On the face of it...
We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.
The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.
So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.
Personally (and I suspect most people now, as I recall there were a few calls of discontent at the time starting to surface however), given what we'd had before, I'd have said Sillett deserved a blip or two. It is indeed a bit like Charlton with Curbishley though - a manager who'd done so well the fans almost started to take their place for granted.
Or indeed the Arsenal fans who want them to get rid of Wenger.
I guess it's human nature to always want to push on "to the next level", but to do that with a guy who was a novice at managerial level did strike me as a bit of a gamble at the time.
Yeah, that was poor.
To ramp it up, the worst managerial decision we made in recent times wasn't sacking Nilsson (the way we fell away first season down was criminal) but replacing him with someone completely untested.
On the face of it...
We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.
The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.
So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.
On the face of it...
We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.
The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.
So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.
Personally (and I suspect most people now, as I recall there were a few calls of discontent at the time starting to surface however), given what we'd had before, I'd have said Sillett deserved a blip or two. It is indeed a bit like Charlton with Curbishley though - a manager who'd done so well the fans almost started to take their place for granted.
Was he really here that long after relegation from the premiership? My memory is terrible. I didn't think he stayed until end of the first championship season
We got stuffed by Liverpool in the last game of the season before his departure and fans started to turn.
Sillett undid himself a bit because of his joker image but it belied a serious and shrewd tactician at management level. Read how Regis praises his him for transforming his career after the hapless Gould years.
I believe he was starting to believe his time was up but the real crime was not keeping him on as an ambassador to the club in a Director of Football capacity. He had the passion Gould shared but unlike the buffoon Gould he also had knowledge and ability.
I know we've had the debate before but I do believe that butcher was not the target and ended up as the second choice. Either way the club was set back to where it was under Gould. Desperate strugglers which turned full circle when the useless Caladon Kid returned to replace the man who butchered all of Silletts hard work.
The problem with Butcher's reign as well, was he could spot a player (Atherton, Furlong had an OK career in the end, Robson weren't bad for free) but because the system had been set up so Peake and Regis were due to succeed Sillett when the time was due, they were shuffled on ASAP, where they could have been fantastic mentors around the place. Ironically, they could have helped Butcher learn his trade as well.
Gould... not being old enough to remember his first spell, I find it a bit harsh in that after Don Howe, I was convinced we were down the next season. Sure, it was a journey and a half, but we did become fun to watch and we scored goals again under him in his second spell. I won't begrudge him that.
Anyway, I now have to ask who you thought was first choice ahead of Butcher, and why you think that...
If I remember correctly am sure Souness was the original target but he got whiff of the Rangers job. As a consequence the board went for Butcher instead.
The real tragedy was the way Butcher got rid of Regis Peake and McGrath. Players who all commanded more respect within the club than he could ever manage.
He got the Rangers job way before that.
We did approach him to be player-coach under Don Mackay and he refused, preferring the Rangers gig then...
He got the Rangers job way before that.
We did approach him to be player-coach under Don Mackay and he refused, preferring the Rangers gig then...
He was identified as player manager as a return to Division 1 and turned it down at the last minute and stayed with Rangers. Butcher was the consolation prize.
Terry Bly
When we signed him from Peterborough in 1962, he was a real Wow-factor-signing. But we got rid of him after just 32 games because he had only scored 25 goals. I thought that was a mistake at the time - but not for long!
Blimey really makes me glad I'm not young!
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?