Actually, from a professional users point of view, having to use it as home base, it really IS that bad. The level of investment in the actual aviation related infrastructure is nowhere near what it should be for the size of airport and its supposed international standing.
Professionally speaking, STN is much better, although I don't visit that often. MAN has one of the most ridiculous taxi-route structures anywhere.
As I said, they put more store in retail than anything else. We went 9 months in T1 with hoardings up airside. On the side of the hoardings were signs telling us that the disturbance was due to security improvements - The result - A NEW BAR???
Up against Changi/ Vancouver or EVEN Cancun, the airport is embarrassing.