Some of us were trying to make the point months ago about how difficult it could be managing a team where senior players know they aren't wanted.
Smith was working with a squad where he was actively looking to replace some of the most important players, and a number knew they would be gone at the end of the year. This would have made team spirit very difficult to maintain. The collateral was Walters, Austin and probably Leeming and Macdonald as well. Omelettes and eggs and all that....
I don't think that's the only thing that happened, as clearly GH realised we needed to go big in terms of recruitment. But we've seen an enormous turnover in the squad in the last year or so, and anyone who has experienced that sort of thing at work will know that managing through it was always going to be a huge challenge.
Smith lost some skin in this process too, with a lot of people calling for him to be sacked during the season, and I think we're all agreed he's now under huge pressure at the start of next year. But assuming this was always the plan, perhaps we can all give him a break for 2023 at least. Just think how often he had to front the press after games when players he didn't rate had played poorly. He never stuck the boot in, but my word he must have been tempted....
