CONFIRMED Clough Sacked

[blade too long]

vest to clear the decks now , not after 8 games or 3 games into next season , got 12 weeks to fill the position

 

[Ashtonsmashton]

Oh dear.

Early emotions running then, trust clough did well in cup and sort of in the league mainly last season but I wouldn't have morgs as manager

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Good post on fb sums it up:

Whatever happened to the plan to stop being a sacking club? We gave Clough a three year contract and we were "sure" he was the right man.. We were one goal away from the Play Off Final this season, and one goal away from the League Cup Final. It wasn't perfect but the improvement was definitely there. Clough has built this squad, and knows the players better than anyone else. Now we're back to square one and a number of the players' futures will be in doubt. And of course we've no replacement lined up and the current candidates have a worse win ratio than Clough. Next season the new manager will be under intense pressure knowing that he'll likely be sacked if we don't go up in his first season in charge.

Points in bold are all good ones.

Have we really sacked the manager without lining up a replacement?

It's a strange situation we're in, as the article says we had a three year plan that some had bought in to, missing two finals by two goals and a high win%. Easy to back Nigel.

Pre season was a shambles, constant team changing, playing to keep the point we start with, easy to be critical of Nigel.

Strange times in deed and we rely on the board getting it right again (cough)

 

[Hartley Hare]

I am very shocked. Don't know what to think. What a shambles we have become.

HH

 

[Guesty]

Good post on fb sums it up:

Whatever happened to the plan to stop being a sacking club? We gave Clough a three year contract and we were "sure" he was the right man.. We were one goal away from the Play Off Final this season, and one goal away from the League Cup Final. It wasn't perfect but the improvement was definitely there. Clough has built this squad, and knows the players better than anyone else. Now we're back to square one and a number of the players' futures will be in doubt. And of course we've no replacement lined up and the current candidates have a worse win ratio than Clough. Next season the new manager will be under intense pressure knowing that he'll likely be sacked if we don't go up in his first season in charge.

We were actually only one goal away from Extra Time in the Play-Off semi final, but hey.

I actually think that the squad that Clough built is the damning indictment, moreso than negative tactics and anything about 'losing the dressing room'. The whole spine is weak, we have enough full backs to launch an invasion of mainland Europe yet no centre halves to speak of and the entire midfield seems to have been recruited from Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. It needs major surgery to become competitive next year - I don't think we're good enough throughout the entire middle of the team, from goalkeeper to centre forward. Clough completely neglected certain positions yet always found room for another right back or another little Scottish bloke. It's that that has cost him and I fear it is that that will cost us again in the upcoming season. I think there is simply too much to put right in a single pre-season.

 

[rtifati]

Also Bakki might have some influence, it wouldn't surprise me if we finish up with a foreigner.

If Phipps and Baki are the ones tasked with recruiting the new manager, then I'd be surprised if the likes of Phil Parkinson and Nigel Adkins are featuring high on their list (if at all).

Eric Gerets would fit the bill. As well as ex-Al Hilal has a Turkish connection too, having won the league with Galatasaray.

 

[Nade]

And so, it begins!

 

[super_pig]

Just heard Kazarre13 and Bergen Blade have put their applications in. Don't shoot the messenger because i know rumours can get shot down on here

reckon Bergen could do a great job actually

 

[cahill]

I'm not sure how none of them having played professional football prevents them from being able to handle a recruitment process

Well I would imagine recruitments easy it's just getting the "right" person in that's important. Perhaps that's what happens McCabe and his fellow Directors just go for the prettiest face or most silver tongued, hence our "recent" failure(s)

 

[Sothall_Blade]

https://audioboom.com/search?utf8=✓&q=Jim+Phipps

"When we said we had a three year plan, we meant it. We've got to get some stability in the club" said Phipps...

 

[HVR]

Looks that way. Smacks of poor decision-making yet again by the board. I'm sure that Clough was stubborn, but they knew that before they hired him. Sounds like it could have been a kneejerk reaction after the meeting on Sunday. Hope I'm wrong.

So let me guess that the board we're into this three year plan, had given the nod to Clough and allowed him to let some players go and their contracts not get renewed. The meeting was to be a formality of Clough going through the motions, grovelling apology, do better next season, things going forward etc etc, but instead he ripped into them, poor pre-season, letting Harry go, obsession with a convicted rapist putting him and his team in the spotlight, not going after O'Grady, and other things we may not know about. And in a fit of anger, without any thought to the implications to our signed players, and more importantly who will manage us next… they sack him. They will now start looking for someone.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

https://audioboom.com/search?utf8=✓&q=Jim+Phipps

"When we said we had a three year plan, we meant it. We've got to get some stability in the club" said Phipps...

2 difficult decisions in 18 months then?

Some plan.

 

[bladesfan]

I See Derby have sacked McClaren I hope we dont get another Derby reject

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

I See Derby have sacked McClaren I hope we dont get another Derby reject

he was supposed to be going to Newcastle wasn't he?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

So regardless of whether Clough or A.N. Other is in charge next season, we'd be looking at a new manager if promotion isn't achieved. Don't see the problem myself.

If a manager is scared off by a challenge then perhaps he's not the man (or woman) we want. At least the new person will know we've got to set out to win games.

In this scenario how is the club any different from a crack whore pimping herself round a pub car park seeking a fix?

It's short-term, sad, and desperate.

Overstated for effect but maybe we're in that general area.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

We were actually only one goal away from Extra Time in the Play-Off semi final, but hey.

Which is why it wasn't in bold.

 

[itsinyerblood]

In this scenario how is the club any different from a crack whore pimping herself round a pub car park seeking a fix?

It's short-term, sad, and desperate.

Overstated for effect but maybe we're in that general area.

WHF, can I insist that in future the tone of your replies continue in the same dramatic vein as the crack whore comparison?
Although there are many good responses on here, yours was just the type of reply to make me look twice...more please, the seedier the better, we're now in the gutter where decision making is concerned so probably deserve an equally lurid comparison.

 

[Guesty]

Which is why it wasn't in bold.

Indeed, wasn't you I was correcting!

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

WHF, can I insist that in future the tone of your replies continue in the same dramatic vein as the crack whore comparison?
Although there are many good responses on here, yours was just the type of reply to make me look twice...more please, the seedier the better, we're now in the gutter where decision making is concerned so probably deserve an equally lurid comparison.

Hmmm. It is quite early for that sort of talk isn't it?

(I toned it down as well.)

 

[Blade56]

Just heard Kazarre13 and Bergen Blade have put their applications in. Don't shoot the messenger because i know rumours can get shot down on here

What about SwissBlade, you not up for applying?

 

[itsinyerblood]

Hmmm. It is quite early for that sort of talk isn't it?

(I toned it down as well.)

Toning down is, of course, acceptable in order to reach the right tone. Tone is everything, at least for myself, but the realities of football are 24/7 so any time's a good time for a topic so fundamental to the future of our club. A soupcon of Elmore Leonard style grit fits perfectly, more please.

 

[Blade56]

reckon Bergen could do a great job actually

Bergen aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhtttttttt

 

[judge]

In this scenario how is the club any different from a crack whore pimping herself round a pub car park seeking a fix?

It's short-term, sad, and desperate.

Overstated for effect but maybe we're in that general area.

what effect ?
The effect that your body is covered in estrogen patches ?

 

[Blade56]

I See Derby have sacked McClaren I hope we dont get another Derby reject

Yeh, don't see the press crucifying Derby with mcclaren sacked for failing to win promotion headlines only winning 2 in the past 13. He was in the job for less time than NN was with us

 

[wizadry]

What about SwissBlade, you not up for applying?

I don't know the swizzler that well at all but I'm pretty sure he's not foreign mate

 

[Blade56]

I don't know the swizzler that well at all but I'm pretty sure he's not foreign mate

SwissBlade , I had a mental picture of you up a mountainside in a trilby with a feather wearing a lederhose and leaning on a long trumpet thing that I don't know the name of whilst posting on S24SU

 

[Houston_Blade]

3 issues from me around the sacking:

1) I have absolutely no confidence that the board can appoint a decent manager to improve our fortunes. We will end up compromising as believe it or not we are not Real Madrid and do not have the endless resources that people seem to think we have.

The track record suggests that the board are clueless when it comes to managerial appointments since Warnock and I can't see the fact that Jim Phipps (someone with business experience but not football experience) being part of the decision making process will change this at all.

I just can't trust the people who thought Bryan Robson was a good manager to make a decent decision ever again.

2) To pay off Nige and his boys must have cost the thick end of £500k, given that they wouldn't join us until compensation from Derby was sorted they aren't going to walk away for tuppence and a handshake. This is £500k that would have been better spent elsewhere and as a league one club we cannot keep writing a years management team salary off each time we don't get promoted. I would be interested to know what we have paid out in compensation post Warnock and this should be chalked up to McCabe as a "cost of failure" in appointing poor managers over the last 7/8 years.

3) No responsibility taken from the board on past problems. Now if I want some cash at work for capex spend or staff recruitment I have a build a business case for the CFO to sign off. Presumably the signings made by various managers over the years will have had the same level of scrutiny, however no culpability has ever been present from a board perspective.

 

[cooperblade]

We cannot possibly offer anyone more than a 12 month contract now. The board have made it very clear, you get one chance at promotion and if you don't achieve it, you're out.


What is the incentive for any Sheffield United manager to now try and build for the future? You spot a Che Adams but what's the point in signing him? You need short-term, guaranteed 1 season fixes. No point worrying about next season, you won't be here unless you get promotion in this season.


Nearly all of our current problems stem from an overly short-term approach but we've done it again.


Also, we've exacerbated the problems we've created ourselves by getting the timing horribly wrong yet again - why wait 2 weeks? How can we end up behind Swindon in terms of planning?


When you piss off the sensible majority of fans (e.g. the 66ish% who wanted Clough to stay) then you're on very shaky ground as a football club.


Terrible decision and very little chance of making a good appointment to put it right. The next manager market on Sky is a list of massive gambles (Warburton, Deane), absolute disasters (Parkinson, Ferguson) and never going to happen in a million years (joint 6th favourite is Allardyce!).

 

[super_pig]

I don't know the swizzler that well at all but I'm pretty sure he's not foreign mate

he's most definitely English

 

[Revolution]

3 issues from me around the sacking:

1) I have absolutely no confidence that the board can appoint a decent manager to improve our fortunes. We will end up compromising as believe it or not we are not Real Madrid and do not have the endless resources that people seem to think we have.

The track record suggests that the board are clueless when it comes to managerial appointments since Warnock and I can't see the fact that Jim Phipps (someone with business experience but not football experience) being part of the decision making process will change this at all.

I just can't trust the people who thought Bryan Robson was a good manager to make a decent decision ever again.

2) To pay off Nige and his boys must have cost the thick end of £500k, given that they wouldn't join us until compensation from Derby was sorted they aren't going to walk away for tuppence and a handshake. This is £500k that would have been better spent elsewhere and as a league one club we cannot keep writing a years management team salary off each time we don't get promoted. I would be interested to know what we have paid out in compensation post Warnock and this should be chalked up to McCabe as a "cost of failure" in appointing poor managers over the last 7/8 years.

3) No responsibility taken from the board on past problems. Now if I want some cash at work for capex spend or staff recruitment I have a build a business case for the CFO to sign off. Presumably the signings made by various managers over the years will have had the same level of scrutiny, however no culpability has ever been present from a board perspective.

This articulates my thoughts almost exactly.

Though one thing I do hope for is that Clough gets a new job asap. Because then it's going to be easy to offload excess players and recoup some of our losses from the compensation package, as he's sure to want a few of them. Another small plus is that Steve Davies likely won't be bothering the Bramall Lane treatment room next season.