Bagso,
Yes, BHX and EDI have done well, as has MAN, but, to suggest MAN is not the 'go to' airport and grimace at that is unrealistic.
Firstly, no, MAN is not the 'go to' airport outside of London, that is a role shared across the UK. Each airline will have its needs, and as much as you may dislike it, MAN is not going to fulfill the need of every airline.
Secondly, BHX and EDI may have shouted louder and got the headlines, but, it doesn't mean MAN has done less, or not as well as BHX/EDI.
Let's not forget, of all the new airlines BHX gained in the last year, only 3 remain absent from MAN (wizz, Blue Air and CSA), and of all the destinations BHX gained, as far as I'm aware, only Poznan, Katowice and Bucharest are not already served on MAN).
In terms of EDI, it's a similar story but I confess I haven't kept up to date with all of their new routes.
This may seem a downer on BHX as they truly have done a fantastic job, but, while BHX has been filling the 'obvious' gaps like Budapest, Madrid, JFK, Lisbon and Prague, MAN has had them in the bag for a while and been busy getting the 'niche' routes like Nuremburg, Brindisi, Tivat, Marseille, Porto and long haul like Boston, Los Angeles, Beijing and Phuket.
That's not to be sniffed at. It's harder to build a business case for the smaller routes than the 'obvious' ones, as not only are you proving the market, but likely dent the transfer routes too.
Just my 2 cents of course.