Ok everybody, I think its time for yet another season memories thread lol. But I'm afraid this is season '98, the John Hendrie 'manager' season!. So, after Prem relegation and Danny and Redders both leaving us, we were in a difficult position. What were our expectations then, when that '98 season started.
Johnnie was a popular lad wasn't he, and he played a massive part in our promotion to the Prem of course. But I think we maybe set our expectations too high for that season. And he/John showed that he simply wasn't up to the role. And after John had gone before the end of the season, our mate Eric Winnie, got the job briefly again.
Hendrie was a mistake for sure, that team was good enough to get us back up. Has John Dennis spoken about that season? It seems the club made quite a few interesting decisions.
I think there might have been a few managers that would have taken us on at that time, with a decent squad and every chance of promotion. It seemed an odd decision to give the job to the squad joker....
Typical Barnsley that Huddersfield game, excellent first half, crap 2nd half Just imagine if we could have kept that side together. We'd have píssed promotion.
Think that was the only game where Hignett, Ward and Dyer played together. Ward was sold to Blackburn the following week.
Expectations were that we had a good chance of getting back up. If the Fowls of S6 hadn't poached Wilson I'm pretty certain we would have.
Dunno but John Dennis wanted to appease the fans on the back of losing Wilson to Wednesday. Someone with experience as Hendrie was out of his depth and I think he knew it himself. Don't think he could adapt to being one of the lads to boss.
I think he wasn't good enough. But not the worst by any stretch. Felt really sorry for him as I believe we were suffering with main players being injured at times. Some brilliant stories when him and Shez get together. Talking about that period. And prior. Loved him as a player. And I'm with JT. Struggled a bit from jumping to boss from playing colleague.
Yes, I went to that one. Their first defeat at the Stadium of Light. Right game, we were 2-0 up with Ward scoring, missing a pen and then getting sent off in space of about 15 minutes. They got it back to 2-2 but an injury time Barnard penalty won it.
Fond memories of the FA cup run that year too. Bristol Rovers at home with Hignett's hat-trick and Dyer's volley, then eventually being knocked out by what's still one of the FA cups greatest ever goals.
I among others wanted J.H sacking at the time.Looking back we were 10th in the Championship.What w,ed give for that now.Did we act too hastily sacking him with hindsight?
Bruce Dyer gave the best performance of his career there....defending from the front...what a shift he put in