Blades in America Podcast

[unitedbhoy]

I thought he was quitting Twitter/talking about United?

Can’t help himself. Loves the attention

 

[The Crab]

A stopped clock is right twice a day.

Partridge is right on this one, doesn’t need to sound like he’s enjoying it so much though

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Comes across well, though he'd have been better advised to do the interview with a local journalist or club channels. Presumably he wanted a soft interview with no uncomfortable questions. Keeps referring to us as 'Sheffield'. Didn't get pressed at all by the interviewer over the dodgy business restructure but it sounds like they have simply chosen not to pay PA his money so we can be competitive this season. Doubt his comment that "It's time to look to the future not the past" will appease PA. Convinced we won't get a points deduction but also openly admits he is not an expert on English football.

Also says he's a very private person and wishes that they would take that photo of the new owners greeting fans off the website.

And a moan about YouTube ads. Towards the end there was an ad every 90 sect. They are really taking the piss these days.

People have been asking for them to make a statement.
This is what it is.
Rather then issued a printed statement, or one of them reading it out, it's been done in this way.
A set of pre-set Q+A that get across what they want to say.

 

[bornablade]

I was quite impressed. Many of us have asked for some communication from the owners and at least we've heard something.

I was pleased that a strong positive reference was made about the academy and the Dore development.

He also referred to last season's squad not being experienced enough hence the signing of certain players this window.

They are looking for further investors although he was honest enough to say that so are many other clubs.

He made reference to the extra £33million owners can invest over 3 years which is positive.

Looking at the comments on YouTube there are many supporters focussing on the fact that he refers to us as 'Sheffield'.
We don't like this but to be honest there are far more important challenges facing these guys than this.

 

[Rodley]

I was quite impressed. Many of us have asked for some communication from the owners and at least we've heard something.

I was pleased that a strong positive reference was made about the academy and the Dore development.

He also referred to last season's squad not being experienced enough hence the signing of certain players this window.

They are looking for further investors although he was honest enough to say that so are many other clubs.

He made reference to the extra £33million owners can invest over 3 years which is positive.

Looking at the comments on YouTube there are many supporters focussing on the fact that he refers to us as 'Sheffield'.
We don't like this but to be honest there are far more important challenges facing these guys than this.

Proof is in the pudding, but no doubt he speaks well.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

This is what irks.

Not the United dedicated media but those who cover both teams, they couldn’t wait to give a platform to those pushing that there should be no penalty for Wednesday. It wouldn’t be fair. It’s harsh on the fans. Haven’t we suffered enough? Etc.

Same folks doubling down that they think there should be an incoming punishment rather than latching onto this and attempting to push the narrative the other way. Get a lawyer on the show to support that no such event has taken place directly or indirectly with Sheffield United and therefore that part of the rules is not applicable.

But no, they’d rather be driven by the fact they feel jilted than look to help protect the club.

Nail on the head for me that.

All the talk from the local press for the pigs was about points deductions being unfair and harming the fans.

All the talk from the local press about our situation (no matter what the actual rights and wrongs are) is about "ooh there could be points deductions for United!".

Why are they not basing the reporting on an outlook of being on the clubs/fans side that no deductions should take place because it's a non footballing matter, like they did for the pigs more obvious rule breaches. They are just stirring the pot the other way.

 

[Kenilworth]

I was quite impressed. Many of us have asked for some communication from the owners and at least we've heard something.

I was pleased that a strong positive reference was made about the academy and the Dore development.

He also referred to last season's squad not being experienced enough hence the signing of certain players this window.

They are looking for further investors although he was honest enough to say that so are many other clubs.

He made reference to the extra £33million owners can invest over 3 years which is positive.

Looking at the comments on YouTube there are many supporters focussing on the fact that he refers to us as 'Sheffield'.
We don't like this but to be honest there are far more important challenges facing these guys than this.

Many of us have worked for companies where the branding is forcefully encouraged. They are most often US owned.

As the head of Sheffield United he should understand the context and the local history. There is no excuse for calling us “Sheffield” whatsoever.

 

[JPBrods]

Just an utterly bizarre piece of communication from the club. I can only assume its intended audience are other wealthy Americans interested in purchasing shit English football clubs.

 

[jim2007]

I found it a bizarre. Naïve is the word that summed it up for me. Sounded a bit like they spaffed £100m on something they had little clue about. Like me thinking to myself "Lacrosse! That's the future!" and buying a club. Then having bought it finally looking up the lacrosse entry on Wikipedia to find out what it's all about.

Some positives. The last seven minutes were illuminating. He makes a good point about the club fulfilling all its financial obligations. However, I also think that the owners are setting themselves up for a game of brinksmanship with the EFL. As many have said above, how can they be in good standing as owners when they refuse to pay the bill for buying the club?

I'd have a lot more time for this if it had been Paul Walker sat in the other chair and not 'no socks US motivational speaker dude' whoever he was?

Nature abhors a vacuum. At least this has given us some, albeit massively massaged, context.

Still, if we win 5-0 this afternoon, I won't give a shit!

 

[Houston_Blade]

I’d rather watch Blades Ramble or Sheff United Way and that’s saying something.

 

[Kenilworth]

Just because he has blessed us with his narrative is not a reason to let him off the hook if actions don’t back it up.

If they have invested in data based identification and recruitment how come
1. There are no additions to the players in the academy from that
2. We’ve sold the three most productive attacking options in the squad and replaced only one of them with a 19 year old, talented but unproven loan, from the defacto data club.
3. The only additions have been loans and frees.

If the academy is a full focus then what are their plans and time frames? Easy to say but he’s been quoted before as saying that the academy will only progress if we have funds from an EPL promotion. The only news I have heard about any progress is the interview Bettis gave when he said architectural plans were being commissioned, in readiness for EPL cash to fund. There is still the blocker of the cricket square at Dore and finding a suitable alternative, otherwise no development can be made.

He hasn’t actually confirmed new investors, has he? Is it the case that his interview appears to have claimed there are potential new investors? Like anything PE related there is a lot of positioning and spin and market perception involved. If the actual business trend doesn’t follow what it needs to be, that investment won’t materialise. I suspect any new investment is probably tied to a promotion, too.

Everything strikes me as though they have no long term goal. It looks like they are cutting costs and commitments (the £35m issue with PA) so they can dump it at their earliest convenience. They won’t get £100m for it so they have to shape it to get to a point they can exit without too much pain.
Their lack of understanding and naivety on English football, suggests this was more of an investment vehicle rather than a vanity project for them. If it was vanity then they’d be more clued up on the sport, the traditions and they’d be wanting to be seen at rhe matched. Think Chansiri splashing his name all over the Sty, for personal acknowledgment. Think Storch doing his PR appearances and socials. None of that from these two - so it’s not a vanity project for them.

Just because an American “businessman” does a piece to camera, doesn’t mean he is always telling the whole truth. He’ll recognise the harm negative publicity affects the brand so he is offering a spin to counter that. He wouldn’t do it otherwise.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the company restructuring was solely based on what they (or their legal advisors) know they could get away with in the US and haven’t taken any account of how companies are regulated and ruled in the UK. I often see US people catch a cold when they suddenly learn that the rest of the World doesn’t operate or follow the same path as the US.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

isn't paying the previous owner in full part of their obligations

 

[PokerBlade]

Thought it was tone deaf and unclear who it was for. As though someone's crafted it to give the appearance of talking to people unfamiliar with football while really being a puff piece to soothe the concerns of our fans.

Talking about the importance of holding onto youth without mentioning Brooks.

Talking about fans and managers always wanting to spend money when our fears are we've sold our best talent and reinvested none of the money while knowing they haven't even paid up what they agreed to.

Talking about having a squad good enough for play-offs when we're worse off than we were last season when things weren't good enough.

I could go on but the fucking preview clip couldn't even spell Premier League properly.

 

[HeySethUTB]

I was impressed with the way he spoke, he also clearly has friends in the sports ownership game which is encouraging.

What I don’t understand is why after saying that the owners need to speak, they are criticising the platform on which he spoke. He’s done what people wanted.

As for the court case, anyone with any legal knowledge knows that he can’t just start telling all, and no this doesn’t mean he has something to hide, it means he’s not being stupid.

It’s clear some still back the prince, I watch a ramble clip and he highlighted two red flags about the new owners, rather than the fact the prince was so desperate to sell he hid certain things from Rosen and essentially stalked him down while he was visiting his son at university. Rosen could and was will within his rights to tell them to do one.

His Rosen naive, almost certainly, is he stupid not at all. Should this have been done earlier, almost certainly, should we criticise him for doing something we’ve asked, not at all.

Questions still need to be answered, but at least a small step in the direction has happened.

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

Thought it was tone deaf and unclear who it was for. As though someone's crafted it to give the appearance of talking to people unfamiliar with football while really being a puff piece to soothe the concerns of our fans.

Talking about the importance of holding onto youth without mentioning Brooks.

Talking about fans and managers always wanting to spend money when our fears are we've sold our best talent and reinvested none of the money while knowing they haven't even paid up what they agreed to.

Talking about having a squad good enough for play-offs when we're worse off than we were last season when things weren't good enough.

I could go on but the fucking preview clip couldn't even spell Premier League properly.

I genuinely cannot believe there are so many people eating this up. It was so embarrassing and so patronising. But tbf it works on them. So many easily charmed by this snake oil salesman

 

[GeorgeDonis1889]

 

[Revolution]

A stopped clock is right twice a day.

Partridge is right on this one, doesn’t need to sound like he’s enjoying it so much though

Let me tell you what the EFL being “all over it” means.

1. The EFL see nothing in the EFL rules to prohibit what’s happened.

2. The EFL passes the problem to their external lawyers.

3. The external lawyers also see nothing in the EFL rules.

4. The external lawyers engage a barrister to advise them.

The Regulator is going through the same process.

In each case the question being asked is “what can we do to sanction Sheffield United” rather than “have Sheffield United actually broken any rules”

This is going to take time. In the meantime Smith, Biggs, Maguire etc spout ill informed nonsense.

 

[BazWainwright]

View attachment 243550

 

[GymClassHero]

I might be going against the grain here but I thought he spoke quite well.

As much as I’d have liked him to go into detail about the unpaid £35m, thats never going to happen with the ongoing legal issues.

Interesting news about new investment being secured, potentially exciting times on the horizon?

I did too.

Some of our lot won't be happy, ever. "We NeVeR HeAr FrOm OwNeRz"

Owner Speaks

"PoOr TiMiNg"

 

[William Large]

Time will tell as to whether he is taking bollocks or not. I have only listened once but I took from the interview that they are going to invest in the academy and the infrastructure, that we have to cut costs this year and that they have a vision of how they want to continue - in a progressive and sustainable was.

Of course it could just be sound bytes and he clearly went with someone who would not ask tricky questions so that he could control the narrative to some extent.

To any football fans, the first part where he explained how the league works was completely unnecessary but I suppose it was partially aimed at a US audience.

I would have preferred a uk football journalist to conduct the interview, however certain RS presenters seem to create hyperbole to fluff their own self importance so it’s amusing that he ignored them..

 

[Need4speed]

Owner on Gus: Wanted a longer contract and bigger wage than we could afford, we offered on our budget, he rejected.

That kinda contradicts what Chris said in the presser, or should we say true but not the whole truth. Chris said he wanted to go, but the owner said he wanted more money and contract length. So in a way yes he wanted to leave only because we couldn't match his demands.

Course, is the owner telling the truth...

Yes he wanted to leave because we could not afford his demands. No contradiction there.

 

[The Fox]

I would have preferred a uk football journalist to conduct the interview, however certain RS presenters seem to create hyperbole to fluff their own self importance so it’s amusing that he ignored them..

Very much agree .
They've chosen to communicate on their terms , controlling the narrative and message , it will have pissed off a few of the local so called journalists but so what.

It maybe a bit too artificial and constructed for some but rather that than the wiggy/storchy twitter circus.

I suppose the main message and the style simply states " We control the club , the comms , the platform and the information"

I can see why some , including the RS knobs really dont like it.

 

[Brownieblade]

As a Cleveland browns fan it was hard getting through it as the hosts voice has grated me for so long

I’m guessing next episode will be us talking to the wrestler Miz who is also a big Browns fan

End of the day they would get grief/praise wherever they did or didn’t say so it was good to hear them come out saying something

 

[Brownieblade]

Very much agree .
They've chosen to communicate on their terms , controlling the narrative and message , it will have pissed off a few of the local so called journalists but so what.

It maybe a bit too artificial and constructed for some but rather that than the wiggy/storchy twitter circus.

I suppose the main message and the style simply states " We control the club , the comms , the platform and the information"

I can see why some , including the RS knobs really dont like it.

It will have been far more natural for them personally to have done the podcast then go on the radio show, it’s more natural in US amongst sports industry

There might be some element of them intentionally trying to control a narrative but I reckon it was more timing and hiring an established podcast who is hired by an NFL team suggests that

 

[NerdyBlade]

Can’t help himself. Loves the attention

Can't fathom why. In discussions with him yesterday he went from "I'm not PR and spin" to "Yes I posted information from the clubs owner on social media, no I don't work for the club but its still not PR" in about 4 tweets without understanding just how stupid he's making himself look

 

[The Fox]

It will have been far more natural for them personally to have done the podcast then go on the radio show, it’s more natural in US amongst sports industry

There might be some element of them intentionally trying to control a narrative but I reckon it was more timing and hiring an established podcast who is hired by an NFL team suggests that

Its how its done these days .

Very few people in public life , politics , business or sport really open themselves up to any kind of scrutiny.

Chat shows and interviews are carefully constructed with PR consultants and legal advice .

Mostly everything we see and hear is what people want us to see and hear .

We have to take it for what it is .

 

[Wards]

I didn’t think it was a terrible ‘interview’ tbh, clearly a bit of a puff-piece but it was always going to be that way. Nice to just hear from them and I think his enthusiasm seems genuine at least. They did say it was part of a series so hopefully these become semi-regular and maybe we’ll get to hear from Elthouky next time?

I’m not sure how much detail people were expecting on the payment issues, there are clearly legal reasons they can’t disclose certain things but I think if you read between the lines they’ve clearly found a few skeletons in the cupboard that they probably think they should’ve been told of when purchasing.

They’ve obviously made mistakes thus. Let’s hope they’re learning. Sounds like they’re at least putting new processes in place to enable better decision making.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

Immediate reaction is it has taken far too long for this communication to surface.

Some key points;

1. Deal with United World was pushed hard by PA at the 11th hour with Bettis flying over to meet Rosen in Rome. Page suggests in his pleadings there were difficulties with the deal late in the day implied Hotel was an issue.
2. Very intereresting comment that disolving COH and moving to 1919 was influenced in part by Pages separate legal action.
3. SCR is impacting signficantly on club finances. Wage bill in region of £30 million trying to cut along with corporate costs by 12%. One reason why player outgoings are funding this.
4.Rosen told the squad is good enough to be play off contenders.
5. Couldnt meet Hamers contract and wage demands.
6. At no point were SUFC insolvent. Compliant with EFL regulations and do not envisage sporting sanctions. Not like the fool across the city who lost £200 million. .
7. Rosen did not realise the scale of CW's involvement in all aspects of the Club when he dismissed him. One reason for bringing him back.
8. Improvements in data analysis and sports science making use of the best technologies now being put in place.
9. The dispute with UW is a transactional deal between two separate parties. Suggested attempts were made to resolve debt issue with PA but couldnt reach agreement. Whether this involved an offer of equity we can only speculate.
10. The Academy is vital to bring through new talent and assist future revenue. Aim to provide improved contracts for young players who overperform( shame this couldnt have been in place for Brooks). Dore is still a priority when finances improve.
11. New investment is being brought in but didnt say when.

Rosen has finally spoken. If you cut out the americanisms some new information has been put out into the public domain.

A number of questions remain unanswered not least how EFL investigations and the Page legal action are progressing. Having said that I take some comfort the interview has induced palpitations amongst the bleating brigade of El Accounto Hall and Biggs. They continue to spew out ill informed assertions regarding potential points deductions and the present state of affairs with the EFL/IFR.

Cheers.

Can’t get past the ‘Americanisms’ to watch the whole thing just yet…specially the maniacal grins all parties sport for these type of interviews.

 

[mattbianco1]

I like him !

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

Cheers.

Can’t get past the ‘Americanisms’ to watch the whole thing just yet…specially the maniacal grins all parties sport for these type of interviews.

Honestly it’s a load of waffle up until the last 10 mins. And even then he’s obviously in a position where he can’t disclose too much.