Were the Late Anglo-Saxon Lords any better than the Normans? That question can be argued both pro and con.
I think the Normans were pretty brutal efficient killing machines. The Anglo-Saxons probably lacked the organizational skills of the Normans.
Like I said, they cleaned out the Muslims in Sicily and southern Italy - no mean task even back then, based on the problems we're having in the Middle East. Its amazing what lopping off enough heads and slashing apart in combat can accomplish. Perhaps we should consider emulating their methods.