Geniune questions to all those who are for Clough staying.....

[Torrix1889]

Give me one reason why you think Clough will achieve anything at SUFC?
In 16 years as a manager and looking at his record, what has Clough really achieved that gives you confidence he is the man for the job?
Do you agree with Clough that we have made progress this year?

 

[sheffielder]

And if you saw progress, what was it?

 

[grafikhaus]

 

[boo radley]

Give me one reason why you think Clough will achieve anything at SUFC?
In 16 years as a manager and looking at his record, what has Clough really achieved that gives you confidence he is the man for the job?
Do you agree with Clough that we have made progress this year?

Because he's a better manager than YOU or anyone else who thinks they know best or thinks they could do better from this forum or any other.

 

[TonyAgana]

It's obvious the progress Clough refers to is the league position. Sure, you can make statistics tell any story you want but if you're talking about progress under Nigel Clough...

Points average per game 2013/2014: 1.76
Points average per game 2014/2015: 1.62

 

[him behind you]

Give me one reason why you think Clough will achieve anything at SUFC?
In 16 years as a manager and looking at his record, what has Clough really achieved that gives you confidence he is the man for the job?
Do you agree with Clough that we have made progress this year?

Here's my two penneth now I've calmed down

I don't want him to stay - simple as that. Last night proved that if we hadn't shackled the team with such god awful tactics all season (defend and try to win every game by a goal on the break despite not being able to defend without any centre backs) we could possibly have scored a boat load of goals. We may have both scored and conceded a record number of goals in a season and we may have even got promoted. But we (the fans) would have been entertained and BDTBL would have been rocking most games rather than the library I've sat in most of this season watching paint dry.

However, the decision is not mine. If the powers that be decide that finishing 2 places higher in the league than last season is progress and decide to let him continue, I will support him via the team. But unless he provides evidence that he has learned from this seasons mistakes (despite not being willing to accept that any have been made), signs the players we all know we need, and we start the season "flying", I will be voting with my feet until he's gone.

 

[jodman]

Give me one reason why you think Clough will achieve anything at SUFC?
In 16 years as a manager and looking at his record, what has Clough really achieved that gives you confidence he is the man for the job?
Do you agree with Clough that we have made progress this year?

Season on season, we have improved by 2 positions in the league so there is some truth in that statement. In my opinion the performances have been as insipid as any in recent memory so performance wise, i would say that progress has not been made.

The reason why i wouldn't be against keeping Clough is that he is starting from a much better position going into next season purely based on the players brought in, the players who have emerged from the acadamy and those players who have improved over the course of the last 18 months or so. I think that the likes of Freeman, Reid, Kennedy, Brayford (hopefully the injury wont be as bad as is currently being suggested), Adams, Done, Coutts (i know he isn't loved but i see something there), Basham and Murphy is a fantastic nucleus for a team which can take us forward into next season and beyond.

We need to cull the herd and bring in a select number of real quality players to add to the existing rosta and Clough already knows what he needs to change; a new manager would take time to judge the entire squad before deciding what needs to change.

I have my doubts, but i would allow Clough another season.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Random Mumblings:

• From the RS interview it's pretty clear he knows what the next steps are.
• Better the devil you know. The upheaval by yet another further different manager has to really be worth it and for the long term. Spend the summer assessing potential replacements.
• (A thought): A Desso pitch or a £750 000 CH? We went for the pitch. It's long term, strategic.
• We are 3 or 4 players short of autos.
• The much desired attacking football was talked about.

So, some CHs. Adventurous football. We could and should get off to a flier. Bristol City and Swindon did. City maintained it - that's the next challenge. Swindon didn't.

 

[grafikhaus]

Because he's a better manager than YOU or anyone else who thinks they know best or thinks they could do better from this forum or any other.

Of course he's a better manager than any of us. Unfortunately, Steve Cotterill, Karl Robinson, Mark Cooper and Simon Grayson are better managers than him...............

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Here's my two penneth now I've calmed down

I don't want him to stay - simple as that. Last night proved that if we hadn't shackled the team with such god awful tactics all season (defend and try to win every game by a goal on the break despite not being able to defend without any centre backs) we could possibly have scored a boat load of goals. We may have both scored and conceded a record number of goals in a season and we may have even got promoted. But we (the fans) would have been entertained and BDTBL would have been rocking most games rather than the library I've sat in most of this season watching paint dry.

Imagine the outcry for stability if we won or lost 4-3 every week, with the occasional 5-5 draw.

As always this is damned if you do, damned if you don't.

(I do have one major reservation - but that's for a different thread.)

 

[RedandWhite]

1. Who else would we get?
2. Why would they want come to us?

Why would any manager want to come to Bramall lane where there is no money, and the constant threat of being sacked after the first sign of failure, we are a league one club with league one players.

 

[Mad Mick]

He's been in charge for for only 1 full season. He saved us from relegation last year and we nearly made the play-off's.
We did make the play-off's this year.
We scored 5 goals in an away leg, and we're beaten by the ref in the home leg.
He's not perfect and has made lots of mistakes, but he should be given at least another season.

 

[ScoobBlade]

Here's my two penneth now I've calmed down

I don't want him to stay - simple as that. Last night proved that if we hadn't shackled the team with such god awful tactics all season (defend and try to win every game by a goal on the break despite not being able to defend without any centre backs) we could possibly have scored a boat load of goals. We may have both scored and conceded a record number of goals in a season and we may have even got promoted. But we (the fans) would have been entertained and BDTBL would have been rocking most games rather than the library I've sat in most of this season watching paint dry.

However, the decision is not mine. If the powers that be decide that finishing 2 places higher in the league than last season is progress and decide to let him continue, I will support him via the team. But unless he provides evidence that he has learned from this seasons mistakes (despite not being willing to accept that any have been made), signs the players we all know we need, and we start the season "flying", I will be voting with my feet until he's gone.

You say that if Nigel had have taken the shackles off then we would have at least been entertained, Danny Wilson entertained in his first season and ultimately failed to get promotion and most on hear still thought he was a bell end. The truth is if you are entertained but fail fans will moan. There have been glimpses of what we are capable of and to throw 18 months work down the pan now would be crazy. One thing that is overlooked that I believe had a huge impact on our season was chedgate, such a negative time at BDTBL, national press were calling United from a pig to a dog and the while clough had to carry on as if nothing was happening

 

[Guesty]

Imagine the outcry for stability if we won or lost 4-3 every week, with the occasional 5-5 draw.

As always this is damned if you do, damned if you don't.

(I do have one major reservation - but that's for a different thread.)

On the other hand, if it had occurred to Clough at any point during the season to fix he Centre Back situation then last night's attacking heroics might not have gone unrewarded. Going out and scoring plenty does not automatically mean your defence is a shambles.

 

[jodman]

On the other hand, if it had occurred to Clough at any point during the season to fix he Centre Back situation then last night's attacking heroics might not have gone unrewarded. Going out and scoring plenty does not automatically mean your defence is a shambles.

During his post match interview he stated that the primary reason for the failure this season was the center back situation so i think that it is safe to assume he was aware that the problem existed. Unfortunately the interviewer did not press at to why Clough did not address it either via the loan market or in January, i would be interested to know the reasons.

 

[Guesty]

During his post match interview he stated that the primary reason for the failure this season was the center back situation so i think that it is safe to assume he was aware that the problem existed. Unfortunately the interviewer did not press at to why Clough did not address it either via the loan market or in January, i would be interested to know the reasons.

It's alright for him to say moments after the season has finished what the problem was, we've known it all along! There was ample time to address it in January or (God help us) the loan market.

He managed to cock-up the signing of our marquee Centre Half in the Summer pretty badly, too.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

On the other hand, if it had occurred to Clough at any point during the season to fix he Centre Back situation then last night's attacking heroics might not have gone unrewarded. Going out and scoring plenty does not automatically mean your defence is a shambles.

So it's never occurred to him. At all?

 

[Guesty]

So it's never occurred to him. At all?

If it did he proved utterly unable to fix it, or even really address it. I'll let you decide which you think is worse.

 

[Revolution]

I have to say I would really like to know from Clough why we did not address the centre half situation in January. It was negligent not to do so.

 

[Rollerball]

One thing we haven't had in a very long time is stability throughout the entire place, now maybe we could get that, keep him till Xmas at least, I personally think we are 2 center backs and a proper holding/defending midfielder from being a real force in this and in the league above.
As stated in another post in this thread we have a fantastic nucleas of a team and with the additions stated a real backbone of something that could continue for 5 years at least.
We NEED two stable center backs, every great team has been built on a settled back four (5 counting keeper) if you have that, stability the rest will feel much more confidant pushing forward, and as shown last night we definitely have the attacking threat to destroy any team.
Xmas then if we aren't challenging look for change not before.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

we've known it all along!

Hindsight goggles? Afaict the consensus till at least Christmas was we were happy enough with Bash back there. (Same with Flynn at RB.)

I think it became a major issue when Kennedy was not able to play regularly: it was OK Bash back there every now and then waiting for Kennedy to get fit but it became more or less permanent.

 

[Revolution]

Hindsight goggles? Afaict the consensus till at least Christmas was we were happy enough with Bash back there. (Same with Flynn at RB.)

I think it became a major issue when Kennedy was not able to play regularly: it was OK Bash back there every now and then waiting for Kennedy to get fit but it became more or less permanent.

No. this is rewriting history. People were complaining about it from the first day of the season, when the pairing was Alcock and McGahey.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Btw *genuine.

Can we start an S24SU Grammar Nazis' Forum of Bile and Vitriol in which we berate greengrocer's apostrophes and the like.

(I know.)

 

[Guesty]

Hindsight goggles? Afaict the consensus till at least Christmas was we were happy enough with Bash back there. (Same with Flynn at RB.)

I think it became a major issue when Kennedy was not able to play regularly: it was OK Bash back there every now and then waiting for Kennedy to get fit but it became more or less permanent.

Don't be daft, people have been bemoaning the lack of Centre Halves after Butler was so unceremoniously bombed out.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I have to say I would really like to know from Clough why we did not address the centre half situation in January. It was negligent not to do so.

That is indeed the big question/issue.

Paddy came in as it was an issue in October, but you and the rest of us are quite right in wanting to know why we had no plans to solve it permanently in January as Paddy was always going back on Jan 1st.

UTB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

No. this is rewriting history. People were complaining about it from the first day of the season, when the pairing was Alcock and McGahey.

But it being complained about and it being identified as top priority are different things.

 

[Revolution]

But it being complained about and it being identified as top priority are different things.

You're splitting hairs. It has been one of the major issues this season, if not the major issue.

Indeed, it's something that virtually everyone is unhappy about, whereas there is less of a consensus in relation to issues such as one up front and the midget midfield.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

We desperately need to stop being so reactionary and have time to allow the club to grow under one manager. The constant chopping and changing is what lead us to be where we are now. It very rarely works out like it did for Watford, I'm sure we can all think of loads of teams who are/were examples of why you shouldn't go through managers like they are going out of fashion.

Besides which, our record of appointing managers is dreadful. Appointing anyone, at any time, at any club is a roll of the dice, but do you trust this club to the make the right decision?!? THIS club? Really? You're new here, right?

I'm amazed that anyone can be confident that changing manager would improve results given our recent record! We are on an upwards curve, we are improving season on season, if Clough is backed with a bit of cash (we all know which positions we are lacking in) I can see us winning this league next season. I'll admit, it isn't a certainty, but I'm still a lot more confident of that happening under Clough than after *another* spin on the manager roulette wheel!

 

[FleaPitBlade]

If I cast my mind back a few years when we were relegated into League One. There was lots of wound licking and soul searching which culminated in a widespread opinion that this was to be used as an opportunity to rebuild from the ground upwards. To build a young, hungry squad that could not only get us back into the championship but carry on and grow into something bigger and better. It was time to look away from paycheck hunting journeymen that were no small part of the reason we have ended up where we are.

There's been a lot happen betwix then and now but we continued along the same wrong path of Dave Kitson, James Beattie (Mk2), Barry Robson and a host of utterly shit loan players thrown in to boot. John Cofie FFS.

Now, this season has been largley wank and there is no hiding from the fact that the targets have not been achieved but I look through the squad and I see some good, young, hugry players that can and will get better. I look at some of the performaces we've turned out this season and just see a glimmer, the smallest flicker, that there is something special developing there. That there is a good team that just needs a player or two more away from being next seasons Bristol City. Put a couple of Chris Morgans in there to cut out the sloppy goals and we would have been it this season. Thats how close we are talking here. 2 or 3 bodies away from being a real force.

Ultimatley, it came to pass that our defensive frailites were the nail in the coffin and Clough must shoulder that blame but I can also understand and support that he didnt just go out and sign any old clogger just to fill the gap - Paddy McCarthy, anyone? So, we wait, we get the right people, because thats the right thing to do for the longer term progression of the club.

Short termism has got us where we are and if we carry on that way it will absolutley ensure we stay there. So, stick a black mark next to his name but for me, its still very much '...finish the job, Nigel.'

 

[nowtfancy]

We are clearly better off now than when clough came in.
Some comparisons don’t look quite so good this season v last because we did SO well on an amazing & exciting run last season.

We didn't cope well with selling our best player, & have had some bad luck with injuries, but we should have coped better with those issues.

On a more intuitive (or whatever you want to call it!) level – I feel more connected to the team than I have for about 8 years.
I think there is more of a character now, and a lack of journeymen & loanees that have tainted previous squads – although there are players I wish were more talented, there aren’t any that I dislike (and I could give you quite a list of previous ones, Brian Howard & Nyron Nosworthy left particular ill feeling for starters!).
I think at least part of this is down to cloughs recruitment.