The League Managers Association holds its annual awards dinner on Tuesday, shining a spotlight on the finest achievements across men's and women's football in England. Former Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis — himself a Premier League Manager of the Season winner in 2014 — shared his thoughts with BBC Sport on who deserves recognition this campaign.

The Premier League standouts

At the top of the table, Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola will inevitably attract strong support for the divisional award after steering Arsenal and Manchester City through impressive seasons. The Premier League honour has almost always gone to the title-winning manager since the awards began in 1993, with only four exceptions in over three decades.

But Pulis argues that several managers below them deserve just as much admiration.

Keith Andrews, in his debut season as a manager, guided Brentford to the brink of European qualification — a remarkable turnaround for a club many had tipped for relegation before a ball was kicked. Andrews was even the bookmakers' favourite to be the first manager dismissed this season. Instead, the Bees came within a whisker of European football for the first time in their history.

That European place ultimately went to Bournemouth, where Andoni Iraola steered the south-coast club into the Europa League after narrowly missing out on a Champions League berth. Iraola has been in charge since 2023 and has built sustained momentum despite regularly losing key players to bigger clubs. His achievement is not a one-season wonder — it reflects three years of steady, consistent improvement.

He showed why good managers need time — Andoni did not register his first league win until the end of October after 10 attempts, but has proven that success will follow, given patience.

Championship and lower leagues

Daniel Farke demonstrated similar resilience at Leeds, steadying the ship when serious pressure mounted in late November and ultimately securing promotion back to the Premier League. Regis le Bris achieved the same feat at Sunderland, with both clubs bucking the modern expectation that promoted sides rarely survive their first season back in the top flight.

In the Championship, Coventry — under Frank Lampard — claimed the title with a consistently strong campaign across a gruelling season, while Ipswich earned automatic promotion as favourites. Kieran McKenna has now achieved three promotions in four years at Ipswich, though Pulis noted that his Premier League relegation last time around remains his sharpest test, with the question being whether he has learned from it.

Further down the pyramid, Andy Woodman's Bromley produced one of the stories of the season in League Two, going 21 games unbeaten between December and March before claiming the title outright. Paul Warne at MK Dons and Neil Harris at Cambridge United also delivered outstanding campaigns worthy of recognition.

A division up, Michael Skubala's Lincoln City impressed many, with the Imps now preparing for Championship football. Brian Barry-Murphy's Cardiff were also widely praised, though Lincoln's rise came as a genuine surprise.

A broader reflection

Pulis used the occasion to reflect on the increasing instability facing managers at every level. What was once an October sacking season has extended into January and the end of the campaign, creating a climate where instant results are demanded and long-term thinking is rare.

The overall LMA Manager of the Year award has, in its 33-year history, been handed to a manager from outside the top division on seven occasions — a reminder that over-achievement at any level of the game merits genuine recognition.

For those managers keeping their seats heading into next season, Pulis offered a simple message: take a breath, because the same cycle of pressure, emotion, and uncertainty begins again immediately.