Yeah I don't get the facepalm. All H!P groups have managers. Seperate managers at that, despite all being produced by Tsunku. In actuality people give Tsunku way too much credit for things. He has final approval on some things, but concepts etc often come from the team behind each group.
Give the girls credit for approving the CD cover design? I'm sure that wasn't his point, because only an idiot would be trying to make a stupid ass point like that.
I think the point is that the mangers aren't the ones to usually have a say in jacket designs.
Its usually done by someone from UpFront Promotions obviously, Tsunku doesn't get himself involved much in it either with the exception recently being the Help Me covers. To say that the girls, or their manager chose it for them would be wrong, as it would be decided by someone else within UFP.