Who signs off the transfers?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

PeteBlade

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
4,788
Reaction score
9,396
Location
Sheffield
I apologise if this thread is a repeat of anything that's been posted elsewhere over the last few weeks.


Does anyone know categorically who signs off our transfers?

Is it McCabe? Is it the Prince? Phipps? This so called Technical board?

Is it one man? Or do they need signing off by several people?

Does this person/people work for the club full time? Or is it an annoyance they have to take care of on top of a more important job elsewhere?

Apologies for asking so many questions but I think the answers could go a long way to explaining our debacle of a transfer window.
 

That question was posed to Phipps on that debacle of an interview last week and he basically said they are still working towards getting a process in place to support that
 
I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't a clue themselves.

I know who picks them though, and that's a lot more of a pressing concern.
 
I have a horrible horrible feeling that this means either:

A: No one or
B: They don't know

that's how I interpreted it as well - sounds like they quite literally don't know what they're doing.
 
This backs up what ive heard in regards to there not being anyone actually in charge at the club regarding transfers in and out. I was told a few clubs gave up trying to sign certain players from us because United took so long in giving them an answer so they went elsewhere.
 
I apologise if this thread is a repeat of anything that's been posted elsewhere over the last few weeks.


Does anyone know categorically who signs off our transfers?

Is it McCabe? Is it the Prince? Phipps? This so called Technical board?

Is it one man? Or do they need signing off by several people?

Does this person/people work for the club full time? Or is it an annoyance they have to take care of on top of a more important job elsewhere?

Apologies for asking so many questions but I think the answers could go a long way to explaining our debacle of a transfer window.
What transfers?
 
its perfectly simple;

- Adkins rings McCabe in Belgium on a private land line - its scrambled.

- McCabe contacts Phipps in USA but waits until office hours - he's a Mormon and they like to do these things "the right way"

- by 9:45 am Utah time, its 12:30 at night in Saudi, Phipps waits until its 11:00 in Riad - one simple does not wake a Prince.

- The Prince gets his people to check the price of the transfer deal then watches videos of the 'target', if no film is available he makes do with the player's rating for the last 4 matches from the English newspapers which he can find at the Saudi National Reference Library at Mecca. His people then find out the latest exchange rate if its a goer, McCabe is informed - via Phipps who has charge of the dollar account cheque book.

- its now 8:00am the day after tomorrow in Sheffield, Adkins must wait until RBS opens opposite the Cathedral to cash the cheque, a copy of which has been telexed overnight to the branch - he exits the bank at 9:50 with an attaché case full of notes handcuffed to his wrist. There is a car waiting for him - at Halfway tramstop but thats OK because RBS is right next to the Cathedral platforms (its planned like that).

- it has to be cash for a few football teams these days as the non-league teams don't have bank accounts .......and that goes for Leeds.

- if no other team has moved in for the chosen player, the cash is handed over, 10% for the player, 20% for the agent, 65 % for his manager (if he's British, imported managers don't tax at the same [high] rate) something to make it interesting for (cough) SUFC and the rest for the selling club

this is how every transfer was dealt with this January
 
This backs up what ive heard in regards to there not being anyone actually in charge at the club regarding transfers in and out. I was told a few clubs gave up trying to sign certain players from us because United took so long in giving them an answer so they went elsewhere.

I heard communication was non-existent on deadline day
 
This backs up what ive heard in regards to there not being anyone actually in charge at the club regarding transfers in and out. I was told a few clubs gave up trying to sign certain players from us because United took so long in giving them an answer so they went elsewhere.

I don't know Jamie got sold easily enough, wasn't too difficult to make that transfer happen.
 
its perfectly simple;

- Adkins rings McCabe in Belgium on a private land line - its scrambled.

- McCabe contacts Phipps in USA but waits until office hours - he's a Mormon and they like to do these things "the right way"

- by 9:45 am Utah time, its 12:30 at night in Saudi, Phipps waits until its 11:00 in Riad - one simple does not wake a Prince.

- The Prince gets his people to check the price of the transfer deal then watches videos of the 'target', if no film is available he makes do with the player's rating for the last 4 matches from the English newspapers which he can find at the Saudi National Reference Library at Mecca. His people then find out the latest exchange rate if its a goer, McCabe is informed - via Phipps who has charge of the dollar account cheque book.

- its now 8:00am the day after tomorrow in Sheffield, Adkins must wait until RBS opens opposite the Cathedral to cash the cheque, a copy of which has been telexed overnight to the branch - he exits the bank at 9:50 with an attaché case full of notes handcuffed to his wrist. There is a car waiting for him - at Halfway tramstop but thats OK because RBS is right next to the Cathedral platforms (its planned like that).

- it has to be cash for a few football teams these days as the non-league teams don't have bank accounts .......and that goes for Leeds.

- if no other team has moved in for the chosen player, the cash is handed over, 10% for the player, 20% for the agent, 65 % for his manager (if he's British, imported managers don't tax at the same [high] rate) something to make it interesting for (cough) SUFC and the rest for the selling club

this is how every transfer was dealt with this January

Have 10 likes sir :D
 
I've asked this several times and also who the people are who are 'working hard behind the scenes' are on transfers.

Perhaps it could be brought up at the next Q&A our admin attend?
 

October 2015 Phipps posted a long message on his Farcebook page, following reaction to the Millwall defeat. He said (emphasis is mine)

"Personally, I think we - the board, the management, the players, and the fans - need to step it up, if we are going to get where we want to go this season: automatic promotion. I am not blaming anyone. I am just saying we all can do better," ...

"I start by acknowledging that, as a board, we are far from perfect. The board is, however, committed and continues to operate in a manner that allows the top football professionals at the club (both on the touchline and in the front office) to make the decisions about who wears the strip and how the football resources will be applied. Which positions do we need to strengthen? How quickly can we shrink the squad to a more rational, economical size, given the injury situation? What strength can we draw from our academy to serve the first team? Which players should be recruited and on what terms (loan, permernant, price, etcetera)?

"All such questions are left to our Technical Board (MD (Brannigan), football manager, FD, academy manager etc) to decide, provided they stay within board approved budgets and parameters.

The next bit was an attack on Clough and an acknowledgement of lack of diligence by the Board -

"That said, some of the current problems in the side (its size, for example) are byproducts of our trying as a board to be true to our approach, in circumstances where we allowed the Technical Board process to be thoroughly undermined by a gaffer who was not interested in the process; hence, some of the excesses (recruiting in quantity, signing injured players etc). We should have seen what was happening (the excesses anyway) and responded to them more quickly.

"In appointing a new football manager last summer, we specifically set out to find a gaffer who would help us re-establish a process that would prevent the repetition of the same mistakes. I am very happy with the progress we have made on this particular front and believe the fruits of the Technical Board process will show themselves over time, if we stick to the process.......


"At board level, we love the club. We back that up with substantial resources and an approach that leaves the footballing decisions to our very highly-qualified and carefully-vetted front-office and touchline football professionals. We all want better performances and better results and they will come. Rome, however, wasn't built in a day. We see the problems. The gaffer sees what needs doing. We will do what needs doing and get there."

Brannigan then went and the following joined the Technical Board

" David Green, owner of Renishaw-based Green Piling Ltd, is a previous Chairman and Honorary Vice Chairman. He becomes Vice Chairman with responsibly for Football Operations. His new role will see him chair the Club's Technical Board, which directs football recruitment at all levels......

Carl Shieber, also of Sheffield United Limited, joins the Technical Board as its Player Contract Negotiation Manager. Carl has performed this role for the Club admirably in the past.

plus Adkins, Academy Director. No mention of Chief scout unless he is an etc.

David Green was the FC Chairman when Weir was appointed, Carl Sheiber is a career McCabe man, working under the Scarborough/Sufc umbrella since 2007. i.e McCabe men. There was also some bloke who got an MBA in football as a contract negotiator I seem to recall (Shieber?)- can't remember who. Still no mention of the Chief Scout being on it though.

So reading the above -

the Board sets the parameters (amount of money etc) and

the Technical Board selects and recruits within those parameters.

But it is clear from the above that the Board got paranoid after Clough (not sure how) managed to circumvent the Board and bloat the squad and they are presumably more intransigent about what the parameters are hence Green chairing it as an enforcer I would guess. No-one really knows what those parameters are - ie the Board could have set a budget, maximum transfer fee, wage levels etc that are unrealistic.

Adkins was also clearly appointed with a brief to reduce the squad and to redress the Clough "mistakes".

In normal circumstances following a screw-up of the JTW proportions by the Technical Board the buck should stop at the top (ie Green), but that isn't going to happen with McCabe around.

So its as clear as mud. Up the Blades.




 
I heard communication was non-existent on deadline day

I have recently heard the same as both you and Roygbiv
Nothing happened on deadline day because no work was put in by whoever is supposed to be in charge of transfers.
 
Last edited:
Bit harsh lads...I've seen em in action..

image.jpeg
 
I have recently heard the same as both you and Roygbiv
Nothing happened on deadline day because no work was put in by whoever is supposed to be in charge of transfers.
This is why I believe Adkins may walk. He had to put up with this shit at Reading. E.g. two owners with different ideals.
 
I have recently heard the same as both you and Roygbiv
Nothing happened on deadline day because no work was put in by whoever is supposed to be in charge of transfers.


Nothing happened on deadline day because there's no money. They could have been locked in the boardroom with a satellite phone each and a man at every club in the contry and nothing would have happened.

No good blaming whichever lacky has the title when he's got nothing to spend.
 
Nothing happened on deadline day because there's no money. They could have been locked in the boardroom with a satellite phone each and a man at every club in the contry and nothing would have happened.

No good blaming whichever lacky has the title when he's got nothing to spend.
So the recent comments from the club indicating money is available is an out and out lie?
 
Nothing happened on deadline day because there's no money. They could have been locked in the boardroom with a satellite phone each and a man at every club in the contry and nothing would have happened.

No good blaming whichever lacky has the title when he's got nothing to spend.

All I'll say mate is that I've heard there's simply been no one available and no one working on transfers throughout January.
 
So the recent comments from the club indicating money is available is an out and out lie?

I'm saying if Adkins wanted players are we to believe that the money was there but it's the fault of an individual or team we didn't get them rather than a reluctance to spend. Having money in the bank doesn't mean they can afford to spend it on players if losses are mounting up.

One minute Jim speaks with forked tongue and the next its unequivocal and clear?
 
I'm saying if Adkins wanted players are we to believe that the money was there but it's the fault of an individual or team we didn't get them rather than a reluctance to spend. Having money in the bank doesn't mean they can afford to spend it on players if losses are mounting up.

One minute Jim speaks with forked tongue and the next its unequivocal and clear?
No, Jim most definitely speaks with forked tongue.
 
A well run club has a clear transfer policy that is understood by capable people with the wherewithal to enforce it, and a fanbase who understand it (and its implications) even if they don't necessarily agree with the overarching plan. Can anybody explain how the sale of Murphy and purchase of Brayford fit into a well thought out plan? I can understand them jettisoning Clough and Brannigan for not supporting a coherent strategy or its execution, but at the same time I cannot see how Adkin's signings show any development in our approach. Its mostly guesswork though.

Ps: see Adkin's comments in Saturday's programme about signing young, fast, hungry players. Yet another deviation or signs of a coherent new strategy?
 
Last edited:
With nothing to spend, that's no surprise!

It would also make the suggestion, from both Phipps and Adkins, that we made several bids that were rejected, a complete lie.

Cost cutting behind the scenes is also well under way.
 

It would also make the suggestion, from both Phipps and Adkins, that we made several bids that were rejected, a complete lie.

Cost cutting behind the scenes is also well under way.


Depends how genuine and realistic the bids were!

Brannigan has been replaced by Green who I wouldn't imagine is paid and the Scarborough man is part time so there's a saving there.
 

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom