Worst manager between the two PH spells?

We have had 4 managers sandwiched between the 2 PH spells. But who was the worst?

Bignot - young manager non-league in the Hurst mould, tried to change too much too quickly
Slade - back to experience, but well past his best and results got worse and worse
Jolley - back to young/hungry. Amazing start but ran out of ideas and steam and talked himself out of the job
Holloway - experienced plus a household name. Like Jolley started quite well, but the summer proved a nightmare for him and he recruited very poorly.

You should do the same poll again asking who was the best.

Slade for me. Thought it was a mistake from the start and so it proved to be.

At least I had high hopes for the others, but Slade, none.

Between Slade & Holloway for me.

Holloway wins it, full of false promises and fecked off when the going got tough.

Quoted from TheRealJohnLewis

You should do the same poll again asking who was the best.

Do you mean least worst?

I went for Slade but I regret it now. Holloway for me.

Like many, I fell for Billy Bullshit so voted for him as he was the biggest disappointment. Expected nothing from Slade so wasn’t disappointed.

Slade. On his return I thought he was an abysmal appointment and he turned out to be just that, an absolute dinosaur.

Tough one between the two experienced managers. I've gone for Slade but had Runaway stayed much longer and made some January signings I am sure he would have proven worse that Slade.

Whatever people say Holloway will go down as one of the worst managers we’ve ever had...thankfully we ever got to see if it could get any worse.

Bignot was always my go to as flipping useless but Holloway takes that crown now.

Slade; well, not worth the time typing it up...

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Like many, I fell for Billy Bullshit so voted for him as he was the biggest disappointment. Expected nothing from Slade so wasn’t disappointed.

Same.

I was reasonably happy with Slade coming back as he had gone on to manage at the likes of Brighton and Cardiff quite recently so I was quietly confident he may do alright, but uninspiring transfers followed by absoutely terribly results.

However my vote has to go to Holloway.

No point in explaining anything other than what an absolute let down he was. Big expectations fair enough, but what we ended up with was far less than acceptable.

For me the worst appointment we've ever made in my lifetime, other than maybe Neil Woods.

Between Slade and Runaway, Slade wins on the basis of that horrific losing/no wins streak.

Quoted from Gainsbro_Mariner

I was reasonably happy with Slade coming back as he had gone on to manage at the likes of Brighton and Cardiff quite recently so I was quietly confident he may do alright, but uninspiring transfers followed by absoutely terribly results.

However my vote has to go to Holloway.

No point in explaining anything other than what an absolute let down he was. Big expectations fair enough, but what we ended up with was far less than acceptable.

For me the worst appointment we've ever made in my lifetime, other than maybe Neil Woods.

Disagree with Woods, he was dealt a very bad hand. He shouldn’t have got the job in the first place, mind. Somewhat ironically i felt at the time Slade should have been appointed instead at that time.

Has to be Holloway for me. Jolley comfortably the best

HAS TO BE HOLLOWAY, probably the biggest con artist we have had at the club, out of the four he was the one who deliberately lied about his admiration for the fans, realised he'd bitten off more than he could chew football wise, and left us in the excrement, for that he has no superior.  illegitimate!

Slade for me.  Typical first transfer window activity.     Out - Pearson, Disley, Gowling, J Osborne, S Jones, Andrew,          all decent players,     replaced by        
Clarke, Kelly  K Osborne, Cardwell, Dixon, Hooper Dembele.

Agreed some wanted to leave but what does that say about the club/manager.

As much as I would agree that Slade V2 would probably top the poll, I’ve voted Holloway.

I’m incensed by his behaviour, lies and the manner in which he manipulated matters to effect an exit in trying to remain squeaky clean. Scurrilous in my opinion.

Slade for me.
Dullest time watching Town in 47 years. Woeful football.
At least Holloway had a decent couple of months at the start.

Quoted from DocDock

Disagree with Woods, he was dealt a very bad hand. He shouldn’t have got the job in the first place, mind. Somewhat ironically i felt at the time Slade should have been appointed instead at that time.

I don't disagree with that, he was dealt a bad hand but you gotta look at the fact he lost all but one of his games bar 1 as caretaker manager, still applied for the job, got the job and didn't win a game in over 20 games. Haha I too was in the Slade camp. I remember it going down to the wire and the OS even plugging they had whittled it down to Woodsy and Slade. For me though Woodsy is still the worst appointment as why on earth would you hire someone was evidently struggling pretty poorly whilst in temporary charge.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Slade for me.  Typical first transfer window activity.     Out - Pearson, Disley, Gowling, J Osborne, S Jones, Andrew,          all decent players,     replaced by        
Clarke, Kelly  K Osborne, Cardwell, Dixon, Hooper Dembele.

Agreed some wanted to leave but what does that say about the club/manager.

Actually forgot how terrible Slade was until I read this. Absolutely horrific. Should never be able to work in football again after that.

Shame as his 05/06 team made me properly fall in love with the club. Sad

Holloway for me
Biggest bullshitter I’ve ever listened to and I’ve heard a few!

Should have known right at the beginning when he chose his own questions to answer in a night with Ollie at McMenemy’s

Bristol’s very own Del Boy!

Quoted from Mariner_501

Actually forgot how terrible Slade was until I read this. Absolutely horrific. Should never be able to work in football again after that.

Shame as his 05/06 team made me properly fall in love with the club. Sad

That was done solely to get the wage bill down, and once again nearly cost us our league status over money saving.

Holloway iss a charlatan of the highest order. Regardless of results, he'll always be the worst IMO.

Well not a tough choice really Slade 2nd time around was pants  3-4 games in  But Holloway was with out doubt prolonged Mental torture 1 year of  waffle and false promises  no shape no game plan no defence no attack  For a renownd manager  pretty poor  so Holloway gets it

Holloway will probably get plenty of votes because of recent wounds and all his promises coming to nothing.

I still thing Slade II was worst on the list though. Never seen a manager more out of touch with modern football and players than he was during his second spell with us. His tactics were ancient and his recruitment was mostly terrible except convincing Dembele to sign for us. He decided to stick Danny Collins alongside another defender of exactly the same make so we had a sluggish backline that everyone ran rings around. Along with a bunch of other useless signings and having to get rid of all the expensive signings Bignot made that were actually playing well it made his tenue really depressing.

In some ways I feel bad for Bignot though not many will, he had ideas and wanted to do a lot he just didn't have the experience to deal with the business side of things. Think he got taken for a ride by clubs and agents on some of the signings he wanted to make which caused them all to pretty much vanish after he was gone. Along with being yet another who fell out with Fenty he also fell out with influential people in the dressing room so the squad was divided between Hurst's guys and his guys. Lost the dressing room, the boardroom and the fans all in a short time.

Jolley started well but seemed well out of his depth very quickly with no plan B. Didn't sit well with his stuck up attitude and dislike of media publicity anyway. Out of all of them on the list I feel like Jolley seemed the most lost when it came to management.

Toss up between Runaway and Sludge

Gotta be slade mk2. Holloway had put a decent side together last year, improved us. He does have the excuse of the club cutting everything to the bone in the expectation of the season being cancelled this season, with him massively compounding that with tactics, rotation and dreadful recruitment. Even so until the Alex may thing the fan base was divided over him, rather than United against him.

Slade was dreadful in every way, had no good pònts apart from dembele (and he was performing badly by the end) and the side werr on a worse run than now with everyone from top to bottom of the club utterly copulated off with him. It was universal fury from the fans he was still in a job until fenty finally sacked him

I have to admit I’m struggling to vote, they all have big reasons to take top spot. Bognor and jolley though, we’re trying to implement their ideas and relatively new to football so perhaps not intentionally bad managers. Slade mk 2 was so obviously crap it was ridiculous. Hollowwords, we mostly felt we’d stuck our hands into a bucket of shite and plucked out a diamond. For that reason alone, for the fact he clearly gave not one excrement I have to give it to him.

hollowwords. What a superb description  I think you should have two votes so you can share it.  

As much as I think Holloway is a bull shitting all smoke and mirrors male masturbator there is no one to touch Coco Slade.
Absolutely fookin hopeless, the worst manager in my 50 years supposing Town

slade for me followed by Runaway

Bignot’s last game, Blackpool away was such a great weekend that I forgive his madness and it pales compared to his successors ineptitude.  Jolley kept us up, most in here still had more faith in runaway than Slade a couple of weeks back.
Happy New Year to everyone and thanks for keeping me entertained with all your views this year

Slade has to be up there for bringing in Nathan Clarke whilst releasing Shaun Pearson

Clarke was involved in the worst goal ever conceded where we had a free kick on the halfway line and he passed back to Mac with no pace and the forward nipped it

Yeah Clarke was excrement. But easily worse was Kelly who was utter dogshit

Dixon was pretty hopeless too

Woho panic buy Dixon has to be the worst panic buy ever, basically any left back who would have rocked up that week would have got a contract. Sladeball was dog shite bad.

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Woho panic buy Dixon has to be the worst panic buy ever, basically any left back who would have rocked up that week would have got a contract. Sladeball was dog shite bad.

The worst part of it all is that Slade also had Andrew Fox on trial that summer.

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.    

Quoted from toontown

Yeah Clarke was excrement. But easily worse was Kelly who was utter dogshit

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.

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.

Quoted from MarinerWY

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.

Jolley achieved something for the club: he saved us from what seemed like certain relegation.

The rest...took us nowhere/downhill. (Bignot I couldn't understand.)

Slade would get my vote, but what's the point of a poll that looks back, negatively?
I'm looking forward and positively*.






*Probably should know better at my age lol.

Slade

Quoted from RonMariner

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

Yeah your right he wouldn't even get into this team! What makes it worse is slade had had him at his previous club and so had had the opportunity to view him extensively! Makes it all the more dumbfounding he actually signed him up for us.

Slade just reeked of past it and past caring. "Ok recruitment work needs doing... Oh that Hooper lad isn't very good, maybe he'll be better a division below. Oh whilst im at it that Kelly lad is complete dogshite, maybe he'll be better a division below too. I'll get them both. Now, that's saved me enough time to get to the bookies before the 3.15 at Newmarket"

It has to be Slade for me. He inherited a squad with the potential to progress from Bignot and, whatever the financial instructions he may have had from on high, wrecked it. Had he stayed in charge, there is no doubt we would have been relegated that season.

All the other three, in my mind, have more mitigation than Slade in this discussion. Even Holloway, for all that his true colours may have been revealed of late, could argue that he didn't have a proper opportunity to build the kind of team he wanted because of Covid.

I mean its not even difficult, Slade every time.

I find it difficult to choose on football grounds. Whilst it could be argued Jolley for example was better than Slade, now we know that all suffered with bad budgets, it’s difficult to be fair. So purely on non-football grounds, for me it’s a toss-up between Slade and Runaway. Slade for his ambushing of Dean at the fans forum, and Holloway for his bullshitting/lies and the suspicion that he was involved with the fraudster. On moral grounds it’s Holloway by a length.

Slade for me
I thought he was unfairly criticised for style of play first time round and might be a steadying hand after the Bignot turmoil.
Oh dear, but looking on the bright side this poll might be his first chance of winning something

Slade, never got to like him first time round, tried to get behind him second time.

My thought was Runaway would walk off with this, and you're giving it to Slide instead! Guess I am not in this game then!

Quoted from exiledmeggie

My thought was Runaway would walk off with this, and you're giving it to Slide instead! Guess I am not in this game then!

See what you did there!  

Slade seems to be powering to victory here.

Well done Russell! 🍾

Slade should never have been reappointed the game had passed him by long before he came back, poor football and we should have got rid of him sooner than we did, Jolley performed miracles to keep us up.

Slade for me but Holloway runs him close because of the mess and pile of excrement he has left behind.

Quoted from Sammo

Slade should never have been reappointed the game had passed him by long before he came back, poor football and we should have got rid of him sooner than we did, Jolley performed miracles to keep us up.

Slade for me but Holloway runs him close because of the mess and pile of excrement he has left behind.

I think I said it in an earlier comment but if Runaway had been given this transfer window I'm fairly confident he would have beaten Slade.