Way back in 2004 I wrote an article for Twist n Shout called "Black Magic",
about the then manager Eric Black rounding on some fans that lambasted the
man when he got the job.
I wrote the article after we had twenty games under him and totting up the points I found out he had the 2nd best ever start by a manager just behind John Sillett. I ended the article with this upbeat message "EB could be the man to guide us back to the big time just as the new ground goes on line. You got to believe it could happen because I'm going to be there when it does." I never made that appointment.
A few years later I wrote a similar article on Micky Adams called "Taking
the Micky" and found out only nine managers had a worse start than him I
ended the article on an upbeat note with "So a terrible start does not
automatically mean the manager will fail 4 out of the 9 managers achieved
success after a difficult start and 5 failed if things are to balance out
then Adams will join the successful managers and we can look back at his
first twenty games as the low point in his reign when we are back in the
premiership." Oh dear how wrong can someone be?
Then there was "Does Cookie take the biscuit?" Commenting on an average
start for Coleman I ended that article with. So four managers and only one
recovered from a modest start to bring success to City. Can Coleman join?
One thing is for sure Cookie doesn't have any excuses I expect that it will
be many years before I revive this article, maybe by then we will be in the
Premier League but I have said that before.
So how has Boothroyd started and how does he compare with other managers after their first twenty league games? Well Boothroyd stands in 4th place behind Harry Storer and Eric Black on goal difference only.
Boothroyd has averaged 1.8 points per game over a 46 games season this equates to just less than 83 points which isn't far off automatic promotion.
Does a good start mean the manager is successful lets have a look at the ten best starts in reserve order.
Frank Scott-Walford
Frank took over in the last in the 1914-1915 season when Britain was at war
with Germany in the Great War. City had just dropped into the 2nd flight of
the Southern League and it was a battle for survival as City not for the
first time were in massive financial trouble. The season started with a 3-1
away defeat to Brentford. After a slow start with one win in our first 5
games City hit a purple patch winning ten and losing five of the next
fifteen. Including a 10-1 victory at home to Newport County and a 9-1 defeat
away to Stoke. City ended 5th out of a 13 team league but people had lost
interest in football with a world war on the and league was wound up at the
end of the season. Scott-Walford did well to keep the team going sometimes
with the money from his own pocket but he never lasted past that season.
No long-term success.
Roland Nilsson
When Strachan was kicked out early in our first season back in the 2nd
flight the job of running the club fell to Nilsson. No doubt he was
informed at the massive debts at the club and was charged with re-launching the expected promotion battle. When he became manger City were in 18th place and struggling 10 games later City topped the league. His first league game was a 1-0 away win against Sheffield United with Lorent Delorge scoring the winner, City won 8 of the first 10 games with Nilsson in charge.
That was the high point of his reign the next ten games only yielded 10
points and City slipped to 7th but were still in the hunt for a play off
place. City were in the play off zone come March but 6 draws and one win in
the last 8 games saw City end in 11th a finished that would be considered
success these days. Many blamed the drop in form when the board appointed Jim Smith as Nilsson's number two but whatever the reason Nilsson was sacked at the end of the season and not many complained.
Long term not allowed to be successful.
Harry Buckle
City had just ended one from bottom of our first season in the Southern
League Division 1 when Harry was appointed to take the club forward in the
1909-1910 season. His first game in charge was a 2-1 away defeat to Swindon but after a slow start of one win in the first 8 games City picked up
winning 9 of the next 12. City ended a respectable eight place that season
our highest league finish at that time. He brought in some good players
including our first International Bob Evans who played in goal. Harry
stepped down at the end of that season so he could concentrate on playing
for City he was our left-winger.
No long-term success as manager.
Jack Fairbrother
When Fairbrother was first appointed Harry Storer has long since left the
club in the 53-54 season and City sat 16th in Division 3 South closer to the
bottom than the top. At the end of the season the position improved
slightly ending 14th his first game in charge as a 2-2 away draw against
Southend. City won 11 of his first 20 league games and lost 7 times. He
only lasted 17 games into next season before being sacked as City hit a
slump and the board panicked.
There was no long-term success for Fairbrother.
Bobby Gould
Gould first took over his hometown club as most players had just left. City
were one of the biggest relegation favourites of all time but his signing
were astute. His first game as a 3-2 away win against Watford and by his
20th game City were in 7th with the highlight being a 4-0 thrashing of
Liverpool at home. He signed several players that would have an impact on
the club, Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett, Stuart Pearce and Micky Gynn being
four of the best. Things then went down hill as City just survived
relegation and the following season Gould left with City deep in relegation
trouble. So he built a solid foundation but couldn't bring success.
James McIntrye
By the time McIntrye was appointed in the 1928-1929 season City had eighth
seasons in the league never finishing higher than 15th. His first game
showed promise as we beat Norwich 3-0 at home. By the 20th game City were in 5th place only 3 points off promotion. A great start but then things
started to go wrong and City only won four more times that season and ended 11th. His start is very like Boothroyd's hopefully our season will not go the same way. McIntyre stayed for another 1 ½ season giving us a rare top 6 finish before giving way to Harry Storer's first stint in charge. James
certainly left a solid foundation on which Storer built.
Adie Boothroyd.
11 wins from the first 20 games are up there with the best.
Harry Storer
This was Storer's second go in charge of City. It was the 1948-1949 season
and City were in the bottom two of the 2nd Division when Harry returned his
first game as a 3-0 away against QPR. City won the first 5 games under his
charge and by the 20th game were in 11th place. Harry had another not very successful 5 years at the club but did include a top 6 2nd Division finish
but also included relegation to Division 3 South.
Eric Black
Eric is now a City martyr to the stupidity of a certain chairman. Black
officially took over from Gary McAllister and City promptly won 6-1 away to
Walsall. City were in 15th but after 20 games had risen to 10th. Black's
team played some entertaining football and tended to score plenty of goals
but were a little lightweight almost the exact opposite of Boothroyd's team.
Black had to rely on cheap players and loans but he did bring back a certain
Coventry born forward in whom the former manager didn't rate and McSheffrey is still here. We will never know how Black would of faired in the
following season after he had been sacked after a 5-2 away victory at
Gillingham.
John Sillett
Snoz took over at the tail end of the 1985-1986 season he inspired the team
to two victories in the last three games to keep City up. Many fans were
dismayed when Sillett was given control the start of the next season and
claimed the club lacked ambition. He soon proved them wrong by producing a team that sat inside the top ten after 17 games into the next season and the rest is history.
So surprisingly only one of the top ten has so far went on to be successful
with City it's about time someone made it two. It may not happen this
season but Boothroyd does seem to have the right attitude to end our long
wait for a top six finished and hopefully it will be a very long time before
I write another article on a manager's first twenty games but I said that
before.