Was Alan Ball as bad as people remember?

He replaced a popular Hart with a clown like Bravo and ended the season trophyless. Ederson was then brought in. Whilst it’s worked, Pep got away with that one because he was Pep. It was his worst season as a manager.

*sniff,sniff* somethings not quite right
 
Clark was on an upward trajectory as a manager when he joined us. We were a graveyard to so many coaches who joined us with promises of money to spend that didn't materialise.

Clarke did eventually get money - and he didn’t spend it well.
 
He replaced a popular Hart with a clown like Bravo and ended the season trophyless. Ederson was then brought in. Whilst it’s worked, Pep got away with that one because he was Pep. It was his worst season as a manager.
Hart was replaced by Willy Caballero.Bravo came into the side a few matches in.Replacing Willy against the rags.
 
He replaced a popular Hart with a clown like Bravo and ended the season trophyless. Ederson was then brought in. Whilst it’s worked, Pep got away with that one because he was Pep. It was his worst season as a manager.

Bravo is not a clown.

Hart's fall from grace had started and has continued, unfortunately, but what was immediately clear was that he wasn't going to be able to adapt to Pep's way of playing.

From around the January time in Pep's first season, with Bravo in goal, the pieces had started to click into place and the direction of travel was clear. We were extremely unfortunate to lose an FA Cup semi-final.

I repeat Pep didn't get away with anything. Pep was recruited by people who had a plan, know what they are doing, and knew who they had recruited - the best (head) football coach in the game. A very different situation to the days of Alan Ball.
 
Clark was on an upward trajectory as a manager when he joined us. We were a graveyard to so many coaches who joined us with promises of money to spend that didn't materialise.
Did we ever get to the bottom of the mysterious 5th column Clark referred to when leaving. I remember being happy with his appointment at the time but that didnt last long. Spending big money on Bradbury prpbably didnt help him and Royle inherited a huge squad with limited quality.
 
Some managers/players just don't work out, they do a good job at one place and move somewhere else and for whatever reason they aren't successful. What is remarkable about Ball is how universally unsuccessful he was to historic proportions Exeter, Stoke, Blackpool and City all ended up in their lowest league position ever, during or shortly after his time with the club and indeed that excludes Portsmouth that he also took down multiple times!!! but for a last-day victory at Liverpool, he would have taken Southampton down too.
 

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