Walter Smith

[Donegal blue]

RIP Walter.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

I'll just repeat what i said in the scottish football thread. A great manager for Rangers, especially in his second stint when the club was in serious financial trouble, but Walter kept on winning trophies regardless. He did well to keep Everton above water as well. His Everton team was of limited ability, but the players in that squad gave it their all for the club. The world has lost a great man today, and i'm very sad tbh. Rip Walter Smith.

 

[PhilEFC]

Really sad. A true gentleman with honour and integrity, and who was respected and liked by everybody.

Rest in Peace Walter.

 

[lancs blue]

I doubt the best manager in the world would make a success of this club with the directors involved etc. As a man he was a gent who crossed the divide in Glasgow and not many can do that. He also was a father figure to many including gazza. A genuine nice person who I had the pleasure of speaking to. Rest in peace

 

[Black Belt Jones]

He was more interested in himself, the gel headed whopper.

No bigger Ted has ever worn the Royal Blue Jersey.

Good player in his day and Walter prob thought he still had something left but no.

RIP Walter

 

[twoblue]

Who will write the tribute for Bill when his own time is up, I wonder? In fact, the arl get has probably done a Norris off Corrie and written his own final words to be read out on the loudspeaker at Goodison!

Corrie references lost on most here

I really don't want to hijack this thread but i cant let John Collins name go unchallenged on that list, he was to quote Walter himself "very disappointing". From the moment he missed a penalty on his debut it was downhill from there.


RIP
Walter

collins was terrible for us… but he arrived with pedagree, and had been successful in for Celtic and in France.

 

[catcherintherye]

I'll just repeat what i said in the scottish football thread. A great manager for Rangers, especially in his second stint when the club was in serious financial trouble, but Walter kept on winning trophies regardless. He did well to keep Everton above water as well. His Everton team was of limited ability, but the players in that squad gave it their all for the club. The world has lost a great man today, and i'm very sad tbh. Rip Walter Smith.

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.

 

[COYBL25]

No bigger Ted has ever worn the Royal Blue Jersey.

Good player in his day and Walter prob thought he still had something left but no.

RIP Walter

Acted like he was too good for us, when the reality was that he wasn’t good enough for top flight English footy.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

Sad news. Came in at a difficult time but largely managed to steer us away from the sort of horrible experience we had on the final day of the 97/98 season. History hasn't been very kind to his time with us, but he's a long way from the worst we've had. While they weren't great seasons, I think he did OK with what he had... plus he brought in Davie Weir and Super Kev, and even had the grace to suggest his successor. RIP, Walter.

His decision to bring in super Kevin Campbell, when we were in trouble in 1999 was a brilliant move, and super Kev thankfully saved our bacon! We had a decent season in 1999/2000 as well. The form trailed off a bit towards the end, but at one point we were in contention for a european position. That Everton team was very limited, but there was a sense of gritty honesty about that squad, that i really admired and respected.

In general it was a very crappy period for Everton, but for me as a person it was a very happy/innocent period for me. So due to this sense of nostalgia for a happier time in my life, i will always have a soft spot for Walters Everton team.

His Rangers teams brought great joy to me as well. Walter sure is a top man in my book, and he recommended we hire David Moyes as his replacement. That says it all about the man. He's just been fired, and he still had the sense of care and duty, to make sure that the right man was picked as his successor.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Acted like he was too good for us, when the reality was that he wasn’t good enough for top flight English footy.

Yeah he was highly regarded at the time but it was like watching a boxer get old overnight - off the pace from day one, then picked up some minor injury and sat in the stands the rest of the season IIRC.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

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.

I was very dissapointed when we went a bit too defensive, in an Fa Cup quarter final against Aston Villa. I was dissapointed, with the way he allowed players like Don Hutchinson and Michael Ball leave the club. I think he had a preference for veterans over younger players, but overall he did very well to keep the club above water i think.

 

[catcherintherye]

I was very dissapointed when we went a bit too defensive, in an Fa Cup quarter final against Aston Villa. I was dissapointed, with the way he allowed players like Don Hutchinson and Michael Ball leave the club. I think he had a preference for veterans over younger players, but overall he did very well to keep the club above water i think.

Yes agree with all of that mate. It was quite hard going at the back end under Smith, I started to go more regularly under him and it was a bit dull. But you're also right to say we were always chasing our tail. Like Dacourt would leave and Hutchison would come in. Then Hutchison would leave and Gravesen would come in. Barmby would leave and someone would have to replace that hole. And as you say, older players like Gough and Campbell would then get injured. So he couldn't ever put a team together in the way he could at Rangers. When you look at the lads we signed, it could have been a top team. Can you imagine a midfield of Dacourt, Gravesen and Hutchison? Or Materazzi playing next to Weir/Stubbs etc.

The handling of Ball, Dunne and Hutchison wasnt great either, and while there were financial pressures you would say Smith had some part to play too.

The thing for Smith though, is that many of his signings gave us great value in their older years too. Campbell, Ferguson, Carsley, Gravesen, Stubbs and Weir was the spine the Moyes teams were built on. Throw in lads like Pembridge, Naysmith, Watson etc, none bought for silly money, and they vave us a really good foundation.

Edit, and yea that cup quarter, where Myhre seemed to let 2 soft goals in was heartbreaking. I remember going to West Ham what seemed a week after that and winning 4-0. I think Barmby got all 4, or maybe 3 and an assist. We were brilliant. Was just gut wrenching to throw that quarter final away.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

RIP, A great football man.

I remember that night we beat you at anfield, with Walter as manager clearly. I sure was a happy man in school the following day.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

...who will ever forget that cup tie away at Middlesborough, when only a way-past-his-best Gazza was the only Everton player who seemed to think it was an important game. None of the other ten should ever have been allowed to wear the shirt again. Gazz pulled what was left of his tripe out for his friend WAlter but no one else was bothered.

I remember that day clearly, like it was yesterday in fact. That was a depressing defeat. We all knew the show was over, and that Walter had to go sadly.

 

[Joey66]

Acted like he was too good for us, when the reality was that he wasn’t good enough for top flight English footy.

He had funds too - to begin with - the only blot was when he became assistant Manchester United's manager at the time of the Rooney transfer - then disappeared back to Scotland when it was completed -

Rooney would have gone anyway, but I did not care then for his motives - probably a crafty move by Alex Ferguson

A nice, humble man with a good brain on him up in Scotland, he won loads as the game was easier up there....