Nikola ZigicHere for one season, had a go and effed off when it was about to get hard. Meh.
To be fair, it wasn't about to get hard, it was already hard, it was about to get even harder.
I couldn't stand Clark before he came to Blues and I couldn't stand him at Blues, it killed me a little bit when he was in charge, especially after the positive of Hughton.
Rab C NesbittI can’t stand Bruce
I never liked Bruce, didn't want him as manager, though obviously I was chuffed he came in and got us promoted.
I wasn't impressed by some of his conduct as a player with us, didn't trust him and that coloured my view of him. Same with Rowett in many ways.
Francis got a lot of criticism.
Fry, I couldn't stand. That put me in a minority I know.
I would say Cooper was the most universally popular I can remember, even though a lot of people thought it was time for him to go it seemed to be with an element of sadness because he was such a straight guy.
It was a memorable season under him so many highs to mention. He managed our league campaign and Europa League run beautifully.
If only he hadn’t messed up in the playoffs.
Rab C NesbittI can’t stand Bruce
Yep, up there with the dirtiest of DvB’s for me.
I remember being stuck in a hotel in Croydon one night, as I was in the area for a couple of days for work. We’d just sacked Cooper and were looking for a replacement. The midweek regional football highlights were on, and I think that Elton Welsby was the presenter. I remember Barry Fry being a guest and he was dressed like a Chicago gangster from the 1920s. I thought, ‘gawd, I hope we don’t get anyone like that fecking spiv’....
RasputinHoldsworth_MaraSonnerTF is hard to categorise as he’s like family, basically.
Yeah, an odd one.
If he wasn't such a club legend I think rationally we'd have to look back at his time as manager as ultimately a frustrating failure, especially considering the comparative riches he had to spend compared to most championship clubs back then.
I actually think the opposite with the benefit of hindsight. Playoffs 3 years in a row and a cup final that we really should have won but for Elleray. I think I was harsh in my judgements of TF at the time.
He actually built 2 different teams, both of which were good and almost got there. Story of his career as a manager really. A nearly man.
Fry was terrible but, I suppose sums up our fans. Got us relegated and was carried form the pitch shoulder high.
Find memories for me, Freddie Goodwin, Terry Copper and TF
If you look back a lot of the issues are around how they left -
Monk - tapping up Bellingham
Rowett - Flashing his knickers
Hughton - F'ing up the playoffs
Mcleish - Going across the expressway
Bruce - Wigan ????
Up until then we probably would have remembered them fondly - So it has to be the likes of Fry, TF, Cooper - all left with dignity and still kept a place in their hearts for us
My preferences are.
Jim Smith - Had some fantastic players.
Trevor Francis - Impossible to say a bad word against him, he is one of our own.
Steve Bruce - Great in my eyes.
Gary Rowett - A great thinker of the game.
Finally a word on Barry Fry the most entertaining geezer ever, laugh a minute but not the best.
Terry Cooper for me too.
Old school gentleman who had us playing some good stuff on limited resources.
Bazza not for me, entertaining character ppbut not a good manager imo.
Trev was loved but not somebody you could really warm to as a manager for some reason.
TBF he turned the club around in terms of professionalism and gave us a cup final and near misses in the play offs.
Loved Jim Smith as well back in the day, some great players and games he oversaw
I think we were a top championship class central midfielder away from success with TF.
How a front three of Furlong, Adebola and Ndlovu wasn't better than it was is baffling...
Chris Hughton was the one manager that I really regret losing.
Despite the way he left the club, I liked Brucie and he's still a guy that I would wish well. I often think back to the drive home from the Millenium after we'd beaten Norwich in the playoff final, and that would be one of the moments that I felt that the club had finally turned a corner and the future was going to be bright. Bruce was part of my optimism.
The Barry Fry days were just crazy. Still smile when I think about that era.
I think Tony Mowbray could be a manager that will become synonymous with an era in our history. I hope so.
In my time, I think Smith & Cooper were the most liked. Saunders I loved but that was as much due to the team he built and how old I was. After that, meh, with a load recently who I despised.
I hated John Bond but eff me, he looks like Alex Ferguson compared to Clark, Cotterill, Karanka, Bowyer & Rooney.
We had one in Marsden but too many gerritforward merchants partly ruined that.
RasputinI think we were a top championship class central midfielder away from success with TF.
How a front three of Furlong, Adebola and Ndlovu wasn't better than it was is baffling...
I think Marsden and O’Connor were as good as any pair in the division. They were a perfect fit for each other. But then we sold Marsden…