The Kendall period at City

[Blue Streak]

After taking over from Machin obviously he signed a host of ex Everton players and I remember the fans being brutal in there criticism - especially the Kippax actually chanting 'Everton, everton' during a painful home defeat to Charlton.

In the end HK was vindicated though because he saved us from certain relegation and we ended that season as the form team in the country. A few shrewd signings later and when he finally left I think we were in the top three or four?

Swales or not I remain pretty convinced had he not sodded off back to his first love (Everton- I'll never forget that evening!) The 1990's could have been so much better for City.

You have to remember he was odds on for the United job at the time had the axe fell on Baconface as well yet we got him.

 

[Citizen Green]

Indeed many blues believe he was the real reason we finished 5th back to back in '91 and '92, because it was his team which Peter Reid had simply taken over. I think it's fair too say Kendall with the team he was building, would of made us a force in English football for the start of the formation of the Premier League in '92.

It all summed up City in the 90's though, he started something great, left and then it all fell to shit.

 

[Regular Joe]

I too will never forget that evening. I was driving on the M62 back from Manchester to my then home in Lincolnshire. I was somewhere near the landlocked farm when the radio announced Kendall had gone back to Everton and would be re-introduced to the Goodison fans at that evening's reserve game.

Which just happened to be against City reserves.

I did an about turn at the next junction and headed for Merseyside. I managed to get a seat very close to the directors box and when Judas appeared I was able to give him a serious gobful. I hated him for that. I hated Everton for that, and Joleon Lescott upsetting Gollum seemed to me like some long overdue karma.

 

[Blue Streak]

Indeed many blues believe he was the real reason we finished 5th back to back in '91 and '92, because it was his team which Peter Reid had simply taken over. I think it's fair too say Kendall with the team he was building, would of made us a force in English football for the start of the formation of the Premier League in '92.

It all summed up City in the 90's though, he started something great, left and then it all fell to shit.

I agree as well. Many City fans felt McNeill leaving for Villa was a huge blow. Personally I feel Howard fucking off to Everton was a far, far more devastating blow.<br /><br />-- Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:59 am --<br /><br />

I too will never forget that evening. I was driving on the M62 back from Manchester to my then home in Lincolnshire. I was somewhere near the landlocked farm when the radio announced Kendall had gone back to Everton and would be re-introduced to the Goodison fans at that evening's reserve game.

Which just happened to be against City reserves.

I did an about turn at the next junction and headed for Merseyside. I managed to get a seat very close to the directors box and when Judas appeared I was able to give him a serious gobful. I hated him for that. I hated Everton for that, and Joleon Lescott upsetting Gollum seemed to me like some long overdue karma.

I remember Granada saying he would be re-introduced at that nights reserve game at Goodison. Didn't know (or if I did I've long since forgot) that it was against City though.

 

[Citizen Green]

Indeed many blues believe he was the real reason we finished 5th back to back in '91 and '92, because it was his team which Peter Reid had simply taken over. I think it's fair too say Kendall with the team he was building, would of made us a force in English football for the start of the formation of the Premier League in '92.

It all summed up City in the 90's though, he started something great, left and then it all fell to shit.

I agree as well. Many City fans felt McNeill leaving for Villa was a huge blow. Personally I feel Howard fucking off to Everton was a far, far more devastating blow.

-- Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:59 am --

I too will never forget that evening. I was driving on the M62 back from Manchester to my then home in Lincolnshire. I was somewhere near the landlocked farm when the radio announced Kendall had gone back to Everton and would be re-introduced to the Goodison fans at that evening's reserve game.

Which just happened to be against City reserves.

I did an about turn at the next junction and headed for Merseyside. I managed to get a seat very close to the directors box and when Judas appeared I was able to give him a serious gobful. I hated him for that. I hated Everton for that, and Joleon Lescott upsetting Gollum seemed to me like some long overdue karma.

I remember Granada saying he would be re-introduced at that nights reserve game at Goodison. Didn't know (or if I did I've long since forgot) that it was against City though.

Indeed it was, Kendall was getting City's house in order then did one, baffling really.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Indeed many blues believe he was the real reason we finished 5th back to back in '91 and '92, because it was his team which Peter Reid had simply taken over. I think it's fair too say Kendall with the team he was building, would of made us a force in English football for the start of the formation of the Premier League in '92.

It all summed up City in the 90's though, he started something great, left and then it all fell to shit.

I agree as well. Many City fans felt McNeill leaving for Villa was a huge blow. Personally I feel Howard fucking off to Everton was a far, far more devastating blow.

-- Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:59 am --

I too will never forget that evening. I was driving on the M62 back from Manchester to my then home in Lincolnshire. I was somewhere near the landlocked farm when the radio announced Kendall had gone back to Everton and would be re-introduced to the Goodison fans at that evening's reserve game.

Which just happened to be against City reserves.

I did an about turn at the next junction and headed for Merseyside. I managed to get a seat very close to the directors box and when Judas appeared I was able to give him a serious gobful. I hated him for that. I hated Everton for that, and Joleon Lescott upsetting Gollum seemed to me like some long overdue karma.

I remember Granada saying he would be re-introduced at that nights reserve game at Goodison. Didn't know (or if I did I've long since forgot) that it was against City though.

We could have been a contender if Judas had stayed.

As for McNeill he managed (with no cash at City) to take both us and Villa down in the same season.

 

[Blue Streak]

Personally for me deploying Alan Harper as a Sweeper was the best tactical choice I've ever seen any City manager do! We were leaking goals left, right and centre. And it tightened it up.

Also have to remember Kendall was the manager who took the gamble on signing Niall Quinn as well (a brilliant gamble) as he was in Arsenals reserves and going nowhere.

 

[Citizen Green]

Personally for me deploying Alan Harper as a Sweeper was the best tactical choice I've ever seen any City manager do! We were leaking goals left, right and centre. And it tightened it up.

Also have to remember Kendall was the manager who took the gamble on signing Niall Quinn as well (a brilliant gamble) as he was in Arsenals reserves and going nowhere.

Indeed Kendall was brilliant at City if we're honest, the thing is he finished his own career by going back to Everton because he was never going to repeat his success of the eighties there, it was a bad move for both parties in the long run.

If he would of stayed at City, i'm sure he would of added more trophy's to his CV.

 

[Warwickhunt]

Always thought if he was going to leave here, it should have been for the england job to take over from bobby robson instead of graham taylor, rather than going back to everton.

 

[ctidcarl]

From what I remember of it, Kendall may have saved City from relegation.... maybe Machin could have fot us out of the mess though??

I remember Kendall bringing in a massive influx of players he had managed when he was Everton's boss (Heath, Harper, Ward, Reid (who both done ok) Langley, Wayne Clark etc etc) and he sold Ian Bishop, who at the time was a fans favourite.

I can remember Kendall being incensed when Gary Crosby took the piss out of Andy Dibble at Forest, when he headed the ball out of his hands.

There was alot of speculation at the time that Kendall was to be the new England manager because Sir Bobby Robson was stepping down after Italia 90 and when Kendall turned the post down, I think we began to believe we could be heading somewhere.

And then he fooked us off for Everton!!

I remember quotes being bandied about by Kendall that he couldn't resist returning to his "first love"

I remember a City fan on the news (there was no Sky then) saying that he could have accepted Kendall leaving City for the England job, but he couldn't accept Kendall leaving to return to Everton.

I've still got the King Of The Kippax double cover special, where they printed an extra cover reporting Kendall leaving City - the original cover had already gone to print.

Just checked Wikipedia and Kendall joined City on 6th December 89 and left on Bonfire Night, 5th November 90.

For me - mixed emotions, he bought Tony Coton, he bought Niall Quinn, our results improved and he may have saved us from relegation....

BUT......

The manner he left us, and potentially on the brink of something, leaves me with a very bitter taste