Is Pep Guardiola worthy of the manager of the year award?

Here we rank the top-flight bosses to finish the season from 1-20. Look away now Paul Lambert.

THOUGHT it was a backwards step going retro with Roy Hodgson when Crystal Palace turned to the former England boss to rescue their Premier League season.

But what a job he’s done at Selhurst Park, virtually operating the full campaign without any strikers after the extreme loss of form from Christian Benteke.

Hodgson has accomplished his mission with the minimum of fuss and give Eagles; fans high hopes for next season.

Burnley’s Sean Dyche, Rafa Benitez at Newcastle and Brighton’s Chris Hughton have also worked wonders to keep their teams out of the relegation scrap.

At the bottom Stoke’s Paul Lambert wasn’t left a good hand but just like Carlos Carvalhal at Swansea, he had plenty of time to try and plan the Great Escape.

1. Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace); 2. Sean Dyche (Burnley); 3. Rafa Benitez (Newcastle); 4. Chris Hughton (Brighton); 5. David Wagner (Huddersfield); 6. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City); 7. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool); 8. David Moyes (West Ham); 9. Eddie Howe (Bournemouth); 10. Darren Moore (West Brom); 11. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United); 12. Sam Allardyce (Everton); 13. Claude Puel (Leicester City); 14. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal); 15. Antonio Conte (Chelsea); 16. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham); 17. Mark Hughes (Southampton); 18. Javi Gracia (Watford); 19. Carlos Carvalhal (Swansea); 20. Paul Lambert (Stoke City).

NICK HARRISON

YOU can't break virtually every top-flight record and not win manager of the year, can you? Step forward Pep Guardiola.

He spent money, that's not up for debate. But knowing how and where to spend your money is a skill in itself and it's fair to say he mastered the transfer market last summer.

Pep lowered the average age of the squad considerably and added plenty of pace to go with the guile and creativity already at the Etihad. What's worrying for the rest is that this squad should only get better.

Hot on Pep's heels are the promoted trio of Rafa Benitez, Chris Hughton and David Wagner, who could go in any order, but I've plumped for the Spaniard due to his ability to cope under greater pressure and, strangely, bigger financial constraints.

Coping with pressure is why David Moyes features so highly. West Ham was not a job many were chasing given their issues, but he's eased them away from relegation impressively.

Roy Hodgson had 34 games to save Palace, meaning he's down at eight, while Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger bookend a mixed bag of managers.

Then there are those who were relegated in Carlos Carvalhal and Paul Lambert, who both gave safety a good go, with Javi Gracia in last place.

I'd be amazed if Gracia lasts beyond January next season and if many people can remember him as a former Watford boss in five years time.

1. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City); 2. Rafa Benitez (Newcastle); 3. Chris Hughton (Brighton); 4. David Wagner (Huddersfield); 5. Sean Dyche (Burnley); 6. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool); 7. David Moyes (West Ham); 8. Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace); 9. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United); 10. Eddie Howe (Bournemouth); 11. Sam Allardyce (Everton); 12. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham); 13. Mark Hughes (Southampton); 14. Claude Puel (Leicester City); 15. Antonio Conte (Chelsea); 16. Darren Moore (West Brom); 17. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal); 18. Carlos Carvalhal (Swansea City); 19. Paul Lambert (Stoke City); 20. Javi Gracia (Watford).

TOM NORRIS

SEAN DYCHE has worked wonders at Burnley.

The Clarets will be playing in the Europa League next season after finishing seventh in the Premier League, a fantastic achievement for The Turf Moor outfit.

Not one of the big spenders in the top-flight, Dyche has a squad that will work hard for each other and have a knack for grinding out results.

They don’t score many goals but Burnley are solid and it is testament to Dyche, who will continue to get linked with bigger jobs, that the Clarets have always been mid-table at worse and never relegation candidates.

Crystal Palace were tipped for the drop following a dreadful start to the season and many mocked the appointment of Roy Hodgson as manager but the former England boss has turned things around and deserves a lot of credit, as does David Moyes for leading West Ham to safety.

Brighton’s Chris Hughton and David Wagner at Huddersfield celebrated promotion to the Premier League 12 months ago and keeping their respective clubs in the division for a second season is just as much of a feat.

1. Sean Dyche (Burnley); 2. Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace); 3. Chris Hughton (Brighton); 4. David Wagner (Huddersfield); 5. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City); 6. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool); 7. David Moyes (West Ham); 8. Claude Puel (Leicester City); 9. Rafa Benitez (Newcastle); 10. Eddie Howe (Bournemouth); 11. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United); 12. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham); 13. Sam Allardyce (Everton); 14. Darren Moore (West Brom); 15. Antonio Conte (Chelsea); 16. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal); 17. Javi Gracia (Watford); 18. Mark Hughes (Southampton); 19. Carlos Carvalhal (Swansea); 20. Paul Lambert (Stoke City).

RICHARD WILLIAMS

JURGEN KLOPP deserves the accolade of manager of the year for guiding one of the most entertaining teams in English football history to the Champions League final whilst consolidating a top four finish.

Liverpool are an exciting, enthralling team to watch and Klopp has excelled in several key areas. His recruitment has been pinpoint accurate, identifying the exact players he wanted in each position and convincing the club to bring them in. Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were his key signings, but Andy Robertson, a snip at £7million in the current market, was a terrific buy. All of this having had to lose arguably his best player in January when Philippe Coutinho made for the exit.

The run to Kiev included a sensational two-legged win over arguably the best club side we’ve seen in this country in Manchester City, while Roma couldn’t handle the attacking verve at Anfield.

During all of this, a top four finish never felt in danger, a position Chelsea and Arsenal would love to have been it. He’s king of the Klopp.

1. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool); 2. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City); 3. Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace); 4. David Wagner (Huddersfield); 5. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham); 6. Rafa Benitez (Newcastle); 7. Chris Hughton (Brighton); 8. Sean Dyche (Burnley); 9. Antonio Conte (Chelsea); 10. Sam Allardyce (Everton); 11. Eddie Howe (Bournemouth); 12. Claude Puel (Leicester City); 13. Darren Moore (West Brom); 14. David Moyes (West Ham); 15. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United); 16. Mark Hughes (Southampton); 17. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal); 18. Carlos Carvalhal (Swansea); 19. Javi Gracia (Watford); 20. Paul Lambert (Stoke City).

CHARLIE CROASDALE

DAN HEALD

CRITICS will tell you Pep Guardiola’s been blessed with unprecedented financial resources to lead City to the title this season, and they’d be right.

But it would do the Catalan a huge disservice not to acknowledge that his record-breaking side have set new standards this term.

Winning in style has always been at the heart of Guardiola’s ethos, but smashing so many long-standing Premier League records is testament to the club’s domination this year.

City have been transformed into a powerhouse under Guardiola’s guidance and players flourish with his tutelage – a worthy winner.

Honourable mentions: Roy Hodgson - for confounding all expectations to keep Palace up comfortably. Rafa Benitez - for guiding a Championship-standard Newcastle squad to a mid-table finish. Shaun Dyche - for massively overachieving with a Burnley side who’ll enjoy Europa League football next term.

Darren Moore – for almost thwarting the hapless Alan Pardew’s best efforts to relegate the Baggies.

Lambert’s appointment at Stoke never felt like the right fit and predictably he was unable to save the Potters, while Carlos Carvalhal’s Swans tenure began promisingly but came up short in their crucial fixture run-in.

1. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City); 2. Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace); 3. Sean Dyche (Burnley); 4. Rafa Benitez (Newcastle); 5. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool); 6. David Moyes (West Ham); 7. Darren Moore (West Brom); 8. David Wagner (Huddersfield); 9. Chris Hughton (Brighton); 10. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham); 11. Eddie Howe (Bournemouth); 12. Sam Allardyce (Everton); 13. Mark Hughes (Southampton); 14. Javi Gracia (Watford); 15. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United); 16. Claude Puel (Leicester City); 17. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal); 18. Antonio Conte (Chelsea); 19. Carlos Carvalhal (Swansea); 20. Paul Lambert (Stoke City).