-VIKINGMAN- wrote:Im sometimes amazed people think Smith is a great coach, he was rubbish at Huddersfield for years and regulary finished bottom of the league. He then somehow got the Leeds job who already had a very good team. He's now England coach and picks garbage like Ade Gardner etc to represent this country.
He wasn't "rubbish" at Huddersfield for years. Admittedly, he took over in the year they were finally relegated and was unable to prevent this. (They did show a marked improvement that year under him but there proved too much to do). He then went through their NL season unbeaten to take them straight back up. (Something SM was unable to do when we were relegated).
Huddersfield then produced a good first season back up. At Leeds he inherited a side of nearly men and turned them into the most succesful Leeds team in decades. Something people like Graham Murray, Dean Lance and even Doug Laughton had failed to do previously, despite the advantages in resources that Leeds have always had.
I agree with you that his tenure as England coach has been disappointing but I wouldn't denigrate his previous achievements.