Folks, I will get onto the requests. Look out early Saturday evening as its a busy house today chez Elixir!
This suggests that MM went because he wasn't too happy about working with the new owner, rather than he was chasing the Yankee Dollar. Or have I got that wrong Elxir?
Vic - I wanted to look up the 1969 "Battle of Kenilworth Road" game to reminisce, but unfortunately if look Google that kind of heading you get approx 60,000 results - Do they regularly have trouble at the Kennel?? LOL. As for the Evening post - I remember having to deliver it as a friend of mine went on holiday. When I got home you could have read the newspaper from my hands - no need to buy it. I seem to remember that the paper used to have a "scantliy clad young lady" on page 3 ....... and one of them might have been Kenny Jackett's girlfriend ..... How can I remember such irrelevant garbage? Anybody know a good doctor?
As one or two of you enjoyed the tale of the game at the Kennel in 69, I thought I would add a couple more memories of that game. Endean and Slough weren't near the penalty area but in front of the 'Main Stand', Slough went through the back of Endean who promptly got up and tried to land one on Slough, which ended up in the grapple so memorably captured by the Echo picture. The morons screaming from the enclosure in front of the stand didn't help the referee make a balanced judgement. Walley (no 'h') was sent off for the most outrageous kick on an opposition player I've ever seen. Brian Lewis was the thoroughly deserved recipient; a nastier piece of work as a player I have yet to see (perhaps Roy Keane excepted). He had been goading the Watford players all game with sly kicks, spitting and the odd comment. Watford had a free kick which was played into the area. As the ball came across Walley wheeled away from Lewis (who was marking him) and before the ball had reached the penalty area kicked Lewis on the volley up the jacksey about 6 feet in the air right in front of the ref: totally premeditated! Cue mayhem, both on and off the pitch. I had persuaded my Dad to take me to the game. He was a veteran of the battles fought in the local Derbies of the 30's and regaled me with tales of pulling L*t*n fans off the '321' at Garston and chasing them back up towards St Albans. He always refused to go back to Kenilworth Road because it was such a violent ground. But he came with me on this occasion and we stood along the 'Bobbers Stand' at the back. In front of us stood two old blokes, both must have been 70 at least. One had a yellow & black scarf on, the other a black & white one. They spent the entire game pushing, shoving and tripping each other up, all the while shouting obscentities in each other's face. Such is/was the hatred, maintained over decades.
My view is when Malky became fully aware of what the new regime had to offer he was "looking around for something better". Cardiff is better, but how much better? Oliver Phillips compares Malky's situation to that of when Mark Ashton took on the CEO role. Oliver Phillips met him and instantly knew he didn't want to work with Ashton .......... From what I've heard of Baz, I would find it very hard to work for him. We have all seen the "hard man" approach, but when its backed up with an "indifferent record" then you have to think to yourself "I'm going to do things my way, and I realise there will be moments when I'm not supported". Baz knows he can take more liberties with Dyche than Malky, and Dyche knows he's going to have to be seen to be doing things "Baz's way". As for GT, I feel he needs to tread very carefully, and I expect him to be seen a lot less. The long term political aims of fans forums and fan representation on the board ........ unlikely me thinks.
This sounds like the best theory yet to explain why MM would turn down Burnley (historically and recently a much bigger club than Cardiff), sign a contract (hoping the new guy would be someone he could work with) and then changing his mind. I hope one day he comes out and says it as it would help restore my faith in human nature a little - as some of you might have guessed that has taken quite a knock for me as I had judged MM as a "Watford" man and honourable
i don't know the details of how he left Pompey, but since we seem to have gone about everything the right way, and Pompey seem quite happy to have allowed him to talk to us, no, it's not the same, but i think this ground has been we and truly covered
Ive read the article and its a bit mew, wow we have apointed some managers this way and some anothet way. If this was relevant to wfc math guys would be the star players
Well it does not throw light on any actual reasons but what it does tell me is that someone whose views I thoroughly respect and who is Watford to the core seems to support MM's move and does not think it bad - and that certainly makes me feel slightly less ill disposed towards MM. However it also suggests that we are still in for rough times ahead - but we knew that didn't we?
