"Keep in touch until January"

[Revolution]

We have not missed out on either Hammond or Burn. They are still Nigel's primary targets. He believes they will make a real difference.

Fulham won't let Burn go yet. He is presently the only back-up to their first choice centre-backs Ream and Stearman. When Hutchinson and Budurov get fit it is likely to be a different matter.

Nigel wants Hammond on loan with a permanent deal in place for January. Leicester want a different arrangement.

It may well be that we have to wait until January for both. Nigel is willing to do that because he wants particular players not Anyoldfucker and Eeldofanow. It has absolutely nothing to do with money. We were and are willing to spend money on both.

"Jimmy White's Deadline Day Army."

We have tried to get both of them and so far we have failed. That is missing out in most peoples book.

It seems they will not come before January, if at all. Logic would suggest that we might want to improve the midfield or central defence, and that there might be one or two players in the EU who, whilst not world beaters like Hammond or Burn, might be just a tad better than what we have for a couple of months.

Our strategy, however, appears to be to cross our fingers. Oh well.

 

[robbiez666]

Or maybe Adkins doesn't want to do that and it's not a board decision?

true, all we can do is speculate.

 

[alcoblade]

We have tried to get both of them and so far we have failed. That is missing out in most peoples book.

It seems they will not come before January, if at all. Logic would suggest that we might want to improve the midfield or central defence, and that there might be one or two players in the EU who, whilst not world beaters like Hammond or Burn, might be just a tad better than what we have for a couple of months.

Our strategy, however, appears to be to cross our fingers. Oh well.

Whilst I'm all for the manager waiting some time for the right targets, I have to question if we're waiting too long. I'd be concerned about getting someone in half way through a season who's not being playing competitively for so long. And as we see on a weekly basis, the current midfield is simply miles off.

I'd also prefer to see us targeting young hungry players doing it in this division, now. It's got to be the more sustainable option.

But we don't know the true story regarding finances. And I'm "happy" to trust a manager who's an achiever.

UTB

 

[sheffielder]

Considering that ADkins says openly we have to get up this season, is he the one who really wants to wait?

 

[Esablade]

Sorry Esa, thought you meant he'd just quoted it this morning.

I knew about the original statement from Jimbob

As I have said in a previous thread, every time Jimbob makes such a statement, I can't help thinking there's always two different ways of looking at it and could have a double meaning

Think we're all in the same boat re Jim's statements but personally I'm glad he's doing this role as link between club and fans, I prefer the attempt at communication ( with all its faults) to silence...at least it gives fans summat to speculate on and goes some way to clarity re: transfers and the like...just depends what we each choose to believe it not..

UTB!

 

[alcoblade]

If / when everyone's fit, we have a squad of 30 + which needs trimming before we can reasonably bring anyone in of the type he's alledgedly looking at i.e. players from a higher level. The trouble we have is offloading the likes of Cuvelier and Wallace. I suspect January will be as much about outs initially to keep us within the pesky rules.

I can't see there being many outs. Too much dross for whom the next move is nowhere near as good as Sheffield United.

UTB

 

[Ricky]

It wouldn't be so bad if there was any guarantee whatsoever that we will spend in January. But it would still be bad enough. We're basically wilfully writing off half a season when we really need to go up this season from a poor division. You'd think after four consecutive failures they wouldn't be quite so complacent.

 

[alcoblade]

Up the Blades. Nothing until Jan. Time to back the lads and see where it takes us.

"Nothing until Jan" - has that been actually quoted?

UTB

 

[metalblade]

I see the old FFP has raised it's ugly head again on this thread if it is an issue (which I don't think it is for a minute) then why don't we loan some young players who are currently not getting much game time at premiership clubs ? they do NOT count towards the FFP. Other clubs in league one do it with some success, MK franchise got promotion doing it last season why is there a culture of we can't do it at the lane ?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I can't see there being many outs. Too much dross for whom the next move is nowhere near as good as Sheffield United.

UTB

and that's the problem. If he can't reduce the wage bill then he won't be able to bring in who he wants, it's not about what the Board are or aren't freeing up in terms of funds.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I'd also prefer to see us targeting young hungry players doing it in this division, now. It's got to be the more sustainable option.

Too right. Matt Done being the stand-out example of how it can work. I'd love us to sign Sam Morsy, in particular.

Personally, I'm OK now about waiting till January. It's taken away the daily obsessing about "will we? won't we?" & replaced it with an acceptance with getting by with what we've got until the window reopens. Based on the buying of Brayford/Done/Coutts/Freeman last January, we can be pretty confident that money will be spent in January.

Is it the right strategy? Probably not, but it does seem to be the agreed strategy. And Done's back, with Brayford to come.

Upwards & onwards.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I see the old FFP has raised it's ugly head again on this thread if it is an issue (which I don't think it is for a minute) then why don't we loan some young players who are currently not getting much game time at premiership clubs ? they do NOT count towards the FFP. Other clubs in league one do it with some success, MK franchise got promotion doing it last season why is there a culture of we can't do it at the lane ?

I've said it's more to do with losing money than FFP limits several times. Blaming FFP is sexier for some though, especially those who think the club is in profit.
Adkins signings to date seem to indicate he wants experience though. Hammond being another example.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

'Oh and we now have more, Jim Phipps has just tweeted - "100% of the transfer fee will be instantly made available to Nigel Adkins"

So according to 'big Jim'..yes...I guess the key words are 'will be instantly made available'...I doubt we've received 100% as yet so guess Adkins has received nothing of the Murphy cash as of now...still, he should be able to plan and bring his targets in now knowing that 100% of this cash will be available to him...it's a puzzle isn't it?

Any transfer is carried out in installments . Perhaps we are waiting for a lump sum payment in January . Thats why JP is saying it will be instantly avaiuable . Hammond and Burn seem to be Adkins main targets , but whilst we wait there is always the chance that other clubs who want to strenghen in the JTW , beat us to it.

The Rochdale game yesterday still highlighted IMO were we require strenghening , and we are still in a position were we will most likley drop points against teams on paper we should get 3.

Its a high risk strategy the club are playing , and if you know the money is going to land in the bank account , it would be better to speculate and accumilate now . Its ok saying we are only 5 ponts adrift of the top two , but in January this will no doubt will be more . Having a big squad is great , but we are short of game changing players to come in the side to cover for , loss of form , injuries , suspensions.

Adkins is not a poker player , he deals in facts , therfore for the life of me , i cannot understand why we dont bring in the players now. Could the reason be we aint got any spare dosh, or both clubs want a loan deal , then permanent signing , and we are just unsure , we cannot afford it if we fail to go up.

Catch 22 situation , but it is not helping the team , Adkins or us , when all and sundry know these players in question could be the differance between success and failure

UTB

 

[Tezza1889]

So were rattling on about ffp again...

Dunno what's happening at qpr, cause they haven't been demoted yet to div 4 as far as I know and they basically whipped thier dick out n pissed on those rules.

No guys, it's about the board not wanting to spend, trying to fluke it on the cheap again, me, I'd have brought burn in straight away and had the benefit before Fulham recalled him, same with Hammond, maybe we wanted a concrete agreement that put the other clubs off, because they wanted to just get the player some game time...

I'm pretty sure Adkins would have taken them for any amout of time on loan, but I think the club have made him tow the line about January, and making em permanent....

Anyway, I'm sure a lot of blades have said in the past they'd settle for 4/3 thrillers and the like, instead of grinding out a one niller at home, happy dayz, keep the faith, up the blades....

 

[Barney]

Whatever the curcumstances, and without going into a full blown essay slating the board (I could), you can't say this wasn't entirely predictable.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Whatever the curcumstances, and without going into a full blown essay slating the board (I could), you can't say this wasn't entirely predictable.

Go on, you know you want too. And will, at some point today.

 

[Barney]

Go on, you know you want too. And will, at some point today.

Ever considered clairvoyance as a potential occupation?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Ever considered clairvoyance as a potential occupation?

Ever thought of not posting the same thing, day in day out?

Hold on, I'm getting a message through from my Native American spirit guide.... He says no, you haven't.

 

[PeteBlade]

You couldn't see a postage stamp on an envelope...

Oh look, Punchy's back. Been a bit quiet recently. Not mouthing off quite as much.
I wonder why that is?

 

[James Boreman]

People would still trot out the "trying to do it on the cheap" even if we were in Manchester City's position. It's pretty obvious we've spent a lot for a league one side. Also some people saying we're writing off the first half of the season, 5 points off top doesn't seem much of a write off to me.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

...we've been around 6th in L1 for five years or so years...fans are going to discuss why on a football forum...to do otherwise would be truly pathetic...

Except there's very little discussion - just an endless series of attacks some of which are utterly disgusting, many of which are baseless, and, given that we're propped up by £5m per season of personal wealth, all of which, istm, come from a position of ludicrous entitlement.

Fwiw I do think the club has questions to answer re the Murphy money: we got a good price, we were told the money would go towards the first team, and it looks an awful lot like that hasn't happened.

It's the journalists job to ask these questions and they haven't.

Ranting about how crap everyone and everything is might be therapeutic to the individuals concerned but it does nothing to advance the cause of the club, in fact it may eventually do serious harm.

 

[BushBlade]

People would still trot out the "trying to do it on the cheap" even if we were in Manchester City's position. It's pretty obvious we've spent a lot for a league one side. Also some people saying we're writing off the first half of the season, 5 points off top doesn't seem much of a write off to me.

It depends what happens from now til then though. Maybe NA thinks he get get us through with the squad we've got and we'll still be in the running come January. Maybe he's right.

The risk is that we won't, that better teams will take advantage of our weaknesses more than Rochdale did.

At present, we've struggled to put out a regular back four or midfield four. Perhaps NA thinks we're almost there, that's he almost found the right combination.

Or maybe it's just the board see it that they've spent plenty already and for what they're paying in wages the players should be good enough to get us up.

 

[Barney]

Oh look, Punchy's back. Been a bit quiet recently. Not mouthing off quite as much.
I wonder why that is?

I remember him oh so confidently predicting that Jamie Murphy's time at Brighton would be an utter failure.

I wonder how they're getting on....

He can, atleast, add it to the legendary prediction of automatic promotion under David Weir.

 

[PeteBlade]

I remember him oh so confidently predicting that Jamie Murphy's time at Brighton would be an utter failure.

I wonder how they're getting on....

He can, atleast, add it to the legendary prediction of automatic promotion under David Weir.

He also slagged off anyone who suggested that all wasn't rosy after we put together that 4 game winning streak earlier on in the season.

Very mouthy for someone so regularly wrong about most things he discusses.

Punch drunk.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

"Nothing until Jan" - has that been actually quoted?

UTB

I think they've come pretty close. Unless something remarkable turns up, it looks like this is the position till Jan.

The thread title comes from the interview after Rochdale I think, and without being totally explicit it's far and away the most reasonable interpretation I reckon.

 

[MobileBlade]

So were rattling on about ffp again...

Dunno what's happening at qpr, cause they haven't been demoted yet to div 4 as far as I know and they basically whipped thier dick out n pissed on those rules.

No guys, it's about the board not wanting to spend, trying to fluke it on the cheap again, me, I'd have brought burn in straight away and had the benefit before Fulham recalled him, same with Hammond, maybe we wanted a concrete agreement that put the other clubs off, because they wanted to just get the player some game time...

I'm pretty sure Adkins would have taken them for any amout of time on loan, but I think the club have made him tow the line about January, and making em permanent....

Anyway, I'm sure a lot of blades have said in the past they'd settle for 4/3 thrillers and the like, instead of grinding out a one niller at home, happy dayz, keep the faith, up the blades....

Nah they were just fined £8 million and that was after the chairman and other shareholders wrote off £60 million so that the losses were "only" £9.7 million. Even with Sky money, £77.7 million for one season in the Premier League? Honestly?

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Sheffield United

They never change. As a wise man once said "same owd, same owd"

 

[longinthe toothblade]

Why will we have money in January and not now? Planning on selling someone?

We probably do have the money now, but it's just the case that we want to spend as little of it as we can. It's the Blades philosophy isn't it? Muggle through best we can / do the best with what we have / add a bit here and a bit there / and, if we get the right off [usually anything over a million] sell anybody that's really any good.

Far as I can see, It's been the same for the last 51 years [since I started watching them] and a lot longer as far as my old man [very old man] is concerned.

Frustrating or what and moreover, bad business on the part of Mr Mc and the board. How many times over the last 10 years have we managed to snatch defeat [in promotional terms] from the jaws of victory?

UTBs

 

[longinthe toothblade]

Up the Blades. Nothing until Jan. Time to back the lads and see where it takes us.

What else can we do?

 

[Blade58]

What else can we do?

cry