Most loved and hated manager

Yes Sibley and Barnwell in a dead heat for the worst for me - Buckley as the best for me as I’m a bit younger than you!

Tell you what, I’m agreeing with you again 100%! :smiley:

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Yes Buckley was a great manager too…there is certainly a case for him being our best ever but both Moore and Graydon did the unthinkable and got us into the second tier.I often wonder if Buckley had been given the chance by Ramsden whether he could have done it to.If he had he would be clearly our best because the quality of football was very good.

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To be fair Alan Buckley has done it as a player AND as a manager, and when statues are handed out, he should get one, and it should be installed in Alan Buckley way :wink:

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In my time supporting Walsall:-

Loved - Sir Ray / Chris Nicholl

Disliked Mostly - Kevan Broadhurst, Jimmy Mullen, Chris Hutchings.

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Most loved definitely Sir Ray Graydon,
Most Hated ??? I can’t come up with an answer, I hate Clarke for his big head, I hated Merson for his constant swapping, I hated O’Driscoll for his interviews when he said them and not us, but here’s the one that will upset a large majority I hated Dean Smith for walking out when we was on road to success after we stuck by him with so many winless runs, I appreciate this will touch a nerve with many but he jumped ship just when things were looking good after sticking with him when things weren’t so good.
Another 3 months of Deano and who knows ?

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I’m sure anyone taking on the Walsall job did so with the best of intentions, no need to hate anyone. For all the “hatred” of DC, the first day at Northampton was still a cracker.
I don’t like him, but there’s no place for hatred for people that have represented our club.

Big fat Jan for the cup runs.

Broadhurst was an abject failure.

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Bill Moore.
Buck.
Ray Graydon.

Don’t hate any of 'em, they’ve all done their best.

Chairmen however…think a vote would be a bit redundant.

Loved Chris Nicholl’s impishness on WM.

eg.
Franksy “Chris, nil three you must be dissapointed.”
Nicholl " No, there were a lot of good points etc etc"

Next week.
Franksy " four none Chris , you must be over the moon."
Nicholl "No , if we keep playing like that , we’re going nowhere "

I’m sure he was just taking the p*** out of reporters.

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Is the correct answer.

Merson was a decent bloke, who was going through a horrific time and was offered a job he never should have been and cocked it up.

Clarke gave it the Barry, cocked it up, threw a strop on the way out, then pointed the finger at anyone but himself for why it didn’t work out. He did the worst thing you can do for me as a manager: created a problem completely of his own and then jumped ship.

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Yep, and how he’s doing at Vale is completely irrelevant to what went on here.

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I never ever said, despite having reservations about Clarke from pretty much his first public appearance as Walsall manager, that he was a bad manager. He was an egotist, which is why his bravado appealed to some.

What he did do was make some truly baffling recruitment decisions. Lopsided squads, players signed on the fly (Rory Gaffney signed an hour after a loss anyone?), old mates. He compounded those decisions by doubling down and that’s where his ego comes in, because it wouldn’t allow him to hold his hands up and rethink. Even to the point of, after a win, doubling down on the finances of Danny Guthrie’s wage outlay.

I don’t believe he’s in charge of recruitment at Vale. Maybe that’s a very significant difference and why it’s working out there and not so much here. And maybe he’s learned his lessons and doesn’t have such a scatter gun approach to tactics.

I wouldn’t rule it out because, again, I never questioned his basic football knowledge.

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Won it again !

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I remember another WM interview with CN. The reporter was finishing off and said to CN “finally Chris, it’s Hartlepool next week - a difficult place to go to”.
Deadpan as ever he replied “ Yes, but I think the coach driver knows the way”.

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Best: Sir Ray

Worst : Clarke

Special Achievement Award : Kenny Hibbitt for stearing us through very tough times.

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O’Dysmal & Clarke. Both Kn**heads!

Loved…Buckley & Sir Ray

Loved: Sir Ray - successful manager obviously but also they way he did it. Was proud of how we did it and the outside worlds perception of our club.

Hated: O’Driscoll. I can take shit managers, we’ve had plenty, but he actually came in to something great and ruined everything. Never wanted to be here - miserable prick him. All that too after fans largely thinking it was a promising appointment.

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Best Bill Moore, Allen Buckley, Sir Ray
Worse Frank ( were the hell as he buggered off to ) Sibley, Darell Clarke.

“I’ve got another badge for my collection and this one is huge! Dutts will have a job sewing this one on to my tracky top. Did I ever tell you that I have a lot of badges?”

It’s uncanny - it must be the magic of Fellows Park in the 70s!