The award seems to follow the premiership title around gamely. It can usually be found in Manchester, whilst sometimes popping out of the office for a brief spell in London. Only once, when awarded to George Burley in 2001, has it ever been awarded to a manager who has not won the league. But, maybe this year it should end up on Merseyside regardless.
That David Moyes goes into the international break with his team sitting comfortably in 6th position - honing in on those above them and safe from the threat of those below them - represents a superb achievement. Given the obstacles which he and his Everton team have overcome this year, his is the outstanding managerial performance of 2008-09.
Whilst moaning about injuries is to an extent justified, a not inconsiderable part of a manager's job is learning to cope with them. Injuries are a certainty for every manager, each season, and Moyes deserves credit for how he has dealt with more than his fair share.
Yakubu, Everton's main threat, hasn't kicked a ball since November. The same is true of youngster James Vaughan, while Victor Anichebe joined them on the injury list in February and will not return this season. Louis Saha is Louis Saha and consequently Moyes has entered into a number of games without any fit strikers. This is not been evident in their impressively consistent results.
For a start, Moyes has negated the need to score an excess of goals by constructing an organised and efficient defence and midfield platform. His is a first team littered with reliable bargains, players who with the benefit of hindsight we can deduce he paid well under the odds for.
The likes of Lescott, Jagielka, Pienaar, Arteta and Howard were not unknowns before donning the Everton blue, but all have risen to heights higher than fans dared dream and their transfer fees suggested at time of purchase. The ability to acquire players for half their monetary value has enabled Moyes to infuse his squad with quality youngsters, such as Dan Gosling and the particularly outstanding Jack Rodwell, and the odd player of considerable expense, like Marouane Fellaini.
Everton's transfer policy and spirit is best summed up by Tim Cahill. Everton's man for any occasion has proved equally at home ghosting late into danger areas to score crucial goals in big games as he has filling in up front in the absence of strikers. Moyes has hinted he's a player of the season candidate, but in truth his chances probably mirror his manager's.
Understandably, when choosing the award's recipient in the past, the FA have favoured a direct correlation between a manager's achievements and silverware. Therefore, winning the FA cup is likely to be the only factor to give Moyes a realistic chance. But, with the odds against him, he's moulded a team that is very hard to beat, irrespective of goings on at Wembley.
Tellingly, Moyes has twice received the League Managers Association Manager of the Year award, in 2003 and 2005, the year he guided Everton to the fourth Champions League spot, at the expense of Liverpool. Such acclaim is unlikely to be matched by the FA in May, though his case, in a year in which all the big guns have struggled to assert themselves, is strong.
In all probability another Scot, Sir Alex Ferguson will be renewing his award ownership. As thoroughly deserved as it was last year, it is hard to argue that his team have progressed this year. He essentially bought himself a 30 million pound conundrum in Dimitar Berbatov, which he has spent the season trying to solve. This has yet to be done, and in truth, an until-now unpenetrable defence and an impressive increase in percentage of possesion have kept them ahead of a faltering pack. They are likely to taste league success, maybe even European too, but they have failed to convince like last season in the attacking third.
This probably says more about the Premier League's chasing pack than about United. Rafael Benitez may have enjoyed two weeks which he'll do well to better for the rest of his career, but Liverpool's recent run cannot mask a largely inconsistent and often uninspired campaign, and an unhealthy reliance on two specific players. They too may prove successful in Europe, maybe even domestically, but they have produced considerably more average displays than you would associate with a team in their position.
Similarly, Aston Villa's recent implosion should not colour an otherwise impressive season. Fans of such clubs strive for improvement, and the Villa Park faithful have certainly been treated to that, to the extent that they've forgotten the pre-Champions League contention days, as the recent booing of Gabriel Agbonlahor suggested. O'Neill deserves praise, but so too does Randy Lerner, who has supplied his manager with generous funds and a free reign to construct his masterplan.
Honourable mentions too have been merited by the managerial displays of Gianfranco Zola and Steve Bruce. Both joined their clubs in unsure times, but have replaced looming question marks of a worrying nature with ones concerning European qualification.
These are the managers of the season; ones who've exceeded all expectation. And leading that pack is David Moyes.
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