The Most Successful Blades Managers

[Darren]

In every single season whilst Porterfield was manager we finished in a higher league position than the preceding season. Has anyone else managed to do that?

Howard Kendall

9th 1995-96
5th 1996-97

and

Blackwell

9th 2007-08
3rd 2008-09

But only 2 seasons probably doesn't count

 

[oldblade]

Blackwell doesn't count because he hasn't left the club yet and somehow I think his record might deteriorate this season!

Kendall counts, but obviously it's easier to improve your position over two seasons than five.

I'll change the question slightly. Have we ever sacked a manager other than Ian Porterfield who throughout his managerial term improved our league position year on year?

 

[Darren]

Blackwell doesn't count because he hasn't left the club yet and somehow I think his record might deteriorate this season!

Kendall counts, but obviously it's easier to improve your position over two seasons than five.

I'll change the question slightly. Have we ever sacked a manager other than Ian Porterfield who throughout his managerial term improved our league position year on year?

Which managers have we actually sacked?

1952 Davison - voluntarily left to Manager Chesterfield!
1955 Freeman -died
1958 Mercer - left to manage Villa
1968 Harris - booted upstairs after relegation
1969 Rowley - sacked after one season in charge and a disappointing 9th finish in D2
1973 Harris - retired by mutual consent I believe
1975 Furphy - sacked in October with United rock bottom, but in his two previous seasons had seen us finish 13th and then 6th
1977 Sirrel - sacked in September with United next to bottom of D2 after seeing us relegated from D1 in 76
1981 Haslam - booted upstairs after seeing United finish in a worse position in every season he was in charge
1981 Peters - resigned after relegation to D4.
1986 Porterfield - see above
1988 McEwan - resigned as United struggled against relegation from D2, after finished 7th then 9th in his first two seasons
1995 Bassett - left "by mutual consent" as United struggled in the 2nd tier
1997 Kendall - see above
1998 Spackman - resigned after one too many bust ups with Charles Green
1998 Thompson - not given the job in close seasion 98
1999 Bruce - resigned to manage Huddersfield!
1999 Heath - resigned after the infamous Vale game
2007 Warnock - sacked after relegation from PL
2008 Robson - sacked after the shoes off protest

So, in answer your questions, you could argue that Furphy was the only other example of a manager being sacked after improving our position in each season he had been in charge. But Furphy had only had two seasons and we were rock bottom of D1 when he went. Porterfield, on the other hand, had taken us from D4 to serious D2 promotion challengers (for the first time in 15 years) in 5 years. I agree his sacking was monumentally unfair.

 

[themaninblack]

That's a great list Darren, though as I remember it the football was truly dreadful when Porterfield got the bullet, worse than the current team is serving up.

 

[oldblade]

Which managers have we actually sacked?

1952 Davison - voluntarily left to Manager Chesterfield!
1955 Freeman -died
1958 Mercer - left to manage Villa
1968 Harris - booted upstairs after relegation
1969 Rowley - sacked after one season in charge and a disappointing 9th finish in D2
1973 Harris - retired by mutual consent I believe
1975 Furphy - sacked in October with United rock bottom, but in his two previous seasons had seen us finish 13th and then 6th
1977 Sirrel - sacked in September with United next to bottom of D2 after seeing us relegated from D1 in 76
1981 Haslam - booted upstairs after seeing United finish in a worse position in every season he was in charge
1981 Peters - resigned after relegation to D4.
1986 Porterfield - see above
1988 McEwan - resigned as United struggled against relegation from D2, after finished 7th then 9th in his first two seasons
1995 Bassett - left "by mutual consent" as United struggled in the 2nd tier
1997 Kendall - see above
1998 Spackman - resigned after one too many bust ups with Charles Green
1998 Thompson - not given the job in close seasion 98
1999 Bruce - resigned to manage Huddersfield!
1999 Heath - resigned after the infamous Vale game
2007 Warnock - sacked after relegation from PL
2008 Robson - sacked after the shoes off protest

So, in answer your questions, you could argue that Furphy was the only other example of a manager being sacked after improving our position in each season he had been in charge. But Furphy had only had two seasons and we were rock bottom of D1 when he went. Porterfield, on the other hand, had taken us from D4 to serious D2 promotion challengers (for the first time in 15 years) in 5 years. I agree his sacking was monumentally unfair.

I remember thinking at the time that his sacking seemed very unfair.

Even allowing for the fact that our promotion challenge had faded away, we had improved vastly on the season before which had been a relegation battle almost from start to finish. And our sequence of results immediately prior to the sacking wasn't particularly poor. Nothing to write home about, but not exactly dire. The damage to our promotion challenge had come some time before, with a bad run in December.

But, I think I was in a minorioty at the time. Contrary to the rose tinted view often espoused on message boards that supporters in the past were more tolerant, didn't moan as much, and generally got behind the team, my memory of that time is the opposite. Supporters were very impatient, and frequently moaned about the team and manager. In the away defeat at Shrewsbury in January 1986 I clearly remember chants of 'Porterfield Out', and very little vocal encouragement being given to the team.

By the time the Norwich game came there was a lot of discontentment on the terraces, attendances were pretty miserable, and at many games the atmosphere was non existent. I suppose Porterfield's departure became inevitable. We'll now never know whether or not he could have taken us that extra step forward in the next season.

It's easy to judge in hindsight, but I think that at that time, as with Warnock's departure 21 years later, the wrong choice of replacement was made.

 

[oldblade]

That's a great list Darren, though as I remember it the football was truly dreadful when Porterfield got the bullet, worse than the current team is serving up.

No, I don't agree. It was no worse and we did actually pass the ball a bit through midfield. I don't remember feeling conistently unentertained to the degree that I do now.

 

[Darren]

I remember thinking at the time that his sacking seemed very unfair.

Even allowing for the fact that our promotion challenge had faded away, we had improved vastly on the season before which had been a relegation battle almost from start to finish. And our sequence of results immediately prior to the sacking wasn't particularly poor. Nothing to write home about, but not exactly dire. The damage to our promotion challenge had come some time before, with a bad run in December.

But, I think I was in a minorioty at the time. Contrary to the rose tinted view often espoused on message boards that supporters in the past were more tolerant, didn't moan as much, and generally got behind the team, my memory of that time is the opposite. Supporters were very impatient, and frequently moaned about the team and manager. In the away defeat at Shrewsbury in January 1986 I clearly remember chants of 'Porterfield Out', and very little vocal encouragement being given to the team.

By the time the Norwich game came there was a lot of discontentment on the terraces, attendances were pretty miserable, and at many games the atmosphere was non existent. I suppose Porterfield's departure became inevitable. We'll now never know whether or not he could have taken us that extra step forward in the next season.

It's easy to judge in hindsight, but I think that at that time, as with Warnock's departure 21 years later, the wrong choice of replacement was made.

Quite right. Prior to the Norwich game, we had won 3 drawn 1 and lost 1 of our previous 5 games. I agree though that the atmosphere was getting poisonous. I remember in particular the anger of the fans in the 1-0 defeat in the cup by Derby on 25/1/86 and the 1-1 draw with Grimsby on 15/3/86.

You're right about attendances though. I think we got 7000ish for the 3-0 win over Brighton on 1/2/86 and the Norwich game itself (Norwich being run away leaders of the division) attracted only 11,000ish.

 

[Revolution]

2007 Warnock - sacked after relegation from PL

Isn't it more accurate to say that Warnock's contract had expired and he left as a result, as any free agent player does these days?

But, I think I was in a minorioty at the time. Contrary to the rose tinted view often espoused on message boards that supporters in the past were more tolerant, didn't moan as much, and generally got behind the team, my memory of that time is the opposite. Supporters were very impatient, and frequently moaned about the team and manager. In the away defeat at Shrewsbury in January 1986 I clearly remember chants of 'Porterfield Out', and very little vocal encouragement being given to the team.

That season was the most mutinous I can ever remember our support being. Millwall was the worst. We were awful, lost 3-1, missed a penalty, and there was booing and abuse hurled at Porterfield throughout. two standout memories are the guy running down to the front of the South stand and banging on the roof of the dugout, and the booing hardly pausing when Eckhardt scored our consolation.

 

[Grecian2000]

Porterfield would never have been sacked today.

These days 6th place is a "target" and a chance to get into the play-offs. When Porter was sacked we were in just such a position but only the top three was good enough and we were rapidly losing touch. Today we would be whining on about how we still have a chance of a play-off spot.

The play-offs have a lot to answer for. We now reward mediocrity (indeed you could almost say we celebrate it) rather than despise it.

As it goes, I was glad when Porterfield went but he was quickly followed by my least favourite manager of all time, Billy Mac.

 

[Grecian2000]

"Millwall was the worst. We were awful, lost 3-1, missed a penalty,"

Was that the John Ryan penalty?

One of the funniest things I've ever seen. Some of those who go apopleptic when any of the darlings are booed today would have had to be carried out on stretchers.

 

[Darren]

2007 Warnock - sacked after relegation from PL

Isn't it more accurate to say that Warnock's contract had expired and he left as a result, as any free agent player does these days?

But, I think I was in a minorioty at the time. Contrary to the rose tinted view often espoused on message boards that supporters in the past were more tolerant, didn't moan as much, and generally got behind the team, my memory of that time is the opposite. Supporters were very impatient, and frequently moaned about the team and manager. In the away defeat at Shrewsbury in January 1986 I clearly remember chants of 'Porterfield Out', and very little vocal encouragement being given to the team.

That season was the most mutinous I can ever remember our support being. Millwall was the worst. We were awful, lost 3-1, missed a penalty, and there was booing and abuse hurled at Porterfield throughout. two standout memories are the guy running down to the front of the South stand and banging on the roof of the dugout, and the booing hardly pausing when Eckhardt scored our consolation.

Remember that game well - 5/10/85. John Fashanu played for Millwall and ran riot (I think he got two of their goals). We were 2-0 down after about 30 mins and then got a pen at the BL end which Morris took and hit the post. Millwall then got a third in the 2nd half and the Eckhardt goal came with about 5 mins left.

At that stage of the season, I think a lot of the mutiny was due to Porterfield dropping Edwards for Peter Withe. Edwards was put back in the team for the next game (a 1-3 League Cup defeat at Luton) and the team dramatically improved - we won our next 5 league games on the bounce (with Edwards getting 9 goals), including big away wins at Bradford (4-1) and Oldham (5-1). After the 3-3 draw with Blackburn (with the Steve Wigley wonder goal and Burridge howler), we then went to top of the league, 100% home record and no goal conceded at home Portsmouth and won 3-0!

By that time we were 2nd, but then won only 2 of our next 9 league games (losing 6), which brought the anti-Porterfield faction back to life again.

 

[Grecian2000]

"including big away wins at Bradford (4-1)"

Ooh, the chance to do a Darren.

Beat Bradford but it was played at Elland Road due to them being homeless after the fire.

 

[Darren]

"including big away wins at Bradford (4-1)"

Ooh, the chance to do a Darren.

Beat Bradford but it was played at Elland Road due to them being homeless after the fire.

Quite true - but then when we win away to Grimbsy we don't say "we won at Cleethorpes" and if we were to win away to Rotherham we wouldn't say "we won at Sheffield"

As you are such a clever sod, tell me where the Bradford away game the following season was played...

 

[Grecian2000]

Odsal.

1-1

 

[Kenilworth]

Odsal.

1-1

Don't forget the burger caravan that was rolled over and didn't it catch alight? Not a very sensistive thing to do under the circumstances. I also seem to remember an incident outside the ground where someone was chased across the dual carriageway and was knocked over by a car. Not pleasant times.

 

[Darren]

Odsal.

1-1

Who scored for us then?

 

[Grecian2000]

Can't remember.

Apart from the Burger van the only other incident I even remotely remember was a dodgy penalty to them.

 

[blades1889]

blackwell is shite manager i want warnock bk

 

[Darren]

Can't remember.

Apart from the Burger van the only other incident I even remotely remember was a dodgy penalty to them.

It was Peter Withe, and if I recall correctly his brother Chris was playing for Bradford.

See, not as sad a statto as me are you

 

[Kenilworth]

It was Peter Withe, and if I recall correctly his brother Chris was playing for Bradford.

See, not as sad a statto as me are you

There are none sadder Dazzler but we absolutely rely on you to provide the accurate information our befuddled brains cannot recall. Keep up the good work.

 

[MobileBlade]

Updated: !!

1. Nigel Spackman - Games 43 - 46.51%
2. Kevin Blackwell - 86 - 45.34%
3. John Harris - 158 - 44.68%
4. Jon Wolstinholm - 233 - 44.21%
5. Ian Porterfield - 226 - 43.36%
6. Neil Warnock - 388 - 42.53%
7. Howard Kendall - 82 - 41.46%
8. Teddy Davison - 592 - 41.89%