Chelsea’s Antonio Conte wins LMA Manager of the Year

Antonio Conte was named Manager of the Year by the League Managers Association in recognition of his title-winning first season as Chelsea head coach, at their 25th annual awards dinner on Monday night.

Conte led the Blues, who finished 10th last campaign, to the Premier League title and this weekend’s FA Cup final during his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea claimed a Premier League-record 30 victories under the stewardship of Conte, including 13 in a row from Oct. 1, to finish seven points ahead of second-placed Tottenham.
The Italian becomes only the third non-British winner of the prestigious award after Claudio Ranieri was honoured for guiding Leicester to the title last year and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger claimed the accolade in 2002 and 2004.
Conte, also voted Premier League Manager of the Year, is the second Italian boss in two years to win the Premier League following the Foxes’ triumph.

The Championship award went to Chris Hughton for the second year running, after he led Brighton to England’s top flight.

The 58-year-old ensured the Seagulls responded to last season’s disappointment, when they lost in the play-offs to Sheffield Wednesday, by securing automatic promotion alongside his former club Newcastle.

Chris Wilder was also honoured for the second time is as many years, winning the trophy for League One Manager of the Year after he capped a superb first season in charge of Sheffield United with a top-of-the-table finish and an impressive 100 points.

Wilder was recognised for his achievements in the fourth tier at the end of last season when he guided Northampton to the title before announcing his departure from the Cobblers to join the Blades.

Paul Cook was voted the LMA League Two Manager of the Year after leading newly-promoted Portsmouth to title glory.

The LMA marked their 50th Manager of the Year award with the presentation of the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy to “the manager who has made the greatest use of the resources available in the current campaign.”

Leicester’s Vardy wins November award

 

Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy has been named November’s Premier League Player of the Month.

Vardy wins the accolade for the second successive time after sealing October’s prize, having continued his scoring run in consecutive games to break Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record and extend it to 11 matches.

 

The 28-year-old forward, who recently made his England debut, has been in superb form this season with 14 goals in all competitions.

Vardy has beaten fellow England forwards Harry Kane and Ross Barkley to his prize, as well as Troy Deeney, Romelu Lukaku and Dejan Lovren.

Ranieri wins November award

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has been named November’s Premier League Manager of the Month.

Ranieri took Leicester back to the top of the Premier League with victory over Swansea last weekend a position they hit during an impressive unbeaten November which saw them record wins away to Newcastle, at home to Watford, and a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
The award will boost the Italian further ahead of his first Premier League clash with former club Chelsea, from whom he was sacked in 2004, on Monday evening.

Ranieri was up against Jurgen Klopp, who had been on a run of four straight wins with Liverpool, Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino and Everton boss Roberto Martinez.

Wenger wins Barclays Manager Of The Month

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been named the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for October.

Wenger led his side to four wins from four games in October to claim his 15th monthly prize in England.

Arsenal netted 11 goals in those four games, conceding just once.

The Gunners defeated United and Swansea in comfortable 3-0 victories.

Watford also had no response when they were beaten by a three-goal margin at Vicarage Road while Everton fell to a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

He beat off competition from Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri and City’s Manuel Pellegrini.

Wenger is the Premier League’s second-most successful manager of all time when it comes to the monthly awards, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s record of 27 prizes the only one to better the Frenchman (15).

David Moyes, who was sacked by La Liga side Real Sociedad on Monday, sits third on 10 while Harry Redknapp and Martin O’Neill have eight each. Wenger’s great rival Jose Mourinho has three.

“It is always good because it just reminds you that – especially after a defeat like we had on Wednesday night [5-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich] – we have not done too badly in the last month,” Wenger said.

“You worry as well about maintaining the run for coming months. That is what we want to do always.”

When asked about that emphatic victory over United, Wenger added: “That was the highlight because there are very few matches in your life where it all clicks perfectly in the first 20 minutes and that is one of the games.

“We had a difficult start against West Ham and after that we have responded very well and are now on a good run. Our target of course is to maintain it.”