Time for a statement. Time for an apology.

[SwissBlade]

I should be apologising?? Where on earth are you going with this?? This isn't a couple of 'clangers' dropped innocently along the way by McCabe and the club. Just look at where we are, I mean truly look at the position the club has found itself in. It is an unmitigated disaster.

The point was that you didn't clamber across to your keyboard at any other time and now that you've looked aghast at our position you get yourself into a flap and demand an apology. Yet you already admitted that you didn't complain when the club showed ambition.

Why do you need acknowledgement of the mess were in, I think its pretty clear that mistakes have been made and this is recognised by the rhetoric coming out of the club that we're in the shit. I believe this honesty came last season when our true position was revealed, albeit before we got our feet firmly into the relegation zone.

To be honest BaldeRunner, you're a bit late in the day! To be fair to the likes of Lenners et al, they haven't been getting all precious demanding apologies, they've just demanded action, as have many others.

 

[sheffielder]

Swiss me old, ambition isn't all about spending lots of money. The team that got relegated from the premierleague needed a good holiday and a few rejigs to replace the likes of Jags and Kazim Richards etc; Even without those two the team would have been capable of challenging for promotion straight away.

Ambition is not hiring Robson and allowing the signings of Naysmith, BT etc;

That decision n replacing Warnock was too quick and is why we are in the position we are in. I think your love of McCabe is due to you thinking that your more on his level than people who post on these forums. People on here (apart from micajobi) don't really care about balance sheets, but most of us are agreed that mistakes have been made but for you to say we should apologise for his decisions just makes you come across abit aloof. Take a step back from it

 

[BaldeRunner]

The point was that you didn't clamber across to your keyboard at any other time and now that you've looked aghast at our position you get yourself into a flap and demand an apology. Yet you already admitted that you didn't complain when the club showed ambition.

Why do you need acknowledgement of the mess were in, I think its pretty clear that mistakes have been made and this is recognised by the rhetoric coming out of the club that we're in the shit. I believe this honesty came last season when our true position was revealed, albeit before we got our feet firmly into the relegation zone.

To be honest BaldeRunner, you're a bit late in the day! To be fair to the likes of Lenners et al, they haven't been getting all precious demanding apologies, they've just demanded action, as have many others.

I don't complain when the club shows ambition, you are right. I complain when they reverse their decisions, screw things up and send us into freefall. Sorry if that is a bit complex for you. This is by no means the first time I have 'clambered across the keyboard' as you put it but think it would be better to avoid a slanging match.

 

[Muttley]

McCabe is a businessman who has looked after himself first. You don't get apologies from those sort of people. They live in their own little rich world and believe they are sooooooooooooooo far above all of us plebs.

 

[Foxy]

Has anyone mentioned the fact he's held his hands up on at least a couple of occasions and said mistakes have been made?

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Has anyone mentioned the fact he's held his hands up on at least a couple of occasions and said mistakes have been made?

Hardly makes up for him selling all our best players, lying through his teeth & sitting on his fortune whilst we sink like a stone.

 

[sheffielder]

Has anyone mentioned the fact he's held his hands up on at least a couple of occasions and said mistakes have been made?

and what did he do about them?

 

[Muttley]

and what did he do about them?

Made more of the same?

 

[BaldeRunner]

Has anyone mentioned the fact he's held his hands up on at least a couple of occasions and said mistakes have been made?

But that is no good unless he rectifies those mistakes. It isn't the apoogy per se, it's the learning that comes with it. In a nutshell, bad managerial appointments at bad times have continued to be made. Selling of key players at key times have continued to happen. 'Mistakes have been made' is one thing 'mistakes have been made, these are what they are and we have learned from that' is quite another thing

 

[SwissBlade]

I think your love of McCabe is due to you thinking that your more on his level than people who post on these forums. People on here (apart from micajobi) don't really care about balance sheets, but most of us are agreed that mistakes have been made but for you to say we should apologise for his decisions just makes you come across abit aloof. Take a step back from it

Brilliant Sheffielder!

Not sure where you get this thing that I love McCabe, I rarely get involved in the Balance sheet and property discussions, because quite frankly i'm not interested in that side of things. I rarely give my opinion on McCabe but like many on here I also bought into a lot of what was done post relegation, but there are a number of football club related decisions that I have not agreed with. Perhaps because I don't come out and heavily criticise McCabe/ Birch i'm seen as a McCabe lover. Grow up.

Sorry if its coming across as aloof, but I can't do much about that, the issue I have is that when people backed the regime in the past are now being hypocritical in saying that it was all wrong and we must have an apology so if they backed it, then shouldn't they too also apologise for backing it? Afterall we've all backed McCabe and the club with our money on season tickets, merchandise, pies etc when Robbo was manager the attendances were way higher than now, yet he also took us towards the relegation zone, only to be rescued by Blackwell!

Take a step back from it yourself!

 

[Foxy]

Ok, so we want an apology until it transpires it's already been kind of made... Then we want him to either invent a time machine or magically put it right immediately?

 

[sheffielder]

Find me one man, just one who wanted Robson as manager and the attendances are always going to be high the season after relegation because the expectation is that you will go straight back. I don't need to take a step back here.

I don't see why I need to take a step back, I don't like or dislike KM. Unfortunately he is not a football man, but he unfortunately seems to be a bad judge of people and what they can do for him. You sound like someone who has done well for himself. If you bought a chocolate company but didn't know anything about chocolate, I think the 1st thing you would do is surround yourself with people who do and the football club at the moment feels like it's in the hands of my wife. These things need to be urgently addressed for people to gain trust in him again. Although I don't agree with the 'sack the board' chants against Derby, I do find it hard to argue for him.

I think many fans need to know where we are going from this. Are we going to renew only to see us sell some more. We need leadership from him because most people don't trust his decisions

 

[super_pig]

is maccabe still alive? does he attend matches?

 

[Foxy]

is maccabe still alive? does he attend matches?

He goes to most, and his family are also normally in attendance.

 

[SwissBlade]

Find me one man, just one who wanted Robson as manager and the attendances are always going to be high the season after relegation because the expectation is that you will go straight back. I don't need to take a step back here.

I don't see why I need to take a step back, I don't like or dislike KM. Unfortunately he is not a football man, but he unfortunately seems to be a bad judge of people and what they can do for him. You sound like someone who has done well for himself. If you bought a chocolate company but didn't know anything about chocolate, I think the 1st thing you would do is surround yourself with people who do and the football club at the moment feels like it's in the hands of my wife. These things need to be urgently addressed for people to gain trust in him again. Although I don't agree with the 'sack the board' chants against Derby, I do find it hard to argue for him.

I think many fans need to know where we are going from this. Are we going to renew only to see us sell some more. We need leadership from him because most people don't trust his decisions

With respect most football club owners aren't football men, most of them aren't even fans! Hasn't McCabe surrounded himself with with people who do know football? Dooley (already in place), Robinson had football background, Birch has a football and a business background...

I'm not arguing that mistakes have been made, i'm not arguing that we need to know where we're going, but this demand for an apology (which is where this discussion started) is entirely pointless and hypocritical if so many of you saw this coming, yet still stood by and did nowt. Perhaps you and Balderunner should attempt a takeover.

 

[alcoblade]

What does McCabe need to apologise for? Nothing, unless he's not acted in the best interests of the club.

Can I send you the bill for the coffee I've just spat overmyself.......?

You can't be serious.

Giving Warnock a Championship budget in the Premiership
Employing Bryan Robson
Giving Robson a Premiership budget in the Championship
Spunking the parachute money, Kyle money, Tevez money on property
Investing massively in property at the peak of a super bubble.
Committing us to a further un funded £40M of ground development to massage his ego (WC)- which we thankfully failed to secure
Heading for the long grass the minute the going got tough

I can't believe anyone can defend the man anymore. I'll grant you that to totally fuck us up wasn't intentional. I'm not sure if that will soften the blow when Orient play us off the park next season.

UTB

 

[lenners]

Has anyone mentioned the fact he's held his hands up on at least a couple of occasions and said mistakes have been made?

Has he really?
What did he say Foxy? Which mistakes was he apologising for?
When was the last time he said anything as chairman of our club?
He scuttled away when the going got tough and pretended the carpet man was in charge.
It was desperate and cowardly, really cowardly.

 

[SwissBlade]

Can I send you the bill for the coffee I've just spat overmyself.......?

You can't be serious.

I can't believe anyone can defend the man anymore. I'll grant you that to totally fuck us up wasn't intentional. I'm not sure if that will soften the blow when Orient play us off the park next season.

UTB

I never said he hasn't made mistakes, but does he need to apologise IF, at the time he was acting in the best interests of progressing the club forward? No

The mistakes and fcuk ups are a totally different subject, there was not just one factor involved in ending up where we are its been a combination.

Its far from defending the man and league 1 football won't be easy to take for any of us and you can include KM

 

[alcoblade]

Ok, so we want an apology until it transpires it's already been kind of made... Then we want him to either invent a time machine or magically put it right immediately?

I think I'm after an apology that's clearer than the one that his more supportive followers aren't even sure has been made. More than the apology - I want recognition of a clear change in direction and a focus on what happens on the field. But in the end, I want a new man in charge. I think there's a signifivant ammount of fans who aren't prepared to back the club in its' hour of need because of the man in charge.

"Mistakes have been made" is just laughable.

UTB

---------- Post added at 01:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 PM ----------

I never said he hasn't made mistakes, but does he need to apologise IF, at the time he was acting in the best interests of progressing the club forward? No

Can you address my points and explain how McCabe's actions were in any way in the best interests of the club at the time?

UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

Can you address my points and explain how McCabe's actions were in any way in the best interests of the club at the time?

UTB

In a word no I can't, because I'm not McCabe. I said IF he was acting in the best interests of the club at the time.

Did you claim that any of your points (plus others that you didn't mention, but don't suit your argument) weren't in the best interests of progressing the club at the time?

Like bringing Blackwell in to replace Robson

 

[Rattly Noise]

So is the consensus that we all think they should apologise for making any decisions that we didn't agree with that didn't work out. They don't need to apologise for the ones that we disagreed with but did work out or those we agreed with, but didn't work out? Just so we're clear what it is we want.

 

[alcoblade]

In a word no I can't, because I'm not McCabe. I said IF he was acting in the best interests of the club at the time.

Did you claim that any of your points (plus others that you didn't mention, but don't suit your argument) weren't in the best interests of progressing the club at the time?

Like bringing Blackwell in to replace Robson

I thought bringing Blackwell in at that time was a good move and I'd stand by that logic.

But using your logic - we can apply the royal IF to every decision he makes, stay on the fence, and not be able to question any of it. Totally bizarre.

I've criticised every decision that I listed above at the time.

Let's pick on - The WC bid - care to speculate how that was in the best interests of the club? And please don't use guff like "profile" and other crap that's thrown about to justify things that can't be costed.

UTB

---------- Post added at 02:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:02 PM ----------

So is the consensus that we all think they should apologise for making any decisions that we didn't agree with that didn't work out. They don't need to apologise for the ones that we disagreed with but did work out or those we agreed with, but didn't work out? Just so we're clear what it is we want.

I've listed where he went wrong. Care to list where he went right?

UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

I thought bringing Blackwell in at that time was a good move and I'd stand by that logic.

But using your logic - we can apply the royal IF to every decision he makes, stay on the fence, and not be able to question any of it. Totally bizarre.

I've criticised every decision that I listed above at the time.

Let's pick on - The WC bid - care to speculate how that was in the best interests of the club? And please don't use guff like "profile" and other crap that's thrown about to justify things that can't be costed.

UTB

---------- Post added at 02:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:02 PM ----------



I've listed where he went wrong. Care to list where he went right?

UTB

Your missing the point alco, I'm not sitting on the fence, I'm just not answering because whether I think the decisions at the time were right is irrelevant to this thread, its not about me, its about McCabe apologising, isn't it? I haven't made any decisions for the club. I'm not the one that started this thread demanding apologies, so list all the mistakes you want, its not a pissing contest of who can name the most right and wrong decisions. Like i've said, as long as McCabe was entering into these decisions with the right intentions then they are mistakes in hindsight.

Well done to you for seeing the errors at the time. Perhaps you should've been McCabes key advisor and we'd be in the Champions League now.... But then that wouldn't work because using Sheffielders logic, McCabe needed football people and you're not one (to my knowledge)

 

[BaldeRunner]

With respect most football club owners aren't football men, most of them aren't even fans! Hasn't McCabe surrounded himself with with people who do know football? Dooley (already in place), Robinson had football background, Birch has a football and a business background...

I'm not arguing that mistakes have been made, i'm not arguing that we need to know where we're going, but this demand for an apology (which is where this discussion started) is entirely pointless and hypocritical if so many of you saw this coming, yet still stood by and did nowt. Perhaps you and Balderunner should attempt a takeover.

Swiss you can argue that my request for an apology is pointless because that is your opinion. It is not, however, hypocritical. Along with many other fans I made my feelings known about the various decisions along the way. These included the selling of Beattie, the appointment of Robson, the selling of the two Kyles, the sacking of a manager 3 games into the season (rather than at the end of the pevious season). I think your comment about 'still stood by and did nowt' is risible. What exactly do you think we could do? All we have is a voice and I certainly used mine through boards such as this one (at the time Blades Untied) and I even wrote to the club directly. I may be a fool for supporting the Blades but i ain't no hypocrite.

 

[alcoblade]

Your missing the point alco, I'm not sitting on the fence, I'm just not answering because whether I think the decisions at the time were right is irrelevant to this thread, its not about me, its about McCabe apologising, isn't it? I haven't made any decisions for the club. I'm not the one that started this thread demanding apologies, so list all the mistakes you want, its not a pissing contest of who can name the most right and wrong decisions. Like i've said, as long as McCabe was entering into these decisions with the right intentions then they are mistakes in hindsight.

Well done to you for seeing the errors at the time. Perhaps you should've been McCabes key advisor and we'd be in the Champions League now.... But then that wouldn't work because using Sheffielders logic, McCabe needed football people and you're not one (to my knowledge)

I just don't follow your logic at all. He can be forgiven for all his decisions because we don't know that, at the time, he didn't consider them to be in the best interests of the club? Really?

I'm sure he thought they were in the best interests of the club. I want him to own us to the disastrous consequences of them.

The fact that many of them were so obviously wrong only adds insult to injury. You really didn't need hindsight or to be a footballing man to know the WC bid was folly, that Robson was a shite manager, that too heavily investing in one sector was daft, that borrowing tens of millions was daft, that not placing any focus on the field in the belief that off field activities would drag it along was daft.

The fact that you put up no defence for these tells me that you know they can't be defended. The fact that you're OK with it simply on the basis that he alone thought his decisions were good ones is your prerogative, but to me totally bizarre.

UTB

 

[Rattly Noise]

Okay so he admits he hasn't make as good a job of being owner/chairman as most of us on the forum could clearly do. Then what? Will it help get us out of relegation or if the worse happens, makes us more likely to come up next season? Are you thinking that if he owns up then he'll not make bad decisions again or something? And is this a one off exercise? Are you expecting him to do an apology every month? How long after he's made a decision do we wait until we assess if it's turned out good or bad (or shall we just decide before the decision is made? that's what usually happens)?

I can understand your frustration but I'd personally rather the club shut up talking to anyone and concentrate everything on improving things on the pitch. It's rubbish to say they can't do it, as everyone in the side has played well for short periods, it's the consistency that's lacking.

 

[SwissBlade]

I just don't follow your logic at all. He can be forgiven for all his decisions because we don't know that, at the time, he didn't consider them to be in the best interests of the club? Really?

I'm sure he thought they were in the best interests of the club. I want him to own us to the disastrous consequences of them.

The fact that many of them were so obviously wrong only adds insult to injury. You really didn't need hindsight or to be a footballing man to know the WC bid was folly, that Robson was a shite manager, that too heavily investing in one sector was daft, that borrowing tens of millions was daft, that not placing any focus on the field in the belief that off field activities would drag it along was daft.

The fact that you put up no defence for these tells me that you know they can't be defended. The fact that you're OK with it simply on the basis that he alone thought his decisions were good ones is your prerogative, but to me totally bizarre.

UTB

Whats not to follow? I don't think he needs to apologise, i think he needs to do his best to sort it out.

What if his best isn't enough? Then what can we do? We don't exactly have any keyboard warriors coming forward to take over so we're stuck with what we've got, for good or bad.

I'm not OK with it, quite the opposite. I put up no defence because the ins and outs have been discussed for the last two years and as I said earlier in my posts, I don't get involved in a lot of the off the field stuff, i only care about the football really, thats the main reason I post on here. And lets be fair, the stuff you're trying to get me to comment on has been done to death.

I posted on this thread to focus on the apology part, the rest isn't of interest to me if i'm blunt

 

[alcoblade]

So you want to question the request for an apology whilst having no interest in the reasoning behind that request?

It seems to me that using your logic McCabe could employ the Yorkshire Ripper as special advisor and move the club to Luxembourg without question. All with the justification that in McCabe's world, he was acting in the best interests of the club.....



---------- Post added at 03:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------

is this a one off exercise? Are you expecting him to do an apology every month?

Call me Mr Picky but I'll settle for one every time he dismantles a good squad, lands us tens of millions in debt in the process and gets us relegated to England's third division. I can forgive him most other sins.



---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------

I'd personally rather the club shut up talking to anyone and concentrate everything on improving things on the pitch. It's rubbish to say they can't do it, as everyone in the side has played well for short periods, it's the consistency that's lacking.

It all becomes clear. It's some kind of weekend release scheme going on here, isn't it?



UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

So you want to question the request for an apology whilst having no interest in the reasoning behind that request?

UTB

Basically yeah. Like Rattly, i'd rather the club said nothing and just got on with it.

If you were running the club and it were in the same position, would your first thought be a) lets write (another) apology to the fans or b) get on with the job and put the wrongs right.

Seems from your logic that you'd prefer option a)

 

[BaldeRunner]

how about option c) publicly indicate and acknowledge the mistakes we made and give the fans and team some confidence we won't keep repeating them.

I think your preferred option b) may lead us to the same old crap we have endured for the last 3 years - "go back to sleep Blades fans, your Board knows what it is doing and you wouldn't possibly understand"