United season review / school report 2013/14 - part 2 - the board/manager....

[Deadbat]

Staff report


Board / Club




Kevin McCabe McCabe had continually has made a right mess of managerial appointments. He effectively with Julian Winter presided over the change last summer and once again it seemed sadly that they did not know what they were doing. Bungled meetings, embarrassing approaches and inability to get any of their so called preferred men may or may not be the truth. They somehow ended up with Weir which was lauded by many but of course this went wrong very quickly and once again it seemed he had made another wretched mistake and the bottom tier loomed. suddenly the news of the co ownership broke and the fact he had effectively written off his debts and he seemed to have done something positive after a horrific spell where everything he touched seemed to have us lurching from one crisis to the next previously.

The new owner and the people that came with him seemed to have real money and at last we had something bright to look forward to. the managerial change came and he may, say may, have got one right as after a sticky start Clough managed to completely turn things around. There is still a long way to go regarding us moving up the divisions and a lot to do on and off the field but at least things seem more positive and he at least secured that new investment (waiting to see the affect and how much - see below). Despite all the criticism and all the talk over the hotel/ground lease, the awful managerial appointments and some frightening decisions that left us in the brown stuff; I am glad he did not sell out, lock, stock and barrel. I think despite all the above he still clearly has feelings for the club and glad he retains a big share and can make decisions. He actually seemed more vocal and present than ever second half of the season (maybe it was the cup run and the fact we were doing well) but seemed interested again which was nice. Will he sell up all his shares eventually? Not sure. His son is very involved on the board and seems to be a big part of things. I hope that one day the dark days are forgotten and we can be established as a top end Champ - lower Premier League club (at worst) club again. Many are suspicious about his motives and how he has shifted certain things from the club to his company etc. Some of also said we would be better off without him but not sure that is true. I look at the mess of some other clubs (yes some higher up division wise) and the club still seems fairly stable all things considering.

Prince HRH Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had never been mentioned recently before he came
in. We had talk of Malaysians, the embarrassing Panorama programme where we were mentioned with some bogus investors and a few other sniffs but it seemed McCabe was struggling to find anyone to come in. Suddenly it all happened one week in early September and within a week he was joint owner. It all seemed a bit fast and maybe too good to be true but evidently talks has been ongoing for a while with McCabe who had met him by chance at a business meeting. It seemed his interest was genuine but of course you always have suspicions when an outsider comes in and you look at some of the owners (Hull, Cardiff etc) recently and have some real concerns.

Prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad has established a Paper Manufacturing Company in Saudi Arabia (SPMC Group) in 1989 accompanied by some partners, and this company is one of the largest companies in Middle east, and the production reached overseas. He brought with him a few of his 'team' and was to the forefront of the media before we played Rotherham (and attended the game). He spoke of investment and getting the club up and clearly was involved in the decision fairly quickly (only a month later or so) to remove Weir. After this he has been less involved and whilst he attended the Gillingham game (and apparently also Villa away and the semi final) we have not seen or heard much from him. In some ways this is good as you listen to the embarrassing statements or the way some of the other new foreign owners become media whores almost and glad he has kept himself out of the forefront. He has left much of the new involvement to his other men and has also rarely been over here it seems. Whether he attends board meetings by video link etc I am not sure.

Jim Phipps an American who is heavily involved in the Prince's paper company became the mouth piece for the new men. He was quickly on twitter and you at first thought 'Oh no, not another Lee Strafford type!' However Phipps quickly became a favourite with his honesty, commitment to the fans and general 'tell it as it is' attitude. At times he bore the brunt of criticism but generally he was one who felt represented a more honest board and closer relationship with the fans. He seemed to want to get to know the club and realised the fans were the heart of this. At times maybe naive but at least he was trying and was interested. That is more than many who have been on the board in our history. Fair play to the guy. He seems like he cares and wants to understand and be part of something good.

Selahattain Baki was another who was there more than the Prince. He was put in the paper for his so called links with hooliganism in turkey (some time ago it must be said) and has close links to Fenerbahce. He also has been active on Twitter and seems quite involved and often over here for the day to day stuff.

Julian Winter came back in May 2013 and then left in December after the board room changes. He was often behind a lot of the company rhetoric spoken but it seemed he had not been the most popular behind the scenes. Cuts were inevitably but it were rumoured the changes were not done perhaps with the class the club should afford many long-time employees. He was often the sound piece around the managerial hunt and subsequent changes. Phipps paid him tribute when Winter left and it remained to be seen whether he was pushed or jumped but it seemed the new owner wanted his own men and with Phipps and then Brannigan coming in; not sure where he fitted.

Mal Brannigan came in as managing director. He had worked with Clough before and was held as a major part of the ticket deals and incentives that Derby did in order to boost crowds to a fairly regular 30,000 average. Hopefully he can have an impact off the field in an area we have really struggled in recent times (remember Trevor Birch). Not sure how much he will be involved in transfer negotiations and/or the contract sides etc with Stephenson gone.

Dave McCarthy (operations director) and Craig Burns (finances) carried on their roles behind the scenes whilst commercial director Steve Coakley went back to Rotherham United and recently Paul Reeves came in (had previously worked for Brinsworth Academy of Engineering) to front this side of the operation. It did seem the sponsorship with the two companies sponsoring United's home and away kits were a bit rushed last summer and not sure how much money we get from this side. As so often is the case, they seem companies linked to McCabe again. I had never heard of VSports or TopSpring if I am honest.
Getting the football manager game to co-sponsor was at least a brand I had heard of (suppose as long as they all pay well but doubt these companies have put significant amounts in). We then had the kit sponsored by a Saudi company for a one off match deal at the semi. It remains to be seen if these deals were long term ones (doubt it) and I feel certain we will have more of a Middle East influence now in sponsorship etc.

Other matters include who will take on the kit deal with Macron's deal not being renewed. The quality and style of their kits were mixed to say the least (I liked the retro home one from a few years ago) but the away kits have been really poor in my opinion and the massive logos often take up too much of the design. Hard to really do much with red and white stripes I suppose but at least a new kit company may improve quality and the rest of the merchandise on offer (Macron's was poor and limited I felt). They also may kit kits ready and on sale well before the start of the season; something Macron failed to do meaning many who wanted to wear it on their holidays couldn't.

The only concern is if it is a bigger company say; Adidas; as is the rumour; will be just be a template and standard design that many other clubs had. At least Macron mostly did unique designs for United on the whole. As Wednesday have found with Puma and many others with Adidas; you just end up with an identi-kit. Still a thing a change of manufacture could be a good thing and may freshen things up a bit. We will wait and see.

I will praise the ticket office who dealt with the rush and allocation for tickets for the semi admirably. In years past the club has been slammed for how it has dealt with such operations but other than a few gripes (the membership thing v loyalty points) they dealt with it well and when you look at how Hull sold tickets etc; we looked far more organised. Despite the naff phone answer phone message etc and some criticism, some people often just moan for moaning sake and overall I have always found them very good and efficient (get tickets often the next day after ordering etc). Hopefully the season ticket prices remaining competitive and maybe some more unique offers (Brannigan’s influence) may see crowds stay around same level of even higher if we do well.

John Garrett ; supporters liaison officer, always seems to do a decent job behind the scenes and always spoke well when on the radio or at forums. He seemed a nice connection between the fans and supporters and at least we heard him and seemed to want to speak to the fans (unlike some of the previous ones that filled such a role where it was more of a clique I felt).

The Community foundation seems to have gone from strength to strength with a large team now delivering programmes all over the city and beyond and Mark Todd (another I have dealt with via work some time ago and always came across really well) has helped build this up. The fact they have coaching camps for kids at various locations is excellent but they do not seem to advertise these enough (even in their own programme) and seems a missed opportunity. They had 3 kids turn up for one at Meadowhead at Easter and had to transfer them to another camp/school. My own son has loved them and they are quite cheap (for a baby sitting and coaching service) so these do need publicising more but that is just a personal thing maybe.

As an aside the two groundsmen; Glenn Nortcliffe and Kelly Barrowclough have been there for what seems forever but the pitch seemingly does not seem to improve. Sure they do a lot of good work at the Academy etc but main thing you would be concerned about is the first team pitch. Maybe lack of finances and a poor drainage have not helped but it seems every year the pitch is in a mess (regardless of the weather) regardless of who plays on it. News we are to have a new pitch influenced by new technology is welcome but not for next season alas as the company are too busy (don’t ask!) We have commissioned leading pitch experts Desso Sports Systems to oversee the work, which will be completed ahead of the 2015/16 season. It will be nice if our pitch is not a mess by November/December as it is every year and may help us particularly now we are trying to play football again.

Grade C+

 

[Deadbat]

Next season

The board’s challenge is to take things on from last season and make a real difference now to the overall playing product. As I say most things off the pitch seem fine; we just need to move up the divisions. We saw the level of support we had when we got to Wembley and the potential is there. We now seem to have a more open board and at least now there is some honesty (with Phipps central to this) but we need to see that there is action behind the words. We don’t need to chuck millions at the team but some solid signings/investment could have the side moving up very quickly.

In terms of McCabe, yes we have had losses and changes but you still feel that there is a solid base to work on and the new board seem to have given things a fresh injection. I have been more critical of him than most. He is the main reason we are where we are; but ultimately if the investment bears fruit and the change to Clough carried on yielding positive results, he ultimately may be the man who helps put us back to where we were before the mistakes (not bad luck as he often says).

This summer is the key as for all the talk he has not really put any funds in yet and if we are serious about changing things then this is where we need to see action. We have the manager in place, the academy is flourishing and the stadium is doing well. Yes, we can explore more global links (although look how those worked out before!) and sponsorship opportunities but the only way this club will really grow now is on the field and by getting us up the leagues. The core of the side is ok and thus he does not need to go mad but sensible staged investment in young and hungry players with quality could see the side quite quickly do a ‘Southampton’ or ‘Norwich.’ Those teams are realistic role models and neither of those spent much.

The former had a free academy (even better than ours) but essentially shifted up 2 divisions in quick succession and now are a top half side in the Premier League. That would be a dream scenario but unlikely. We need to try and ensure we get up (hopefully next season – division is wide open you sense) and gradually move up. Another year or so at this level though and I do worry whether he/they would lose interest. If he (the Prince) is serious and in it for the long haul then great but I am concerned that may not be the case. The fact we have seen little actual money also concerns me. Hopefully those fears will be alienated soon. The cup run and the level of support should at least give him a sense of the potential this club has and hopefully now is the time to start realising it.

Managerial team/Coaches

David Weir On the face of it; the appointment seemed ambitious. A coach rated in the game that had played at the highest level. He would have had contacts in the game and brought intelligence, energy and innovative ideas to the table. It seemed like United had gone bold but maybe they had got quite a coup. Still it was easy to forget or dismiss (as I probably did) that he had no actual experience managing. Anywhere. Not even for the Everton academy where he coached but did not lead or manage a side (Alan Stubbs and Duncan Ferguson looked after the reserves and the main youth team).

He had no idea of the lower leagues nor did he even know much about the United squad (he had been there a few years ago to help out Wilson but most had now left) but you felt he would pick things up quickly and named someone who would know about the league in Lee Carsley. It seemed odd that many signings were made probably without him having much to do with them and maybe we should have feared the worst when despite all the pre season planning we had no quality strikers and seemed to lack creativity still. This point was given even more credence when we lost Kevin McDonald who he seemed to make the fulcrum of his side. The first game was excellent. We pinged it about and played some lovely stuff and created quite a bit. He even got some of the forgotten men such as Williams and Westlake playing well in this one game. However McDonald went and we lost a few and then quickly we seemed to unravel.

The neat possession stuff that they had clearly been told to play continued but the players did not seem comfortable with Collins and Maguire overplaying and leading to goals being conceded. A fast, powerful Brentford side exposed us badly as did local rivals Rotherham. Sadly we lacked the technical players or pace to do the things he wanted and as a result it was slow and pedestrian. We kept it for stages of games but went nowhere and did nothing with it. A particularly painful game at Carlisle where we barely registered an attempt on goal but just kept passing it around from side to side; stands out. It was like this most weeks. Our leading scorer was a centre back, Maguire and the strikers looked awful with little to no service not helping the complete lack of quality up there. New signings Baxter and Cuvelier did not really improve things although the former showed some flashes.

The crowd really wanted it to work and I felt were very patient. Many did not want to see another managerial change but it was dire. Bad results and bad performances saw a side tipped to be around the front runners; down there right at the bottom. Every week you felt things may improve but every week it got no better and the team spirit seemed non existent, not helped by signings like King which split the crowd even more. Weir’s interviews were repetitive as he stubbornly refused to play more than one up front or change his approach and the players seemed frustrated by it all. Publically they said the right things to back the manager but you felt internally there were issues and rumoured dressing room fall outs or divides did not help. It did seem like Weir was clueless and lacked the experience, authority or perhaps mostly capability to change it. It seemed United would be in a real relegation scrap if things continued. He seemed a nice enough guy; maybe too nice; but was quite dour and his personality
stood motionless on the sidelines with his arms crosses as bad result after bad result stacked up did not endear him to the fans. He never really turned on the fans but some of his interviews were baffling. For most though it was the insipid performances and series of defeats that was what they remember.

The media and pundits cried it was an unjust sacking but really? They should have seen a few of our games. It was mind numbingly bad and maybe as poor as anything I have ever seen at the Lane from a poor set of players that had been on the decline and drained of decent talent but still a collection that should still have being doing far better.

Maybe he tried to change too much, too soon. Maybe his style does work with better players but I saw absolutely nothing to suggest this guy will ever make a good manager. That may seem harsh but he needs to go and manage non league, academy, the reserves, something, somewhere before being entrusted with a football club at league level. He may be a good coach (not sure he is even that based on what I saw) but the reality is; his spell at United was a disaster. He won 1 out of 13 games (8% win ratio which might be the worst of any United manager). I am unsure I can think of anything positive from his spell (signed Baxter who has been decent but I am struggling) only that it was so bad that it meant he had to be fired and we could get someone with some idea in.

He used us to practice his ideas / tactics with his first club. However, the reality is that it is real competitive football where wins are often all that matters or at least some development or signs of progress. We were not a toy for him to try out his first real managerial blueprint. I felt we became his 'Championship Manager' but equally on that game at least you can try daft things and make changes or alternately you can switch it off! We were stuck with him and the reality of continual losing and in the same manner with no change or adaptation was one of his biggest downfalls.

Ironically, he ended up promoted as a coach at Brentford (well spent final few months there) and actually showed some passion but to see him
stumbling around, flicking through laminate folders as the manager Warburton was leading the side during our game summed him up really. Not sure he will ever make it as a manager. Maybe one day he will and he will look back and realise what a mess he made of things here and that his utter stubbornness and strange ideas of how to win games of football were miles off. Getting a collection of League One players to tip tap it about around the back for most of a half sideways and backwards without barely crossing half way is not going to win many matches at any level really.

His coaches Carlsey and Adam Owen did not seem to have much influence in either the performance or the technical side (the two departments they were supposedly responsible for). Carsley went with Weir and Owen seemed to stay a bit but he too departed not long after. We were woefully unfit under Weir (something Clough said indirectly) were not organised and had no real ideas of anything different or creative (never left any men up for corners; our own set plays were awful) and tactically seemed to have no idea how to make or score chances. At the back we refused to do the basics such as clearing and heading the ball away and make players uncomfortable. He managed to get the worst out of most players who seemed confused as to what they were meant to be doing.

Grade F

Nigel Clough Clough had been at Burton for 10 years. Yes it may not seem like it but he had a great deal of experience (ok all in the non league) before leaving for Derby just as they were about to get promoted to the football league (which they did after he left). He actually had 4 years at Derby and although things seemd quite mixed he had done more good than bad.

Clough seemed to have been bobbing along mired in mediocrity at Derby for a few seasons but a closer examination revealed that whilst positional
wise they may not have pushed on dramatically, he had reduced the wage bill, helped steady the ship and brought through some good young players. Still Derby fans who came in their numbers wanted more and were not convinced he could take them to the next step (would be hard without significant investment). He had been rumoured to have been sacked a few times but after some good and bad seasons (had a few skirmished with going down and also the playoffs) he remained and had actually signed a new 3 year contract in 2012 . However, after a so so start to the campaign this season Clough and his coaching staff was dismissed. They were 14th so this was not a Weir type situation.

When he left he seemed like he wanted a break from the game but suddenly United had a vacancy and made Clough their man from the outset it
seemed. He had compensation to deal with but the fact United waited maybe swung it as they clearly wanted him and eventually after a couple of weeks was named. He said you cannot pick and choose your jobs and that jobs like this one do not come along very often. The fact it was a big club and still relatively local were probably also factors.

He came in and like Weir he spoke well to the media with a lot of common sense but it remained to be seen if he had more idea when it came to results and performance. However the fact he had been in management for nearly 15 years suggested he may at least have more experience of different situations, the scenarios that may unfold and also this kind of level of football.

Fortunately Morgan had started to build some confidence in the side. He came in and carried this on and clearly wanted to get them organised and back to basics. We became more solid at the back and some of the players began to enjoy their football again. We started to actually create chances and score goals. Still despite this the opening results were mixed and by Xmas whilst clear improvements we were still in the mire and the away form in particular (other than a win at Bristol) was poor. We started a good cup run and he dispensed of players such as Brandy, King, Taylor and Cuvelier. It seemed odd as the squad was threadbare and now we had even less players and little up front. However he wanted to engineer a good team spirit and now looking back you can see why he did much of the things he did. Some of the players were very functional (club men) in Lappin (Weir signed him though I believe), White, Davies etc and not what I would call flair players but it was clear that is what he wanted to do in order to give us a solid base. Slowly we started to keep more clean sheets and things slowly were getting better. He brought two new full backs into the side in Brayford and Harris.

Still an awful defeat at Crewe (despite a wonderful display at Villa) not long after another abject display at Notts County saw us still in the bottom four and you felt despite it being better we would still go down. Whatever was said in the dressing room at Crewe and the subsequent week seemed to have a huge affect.

After this we won at Fulham and then went on an incredible run where momentum and confidence grew and grew. Clough seemed to be the galvanising factor as the side reeled off 10 wins and made the cup semi final. Suddenly we were at Wembley, had a chance of the playoffs and now were safe from relegation. The cup and playoff dream died but what a difference he had made. Maybe Weir had been that bad anyone would have improved things but confidence was so low. He got players who had been totally out of form and favour in Howard, Flynn and Murphy playing well and got the maximum even out of some of the maligned players such as Porter and Doyle.

The side were hard to beat, became fitter and organised. They started to look a threat with an odd formation where they had 5 in midfield who moved around and often played without an out and out striker but still created more chances with the suddenly confident and rapid Murphy and Flynn key men alongside the rejuvenated Doyle, the newcomer the lively Scougall and the much improved Coady. The defence also became more solid due to the re-introduction of Howard and two new full backs allied to the return to form of Maguire and Collins.

We still lacked a goal threat at times and often had to scrape 1-0’s a lot in the run but the fact is we were hard to beat and still offered a goal threat was a massive improvement. We looked together and even though we had weaknesses, played to the strengths of the side and the crowd saw this and they recognised the efforts (even in the games they did not win). We deservedly beat two Premier League and one Championship side and had some great moments in the second half of the season. Clough restored the pride of the fans again and made us feel like we had a team.

It is ironic that everyone slammed Weir for not playing two strikers or 4-4-2 and Clough has not really done that. Indeed at times we have had no real strikers with the so called false number 9 and comparisons with the formation Spain played being talked of (of course nowhere near as good!).

At times Clough maybe did not always change things quick enough and also his substitutions were not always made in a timely manner (bit late). However most of his signings worked save for maybe Paynter and all improved the side. He rotated things well and ensure we kept fresh enough to keep winning and managed the squad really well. He has brought through youngsters too and wants to give them a chance and keeps them all involved and rewards those who show enough.

The style of football was mixed with some quick, direct stuff at times interspersed with some neat and tidy one touch stuff (over 20 passes in a spell v Hull in the semi). So improved performances, much improved results and a steady finish in the league allied to a memorable cup run. It had been a bit stop start to begin with but overall he has done a great job so far. The phrase ‘so far;’ should temper fans enthusiasm and the fact we have a lot of work to do in order to be around the top places next year but I think most fans have belief this guy knows what he is doing to get us there and with the right backing from the board and the places falling into piece we can have a good go next season. I have really enjoyed the second half of the season after being thoroughly depressed and embarrassed for most of the first period and that is the biggest compliment I can pay him.

Grade A-

Chris Morgan Seemed set to leave the club when he was probably rightly overlooked for the main job in the summer but was kept on with Weir but seemed a bit of a spare part and mostly was left with the reserves or youngsters. He seemed like he might move on as Weir did not really use him or involve him as Carsley and Owen were ahead of him. However after the disastrous start, he was back involved and took charge again when his pride could have been dented. He came in and did a better job this time with a galvanising come back against Coventry that was just short and then a good draw at Peterborough followed by a victory against Port Vale. When Clough came he kept him on despite bringing his own men in but was quick to praise him and lean on his experience of the squad. He was back on the touchline even with Clough on board and was very much involved again. He seems to have maybe accepted he is not quite ready for the top job and has gone back to doing good work with the u21’s but very much heavily involved with the first team again. He may have to move on if he harbours real ambitions of being the actual manager at league level but for now seems happy enough and genuinely loves the club. Maybe Weir’s chastening experience has made him realise his role isn’t too bad after all and that in this position he can offer a lot to the club and to Clough. I think for Morgan just being involved and being made part of things is the most important thing. He knows despite his indifferent spell as manager at the end of the season when he was given little time really; that the fans still think a lot of him and values his role in the turnaround.

Grade B-

 

[Deadbat]

Andy Garner Garner came in with Clough as his right hand man and along with Morgan have assisted him and been a big part of the run. Formerly of Blackpool (one of their all time favourites of recent years) ad Derby as a player; he followed Clough into coaching. Heard him on the radio and he does not come across as the brightest button in the box I must admit but obviously is another Clough trusts and values. He is often the closest to the pitch or the one arguing with the referee. Along with Morgan he offers some real size and intimidation in the dug out! Clough has really fostered the ethos of ‘we’ when it comes to the club and in particular coaches; stating ‘we’ did this at Derby or Burton rather than ‘I’ which is quite refreshing and shows it is not all about him.

Gary Crosby was also brought in with Clough as a coach. To be honest not seen much of him around the dugout or heard much from him. He seems to be a favourite of Clough but he is not really involved in the younger players teams (Academy/U21’s) so unsure how much influence he has but obviously Clough wanted him here.

Darren Ward and Martin Taylor Odd we have two goalkeeping coaches but then with the young keepers and the academy guess there is plenty of work to go around. Ward assisted Unsworth and Morgan at the back end of last season and was a carry over to the Weir days. He remained when Clough came in despite him bringing Taylor with him.

One thing I would give credit to is the medical staff that has meant we had very few serious injuries this season (Miller and De Girolamo came back of course and did not quite make impact they would have wanted). Tony Denton seems to be the main physio but there are a few others that assist. We had that spell of so many games and mostly kept a small-ish squad fit.

Fitness coach is Lee McMahon who has a local background. He was kept when Clough came in but it seems the squad is much fitter now (playing so many games maybe helped) and the fact we started scoring rather than conceding late goals was a real change from what happened before. With a full summer hopefully we can ensure they are tip top condition (a few may still need to lose a bit of timber for me – I’m looking at you Jose!) but the signs are better on this front.

In terms of the Academy structure; Nick Cox is the academy manager and has seen a great deal of change with the likes of Pemberton, Hoyland and Unsworth all coming and going in recent season. It seemed they have had to continually restructure but ended up with quite a few former academy / club representatives involved. The Aussie guy Tony Walmsley came in and also went and he too like a few of those that departed, said a few words that led you to believe not all things were quite as smooth as you would help at Shirecliffe.

Travis Binnion seemed to get the job of managing the under 18’s by default due to above changes but is obviously highly thought of and has remained in charge and has been involved in another decent FA Youth cup run, a steady season in terms of results but more importantly some of his and the Academy charges breaking through.

John Dungworth was around in Bassett’s days and has been around the local circuit mainly coaching with spells at Wednesday
and Leeds and offers an old head to help the likes of Binnion.

Overall it has been a really positive year with the introduction of a number of young players in and around the first team, some really good performances at a senior level (u21) and a manager who now wants to blood these youngsters and give them a chance. It was great to see so many involved against Rotherham.

It seemed after the side of Maguire, Long, Slew, Kennedy etc no one had come through for a bit but it does work like that (despite some criticism on some message boards) as often you can have 2 or 3 dry years and then suddenly a good group comes through. Even the top sides often will only see 1 or 2 players from Academy sides at u18 level actually make it as any kind of football league player so it ridiculous to say we should have lots of
players coming through every year. I will say that despite those mentioned above though it has been disappointing that none have come through and many such as Whitehouse, Ironside, McFadzean have promised but never really done it and may have to move on. The fact that there is a group
now with the likes of Willis, Calvert Lewin, Reed, Khan, Dimaio, De Girolamo and others knocking on the door is really pleasing. Not all of them will make it but we have a manager that believes in young talent and is giving them a chance. Some of them have shown some real promise in the games we saw at the end of the season. It was great to see Clough keep drip feeding them in and having many involved around the match days; rotating them depending who impressed in training/in the week and in the u21/academy games. It showed if you played well then you got a chance no matter what your age/height/reputation.

To see many of them playing most week for the reserves (u21’s as they are now called) and beating some experienced team such as Wednesday and Leeds shows positive signs. The next step is for many of them to become established squad members and really become consistent so they are regularly competing for a place; if not a regular; at least not yet. I think the likes of Reed and Calvert Lewin may be a bit away from this yet but Khan and Dimaio seem to be the head of the queue and have most impressed Clough.

John Stephenson came in with a decent reputation from Watford but unsure what he actually did in terms of player recruitment (we did not sign anyone who was a real success in the couple of years he was here) and unsure what his role was? He was there for 2 seasons and we seemed to recruit no new talent on the field and just kept losing staff off it. He was linked with various other jobs (Derby etc) but seemed to hang around without having any real influence (at least not outwardly). I did not hear anything about him and I presume he left the club as quietly as he came in around Christmas time. Not seen that he has took up a post anywhere else since he left us.

Simon Clough came with Nigel and has worked with him for some time right back to his Burton days. He is involved in scouring future opponents but also new players. Hopefully the signing of Scougall is a positive and shows we can find such young, hungry players. It is as bigger summer for him as it is for his brother as getting the right 4 or 5 players are key after we did such a poor job last season.

Barry Gow who has worked in the lower leagues at clubs such as Plymouth assists Clough in this department.

Next season

In terms of the first team manager and the coaching staff at this level next season; for once we should be fairly settled and nothing should change. There have been questions over every manager seemingly every summer even when managers have hung on (Warnock and Blackwell) save maybe when we lost to Huddersfield and everyone felt Wilson had done about as well as he could and would return.

This year Clough and his coaching team will return and be given some backing hopefully. All the signs are good so far and he has a nice mix of team spirit, experience and youth but realised which players are key in terms of creativity (Baxter, Murphy etc) and that they are needed too even if sometimes may not do the hard graft that others do.

It is a big summer as for all the good work so far; a poor start next season or lack of key signings could see us waste the momentum and confidence we have gained. The scouts have as big a role as the manager and his staff really. It is crucial we get the key recruits in to compliment what we have. His man management of the squad and the ethics of hard work and togetherness are key. I also think we have someone that beliefs in the youngster s(yes they have to be good enough too) and the way he has given them all a piece of the action and shown he will promote if they show enough has been good to see. He seems to really know how to manage the younger players and I feel like Warnock did with Jagielka, Tonge, Monty (Warnock maybe did not blood enough in the end), he knows how to bring them through and when to use them and rest them.
If these keep developing and he can add those key players we need, then we should be there or thereabouts.

The key is organisation, being hard to beat and having that spirit and working for each other. If we have those then we can probably attract some more technical players and better forwards but we have to make sure we have that solid base and be hard to beat. That sounds boring but was our undoing last season at the start when we were a soft touch (still were even when Clough came in) and need to be more ruthless in all areas of the pitch. I would say we are even too nice and he is a bit like his Dad in that respect that he is big on discipline (we never seem to pick up many yellow cards – Maguire aside) and in some instances don’t always think it is a bad thing if you commit some fouls and get a few cards. Look at Wolves, Brentford and Orient who simply brought us down whenever we got in dangerous areas. We do need to have a nastier side to add to the some of the neat and tidy players we have and maybe more physicality (again look at Wolves, Brentford and also seasons before that Doncaster, Wednesday etc – sadly all quite big and physical sides). If we can mix that with some of the undoubted slight and small player we have; we could have a winning combination.

I hope that Clough is around for a long time and can be part of out ascent up the leagues over the next few years. One things we do need after years of change and ineptitude is some solid leadership and some stability in this key (the key) area of the club.

 

[Deadbat]

Will post keepers/defence tomorrow and follow up with midfield in middle of the week and the strikers at the end of the week.

 

[s4-blade]

You got some spare time on your hands Deadbat. Detailed and interesting report and a really good effort: B+

 

[Esablade]

Cheers Deadbat,

Good summary.
One big factor next season of course will be the weight of expection.

Still, it sounds like Nigel has his targets lined up and one great thing would be if we could actually get the bulk of the squad together very early and get proper pre-season for the first time in ages.

This will be key for me.

UTB!

 

[MCFC]

Well summed up I think..

 

[JohnDenver]

If any manager had kept us up using any means after David Weir's efforts, even on goal difference on the last day, I'd have awarded him a minimum B and a huge debt of gratitude. So to put a minus against Clough's rating is needlessly harsh. This has been the best managerial performance I've seen in my 25 years watching United, bar none.

Other managers have built success over time, and Clough will be judged accordingly in the coming years - he may yet fail to match Bassett and Warnock. But no manager in my time has done so much so quickly from such a low base. And he's what's more he's done it with a dignity and style we've been crying out for.

Grade A. No question.

 

[sitwell]

No Rooks ??

 

[SandyMcBlade]

Clough has achieved safety without resorting to the obvious.
Without reverting back to the long ball and the big lad up front which so many have complained about over the years, he not only got us back to a respectable position in the table, he did it in a style we can be proud of ...
No one can say what the future holds but as John Denver says this season NC gave us back our pride and he did it with style..

A+ for me

 

[Rodders]

No Rooks ??

He was out re-plastering our front room when the reviews were written.

 

[Deadbat]

I will try and defend the A- which I feel was fair (again these posts are to create debate). I totally agree with the posts above but to get an A+ we would have had to have made the playoffs or cup final (as ridiculous as that sounds!) or to have had a better start to his tenure which was decidedly mixed.

The main reason he perhaps does not get the A+ or A; is the fact that this side last season give or take a few finished 5th in the league I believe? So whoever came in would surely get them moving somewhere in the right direction despite that Weir had got us in.

We also need to remember that after the Crewe game which was only Feb many were still unsure about Clough and we were still 2nd bottom I think. Clough had been in charge for 14 league games; of which we had only won 4 so was not that much better than Weir's 1 in 10 (although better and there were signs of encouragement).

After this the run was incredible and all the things above I totally agree with in terms of the style of play, winning and entertainment we saw.

Clough was manager for 34 games. We won 17, drew 10 and lost 7. That is good enough for 61 points I work out.

Averages out as 1.8 points per game and would have been 82 points for the season. We would have finish 6th.

Of course may not have worked out like that but overall if we had finished 6th even at start of the season, would you grade someone an A or A+? Just interesting to look at it like that. Of course the cup run comes into it

I factored in the first 4 months of Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan which saw as many downs; if not more than ups.

The final 3 were superb of course.

Whatever grade he got, he did an amazing job. Key is to carry on the momentum next year.

 

[Deadbat]

No Rooks ??

Fair play. Mick Rooker of course as always does a grand job. A+

 

[Bergen Blade]

I will try and defend the A- which I feel was fair (again these posts are to create debate). I totally agree with the posts above but to get an A+ we would have had to have made the playoffs or cup final (as ridiculous as that sounds!) or to have had a better start to his tenure which was decidedly mixed.

The main reason he perhaps does not get the A+ or A; is the fact that this side last season give or take a few finished 5th in the league I believe? So whoever came in would surely get them moving somewhere in the right direction despite that Weir had got us in.

We also need to remember that after the Crewe game which was only Feb many were still unsure about Clough and we were still 2nd bottom I think. Clough had been in charge for 14 league games; of which we had only won 4 so was not that much better than Weir's 1 in 10 (although better and there were signs of encouragement).

After this the run was incredible and all the things above I totally agree with in terms of the style of play, winning and entertainment we saw.

Clough was manager for 34 games. We won 17, drew 10 and lost 7. That is good enough for 61 points I work out.

Averages out as 1.8 points per game and would have been 82 points for the season. We would have finish 6th.

Of course may not have worked out like that but overall if we had finished 6th even at start of the season, would you grade someone an A or A+? Just interesting to look at it like that. Of course the cup run comes into it

I factored in the first 4 months of Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan which saw as many downs; if not more than ups.

The final 3 were superb of course.

Whatever grade he got, he did an amazing job. Key is to carry on the momentum next year.

Clough's first few team selections were extremely defensive. His reasoning was that he had to do something about the losing mentality and it started by shoring up things defensively and making the players work very hard. That process took a while, but it looks like it was worth it.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær tried a different approach at Cardiff - signing attacking flair players and trying to make them play open, flowing, attacking football from day one.

 

[JohnDenver]

Of course may not have worked out like that but overall if we had finished 6th even at start of the season, would you grade someone an A or A+? Just interesting to look at it like that. Of course the cup run comes into it

Unlikely. But the team under Weir was without question the worst I've ever seen (and I think I'm a similar age to you).

It's that inheritance that ensures the A.

A+ is reserved for next year's Wembley final.

 

[Deadbat]

...but the team should never have been as bad as they were under Weir. It was not a side that had been losing for weeks and months on end or even seasons. Weir only managed for 10 league games.

The 2 seasons before that we finish 3rd and 5th in the league. The team was never a shocking side. It was solid defensively and had lost key players but still should have had enough to be around the middle at the very worst even with a new manager and even a rookie. I actually think many journeyman managers could have got this side to the middle of the league really from the start of the season and how Weir got such a bunch playing so negatively and devoid of confidence took some doing. He could have gone out and said 'do what you like' and they would have been more effective than trying to play some robotic style that was actually never going to win us games.

I think that is where I balance things out. Noone would have given Wilson an A- for getting us to 5th the season before (balancing out Clough would have got us to 6th). Maybe his budget was a bit better but he was never allowed to sign anyone for fess really for last season; mostly frees or nominal and he had some better attacking options. The fact we could bring in Baxter, Scougall, Taylor and quite a few more 6 figure fees was more than Wilson had; but he did bring in Kitson, Robson, Higginbotham, etc so that maybe balances it out.

What Clough did well was allied to the defensive solidity he brought in some attacking flair. His biggest achievement to me is lighting a fire under the pretty abject Flynn and Murphy and getting Howard back in and playing confidently. The players he came in had helped but those 3 were huge to our turnaround.

 

[Bergen Blade]

...but the team should never have been as bad as they were under Weir. It was not a side that had been losing for weeks and months on end or even seasons. Weir only managed for 10 league games.

The 2 seasons before that we finish 3rd and 5th in the league. The team was never a shocking side.

We finished the 2012/13 season close to bottom of the form table and failed to score in 9 of our last 15 matches. I felt we were on the slide under Wilson, and Morgan's first managerial spell didn't help much. I think it's fair to say that the slide continued, not started under Weir.

 

[metalblade]

...but the team should never have been as bad as they were under Weir. It was not a side that had been losing for weeks and months on end or even seasons. Weir only managed for 10 league games.

The 2 seasons before that we finish 3rd and 5th in the league. The team was never a shocking side. It was solid defensively and had lost key players but still should have had enough to be around the middle at the very worst even with a new manager and even a rookie. I actually think many journeyman managers could have got this side to the middle of the league really from the start of the season and how Weir got such a bunch playing so negatively and devoid of confidence took some doing. He could have gone out and said 'do what you like' and they would have been more effective than trying to play some robotic style that was actually never going to win us games.

I think that is where I balance things out. Noone would have given Wilson an A- for getting us to 5th the season before (balancing out Clough would have got us to 6th). Maybe his budget was a bit better but he was never allowed to sign anyone for fess really for last season; mostly frees or nominal and he had some better attacking options. The fact we could bring in Baxter, Scougall, Taylor and quite a few more 6 figure fees was more than Wilson had; but he did bring in Kitson, Robson, Higginbotham, etc so that maybe balances it out.

What Clough did well was allied to the defensive solidity he brought in some attacking flair. His biggest achievement to me is lighting a fire under the pretty abject Flynn and Murphy and getting Howard back in and playing confidently. The players he came in had helped but those 3 were huge to our turnaround.

I can't agree with the bit about the 2 preceding seasons, the 2nd season of Wilsons reign was poor even though we were grinding out results 1-0, 0-0 etc, the form particularly after Xmas was somewhere between shockingly bad and abysmal, Wilson needed sacking just not a few games before the end of the season, quite how weir managed to make matters worse beggars belief but he did. Still the 2nd half of Wilsons last season was dire viewing by anyone's standards we were shite.

 

[Kopped]

I think the biggest and most prominent part of Clough's turn around of the playing squad was his dignified and absolutely accurate criticism directed at a performance that saw a new lease of life to the squad as a whole.

When asked about injuries post match at Crewe and prior to Fulham away, he rightly said "No, No new injuries, they have to put a tackle in to get them....." That was a public message to both the fans and the players. He gave licence to the fans to criticise players performances with dignity and without resorting to obscenities and to the player, "we shall be watching!!" We were 3rd bottom on 1st of February to then finish 7th 3 months later is remarkable and a testament to the character of the team. Character, that is what has been missing from the team for years, certainly since we got promoted in 2006.

I remember arguing on a forum on Facebook with people after that defeat in February. They said look where we are and I said then that "we are not playing like a side going down, far from it. The performances don't match the results at the moment, but they will. Have faith " I still stick by that and have total faith in Clough and his coaching staff.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

A quite stunning piece of work Deadbat. My only criticism is that it's going to take me a lot of time to study it all when I should be doing other things..
Proud to have you as a fellow Blade DB.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I factored in the first 4 months of Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan which saw as many downs; if not more than ups.

I think that he should get an A+ rather than A-, as I think that on reflection it took 4 months, and a transfer window, for him to turn the tanker that was our confidence-low team back in the right direction.

That mark is also based on proving people wrong. I thought that Weir would make an excellent manager, though agreed with the necessary sacking - in contrast I was not convinced that Clough was the right person at all for the job. I was even less convinced after the first game I saw under Clough, which was the dreadful defeat to a very average Gillingham side. The following week I saw us win an awful game at Bristol City - at that point my hope was we could at least grind out that sort of result (a la Wilson's 2nd season) to save us. The Orient game was a little more encouraging, with Coady I think getting his first goal for us, and I also saw a cameo sub appearance late on from Jamie Murphy, where he looked considerably brighter than he had the previous months (I think White and/or Lappin had started ahead of him).

We are now unrecognisable from those games. The whole atmosphere of the club and feel of the team has been so drastically transformed that Clough deserves huge plaudits. To change our league form as he has done would have been A- material in itself given the mess we were in - throw in the cup run at the same time and it's an A+ from me. I haven't been this positive at the end of a season for a long long time. We're a club with the right guy in charge, we've got players we care about again, and we can look forward to next season with a hell of a lot of confidence.

 

[SandyMcBlade]

I will try and defend the A- which I feel was fair (again these posts are to create debate). I totally agree with the posts above but to get an A+ we would have had to have made the playoffs or cup final (as ridiculous as that sounds!) or to have had a better start to his tenure which was decidedly mixed.

The main reason he perhaps does not get the A+ or A; is the fact that this side last season give or take a few finished 5th in the league I believe? So whoever came in would surely get them moving somewhere in the right direction despite that Weir had got us in.

We also need to remember that after the Crewe game which was only Feb many were still unsure about Clough and we were still 2nd bottom I think. Clough had been in charge for 14 league games; of which we had only won 4 so was not that much better than Weir's 1 in 10 (although better and there were signs of encouragement).

After this the run was incredible and all the things above I totally agree with in terms of the style of play, winning and entertainment we saw.

Clough was manager for 34 games. We won 17, drew 10 and lost 7. That is good enough for 61 points I work out.

Averages out as 1.8 points per game and would have been 82 points for the season. We would have finish 6th.

Of course may not have worked out like that but overall if we had finished 6th even at start of the season, would you grade someone an A or A+? Just interesting to look at it like that. Of course the cup run comes into it

I factored in the first 4 months of Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan which saw as many downs; if not more than ups.

The final 3 were superb of course.

Whatever grade he got, he did an amazing job. Key is to carry on the momentum next year.

When Clough arrived most fan would have gladly given him an A for finishing 5th from bottom.....

 

[Houso]

I think that he should get an A+ rather than A-, as I think that on reflection it took 4 months, and a transfer window, for him to turn the tanker that was our confidence-low team back in the right direction.

That mark is also based on proving people wrong. I thought that Weir would make an excellent manager, though agreed with the necessary sacking - in contrast I was not convinced that Clough was the right person at all for the job. I was even less convinced after the first game I saw under Clough, which was the dreadful defeat to a very average Gillingham side. The following week I saw us win an awful game at Bristol City - at that point my hope was we could at least grind out that sort of result (a la Wilson's 2nd season) to save us. The Orient game was a little more encouraging, with Coady I think getting his first goal for us, and I also saw a cameo sub appearance late on from Jamie Murphy, where he looked considerably brighter than he had the previous months (I think White and/or Lappin had started ahead of him).

We are now unrecognisable from those games. The whole atmosphere of the club and feel of the team has been so drastically transformed that Clough deserves huge plaudits. To change our league form as he has done would have been A- material in itself given the mess we were in - throw in the cup run at the same time and it's an A+ from me. I haven't been this positive at the end of a season for a long long time. We're a club with the right guy in charge, we've got players we care about again, and we can look forward to next season with a hell of a lot of confidence.

Surely an A+ should be reserved for a perfect performance though? Clough has been outstanding, but he's still made mistakes. Aidy White and Billy Paynter are two names that spring to mind, and then a perseverance with Lappin (particularly out of position consistently).

 

[Silent Blade]

[QUOTE="Deadbat, post: 603044, member: 2141

Gary Crosby was also brought in with Clough as a coach. To be honest not seen much of him around the dugout or heard much from him. He seems to be a favourite of Clough but he is not really involved in the younger players teams (Academy/U21’s) so unsure how much influence he has but obviously Clough wanted him here.
[/QUOTE]

Gary Crosby was a tricky winger at Forest so I wouldnt be surprised if Murphy and Flynn have benefited a lot from Crosby's coaching.
I have seen Crosby talk to them during the warm up or when the players are leaving the pitch for the half time break. Look at the big difference in Flynn and Murphy!

 

[Deadbat]

You might be right Silent and something I did not consider.

He is not see much around the pitch or in the media but if he has been working with the wingers - there has definitely been a big impact

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Surely an A+ should be reserved for a perfect performance though? Clough has been outstanding, but he's still made mistakes. Aidy White and Billy Paynter are two names that spring to mind, and then a perseverance with Lappin (particularly out of position consistently).

I'm putting that down purely to the lack of other options available. Luckily White's injury meant we didn't have to see if he was intended for a longer stay.

 

[Deadbat]

I think with Paynter there were other options available? Look at the lad Delfounesso for Coventry (cant be contributing much to wages) as an example.

 

[OllyBlade]

I'd agree with A-. Only really after the Crewe debacle that we were superb, before that he had been doing a solid job but still looked like we might go down. Players deserve a portion of the credit for the brilliant run (even if Clough deserves most). We never got a proper striker in on loan. And I do wonder what might have been if subs had been made 5-10 minutes earlier when 4-2 down at Wembley. Sounds hypercritical, but that's how to improve!

 

[wizadry]

I'd agree with A-. Only really after the Crewe debacle that we were superb, before that he had been doing a solid job but still looked like we might go down. Players deserve a portion of the credit for the brilliant run (even if Clough deserves most). We never got a proper striker in on loan. And I do wonder what might have been if subs had been made 5-10 minutes earlier when 4-2 down at Wembley. Sounds hypercritical, but that's how to improve!

Couldn't agree more about wembley even though it was still the best feeling ever to score there,and clough has made other mistakes.I think deadbat has explained himself brilliantly the reasons cloughy hasn't got an A+, lets just say he did give an A+ there's then no room for improvement,which we all know there is

 

[LoughboroBlade]

lets just say he did give an A+ there's then no room for improvement,which we all know there is

It's an A+ from me because I genuinely don't feel he, or any other manager in his position, could have realistically done any more with that set of players this season.