Alan Smith’s second spell was pretty dire..

Francis but he did buy AJ, Taylor so sad was great with the England under 21s but not us,unfair to base FDB on 4 games

In the space of those four games and the preseason immediately before it he:

- imposed a system and formation the team couldn't play
- stuck to it like a limpet when it obviously wasn't working
- failed to develop the system that did suit the team
- pardewed Ward, Delaney, Dann, Hennesey, Milivojevic (severely), Kelly, McArthur, Townsend and Benteke
- selected players who were not our best XI
- lost all four matches without a single goal for
- produced two performances (50%) of embarrassing quality
- threw the players under the bus after each one
- pi**ed off everyone he came into contact with
- f***ed off during the transfer window
- came across at pressers as if he were on glue and
- insisted that black was white whenever his methods were questioned.

It was mercifully short but I don't see how it's possible to be more completely s***e than this. Even Zola didn't leave Birmingham in quite such a mess and certainly not in two months flat. F***ing impressive.

Edited by chateauferret (02 Nov 2017 12.02pm)

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The Ferret
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Didnt Noades have a go at managing as well maybe he should be on the list.

I would not put put Paul Hart on here as he had to run the team with his hands financially tied behind his back.

I think one of Steve Kembers temporary managerial times was pretty good when saving us but think the rest of his stand ins sessions were pretty much forgetable.

You seem to be fond of using the word "Pardewed" which in your case seems to mean whatever you want it to mean.

Some of the players seemed to be unhappy at being played out of their preferred position but how are you going to find out whether people like Townsend and Milivojevic would make decent wing backs or central defenders without playing them there. If you're suggesting that a couple of games as a central defender ruined Milivojevic to the extent that he was even later poor when back in his preferred position he must be mentally weak.

He allegedly told Delaney and Kelly that they weren't good enough for the first team which, shock horror, is something that all of us already knew and which Kelly later confirmed when recalled to the first team by being directly responsible for giving away a couple of goals.

Venebals, not for what he achieved in the beginning but for the financial mess he left us in before he went, which was the slippery slide to administration.