Thank god we sacked Clough eh?

[nowtfancy]

What would your solution be then NF?
How many players did Clough sign? I think that it was more than the 19 he spoke of when he arrived

My solution would be not to have sacked clough when we did ! Although he'd be pushing it if he were in charge and we were in the position we are in!
I'm sure clough signed too many players that weren't and still aren't good enough, but I think that was the way he had to work due to not being backed to get the players in he wanted/needed, and the squad was the same size when he left as when he arrived, just in a much better position.
For now we have to stick with Adkins, but give him the bloody tools to do the job. The comparison and contrast to Swansea above is a good one - they've shown a good vision and continuity with their changing of managers, we've chopped and changed with no rhyme or reason.
Meanwhile I'll keep going (most of the time) keep boozing and occasionally letting off steam on here when everyone in my house has got fed up of me moaning about it!

 

[Edinblade]

Cloughs signings were mostly shit. Adkins signings have also been mostly shit. Both are responsible for our current plight (but our anger should be focused higher).

Adkins has been allowed to spend a transfer fee on ONE player, without whom we would be a lot worse off in the scoring department.

He signed one on a free. Well what do you expect for nothing. Adkins had to try and find someone to do a job, without being able to spend. I agree this one was a fail.

He was allowed 3 players on loan.
It made sense to go for one in each department.
Edgar: not many better available on loan in this position and has done OK.
Hammond: I think he's done OK for a loan player.
Sammon: Again you're never going to get quality strikers on loan. He had to gamble on what was available. Agree he's been a fail.

Adkins has had zero support from the poisonous board room. Whilst McCabe continues to rob this universe of oxygen we are going no where. Certainly not upwards anyway. The guy is clueless on all footballing matters.

Adkins has worked a miracle to keep this bunch of players out of the relegation area.

 

[Bladesince59]

We should still have Warnock.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Adkins has been allowed to spend a transfer fee on ONE player, without whom we would be a lot worse off in the scoring department.

He signed one on a free. Well what do you expect for nothing. Adkins had to try and find someone to do a job, without being able to spend. I agree this one was a fail.

He was allowed 3 players on loan.
It made sense to go for one in each department.
Edgar: not many better available on loan in this position and has done OK.
Hammond: I think he's done OK for a loan player.
Sammon: Again you're never going to get quality strikers on loan. He had to gamble on what was available. Agree he's been a fail.

Adkins has had zero support from the poisonous board room. Whilst McCabe continues to rob this universe of oxygen we are going no where. Certainly not upwards anyway. The guy is clueless on all footballing matters.

Adkins has worked a miracle to keep this bunch of players out of the relegation area.

You're singing to the choir. Any negative feelings I have are entirely directed at the board (not manager). That aside, I don't share your enthusiasm for his signings (except Billy, to state the obvious), and I simply can't believe better players aren't available (loans or otherwise).

 

[Houston_Blade]

Wilson (a poor manager) got us into the play-offs and the final. Clough's 'similar position' was managing to concede a record seven goals in a play-off game.

Are we really arguing if we're better off under Adkins than Clough? At the moment, the facts suggest we're not. We're on course to finish even further away from the automatic places than last year, and the play-offs are a fading dream/nightmare. And - by the end of the season - I suspect that there will be no need for comparisons. It could get a lot worse. I think that, after a 'high' at Southampton (with a highly-talented bunch of young players and massive money available) NA's career has been on the slide, culminating with a spell out of work until the Bramall Lane Rest Home for Incapable Managers (Est. 2007) took him in.

The delay in getting the players out onto the field for the second half yesterday was pathetic - straight out of the Labybird Book of Coaching. Was he 'tearing a strip off them'? Was he infuriated that we hadn't had a single on-target shot all the first half? (He shouldn't be - it's happened in virtually every home game this season). Was he pondering the 'wisdom' of starting with Sammon?

Blaming the previous administration, implying that he'd 'like to do XYZ but ABC wouldn't let' him is pure David Cameron.

This is the lowest point in the club's history, with no signs of putting it right.

I was actually arguing that we're no better off so I think we're agreed. Good cv but not a lot to show so far here. His hands might be tied but they wouldn't be if we hadn't spent £000's on paying off ex managers and their staff.

That said why make the same mistake again and pay him and his staff off? Guardiola is spoken for so can't see how we'll get anyone better than Adkins. The manager is not the issue here, that's become evident now.

 

[SwissBlade]

Does anyone really think we'd have gone backwards if we had kept last years manager?

Didn't think it was a good decision at the time, but it has got worse, and worse, and worse hasn't it.
Decision looks more ridiculous every game.
Cheers Jim, nice one.

As always, the key point when sacking a manager is to do in the hope that things will improve.

Clearly the sacking of clough couldn't have been done in isolation. He was obviously disliked by many of our board, the very same board that thinks it has a clue about football.

They've gone out and got a new manager, one with a great CV, but have failed entirely to address any of the issues which we had.

Centre halves, centre mid and strikers have been addressed by bringing in just one striker worthy of a shirt and a single centre half to play alongside an incompetent one.

All of the blame levelled at clough can only be thrown back at the board and the new manager as they've known about these issues since the decision to replace clough with Adkins was made.

Sacking clough would be fine if the right man for the situation was brought in. Adkins has proved so far that he's the wrong man for this situation. But what a lovely CV he had before he came in...

 

[bricktop]

I miss the free flowing, entertaining tika taka style of play we used see from world class galaticos under the tenure of Nigel Clough. It was down to our idiotic fans with completely unrealistic expectations of us being able to compete at home with Fleetwood and Crewe that ruined all that for us.

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Does anyone really think we'd have gone backwards if we had kept last years manager?

Didn't think it was a good decision at the time, but it has got worse, and worse, and worse hasn't it.
Decision looks more ridiculous every game.
Cheers Jim, nice one.

Ha that's a laugh blaming him. A minority of our fans who make the most noise are the ones to blame and it goes back as far as them demanding Warnock out, Wilson out, Clough out and so They really can't see the bigger picture and are never happy. How many of those would give their right arms now to be in the position each of those managers left us in.

McCabe and then Phipps and co are only responsible for going as far as to listening to a bunch of clueless fans and caving in.

THAT's where we've gone wrong.

 

[SwissBlade]

It has nothing to do with the manager, Clough or no Clough we would still be in the position we are, it's the boards transfer policy or lack of that is the problem not the manager.

Clough was a different character and perhaps the right character to sort us this season. Adkins certainly seems a nice man with nice ideas and nice book collections and a nice Twitter account.

what we need is a bit of a twat to bring the twats on the pitch to account and also bring the board to account too.

 

[judge]

Ha that's a laugh blaming him. A minority of our fans who make the most noise are the ones to blame and it goes back as far as them demanding Warnock out, Wilson out, Clough out and so They really can't see the bigger picture and are never happy. How many of those would give their right arms now to be in the position each of those managers left us in.

McCabe and then Phipps and co are only responsible for going as far as to listening to a bunch of clueless fans and caving in.

THAT's where we've gone wrong.

Dont remember many people clamouring ( whatever that means ) to get rid of warnock
Only really the ones who wanted shut while he was getting us promoted

 

[Esablade]

Just gonna drop this here...£8-10k a week...possibly..

 

[sitwell]

Just gonna drop this here...£8-10k a week...possibly..

View attachment 15892

Couldn't have done as bad as this did yesterday.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Clough was a different character and perhaps the right character to sort us this season. Adkins certainly seems a nice man with nice ideas and nice book collections and a nice Twitter account.

what we need is a bit of a twat to bring the twats on the pitch to account and also bring the board to account too.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

This poisonous culture we have at this club began with Clough. He has cast a long shadow and one of the few times we got it right was in sacking him.
Adkins has had a horrific job to do in getting us back on track. Dealing with the baggage of a 40+ man squad, 98% of which are fucking garbage.
At any other club, Adkins would be a resounding success in this league.
It will take someone special to drag us out of the shite, someone who sees our worth when there's no evidence for it. If it isn't Adkins then I don't blame him one bit.

I'd say we were fucked as soon as McCabe shook Robsons hand over that table in Nevada.

 

[Esablade]

Couldn't have done as bad as this did yesterday.

...he could have got sent off after about 20 mins..
Remember one thing in life..things can always get worse

Plus Sammon's a loan..he won't need paying up..

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Cant argue with that

 

[sitwell]

Would love him to sell his tractor ,put a bit of money in get on the board and knock some heads together, sort the club out from top to bottom.

 

[bricktop]

Would love him to sell his tractor ,put a bit of money in get on the board and knock some heads together, sort the club out from top to bottom.

We don't need him. We have got that footballing expert and the MD of the globally recognising Green Piling Ltd, David Green on the board masterminding this current spell of footballing success that was beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

 

[Worksop II]

Dont remember many people clamouring ( whatever that means ) to get rid of warnock
Only really the ones who wanted shut while he was getting us promoted

Warnock wasn't got rid of, his contract expired

 

[SwissBlade]

In fairness, Warnocks cycle was generally - good season followed by a shit season (release and rebuild).

Fergie at Man U also worked in similar, but longer cycles, but it was always him that rebuilt. Same with Warnock, possibly the same with Bassett

Clough was best placed to get the best out of the players we have, it also needed a rebuild as well (centre halves, centre mid and a striker).

Adkins will probably achieve the end goal, but as Phipps mentioned, 3 transfer windows. This has to be a counter productive approach in the short term.

 

[SwissBlade]

Couldn't have done as bad as this did yesterday.

Yep, I've seen nothing better from Sammon v Higdon. Higdon had an excuse that he was bulky and unfit. Sammon is apparently fit...

Can we get porter back?

 

[Bedrock Blade]

I'd say we were fucked as soon as McCabe shook Robsons hand over that table in Nevada.

My feelings exactly. There was collective gasp of disbelief from the fans when Robson first surfaced. McCabe was more interested in having a 'face' to front his global business interests whilst football seemed to take second place. That idea inevitably proved to be a complete fuck up and we've been on a downward exponential ever since.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Clough was a different character and perhaps the right character to sort us this season. Adkins certainly seems a nice man with nice ideas and nice book collections and a nice Twitter account.

what we need is a bit of a twat to bring the twats on the pitch to account and also bring the board to account too.

Clough would have his work cut out too, sorting the mess out this season left to him be the manager of last season.

 

[PeteBlade]

Right decision if you're Yankee Jim wanting someone to blame for the next xx months

What's his nationality got to do with anything?

 

[Grappler]

And i've just reached 50 - years that is of supporting them, BladesPlayer every Sat morning, flying home from Toronto (as an exiled Blade) for every (miserable) play off Wembley final (and Hull which is the only pleasurable experience of many a year) and even managed to "catch" the dire Crewe away game this year when I was over on a business trip. It's in ur blood (and will never leave - just ask my Canadian better half) but these are tough times....

If you can tell me any decent beers (not lager) to drink in Toronto (Craft Ale I think they call it in North America) that would be helpful

 

[sitwell]

Beers in Canada are shit ,admittedly I am a bitter man and hate lager. Ice wine is nice for a change at a push Belgian style wheat beers but I always end up on Crown Royal in Canada.

 

[Bladesway]

This poisonous culture we have at this club began with Clough. He has cast a long shadow and one of the few times we got it right was in sacking him..

This is in the Barney envelope of utter contrived rubbish. We are where we are, but to blame Clough for this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I would love to hear your reasoning for this but I dread it will be just as delusional. Lets blame the bloke got us to two cup semi finals and was instrumental in us avoiding relegation following another board fiasco type appointment. Only in S2 does this happen.

 

[Bladesway]

Yes those cup runs that put Maguire and Murphy in the shop window have served us well, good job the money raised from them has been made available isn't it...?

......oh hang on!

Cloughs fault or his idiot employers?

 

[bladesadviser]

We can't keep getting rid of managers but that plan should have started with Clough

Also the idea that we have the best manager available to us does anyone think that Justin Edinburgh or any other of the top 6 managers in our league couldn't do a better job and get the players performing better

My fear for next season is twofold one, the clear out won't happen I could easily see Collins and McEverely been given 1 year contracts and I suspect its nailed on that Hammond will be here. Secondly if it doesn't work again for Adkins, by Christmas he will be sacked and yet another season has gone.

I know its radical but surely there is a school of thought that as well clearing out all the players why not clear out the back room staff and sort of start at year zero. As I say its just a thought!!

 

[Tyler Durden]

This is in the Barney envelope of utter contrived rubbish. We are where we are, but to blame Clough for this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I would love to hear your reasoning for this but I dread it will be just as delusional. Lets blame the bloke got us to two cup semi finals and was instrumental in us avoiding relegation following another board fiasco type appointment. Only in S2 does this happen.

Ah the old 'But he got us to two semi-finals' bollocks. Like it somehow has any bearing whatsoever on long-term developments in the squad, bless.
Kevin Blackwell saved us from certain relegation too, yet by the time he was sacked I was the only fucker left defending him as well. The difference being that he didn't sign a bunch of his ex-minions on inflated wages who turned out to be a bunch of playboy scumbags.
And he didn't create an ethos of "sit-back-and-see-what-happens" amongst his players on the pitch either, one which still continues to this day but Nigel 2 seemingly lacks the bollocks to eradicate.

But still, Wembley and all that, eh.....?