Talk sport Strachan interview (41 Viewers)

[clint van damme]

I liked Strachan, still do tbh. He got loads wrong and ultimately was at the helm when we fell through the inevitable trap door, but I had many good times watching his teams and the one thing he never deviated from was being honest and forthright. You might not like or agree with what he said, but a true professional, ethically sound and a decent guy. I think it was all a bit too much for him in the end and the right decision to move him on, but a good football man who cared.

I actually think, mainly in hindsight, that we shouldn't have sacked him when we did.

But it had been that long since we'd been in the 2nd division/1st division/ Championship that no one understood it and there were a few knee jerk decisions made when maybe a deep breath was what was called for.

Good interview with him there though.

 

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[Frankly_Mr_Shankly]

Remember that game where Hedman got injured and he refused to take him off in spite of the fact he could barely walk. Stubborn is exactly the word - and quite condescending towards the fans too from what I can recall.

Kirkland was on the bench from what
I remember

 

[Joy Division]

Well done, but you didn't answer my question are Gary McCallister and Robbie Keane duds?

Point being, he didn't just sign 2 players.

 

[Shannerz]

It is not my era so cannot comment, but has time and hindsight been kind to Strachan's stint as manager?

Yes and no.

He took us down, but we lost our best players and didn't replace them adequately; I don't know how much of that was on him.

Prior to that, his teams played some brilliant football, but there's still the nagging doubt that they underachieved. The most obvious example is the team with Keane , McAllister, Hadji and Chippo which contrived not to win away all season. How?

Defence often crap, and he had favourites; Paul Williams was a lackadaisical clogger yet was constantly picked. Why? Dublin and Huckerby up front but Shaw and Williams at the back is not a very well-balanced team.

So, we played great football with some great players, but could it have been better? Possibly.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

Point being, he didn't just sign 2 players.

You just can't bring yourself to say can you.

 

[rob9872]

Darren Huckerby
Gary Breen
Magnus Hedman
Roland Nilsson
George Boateng
Steve Froggatt
Mo Konjic
Youssef Chippo
Mustapha Hadji
John Hartson

I would suggest his success rate was much better than dud after dud!

Can add Whelan to that too. Signed under Ron, but only because he knew Strachan was taking over and persuaded from the Leeds connection.

 

[rob9872]

You just can't bring yourself to say can you.

I think it's because he knows that you'll tear him apart again

 

[Joy Division]

You just can't bring yourself to say can you.

They were good players. He signed some great players for us, and he also bought a lot of incredibly shit ones. You just can't bring yourself to say that can you.

 

[Travs]

Presided over my favourite era as a fan. So i'm biased, but i thought he was great. Was sad that it ended badly.

Absolutely brilliant as a player/player-manager

 

[lord_garrincha]

I'm sure he's at Christ the king in the next week or so doing an appearance . Strachan not Simon Jordan

He's there on the 1st May... It was meant to be when we played Blackburn... but he pulled out of it in March as he remembered it was his wife's birthday!!! But I'm sure it would have been postponed once the fixtures where done for TV.

Which he mentions in the interview about one of his grandkids going up to the match.

 

[Shannerz]

They were good players. He signed some great players for us, and he also bought a lot of incredibly shit ones. You just can't bring yourself to say that can you.

Most of the duds were fringe players.

The really bad one was Bellamy.

No fault of Bellamy's really, as he was extremely inexperienced, had spent the previous season injured, and to cap it off, wasn't the even the right type of player for what we needed. He was expected to be another Robbie Keane, and he just wasn't.

 

[wingy]

Runar Normann
Jairo Martinez
Yzrael Zuniga
Colin Hendry
Jean-Guy Walleme
Laurent Delorge
Craig Bellamy
Ivan Gurrerro
Keith O'Neill

Some but not all them, South Americans were something for Richardson's trips over, IMO

 

[Moff]

I think it was all a bit too much for him in the end and the right decision to move him on, but a good football man who cared.

Just quoted your last paragraph Rob as I recall him sprinting down the tunnel in his last game before he resigned after a loss at home to the mighty Grimsby….and before the crowd could get to him!

 

[Joy Division]

Most of the duds were fringe players.

The really bad one was Bellamy.

No fault of Bellamy's really, as he was extremely inexperienced, had spent the previous season injured, and to cap it off, wasn't the even the right type of player for what we needed. He was expected to be another Robbie Keane, and he just wasn't.

They were fringe players but some significant money were spent on them at the time I recall. His quote at the time of signing Runar Norman for over a million was an indicator of the disjointed way we were being run at the time.

 

[Sky Blue Wozza]

I don’t mind Strachan. As others have said, the 97/98 and (early) 99/00 campaigns were some of favourite times as a City fan. The FA cup defeat against Charlton in 2000 was where the rot set in, and he was too stubborn or not talented enough to stop it.

Peak-Strachan was from the 3-2 Man U game at Christmas 97, up until Dublin’s head was turned. Turned every week thinking we would win (and invariably did) and it’s not until recent times has that feeling ever come back!