibs. He also helped to develop the young talent we had at the time like Scott Brown, Derek Riordan and Garry O'Connor and Steven Whittaker.

To get that team into 3rd place after we had come off a poor season under Bobby Williamson, where we had finished 8th and lost the League Cup final to an administration hit Livingston side, was no mean feat.

To put it into perspective, we haven't finished as high as that in the league table since then.

**Weststandwanab** · 07-10-2018 08:58 PM

I would not insult Mr. Lennon by even suggesting there is any comparison

***tamig*** · 07-10-2018 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by CathroMustStay

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Yesterday's annihilation of Hamilton was Lenny's 108th game as our manager. It turns out that figure is also the number of games Mogga presided over at Easter Road.

Neil Lennon's current record = P108 W56 (51.9%) D34 (31.5%) L18 (16.6%)

Tony Mowbray's record = P108 W52 (48.1%) D16 (14.9%) L40 (37.0%)

There are various factors to consider. League finishes. Lenny's first season being in the 2nd tier. The context of how strong Scottish football is today in comparison to 2004-06. Youth development. Transfers. Cup records. Derby records. European records.

Tough call but I reckon Lenny edges it, although I think it would be fair to argue that we need a top 3 finish this season for that opinion to be justified.

I don’t think Lenny edges it - he strolls it.

***lapsedhibee*** · 07-10-2018 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by SMAXXA

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Btw if I’ve got a memory blank and there is an obvious time one excuseybatuoidness excuse my stupidness.

Going to make a point of working this into as many conversations as I can. Lovely word.

***The Spaceman*** · 07-10-2018 09:12 PM

100% Lennon.

We played some nice stuff under Mowbray, but Lennon has given us a ruthlessness and a steely resolve to win on top of often being highly entertaining. Lennon has also demonstrated an ability to see a team get "dismantled" i.e. losing your three best midfielders in one window but to swiftly address the situation and maybe even strengthen the team from that point.

Favourite ever Hibs manager. He fights for us.

**Smartie** · 07-10-2018 09:13 PM

Neil Lennon. He's my favourite ever Hibs manager.

I agree with those who point out that we are doing Mowbray a bit of a disservice with some of the "not even close" comments. Lennon took a bit of time to win folk round, with us not exactly blowing the competition away in the Championship. The truth is that that is a nightmare of a league to get out of (with teams packing their defences and playing anti-football) and he got the job done.

He's really come into his own in the Premier League though.

Mowbray had it a bit tougher with the board - he'd have loved to have had some of the backing Lennon has had. His best signings (Boozy, Murphy etc) were bargain basement unknowns and he did very well to unearth them.

What both managers have done well is to improve the players who were already here. Mowbray inherited a lot of potential, but he managed to get a lot from the players and help earn them their big moves. Lennon looks to have done similar already with McGinn, McGeouch and Cummings and may well to go on and do it for a few more.

Both really good managers though, and their times at Hibs have been amongst my favourites.

**Lemonade** · 07-10-2018 09:15 PM

There is absolutely no comparison.
Lennon is streets ahead.

**Hi Heid Yin** · 07-10-2018 09:21 PM

For me, Neil Lennon is the best Hibs manager I have witnessed since Eddie Turnbull.
Mowbray brought great footie, but we always had a soft underbelly and capitulated big time far too often against Hearts. Mowbray's blind spot was goalkeepers. The howlers we endured and suffered in big games have been well documented.
Neil Lennon on the other hand has introduced not only pleasing-on-the-eye footie, but instilled grit, fight, resolve, desire, and a collective belief that Hibs can beat every team put before them, including all the SPL Big Guns. Mowbray's sides were too often beat before they walked out onto the park against The Jambos. Neil Lennon has our boys thinking the complete opposite.

**Paisley Hibby** · 07-10-2018 09:23 PM

I agree, Lennon is our best manager since Eddie Turnbull. Which probably makes him our 4th best manager of all time - just behind 1. Hugh Shaw 2. Eddie Turnbull 3. Jock Stein.

Tony Mowbray might just scrape into the top 10.