On reading the thread title, I keep thinking it's a sequel to The Taking of Pelham 123.
Quote from: garyellis on May 01, 2022, 05:37:59 PMThe timing of the loss of his two assistants is still baffling.I was hoping this might shine some light on that.We will have to wait for Smiths memoirs I guess.
The timing of the loss of his two assistants is still baffling.
I'm convinced Gerrard's profile was the biggest factor in him getting the job.
Quote from: SoccerHQ on May 02, 2022, 01:18:49 PMQuote from: ChicagoLion on May 01, 2022, 05:32:27 PMWe still do not know who was responsible for the shit show of a summer for which Smith ultimately paid the price with his job.Buendia was obviously his signing, he said as much.Wanted Smith Rowe for the other side and Ward Prowse, we'll never know how realistic either were but ultimately we spent time bidding for both.Bailey was probably pushed by Lange but felt logical at the time given we wanted to improve on likes of Trez and AEG as credible counter attack options.Ings was the odd one out I suspect. Signing came out of nowhere and in the early weeks you could see DS not really having a clue how to get him into the team with Watkins.Get the feeling DS would've been happy going into the season with just a younger understudy to Ollie who could also play out wide so would imagine he was overruled there.With the coaches going certainly odd timing to both. If O'Kelly was leaving you'd have thought straight after last game in May 2021. Terry was always going to move on sooner or later in fairness.Yeah, I think Buendia makes perfect sense as a right-sided complement to Joe. I'd be inclined to think that maybe we still held up some hope of keeping him at that stage.Bailey seems like a player who'd have been on our (Lange's?) radar, as you'd said he'd offer a tangible upgrade on Trez/AEG. Maybe Jack leaving was the catalyst for the move, but he does/did seem a logical signing.Ings I think was a panic buy. We'd put so much in to Grealish as the front man of AVFC that losing him was akin to losing the club's identity (to the outside world). He was a bit like Michael Jordan, where even people with no interest in basketball would recognise him, and therefore buy various tat (trainers, shirts, basketballs, whatever) with his name on.We went out and got the highest profile signing available, which was Danny Ings, in an attempt to "replace" Jack as the face of the club.I'm also convinced (maybe incorrectly) that it's also a big factor in Gerrard coming to the club - he's a recognisable face and will, whether we like the idea or not, raise the profile of the club outside of our traditional catchment area. Coutinho fits in the same bracket, he'll reach people who have a less 'tribal' interest in football than we do.
Quote from: ChicagoLion on May 01, 2022, 05:32:27 PMWe still do not know who was responsible for the shit show of a summer for which Smith ultimately paid the price with his job.Buendia was obviously his signing, he said as much.Wanted Smith Rowe for the other side and Ward Prowse, we'll never know how realistic either were but ultimately we spent time bidding for both.Bailey was probably pushed by Lange but felt logical at the time given we wanted to improve on likes of Trez and AEG as credible counter attack options.Ings was the odd one out I suspect. Signing came out of nowhere and in the early weeks you could see DS not really having a clue how to get him into the team with Watkins.Get the feeling DS would've been happy going into the season with just a younger understudy to Ollie who could also play out wide so would imagine he was overruled there.With the coaches going certainly odd timing to both. If O'Kelly was leaving you'd have thought straight after last game in May 2021. Terry was always going to move on sooner or later in fairness.
We still do not know who was responsible for the shit show of a summer for which Smith ultimately paid the price with his job.
Brilliant read. I agree with earlier posters pointing to the Wolves game as a turning point - I remember the sense of inevitability when they equalised across social media and so it proved. It was like watching the tank finally empty.The coaching team exodus was almost exactly the opposite of the feeling when Shakespeare came in. At that time I thought, 'wow, that's a brilliant move' and so it proved to be, in its own limited mid-table way. When O'Kelly left, it was with a sense of creeping unease.
Interesting if true. You tell 'em, Nas!
Quote from: dave.woodhall on May 02, 2022, 03:55:17 PMI'm convinced Gerrard's profile was the biggest factor in him getting the job. I’m sure it had a lot to do with it. And as we all probably concede players like Coutinho aren’t rolling in without someone of that level of reputation and connection. But it’s not make it like Gerrard did a Dwight Yorke; simply wanted a job based on who he was. He had coached at Liverpool and managed at Rangers and stepped up to a mid table PL team. Not the wildest of leaps. Not like we appointed him as a side top 6 and consistently in European competition.
Quote from: Toronto Villa on May 02, 2022, 05:13:12 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on May 02, 2022, 03:55:17 PMI'm convinced Gerrard's profile was the biggest factor in him getting the job. I’m sure it had a lot to do with it. And as we all probably concede players like Coutinho aren’t rolling in without someone of that level of reputation and connection. But it’s not make it like Gerrard did a Dwight Yorke; simply wanted a job based on who he was. He had coached at Liverpool and managed at Rangers and stepped up to a mid table PL team. Not the wildest of leaps. Not like we appointed him as a side top 6 and consistently in European competition. His coaching team would have also played a big part in him getting the job though until now I'm struggling to see where their reputation comes from. The same can be said of Shakespeare, Craig. At the time I was really excited with the recruitment but as the season progressed I forgot about him.
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Topic: The undermining of Dean Smith (Read 9416 times)
