Cottager's piece about the late Bobby Campbell has prompted this, but it seemed inappropriate to take that thread off-topic. Over the years we've had some beloved managers and some far-from beloved managers, but arguably all of them have left the club at least one player that they signed who went on to become hugely significant for the club. Cottager pointed out that Campbell brought Gordon Davies and Ray Lewington to the club. Any suggestions for the best legacy signings of other less-celebrated managers? I'll kick us off with a couple: Alan Dicks signed our real Captain Morgan, Simon Morgan. Lawrence Sanchez signed Danny Murphy, not to mention Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird. I could go on and suggest other great legacy signings, but I'll hold my tongue and leave room for others to join in. Over to the rest of you.
Difficult one Captain, although you're question has reminded me how dire the first half of the 90s were and forced me to revise my opinion of who gets "the worst manager" vote. Don Mackay is now a front runner. Don't think he did much of anything apart from confuse people with his 'tactics'. The only excitement on the terrace was laying a bet with your mates on when Jimmy Hill would come down from the Director's Box to the dug out and tell him to make a substitution. He did sign Robbie Herrera and Terry Angus though.
Ah yes, Alan Mullery again. Him who later piddled off to Spurs for a Club record fee at the time (can't remember how much). Mention that really because his transfer resulted in manager Beddy Jezzard (who was a legend as a player at the Club, less so perhaps as a manager) to quit. The fault really was with Tommy Trinder who sold him behind Beddy's back. The blackguard though was Mullery. He told his team mates,and Jezzard, about the deal at half time in a match against Liverpool. And rosc, add Bobby Robson to one of Dodgin snr signings.
And Schwarzer, Hangeland and Duff as well. He was also one of the few mentioned so far whose legacy had their best days under him.
Here's another rubbish manager/great legacy offering: Ian Branfoot gave us Nick Cusack, Mark Blake and, last but by no means least, Micky Adams. Where would we have been if he had never walked through the gates of the Cottage?
Sometimes forget players like Mark Blake, who scored a fair few goals for a defender. Didn't Branfoot also sign Micky's right hand man, Corky? And he lost 'Ara for sure. please log in to view this image
Ara was one of my favourite short lived Fulham players (another one that I had high hopes for was Rory Hamill). It's worth pointing out that Ara was signed by our old friend Don MacKay: if he'd stayed longer he could have been Don's legacy.
That's right. Indeed it was during Don's tenure that Ara went missing - if I remember he trotted off for a trial at Middlesbrough without telling anybody - and that started the "Where's Ara?" campaign. Which in reality was the fans way of of demonstrating their disapproval of Mackay. Ara did come back but Branfoot when he took over, for some reason just didn't like him. Preferring that master of skills,Terry Hurlock, whose only legacy was that he got more disciplinary points than the team got League points in a season.
