Walter Smith

[Neiler]

Dacourt
Matterazzi
Campbell
Collins
Weir
Gough
Bakayoko - (big signing that didn't work out)

Bought some decent talent in that first season.

He signed Graveson and Carsley to no?

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

He signed Graveson and Carsley to no?

He actually thought he was signing one player at the time

 

[Neiler]

He actually thought he was signing one player at the time

So did Real!

Actually if my memory is right he signed Carsley and Linderoth in and around the same time, Ginola too. It was in Spring time and the old transfer deadline I think was in March, i remember something about Xavier around that time to we either signed him or sold him to Mordor.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

He signed Graveson and Carsley to no?

I remember the day we signed both Carsley and Ginola very well. It was after lunch break at school, when my rs supporting best friend broke the news to me. Guess what he say's whilst laughing his head off, you've just signed Lee Carsley and David Ginola! Ha ha ha he sure wasn't laughing, when Carsley scored that derby winner at Goodison. He was right about Ginola though. What a sad and desperate last throw of the dice that was.

 

[Ghost Rider]

A manager who never had a fiar crack of the whip in the end here. managed us during our darkest time and managed to still keep us up. I don;t really have any fond memories of him being here but then it was a long period of time for most fans those 90s.

A great man who will no doubt be missed by many, never heard a bad word said about him in all these years.

 

[anton66]

I liked the way the mentioned his achievements at Rangers then went on to say he took over an ailing Everton side.

 

[tommye]

I liked the way the mentioned his achievements at Rangers then went on to say he took over an ailing Everton side.

True though isn't it.
We were absolute turd at the time.

 

[davek]

Not that it matters, but I do think time has looked favourably on Walter.

For many years, when you saw the job Moyes did, what he did probably looked poor. However having seen the last 5 years, and the mess a number of managers with far greater resources have made, it gives some perspective.

Ironically, I think had Walter been given the resources we had now back then (in relative form) he would have produced a top 6, even top 4 team. He had a great eye for talent and character. His Rangers teams the 1st time round were at the top 4-6 level in this country, of that I have no doubt.

He probably struggled with getting the best from poorer players, and probably developing younger players, and was probably at the club at tbe wrong time.

All that is incidental though, and while he is understandably associated with Rangers far more than us, I'm sure every Evertonians thoughts will be with him and his family.

Different objectives though mate.

Smith and Moyes were tasked with hunkering down and preserving PL status; those following (until Benitez) have been tasked with gate crashing the top 4/5 season in, season out.

If Smith had been Everton's manager in this era he'd have been gone earlier than 4 seasons.

 

[Mitch Ward's Minder]

WS will ultimately be remembered for playing 6-8 defenders in "that" GP derby, losing 3-0 to 'Boro in the FAQF, and bringing in a fair chunk of elder players (Gazza, Hughes, Gough, Ginola to name a few).
Positively as mentioned above, he did have an eye for talent shown by his first transfer window of Materazzi, Dacourt, Collins and did manage to get to 3 FA Cup quarter finals out of 4 seasons. However, he was also in charge at a time when Johnson was making trades between us and Tranmere (e.g. Simonsen for £3m!) and selling players behind the managers back.

 

[Harryflashman]

The Richard gough tribute is very moving .

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

The Richard gough tribute is very moving .

This one? Yeah, good read. https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...at-rangers-i-had-the-best-11-years-of-my-life

 

[Harryflashman]

This one? Yeah, good read. https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...at-rangers-i-had-the-best-11-years-of-my-life

A good read that .

He was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland and I heard a clip , he broke down in tears . Rightly or wrongly Not something you’d imagine from Gough , like I say I found it moving .

 

[catcherintherye]

Different objectives though mate.

Smith and Moyes were tasked with hunkering down and preserving PL status; those following (until Benitez) have been tasked with gate crashing the top 4/5 season in, season out.

If Smith had been Everton's manager in this era he'd have been gone earlier than 4 seasons.

I probably think all of that is true mate, but also it doesn't necessarily contradict what I said.

Had he achieved the same results, yes he would have gone. I think Smith was really a bit of a throwback, and in honesty was looking a little out of touch back then, so not sure would have suited the modern game.

However he did buy well in a lot of instances, and I suspect would have spent the money better than we have over the last 5 years. He worked on a comparative shoe string, even when you factor in the inflation in prices.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

Different objectives though mate.

Smith and Moyes were tasked with hunkering down and preserving PL status; those following (until Benitez) have been tasked with gate crashing the top 4/5 season in, season out.

If Smith had been Everton's manager in this era he'd have been gone earlier than 4 seasons.

How do you know that? With money, Smith might have been successful. He was able to get a rubbish Rangers into the UEFA Cup, and won nine in a row as well.

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

I think Smith was really a bit of a throwback, and in honesty was looking a little out of touch back then, so not sure would have suited the modern game.

However he did buy well in a lot of instances, and I suspect would have spent the money better than we have over the last 5 years. He worked on a comparative shoe string, even when you factor in the inflation in prices.

That's not really fair. He was told he would get big money to spend, but instead found his best players constantly getting sold from under him.

He was good enough for Alex Ferguson to make him his assistant manager before he dragged Scotland back to respectability.