Departs with a record of Played 37, won 12, lost 25 (apologies if I've miscalculated). So, essentially one win in three over one and a quarter seasons. Not particularly inspiring.
What is odd is when you break his reign down a little.
2 wins in the first nine games, including seven defeats in a row.
9 wins in the next fourteen games, including victories over Wigan, Saints, Wire and an away derby win.
1 win in the last fourteen, and a fortuitous scrambled win at that over a part-time side!
After a slightly sticky start to his reign, especially Good Friday, we appeared to be making some progress at least, with something to build upon, which is what Smith has generally done throughout his coaching career.
But since last August we have been going backwards at such a rate it has become mind-blowing at how uncompetitive we have become. In the end I think he had to go, the current situation had simply become untenable, but our decline over fourteen games has been so rapid that it seems too simplistic to just point the finger at a head coach who appears to have lost his way and assume that there lies our problem.
Smith may have become A problem, but he sure as hell isn't the ONLY problem blighting our club. There are any number of issues requiring major surgery before we can even begin to think about challenging once more with the best. His removal had become the only viable option (something, somewhere had to change, we could not continue in this current vein much longer) but the days when simply changing the coach could magically transform a club's fortunes are long past. Clubs these days are too complex to be run as before.
I have no idea who we will turn to, or indeed who even wants the challenge, but this is not going to be an easy process. We have some many embedded problems right now, it will take a brave man who is prepared to take it on.
