The press conference - views?

[highpeakblade]

I don't know what to make of it myself in all honesty, it seems from what Cloughy said that the aims set to him by the board for this year are solely to get out of relegation trouble and simply stabilize the club before applying his own stamp on things for a promotion challenge next year which to be honest disappoints me and again in my opinion shows a distinct lack of ambition from the board.

When asked about his squad, Cloughy said he wants to get them into training and assess them properly before casting any judgement on anything. When asked if he would be looking to bring players in either on loan or in January he says again he needs to have a good look at what he has before he says what he needs which in it's own right is fair enough. He then seems to make a statement of his intention to see out this season with the assets he has and looks to next summer as a chance to really put a stamp on things and get the team how he wants it which to me again simply isn't good enough.

So as paying fans of the club can I pose what you wish for us to do as the club sit back and write off this season despite a huge amount of it still being there to play for? Surely the right thing to do would be to build some momentum and see just what you can get out of this team? Surely the right thing to do is not to write anything off but to have some ambition and still have a goal to work towards to keep the players on track?

We now have four fixtures against four bottom half of the league teams, all of which in my opinion based on the form and ability we have shown in our last 2 and a half games are definitely winnable. Let's say we were able to tally up some serious points from these four games that could well put us in a mid tabled and above position with the play-off positions clearly in our sights. Now not by any means am I saying we should be in the play-offs granted because quite frankly this season so far paints a completely different picture but if we do manage to get a few points and we do get into a nice mid tabled position surely the right thing to do is to look upwards rather than downwards? Forget stability being a target. A club of our size, with our stature, with our squad on paper should still 100% have promotion as a target this year regardless of our downfalls thus far, no matter how tough the task may be.

 

[Pedro Verde]

The main thing is avoiding relegation which Im sure the board will impressed on him.
Who is to say that deep down Clough may think we can get to the playoffs.
He needs to assess the squad first and take it from there.
Im pretty certain Clough wont be ruling anything out but first things first lets start winning football games and putting points on the board.

 

[Newbury Blade]

He's hardly going to sit there and say "we're going for promotion" is he? Equally, if things go well and we reach the playoffs, he won't be saying "no sorry, we don't want to go up until next season". It's called managing expectations. A week or two ago we were talking about relegation, so let's take things steadily. And I think he (and the rest of us) may have a better squad than we think now they are free of whatever it was about Weir that stopped them playing.

 

[highpeakblade]

Whilst to an extend I agree with the above I still think as paying fans we deserve a tighter time frame than next season before we set any real targets going forward. For me on paper Clough hasn't inherited the worst of squads, in fact despite our league position we still have one of the best squads on this league therefore you need to be saying that your going to get this team playing football as soon as you can and your target is to get this team as high up the league as you possibly can this season. He doesn't have to speak of promotion or anything like that! But as an home and away blade every week who spends a good bit out of my pocket on that club I want to hear the manager speaking of looking upwards and aiming higher as opposed to looking down and fearing that!

As for relegation worries am I the only one who has at no point feared it this season? I know this team are more than good enough and I am more than confident that relegation isn't an issue for us this season.

 

[travellingblade]

For me, promotion is never lost before Christmas.

Morgan put the players in the correct frame of mind, and I just hope that Clough and his team don't let them lose that, and hence it should be onwards and upwards, and I still believe that the position of Champions is still attainable, if somewhat unlikely.

 

[SotonBlade]

This club can't win.

The Weir experiment didn't work, we're in the bottom 4, yet some decide on the day that we appoint a new manager that after his first interview that club isn't ambitious enough!

This season is pretty much a write off, pressure is off for me now, just go out there and play to your strengths, start winning games and see where it takes us!

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

As for relegation worries am I the only one who has at no point feared it this season? I know this team are more than good enough and I am more than confident that relegation isn't an issue for us this season.

I was thinking exactly the same way the last time we went down to division 4!

As for the remit, we don't know; but what is clear is that priority number one is to get rid of any threat of relegation. If by January it looks a bit more positive, go for it might be the call.

 

[MCFC]

Just win games and the rest will sort itself out..

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

It's called "under promise and over deliver"

 

[Jon Bon]

I didn't like it when he said the 'offer' was too good to turn down. Hmmm, no Nige, the 'opportunity' was too good to turn down. 'Offer' makes you appear as if you are just a money grabbing mercenary.

 

[Damski]

He's hardly going to sit there and say "we're going for promotion" is he? Equally, if things go well and we reach the playoffs, he won't be saying "no sorry, we don't want to go up until next season". It's called managing expectations. A week or two ago we were talking about relegation, so let's take things steadily. And I think he (and the rest of us) may have a better squad than we think now they are free of whatever it was about Weir that stopped them playing.

Yep. Mid-table is probably were we'll be at after 46 games, and frankly a top 10 finish is something I would be happy with. But yeah, as if they'll get to 7th and go "Oh, no. Not for us this season!" I think it all will boil down to "We'll see."

And I, like another poster earlier, never once considered relegation a possibility this season.

 

[Kev Gee]

If Weir had stayed in charge we were looking at a relegation fight. And i wouldnt have fancied our chances.

Now Nigel is in i think we should start to be building momentum from the last 2 games.
If we can win our next 4 games then i think we should push on aim as high as possible.

 

[Fazak]

He's hardly going to sit there and say "we're going for promotion" is he? Equally, if things go well and we reach the playoffs, he won't be saying "no sorry, we don't want to go up until next season". It's called managing expectations. A week or two ago we were talking about relegation, so let's take things steadily. And I think he (and the rest of us) may have a better squad than we think now they are free of whatever it was about Weir that stopped them playing.

I agree, for what that is worth. We all (players, board and fans) need to work hard behind the scenes without making bold, conceited, public statements which draw the attention of others. This is a marathon not a sprint, we are in October not March.

Obvious statements about what we would like to achieve are meaningless and counter productive. They only serve to motivate our opponents. It is what we actually do that will define our achievements at the end of the season. The only public statements we need in abundance are those that come from the terraces in supporting the Blades and their new manager during matches.

Patience is a virtue.

 

[Rodley]

I'm behind him. A man of honour and experience. 1st time he's ever had a decent budget and not cost cutting, he's never done a "bad" job wherever he's been. A really good appointment for us.

UTB

 

[Pinchy]

This club can't win.

The Weir experiment didn't work, we're in the bottom 4, yet some decide on the day that we appoint a new manager that after his first interview that club isn't ambitious enough!

This season is pretty much a write off, pressure is off for me now, just go out there and play to your strengths, start winning games and see where it takes us!

I rarely do this but, on a whim, I clicked on your avatar. Suddenly I'm bouncing!

 

[bladeinspaceandtime]

No "heys!" from McCabe - a poor show

 

[brownie4583]

I don't think for 1 minute at this moment in time that we will be battling relegation come May!
Clough has been installed so we have got to give him a chance and get behind him and see what happens.
Realistically if Clough and the board are ambitious we have still got to aim for the top 6 this season and definately automatic promotion next season.

 

[metalblade]

We're going nowhere with this chimp in charge.

 

[Rodley]

We're going nowhere with this chimp in charge.

I'd ask you to at least give hi a fair crack of the whip, but given you've been complaining about all things SUFC since I've been on here, at least you're consistent!

 

[LoughboroBlade]

No "heys!" from McCabe - a poor show

6 and a half minutes into the interview on the Football Heaven audioboo page, the obligatory 'hey' is spoken. A 'hey look' occurs at 11 minutes. Normal service is resumed.

 

[yuley82]

I don't know what to make of it myself in all honesty, it seems from what Cloughy said that the aims set to him by the board for this year are solely to get out of relegation trouble and simply stabilize the club before applying his own stamp on things for a promotion challenge next year which to be honest disappoints me and again in my opinion shows a distinct lack of ambition from the board.

When asked about his squad, Cloughy said he wants to get them into training and assess them properly before casting any judgement on anything. When asked if he would be looking to bring players in either on loan or in January he says again he needs to have a good look at what he has before he says what he needs which in it's own right is fair enough. He then seems to make a statement of his intention to see out this season with the assets he has and looks to next summer as a chance to really put a stamp on things and get the team how he wants it which to me again simply isn't good enough.

So as paying fans of the club can I pose what you wish for us to do as the club sit back and write off this season despite a huge amount of it still being there to play for? Surely the right thing to do would be to build some momentum and see just what you can get out of this team? Surely the right thing to do is not to write anything off but to have some ambition and still have a goal to work towards to keep the players on track?

We now have four fixtures against four bottom half of the league teams, all of which in my opinion based on the form and ability we have shown in our last 2 and a half games are definitely winnable. Let's say we were able to tally up some serious points from these four games that could well put us in a mid tabled and above position with the play-off positions clearly in our sights. Now not by any means am I saying we should be in the play-offs granted because quite frankly this season so far paints a completely different picture but if we do manage to get a few points and we do get into a nice mid tabled position surely the right thing to do is to look upwards rather than downwards? Forget stability being a target. A club of our size, with our stature, with our squad on paper should still 100% have promotion as a target this year regardless of our downfalls thus far, no matter how tough the task may be.

What do u want him to say?? Fuck it the squads wank give me six million an I'll get us promotion. Let's stabilize see what's what and take it from there is the best possible thing to do at the mo, anything above a top 10 finish is a massive bonus to me after the shit we've endured for the last 11 games.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

I rarely do this but, on a whim, I clicked on your avatar. Suddenly I'm bouncing!

I never even thought about clicking on someone's avatar!

 

[Kev Gee]

No "heys!" from McCabe - a poor show

Hey is so last 2012, 2011, 2010 etc.

''Echelons'' is McCabes new buzzword!!

 

[Bladesway]

I was thinking exactly the same way the last time we went down to division 4!

As for the remit, we don't know; but what is clear is that priority number one is to get rid of any threat of relegation. If by January it looks a bit more positive, go for it might be the call.

I'm with you. I cannot believe someone looking at the players we had and how we were playing wasn't doing anything other than expecting relegation. We have been heading down this road from the moment we sacked Wilson.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Don't know about the press conference but if you listen to his 13 minute interview on audioboo, you can't help but be buoyed by his infectious energy and enthusiasm

 

[Superblades]

As for relegation worries am I the only one who has at no point feared it this season? I know this team are more than good enough and I am more than confident that relegation isn't an issue for us this season.

After Bradford away I turned to my mate and said "we are going down" we were that bad. Under Weir we looked doomed, reminded me so much of the 2010/11 relegation season.

 

[Fiery Blade]

I cannot believe some of the comments on RS last night and on here !
Having just secured the services of Nigel Clough - lets look at facts:

• His father was probably one of the best managers we have ever seen in this country winning League titles with two clubs and winning the European Cup twice
• He played at the top level with Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Manchester City winning 14 England caps
• He has managed just two clubs in fourteen years cutting his managerial teeth in non league football and for the last four years in the Championship
• He has steadily stabilised Derby Co after having taken over with a huge wage bill and a poor squad seeing an improvement in league position year on year despite slashing the said wage bill.
• His 'backroom staff' are loyal and experienced

We have landed a first class manager with bags of experience (both playing and managing) yet still only 47 years old, yet we have 'idiots' questioning his credentials.

After seeing the Ian Holloway press conference last night we the supporters have little or no idea of what happens 'behind the scenes' at a football club - he was a broken man, destroyed by highly paid footballers that 'wouldn't play for him and destroying the dressing room spirit' - his wife was being abused by so called supporters - who would be a football manager???

Come on guys - we embraced the David Weir appointment despite his total lack of experience and it ended in tears - we have now got a manager that 99% of Blades supporters wouldn't have dreamt of during last summer when we were trawling around for Danny Wilsons replacement !

Currently clubs in far better positions than us are currently in the market for new managers Crystal Palace, Middlesborough for instance yet we have landed Nigel Clough !

Lets get behind him, support him to the hilt and get this club moving in the right direction !

UP THE BLADES !

 

[HoodedClaw]

I never expected promotion this season, for me this season was mainly about trying to change thew squad. Get rid of the shite we had accumulated and try to replace them with younger players with potential that were actually footballers. IMO we're only half way through doing this.

Now Nigel is in i think we should start to be building momentum from the last 2 games.
If we can win our next 4 games then i think we should push on aim as high as possible.

Is this not a given?? Do not all football clubs aim to finish as high as possible??

 

[Pinchy]

Hey is so last 2012, 2011, 2010 etc.

''Echelons'' is McCabes new buzzword!!

So, I've noticed the most recent modern abuse of our spoken language is to start every fucking sentence with a meaningless 'So'. I can't wait for "So, I would of...."

 

[stringjunior]

So, I've noticed the most recent modern abuse of our spoken language is to start every fucking sentence with a meaningless 'So'. I can't wait for "So, I would of...."

and what about finishing every sentence with 'so.... yeh.....'