While I don't think that John Hendrie was a great choice of manager when we'd just been relegated, the amount of bad luck he had was absolutely insane. Long term injuries to Hristov and Watson were just the start of it, and although he didn't exactly help himself by falling out with Fjortoft, pretty much everything that could go wrong for him did go wrong. In a parallel universe there's every chance David Watson and Georgi Hristov stayed fit, Ashley Ward stayed as we were top at Christmas, we won the league at a canter, and John Hendrie is now managing Scotland. Instead, his managerial career was finished before it had even begun. That got me thinking - is the bad luck that Schopp has suffered since joining comparable to the calamities which befell SJH?
I think Hendrie's biggest problem as being promoted from player to manager. He lacked the authority, as he'd gone from being the joker of the dressing room to the manager in a close season. That said the injuries did not help. I've met him a few times when out dog walking & he even bought me a pint in Ilkley once, after a walk on the moor. He genuinely seems to have enjoyed his swansong at Barnsley. I don't really bring up the managerial bit.
I really don't think Hendrie was cut our for management but your right, he didn't have everything his own way.
Absolutely top bloke . Wilson jumping ship last minute didn't help the board one bit in their choice of manager. Proper shame it didn't work out for him as he speaks well about us. Still slaughters Brian Robson for paying him to leave boro to join the reds. He didn't have any luck with injuries had a couple of fall outs notably with Clint and Jan age . Will always be remembered on here for his playing career rather than his manager cameo.
Last time I spoke with him . Bradford City away , he was telling me about his lad playing football. Don't know if he ever made a career of it.
