David Smith-What Went Wrong? (1 Viewer)

Ring Of Steel

Well-Known Member
They were abject weren't they?!? Even Ray Woods looked alright. Love the bit of skill by Borrows to set one up, though. He should have played for England too!

I think Oggy, Borrows, Peake & Emerson could have been internationals... that 88/89 season was also the season of David Speedie having a personal ‘chip of the season’ competition with himself, Wimbledon was the best
 

Ring Of Steel

Well-Known Member
Ray Woods... good game against us for Wigan which had more to do with us being awful that day, Butcher immediately runs out and signs him..

Aside from Peter Atherton I don’t recall a single good signing by Butcher... Rosario was a disaster until Gould converted him from a target man to a provider & it didn’t take a genius to identify Kenny Sansom as a good player.
 

Nonleagueherewecome

Well-Known Member
Ray Woods... good game against us for Wigan which had more to do with us being awful that day, Butcher immediately runs out and signs him..

Aside from Peter Atherton I don’t recall a single good signing by Butcher... Rosario was a disaster until Gould converted him from a target man to a provider & it didn’t take a genius to identify Kenny Sansom as a good player.

Yeah Atherton was a gem of a signing but had been doing really well for Wigan for some time, so not a shock that he made the step up so assuredly. My dad didn't rate Sansom that highly in his spell for us but I thought he was very decent-didn't have the legs anymore obviously but still a good reader of the game with a quality ball on him. Probably the one case of Butcher using his connections for good.
 

mds

Well-Known Member
Sillets biggest gaff along side signing Drinkell
There was no bigger gaff, signing the best goalscorer in scotland at that moment in time who was absolute guff anywhere other than Scotland, and its not like he didnt miss chances either he had............ahh fk it!
 

mds

Well-Known Member
Rosario was a disaster until Gould converted him from a target man to a provider
He wasnt a disaster tho was he, it was a general malaise, you could of picked any of that team\squad put them elsewhere and they would perform, Rosario flitted from MF to AM to CF and his best games always came as a midfileder whether attacking or not, being asked to play in the role he was signed to was a complete and utter, yep take it back, disaster!
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
I’m going to risk the wrath of supporters on here and say John Sillett was not the great manager people say he was, of course he is credited and trumpeted and rightly so for our cup win and for a while we were a very good team, Sillett forte was coaching, managing is different and in that department he wasn’t that good. Made a lot of poor big money signings and stuck too long with players who needed replacing imo.

Regarding David Smith he was a very talented skilful winger, never in a million years a defender. Downes should have been replaced with a stronger, tougher player straight after the cup-final which would of allowed young Smithy when he got in the side the time and space for his skills and not expecting him to become cover for a dodgy left back
 
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rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
There was no bigger gaff, signing the best goalscorer in scotland at that moment in time who was absolute guff anywhere other than Scotland, and its not like he didnt miss chances either he had............ahh fk it!
Regarding the signing of Kevin Drinkel, we had two others in the frame John Aldrich who was playing in Spain and Nial Quinn, in fairness at the time Drinkell was scoring for fun at Rangers and had done so at Norwich and he scored 4 in his first six games here then the wheels came off big time
 

Terry_dactyl

Well-Known Member
While I'm here, special mention for Micky Gynn-11 goals from midfield in the 90-91 season at that level. He was immense.

Now there was a player. IMO should’ve had far more recognition than he got. Like Peake and Borrows, and mcgrath (pre injury) was playing for the ‘wrong club’. Stick him in a more fashionable side and I’m sure he’d have got rave reviews. As it is it seemed people used to just go on about his height. Absolute quality.
 

Adge

Well-Known Member
Trouble with Smith is he was left in the team too long and the rot then set in. Should have been a bit more protected if you like and taken out of the firing line.
Talking of Butcher and his signings wasn’t it him who signed the abysmal Andy Pearce?
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
Odd seeing the fences at HR again.
 

rob9872

Well-Known Member
Nice guy, incredibly intelligent too. A bit too much of a fairy or could have been better. Certainly skillful enough but heart and desire lacking. Was best mates with Livvo and movedo to same team. Was still on Grimsby staff last I heard of him don't know if he still is.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
He wasnt a disaster tho was he, it was a general malaise, you could of picked any of that team\squad put them elsewhere and they would perform, Rosario flitted from MF to AM to CF and his best games always came as a midfileder whether attacking or not, being asked to play in the role he was signed to was a complete and utter, yep take it back, disaster!
That MF role really suited him
Very powerful driving with the ball from there
Reminds me of a very talented Paul Warhurst.
 

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