McCabe interview in YP

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cooperblade

cooperblade

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Lots of interesting stuff in here....

SHEFFIELD United chairman Kevin McCabe has described the football played under Danny Wilson as the ‘healthiest since the Dave Bassett era’.


The Blades recorded a third consecutive victory, over Rochdale, to stay fifth in the League One table – four points behind second-placed Sheffield Wednesday.

McCabe’s decision to appoint Wilson, a former Owls manager, initially divided supporters at Bramall Lane.

However, addressing shareholders at the club’s annual meeting this weekend, McCabe had largely praise for the job he has done so far.

“We are getting stronger all the time and the style of football is the healthiest I have seen since the Dave Bassett era,” he said.

“We have seen some ‘iffy’ games but you could say the same for a lot of other teams. We are trying to play better football but it takes time.”

Bassett, the most successful manager in the club’s history, won two promotions and kept the Blades in the top flight for four years before leaving in 1995.

McCabe feels the time has now come for the Blades to embark on a lengthy unbeaten run.

“Where we are in the league is fine,” he added. “I am not quite as perky as I would like to be but we are well positioned.”

“I don’t see why we can’t go on a run,” he added. “We all expect the club to go on a bit of a run now and I have great optimism and great hope.”

McCabe estimates the club have missed out on £200m since suffering relegation from the Premier League under Neil Warnock four years ago.

There is also ongoing pressure to reduce the wage bill with McCabe saying the ‘average wage’ at Bramall Lane is higher than at any other club in the division.

According to chief executive Julian Winter, the Blades are no longer prepared to pay any player more than £10,000 a week.

However, the Blades still have a number of players – including striker Ched Evans and midfielder Stephen Quinn – on wages which exceed that limit.

Although avoiding comment on individuals, McCabe confirmed that there will be changes to the playing staff in the new year.

Shareholders were told that the Blades rejected a summer offer from a Premier League club – believed to be Swansea City – for goalkeeper George Long, full-back Matthew Lowton and centre-back Harry Maguire.

McCabe admitted: “Until we get back in the Premier League, it will always be difficult keep hold of young players if a top-flight club comes along.

“But more and more people are also recognising that it is best to stay with a club that cares and gives young players an opportunity for as long as possible.”

McCabe announced that lifelong Blades supporter Mike Blundell – a leading estate agent in Sheffield – had agreed to join the football club’s board.

Blundell will invest but with no sign of any ‘major’ new cash injection on the horizon, McCabe challenged the football club board to raise money for a ‘marque signing.’

“It was done in the days of (former chairman) Reg Brealey and Dave Bassett and we signed Glyn Hodges. We have got to bring some of that old base back.”
Click to expand...
 



I came to United during Bassett's spell, so I may have been too young to properly remember, but surely to God we played better football under Warnock than Bassett? Not ALL the time of course, but generally, and particularly during the "Triple Assault" season.
 
Interesting. My take is that if we go up it will be despite, not because of, what the board do in January, as per usual.
 
I'm an apologist for McCabe, but he really talks some bobbins at times. Best football since Bassett? My arse.

:)
 
McCabe and warnock don't see eye to eye as we know so that is him sticking the knife in imo. Like when warnock says his current time at QPR is his best in football we all know thats bollocks but its a little dig at KMc.
 
The football under Warnock was infinitely better than under Bassett. That was base, route 1 football. It was (rightly) tolerated because it completely turned out fortunes around. As is the case with that style, when results turned it was impossible to watch. Under the later stages of Bassett's reign, we regularly stayed in the pub until half time, and played cards for the rest of the match. We also had a laugh counting the number of passes we could string together. Getting to 5, though rare, was greeted with humorous celebration.

Bassett’s football demonstrated how any style can be good to watch, provided you know what you're about. With Deane and Agana it was fantastic. When they left and weren’t adequately replaced, it was unwatchable.

UTB
 
So just to be clear on the last line of the article....we have to sell some raffles tickets and pretty sharpish. Failing that we're going to launch Blades Revival at the Roxy.

Welcome to Blundell. United have tried before to get him on and and he has been interested for years but it did't work out for various reasons. He's not mega rich but he is a genuine Blade.
 
I would say that the football under Kendall, Spackman and Warnock was generally far more watchable than under Bassett. And to describe Bassett as the most successful manager in our history is quite obviously at odds with the facts.

However, I am certainly not trying to run Bassett down. He did a very good job in difficult circumstances with very little to work with. I don't think any other manager could have got us into the top flight in two and a half seasons from the position that we were in when first became manager.
 



SwissBlade said:
Successful = Got us to the top flight by spending nothing
Click to expand...


I don't recall John Harris spending a great deal of money either, and he also had to cope with good players being sold against his wishes.
 
oldblade said:
I don't recall John Harris spending a great deal of money either, and he also had to cope with good players being sold against his wishes.
Click to expand...

Between 1959 and 1966 the cash signings by Harris were Hartle, Docherty, Kettleborough, Allchurch, Reece and Punton. Cant think of anymore. Only 6 in 7 years and we were in the top division from 1961 to 1968
 
norfolkblade said:
A marquee signing? Keeping hold of Ched will do just fine IMHO
Click to expand...

One always has to try to read between the loines with McCabe, which for a Sheffielder is unusual because most of us say what we mean.
The interpretation of his remarks could be taken to read the Evans will go if somebutone waves a cheque.
I agree with Norfolkblade that now Evans is scoring on a regular basis if we want to get out of this league, which will improve the revenue stream and the chance of more investment then we should keep Evans to form a partnership up front, hopefully with Beattie, if we can get him fit.
Quinn will probably go to Blackpool imo which would be the better option.
Would like to know how much funding Blundell has put into the club.
UTB
 
The requirement used to be £250,000 from an incoming director.

Anyone who thinks Mike Blundell has the sort of money to make a difference at a professional football club should prepare to be disappointed.
 
Pinchy said:
The requirement used to be £250,000 from an incoming director.

Anyone who thinks Mike Blundell has the sort of money to make a difference at a professional football club should prepare to be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Given that Birch has just walked way with £500,000 (+ seveal years at £250,000) for overseeing a massive step backwards on and off the field, bringing in a relatively successful businessman with the club at heart feels like the right thing to do.

We've got to learn to be self sufficient. That shouldn't involve inward investment that, in the end, is nothing more than more long term debt.

UTB
 
Plus Blundell owes the people of Sheffield an awful lot for his company having rodgered us senseless during the property boom.
 
Were clearly getting ourselves prepared for League 4 or whatever its called.

We'll be sponsored by the Golden Lion next season!
 
Speaking of sponsors which make you wonder - has anyone bought a steel narrowboat yet?
 
SwissBlade said:
Steel?!?!? God no. Everyone knows that aluminium narrowboats from Sea Otters are the future
Click to expand...

It's actually Marine spec Aluminium Alloy to BS5083 iirc.
 
To be fair it is the hack who refers to DB as the "most successful manager in the club’s history", not KM.

So the Leeds-based rag thinks that Basset's two promotions and one relegation trump achievements like FA Cups and league titles. Fair enough. And Grayson is Leeds' most successful manager too, I presume.
 
Blundell is a typical United board appointment: a wealthy and successful man in local terms, but as Pinchy says he does not have the resources to make a difference.

One observation having re-read the piece: I understand the rationale behind implementing a strategy whereby no-one is paid more than a certain amount. But this must be coupled with a commitment to keeping young players who are, after all, likely to be cheaper. Cutting the wage bill whilst simultaneously flogging off young talent isn't a straegy, it's waving a white flag (again).
 



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