Adkins

[Alfreton14Blade]

A bit like Clough, and that worked well.

Aye, it did. Till Harry was sold. And Clough was given the cheque-book (& told not to bother with unimportant things like medicals for new players). And Clough deployed his scattergun recruitment policy, rather than prioritising and getting the spine fixed.

It's echoes of the last of those things that worry me a bit now tbh. Desperately need a goalie, dominant CH, influential central mid. And for Wilder to make a choice between Sharp or Clarke (or McNulty) IMO. Hope CW doesn't just keep accumulating bits and pieces, Clough-style.

 

[PeteBlade]

Aye, it did. Till Harry was sold. And Clough was given the cheque-book (& told not to bother with unimportant things like medicals for new players). And Clough deployed his scattergun recruitment policy, rather than prioritising and getting the spine fixed.

It's echoes of the last of those things that worry me a bit now tbh. Desperately need a goalie, dominant CH, influential central mid. And for Wilder to make a choice between Sharp or Clarke (or McNulty) IMO. Hope CW doesn't just keep accumulating bits and pieces, Clough-style.

If he needs to make a choice between Sharp and Clark then the former was a very expensive and poorly thought out signing.

 

[Bladesman]

The suggestion being that, if there are problems at boardroom/chairman level, the manager failing to succeed is inevitably a fantastic manager who'd succeed brilliantly if he weren't stymied.

You deal with the cards you're dealt. There is no perfect/ideal gig in football.

Wilder's already been far more proactive in a couple of months than Adkins was throughout his tenure. Tbh, it was as if Adkins just gave up & ran on autopilot.

Whatever the problems at higher levels (& there most definitely are problems), Adkins was an embarrassment

McCabe seems to have habit of changing the goalposts after a manager is already on board. Adkins probably never thought Murphy would get sold after the player just signed a new deal.

Also look how long it took and still takes to bring players in? The Dan Burn saga last season which is exactly the same as the Sam Morsy saga this season.

Even the signing of Hammond was long and protracted, a player that we should have easily been able to get at the start of last season since he wasn't even in Leicester's plans. (With hindsight a player we should have signed 10 years ago when we had the chance)

People other than the manager at the club are doing something wrong and one key flaw is in the negotiation of new signings. If the manager can't have faith that the club will help him get his transfer targets then his squad plans begin to unravel.

 

[Caseh]

If mccabe had gone a couple of months ago and the new owner brought in Wilder people would be happy with the new chairmans choice, after three games who's fault would it be, ah mccabes I suspect.

You'll not find a post of mine saying I was happy with Wilders appointment. I thought it was a cheap appointment, that the fans would lap up because he's a blade.
I want him to do well, but he absolutely was not my choice.

 

[BushBlade]

If he needs to make a choice between Sharp and Clark then the former was a very expensive and poorly thought out signing.

As Ricky said about Adkins, at the moment it looks like Wilder is new to management, not a bloke who's just won promotion.
I just don't get what it is about the club that destroys managers and players as soon as they walk through the door.

 

[1889]

That yesterday was worse than anything I saw last season.

Did you not go to Scunthorpe at home? Time is a great healer, there were many many performances as bad as last night, the problem being that Adkins didn't acknowledge we were shit or take any remedial action, from the opening game thrashing at Gillingham to the aforementioned capitulation In his last!

At least Wilder isn't hiding or ducking the issues, let's just hope he can install some belief into the squad and they can get the first win, sooner rather than later.

UTB

 

[Boxer Blade]

You'll not find a post of mine saying I was happy with Wilders appointment. I thought it was a cheap appointment, that the fans would lap up because he's a blade.
I want him to do well, but he absolutely was not my choice.

Caseh, my point is more related to mccabe than anything else, just trying to make a point, notsuggesting you wanted Wilder, who out of interest would you have gone for.

 

[alcoblade]

Adkins right manager, wrong time.

Although I am thinking no manager will succeed while McCabe is still at the helm. As much as I don't like Warnock, one thing is for sure he managed to get what he needed off McCabe to succeed even if there was next to no money available.

Given the success we've had since, how could anyone like Warnock?

 

[alcoblade]

But he had Derek Dooley in his corner. The managers nowadays are on a hiding to nothing.

I wondered how long it would take for the Derek Dooley myth to resurface.

 

[BushBlade]

You'll not find a post of mine saying I was happy with Wilders appointment. I thought it was a cheap appointment, that the fans would lap up because he's a blade.
I want him to do well, but he absolutely was not my choice.

Likewise. When it was first suggested around Feb/March I said 'Micky Adams MkII'. I've tried not to be a downer during the close season and not shit on everyone's hopes, I don't want to be seen as someone who constantly whinges, but I've not been impressed with his recruitment and I did say in a post some time ago that I hoped he didn't think he could man manage our players like he has non-league players. All this John Wayne shit doesn't cut much ice with millionaires.

I also said in another couple of posts that I felt KM's main priority was to get the club breaking even so neither he nor the Prince have to keep subsidising us.

All we can do now is hope CW gets to bring in the other players he wants and can turn it around. Football is still unpredictable enough for that to happen.

 

[alcoblade]

Did you not go to Scunthorpe at home? Time is a great healer, there were many many performances as bad as last night, the problem being that Adkins didn't acknowledge we were shit or take any remedial action, from the opening game thrashing at Gillingham to the aforementioned capitulation In his last!

At least Wilder isn't hiding or ducking the issues, let's just hope he can install some belief into the squad and they can get the first win, sooner rather than later.

UTB

I'll declare my hand as an Adkins fan, but as with all new managers (and we have plenty) I'm right behind Wilder.

Last night was infinitely worse than anything we saw last season.

In order to move forward you've got to know where you're at, and right now we're in an awful mess.

UTB

 

[Caseh]

Did you not go to Scunthorpe at home? Time is a great healer, there were many many performances as bad as last night, the problem being that Adkins didn't acknowledge we were shit or take any remedial action, from the opening game thrashing at Gillingham to the aforementioned capitulation In his last!

At least Wilder isn't hiding or ducking the issues, let's just hope he can install some belief into the squad and they can get the first win, sooner rather than later.

UTB

Yes I was there, unfortunately I haven't missed a home game for a few years.

But I do still rate yesterday as worse. 3-0 down against who are a terrible team, and we didn't even threaten them.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I wondered how long it would take for the Derek Dooley myth to resurface.

Derek wasn't in anyone's corner. He was a conduit and his loyalty wasn't together manager or board, but the club. He treated McCabes money as if it was his own, unlike anyone since.

 

[alcoblade]

Derek wasn't in anyone's corner. He was a conduit and his loyalty wasn't together manager or board, but the club. He treated McCabes money as if it was his own, unlike anyone since.

I'm sure he did that bit. But my God, you could employ a while load of us for a few tens of grand a year and get the same result. It's a measure of McCabe's incompetence were taking about there.

Did he offer any businesslike gems that we've missed? In my experience, no.

UTB

 

[Caseh]

Caseh, my point is more related to mccabe than anything else, just trying to make a point, notsuggesting you wanted Wilder, who out of interest would you have gone for.

I would have let Adkins see out at least one more year. And I will be the same with Wilder, unless he gets us relegated. I don't believe the musical chairs game we are playing with managers is working one bit. If I had to choose a manager though, i wanted Karl Robinson before and I still do.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I'm sure he did that bit. But my God, you could employ a while load of us for a few tens of grand a year and get the same result. It's a measure of McCabe's incompetence were taking about there.

Did he offer any businesslike gems that we've missed? In my experience, no.

UTB

I was saying that was pretty much his role. He advised but the decisions were all McCabes. The one time he showed patience was with Colin and we got to the PL. Pity shineyface got greedy rather than concentrating on the team and we might have stayed up. From then on, all down to KM's decisions.

 

[Jesus_was_a_Blade]

So let me get this picture right, you were in a car, at the steering wheel, you saw Adkin's on the pavement, walking, aaannnndddddd?

Probably didn't want to do any damage to his motor.

Adkins already wasted enough of our money, can't have him costing us any more!

Nigel Adkins and his Mrs taking a late night stroll

You sure it wasn't Hammond? I've seen him and Adkins many a time walking hand in hand round the park. Once even saw them in a cafe doing that cheesy linking arms thing while sipping rosé...

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I wondered how long it would take for the Derek Dooley myth to resurface.

Myth? Both Bassett and Warnock talk openly in their books about what a great help and support Dooley was. An ally in the boardroom as it were.

 

[alcoblade]

Myth? Both Bassett and Warnock talk openly in their books about what a great help and support Dooley was. An ally in the boardroom as it were.

I strongly suspect it was the "lovely bloke" side of things they were swayed by.

UTB

 

[Grizzly blade]

Of course it is far too early to write a team off, Barnsley were looking relegation fodder at Xmas!

What we don't have though, is a style of play that will bear fruit eventually. If we are simply going to launch it we will fail.
If Wilder looks at the players in this squad....Sharp, Clarke, Duffy, Done, Fleck, Scougall, Brayford, O Connell.....all very capable of passing the ball....and adds a couple more decent ability players, he can sit back and demand they pass the ball, pass it quickly and feckin move.
Granted we will still take time to gel, but at least we will have a style of play that will work in the long run. Sticking to percentage hoof, will just end in our unsuited players being hung out to dry.

Wilder best get this figured out quick, patience for him doing something dificult or technical is one thing but he's going to get none from me if all he wants is a lot of headless running and ball chasing.

 

[BushBlade]

I strongly suspect it was the "lovely bloke" side of things they were swayed by.

UTB

So both Warnock and Bassett have praised Dooley in writing, we've been shit since he left us but you don't believe he had any influence?
Based on what?

 

[Bladesman]

Myth? Both Bassett and Warnock talk openly in their books about what a great help and support Dooley was. An ally in the boardroom as it were.

Now I think the board is mostly made up of McCabes family and other people who deal in property and finance. Which is great if we were running Whitehornes or Redbrik but this is a football club.

 

[Jesus_was_a_Blade]

Of course it is far too early to write a team off, Barnsley were looking relegation fodder at Xmas!

Worth bearing in mind. They were in a far worse position than we currently find ourselves in, and are now plying their trade in the championship.

As poor as we were the other night I still think there's a good team in there somewhere. Sharp, Clarke, Duffy & Fleck would walk into any team in this division on their day. If we can get a new GK in, tighten up the defence (might be easier said than done), once/if we can get a couple of wins under our belts the confidence will come back, then we should be a real force in this division.

 

[ghandi]

Derek wasn't in anyone's corner. He was a conduit and his loyalty wasn't together manager or board, but the club. He treated McCabes money as if it was his own, unlike anyone since.

Wonder how long it would be before the perpetuating of the myth continued

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I strongly suspect it was the "lovely bloke" side of things they were swayed by.

UTB

Based on what? Do you know something the rest of us don’t?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Derek wasn't in anyone's corner. He was a conduit and his loyalty wasn't together manager or board, but the club. He treated McCabes money as if it was his own, unlike anyone since.

Perhaps “in his corner” was the wrong choice of words. I meant that as he also concerned himself with football rather than just property development, he was able to offer arguments in support of certain footballing decisions at board meetings etc. He helped keep McCabe in check it seems. A bit like how a carer stops a mentally disabled patient from walking out into traffic.


Since he went, the decisions at the top have been disastrous and bordering on comical at times.

Without Dooley, would McCabe have stuck with Warnock all those years to get us up? Would he have given him the funds to sign Ifill/Webber/Unsworth/ Akinbiyi (I know he was disappointing) etc. to give us that extra bit of quality to get promoted?


With someone like Dooley on the board, would we have appointed Robsonin pursuit of the brand at the expense of footballing progress? Would we have sacked Blackwell 2 games into the season? Would we have sacked Wilson when we were in the playoffs?


I don’t suppose any of us can say for sure but I think since Dooley left, the wheels seemed to come off in relation to all football related decision making at the top.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

If he needs to make a choice between Sharp and Clark then the former was a very expensive and poorly thought out signing.

Or a signing that was effective under a different regime in a different team but has fallen victim to another knee jerk short termist decision?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

If mccabe had gone a couple of months ago and the new owner brought in Wilder people would be happy with the new chairmans choice, after three games who's fault would it be, ah mccabes I suspect.

I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make.


My grumbles aren’t with the appointment of Wilder per se but with the constant change of approach, knee jerk reactions and short term thinking. Invest in Brayford- sack the manager that made him want to sign- becomes a shell of the player we bought. Invest in Sharp- sack the manager that made him want to sign- becomes a shell of the player we bought. Then wonder why despite replacing (some of) the players that were poor under the last manager, previously decent players are now struggling.


McCabe has presided over the worst period of the club’s history and it only seems to be getting worse rather than better. He’s made countless monumental fuck ups along the way and treated the fans of this club like dirt at times. He deserves tonnes of blame.

 

[Bartleby]

Likewise. When it was first suggested around Feb/March I said 'Micky Adams MkII'. I've tried not to be a downer during the close season and not shit on everyone's hopes, I don't want to be seen as someone who constantly whinges, but I've not been impressed with his recruitment and I did say in a post some time ago that I hoped he didn't think he could man manage our players like he has non-league players. All this John Wayne shit doesn't cut much ice with millionaires.

I also said in another couple of posts that I felt KM's main priority was to get the club breaking even so neither he nor the Prince have to keep subsidising us.

All we can do now is hope CW gets to bring in the other players he wants and can turn it around. Football is still unpredictable enough for that to happen.

I said back then that his record was a bit like Clough's prior to last season, but also that he'd be bonkers to leave what he's achieved at Northampton to take over our lot if het gets them up. Trouble is I got swept away with all the bladey optimism.

 

[Bartleby]

I strongly suspect it was the "lovely bloke" side of things they were swayed by.

UTB

"incredibly supportive" Warnock said