Nigel's Philosophy

[crucialkneeligaman]

Ah Mr Doom,

As your 'evidence' is based on less than half a season I am astounded that you can come to such opinions - Yes I too get frustrated that we are not scoring enough goals and I too cannot understand why we give so many 'soft' goals away but realistically, if we are such a bad side and if none of our players could get in the Bristol City team then we are not doing too badly given, in your opinion how poor a side we have !

I believe that we will come good during the second half of the season, the players have shown in very brief glimpses that they have the capability - they now have to prove it !

In the past I have been very, very critical especially the Blackwell era but, Nigel Clough has played football at the highest level under possibly one of the best managers in the country - I think he knows a bit more about football the Mr Doom, Mr Gloom and all the rest of the so -called supporters clamoring for changes - I thought this was the time of year for Nativity not Negativity.

I for one will be fully behind them on Tuesday hoping that a good performance will galvanise the players into transferring it into league form and make the second half of the season one to remember !

Up the Blades !

You have stated that Blader is more of a Blade than many, then later refer to him as a so called supporter, which is he ?.

 

[Fiery Blade]

In the end I believe it is down to the players and some of them need to sta

You have stated that Blader is more of a Blade than many, then later refer to him as a so called supporter, which is he ?.

Why can't some people read the whole text rather than half of it and then put in their own ending to suit !
I later referred to Blader as being Negative not a So Called Supporter ! Get the facts right !
Unfortunately, many Blades fans are negative and will search for twenty reasons why we will fail and yet can't find one reason why we might triumph !

 

[Baildon Blade]

I think the reason many fans are negative has been brought on by last seasons run. I, like several thousand others, bought my season ticket believing we would storm this division. Instead we've been subjected to ultra negative, boring football where if the opposition score first we know we are unlikely to win. Every game it appears we set out to nick it 1-0. I can find a reason why we might triumph - it's a shit league full of shit teams. However in 20 games we haven't demonstrated that the players or management see this, otherwise we would go out and tear them up.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

If the board believe the crowds will stick with Negative Nige, his shockingly boring football and his small mindedness they are dreaming.

14,000 season tickets were sold on the back of an outstanding finish to last season, a run which is looking more and more like a fluke every week. Next season's attendances will be more in line with the Boards and NC's ambitions for this once great club, small time. In fact if the form continues the way its going and the football doesn't improve, what will the attendances be in February, March time? Are the walk ups going to continue to pay £20 to watch Baxter's man tits wobble around the centre circle for 70 minutes? No chance.

 

[Darthblade]

Cannot believe the negativity on here at the moment - We are preparing for a League Cup Quarter Final on Tuesday and stand fifth in the league - It's not even Christmas yet and the shower on here are like Doom & Gloom - We do NOT have a given right to be top of the league because we are Sheffield United FC - the squad Mr Clough has assembled is more than capable of winning this league - I put it down to the players - They have got to want it much more than they do at present ! Nearly all our squad would walk into any other team in this division - they do not lack the skill - what does appear to be lacking is confidence and belief - and that will come by winning games!
As regards this forum Blader (Mr Doom) and Harrys Game (Mr Gloom) especially seem to revel in slagging off the club - Why don't you bugger off over to S6 - Most of their fans think that they have a God Given Right to be successful - Football is not like that, never has been and never will be !

I agree with you that "We do NOT have a given right to be top of the league because we are Sheffield United FC" however, I disagree profoundly that "the squad Mr Clough has assembled is more than capable of winning this league".

We are in the current position, with a very poor goal difference compared to the Clubs above us because we do NOT have a squad that is good enough to challenge the top two. They have demonstrated that time and time again this season and unless we recruit several decent, influential players in the JTW we will struggle to make 6th place this year, imho.

We cannot dominate teams, especially at home and we cannot score goals. That, is not a recipe for promotion from any division, even this crappy one.
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

like the second half of last season (the business end), we will improve massively. Clough has sorted the defence and is now looking at attack and will compete for promotion. So long as we are in the top 6 now.
Clough isn't panicking neither should we.

I'm not entirely certain how you can assert that the defence is sorted.

The results show that we are regularly conceding "schoolboy goals" ( Orient / Barnsley / Oldham / Notts Co / MKD / Fleetwood ). I would suggest that the defence is far from sorted and a dominant CH is urgently required in the JTW ..... not McCarthy either.
UTB & FTP

 

[Fiery Blade]

I'm not entirely certain how you can assert that the defence is sorted.

The results show that we are regularly conceding "schoolboy goals" ( Orient / Barnsley / Oldham / Notts Co / MKD / Fleetwood ). I would suggest that the defence is far from sorted and a dominant CH is urgently required in the JTW ..... not McCarthy either.
UTB & FTP

Considering we sold our 'best centre half' for the past two seasons to Hull City (who currently sit just one place from bottom spot in the Premier League) and he can't get anywhere near the first team just where do you propose that we get a 'dominant' centre half' given that McCarthy is not for you ?

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

In the end I believe it is down to the players and some of them need to sta

Why can't some people read the whole text rather than half of it and then put in their own ending to suit !
I later referred to Blader as being Negative not a So Called Supporter ! Get the facts right !
Unfortunately, many Blades fans are negative and will search for twenty reasons why we will fail and yet can't find one reason why we might triumph !

I can read Fiery, quote " Mr Doom, Mr Gloom and all the rest of the so called supporters ........". Thanks for clearing that up, Blader is negative, not a so called supporter.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Apologies CKL missed that on a previous post !
I have Mr Doom (Blader) as an Ultra- Negative Obviously he cares and obviously he is a supporter!
However, if we were all a tad more positive perhaps things might start working for us !
United don't have a bad squad, the strongest squad in the league if not the strongest team but certainly one good enough to win promotion out of a very poor division.

 

[Sirius]

Apologies CKL missed that on a previous post !
I have Mr Doom (Blader) as an Ultra- Negative Obviously he cares and obviously he is a supporter!
However, if we were all a tad more positive perhaps things might start working for us !
United don't have a bad squad, the strongest squad in the league if not the strongest team but certainly one good enough to win promotion out of a very poor division.

If we do not have the strongest squad by the cringe we should have.

I was impressed when Nige opted fora smaller, manageable squad. The caveat is that the players needed to be up for it with the ability to provide. Again, i am in favour of better players being brought in but that small squad has grown like Topsy with mediocre players bloating the squad

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Unfortunately, many Blades fans are negative and will search for twenty reasons why we will fail and yet can't find one reason why we might triumph !

20/1 are not the odds of champions.

 

[Kenilworth]

Considering we sold our 'best centre half' for the past two seasons to Hull City (who currently sit just one place from bottom spot in the Premier League) and he can't get anywhere near the first team just where do you propose that we get a 'dominant' centre half' given that McCarthy is not for you ?

Bash

 

[DSB-91]

It is funny but also a bit depressing to read the boards these days. Before this season the fans were confident, Clough could do no wrong and the team looked ready to take a weak league by the throat.

Skip forward a few months and we're all miserable, the team is a meek shadow of it's former self and Clough's unquestionable aura has disappeared.

I would say the main reason for frustration isn't necessarily the results, we're not in an awful position, but the nature of the performances. United fans will accept not winning but they won't accept limp, negative play lacking any energy or attacking threat. I'm sure we've all been fed up from time to time with the 'gerrit forward' mentality and most of us appreciate skill and possesion football but as a fan base I'd also say we demand aggression, commitment and, above all, the will to fight for the win from the first minute to the nintieth.

 

[wizadry]

It is funny but also a bit depressing to read the boards these days. Before this season the fans were confident, Clough could do no wrong and the team looked ready to take a weak league by the throat.

Skip forward a few months and we're all miserable, the team is a meek shadow of it's former self and Clough's unquestionable aura has disappeared.

I would say the main reason for frustration isn't necessarily the results, we're not in an awful position, but the nature of the performances. United fans will accept not winng but they won't accept limp, negative play lacking any energy or attacking threat. I'm sure we've all been fed up from time to time with the 'gerrit forward' mentality and most of us appreciate skill and possesion football but as a fan base I'd also say we demand aggression, commitment and, above all, the will to fight for the win from the first minute to the nintieth.

Iv'e said as much over and over again.100% commitment and effort would go along way,but there is no way on earth they're giving one of them for 45 minutes never mind 90 minutes.

 

[bornablade]

Iv'e said as much over and over again.100% commitment and effort would go along way,but there is no way on earth they're giving one of them for 45 minutes never mind 90 minutes.

I cannot remember many seasons where we've put together a team that has totally dominated in both halves of a match. Similarly I cannot recall many seasons where we have started off well and maintained that until the following May.

I am confident that the second half of this season will see us kick on. Cloughie will be aware of the fact we are not playing with the same tempo as we did in the second part of last year and I think he will sort it out in January. Certain players have had their opportunity.

Looking forward to tonight. I hope the negativity that is apparent on this board and on the FH phone-in doesn't make an appearance at BDTBL tonight.

 

[Kenilworth]

The way I see it is that NC was setting up his season based on three players in a solid spine of the team

Harry
Wallace
Evans

...... We're fucked then - like a jellyfish out of water

 

[DSB-91]

The way I see it is that NC was setting up his season based on three players in a solid spine of the team

Harry
Wallace
Evans

...... We're fucked then - like a jellyfish out of water

If we really did plan our entire season around a striker who'd been in prison for over two years and a player with serious injury problems then we don't deserve success.

I don't think Clough would be that reckless. We don't know if he ever wanted Evans and at most I think he was willing to have a look at him. As for Wallace, Clough must have known it was a gamble.

I think losing Maguire was a problem, but I also think other players Clough was counting on haven't been able to match their form from last season. Plus the new signings have been mostly average.

 

[wizadry]

I cannot remember many seasons where we've put together a team that has totally dominated in both halves of a match.

Just read my post again mate,i never said to dominate a match and every match over a full season.What i said i would like to see is 100% commitment,with 100% effort.Now they can show both these things without winning and performing well for every minute of every game,that's all me and a lot of blades fans ask for.If they're not showing these things then the fans will turn quicker than you think.

 

[bornablade]

Totally agree. There have been ordinary players in the past who have become cult figures with the fans due to their 100% commitment.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Anyone for a double slice of Humble Pie ????



UTB

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Anyone for a double slice of Humble Pie ????



UTB

We'll see come Saturday afternoon, we saw fire, passion, determination and risk taking tonight.

It's transferring that into the league.