3 Worst BFC Managerial sackings ... sorry if this has been posted before?

:wink:

 

they were quality, they didnt have enough time to show how good they were

 

Sorry mate, BFC cannot afford to give ***** managers decades each,just in case they get lucky !

 

This was one of the few things he got right, but it wasn't like it was a master stroke of epic foresight. My mum could have seen that signing Hignett was a good idea, based on his previous record, the club's situation and the player's desire to return to England. Hendrie also signed Bruce Dyer, which was a good move. But we were still absolutely diabolical for most of that season, barring a few games when we clicked and looked excellent. With the players we had, we should have been destroying most teams in that league.

 

I don't think that Sheron was as bad as some people on here make out, but I don't think anyone could claim that he offered value for money.

 

She might have been able to identify that fact, but she wouldn't have been able to sign him. Hignett did want to return to England, but he chose us because of Hendrie. No other manager would have been able to bring Hignett to our club.

I'm not trying to argue Hendrie was a good manager and I know you recognised the injuries to Watson and Hristov as key events in the season but a hell of a lot more went wrong for him than just that.

We started the season with 5 quality strikers. Hristov was injured early on, and we sold Liddell to be replaced by Dyer, which resulted in the strike partnership that Hendrie really wanted: Ashley Ward and Bruce Dyer. One of their first games together was away at top of the league, undefeated Sunderland. They both scored. Ward also missed a penalty and was sent off. We won 3-2 in an unbelievable game. Fjortoft was then sold to fund the purchase of Hignett. 6 days after that amazing victory at Sunderland, Hignett, Dyer and Ward lined up at home to Huddersfield in front of the Sky cameras. What followed will be spoken about for as long those of us who witnessed it shall live, because that first half was the best Barnsley have ever played and are ever likely to play. 6-0 at the break, four of them by Hendrie's new attacking triumvirate and a stunning goal by Barnard. If we had only scored our simple chances we would have bagged a dozen in 45 minutes, but we actually created enough to get 20. It was simply amazing.

Ward never played for us again, we sold him to Blackburn. Dyer picked up an injury which he struggled with for a long time and it wasn't until late March that he bagan to find his form again. Hendrie himself was injured and although he was getting on, he'd always considered himself as back-up should he be required. From having the best strike force in the division we suddenly had no one at all. Hendrie didn't want Don Goodman or Karl Rose or Deon Burton or Mike Turner, he wanted Bruce Dyer and Ahsley Ward, but he had to scratch about for what he could get.

We eventually got Sheron, but Hendrie's plans had been blown apart by then and there was no recovering. I always think what could have been had we not sold Ward and had Dyer remained fit because the little we saw of them together was absolutely phenomenal.

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. But selling Fjortoft was in my opinion a terrible move then, especially as from what I remember it was very unclear as to whether Ashley Ward was going to stay. On the other hand at the time I thought getting any sort of fee for Liddle was good business but in hindsight that was probably an error too. Also, from what I recall we spent around 700k each on Higgy and Bruce - money well spent in anyone's book - but received around 600k in total for Liddle and Fjortoft, which was surely under market value. Had the whole team stayed fit and with BFC, I am sure that we would have shaken off the bad start and been challenging for promotion, simply because of the quality of the squad. However, even with all the injuries and other bad luck, a half decent manager would have had us on the edge of the playoffs at the very least IMHO.

 

Even the fat kid in the goalie gloves?

 

Especially him.

 

Clarke was long overdue. We were well on the way down and he was the most dour leader ever. Writing had been on the wall for 12 months.

 

We also wouldn't have got half as much for Ashley Ward if it wasn't for JH. Came quite close to Ljungberg too I think. Sometimes it's fine margins. By the way, watched Class of 92 on Youtube last night - well worth a watch.

 

I thought it was Danny who was quite close to signing Ljungberg? Might be wrong though.

 

Definitely Hendrie. He was coming, we'd got him, then Sweden beat England 2-1 at the beginning of September. Ljunberg played superb. Watching the match on telly that day was Arsene Wenger. His scouts had seen him before but Wenger and never seen him play live. After the match Wenger sanctioned his signing. Arsenal gazumped us and Ljunberg chose them over us, as you would.

 

I reckon that trumps all the rest of the bad luck hands down. Would we have still signed Higgy had the Ljungberg deal come off or we'd have not gone in for him if it had?

 

I dunno, we were trying to sign Ljungberg at the end of August, beginning of September. Higgy wasn't available then. As soon as he was available in November we went in for him. I believe Higgy pleaded with Hendrie to come and get him. He would have done the same had we got Ljunberg and I just can't see Hendrie and Dennis passing up on the opportunity to get him for £800,000 even if we'd already got Ljunberg.

Barnard, Hignett, Ljunberg, Ward and Dyer. ******* hell fire.

 

Would have surely walked the league, even with the massive lump of ***** Eric Tinkler in the side. Also Sheron would probably never have been panic-signed. Getting goosebumps just thinking about it!

 

Yes, we would have signed both.

 

Ritchie had given up (not as in not trying, but knew he'd done all he could - IMO). I was in the press room at Palace (his last game). He looked brow beaten and lifeless, which was totally unlike him. The team that day seemed to have stopped battling for him for the first time. It was the right time.

 

According to Wiki the transfer fee paid by Arsenal to Halmstads was £3 million. Sounds like far more than we would have been able to pay, bearing in mind that Ward had not yet been sold at that point.

 

It was. We agreed far less than that. But after the England match and Arsenal making an offer the price shot up.