Lawrence Scoops FLC Manager Award

Pre-Bald Lennie!
By Chris O'Brien
February 5 2005

Lennie Lawrence has been named Football League Championship manager of the month for January. It's amazing to think only 4 weeks ago, over 90% of supporters voted in a poll saying they wanted the 57-year-old out of a job.

Football League Championship Manager of the Month January 2005 - Lennie Lawrence

The Football League's decision to hand Lennie Lawrence the manager of the month award for January marks an amazing 31 days of contrast for the under-fire Bluebirds boss.

2004 was a poor year for an ambitious Cardiff. Finishing 13th in our first season in England's second flight for 18 years may seem more than respectable, but after a start to the season that promised play-off ambitions it failed to match expectations. The new season started poorly and only now are the Bluebirds looking to pull away from the threat of relegation.

2005 has promised so much more. City remain unbeaten in the league, pushed Blackburn Rovers all the way in the F.A Cup and are starting to play as a unit, fearing nobody. A shocking display at Vicarage Road where Cardiff were so lucky tog et a point ended last year. It began with a great win at Derby, in a month where the Bluebirds took seven vital Championship points from four games. This real boost to league proceedings overshadowed F.A and F.A.W Premier Cup disappointments.

"I'm pleased to have got this, it shows the progress we've made in the last few months," said Lawrence, who beat Leicester's Craig Levein, Brighton's Mark McGhee and Preston North End's Billy Davies to the award.

"Usually when a manager gets given the award his side loses the next match, but we are going to West Ham on Sunday with plenty of confidence."

City travel to the Boleyn knowing that victory, albeit as underdogs, would lift them eight points above of the relegation safety. A tough month is ahead with a trip to Sunderland to come with home games against Brighton and Millwall sandwiched between Sunday's game and the trip to the Stadium of Light. C'mon City!