Wow factor signings (2 Viewers)

[DazzleTommyDazzle]

On the face of it...

We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.

The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.

So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.

Personally (and I suspect most people now, as I recall there were a few calls of discontent at the time starting to surface however), given what we'd had before, I'd have said Sillett deserved a blip or two. It is indeed a bit like Charlton with Curbishley though - a manager who'd done so well the fans almost started to take their place for granted.

Or indeed the Arsenal fans who want them to get rid of Wenger.

I guess it's human nature to always want to push on "to the next level", but to do that with a guy who was a novice at managerial level did strike me as a bit of a gamble at the time.

 

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[Adge]

Salako-people started to sit up and take notice when we signed him from Palace-not long after we signed Paul Telfer!:facepalm:

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Or indeed the Arsenal fans who want them to get rid of Wenger.

I guess it's human nature to always want to push on "to the next level", but to do that with a guy who was a novice at managerial level did strike me as a bit of a gamble at the time.

Yeah, that was poor.

To ramp it up, the worst managerial decision we made in recent times wasn't sacking Nilsson (the way we fell away first season down was criminal) but replacing him with someone completely untested.

 

[The Philosopher]

Yeah, that was poor.

To ramp it up, the worst managerial decision we made in recent times wasn't sacking Nilsson (the way we fell away first season down was criminal) but replacing him with someone completely untested.

Richard Money was the man behind Nilsson. If we'd have kept that pair together and in tune then things would have been sooo different.

 

[skybluelee]

On the face of it...

We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.

The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.

So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.

Don't agree with that. We spent almost the entire season comfortably in the top half, and only dropped down to 12th due to a shocking finish of 6 points from our last 10 games. Even a moderate return in those games of 13 points would have seen us finish 7th. Plus we obviously got to within a whisker of Wembley in the League Cup.

It was the following season things started to go down hill. How much of that was down to Sillett's illness I don't know.

 

[skybluelee]

Concur with most comments on here regarding wow factor signings. Apart from the silly comments about players signed in the last 15 years.

I would say in my lifetime the players that really sent a shiver of anticipation through my spine were;

Speedie
Gallacher
McAllister
Hadji

But most of all Keane. He was the most talked about young player in Britain at the time. The day we signed him I was convinced it was another Jarni wind-up.

 

[Grendel]

On the face of it...

We were right up there with Norwich and Arsenal, then fell away badly.

The next season we were dipping in and out of lower bottom half.

So there was an argument to be made that we were goiing backwards.

Personally (and I suspect most people now, as I recall there were a few calls of discontent at the time starting to surface however), given what we'd had before, I'd have said Sillett deserved a blip or two. It is indeed a bit like Charlton with Curbishley though - a manager who'd done so well the fans almost started to take their place for granted.

We got stuffed by Liverpool in the last game of the season before his departure and fans started to turn.

Sillett undid himself a bit because of his joker image but it belied a serious and shrewd tactician at management level. Read how Regis praises his him for transforming his career after the hapless Gould years.

I believe he was starting to believe his time was up but the real crime was not keeping him on as an ambassador to the club in a Director of Football capacity. He had the passion Gould shared but unlike the buffoon Gould he also had knowledge and ability.

I know we've had the debate before but I do believe that butcher was not the target and ended up as the second choice. Either way the club was set back to where it was under Gould. Desperate strugglers which turned full circle when the useless Caladon Kid returned to replace the man who butchered all of Silletts hard work.

 

[skybluelee]

Was he really here that long after relegation from the premiership? My memory is terrible. I didn't think he stayed until end of the first championship season

Thinks he left a couple of games into our 2nd Championship season.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

We got stuffed by Liverpool in the last game of the season before his departure and fans started to turn.

Sillett undid himself a bit because of his joker image but it belied a serious and shrewd tactician at management level. Read how Regis praises his him for transforming his career after the hapless Gould years.

I believe he was starting to believe his time was up but the real crime was not keeping him on as an ambassador to the club in a Director of Football capacity. He had the passion Gould shared but unlike the buffoon Gould he also had knowledge and ability.

I know we've had the debate before but I do believe that butcher was not the target and ended up as the second choice. Either way the club was set back to where it was under Gould. Desperate strugglers which turned full circle when the useless Caladon Kid returned to replace the man who butchered all of Silletts hard work.

The problem with Butcher's reign as well, was he could spot a player (Atherton, Furlong had an OK career in the end, Robson weren't bad for free) but because the system had been set up so Peake and Regis were due to succeed Sillett when the time was due, they were shuffled on ASAP, where they could have been fantastic mentors around the place. Ironically, they could have helped Butcher learn his trade as well.

Gould... not being old enough to remember his first spell, I find it a bit harsh in that after Don Howe, I was convinced we were down the next season. Sure, it was a journey and a half, but we did become fun to watch and we scored goals again under him in his second spell. I won't begrudge him that.

Anyway, I now have to ask who you thought was first choice ahead of Butcher, and why you think that...

 

[Grendel]

The problem with Butcher's reign as well, was he could spot a player (Atherton, Furlong had an OK career in the end, Robson weren't bad for free) but because the system had been set up so Peake and Regis were due to succeed Sillett when the time was due, they were shuffled on ASAP, where they could have been fantastic mentors around the place. Ironically, they could have helped Butcher learn his trade as well.

Gould... not being old enough to remember his first spell, I find it a bit harsh in that after Don Howe, I was convinced we were down the next season. Sure, it was a journey and a half, but we did become fun to watch and we scored goals again under him in his second spell. I won't begrudge him that.

Anyway, I now have to ask who you thought was first choice ahead of Butcher, and why you think that...

Souness was the choice as player manager

 

[RedSalmon]

If I remember correctly am sure Souness was the original target but he got whiff of the Rangers job. As a consequence the board went for Butcher instead.

The real tragedy was the way Butcher got rid of Regis Peake and McGrath. Players who all commanded more respect within the club than he could ever manage.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

If I remember correctly am sure Souness was the original target but he got whiff of the Rangers job. As a consequence the board went for Butcher instead.

The real tragedy was the way Butcher got rid of Regis Peake and McGrath. Players who all commanded more respect within the club than he could ever manage.

He got the Rangers job way before that.

We did approach him to be player-coach under Don Mackay and he refused, preferring the Rangers gig then...

 

[RedSalmon]

He got the Rangers job way before that.

We did approach him to be player-coach under Don Mackay and he refused, preferring the Rangers gig then...

That makes more sense. Think my time line got mixed up.

 

[Grendel]

He got the Rangers job way before that.

We did approach him to be player-coach under Don Mackay and he refused, preferring the Rangers gig then...

He was identified as player manager as a return to Division 1 and turned it down at the last minute and stayed with Rangers. Butcher was the consolation prize.

 

[Hobo]

He was identified as player manager as a return to Division 1 and turned it down at the last minute and stayed with Rangers. Butcher was the consolation prize.

Getting Butcher was like winning a bottle of Blue Nun in a raffle.

 

[capel & collindridge]

Terry Bly

When we signed him from Peterborough in 1962, he was a real Wow-factor-signing. But we got rid of him after just 32 games because he had only scored 25 goals. I thought that was a mistake at the time - but not for long!

 

[phildownunder]

Terry Bly

When we signed him from Peterborough in 1962, he was a real Wow-factor-signing. But we got rid of him after just 32 games because he had only scored 25 goals. I thought that was a mistake at the time - but not for long!

Yep, I`d never heard of George Hudson !

 

[Tomh111]

Blimey really makes me glad I'm not young!

I was born 93 and properly became aware of the club in the relegation year (I had been to matches before [as a side note I used to stand and play with my yo-yo while my uncle watched, using me as an excuse to go] and had a favorite player and all that jazz but that was when I was old enough to understand it all.)

I think I am right that since then year on year we have slowly gotten weaker. The only real success we have had in my life would be the JPT semi-final and the two cup runs ending in Chelsea and beating United away.

Of course there have been signings that have been good, relative to our position, but Fleck was the only one who I thought actually had the potential to be great.
Gunnarson was an exciting signing, that we had plucked a youngster from Dutch football felt like we knew what we were doing, King despite his 'Incidents' was a good footballer, Sheffers coming back was also exciting at the time. But really it is slim pickings.