Coyle vs Megson

[Jakerbeef]

Saint vs Satyr, who'd win? There's only one way to find out...

I got thinking about the merits/faults of the two managers, both quite derided in our recent history and wondered how they were viewed in comparison to each other. Just a devil-you-know discussion since, well, we got to know both of them. One overly positive, one negative.

It depends which you think was the worse crime. Refusing self-analysis like Coyle, or being dreadfully negative like Megson. Both of these faults seeped into the club and made their positions untenable.

Personally, even though Coyle gave us better heights, I genuinely think Meggo had a bit more between his ears in terms of management. But he just plainly wasn't a good fit for the club.


Water under the bridge, but I felt like a game of top trumps.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Meggo knew what he were doing a bit more, but was a total @#!%$

Coyle is just a deluded knob that didn't know what he were doing (if he did then that is more worrying).

[CAPSLOCK]

One of them left us in a higher position than when he arrived

[Loyal White]

If Megson wasn't so much a stubborn feck, he could still have been here now.

Do worry that he had a touch of the Pulis about him though which would mean that we'd never get higher than 12th under his reign, no matter how much we spent.

[LeverEnd]

Megson's biggest sin was that he took us to the point where we thought Coyle was our saviour.

[bedwetter2]

Megson was a deeply unpleasant person who lacked any empathy with players or supporters. If I could be arsed to trawl back through my previous utterances when he was first appointed I believe I predicted what his reign would amount to based on the views of Baggies fans I know and trust. He went on to show that he couldn't get on with anyone at other clubs before coming here and after his departure was less than a success at SW. He's buggered now. Can't see him getting another reasonable job in the UK.

With Coyle I would echo the sentiments of other critics. Perhaps a nice guy but utterly delusional and incapable of exercising authority in the correct way. His idea of authority appeared to involve always playing his favourites and freezing out anyone who didn't go along with his happy clappy views. A coward and a dork. When it became apparent that his motivational skill has run out of puff after the Wembley semi, he should have been given an ultimatum by Gartside at the end of the season. "Either get in an experienced and knowledgable assistant or pack your bags." Gartside was at fault for not exercising more control over him but the demise of our club was mainly down to Coyle. IMHO.

[boltonboris]

Megson was a deeply unpleasant person who lacked any empathy with players or supporters. If I could be arsed to trawl back through my previous utterances when he was first appointed I believe I predicted what his reign would amount to based on the views of Baggies fans I know and trust. He went on to show that he couldn't get on with anyone at other clubs before coming here and after his departure was less than a success at SW. He's buggered now. Can't see him getting another reasonable job in the UK.

With Coyle I would echo the sentiments of other critics. Perhaps a nice guy but utterly delusional and incapable of exercising authority in the correct way. His idea of authority appeared to involve always playing his favourites and freezing out anyone who didn't go along with his happy clappy views. A coward and a dork. When it became apparent that his motivational skill has run out of puff after the Wembley semi, he should have been given an ultimatum by Gartside at the end of the season. "Either get in an experienced and knowledgable assistant or pack your bags." Gartside was at fault for not exercising more control over him but the demise of our club was mainly down to Coyle. IMHO.

That was done. He declined, so Eddie binned him. He didn't recieve the Sammy Lee promotion very well at all.

[plymouth wanderer]

Megson was a deeply unpleasant person who lacked any empathy with players or supporters. If I could be arsed to trawl back through my previous utterances when he was first appointed I believe I predicted what his reign would amount to based on the views of Baggies fans I know and trust. He went on to show that he couldn't get on with anyone at other clubs before coming here and after his departure was less than a success at SW. He's buggered now. Can't see him getting another reasonable job in the UK.

With Coyle I would echo the sentiments of other critics. Perhaps a nice guy but utterly delusional and incapable of exercising authority in the correct way. His idea of authority appeared to involve always playing his favourites and freezing out anyone who didn't go along with his happy clappy views. A coward and a dork. When it became apparent that his motivational skill has run out of puff after the Wembley semi, he should have been given an ultimatum by Gartside at the end of the season. "Either get in an experienced and knowledgable assistant or pack your bags." Gartside was at fault for not exercising more control over him but the demise of our club was mainly down to Coyle. IMHO.

I thought the SW fans loved him as he pretty much led them to 2nd place? The only reason he was sacked was because of a fallout with the owner IIRC. There seemed to be a huge s**tstorm from the Owls when he was sacked. They seemed to love him. I agree though, he was awful at every other club to fans and players.

IIRC West Brom liked him

[boltonboris]

I thought by the end of his tenure, he was absolutely dispised by everyone at The Hawthorns. Board, players and fans... Certainly by Neil Warnock

[LeverEnd]

I was living in Smethick 99-2000 and he seemed to be tolerated rather than liked as he has got them up. Can't remeber the exact timescale.

[BWFC_Insane]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly. Allardyce was disliked by a lot of the fans in his first season until the play-off run. Feck even Rioch had a moment in his first 4/5 months.

Coyle was universally popular when he arrived.

It's just an irrelevance.

Megson was a decent organiser and made some decent signings in fact some excellent signings, but was a poor man manager. He couldn't manage personalities and that is his weakness. But he did realise that Bolton had to first of all above anything else be hard to beat. And tried to make us that way. He's probably a fire fighter, short term option to help save clubs struggling but not much more.

However, I'd take his pragmatism over Coyle's lack of structure and organisation any day of the week.

Thankfully, in reality, we don't have to make that choice.

[thebish]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

[Bruce Rioja]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly. Allardyce was disliked by a lot of the fans in his first season until the play-off run. Feck even Rioch had a moment in his first 4/5 months.

I don't recall either Freedman or Rioch ever being unpopular. I have to admit I scratched my head upon Freedman's appointment though.

[BWFC_Insane]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

[thebish]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

i think you're making that up - or (for some reason best known to yourself) equating "dislike" of a person with doubts about whether he was the right man for the job...

[BWFC_Insane]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

i think you're making that up - or (for some reason best known to yourself) equating "dislike" of a person with doubts about whether he was the right man for the job...

Ok fair point. But I don't think the initial reaction to Megson's appointment was because many already "disliked" him per se. It was because they didn't think he was an ambitious enough appointment.

So to an extent liking or not liking a manager on the whole comes down to their success and before they start their previous success. I think.

There may be odd exceptions like Di Canio (though suddenly that's gone quite quiet, I wonder why.....) but on the whole.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

I'll admit to saying when he was appointed that he was the wrong man for the job.
I'll admit to saying he hadn't set the world on fire. I'll admit to very grudginly changing my mind and admitting he was doing the job that Enoch had said he would do all along.
But at no point did I say I disliked the fellow.
Crazy Horse on the other hand has threatened to threaten him with bedsheets and pitchforks on numerous occasions.

[thebish]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

I'll admit to saying when he was appointed that he was the wrong man for the job.
I'll admit to saying he hadn't set the world on fire. I'll admit to very grudginly changing my mind and admitting he was doing the job that Enoch had said he would do all along.
But at no point did I say I disliked the fellow.

excluding the odd loonie WUM poster - I don't think anyone did...

[BWFC_Insane]

The whole likeability thing is irrelevant anyhow. Freedman was fairly disliked by some posters on here till he started winning games regularly.

i don't think so - unless you are counting complete moron WUM posters...

I don't think CrazyHorse or LLS were too fond of him. Maybe they still aren't.

I'll admit to saying when he was appointed that he was the wrong man for the job.
I'll admit to saying he hadn't set the world on fire. I'll admit to very grudginly changing my mind and admitting he was doing the job that Enoch had said he would do all along.
But at no point did I say I disliked the fellow.
Crazy Horse on the other hand has threatened to threaten him with bedsheets and pitchforks on numerous occasions.

Yeah, fair enough. I apologise.

I actually find the whole "like dislike" thing a bit odd. You either think they're doing a decent job for your club or you don't. I'm not entirely sure there is a lot else to it. I suppose in some people's eyes, Coyle got more slack because he engaged with fans, as opposed to Megson who didn't. So yeah I can see that.

I mean obviously appointing a manager who your fans have negative history with like say Benitez at Chelsea will provoke those sorts of dislike reactions. I guess our equivalent would be John Aldridge or someone like that. But success usually re-writes the history on these things!

[jonnycooper]

I reckon Coyle would win!! 2nd Round KO...