1978-79 | The self-implosion of Manchester City

Stiff Little Wingers said:
It really was a game changer of a season. Disaster show from Allison although at the time it was exciting to a young teenage boy.
We shouldn't forget the pretext to that season in that we lost my favourite player in Tueart and had not replaced King Colin at all. These were big mistakes given we had a shitload of cash. Basically Book/Swales decided Barnes could replace Tueart but, fabulous as Barnsey was, he couldn't replace Tueart s goals or ability to roam around the pitch. Of course watching the 2 of them together was great and has given many memories. Again, for some reason nothing was worked out to replace Colin Bell, despite one or 2 transfer misses. Book/Swales should have known that after he missed the 76_77 season he wasn't coming back anywhere near what he was (despite that golden Boxing Day comeback and the couple of months after) - the goals were gone and for me despite everything else, the number of goals he scored (without pens or free kicks) was incredible. Approx 150 in 450 games. In our current great squad, who could match that? Phil perhaps. We also had lost Mike Doyle and his leadership.
So, by 78-79, the team was already in decline although not a dramatic one. Instead of a top 2-3 team, I think we were a top 6-8 team - still an awful lot of quality players but the new players (Futchers) didn't make a huge impact. I remember Bolton away (2-2), missed WBA at home (2-2) and Owens 2 pens v Coventry and felt we were doing okay, playing nicely. For me it was that sequence of losing 2-1 at home in 3 consecutive games to Soton, Derby and Ipswich that just sapped form, confidence and goals. It was a mixture of bad luck (Clements broke his leg) and just playing crap.
There's no doubt Swales panicked and part through his own ego, part through his stupidity, he brought Allison back. Basically, he panicked because of a poor 6 weeks but he didn't take into account the players we had lost and not replaced (as I said in the pretext). He could have waited and either used the market better and/or found a top manager. Instead he brought back Malcom who was intent on feeding his own ego and creating his own history with another great team a decade after his first. In hindsight it was a purge that was appalling in that we sold seasoned, quality players for relatively low fees and bought a load of players crazily overpriced. Did we really buy Bobby Shinton with what we received for Watson and Kidd?
The disaster was not just the selling and buying it the fact that we had some good players under Alison who would have hugely benefitted from who we already had. For example, what about Caton playing with Watson or Dave Bennett/ Roger Palmer learning from Kiddo etc
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A very good summary.
No doubt the team needed refreshing but the wanton fire sale of proven international players for expensive replacements like Stepanovic, Robinson, Silkman, Reeves, Daley, Shinton and Mackenzie remains a colossal error of judgement. As Bond said when he arrived at City, he inherited a huge squad but there wasn't one left back among it.
 
LongsightM13 said:
I know older blues love them but Malcolm Allison and Peter Swales destroyed this club for decades. End of
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Who loved Peter Swales? I started watching City in 65/66 season, I couldn't stand the posing twat when he became chairman with his wig, cuban heels, big cigars and his delusions of grandeur. He was also notorious for not keeping promises, in his interview after appointing Ron Saunders he said he was so confident about Saunders succeeding that "if he fails, I'll resign". Needless to say he didn't.

I wanted Allison to succeed when he returned but I knew he hadn't made a decent fist of management the first time around in 1972/73 so I had my doubts, rightly so as it turned out.
 
stan bowles said:
A very good summary.
No doubt the team needed refreshing but the wanton fire sale of proven international players for expensive replacements like Stepanovic, Robinson, Silkman, Reeves, Daley, Shinton and Mackenzie remains a colossal error of judgement. As Bond said when he arrived at City, he inherited a huge squad but there wasn't one left back among it.
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Agree with most if that, in particular Dennis Tueart was a magnificent footballer and decades ahead of his time.
Although nominally a winger he was actually a wide striker.
He could run, finish and head the ball as well as most centre forwards.
He basically invented the wide striker role that Salah and, when he was on form, Sterling, have made their own
 
lancs blue said:
Who loved Peter Swales? I started watching City in 65/66 season, I couldn't stand the posing twat when he became chairman with his wig, cuban heels, big cigars and his delusions of grandeur. He was also notorious for not keeping promises, in his interview after appointing Ron Saunders he said he was so confident about Saunders succeeding that "if he fails, I'll resign". Needless to say he didn't.

I wanted Allison to succeed when he returned but I knew he hadn't made a decent fist of management the first time around in 1972/73 so I had my doubts, rightly so as it turned out.
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Loads look back on him with fond nostalgia. You can buy PJS memorabilia.
Have you been living in a cave up there in Lancashire?
 
lancs blue said:
Do you mean Shredded Wheat, that's the only PJS memorabilia I can think of.
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A Swales signed programme went for £350 at auction the other week
Edit: Tbf it was an England rather than City programme that sold for big bucks.
That this walking disaster was in charge of appointing England managers when he couldn’t find a decent one for his club says it all
 
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