Wanting a Pair of Strikers and Perestroika

[Kenilworth]

Another excellent blog from our own shreds1975 can be found here:
http://aunitedview.blogspot.co.uk/
As always, good points, well constructed and logically laid out. He talks about the wretched form so far this season, the potential reasons behind it and the pressures the backroom staff are under.
He also talks about the new United Director, James Phipps - Principal Advisor to HRH and speaks of a discussion he had with him after the game on Saturday last - as well as Phipps activity on Twitter recently.

I was very impressed with the infographics from Ben Mayhew which show with blinding clarity how desperately poor we have been as both an attacking force and a defensive unit. We are not profligate in front of goal - we are inept and impotent. We are not unlucky at the back - we are dreadful. The graphics confirm the utterly tedious, incompetent and completely useless effort to date - AND they were created before the games against Carlisle and Preston!
I would love to see an updated set of analytics this weekend.

Ian's call is for patience - and I understand where he is coming from. However, I would be willing to cut a bit of slack if I saw any semblance of improvement, just a crumb of comfort, perhaps a chink of light, anywhere on the pitch. Alas I have seen nothing to assuage my concerns.
He offers a comparison with Bournemouth last season where after 10 games they had 8 points yet still gained promotion. My word, we can only dream of 8 points after 10 games this season. Seriously, I fully expect us to be still on 4 points after 10 games and likely to be in 24th position - I don't see where the change is coming from because it is not simply a case of ill luck. The players we have are not the brightest, not the best, but they are capable of much more than we are seeing, maybe not in the way Weir wants - but that's the job of a manager - get the most out of what you have and whilst you are doing it, transition to where you want to be. Strategy and tactics are two different things - the longer term strategy is not gained overnight but it can sure as hell be scuppered by employing the wrong tactics in the short term.

As for the Tweeting Mr Phipps - Why am I so cynical about this?
Is it because he is American and I inherently distrust anyone from that country that gets involved in football in England? Is it because he is appearing to be all hip and trendy to succour favour from the fans in a cool and modern way? It just feels as though he is grooming to me.
Surely it's just a game to him, a pastime, yet another grown up toy to flip about with HRH? The Yanks don't get it the same way we do, I am convinced of that. All Ra Ra in the morning, Ra Ra in the afternoon, Ra Ra I want to be your best buddy. I just see the stereotypical, superficial flippancy that a lot of Americans exhibit and my level of distrust rises instantly and the shields come up.

I must be the only one that smells fish.
I have to be the only one getting more and more Victor Meldrew about it because it doesn't feel like I belong much with my club anymore.
It should be an exciting and uplifting time full of hope and aspiration yet I feel it is so far the opposite.

 

[Worksop II]

Ian's call is for patience - and I understand where he is coming from

Bang On - been patient since September 1965 ........ still hanging in there

Any more fuckin advice ?

 

[Houso]

This Perestroika, is a work permit going to be a problem?

(as usual, an excellent blog)

 

[LoughboroBlade]

As for the Tweeting Mr Phipps - Why am I so cynical about this?
Is it because he is American and I inherently distrust anyone from that country that gets involved in football in England? Is it because he is appearing to be all hip and trendy to succour favour from the fans in a cool and modern way? It just feels as though he is grooming to me.

I couldn't disagree more with that. Regardless of people's views on the merits of Twitter (I personally find it extremely useful for my work for example), I can't see how the fact that Phipps (and Selahattin Baki for that matter) being directly available to be contacted by fans can be anything but a positive thing. A lot of the key people at the club to date have seemed fairly reluctant to engage at all with this sort of modern way of communicating - it's refreshing for there to be a change in this. Baki (and the Prince) were already on Twitter - Phipps has specifically joined since taking up his position with the club. A cursory glance at the bile directed his way after some of the recent results in relation to Weir and others would be enough for most to just delete their account.

 

[themaninblack]

'I just see the stereotypical, superficial flippancy that a lot of Americans exhibit'

Ken, you do see what you've done there?

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Good stuff as always, Ian. He'll get a dozen games by the way, with the sword of Damocles a very real presence for the next three! IMO

 

[Kenilworth]

'I just see the stereotypical, superficial flippancy that a lot of Americans exhibit'

Ken, you do see what you've done there?

Yep

 

[SandyMcBlade]

After often listening to F/ heaven with my head in my hands, I dread to think what Mr Phipps vision of a typical Blades fan is ...
I also wonder how we got this mind set that a successful career on the field automatically indicates a successful one off it, especially after our past experiences with such managers.
But you only have to read these boards to learn that apparently managers like Warnock, Bassett,Blackwell and Wilson, who in their tenure as manager gained promotion or at least the play off s didn't have a clue how to play the game.
They were all hoof merchants and boring to watch, unlike today's brilliantly exciting non scoring, non winning, bottom of the table Tippy Tappy and jam tomorrow stuff .

Praise the Lads and dam the opposition.
UTB.