AGM

[Woodwardfan]

I long for the day when McCabe walks away from the club with his head held high and at least having laid the foundations of a lasting legacy for the future. Only when he has left the club will certain fans put past events in their place.

Turkish interest was mentioned at the AGM and that may be KM's way out. Nobody will be more relieved than him I guess. Getting to the Championship has suddenly become even more vital. I hope the powers- that- be read a couple of the above threads so they know how to tackle it and how important it is.

Money at Bramall Lane grows from trees actually, i.e. paper manufacturing in Saudi. As for the Turks maybe it grows from tourism, financials or manufacturing, whatever! Before long KM will take all his property assets and cash away and some on here will be delighted.

 

[DSB-91]

Money doesn't grow on trees - some fans on here think it is free commodity that can be just used at will.

Some of you should try running a business and see how difficult it can be - Sitters, I need your help here.

UTB

It's not a free commodity, however it is a commodity that we were led to believe we had a fair amount of, certainly more than we have so far utilised.

I don't run my own business and never have, so you have a far better understanding than me of the problems involved. However, isn't it true that if a business wants to grow it needs investment? And, if it has resources available, aren't they better used for reaching set targets than sitting in reserve? Our target is promotion and at the moment we're not on course to reach it.

 

[Pinchy]

Jim Phipps has made it absolutely clear to anyone with their ears open that we will be seriously active in January and as early as possible. Nigel has confirmed that and said we have already started the process.

Luckily, January is nearly upon us. We shall see...

Personally I think COG to the end of the season and a partner for him (Doyle?) are essential.

Just as important, for all his admirable qualities it's time to replace Michael Doyle with a really effective general in CM. I have a feeling Nigel will do just that.

 

[Pinchy]

Unless they'd been bullshitted by McCabe

In what terms? How would the bullshitting go?

I'm interested because I've always wanted to bullshit experienced international businessmen and a successful American commercial Attorney myself so a few hints would be appreciated.

 

[JJBlade]

Why would he want to do that. Surely he wants te club to get in the PL so he can get some return on all on the money he has put into the club.

Yes Darren, you make very sensible replies and mine are somewhat flippant, I know they are flippant, sarcastic........deliberately daft even.
But football doesn't have many other business anomalies to worry about that other businesses do, it already has a captive audience and loyal customer base, basically you get the best team that illustrates to the fans that you mean business, get the best manager, win games, simple as that. Further commercial success follows.
It might be difficult to win games in the Champions League but it should be simple enough at Third Division level for a club that has so many advantages over it's peers.
The boardroom aren't doing enough in my opinion, it is as simple as that, and this has been the case for many generations, not just this boardroom.

 

[Darren]

Yes Darren, you make very sensible replies and mine are somewhat flippant, I know they are flippant, sarcastic........deliberately daft even.
But football doesn't have many other business anomalies to worry about that other businesses do, it already has a captive audience and loyal customer base, basically you get the best team that illustrates to the fans that you mean business, get the best manager, win games, simple as that. Further commercial success follows.
It might be difficult to win games in the Champions League but it should be simple enough at Third Division level for a club that has so many advantages over it's peers.
The boardroom aren't doing enough in my opinion, it is as simple as that, and this has been the case for many generations, not just this boardroom.

Oh, I agree the people running United are doing a shit job, but what I have no doubt about is that they don't have some evil plan to deceive and bullshit the fans. They want United to go up as much as we do (even if they are evil money grabbing bastards, that's the best way for them to make some money), just they are not very good at working out how to do it :-(

 

[Darthblade]

It's something they've said many times that the targets will not drop to league one. So the question is should they buy players for a season?
I still believe we aren't far short, a top quality forward and a fit Wallace and we're top two IMHO. As per the other thread £2-3 million on a very good forward wouldn't go a miss.

I'm sorry to disagree ( and I would love for you to be correct ) but I think we're about 5 players short of top 2 imho, and we're short of pace in every department.
Top 2 is not going to happen this year as we have already missed the opportunity.

I think we need RB + 2 x CM + Striker as a minimum and that's if we can keep O'Grady until May.
UTB & FTP

 

[Bladesway]

Oh, I agree the people running United are doing a shit job, but what I have no doubt about is that they don't have some evil plan to deceive and bullshit the fans. They want United to go up as much as we do (even if they are evil money grabbing bastards, that's the best way for them to make some money), just they are not very good at working out how to do it :-(

It may not be some evil master plan but I believe we are often led up the garden path being told things are going to happen then invariably the plan changes. Also the level of mistrust in McCabe and Co doesn't come from nowhere. It's built from years of being economical with the actual truth.

 

[Darren]

It may not be some evil master plan but I believe we are often led up the garden path being told things are going to happen then invariably the plan changes. Also the level of mistrust in McCabe and Co doesn't come from nowhere. It's built from years of being economical with the actual truth.

Indeed, but I think that is stupidity rather than malice. As we saw with the way they handled the Ched affair, PR is not their strong point.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Some bullet points from BM:


NC did a Q & A but no major news from that. quite a bit of humour from him. Says he wants to add 3 to the squad including a striker.

McGahey and Kennedy can cover the centre back position and McEverley can cover left back.

Someone asked about Harry. KM said that Nigel gave him very good advice but unfortunately he listen to poor advice from someone else. they all hoped he could get his career back on track.

After NC left to concentrate on match day duties the Q & A continued.

We are going to have a new pitch laid.

Jim said that the Prince is a poor loser and has long calls to him asking what went wrong if we don 't win.

Sela Baki expanded on that and said that the Prince remains in very close contact ringing him at least three times a day to ask about things going on at the Club.

It was reported that due to last years cup run together with the sale of Harry and investment from the Prince we are well inside the player protocol (FFP) limits. Even if we sign three players on decent wages in the JTW we are unlikely to be near the limit.

This in part was due to the new 'bounty' rules for League 1 which mean we are allowed 100% of funds from the Cup runs and player sales towards FFP (last year it was 60%).

Jim said that whilst the Cup runs were exciting they will only generate hundreds of thousands in sponsorship whereas promotion would generate millions. There are some Turkish sponsors waiting to see how the season unfolds before they commit.

One lady of a certain age asked why we had stopped showing goal replays on the big screen. She had always sat in the middle of the Kop and didn't see why she should stop doing so but she was a bit unsteady on her legs and when everyone leapt up she could not do so and missed all the goals.

Because of this she relied on the big screen to see them but lately had been forced to stay up to watch the League 1 show now we had stopped showing them on the screen.

The answer given was that the screen is now 10 years old and we are hoping to get a new one but in the meantime the replays would hopefully be back in the new year.

Jim intervened to tell the Lady she should not worry because the replays would be back and frankly she hadn't missed many goals at the Lane so far this season

.

Thanks for the info.
Has anyone said how much money the football club lost (or made?) this financial year?
How much was the wage bill?
Has McCabe really waived all the debts owed to him?

Quite important information that seems to have not been forthcoming this year (yet?)

 

[Darthblade]

Money doesn't grow on trees - some fans on here think it is free commodity that can be just used at will.

Some of you should try running a business and see how difficult it can be - Sitters, I need your help here.

UTB

You are correct, money doesn't grow on trees and as a person who runs a business I concur.

It isn't necessary to spend a fortune in this Division though; just look at the players in Bristol C's, Swindon's, MK's squads and you will find no household names, no famous players, no massive transfers ...... in fact we've never heard of most of their players but still they win games and score goals at this level when we scrap around to take a point at home from Orient, Oldham, Notts C and Walsall !!

Consistency is the key at this level and we do NOT have it, neither do we have any strength and pace in the team. Whilst we lack these key ingredients we will struggle to scrape the play-offs at best in this crappy Division.
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

I bow to no-one in my view that the club has been run appalingly over the last few years, but I don't get this idea that the the powers that be would be looking to "bullshit" the fans to avoid spending money that would make the club a success.

No-one of sound mind would get involved in a third division SUFC in order to make money. The club is a huge financial drain to its owners. The only way to halt that drain and to make some money would be to get in the PL. It is therefore in the interests of the owners to take steps to move that way. There is no way on earth they are content to be languishing in the third division and seeing their bank accounts drained by thousands every week.

Unless, of course, somebody has convinced them that we can get "promoted on the cheap" and invest in the Championship. That, I hasten to add, is not a sound plan and will not happen.
UTB & FTP

 

[Pinchy]

Indeed, but I think that is stupidity rather than malice. As we saw with the way they handled the Ched affair, PR is not their strong point.

The Ched Witch-Hunt was unmanageable as a result of malicious and anti-democratic bullying by a lynchmob with no respect for the rule of law.

The club managed the PR as well as they reasonably could, given that only one side of the argument was ever going to be acceptable to the Hacks and Choppers.

I'm not entering into a long exchange on this one Darren, it's all been said before. I do, however, wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Bladey New Year!

 

[Darren]

The Ched Witch-Hunt was unmanageable as a result of malicious and anti-democratic bullying by a lynchmob with no respect for the rule of law.

The club managed the PR as well as they reasonably could, given that only one side of the argument was ever going to be acceptable to the Hacks and Choppers.

I'm not entering into a long exchange on this one Darren, it's all been said before. I do, however, wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Bladey New Year!

Coward

Eny fule could see that it would be a complete shitstorm and whatever abuse you want to throw at the anti Ched people a 6 year old could have handled it better than United did.

Come on, one week we say "we will not bow to mob rule" and the next week we say "we are bowing to mob rule". I really hope they are not paying anyone to do PR; if they are they want their money back.

 

[Pinchy]

Unless, of course, somebody has convinced them that we can get "promoted on the cheap" and invest in the Championship. That, I hasten to add, is not a sound plan and will not happen.
UTB & FTP

If they were ever "convinced" of that, do you not think they have had long enough to form their own view by now?

The theory that a bunch of fans on a fucking forum have some crystal clear insight into a Machiavellian club owner that was, and continues to be, entirely lost on his international business partners, is ludicrous beyond belief.

But this, of course, is S2, a singular place to be, with the faint strumming of banjos never more than a goal-kick away....

 

[Pinchy]

Coward

Eny fule could see that it would be a complete shitstorm and whatever abuse you want to throw at the anti Ched people a 6 year old could have handled it better than United did.

Come on, one week we say "we will not bow to mob rule" and the next week we say "we are bowing to mob rule". I really hope they are not paying anyone to do PR; if they are they want their money back.

Well, I will agree to this extent: Ideally, a long-established, reasonably articulate, fairly well-read, passionate Blades fan who also happened to be an experienced trial advocate would have been ideal for the job.

The chances of finding such a person would, I suppose, be negligible....

 

[Darthblade]

If they were ever "convinced" of that, do you not think they have had long enough to form their own view by now?

The theory that a bunch of fans on a fucking forum have some crystal clear insight into a Machiavellian club owner that was, and continues to be, entirely lost on his international business partners, is ludicrous beyond belief.

But this, of course, is S2, a singular place to be, with the faint strumming of banjos never more than a goal-kick away....

Indeed you could say that a comedy farce is never more than a goal kick away at S2 !!
UTB & FTP

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Money doesn't grow on trees - some fans on here think it is free commodity that can be just used at will.

Some of you should try running a business and see how difficult it can be - Sitters, I need your help here.

UTB

The McCabe family have always had the best intentions for SUFC . The financial crash in 2007 did not help any business and SUFC had to resolve a number of issues with refinancing to keep the blades afloat . I worked in both Hungry and Poland where SUFC were looking to buy into real estate assetts on behalf of the club , but unfortunately the world wide recession , created further financial problems for the blades.

The McCabe's have kept this club afloat and now with the help of Mr Prince ,are trying to move the club forward. We have not had the pleasure or good fortune like our neighbours in S6 ,which had a deficit of £16m wiped off the balance sheet by the Co-Op bank.

Yes Mr McCabe has wiped off the debt personally owing to him , and at this moment SUFC are one of the 92 clubs within the league structure ,that is financially sound .It was not many years ago SUFC were trading insolvent . I can quite understand the board hesitating to spend in the region of £2m on players ( excluding agents fees , salaries , contract length etc ) , if they splash the cash in January ,and we do not make promotion . It is a fine line we are treading between financial stability , success and failure .

Mr McCabe is not in the long journey with the blades to make money , he came in because he is a blade . Ok many stupid mistakes have been made with the appointment of managers and player recruitment and sales , which there is no excuse for . Mr McCabe is not getting any younger , and if we think that investors are lining up to buy into a average city club outside the M25 orbit , then we are not thinking straight . SUFC are not a attractive proposition for any financial institution , the same as SWFC. Sheffield as a city is a back water city when it comes to funders , merchant banks , financial institutions .

I can only say moving forward both at director and team manager level we are in a healthy position . Since preseason , the footballing side of the club has not come to the level of expectations we all expected , and the thinking will be that SUFC have to speculate to accumilate .

If Mr McCabe walks away , we are in the shit , it is his money and his guarantees that keep us afloat.

There are no rights or wrongs with the fans comments , all we want is some success . This is easier said than done when the financial burden also rests on your shoulders.

UTB

 

[judge]

Thanks for the info.
Has anyone said how much money the football club lost (or made?) this financial year?
How much was the wage bill?
Has McCabe really waived all the debts owed to him?

Quite important information that seems to have not been forthcoming this year (yet?)

no but we might get some turkish advertisers if we can stop being shit

 

[Pinchy]

The McCabe family have always had the best intentions for SUFC . The financial crash in 2007 did not help any business and SUFC had to resolve a number of issues with refinancing to keep the blades afloat . I worked in both Hungry and Poland where SUFC were looking to buy into real estate assetts on behalf of the club , but unfortunately the world wide recession , created further financial problems for the blades.

The McCabe's have kept this club afloat and now with the help of Mr Prince ,are trying to move the club forward. We have not had the pleasure or good fortune like our neighbours in S6 ,which had a deficit of £16m wiped off the balance sheet by the Co-Op bank.

Yes Mr McCabe has wiped off the debt personally owing to him , and at this moment SUFC are one of the 92 clubs within the league structure ,that is financially sound .It was not many years ago SUFC were trading insolvent . I can quite understand the board hesitating to spend in the region of £2m on players ( excluding agents fees , salaries , contract length etc ) , if they splash the cash in January ,and we do not make promotion . It is a fine line we are treading between financial stability , success and failure .

Mr McCabe is not in the long journey with the blades to make money , he came in because he is a blade . Ok many stupid mistakes have been made with the appointment of managers and player recruitment and sales , which there is no excuse for . Mr McCabe is not getting any younger , and if we think that investors are lining up to buy into a average city club outside the M25 orbit , then we are not thinking straight . SUFC are not a attractive proposition for any financial institution , the same as SWFC. Sheffield as a city is a back water city when it comes to funders , merchant banks , financial institutions .

I can only say moving forward both at director and team manager level we are in a healthy position . Since preseason , the footballing side of the club has not come to the level of expectations we all expected , and the thinking will be that SUFC have to speculate to accumilate .

If Mr McCabe walks away , we are in the shit , it is his money and his guarantees that keep us afloat.

There are no rights or wrongs with the fans comments , all we want is some success . This is easier said than done when the financial burden also rests on your shoulders.

UTB

One like seems insufficient for such common sense. I have just resolved to increase my Christmas donation to the forum by one shilling as a result of what you say!

I cannot (as most of you will know) let Christmas go by without a contribution from the greatest story teller that ever graced this good Earth. Forgive me, Charlie:

`Mr McCabe.' said Big Jim; `I'll give you Mr McCabe, the Founder of the Feast.'

`The Founder of the Feast indeed.' cried The Prince, reddening. `I wish I had him here. I'd give him a piece of my pound to feast upon, and I hope he'd have a good appetite for it.'

`My dear,' said Jim, `the players. Christmas Day.'

`It should be Christmas Day, I am sure,' said HRH, `on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr McCabe. You know he is, James. Nobody knows it better than you do, poor fellow.'

`My dear,' was Jim's mild answer, `January Transfer Window Day.'

`I'll drink his health for your sake and the Capital One Cup,' said Abdullah, `not for his. Long life to him. A merry Christmas and up the Mighty Blades. He'll be very merry and very happy, I have no doubt.'

The fans drank the toast after him. It was the first of their proceedings which had no Bladeyness. Tiny Scoogs drank it last of all, but he didn't care twopence for it. McCabe was the Ogre of the family. The mention of his name cast a dark shadow on the party, which was not dispelled for full five minutes.

After it had passed away, they were ten times merrier than before, from the mere relief of McCabe the Baleful being done with. Jim Phipps told them how he had a situation in his eye for Master Porter, which would bring in, if obtained, full five-and-sixpence weekly. All this time the Greasy Chip Butties and the Magnet went round and round; and by-and-bye they had a song, about the Shoreham Boys, making all the noise, from Tiny Scoogs, who had a plaintive little voice, and sang it very well indeed.

 

[Pinchy]

I should have ended, of course:

God Bless Us, Every Blade.

 

[JohnDenver]

Scougs pictured at McCabe's right hand:

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Yup. Snapped up in their fire sale.

If we're going to get a new one I hope we try and flog the old one. We could have the very first journeyman big screen.

 

[JohnDenver]

We could have the very first journeyman big screen.

Another plaque in the Cherry Street fence, right there.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

a fit Wallace

 

[Pinchy]

View attachment 10041

There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe!

Come on JW, your time is now...

 

[Woodwardfan]

Yes Darren, you make very sensible replies and mine are somewhat flippant, I know they are flippant, sarcastic........deliberately daft even.
But football doesn't have many other business anomalies to worry about that other businesses do, it already has a captive audience and loyal customer base, basically you get the best team that illustrates to the fans that you mean business, get the best manager, win games, simple as that. Further commercial success follows.
It might be difficult to win games in the Champions League but it should be simple enough at Third Division level for a club that has so many advantages over it's peers.
The boardroom aren't doing enough in my opinion, it is as simple as that, and this has been the case for many generations, not just this boardroom.

Much of that is true. However, I think successful boards only have to make sure they appoint the right managers, then everything else falls into place.

Talk budgets ad nauseum, throw money at the business, whatever. If you have the wrong managers it's like throwing good money down the drain, as KM has learned to his cost.

The prince has chosen Clough and I would have too, given our circumstances last October. By now the prince will be pleased overall, thanks to the cup runs and the second half of last season. However we are not that good in the league this season, in fact we are close to disarray, not in terms of league position, but in terms of confidence in all areas - manager, players, fans. We've played a load of crap. We are also 8 points behind 4 rivals, that is a lot but there is a long way to go.

Given loads more money I'm sure we will challenge for automatic promotion even now.

What worries me are these nagging doubts that Clough has displayed limitations . Second half at Wembley was the first inkling to me that Clough is not game aware, we should have shut up shop. Often before then and after I wondered whether he has a Plan B and now I'm sure he has not. The summer signings have proved to be modest in value terms and it appears to me that Clough's brother's world includes anywhere close to Derby- old boys and such as Ilkeston.

Even at this lowly level we need the man to take us through two levels and then help us to compete in the Premier League. Of course Clough can get us into the Championship, but can he take us the next two stages. I have doubts now and somehow clough's record with us is like a repitition of his past record. Derby did not take their decision lightly when they said he was not the man to take them to the next level.

Rightly or wrongly I, and perhaps Derby FC, think the combination of Clough and his brother has limitations. The world of good players extends beyond Derbyshire, non-league and Scotland's lesser teams. What about quality loanees like Coady ( signed by Weir).

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Much of that is true. However, I think successful boards only have to make sure they appoint the right managers, then everything else falls into place.

Talk budgets ad nauseum, throw money at the business, whatever. If you have the wrong managers it's like throwing good money down the drain, as KM has learned to his cost.

The prince has chosen Clough and I would have too, given our circumstances last October. By now the prince will be pleased overall, thanks to the cup runs and the second half of last season. However we are not that good in the league this season, in fact we are close to disarray, not in terms of league position, but in terms of confidence in all areas - manager, players, fans. We've played a load of crap. We are also 8 points behind 4 rivals, that is a lot but there is a long way to go.

Given loads more money I'm sure we will challenge for automatic promotion even now.

What worries me are these nagging doubts that Clough has displayed limitations . Second half at Wembley was the first inkling to me that Clough is not game aware, we should have shut up shop. Often before then and after I wondered whether he has a Plan B and now I'm sure he has not. The summer signings have proved to be modest in value terms and it appears to me that Clough's brother's world includes anywhere close to Derby- old boys and such as Ilkeston.

Even at this lowly level we need the man to take us through two levels and then help us to compete in the Premier League. Of course Clough can get us into the Championship, but can he take us the next two stages. I have doubts now and somehow clough's record with us is like a repitition of his past record. Derby did not take their decision lightly when they said he was not the man to take them to the next level.

Rightly or wrongly I, and perhaps Derby FC, think the combination of Clough and his brother has limitations. The world of good players extends beyond Derbyshire, non-league and Scotland's lesser teams. What about quality loanees like Coady ( signed by Weir).

Woodwardfan . Yes Mr Clough has his limitations . If not , he would not be the manager of SUFC . I am not that concerned of Mr Clough taking us to the next level from championship to premier league as the Derby County scenario and his ultimate sacking.

I just want Mr Clough to get us out of league 1 . I will worry about the championship and progression to the premiership , once we are there. Lets focus on league 1 , nothing else matters at this moment in time.

I do agree some of his signings , and especially the Butler situation have been bizarre , but we are were we are , and changing horses this season would be madness.

If we buy the correct type of players within the January window , and it still goes tits up , it will not only be us supporters having a postmortem , but the board also.

Money will be available for Mr Clough and he has to show his management worth and buy footballers who can play football to get us out of league 1. Football players win matches not tactics. Fill the team with league 1 standard players who can do the business in league 1 with guts , determination to succeed and never say die attitude.That will get us results and promotion.

I am not advocating a Cavalier Clough , but if Bournemouth and Brentford can do it , with a bunch of honest league 1 joes , i am sure we can.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

Yes and it also looks like we are well under the FFP rules of which you raised so much issue in the past.

Did you seriously expect Clough to turn round and say anything other than he is happy with the funding? Perhaps a sudden outburst of how we haven't got a pot to piss in or the like? Its all pre managed and no one skis off piste. Yes you can ask all the questions you want but they already know what you are going to ask. Apart from the goals on the scoreboard question of course.

By the way, are you slashing or clapping today? I need to know because it helps my responses.

Excuse me Bladesway, did my direct response to your post make sense? A simple courtesy would help you to follow up your provocative accusations, unless you finally understood that anyone can be a slasher and a clapper, depending on the issue under discussion.

As for the FFP I have only ever paid reference to them as a possible consideration. prove otherwise, I challenge you.

I find it disappointing that some posters like you are happy to trade generalities and make wild accusations about the integrity of men of substance (in the club, not me!) and yet, when any thread gets detailed, you disappear unless you manage the odd barbed one-liner.

Let me help you. I think you are a slasher as regards the board, and a clapper as regards Clough. Perfectly rational if I may say so.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Woodwardfan . Yes Mr Clough has his limitations . If not , he would not be the manager of SUFC . I am not that concerned of Mr Clough taking us to the next level from championship to premier league as the Derby County scenario and his ultimate sacking.

I just want Mr Clough to get us out of league 1 . I will worry about the championship and progression to the premiership , once we are there. Lets focus on league 1 , nothing else matters at this moment in time.

I do agree some of his signings , and especially the Butler situation have been bizarre , but we are were we are , and changing horses this season would be madness.

If we buy the correct type of players within the January window , and it still goes tits up , it will not only be us supporters having a postmortem , but the board also.

Money will be available for Mr Clough and he has to show his management worth and buy footballers who can play football to get us out of league 1. Football players win matches not tactics. Fill the team with league 1 standard players who can do the business in league 1 with guts , determination to succeed and never say die attitude.That will get us results and promotion.

I am not advocating a Cavalier Clough , but if Bournemouth and Brentford can do it , with a bunch of honest league 1 joes , i am sure we can.

UTB

I entirely understand your opinion, of course I do "but".

IMO while we are down here we are best building a model which will take us two levels at least. To do that we need somebody big enough to build a squad of quality, youth, mobility and pace as essential ingredients.

To my mind, the manager should recruit the support of the board and fans and explain all the building blocks at every stage so that there is understanding of the need for patience ( for example when youth has to hold sway against short term results) about the vision.

It is entirely possible to induct potential Premier quality players into a league 1 squad; players who can cope with all three levels as they develop themselves. That scenario has to be going on while the club grows as well, otherwise things get out of kilter. It takes a Brian Clough, oh how I would be delighted if Nigel Clough could prove himself big enough to achieve it.