Davey was a complete and utter t***er. He gets credit for a cup run where we'd have let in six at Liverpool if it hadn't been for Luke Steele and a one off performance against Chelsea where we were up for it. He showed himself in his true colours with us and after he left us. Did he ever manage again after the debacle of leaving Darlington for Hereford?
the players cared mate, they were a really good bunch and under a better manager they would have been well above the relegation zone. However, as you said, he gave us one of the greatest FA cup runs in the history of the competition, and you have to applaud him for that.
He had a great squad and probably under achieved, barring the Cup run, had as much money to spend as any manager we've ever had, should have done more with the players he had
About Davey not liking fooling around. If you're a player that knows the manager is serious get on with it or risk being frozen out. I've got straight laced managers at work who I respect and get on with things they tell me. Likewise I have jokey ambiguous managers at work who I also respect but am sometimes bemused by them when they do go all straight laced in a heart beat. I prefer the first option because you always know where you are.
I have a few thoughts on that era. First off I was told by someone in the game that you should never judge a manager based on giant killings as the players motivate themselves & the biggest factor is how mentally up for it the opposition are. Secondly, Davey keeping us up over 10 years ago shouldn’t be compared on an even level to keeping us up now as it was an easier task back then. There was less money floating about & clubs like Scunthorpe were regularly in the championship, in fact I think they even finished above us during Davey’s spell here which puts keeping us up into some kind of context. He was also well backed financially, certainly far more than Robins & a lot more than Hill who came after that. On Andy Johnson, I can’t even remember him playing for us. I always found it strange he signed but never played despite his championship experience but there was no twitter back then & I didn’t read any forums like this so never knew any gossip as to why he wasn’t involved.
He didn’t keep us in the championship for four seasons at all. So that factual statement is anything but.
Interesting insight.... Jamil adam was one of those academy players i thought would have made it in the first team
It's all about opinions really isn't it. Simon Davey always used to come over to me as bland and boring whenever he was interviewed. His personality seemed to be non existent and as far as I was concerned, apart from a few games, his Barnsley teams exactly mirrored his demeanour re- bland, boring and highly predictable. He was in charge for 138 games, winning 45, drawing 30 and losing 63 which gave him a win rate of 32.6%
Despite owning my own business, I'd be the first to admit that I'm not the best manager in the world. But one thing that I do think - or hope - is that everybody who's worked for me thinks that I'm fundamentally a nice guy who tries his hardest to treat people well. I just can't understand anybody who doesn't want that to be their legacy, wherever they've found themselves. I know that these people exist but I can't fathom it. Hearing about somebody who worked for me bad-mouthing me would leave me distraught. Finding an article about myself on the internet which justifiably presents me as an unpleasant character is pretty much my idea of a nightmare.
Simon Davey loved a drink, and was actually told he was no longer welcome to stop at Ardsley House Hotel because they were fed up of him p1ssing the bed.
I'd heard that rumour as well JBP. A lad I worked with used to drink there and he told me , but I thought he was joshing. How embarrassing must it have been for the member of staff who was given the job of telling him he was no longer welcome.?
Give Luke Chadwick’s a listen, he will restore your faith in some footballers. Seemed so grateful for the career he had, and mentions throughout his career all he wanted to do was play for Cambridge, even when he was at United he nearly walked out at signed for Cambridge. Really good listen and came across a pleasant bloke.
Kim Christiansen - that makes sense. He seemed a decent player then all of sudden went. If you’re giving some info, what about Miguel Mostto????? Always seemed decent but such a cultural difference.
