Opinions on...

[Allezfan]

Let's jib the Scotsmen, they're dour b*stards...

Something in this, we've never won a trophy with a scottish manager. In fact despite us having seven non english managers none of them ever won anything with us.

And that team which capitulated at Leeds was our first ever starting eleven with no englishmen.

Proof, if proof were needed, of the footballing superiorty of the third best team in the world.

 

[bluebottle]

In fact, Manchester Uniteds academy was primarily English players. If its good enough for them...

 

[nigelcoyb]

Smith always struck me as a number 2 and if memory serves that's what he was under Souness, he was a very decent man who had the misfortune to arrive when unlike now fans still had expectations and the balls to say so - it was too much for him.

Although going through that sh1t provided the excuses for the next decade of trophyless w@nk.

 

[duncan's pigeon]

There was an article, written by a Rangers fan, in WSAG on the opening day of Walters first season titled "The Blessed Walter". The article was a view of what he had done at Rangers and a prophesy as to what we could expect. It was re-printed when he had been sacked I think and to say it was as an accurate a prediction of what would happen would be an understatement.

Walter for me was turgid football with awful transfer policy, selling players who had ability and bringing in has been's that Moyes then had to shift out.
Tranmere was just embarrassing as was the Boro quarter final.

 

[Allezfan]

Tranmere was just embarrassing.

Difficult to think of a worse day as an everton fan than that.

 

[duncan's pigeon]

My daughter was about 5 at the time and thought she'd jib it after that game. She said "Dad I'm a blue, i'll still support them whatever happens". Made me proud!!

Stopped going when she was about 13 though, other things of more interest to teenage girls. Still supports the blues though!!!

 

[mawders]

linderoth and gough were bad signings. all credit for super kev. i bet he thought his career was over when he went to turkey.

Gough was quality! When he lined up with Waggy they had a combined age of about 102!

 

[nigelcoyb]

Difficult to think of a worse day as an everton fan than that.

Really?

I can think of a few, particularly last year at Anfield.

 

[Allezfan]

Really?

I can think of a few, particularly last year at Anfield.

Wasn't at that game, thankfully.

But honestly' I'm kind of used to losing to the RS now. Losing to tranmere, though, that was just sad.

 

[evilwebby]

We had a couple of good seasons under him, and I remember us playing Arsenal off the park in one match at Goodison.

But Johnson gave him money to spend, and then made him sell players straight after, which undermined him.

Ultimately though he did a lot of damage to the soul of the club when he sold a lot of our young and upcoming players and brought in tired old has-beens to try to plug the gaps. The squad age jumped and we rolled over on the pitch too often. The heart had gone from the team and there was no way he could carry on.

 

[balggy]

But imagine what crap he would have bought if he was given money!!!! It doesn't bare thinking about!

To be fair to him, when he first took over his first two signings were Olivier Dacourt and Marco Materazzi. I wouldn't exactly describe the pair of them as crap.

I remember when he took over as manager and to begin with I was optimistic. Unfortunately for Walter he was manager during our real transition period. By that I mean a premiership club that could compete financially to one that couldn't. The year before Walter arrived we were breaking the transfer record for a defender with the signing of Bilic.

I remember when it all changed, when I got home from school and the news broke the Ferguson had gone to Newcastle. In the next few days it all started to unravel that financially we were up **** creek without a paddle. We went from a Premiership club who had spending power to one that had none.

But Walters style of football fit his personality, dour. Overall things didn't work out for him and I was calling for him to be sacked long before he went.

But he had a very difficult task. If we had been relegated at that time, the consequences for this club don't bare thinking about ie Leeds, Shed Wed etc.

 

[Bullinasia]

The Toffeeweb write-up on Walter Smith:



Some interesting quotes from here that some might say equally apply to DM during his 10 year plus tenure:-

1. The 4-5-1 experiment had mostly been a complete disaster - DM's favoured formation of the past when we had Tim Cahill
2. Smith had a bizarre aversion to playing wingers, despite having Tal and Alexandersson. - our Right wing weakness has been present for so long, (barring occasional loan spells from LD and maybe now with Mirallas).
3. Will NEVER change his mind or admit he's wrong - DM often seen as too rigid and was one season too late with allowing Timmy to leave in many people's viewpoint
4. Displaying no tactical awareness whatsoever/Tactically clueless - probably DM more criticised for lack of flexibility.
5. Everton taking the field with 5 centre-halfs, or 7 defenders!!! - yep we've seen this under DM
6. He failed to play most of the players in their best position - and how many times have we heard this said about DM?

Strange - is this a Scottish thing? - (no racist accusations needed). Fergie certainly dour, rigid, never admits he is wrong etc...

 

[Joey66]

As Walter would put it "Very dissapointing" he also helped uNT to poach Wayne Rooney by taking up a assistant to AF as a temp in the period of WR departure!