Expectation levels

[Barney]

I do question the open nature of Adkins when he says he wants to get promoted this season. Don't get me wrong, i love the positivity and the ambition for once and it's a pleasant change from negative Nigel but i do think it's gone from one extreme to another.

I think Clough's attitude at the start of last season was right in that he kept reserved with regard to promotion, however he got it massively wrong in that he followed that up with negativity and all round poor management, leading to our failure IMO.

I think if Adkins had gone with the same approach at the start of this season as NC did at the start of last season, but then he follows it up through this season with positivity and good management as I think he will, we will have less pressure on ourselves and from the media and whoever else, so it just makes it easier and inevitably performances would be of a higher standard.

Let me be clear, I commend Adkins for his spirit and determination and this is in no way a dig at him or his attitude in any way, I love his confidence and his drive to succeed. I'm just simply making the case that I wouldn't personally add unnecessary pressure to an already highly pressurised environment.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Maybe he just see's Sheffield United entering their 5th season in league one and like most fans think it absolutely unacceptable for us to not bulldoze this league. Good on him

 

[bornablade]

From my experience the words and thoughts you say and think usually ends up becoming reality.

I want to hear Adkins say nothing else but we are going up as Champions . And while we are on a 'United' front I want the rest of us to say and think exactly the same.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Adkins is almost the opposite of Clough in his manner at media interviews. Clough was dour but down to earth, transparent to a fault and very touchy and prickly. Dare I say that up to now I find the smooth Adkins a bit of a "pleaser" and a little bit "sugary" for Sheffield audiences but it's early days and let's hope he backs it all up with performances; he'll need to! Only first impressions.

He'll settle down in due course and he will remember that northern audiences are different to those south of Watford Gap! He was at Scunny after all. Win games and he can say anything, lose them and nothing gets past.

Not at all sure about Twitter posts. Might have to sign up though.

 

[grafikhaus]

Adkins is leading from the front and fair play to him. Success starts at the top and NA has - rightly - laid down a marker early. As for 'expectations', 'pressure' etc. I absolutely trust the fans to approach this season in the same way we have become accustomed to. Expect very little and be surprised if any success comes our way.

 

[blade too long]

I expect us first and foremost to compete, and to be at least a match for any club in the division , after that its down to hard work and determintion.
There will be losses , the trick is minimising them

 

[Jan Age]

It's quite easy:
(set high performing targets + communicating them clearly) x effective coaching strategies = high performing team.

Adkins has the first two parts of the equation boxed off.

Not one of our staff will be unsure of the target and therefore there will be no grey areas in the peliminary discussions and or any discussion moving forward.

 

[pommpey]

Hang on. Isn't it about what happens out there on the green stuff, not how media-savvy and upbeat Adkins is? Surely some point missed here?

So what you are basically saying is, we could be bummed endwards by Burton Albion 0-3 at home in front of a 21000 crowd, but as long as Nigel Adkins is cheerful and 'positive', we'll be happy as pigs in shit?

Je don't think so.

I'd take Sheff Utd beating most if not all teams and an automatic spot and (even) Clough or fucking Robson telling the press we were just not good enough to all this 'stay positive' psychobabble. The bottom line is if those eleven men out there don't perform (or are incapable of performing) at this level, a magician like Adkins won't be able to save us.

Board - buy some fucking players, not squad-fillers, eh?

pommpey

 

[mattbianco1]

I expect us first and foremost to compete, and to be at least a match for any club in the division

I feel the same as I did when Wilson was in charge.
as I did when Weir was in charge
as I did when Clough was in charge

We'll walk it !!!

 

[Jan Age]

Agreed it's about results but performance is driven by mindset.

If we have a manager that sets lower expectation levels (in any forum) then some players will take that as a way out and we will have a breeding ground for underperformance and will me more likely be shafted 3-0 away at Burton.

E.g Clough says 'we made good progress finishing 5th' ... Immediately makes the players think what they did was good. So next season 3rd is where we are at.

 

[pommpey]

I feel the same as I did when Wilson was in charge.
as I did when Weir was in charge
as I did when Clough was in charge

We'll walk it !!!

Me too:

Wilson: "What? Danny Wilson? The ex-pig player? Fucking hell. What are they playing at? Jesus. I suppose he isn't a bad manager ... and given some decent players with him getting them playing right ... and he does sometimes have teams playing to their strengths and ... if the board spend some money and ditch the Blackwell hoofers ... we should be back in the Championship in no time. We should walk this division ... "

Weir: "Hmmm. He's just come from Everton who were really good under Moyes. He should bring some decent Premiership experience and get the players playing to their strengths ... passing the ball ... moving forward down the flanks. As long as we don't sell any more decent players and replace the strike force we lost ... we should be back in the Championship in no time. We should walk this division ... "

Clough: "Fucking hell! What a bit of business! Take no notice of those Derby fans - they never liked the Clough name anyway since his dad went to Forest. He is a motivator ... he knows the game and is a wise feller. Mind you, he'll need the players and to build the squad. We've got no decent players to sell these days apart from Maguire and I can't see him going any where to be honest. As long as he is allowed to bring in players and get some momentum going we should be back in the Championship in no time. We should walk this division ... "

Adkins: "Yes! Brilliant appointment. Positive direction with a manager who has done it at this level. We should be back in the Championship in no time. We should walk this division ... "

pommpey

 

[mattbianco1]

16th June 2015 - mattbianco1 and pommpey agree on something!

 

[Grecian2000]

Oh for the days when Managers spent the summer recruiting players and getting the team ready for the coming season rather than talking bollocks and having it analysed to fucking death.
What's he said? Who cares? Matters not a jot compared to what he does. Relax, enjoy the Cricket, there's some Aussies on the horizon.

Expectation? The last bloke finished 5th and got sacked. If I'd just taken a job in those circumstances then I think I'd be expecting promotion or out.

 

[Silent Blade]

Board - buy some fucking players, not squad-fillers, eh?

Even if it meant breaking FFP rules?

 

[Woodwardfan]

Even if it meant breaking FFP rules?

Well I think Bournemouth did just that in L1 somehow.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Even if it meant breaking FFP rules?

Yes. Everybody else does

 

[Silent Blade]

Well I think Bournemouth did just that in L1 somehow.

Yes. Everybody else does

Have they been charged yet? What is happening with QPR's charge?

 

[bladesmanluke]

Have they been charged yet? What is happening with QPR's charge?

I can only assume that being a London club they'll get away with it.

Actually when I put it like that perhaps we shouldn't breach the rules else we'll be starting next season on minus one million points in the Meadowhall 6 aside league.

 

[Silent Blade]

I can only assume that being a London club they'll get away with it.

Actually when I put it like that perhaps we shouldn't breach the rules else we'll be starting next season on minus one million points in the Meadowhall 6 aside league.

I do think the FL will take action on QPR if it is proved that they are breaking the FFP rules and same for any other clubs. Wait and see

 

[Silent Blade]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/578136/QPR-Financial-Fair-Play

 

[coaxingstar71]

I do wish that managers and players would cut out all the 'what we're going to do' stuff but I suppose times have changed with the desire to have a constant stream of 'stories' coming from the club even when there isn't anything particular to say.

I would think Adkins HAS to keep quoting positively about getting promoted as presumably that was what the board appointed him to do so he can't very well say anything different.

Personally, I wouldn't complain if we didn't get promoted and he was given time to build the side to his liking as what with the current contracts, FFP, transfer target availability, funding etc - this could take some time. I'd be happy if he just has us playing more positively, with more intent and we can stand up to the more physical teams in the league.

I still think he's the best manager we could have hoped for and glad we're not going to appoint some jonny foreigner that no one's ever heard of, has no proven record and has had more clubs than Tiger Woods.

 

[Barney]

Maybe he just see's Sheffield United entering their 5th season in league one and like most fans think it absolutely unacceptable for us to not bulldoze this league. Good on him

I wonder where that mentality has got us over the past 4 years. This 'we're going to bulldoze this league because we're SUFC' attitude is the exact same attitude that teams like Fleetwood come to Bramall lane and thrive on. Let's try having a bit of respect for the teams around us for once and we actually might see ourselves in with a chance of automatic promotion.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I wonder where that mentality has got us over the past 4 years. This 'we're going to bulldoze this league because we're SUFC' attitude is the exact same attitude that teams like Fleetwood come to Bramall lane and thrive on. Let's try having a bit of respect for the teams around us for once and we actually might see ourselves in with a chance of automatic promotion.

First year we were blasting them all but the manager wasn't good enough to get us over the line.
Second year - same manager.
Third year - manager turns out not to be a manager, a manager has to step in to save us.
Fourth year - manager blasts no one.

I'd suggest blasting our way out of this league IS the way forward and let the Fleetwood's of this world lose sleep for a week because they have got to come to The Lane next Saturday and wonder how many they might ship.

Psychologically we could have every game won before we kick off..

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I still think he's the best manager we could have hoped for and glad we're not going to appoint some jonny foreigner that no one's ever heard of, has no proven record and has had more clubs than Tiger Woods.

That sounds like you're having a bit of a go at some club or other Coaxster?

 

[Barney]

First year we were blasting them all but the manager wasn't good enough to get us over the line.
Second year - same manager.
Third year - manager turns out not to be a manager, a manager has to step in to save us.
Fourth year - manager blasts no one.

I'd suggest blasting our way out of this league IS the way forward and let the Fleetwood's of this world lose sleep for a week because they have got to come to The Lane next Saturday and wonder how many they might ship.

Psychologically we could have every game won before we kick off..

Look at it however you want, the top and bottom of it is the fact that we have had that attitude for 4 years, and each time we have FAILED. I'm afraid teams like Fleetwood love coming to Bramall lane, they don't lose any sleep, it is the highlight of their season to play in front of more than 5k fans. It is their chance to come and humiliate the big club and sure enough they delivered last season.

 

[Barney]

I expect just as much as anyone that only promotion will do. Problem is if you look at our 30-man squad, 15 of them don't deserve to be there nor are they good enough to be there. We don't have the money to release the amount of shit we have on our hands and for that reason i just don't think we'll have enough money, let alone space in the squad, to ship the dross out and replace it with some quality for once.

 

[maidmarion]

Can you imagine Nigel Adkins being interviewed on getting the job and him saying that he's not going for promotion this season ? Not going to happen is it.
His job is to get us out of this league, therefore he has to say that that is what he is going to do.

I always think we're going to get promoted every season anyway ...

 

[metalblade]

I'm so glad we have appointed a manager who has promotions in league one and the championship on his CV, I think I'll give his thoughts more credence than those of Wilson, Weir and Clough. Still some people are never happy, we could have got a Portugese no mark in as manager in the hope he will be the next Mourinho

 

[blade too long]

this guy the Leppings Meadow pig farm dwellers have supposedly got , hes had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus
998–2000 Espinho
2000 Freamunde
2000–2001 Aves
2001–2003 Leixões
2003–2004 Vitória Setúbal
2004–2005 Belenenses
2006 Braga
2006–2007 Beira-Mar
2007–2008 Vitória Setúbal
2008 Asteras Tripoli
2009 Marítimo
2009–2010 Sporting CP
2011–2012 Beşiktaş
2012 İstanbul BB

hes won less than nothing of note , wtf are they hoping for , hes more the andre villas boas mode than mourinho, not one promotion

 

[bricktop]

I wonder where that mentality has got us over the past 4 years. This 'we're going to bulldoze this league because we're SUFC' attitude is the exact same attitude that teams like Fleetwood come to Bramall lane and thrive on. Let's try having a bit of respect for the teams around us for once and we actually might see ourselves in with a chance of automatic promotion.

We had that much respect for the teams around us that we did spend most of last season playing negative, defensive football with 1 up front.