Would Gordon Strachan have won us promotion? (4 Viewers)

[Deleted member 4232]

Bit of a blast from the past; just sick to death of reading about SISU etc.

I moved to Coventry from New Zealand in 2011 and didn't recognise football as a sport for a long time. I obviously have some reading and catch up to do with my adopted team and city.

Just watched the 1-4 win over the scum from 1999 with Aloisi scoring twice. The team played brilliantly. I noticed Gordon Strachan was our gaffer, for a long time I read, eventually being driven out by the fans 5-6 games into the 2001/02 season. Was this mainly on the back of players like Bellamy not preforming, selling Keane, relegation etc?

Could Strachan have led us to promotion that season?

Hopefully this is a bit of nostalgia and a break from the dread.

 

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[Deleted member 5849]

No.

10 characters of no.

 

[play_in_skyblue_stripes]

pointless thread in my view

However we will never know the answer, but NO has to be the logical answer to this question.

Its not really a break from the dread, relegation in 2001 was my worst moment ever as a Coventry supporter until the move out of Coventry in 2013.

Not having a home ground is just plain terrible on many levels. If we were back at the Ricoh Arena Id even put up with Strachan, Butcher or Howe as the manager.

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Hah, thread done, good answer.

 

[No future with SISU]

No, he was one of the reasons why we went £60m into the red.

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Looks like I have, in search of more sky blue knowledge, picked at a scab! Apologies.

I wanted to know more about why he was driven out, were city supporters spoilt back then? I read we finished 11th that season

 

[Deleted member 5849]

No we weren't spoilt.

Between him and Atkinson, they had more money to spend than the sum total of all City managers before them.

Only one man has relegated the club from the top flight, and he managed to do that twice really, as well.

Couple that with nonsensical comments about how it's tougher to play against nine men...

The mistake wasn't sacking him, it was not sacking him 6-8 months earlier.

The very fact an inexperienced manager could then send us on a terrific run afterwards showed the talent in the squad, that Strachan hadn't kept well hidden. If we'd stayed strong, kept Money as assistant, and not decided Paul Trollope and Carbonari were the answers, then a play-off place was well within reach.

But never if Strachan had stayed, as his Middlesbrough stint showed.

 

[fernandopartridge]

You look at the squad that failed to get promoted back to the Premier League and you look at the teams that did go up (and in Birmingham's case managed to stay there for 4 years) and you really wonder where it all went wrong.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

You look at the squad that failed to get promoted back to the Premier League and you look at the teams that did go up (and in Birmingham's case managed to stay there for 4 years) and you really wonder where it all went wrong.

The desire for a big name.

Not convinced Nilsson was the answer, actually agreed with his sacking the end of that season, but why get rid of Money (decent coach) for Jim Smith, who was used to being manager himself anyway?

Then when Nilsson sacked, why go for an unproven 'name' like McAllister rather than a proven manager then. A proven manager could well have worked better with difficult players (McSheffrey) and with a tightening budget.

And, well, we know the rumours about Black being sacked because the board hadn't heard of his transfer targets...

 

[skybluetony176]

Personally I don't think any manager would have got us promoted that season. The problems were far more fetching than Stachan. Having said that he carries a big share of the blame for us going down.

 

[sw88]

I was always a fan (was the first man in charge when I first began following City), but since he's moved on, I think he's proven hes not very good.

Apart from Celtic, which in reality, I bet even Andy Thorn could manage Rangers or Celtic, he hasnt really done much.

Going on to manage Scotland, is that really an achievement? I suppose for a Scot it would be, but again, anyone could manage them (but it still won't make them any good )

I don't blame him solely for the debts and the money he was allowed to spend. He was given the money by someone else after all!

I remember being at the Highfield Road protest (they were the days, and that was a proper protest; sitting In after full time. Then going to the gates behind the west terrace to demand a sacking), when everyone else was chanting 'we want Strachan out'.........apart from me as I wanted Richardson out more. If only more had followed my lead; we may have spent less under Strachans successors and Rochardson wouldn't have ended his tenure early

 

[Daz]

would Gordon Strachan win promotion

I agree with you pal he was not given enough time.
I was at the Bradford Game away that year & it was my lad that started get Strachan out!!!
I always remind him of his error to this day!!

 

[Colonel Mustard]

The desire for a big name.

Not convinced Nilsson was the answer, actually agreed with his sacking the end of that season, but why get rid of Money (decent coach) for Jim Smith, who was used to being manager himself anyway?

Yep! You could sense the panic that drove Richardson's moves. He probably had no intention of giving Nilsson a shot, but had little choice after he put together five wins in six games during his caretaker period.

It was that erratic form at the end of the year - 7 losses in 11 - that probably had Richardson thinking the 'big name' of Jim Smith would provide the insta-fix of righting the ship. I think it's clear that BR was desperate for City to get promoted that year...

 

[Hobo]

Strachan great player, rubbish manager. Answer No. We were there because of him.

 

[Astute]

No .

 

[Gint11]

I thought it was brilliant big fat Ron brought him in as 'one for the future' but it just didn't work. In saying that, having Bryan Richardson as Chairman didn't help him, I can imagine lots of decisions were made over GS' head.

 

[Hobo]

I thought it was brilliant big fat Ron brought him in as 'one for the future' but it just didn't work. In saying that, having Bryan Richardson as Chairman didn't help him, I can imagine lots of decisions were made over GS' head.

He was only 5' 7"

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Thanks for all your replies guys, guess I have a lot of reading up to do.

 

[torchomatic]

No. Strachan was a dreadful manager. We were only heading in one direction with him.

 

[Houchens Head]

No. Strachan was a dreadful manager. We were only heading in one direction with him.

Was he Manager of ID as well?

To the OP's question: NO!!!! If there is one man in football that I would happily land one in the face, it's Gordon Strap-on!! The man is a total (....insert word that rhymes with punt, hunt or Lunt!.....)

 

[ollyservetta]

dout it very much ,he and peter reid are two of a kind ,great players ,maybe good coaches ,but when it comes to management ,well it all eventually falls apart .ther has been a lot of great players step up to the mark ,they often spend loads ,rely on their name to attract players in ,when it all starts to fold, they are lost ,

 

[lewys33]

looks like i have, in search of more sky blue knowledge, picked at a scab! Apologies.

I wanted to know more about why he was driven out, were city supporters spoilt back then? I read we finished 11th that season

You can't say THAT!!!!!

 

[thaiskyblue]

No. Strachan was a dreadful manager. We were only heading in one direction with him.

no change since then.

 

[skybluebeduff]

I watched the best footballing years of my life under Strach, I wish I could see it again in present time, but we won't.

I would take him back.

 

[shy_tall_knight]

I think to judge Strachan is difficult as we don't know who was actually deciding on who to buy and sell. I remember an interview with WGS after Keane was bought - WGS was in bed with flu and he was phoned at home regarding buying keane, ie wasn't his idea. Had John Hartson be bought earlier and Bellamy allowed that free role upfront I think we would have stayed up.

However allowing him to stay and bring in Lee Hughes KON & JJ ensured we would not make it back to the PL first time.

 

[rupert_bear]

Don't think so, but he wasn't a reason we accrued all that debt, I think you will find his transfer dealings in and out left us more or less even financially.

 

[Sterling Archer]

First of all, you're my new favourite poster because you've started a different thread to the usual SISU/Sixfields tosh.

Secondly, I don't think he would've. He even admits himself he stayed in the Cov job a little bit too long.

One of my biggest criticisms of Strachan was that he never made us stronger at the back during his time here and stuck with Shaw and Williams, who in reality weren't a Premier League quality defensive pairing.

 

[hill83]

 

[Deleted member 4232]

First of all, you're my new favourite poster because you've started a different thread to the usual SISU/Sixfields tosh.

Secondly, I don't think he would've. He even admits himself he stayed in the Cov job a little bit too long.

One of my biggest criticisms of Strachan was that he never made us stronger at the back during his time here and stuck with Shaw and Williams, who in reality weren't a Premier League quality defensive pairing.

Haha thanks dude; needed a change in tune!

 

[SonOfSnoz]

Was at the club too long, 5 years!
But great player!
Was he really calling the shots? Signed Keane but only had him for less than a season!
Jarni for 0 games!
Blame lies with Richardson & Atkinson!
Should have stayed simple Skyblues, playing in the prem in front of 18k in our own ground, Highfield Rd.
Went greedy, now in Northampton in front of 2k at most,in league 1!
WE ARE NOW WORSE OFF THEN WE WERE WHEN WE WERE AT HIGHFIELD ROAD!
Ricoh dream was just that!!!

 

[Sterling Archer]

We should've never left Highfield Road. It just needed a lick of paint and it would've been fine for us.

 

[oscillatewildly]

I'll say this much - you are learning fast with your description of our north Birmingham neighbours as 'the scum'.
What was the question, again?

 

[James Smith]

I seem to remember Geoffrey Robinson being Interviewed on CWR breakfast show years ago and saying that they should have sacked the Chairman (BR so may have been just after his removal) and not the manager.

 

[NortonSkyBlue]

I cant believe the venom that gets thrown at Strachan, In real terms he was the unlucky manager that took us down but we had ridden our luck so many times it just ran out. He gave us some good years, better than most I can remember and was a good front man for the club, better than any since.

We can't blame him for the board's thinking and certainly not the sale of HR, his buys were generally good andinteresting and we certainly made money on the sales.

He was excellent at Southampton, did well at Celtic, a blip at Boro but is proving a great leader of Scotland, their record is very good lately.

 

[Houchens Head]

You obviously didn't get to that many games under Strap-on then. He was f**kin' useless!