''20 fit players is probably a bit on the heavy side''

[Davie Blade]

"It is not vital to go out and get new players in, We have a fit squad with 20 or 21 at the moment.''

"It is probably a bit on the heavy side so there might be one or two going to make way for maybe somebody coming in."

"If people have not been involved it is hard on them to play half a season and hardly get a kick so the first thing is a consideration of them to get them some football."


So if 20 is toppy why did you preside over a situation where you left one with 40 players and tons of crocks that was miles off a promotion side?

It is reading his quotes that makes me detest the clueless wanker even more.
What a effing legacy of multiple failed signings he has left.
Going to take NA a long time to clean up the mess.

 

[mosbolad]

Which 'clueless wanker' are you on about Davie Blade ? I have an idea but attributing quotes sometimes does help the hapless reader?

 

[nowtfancy]

" detest the clueless wanker ....

LOL, I know i shouldnt bite but I did think that if there was any downside to our little positive spurt its going to be a few people somehow using it to justify a 'look i told you clough was shit' .

I thought the record shows NC brought in less than he let go (or had to 'let go')?, and it certainly showed our performance improving, that'll do for me and I wish him every success at Burton.

UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

LOL, I know i shouldnt bite but I did think that if there was any downside to our little positive spurt its going to be a few people somehow using it to justify a 'look i told you clough was shit' .

I thought the record shows NC brought in less than he let go (or had to 'let go')?, and it certainly showed our performance improving, that'll do for me and I wish him every success at Burton.

UTB

And he also seemed to put players out on loan as well. His comments early into being at United were that he wanted a squad of 18-20 players.

I'm not entirely sure that having a load of injured players was his fault either. For example Cuvelier was injured when he arrived.

Wallace was a gamble which really hasn't paid off.

 

[alcoblade]

LOL, I know i shouldnt bite but I did think that if there was any downside to our little positive spurt its going to be a few people somehow using it to justify a 'look i told you clough was shit' .

I thought the record shows NC brought in less than he let go (or had to 'let go')?, and it certainly showed our performance improving, that'll do for me and I wish him every success at Burton.

UTB

I wish him every success at Burton, but back to us - a massive squad is a massive squad, whatever the number of incomings or outgoings ( I don't one how these stack up, but I'd be surprised if our squad shrunk under Clough)..

He was responsible for the size of our squad by the time he left. If it was far too large, then there were still too many incomings v outgoings.

UTB

 

[nowtfancy]

Peterborough had a bigger squad listed than us on Saturday.

I'm not saying our squad is right in either quality or quantity, just that it has become received wisdom that clough fucked us up by signing shit loads of shit players.
He didn't; he made us better than we were.

 

[alcoblade]

Peterborough had a bigger squad listed than us on Saturday.

I'm not saying our squad is right in either quality or quantity, just that it has become received wisdom that clough fucked us up by signing shit loads of shit players.
He didn't; he made us better than we were.

Including wages, he spent over £3,000,000 on one third division right back, for an example.

I'd argue that avoiding relegation to the 4th division was a bit of a gimme, given the circumstances.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

Including wages, he spent over £3,000,000 on one third division right back, for an example

UTB

Whilst both owners and their representatives allowed him to do so. Now we've got too many players (the same as we had at the end of the season). How did that happen?

 

[alcoblade]

Whilst both owners and their representatives allowed him to do so. Now we've got too many players (the same as we had at the end of the season). How did that happen?

Yep, agreed. A big mistake and you have to ask how it was allowed to happen. I suspect heads have already rolled as a result.

UTB

 

[Rodley]

Clough had the best backing since Robson and contrived to fuck it up. His recruitment was catastrophic; we were left with a squad with a fitness level on par with FC Dog & Duck, 5 players for one position and none covering other positions, and 40+ players the majority of whom are average being paid silly wages.

I dread to think what the meetings of the transfer committee of Nigel and Simon Clough & Big Mal were like. Jesus wept.

 

[FTPE]

He did get a decent sized budget, but he also brought in Coutts and Brayford.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

I've read before that Clough signed 21/22 players last season. Have I missed any?

RB: Alcock, Brayford, Freeman
CB: Butler, McGahey, McCarthy
LB: McEveley
MID: Basham, J Wallace. K Wallace, Coutts, Holt
RW: Campbell-Ryce, B Davies
LW: Adams
CF: McNulty, Porter, Higdon, O'Grady, Done, S Davies

 

[lazyfecklessblade]

I've read before that Clough signed 21/22 players last season. Have I missed any?

RB: Alcock, Brayford, Freeman
CB: Butler, McGahey, McCarthy
LB: McEveley
MID: Basham, J Wallace. K Wallace, Coutts, Holt
RW: Campbell-Ryce, B Davies
LW: Adams
CF: McNulty, Porter, Higdon, O'Grady, Done, S Davies

Was Scougall a Cluff signing?

Also probs wouldn't tar him with the Porter brush, I think he merely took the option of giving him another year

 

[alcoblade]

.
Also probs wouldn't tar him with the Porter brush, I think he merely took the option of giving him another year

 

[Rodley]

I've read before that Clough signed 21/22 players last season. Have I missed any?

RB: Alcock, Brayford, Freeman
CB: Butler, McGahey, McCarthy
LB: McEveley
MID: Basham, J Wallace. K Wallace, Coutts, Holt
RW: Campbell-Ryce, B Davies
LW: Adams
CF: McNulty, Porter, Higdon, O'Grady, Done, S Davies

Iain Turner. Porter was here already.

 

[alcoblade]

Iain Turner. Porter was here already.

But Clough did extend his contract, so it surely counts as another one.

That's a lot of signings, isn't it.

UTB

 

[Rodley]

His hit ratio must be about 3 or 4 out of 10.

 

[Rodley]

But Clough did extend his contract, so it surely counts as another one.

That's a lot of signings, isn't it.

UTB

£1,500,000 for Brayford and another 19 players in permanents or loan signings.

Don't forget though the board never ever back the manager

 

[Rodley]

£1,500,000 for Brayford and another 19 players in permanents or loan signings.

Don't forget though the board never ever back the manager

Given our marquee signing the previous summer was Lyle Taylor from Falkirk for £200k, I think it's fair to say the game changed in terms of spend.

 

[Davie Blade]

Was Scougall a Cluff signing?

Indeed he was.
£400,000 with add ons based on appearances and National call ups. Shame it wasn't on goals. A whacking 3 from nearly 70 leagues games. Rumoured to be going for £0.

His hit ratio must be about 3 or 4 out of 10.

That's a very generous margin Rodders.
If the hit ratio is how many would hold a place in winning promotion and playing in the Championship it might be 1 to 1.5 in 10.
If his hit ratio is measured against will we get more money than we paid for them, I make it 1 out of 21.
Adams only.
McNuts we could break even or make a tiny profit.
Great point about not dispelling the carp that the board didn't back the manager. He was backed enormously, and we still are suffering the ill effects, which will take an awful long time to put right.
What totally pisses me off he know thinks 20 is the right number for a squad in this division.
This is how much the tosser took us for a ride.

I've read before that Clough signed 21/22 players last season. Have I missed any?

RB: Alcock, Brayford, Freeman
CB: Butler, McGahey, McCarthy
LB: McEveley
MID: Basham, J Wallace. K Wallace, Coutts, Holt
RW: Campbell-Ryce, B Davies
LW: Adams
CF: McNulty, Porter, Higdon, O'Grady, Done, S Davies

Pass me the number for the Samaritans. . We were on the brink of pissing another £600,000 for Michael Smith, a player of such shitness he hasn't got a single goal all season in the hapless Barnsley side. Thank Christ the utter shite quality shopping list given to the board at the end of last season was replaced by a P45.
Billy Sharp or Michael Smith.
I rest my case!

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Was Scougall a Cluff signing?

Also probs wouldn't tar him with the Porter brush, I think he merely took the option of giving him another year

Scougall was the season before. Porter was out of contract and people were stunned when Clough gave him another deal - (similar to McEveley this summer, except Porter was never going to play).

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Iain Turner. Porter was here already.

Thanks, Turner makes 21. 22 if you count Porter (which the club did when he re-signed). He also gave Kennedy a deal that summer and extended it last January.
That's some wage bill.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

We were on the brink of pissing another £600,000 for Michael Smith, a player of such shitness he hasn't got a single goal all season in the hapless Barnsley side. Thank Christ the utter shite quality shopping list given to the board at the end of last season was replaced by a P45.
Billy Sharp or Michael Smith.
I rest my case!

Alcock and McEveley made Smith look like he was worth £10m in the play-offs!

Shaun Barker was also rumoured despite not being fit to play for 3 years.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Wasn't Andy Williams supposed to have been about to put pen to paper the week Cloughie went ? Slow start for Donny but can't stop scoring since Fergie Jnr took over.

 

[Slim Man]

Wasn't Andy Williams supposed to have been about to put pen to paper the week Cloughie went ? Slow start for Donny but can't stop scoring since Fergie Jnr took over.

I'd much rather have Billy. But if it was a choice between Sammon and Williams... well...
Have a feeling Sammon's loan was already agreed before Adkins took over though.

 

[Slim Man]

Of all the Clough signings, there have been enough, for me only the following are anything like good enough for a promotion winning side:

Harris, Basham, Done, Coutts & Brayford. Adams and Wallace could also become good players, good finds from him.

The rest, thanks but no thanks.