Worst manager between the two PH spells?

Quoted from RonMariner

Really tough decision, which shows haw terrible the recruitment has been.

I would rule out Big nuts as he did sign some decent players, albeit rather too many midfielders. He wasn't really given long to implement his plans. So who knows, maybe it might have worked out. I somehow doubt it, but yopu never know.

I rule out Jolley because he kept us up with largely the same squad that Slade built and which got us into the mess in the first place.  I thought we might kick on in his first full season, but sadly he couldn't keep the early momentum going.

Regarding Slade, he created a pretty dire side, but let's not forget that we were on the fringes of the play off zone  before he offloaded three of our best players, including our top scorer, in the January window. That contributed to our plummet. But as those players were supposedly high earners I have a snaking suspicion that his hand was forced in that regard by the board.  Could be wrong, but I there is enough doubt there for me to rule him out too.

So that leaves Hollow words. We currently have the worst squad in the country thanks to his signings. Most of our best players were already here when he arrived; Wright, Hendrie, Pollock, Waterfall, Hewitt, Clifton. Hanson too if fit.  So it's only really Moralis that stands out as a positive.  

So he gets my vote.    

Slades hand was definitely forced over the release of players that widow. Again, short sighted money saving.

I think despite what was said about the reason for the departure of Bignot, the truth lies more in his extravagant recruitment. He said that Solihull had more coaching staff than GTFC for instance.

Another manager stymied by penny pinching. I thought he brought in some good exciting players: just too many of them for comfort for our board.

Despite having his hand forced on the clear out, Slade was still next to useless mind.

Quoted from ginnywings

Slades hand was definitely forced over the release of players that widow. Again, short sighted money saving.

I think despite what was said about the reason for the departure of Bignot, the truth lies more in his extravagant recruitment. He said that Solihull had more coaching staff than GTFC for instance.

Another manager stymied by penny pinching. I thought he brought in some good exciting players: just too many of them for comfort for our board.

Despite having his hand forced on the clear out, Slade was still next to useless mind.

Slade was instructed to prune the squad therefore he didn’t surprise me a lot. Holloway was allowed to build a squad which, let’s face it, is pretty poor.

Quoted from Kris2

Sam Kelly is probably the worst player I've witnessed at BP since Tommy Forecast. No idea how he got so many games at Port Vale because he didn't look like he wanted to be involved in the game at all. Didn't look like he wanted the ball and got rid of it as soon as possible, avoided making tackles. tried to vanish from the game and so on. Was obvious from his first appearance that he wasn't capable of being a professional footballer.

Agree with this completely. He would have backed out of a 50/50 with a 10 year old. Heart of a gnat, ability of a cabbage. Awful player.

Quoted from Kris2

Sam Kelly is probably the worst player I've witnessed at BP since Tommy Forecast. No idea how he got so many games at Port Vale because he didn't look like he wanted to be involved in the game at all. Didn't look like he wanted the ball and got rid of it as soon as possible, avoided making tackles. tried to vanish from the game and so on. Was obvious from his first appearance that he wasn't capable of being a professional footballer.

I was watching us getting thumped at Cambridge just before Jolley joined and was bemoaning the ineptitude of the players and saying it couldn't possibly get any worse. Tony Butcher turned to me and said, 'Oh yes it can. Wait till Kelly comes on.'

I didn't believe it was possible for anyone with two legs to be worse than those already on show, But then Kelly came on and did indeed manage to prove me wrong. He was breathtakingly awful. Too poor even to get into our current squad. And that is saying something

Quoted from mariner91

Agree with this completely. He would have backed out of a 50/50 with a 10 year old. Heart of a gnat, ability of a cabbage. Awful player.

Indeed. In the game I refer to in my previous post he was running with the ball when an opponent ambled towards him. When he was about two yards away Kelly leapt over the ball and out of the way. TYe bemused player then just collected the ball and strode off. It was laughable. There wan't even a challenge.  

I've gone for slade, was a toss up between him and holloway, however deciding point was if holloway hadn't left and then throw a grenade into the mix on his way out, would the consortium takeover ever come to fruition. Him leaving and being massively open about his reasons, would we be looking at the exciting times we have coming. Utm

Bignot to be fair had ambitious plans and was able to spot a good player it seemed and we had some good wins most notably Plymouth away who were top at the time I believe but then we had some awful losses such as Crewe 5-0, Pompey pumped us 5-0 or something then we had Donny at home 5-1, Bignots team tactics and selections were baffling and random.

Slade was a dinosaur, started off alright but soon went down hill, and it was clear some of his summer targets knocked him back as we had long gaps between signings and most of the signings came through trialists which is a concern. And most of his signings were absolutely awful.

Jolley saved us from relegation but we never really built up momentum, again he had plans but lacked the tactical nous really.

Holloway, arrived and promised the world and everybody got sucked in and before lockdown we actually started playing some decent stuff but the penny pinching and cautious approach in the summer really killed the season, Holloway signed a very poor squad and by all accounts he signed players he didn't even know who they was until a few days prior which is a very dangerous game to play, every club had to cope with Covid, not just us so we can't use that as an excuse, but Holloway always used it as an excuse and when Tonduer questioned him once about that excuse and he kicked off and since then he was very aggressive to all members of the media and his love relationship with Fenty and potentially Alex May was weird I'm glad he has gone.

In order from worst to best IMO
Holloway
Slade
Bignot
Jolley

Between Slade and Holloway for me, with mitigation for Jolley and Bignot solely on the fact they were new(ish) managers - which can't be said for the seasoned Slade and Holloway.

Most drunk off with Holloway cos of all the bullshit he fed us.

Just a note from previous posts, our top scorer Bogle left soon after Bignut took over not while Slade was in charge. No one seems to have found a replacement since.

Bignot’s short reign was absolutely chaotic, even if there are positives you can point to. If you’d have told me then that two out of our next three managers would be almost unanimously considered worse I’d have been very, very concerned.

Jolley’s stint looks more respectable in the context of what came before and after it. It’s clear that like others he was hamstrung by budget, but he ultimately made the best looking dinner from the pile of turd he had to work with than the others mentioned.