Jump to content
IGNORED

Danny Wilson was City's last 'proper' manager - discuss.

Superjack

By Superjack
in Football Chat

 Share

Recommended Posts

BTRFTG

BTRFTG

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, robin for life said:

For me, in my lifetime Gary Johnson has been our best and most successful manager. 
I loved his hairdryer treatment and also the Del Boy wheeler dealer type of manager that wasn't afraid to give anyone a chance. He got a great morale from his players and in Basso he found a cult hero who helped install belief to the club.

He was also one of the nicest people to meet, and I know when my Dad, Brother and Myself were at the Man Utd game the other year, he was in the lift with us. He didn't look in the best of health, but still stopped to chat with us when he got out the lift for 2/3 minutes. 

Even when we often went 2-0 down, that Johnson team always felt like they could turn it around, and our promotion from League One and the continuation to Play Off finalists in the Championship has really been my most enjoyable time watching the club, until the first half of the 17/18 season, when it looked like we could go all the way, and we had the dream cup run, before we ran out of puff by the end of January.

Under Gary Johnson we never looked beaten and the players gave their all for him, until that final year. I was sad when he left, and whilst it was probably the right time and he admitted he had taken us as far as he could, I still think we have struggled to replicate that level of team since, yet there were no stars or big wage Charlie's in a Johnson line up.

For me, I will always fondly remember his time at our club, and for me there was times that LJ looked like he might emulate him but it wasn't to be.

We showed times under Wilson that we were a good side and enjoyable to watch, but the mentality was all wrong.

I was excited when Pearson came in, and hoped it would work, as I've always liked him as a manager. My worry is he is very dry and old fashioned and that when results haven't gone his way, he hasn't endeared himself on the fans, so his head was called for earlier than many heads have been called for. I'll be first to admit, I was one of those calling for his head at the end of last season, but not now, he has won me around and this season is starting to feel like 2008 again, with the right mentality and players who may not have been likely candidates for star players coming to the fore and suddenly we look a TEAM again. I'm very excited and yes its early days, but like 2008, something just feels right and I have a feeling that this may end up being our year. We need to be in the top 4 or 5 in January to have any chance of holding on to the key players and I finally see a team that play for the shirt.

If Pearson takes us up on our shoestring budget, then for me, he surpasses Gary Johnson as our best manager.

I feel certain managers get longer in a job, because they are likeable and you want them to do well, Warnock, Holloway, LJ all spring to mind, as managers who can talk their way into a few more months, but Pearson kind of is very cold, and maybe we didn't need someone who would win a popularity competition, but a football one.

For me, the few times I met GJ, he was humble, kind and professional and a very decent bloke, and I think his teams give him everything as he would be like one of those people, that in person they are genuine and decent and do anything for you, but mess up on the pitch and he'll come at you all guns blazing. He didn't take fools gladly and was honest. I don't know how anyone could get on the wrong side of GJ and if you did, it would have to be for something serious, or because you deserved it for being a *****.

For me GJ is the best manager we've had in my 40 years on this planet, but Pearson is starting to contend.  

City have had more than their fair share of personable if not successful managers. Like Smith in Pisa before him we spent time in Johnson Senior's company during that pre-season in Latvia and a jolly decent and popular fella he was. John Ward via the infamous 'Priestfield' incident showed, too, how much fans meant to him and the club, treating us with utmost respect and giving of his time in a calm and approachable manner. But there's no correlation between popularity and longevity, its a results business. If there was our longest serving manager would have been Jimmy Lumsden. Nicer bloke you couldn't wish to meet. Hugely respected in the game, though perhaps better as an assistant than in the glare of publicity. A decent man wholly broken by tragic personal circumstance and who could blame him?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...