Joe Royle


Drico said:
People talk of it being a mistake to let Joe go, but my memory of the time is that he had completely lost the plot for the four or five months prior to his dismissal. We were in freefall. Kanchelskis made a mug of us and we crashed of the cup to Bradford. I was relieved when there was a change of management that Easter, because we had been dire for months - and this after winning a cup and finishing sixth the previous year. We were going backwards fast.

So, was I right? Well, looking back at our results from that season - nearly 30 years ago now - we started well, beating Newcastle and going 2-0 up at Old Trafford. What a start! These were the two best sides in the country at that time. Bizarrely, we lost the next three to Villa, Wimbledon, and Middlesbrough - so the signs were there. Then we went on an eight-match unbeaten streak, including a draw at Anfield. Joe had the Indian sign over them. But my memory is proven right when we look at the next set of results. We lost 3-1 at home to Sunderland at the end of November and went into absolute freefall. We suffered six (!) straight defeats, conceding 18 goals in the process, after Christmas and then four more defeats in the following eight matches. And crashed out of the cup embrassingly. Joe went with us four points above the drop zone.

Given what followed, you could argue it was a mistake. But at the time, he had lost it. Utterly. And there is no guarantee that he could have retrieved things, especially given the financial constraints that soon would follow.

I love Joe. He was a winner. But Everton in the 90s ate winners for breakfast, as even the great Howard Kendall and serial winner Walter Smith would find to their and our cost.
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Spot on this.

I love big Joe, met him a few times. Just a lovely lovely man.
 
We all know the shoe box full of cash in the old trafford safe was connected to Ferguson, Royle, and Kanchelskis' agent don't we? This is no slight against Joe of course.
 
Drico said:
People talk of it being a mistake to let Joe go, but my memory of the time is that he had completely lost the plot for the four or five months prior to his dismissal. We were in freefall. Kanchelskis made a mug of us and we crashed of the cup to Bradford. I was relieved when there was a change of management that Easter, because we had been dire for months - and this after winning a cup and finishing sixth the previous year. We were going backwards fast.

So, was I right? Well, looking back at our results from that season - nearly 30 years ago now - we started well, beating Newcastle and going 2-0 up at Old Trafford. What a start! These were the two best sides in the country at that time. Bizarrely, we lost the next three to Villa, Wimbledon, and Middlesbrough - so the signs were there. Then we went on an eight-match unbeaten streak, including a draw at Anfield. Joe had the Indian sign over them. But my memory is proven right when we look at the next set of results. We lost 3-1 at home to Sunderland at the end of November and went into absolute freefall. We suffered six (!) straight defeats, conceding 18 goals in the process, after Christmas and then four more defeats in the following eight matches. And crashed out of the cup embrassingly. Joe went with us four points above the drop zone.

Given what followed, you could argue it was a mistake. But at the time, he had lost it. Utterly. And there is no guarantee that he could have retrieved things, especially given the financial constraints that soon would follow.

I love Joe. He was a winner. But Everton in the 90s ate winners for breakfast, as even the great Howard Kendall and serial winner Walter Smith would find to their and our cost.
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I remember the cup game, Bradford 2-3 with Waddle embarrassing big nev. Real shame what happened, i thought we would push on long term under Joe.
 


GoodisonRoadSupperBarWool said:
Had a lot injuries don 96/97 at one out on December 96 we were touted as dark horses for the title
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I remember we won 1-0 away to Derby in a televised game and being called dark horses. Good goal by Joe Parkinson. All seemed to fall apart after that.
The difference between the squad that started 1996/97 and 1997/98 seems huge in my imagination. Kanchelskis, Speed, Parkinson etc to Oster, Williamson and Farrelly.🤔
 
GoodisonRoadSupperBarWool said:
Had a lot injuries don 96/97 at one out on December 96 we were touted as dark horses for the title
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Yes that was right, we started off so well beating Newcastle and then leading Man Utd 2-0 at Old Trafford before drawing 2-2. Then the wheels fell off culminating in going out of both cup competitions in humiliating fashion to lower league sides. Of course injuries played a part but I felt that Royle worked better with the underdog mentality and didn't have the x factor the very top managers have. And apart from getting Man City promoted through the play offs (in the 3rd tier) and then promoted to the Premier League he didn't show he could cut in at the very top level (plus Man City fans didn't rate him all that highly especially after he got rid of their favourite player Kinkladze)
 
Marcus Kendall said:
Yes that was right, we started off so well beating Newcastle and then leading Man Utd 2-0 at Old Trafford before drawing 2-2. Then the wheels fell off culminating in going out of both cup competitions in humiliating fashion to lower league sides. Of course injuries played a part but I felt that Royle worked better with the underdog mentality and didn't have the x factor the very top managers have. And apart from getting Man City promoted through the play offs (in the 3rd tier) and then promoted to the Premier League he didn't show he could cut in at the very top level (plus Man City fans didn't rate him all that highly especially after he got rid of their favourite player Kinkladze)
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He didn’t get rid of Kinkladze 🙈
 

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