The truth about why Eric Cantona didn't join Sheffield Wednesday

[Nero]

Francis didn't ruin the club let's be fair. Top 3 and cup finals is the exception not our normal state of affairs. He just wasn't quite as good a manager as Big Ron (who actually did get us relegated).

Now David Fxxcking Pleat ......

 

[S36 OWL]

13 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

 

 

I remember that night well. I was there at the Arena ,and my lasting memory will be watching the Blast players like headless chickens trying to get the ball off cantona with no success . You could see that night he was something really special .

[Lord Snooty]

1 hour ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

I'm pretty sure that this is one of your tongue-in-cheek jovial posts but as Francis chose to play new central midfield powerhouse signing Ian Taylor as a wide midfielder I can't be 100% certain. 

 

Gospel truth. 

 

Well...gospel according to Carlton anyway. 

 

[BRADDO]

11 hours ago, Lord Snooty said:

The astro turf I remember in those days was like the stuff the greengrocer used for displaying his veg, laid directly over concrete.

 

I once scored a peach at Aurora and whirled away in delight attempting to recreate a Jarzinho knee slide....my knees reduced to two gaping bloody bloody wounds 

 

 

 

 

Yep, I've had that a few times. Feckin agony. For weeks.

[Lord Snooty]

47 minutes ago, Warnocchio said:

Francis didn't ruin the club let's be fair. Top 3 and cup finals is the exception not our normal state of affairs. He just wasn't quite as good a manager as Big Ron (who actually did get us relegated).

Now David Fxxcking Pleat ......

 

 

To be honest I think he had one of the easiest job in football. 

Superb squad. Just come up and none of the pressure of Anfield,  Old Trafford,  Highbury who were rightly expected to do well. 

 

Of course,  there were one or two lads coming to the the twig light of their careers. It was, I suppose , inevitable that one or two of those would have to have left at some stage.

But the speed with which they left.....and the fact that many of them were joined heading to the exit were players still in their prime and with plenty to offer....Pleat stuck the nails in the door. But Trevor supplied the wood. 

 

For the time too, Trevor spent some serious, serious money. 

Some of it bizarrely. 

I enjoyed it thoroughly at the time. I knew I had to.

I knew there were cracks in the tower.

Like a bright and beautiful firework we knew  it was never going to last . 

 

[Nero]

12 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

To be honest I think he had one of the easiest job in football. 

Superb squad. Just come up and none of the pressure of Anfield,  Old Trafford,  Highbury who were rightly expected to do well. 

 

Of course,  there were one or two lads coming to the the twig light of their careers. It was, I suppose , inevitable that one or two of those would have to have left at some stage.

But the speed with which they left.....and the fact that many of them were joined heading to the exit were players still in their prime and with plenty to offer....Pleat stuck the nails in the door. But Trevor supplied the wood. 

 

For the time too, Trevor spent some serious, serious money. 

Some of it bizarrely. 

I enjoyed it thoroughly at the time. I knew I had to.

I knew there were cracks in the tower.

Like a bright and beautiful firework we knew  it was never going to last . 

 

I do agree he had advantages and spent loads. Also he attracted great players. We were very close to winning the FA Cup. We were better than Arsenal.and should have beat them. He took over a v good side of course.

I can't think of another manager we have had since TT who would have done better than  TT.  

[Lord Snooty]

10 minutes ago, Warnocchio said:

I do agree he had advantages and spent loads. Also he attracted great players. We were very close to winning the FA Cup. We were better than Arsenal.and should have beat them. He took over a v good side of course.

I can't think of another manager we have had since TT who would have done better than  TT.  

 

Thing is....Most of the managers we've had since have took over failing or flailing sides  (with possible exception of Jones taking over from Megson).

Trevor took over our best side since the 60's. It just needed tickling along. 

But ....he was still a young man. I think he fell a little bit I to thst trap of knowing it was an excellent side thst Ron had built and wanting to put his own stamp on it. 

 

And let's be right, he made some terrific signings in Walker and Waddle. 

One the best ever in my life time. I'll always owe him that. Seeing Chris Waddle week in week out.

But too many times the lack of man man mangmen showed. 

Obvious at the time really but I don't think we wanted to think about it because we were enjoying the football. 

Even when "The Mole" started spilling the details we didn't want to think anything bad might be going on and risk bursting the bubble we had all jumped in. 

[Nero]

5 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

Thing is....Most of the managers we've had since have took over failing or flailing sides  (with possible exception of Jones taking over from Megson).

Trevor took over our best side since the 60's. It just needed tickling along. 

But ....he was still a young man. I think he fell a little bit I to thst trap of knowing it was an excellent side thst Ron had built and wanting to put his own stamp on it. 

 

And let's be right, he made some terrific signings in Walker and Waddle. 

One the best ever in my life time. I'll always owe him that. Seeing Chris Waddle week in week out.

But too many times the lack of man man mangmen showed. 

Obvious at the time really but I don't think we wanted to think about it because we were enjoying the football. 

Even when "The Mole" started spilling the details we didn't want to think anything bad might be going on and risk bursting the bubble we had all jumped in. 

Yeah. It's the full package that's needed. He lacked the ability to manage the players properly.

The following managers wouldn't have got Waddle or Walker in the first place so it's a bit chicken and egg.

[prowl]

1 hour ago, Warnocchio said:

Francis didn't ruin the club let's be fair. Top 3 and cup finals is the exception not our normal state of affairs. He just wasn't quite as good a manager as Big Ron (who actually did get us relegated).

Now David Fxxcking Pleat ......

 

...was the manager killed this club. 20 years ago and we are still trying to recover. Every time I hear his voice I want to punch his face.

[Lord Snooty]

2 minutes ago, prowl said:

 Every time I hear his voice I want to punch his face.

 

To be fair, I always felt like that even  before we had him! 

[Nero]

Just now, prowl said:

...was the manager killed this club. 20 years ago and we are still trying to recover. Every time I hear his voice I want to punch his face.

Fake expert. Conned a living out of football.

[sherlyegg]

14 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Maybe we will never know the truth, but my feelings are that I believe Eric Cantona on this one.

 

Shame, because it ain't true. I ain't going into details but I can categorically state It was not Trevor Francais's fault the deal never happened, though I agree the excuse they put together was a bit crapola and indirectly it was no fault of anyone on the board either.

 

[Lord Snooty]

4 minutes ago, Warnocchio said:

Yeah. It's the full package that's needed. He lacked the ability to manage the players properly.

The following managers wouldn't have got Waddle or Walker in the first place so it's a bit chicken and egg.

 

His name and links got us those two. 

(Though the football we played will have also been a draw)

How old was he when he took over? 38 39?

I just think it was a bit too much too soon.

 

 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

11 hours ago, steveger said:

Nigel Jemson was no crap player

and he wasn't two stone overweight either

[vulva]

13 hours ago, Woodseats Owl said:

There was a picture on the wall of the bar at Aurora showing Cantona on the astro turf, in the distance  you could make out the blurred image of Tricky Trev. 

What might have been if we had signed Cantona. 

 

UTO'S 

Correct. I've got the actual picture!

[vulva]

3 hours ago, finluxsuperstar said:

 

I was there that day too. Was a trainee groundsman at Aurora at the time. He was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch.

 

glad someone else was there, for years I thought I’d imagined it!!

Great days. Lots of clubs used to use it, especially in the winter. 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

The Family left for Tunisia just as the Owls were kicking off against Leeds. No information so I sent a message  into captains cabin for a heads up on our progress. I heard nothing so assumed he'd forgotten as we were about to go down the steps, "You the Sheffield fan ?" I nodded. "Lost 6-1, sorry". Must be a wind up I thought.

 

Couldn't get any confirmation from our Hotel and the nearest papers according to reception would be a 2 mile walk into Souse. So after Breakfast the 6 of us trooped off to Souse. Finally found a £2 copy of the daily Mirror and there it was half a dozen boxed lines confirming that Leeds had beaten us 6-1 on our own patch.

 

It was scant consolation that on an inside page there was 1/4 page article on an unknown Frenchman we had acquired by the name of Cantona. The article in the main was going on about his bad boy image...It all passed me by really because by the time we were back in Sheffield Catona had hitched a ride up the M1, I suppose he could never hope to match Gordon Watson and his somersault penalty trick.

 

As for Tricky poor bloke just was a misfit when he hung up his boots. He had neither the management skills or the sense of humour to get a dressing room on side ! Shame really !   

 

[York_Owl]

38 minutes ago, Lord Snooty said:

 

His name and links got us those two. 

(Though the football we played will have also been a draw)

How old was he when he took over? 38 39?

I just think it was a bit too much too soon.

 

 

Yep I think even he was surprised to be offered the job; he said he wasn't looking to get back into management so soon after his disastrous spell as qpr manager.

 

we should have gone for an experienced manager in fact we should have just bettered Villas offer to keep hold of Big Ron.

[Lord Snooty]

1 minute ago, York_Owl said:

we should have gone for an experienced manager in fact we should have just bettered Villas offer to keep hold of Big Ron.

 

He was always going to go.

If I was managing Villa and Wednesday came up I'd crawl over broken glass to get here. 

Chance to manage the club you support. You have to take that chance. 

 

I was as wounded as anyone. But he was going as soon as that offer was made.

[Captain Sl-OWL-ly]

Does it matter really ?

 

I met his brother (or may be him) in France in the mis 90’s, got a photo of him in my WEDNESDAY shirt but it still means feck all..