30 years of managers

DontLookBackInAnger

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I thought I would draw up a list and my thoughts on each of the managers of the last 30 years and what happened to them.

Tony Book Moved upstairs for Allison return(in hindsight poor move but welcomed at the time)
Malcolm Allison Fired 2nd from bottom of the table(stayed up got to a cup final)
Tony Book Caretaker
John Bond Quit(board kept faith with him, perhaps a little unfair on the board as the loss in form was spectacular and only in the bottom 3 after the last game of the season)
John Benson Little more than a caretaker oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced(not actually sure if he ever got the job officially, took the club down and was replaced)
Billy McNeillQuit for the Villa job(the only man to manage 2 teams that where relegated from the top flight the same year)
Jimmy FrizzellLike Benson oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced.
Mel MachinFired bottom of the league(stayed up)
Tony BookCaretaker
Howard KendallQuit for the Everton Job(after ruling himself out of the running for the England job a couple of months before)
Peter ReidFired(questionable move after 5th and 9th finishes)
Tony BookCaretaker
Brian HortonFired(again some would question the move however 2 years in the bottom 3rd will often get you fired and of course appointed by the prevous board).
Alan BallQuit(worse manager in the history of the English game(whom managed more than 1 club)
Asa HartfordCaretaker
Steve CoppellQuit(there of course have been many very odd stories of all that was happening at the club at that time, myself I think it was simply a case of money that was promised turned out to be a lie and he said fuck it)
Phil NealCaretaker
Frank ClarkFired(in the bottom 3 and relegated at the end of the season)
Joe RoyleFired(after the club being relegated from the Prem League(of course did take the club to court and won claiming that he should get a bonus for being fired while in the top flight)
Kevin KeeganQuit(might have been fired if he hadn't, but there you go, spent loads of money and took us up and kept us there)
Stuart PearceFired(maintains that he was a caretaker boss between the spending of KK and SGE perhaps a little truth to that but the brutal way that he spent the money he had doesn't win him many backers, in addition the dreadful football that the team played the last season ment that few lost any sleep when he left)
Sven-Göran ErikssonFired(perhaps the most contentous firing the club made over the last 30 years but the form 2nd half of the season and a poor Jan transfer window played a large part in that move)
Mark Hughes ???

To sum up, we have had 23 managers since April 1974 of them 5 where Caretaker Managers(an additional 2 where basically seeing out seasons) that leaves 18 full time managers 3 where moved upstairs(including the 2 long term Caretakers), 8 where fired, 2 left for other clubs 4 quit the club. Therefore, of the 8 that where fired, I think you can only make a case that 3 where PERHAPS fired unfairly(SGE, Horton, Reid). Consequently, the next time someone says we change managers too often it simply isn't true. Please, if anyone has anything to add, please do so, however I have tried to be fair as much as I can and am doing it from memory so if I have made an error please feel free to point it out.
 
I've followed the club for 30+ years and to me the sacking of Reid still rankles. I also think SGE got a raw deal and whilst MH is testing my patience I think he needs to be given til the end of January and if things don't improve significantly by then he should be gone.
 
PaleBlue said:
I've followed the club for 30+ years and to me the sacking of Reid still rankles. I also think SGE got a raw deal and whilst MH is testing my patience I think he needs to be given til the end of January and if things don't improve significantly by then he should be gone.

Thanks for the memories, unfortunately I can remember all of them. I seem to remember Peter Swales before he died said that he'd made a mistake in sacking Reid and it was his one regret he had as chairman.
 
PaleBlue said:
I've followed the club for 30+ years and to me the sacking of Reid still rankles. I also think SGE got a raw deal and whilst MH is testing my patience I think he needs to be given til the end of January and if things don't improve significantly by then he should be gone.
The story of course goes that the board "requested" that Sam Ellis(first team coach) step down and Reid said "if he goes I go"
 
pretty fair that (DLBIA) Just before the years you have mentioned 1974 Good Friday v Liverpool (home) I was sat in the North Stand and found out Ron Saunders had been sacked on the eve of the game (obviously no internet or mobiles in those days) Never a dull moment at MCFC- I think Johnny Hart stood in
 
DontLookBackInAnger said:
I thought I would draw up a list and my thoughts on each of the managers of the last 30 years and what happened to them.

Tony Book Moved upstairs for Allison return(in hindsight poor move but welcomed at the time)
Malcolm Allison Fired 2nd from bottom of the table(stayed up got to a cup final)
Tony Book Caretaker
John Bond Quit(board kept faith with him, perhaps a little unfair on the board as the loss in form was spectacular and only in the bottom 3 after the last game of the season)
John Benson Little more than a caretaker oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced(not actually sure if he ever got the job officially, took the club down and was replaced)
Billy McNeillQuit for the Villa job(the only man to manage 2 teams that where relegated from the top flight the same year)
Jimmy FrizzellLike Benson oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced.
Mel MachinFired bottom of the league(stayed up)
Tony BookCaretaker
Howard KendallQuit for the Everton Job(after ruling himself out of the running for the England job a couple of months before)
Peter ReidFired(questionable move after 5th and 9th finishes)
Tony BookCaretaker
Brian HortonFired(again some would question the move however 2 years in the bottom 3rd will often get you fired and of course appointed by the prevous board).
Alan BallQuit(worse manager in the history of the English game(whom managed more than 1 club)
Asa HartfordCaretaker
Steve CoppellQuit(there of course have been many very odd stories of all that was happening at the club at that time, myself I think it was simply a case of money that was promised turned out to be a lie and he said fuck it)
Phil NealCaretaker
Frank ClarkFired(in the bottom 3 and relegated at the end of the season)
Joe RoyleFired(after the club being relegated from the Prem League(of course did take the club to court and won claiming that he should get a bonus for being fired while in the top flight)
Kevin KeeganQuit(might have been fired if he hadn't, but there you go, spent loads of money and took us up and kept us there)
Stuart PearceFired(maintains that he was a caretaker boss between the spending of KK and SGE perhaps a little truth to that but the brutal way that he spent the money he had doesn't win him many backers, in addition the dreadful football that the team played the last season ment that few lost any sleep when he left)
Sven-Göran ErikssonFired(perhaps the most contentous firing the club made over the last 30 years but the form 2nd half of the season and a poor Jan transfer window played a large part in that move)
Mark Hughes ???

To sum up, we have had 23 managers since April 1974 of them 5 where Caretaker Managers(an additional 2 where basically seeing out seasons) that leaves 18 full time managers 3 where moved upstairs(including the 2 long term Caretakers), 8 where fired, 2 left for other clubs 4 quit the club. Therefore, of the 8 that where fired, I think you can only make a case that 3 where PERHAPS fired unfairly(SGE, Horton, Reid). Consequently, the next time someone says we change managers too often it simply isn't true. Please, if anyone has anything to add, please do so, however I have tried to be fair as much as I can and am doing it from memory so if I have made an error please feel free to point it out.

An interesting post and an interesting conclusion, but a little over-simplified imo.

The caretaker managers would, I feel, have gladly accepted the job, if asked, so that was a change of manager in effect. Some were moved 'upstairs', which is a technique often preferred to sacking, but amounts to the same thing. Some jumped before being pushed, Keegan was one of these, I think.

These are all changes of manager to be added to the ones who were technically sacked and we definitely do change management too frequently.
 
remoh said:
DontLookBackInAnger said:
I thought I would draw up a list and my thoughts on each of the managers of the last 30 years and what happened to them.

Tony Book Moved upstairs for Allison return(in hindsight poor move but welcomed at the time)
Malcolm Allison Fired 2nd from bottom of the table(stayed up got to a cup final)
Tony Book Caretaker
John Bond Quit(board kept faith with him, perhaps a little unfair on the board as the loss in form was spectacular and only in the bottom 3 after the last game of the season)
John Benson Little more than a caretaker oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced(not actually sure if he ever got the job officially, took the club down and was replaced)
Billy McNeillQuit for the Villa job(the only man to manage 2 teams that where relegated from the top flight the same year)
Jimmy FrizzellLike Benson oversaw the end of a relegation campaign and was replaced.
Mel MachinFired bottom of the league(stayed up)
Tony BookCaretaker
Howard KendallQuit for the Everton Job(after ruling himself out of the running for the England job a couple of months before)
Peter ReidFired(questionable move after 5th and 9th finishes)
Tony BookCaretaker
Brian HortonFired(again some would question the move however 2 years in the bottom 3rd will often get you fired and of course appointed by the prevous board).
Alan BallQuit(worse manager in the history of the English game(whom managed more than 1 club)
Asa HartfordCaretaker
Steve CoppellQuit(there of course have been many very odd stories of all that was happening at the club at that time, myself I think it was simply a case of money that was promised turned out to be a lie and he said fuck it)
Phil NealCaretaker
Frank ClarkFired(in the bottom 3 and relegated at the end of the season)
Joe RoyleFired(after the club being relegated from the Prem League(of course did take the club to court and won claiming that he should get a bonus for being fired while in the top flight)
Kevin KeeganQuit(might have been fired if he hadn't, but there you go, spent loads of money and took us up and kept us there)
Stuart PearceFired(maintains that he was a caretaker boss between the spending of KK and SGE perhaps a little truth to that but the brutal way that he spent the money he had doesn't win him many backers, in addition the dreadful football that the team played the last season ment that few lost any sleep when he left)
Sven-Göran ErikssonFired(perhaps the most contentous firing the club made over the last 30 years but the form 2nd half of the season and a poor Jan transfer window played a large part in that move)
Mark Hughes ???

To sum up, we have had 23 managers since April 1974 of them 5 where Caretaker Managers(an additional 2 where basically seeing out seasons) that leaves 18 full time managers 3 where moved upstairs(including the 2 long term Caretakers), 8 where fired, 2 left for other clubs 4 quit the club. Therefore, of the 8 that where fired, I think you can only make a case that 3 where PERHAPS fired unfairly(SGE, Horton, Reid). Consequently, the next time someone says we change managers too often it simply isn't true. Please, if anyone has anything to add, please do so, however I have tried to be fair as much as I can and am doing it from memory so if I have made an error please feel free to point it out.

An interesting post and an interesting conclusion, but a little over-simplified imo.

The caretaker managers would, I feel, have gladly accepted the job, if asked, so that was a change of manager in effect. Some were moved 'upstairs', which is a technique often preferred to sacking, but amounts to the same thing. Some jumped before being pushed, Keegan was one of these, I think.

These are all changes of manager to be added to the ones who were technically sacked and we definitely do change management too frequently.

Actually, I disagree on some of what you said, Book was all for the move with Allison, and he also accounts for 3 of the 5 Caretaker jobs(again he was happy with the role he had and was kept on in it). Frizzell also wasn't interested in the job long term, not sure about Benson you might be right about him. Of the other 6, 2 took other jobs, Kendall paretically was a real blow. Furthermore, the 4 that quit, I would agree with Keegan and would Ball as well as Bond(although I think we would have got the full season)to your category. However, Coppell was a real shock and certainly was nothing to do with the club(other than perhaps promises that where made and broken).
 

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