CONFIRMED Nigel Adkins is announced as new Sheffield United Manager

[Bladesman]

Interesting, very interesting...

What do you reckon, chaps? Is this a come n get me message?

http://m.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/...-return-says/story-26584578-detail/story.html

Link seems to be broken for me but I found it: http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.u...-return-says/story-26584578-detail/story.html

NIGEL Adkins, the former Scunthorpe United boss, has spoken of his desire to manage again in the Premier League.

The 50-year-old - who is among the favourites to take charge of League One Sheffield United as a replacement for Nigel Clough - says he has enjoyed his spell out of the game, but is looking forward to his next challenge.

"I loved my time with Southampton and the Premier League is where I want to be," said Adkins, speaking to the Daily Express after being unveiled as an Ambassador for the Football Foundation.

"When you're young and ambitious, that's the level you want to get to.


"I'm utilising my time to keep developing myself in all aspects of leadership.

"I've been in work since the age of 16 and apart from a short spell out of work, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time out of management.

"I have been doing something travelling. I went to the USA to watch football, basketball and baseball.

"I have been broadening my horizons. I feel fit and fresh and I'm looking forward to the next managerial challenge should it come along."

Adkins, who twice won promotion as boss of Scunthorpe, has been out of management since being axed by Championship outfit Reading just before Christmas.

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

This Hoofy football is a myth . You have to know what you are doing . Even the top sides play hoofy football.

"Hoof" is a concept at one end of a spectrum of styles where the approach is set out as the default method of playing a game.

"Hoof" is where the decision to repeatedly launch the ball into the opponents danger area is made prior to the kick-off, not during the game - regardless of the best passing opportunities that might arise in any game situation. And in defensive positions, a constructive passing move out is forbidden too - "get it away quick and far, you aren't Beckenbauer" is the default modus operandi.

The alternative extreme of the style spectrum, lets call it "ultra-tip-tap" would be to pass the ball endlessly like a game of "piggy in the middle" - end result of "perfect" tip-tap game: 100% possession and probably 0-0.

Top sides NEVER play "hoof", nor do they play "ultra-tip-tap" - at either extreme of that spectrum. Top managers set teams up to adapt accordingly, and top players will make better decisions on what pass is required (Hoof doesn't involve "passing"). Sometimes that'll be direct play, sometimes crab-passing. It's the ability to adapt, and make the right choice when the choice is needed that makes them top teams/players/managers etc.

Usually in good teams, it only even looks like Hoof because they're just playing crap, not because Hoof was their approach.

Having the best players will generally move a team towards the tip-tap extreme naturally (but never get there), without a plan to head there.

What Pinchy dreads (and me too, if I'm honest) is a manager whose default approach is one very near to the Hoof end of the spectrum, where the game is played on a percentage basis. Not least cos it's crap to watch generally, but also because it's rarely a long-term winning formula, and only a way of trying to even out physique against real skill, or out-bully another Hoof team.

To be successful at the Ultra-Tip-Tap end you need the best players in the world... because most other teams will be somewhere in the middle of the spectrum with an element of physicality only beaten by supreme skill.
To be successful right at the Hoof end, you need 11 x 6' 7" monsters and referees born in 1888.


My observations of the amount of "hoof versus tip-tap" in teams I've watched would be something like this (I hope this comes out right) - and it's clear which side of the spectrum tends towards success (but doesn't guarantee it).

Maximise:

<--Hoof-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Tip-Tap"-->

John Beck
Dave Bassett (Wimbledon)
Bassett (Blades 88-1992)
Graham Taylor (watford)
Bassett 1993+
Jack Charlton
Howard Wilkinson
Sam Allardyce (Bolton)
Warnock
Sam Allardyce (West Ham)
Gary Monk
Danny Wilson
Arsene Wenger
Pep Guardiola
almost any Liverpool team
Ariggo Sacchi (Milan)
Alex Ferguson
Jose Mourinho
Mancini
David Moyes
Spurs


Edit: Well that didn't work.... maybe I'll create a graphic...

 

[oldblade]

My only concern is that he's already won four promotions. That's a lot when you think how few have won more. And he's won three from L1. How many managers get promoted from the same division four times?

Simon Grayson has done precisely that.

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

This any good?

<--Hoof-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Tip-Tap"-->

----John Beck
------------Dave Bassett (Wimbledon)
----------------------Bassett (Blades 88-1992)
------------------Graham Taylor (watford)
-----------------------------Bassett 1993+
-----Jack Charlton
-------------Howard Wilkinson
--------------------Sam Allardyce (Bolton)
----------------------------------------Warnock
----------------------------------------------------Sam Allardyce (West Ham)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gary Monk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Danny Wilson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsene Wenger
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pep Guardiola
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------almost any Liverpool team
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ariggo Sacchi (Milan)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Alex Ferguson
------------------------------------------------------------------------Jose Mourinho
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mancini
---------------------------David Moyes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Spurs

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

This any good?

Probably only in Chromium/Chrome browser - clearly didn't work in Firefox as it seems to limit the width of the text panel whereas Chromium doesn't...... and I can't tell what it looks like in Internet Destroyer.....

Bugger.... well, you'll just have to follow the lines that wrap-round!!!!

 

[Bergen Blade]

Adkins sharing some details on his tactics: http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/adkins-tactics-240114-1314126.aspx

 

[Darthblade]

I wish people would stop slagging off our local journos. They work hard to provide local news and aren't paid much at all for it. Presumably they have a code of practice with regard to sources, and don't just "make things up" as some people imply. Giddings, Shield and co may not be "in the know" but I bet they know more than us. At the very least, they'll have the phone numbers of the likely candidates and have official and unofficial contacts at the heart of the club.

The Star and Radio Sheffield work on shoestring budgets and their employees have a thankless task, and we'd miss them if they vanished. Imagine if we had to rely on the Yorkshire Post and BBC Leeds for our news.

Indeed ....... if the Pig Star and radio Pig disappeared I would be really hard up for information on the Pigs Pitch or the Pigs latest takeover ......
Both these "institutions" have been Pig biased for as long as I can remember, in fact I'm amazed that the green 'un wasn't renamed the blue 'un !!
Neither would be any loss ......
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

People who slag Radio Sheffield cant have heard any local football coverage from other BBC stations across the UK - they are streets ahead of the rest and for me it's outstanding. Shield is a decent chap as well.

Shield is so far up the Board's ar*e that he has to ask if it's daytime or night .....
UTB & FTP

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

Adkins sharing some details on his tactics: http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/adkins-tactics-240114-1314126.aspx

Interesting that the defensive tactic there for getting back possession is to force a "hoof" approach from their keeper (and I'd guess applies to defenders) because it's not as good for the opponents as letting them keep possession.
"It becomes a sharing ball". Quite. And something we couldn't really do very well last last season.

 

[alcoblade]

"Hoof" is a concept at one end of a spectrum of styles where the approach is set out as the default method of playing a game.

"Hoof" is where the decision to repeatedly launch the ball into the opponents danger area is made prior to the kick-off, not during the game - regardless of the best passing opportunities that might arise in any game situation. And in defensive positions, a constructive passing move out is forbidden too - "get it away quick and far, you aren't Beckenbauer" is the default modus operandi.

The alternative extreme of the style spectrum, lets call it "ultra-tip-tap" would be to pass the ball endlessly like a game of "piggy in the middle" - end result of "perfect" tip-tap game: 100% possession and probably 0-0.

Top sides NEVER play "hoof", nor do they play "ultra-tip-tap" - at either extreme of that spectrum. Top managers set teams up to adapt accordingly, and top players will make better decisions on what pass is required (Hoof doesn't involve "passing"). Sometimes that'll be direct play, sometimes crab-passing. It's the ability to adapt, and make the right choice when the choice is needed that makes them top teams/players/managers etc.

Usually in good teams, it only even looks like Hoof because they're just playing crap, not because Hoof was their approach.

Having the best players will generally move a team towards the tip-tap extreme naturally (but never get there), without a plan to head there.

What Pinchy dreads (and me too, if I'm honest) is a manager whose default approach is one very near to the Hoof end of the spectrum, where the game is played on a percentage basis. Not least cos it's crap to watch generally, but also because it's rarely a long-term winning formula, and only a way of trying to even out physique against real skill, or out-bully another Hoof team.

To be successful at the Ultra-Tip-Tap end you need the best players in the world... because most other teams will be somewhere in the middle of the spectrum with an element of physicality only beaten by supreme skill.
To be successful right at the Hoof end, you need 11 x 6' 7" monsters and referees born in 1888.


My observations of the amount of "hoof versus tip-tap" in teams I've watched would be something like this (I hope this comes out right) - and it's clear which side of the spectrum tends towards success (but doesn't guarantee it).

Maximise:

<--Hoof-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Tip-Tap"-->

John Beck
Dave Bassett (Wimbledon)
Bassett (Blades 88-1992)
Graham Taylor (watford)
Bassett 1993+
Jack Charlton
Howard Wilkinson
Sam Allardyce (Bolton)
Warnock
Sam Allardyce (West Ham)
Gary Monk
Danny Wilson
Arsene Wenger
Pep Guardiola
almost any Liverpool team
Ariggo Sacchi (Milan)
Alex Ferguson
Jose Mourinho
Mancini
David Moyes
Spurs


Edit: Well that didn't work.... maybe I'll create a graphic...

Have a like and a quote

Absolutely spot on. The only thing missing is that "hoof" is attached as a label by some to anyone challenging ultra tip tap.

Of course, there's so much in between as you so well describe.

UTB

 

[WhiteHawk]

maybe having a shot once every 30 minutes (correct me if I'm wrong, I've not been able to see much league one football recently).

They scored 101 goals in the league. I'll take that please.

 

[Dkc]

Indeed ....... if the Pig Star and radio Pig disappeared I would be really hard up for information on the Pigs Pitch or the Pigs latest takeover ......
Both these "institutions" have been Pig biased for as long as I can remember, in fact I'm amazed that the green 'un wasn't renamed the blue 'un !!
Neither would be any loss ......
UTB & FTP

Serious question. Do the grunters think the Star and local BBC radio, not to mention the council, are equally biased against them?

 

[brownie4583]

This any good?

<--Hoof-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Tip-Tap"-->

----John Beck
------------Dave Bassett (Wimbledon)
----------------------Bassett (Blades 88-1992)
------------------Graham Taylor (watford)
-----------------------------Bassett 1993+
-----Jack Charlton
-------------Howard Wilkinson
--------------------Sam Allardyce (Bolton)
----------------------------------------Warnock
----------------------------------------------------Sam Allardyce (West Ham)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Gary Monk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Danny Wilson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsene Wenger
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pep Guardiola
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------almost any Liverpool team
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ariggo Sacchi (Milan)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Alex Ferguson
------------------------------------------------------------------------Jose Mourinho
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mancini
---------------------------David Moyes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Spurs

The interesting thing here is that the only real success we have had in the last 26 years is with Bassett(2 promotions)and Warnock(1 promotion),who are both at the hoof end of the scale!
No success with Robson,Wier,Clough etc who are pretty much at the tip tap end of the scale.What do you think Pinchy?

 

[alcoblade]

The interesting thing here is that the only real success we have had in the last 26 years is with Bassett(2 promotions)and Warnock(1 promotion),who are both at the hoof end of the scale!
No success with Robson,Wier,Clough etc who are pretty much at the tip tap end of the scale.

What do you think Pinchy?

 

[raul]

View attachment 11851

That's ace, wherever did you find it???

 

[alcoblade]

That's ace, wherever did you find it???

I'm original like that. Not!

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

The interesting thing here is that the only real success we have had in the last 26 years is with Bassett(2 promotions)and Warnock(1 promotion),who are both at the hoof end of the scale!
No success with Robson,Wier,Clough etc who are pretty much at the tip tap end of the scale.What do you think Pinchy?

We also got relegated under Bassett and Warnock ... and Adams. If it/they really were "successful" that wouldn't have happened.


And Warnock's success with us came when he stumbled upon, or built (depending on your perspective) a very good midfield (Tonge, Brown, McCall, Ndlovu) that used the ball more constructively than his previous teams had done to start with, and were at times good to watch too (and at times dire)...

Bassett was also successful when English football wasn't so "enriched" with foreign talent that was generally far and away better than the players that made up the English game in the 80s and early 90s that Bassett's teams were a part of. I think a Bassett Wimbledon team now would struggle to get further than bottom of 2nd tier.

The game is considerably different now. In the 50s there'd have been no debate here, almost all English football was some degree of hoofy....

Alardyce's West Ham style was nothing like as hoofy as his Bolton days because of the way the standard has risen... Stoke have gotten so far with it, and no further, and have developed away from Pulis' style.

(incidentally, what do we mean when we say "the standard" has risen? - without being too specific, I'm pretty sure we're talking about greater ball skills, shooting skills, passing skills etc, that are needed for more sophisticated, less hoofy football).


......and then Wigan came from lower than United have ever been, as did Burnley (twice), and Portsmouth, and Swansea, and Hull City and Cardiff, and Bournemouth, and... and they didn't rely on default-hoofy at all.


I think it's pretty clear that emphasis in one direction is no longer appropriate the higher you get, and the best approach is to have the best players, with a tactically astute manager and good coaches... and I'll bet you my mortgage that when that happens, the natural course of development of a team is towards a style that fans view as tip-tap rather than a hoofy approach (without that necessarily being the intention - it evolves that way).

 

[Aston max]

Latest odds

View attachment 11823

Robinson rumour in Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sheffield-united-eyeing-karl-robinson-5762827

How dare they have Bruce on that list that's worse than warnock

 

[Pollingtonblade]

How dare they have Bruce on that list that's worse than warnock

I wouldn't believe a word in that vile rag!

 

[Bladesman]

I wouldn't believe a word in that vile rag!

It's still decent chip paper though.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

If it is Adkins, how many days after it's announced do people reckon it'll be before a Reading fan* comes on here and posts at length about how he's been a big failure with them? I reckon 12 hours.

*who in future is referred to as "That Reading Fan", following the tradition continued by "That Derby Fan" and begun by "That Bury Fan"

 

[stringjunior]

If it is Adkins, how many days after it's announced do people reckon it'll be before a Reading fan* comes on here and posts at length about how he's been a big failure with them? I reckon 12 hours.

*who in future is referred to as "That Reading Fan", following the tradition continued by "That Derby Fan" and begun by "That Bury Fan"

Don't forget that spurs fan. I liked him though

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

Don't forget that spurs fan. I liked him though

Ahem... "those spurs fans" if you don't mind.

 

[judge]

I dont know about which style is more succesful but i know which managers had me out of my seat and which had me nodding off in it

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Ahem... "those spurs fans" if you don't mind.

The revelation that I actually quite liked and respected Spurs and their fans on this Forum, ironically while they were busy beating us in the semi-finals, was one of the highlights of the season... and that's a terrible reflection of the season in all truth. (With all due respect to the Spurs)

 

[brownie4583]

I dont know about which style is more succesful but i know which managers had me out of my seat and which had me nodding off in it

The hoofers had you out of your seat?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

That's ace, wherever did you find it???

He lives near Pinchy

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

I dont know about which style is more succesful but i know which managers had me out of my seat and which had me nodding off in it

Interesting Point:

Out of Seat managers:

John Harris
Ken Furphy
Dave Bassett
Neil Warnock
Spackman/Donachie
Clough season 1-later stages
WIlson season 1
Porterfield season 1


Nodded Off managers:

Adams
Porterfield - remainder
Clough season 2
Blackwell,Blackwell and Blackwell (sorry, so ugly his game it needed saying 3 times).
Wilson season 2
McEwan


Managers like Jimmy Sirrell, Bruce, Happy Harry, Kendall were a mixed bag of style and entertainment value....


overall the relationship is pretty mixed.

 

[brownie4583]

We played some decent stuff under Spackman and Kendall

 

[yuley82]

Apparently Adkins to be appointed tomorrow!!