Going up.... The obsession...

[Tezza1889]

Dunno about anybody else but I'm a bit tired off all this getting promoted malarkey, while I want us to be successful and challenge the biggest clubs at the highest level I just know in my heart of hearts were nowhere near ready to even start the process..

The team are at best a bunch of triers, smatterings of quality here and there in some games, but on the whole diss jointed, dysfunctional, slow, weak (especially in defence) and lack cohesion pace and understanding, we are missing key pieces of the jigsaw who have not been replaced, clear as day, we don't have anybody beyond sharp who performs consistently week in week out, and he's pulling the team along by the bootstraps at the minute... Some have a good game, then a howler, and then the next game anonymous ....

Then on to the ownership, absolutely no desire to put a quality team on the pitch, they are the definition of the idiots who had the goose that layed golden eggs and sold it at the first chance, they are a group of people running a business where breaking even appears to be the target each season, and talking up a good pre season to get the fans through the door seems to be the main concern, sacrificing managers along the way to create the myth that "he's failed, not us, we're not accepting that" and a fresh manager installed (who they also will hinder straight away for the balance sheet) and back to square one we go...

I realise that I can't go on crying about players sold and not replaced, or the fact that we have to chase one player for over nine months each season whilst other clubs seem to nip up to Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham, etc, loan a starlet or two and watch them banging goals in every odd week, it's ironic that we currently have a "Dan burn" in the oven for over 6 months, who is in fulhams first team, it's a smoke screen isn't it guys, a distraction tactic while we remain inactive.

Rolling out the squad size and ffp regulations as reasons we can't bolster/build the squad, it's just more waffle that I don't hear from any other club in the league, and moving over to qpr who smashed those regs to pieces, how are they doing in league 2 these days, oh what was that, nowt happened to them, still in the championship..

We're not ready to be promoted on any level other than the ground and the fanbase, so maybe we just drop the obsession, especially at the boardroom level, because it's clearly not an ambitious board when the fans have been telling you the problems with 100% accuracy for the last three years at least and they've not listened, I doubt they even care so long as the club is financially well and they don't have to put thier own money in.... New owners please, this is all a pipe dream unless we have fresh ownership....


Nigel Adkins, nothing to answer for just the third manager in a very short space of time who is of course very capable of doing the job in question, but without support, or even a resolve to let him keep key players to build around will ultimately fail.... An apology to Nigel Clough is inserted here, poor man manager, but in retrospect poor decision to sack him, again, the board not us, we never turned on him... Wonder why they did?

Final prediction based on our board and they're mindset, we don't go up, (we don't deserve to btw as it is) we keep all those players on reduced contracts who we know would put us on for another season instead of releasing them, we sell Che Adams/Brayford (insert decent player) at the end of the transfer window, we chance it with Adkins for the opening months who struggles again, he's sacrificed, but the board says we gave him another go, new manager, fresh start lots of chest beating and no action financially........... Round and round we go again..

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Dunno about anybody else but I'm a bit tired off all this getting promoted malarkey, while I want us to be successful and challenge the biggest clubs at the highest level I just know in my heart of hearts were nowhere near ready to even start the process..

The team are at best a bunch of triers, smatterings of quality here and there in some games, but on the whole diss jointed, dysfunctional, slow, weak (especially in defence) and lack cohesion pace and understanding, we are missing key pieces of the jigsaw who have not been replaced, clear as day, we don't have anybody beyond sharp who performs consistently week in week out, and he's pulling the team along by the bootstraps at the minute... Some have a good game, then a howler, and then the next game anonymous ....

Then on to the ownership, absolutely no desire to put a quality team on the pitch, they are the definition of the idiots who had the goose that layed golden eggs and sold it at the first chance, they are a group of people running a business where breaking even appears to be the target each season, and talking up a good pre season to get the fans through the door seems to be the main concern, sacrificing managers along the way to create the myth that "he's failed, not us, we're not accepting that" and a fresh manager installed (who they also will hinder straight away for the balance sheet) and back to square one we go...

I realise that I can't go on crying about players sold and not replaced, or the fact that we have to chase one player for over nine months each season whilst other clubs seem to nip up to Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham, etc, loan a starlet or two and watch them banging goals in every odd week, it's ironic that we currently have a "Dan burn" in the oven for over 6 months, who is in fulhams first team, it's a smoke screen isn't it guys, a distraction tactic while we remain inactive.

Rolling out the squad size and ffp regulations as reasons we can't bolster/build the squad, it's just more waffle that I don't hear from any other club in the league, and moving over to qpr who smashed those regs to pieces, how are they doing in league 2 these days, oh what was that, nowt happened to them, still in the championship..

We're not ready to be promoted on any level other than the ground and the fanbase, so maybe we just drop the obsession, especially at the boardroom level, because it's clearly not an ambitious board when the fans have been telling you the problems with 100% accuracy for the last three years at least and they've not listened, I doubt they even care so long as the club is financially well and they don't have to put thier own money in.... New owners please, this is all a pipe dream unless we have fresh ownership....


Nigel Adkins, nothing to answer for just the third manager in a very short space of time who is of course very capable of doing the job in question, but without support, or even a resolve to let him keep key players to build around will ultimately fail.... An apology to Nigel Clough is inserted here, poor man manager, but in retrospect poor decision to sack him, again, the board not us, we never turned on him... Wonder why they did?

Final prediction based on our board and they're mindset, we don't go up, (we don't deserve to btw as it is) we keep all those players on reduced contracts who we know would put us on for another season instead of releasing them, we sell Che Adams/Brayford (insert decent player) at the end of the transfer window, we chance it with Adkins for the opening months who struggles again, he's sacrificed, but the board says we gave him another go, new manager, fresh start lots of chest beating and no action financially........... Round and round we go again..

Great post Tezza, have a multiple of likes from me.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Great post Tezza, have a multiple of likes from me.

Where do you get the no support from the board from Tessa I agree with some of your comments but to say no support from the board is silly.So you think the club is happy to trundle along in this division losing millions each season?.You must be joking or don't understand simple economics.

 

[RMBlade]

Where do you get the no support from the board from Tessa I agree with some of your comments but to say no support from the board is silly.So you think the club is happy to trundle along in this division losing millions each season?.You must be joking or don't understand simple economics.

The £2m+ spent last January isn't backing the manager... Maybe they should back him like every single club in our league (bar Wigan) and give them next to nothing to spend.

 

[Billyblade]

I had a season out when Weir was in charge (nothing to do with him, I took the decision not to renew my season ticket before he was appointed).
The main reason I did it was because I felt like a hypocrite. Let me explain,

As a supporter of a team you should support. That is, you should want your team to succeed which in our case obviously means promotion. The problem was I had become so disillusioned with footballers and their behaviour (which no-one can deny gets worse the higher up the football ladder you go) I found myself not wanting my team to get promoted because I didn't want to be witnessing the diving, cheating, answering back and just general shit behaviour of players getting worse the further up we got.

My attitude changed mainly because I missed match day. The pint before, the banter, the doing something I wanted to do. The couple of hours from 3pm on a Saturday tend to ruin an otherwise good day

So the question for me is not so much "Are we ready to get promoted?" but "Do I want us to get promoted?"

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

It will be a vicious circle whilever we remain in this Division. Brayford may well go in the Summer and we're back trying to attract better players again.

I don't think people are obsessed with going up so much as infuriated (if that's the right word) that apart from the 1st season under Wilson, we've not threatened auto promotion and with our resources that's NGE as someone once said.

If we were top 10 in the Chumpionship flirting with the play-offs I don't think there would necessarily be the 'obsession' to go up.

 

[pommpey]

We will very soon stop attracting anything above a certain level of playing talent anyway. The club will reach a critical mass and after that, nothing. Face it - which player would like to drop a division or two (even on loan) and play amongst lesser able players, and be roundly chided week in and week out by the supporters? Adkins, although blameless for our condition, has a reputation based on a seasons-ago run with Southampton, a team containing top level players of today and with a club/board strategy to get them out of the doldrums come what may and back into the top flight. Our expectation in him is high, but he can't turn piss into Stella. That only happens one way.

I have an aspiration to go up for two reasons:

a. I feel we should be at least duking it out in the Championship. I think our club structure and supporter base, and the big-city status we have always held befits a Championship place. If not, we should play at Herdings Park and have dads and passing dog walkers watch our matches. The supporters we have have endured massive disappointments set against scant successes yet still remained faithful. I think tehy alone deserve that. And out city bubbles along better as a sporting centre with two teams in the same division. Which brings me on to ...
b. Sheffield Wednesday are in the division above. Now whilst that seems not to matter any more to most, It's a significant factor in that three years ago (is it really that long?) they lit the afterburner and steamed past up to take our promotion slot and we crashed and burned at Wembley. Humiliation doesn't even go there. And, if they get promoted further - and stranger things have happened - we might as well go back to the good old days of Chrisseeee Waddle and the reast of the S6 Fandango-boys and those bastards not just being massive, but gigantic. The television will explode with the glamour of blue and white, and we might as well pack up shop and turn Bramall Lane into a fucking car park. We cannot afford to let one, let alone two division divide us, if it is they who are higher than us.

Oh, and there's another not too minor reason of incoming money and gate revenues.

So lets stop the 'gazing ar far off snow capped mountains' and start twisting McCabe's arm to do what he and the Prince said and return us to the top flight at the earliest opportunity. When the HRH appeared and we all feared another Hashemi fiasco we were bought and sold on that ambition which so far he has failed miserably to fulfil.

pommpey

 

[mosbolad]

Final prediction based on our board and they're mindset, we don't go up, (we don't deserve to btw as it is) we keep all those players on reduced contracts who we know would put us on for another season instead of releasing them, we sell Che Adams/Brayford (insert decent player) at the end of the transfer window, we chance it with Adkins for the opening months who struggles again, he's sacrificed, but the board says we gave him another go, new manager, fresh start lots of chest beating and no action financially........... Round and round we go again..

I appreciate it's all about opinions Tezza but your post flies in the face of logic and the facts. You complain about the boards negative mindset and refusal to back the team when we have signed Brayford (was it for around 1 Million? at league one level!) Sharp (big wage for league 1), sign Che Adams, Hammond on loan, now he will not be cheap, possible our highest earning player, Edgar, Woolford. Where is the lack of ambition and the non-backing by the board? Posters mention the 'Murphy money' but seem to forget these signings/loans. And before you say 'yes but X or Y is no good' that is a different issue to the cost or ambition of signing them in the first place.

You then go on to complain ( having not acknowledged the ambition in signing Brayford/Adams) that we might sell them at the end of the transfer window?

By all means be pissed off that we are still in this league but at least use a cogent argument to support your pissed offness.

 

[Rodley]

I appreciate it's all about opinions Tezza but your post flies in the face of logic and the facts. You complain about the boards negative mindset and refusal to back the team when we have signed Brayford (was it for around 1 Million? at league one level!) Sharp (big wage for league 1), sign Che Adams, Hammond on loan, now he will not be cheap, possible our highest earning player, Edgar, Woolford. Where is the lack of ambition and the non-backing by the board? Posters mention the 'Murphy money' but seem to forget these signings/loans. And before you say 'yes but X or Y is no good' that is a different issue to the cost or ambition of signing them in the first place.

You then go on to complain ( having not acknowledged the ambition in signing Brayford/Adams) that we might sell them at the end of the transfer window?

By all means be pissed off that we are still in this league but at least use a cogent argument to support your pissed offness.

It's the same old nonsense that gets posted every other month. We signed 15 players last season on permanent deals. I suspect that's far more than any club in the division. Our wage bill will be far more than most of the division and certainly bigger than the current top two by some way. We've had huge resources invested comparatively with most of the other L1 teams and the "transfer committee" of Nige, Simon and Mal got it wrong. That's why we are where we are.

Adkins needs to readjust and re-profile the squad, which will take time. Performances are getting better but there's no quick fix. We'll get top 6 this year and with a fair run we'll have a good bash at top 2 the following season (if the playoff hoodoo continues).

That's fundamentally where we are.

 

[Jehovah]

The day I stop demanding promotion from league one is the day I pack it all in.

 

[Deaneandagana]

I don't think the board can be accused of not backing either Clough or Adams - they have, what they haven't done is backed the managers in a smart way and as part of a joined up long term, measured, thought through plan.

Acquisitions have been made (Brayford) based on short term, knee jerk emotionally based impulse behaviour - Brayford is good but did we need to spend £1.5m on a RB?

What we have as a result of having no cohesive plan is an unbalanced over inflated squad which is both in terms of size & cost way over the clubs budget.

A Director of football is one possible solution to rectify.

 

[blade too long]

The team are at best a bunch of triers, smatterings of quality here and there in some games .

Think that covers every team outside the top 6 in the championship
theres small divisions between groups of 8 , that can can be bridged
league 1 has 8 clubs you know will be up there 8 in the middle chasing the top 8 waiting for an error too many and rthe bottom 8 battling to get into the middle 8
championship is much the same, , generally money being the biggest factor in where you lie

You could have forecast derby boro hull, burnley and ipswich to be there with maybe cardiff and wolves, Brighton are in a right old slump , fading fast
this allows one from the next group down a sniff

It might be just one player of quality more in each side, but its not unsurmountable

 

[Woodwardfan]

Over the 59 years I have been supporting United this is nowhere near the worst Board we have had. We have always sold players and fans have never had the impression that anybody has been minded to invest serious long term money in the club. We've had owners who were wanted by Interpol, part of Manchester Mafia, one who did a "Lord Lucan" and a few others who basically played at it.

McCabe is not one of those and over an extended period he invested serious money (£50m plus) and failed. Once he drew a line under things he managed to find a new 50% owner who the O.P. obviously thinks has invested his £13m or so to date just to hold the club back.

I disagree but I am weary of this type of thread which has been "done to death" ad nauseum. What I would say is that it's never been any different, maybe an odd few million but not any different really apart from McCabe.

If any owner of any business invests serious money without any intention of achieving success then it's madness.

If any owner invests sensible money into a business and employs chosen people to develop the business and gives them time to take the business to the next stage when further money will be invested, all well and good.

Our new owner felt he lost a couple of years with his first football manager and has started again. Time will tell whether Adkins will fulfill his brief.

 

[derryblade]

For the club to progress we have to gain promotion or we stagnate, with that comes falling revenue and less investment in the team it's a vicious circle. We can always call for the owners to pour more money into bringing players in, there is no doubt if you accept the statements from the club they have. I think the question is have the past and present managers spent that money wisely, I would say they haven't but that's a personal opinion.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I appreciate it's all about opinions Tezza but your post flies in the face of logic and the facts. You complain about the boards negative mindset and refusal to back the team when we have signed Brayford (was it for around 1 Million? at league one level!) Sharp (big wage for league 1), sign Che Adams, Hammond on loan, now he will not be cheap, possible our highest earning player, Edgar, Woolford. Where is the lack of ambition and the non-backing by the board? Posters mention the 'Murphy money' but seem to forget these signings/loans. And before you say 'yes but X or Y is no good' that is a different issue to the cost or ambition of signing them in the first place.

You then go on to complain ( having not acknowledged the ambition in signing Brayford/Adams) that we might sell them at the end of the transfer window?

By all means be pissed off that we are still in this league but at least use a cogent argument to support your pissed offness.

 

[pommpey]

Thing is, people cite that McCabe has invested. Okay, he has. We have bought players ... but we have also sold players who were, at that particular time, turning it on for us in a pretty good way. Now you can buy all the players you like, but if you sell x and don't buy at least x's standard, based upon your research as to how he will be utilised in the squad then what's the point? This is the case over the past few seasons where we have seen a lot of trade going one way and the replacements (if at all) being bobbins. And to stave off barren areas of the squad we have had to play players out of position (McEveley and Basham at CB for example).

It's not wrong to say we have underperformed in the transfer market despite the signings just as much as it isn't wrong to own an ABBA album or two. As much as the Scandanavian quartet packed the charts with hit after hit after hit, their brilliance is undeniable, despite opinions. WHat I am alluding to is that we sit outside the playoff zone in January in our fifth season in the third flight of English football. People should try not to deny wy this is by offering that we should be happy with what has been done to the squad and shut up because

a. McCabe has put shitloads of cash into the squad. I counter if he didn't expect to do so, he is in the wrong business
b. The suad has been augmented by fifteen signings. I say not many of these are worthy siginigs.

pommpey

 

[Woodwardfan]

Thing is, people cite that McCabe has invested. Okay, he has. We have bought players ... but we have also sold players who were, at that particular time, turning it on for us in a pretty good way. Now you can buy all the players you like, but if you sell x and don't buy at least x's standard, based upon your research as to how he will be utilised in the squad then what's the point? This is the case over the past few seasons where we have seen a lot of trade going one way and the replacements (if at all) being bobbins. And to stave off barren areas of the squad we have had to play players out of position (McEveley and Basham at CB for example).

It's not wrong to say we have underperformed in the transfer market despite the signings just as much as it isn't wrong to own an ABBA album or two. As much as the Scandanavian quartet packed the charts with hit after hit after hit, their brilliance is undeniable, despite opinions. WHat I am alluding to is that we sit outside the playoff zone in January in our fifth season in the third flight of English football. People should try not to deny wy this is by offering that we should be happy with what has been done to the squad and shut up because

a. McCabe has put shitloads of cash into the squad. I counter if he didn't expect to do so, he is in the wrong business
b. The suad has been augmented by fifteen signings. I say not many of these are worthy siginigs.

pommpey

Nobody is happy, least of all McCabe; whatever gave anybody that idea?

The O.P. makes the case against the Board, that's what this thread is about. In ABBA terms "Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee" or "Money, money, money" , SOS even!! Unfortunately "The Winner takes it all"

 

[Rodley]

Nobody is happy, least of all McCabe; whatever gave anybody that idea?

The O.P. makes the case against the Board, that's what this thread is about. In ABBA terms "Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee" or "Money, money, money" , SOS even!! Unfortunately "The Winner takes it all"

Robson wasted the money we had in parachute payments, Clough did the same with the GCI. We've got a decent manager now and that's the fundamental you need in this division. Walsall and Burton don't have any money, just (had) decent managers.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I don't think the board can be accused of not backing either Clough or Adams

Adams?

 

[BushBlade]

The problem is we've spent four seasons in this division before it's occurred to us that we ought to get a manager with a proven record of getting promotions, from this division, with more than one club.
And we've been doing this since Warnock left. Putting aside the other issues regarding the way the owners run the club (fucking gravy train for the owners' mates and family, total reliance on the manager to recruit players, boom and bust short term thinking), if we can't get this right, we won't succeed. It's that simple.
Supporting a manager isn't just about throwing cash at him, it's about providing the infrastructure he needs to do his job properly, about being able to set clear and achievable objectives and proper checks and balances to prevent him from overspending on some players when the whole team requires strengthening and about supporting his decisions regarding first team selections and having the final choice of who we sign.

And probably other stuff that I don't even know about, stuff that successful clubs do that we don't.

And I'm pretty sure KM wouldn't ask John Carver for a development appraisal on a site he's looking at so why is a development surveyor doing Brannigan's job?

Not since Viv Nicholson has the term 'more money than sense' been more apt.

 

[Grappler]

I want us to get promoted and I want it this season, five years in League One is long enough. I am not being a snob and I am not looking down my nose at other clubs in our League, but I have been to Bury, Oldham, Port Vale, Scunthorpe, etc., more than any human being should reasonably be asked to go. I know that we do not have a divine right to promotion or the Championship, but a club of our size with our supporter base should not be in League One. We have not one, but two, reasonably wealthy co-owners, but have suffered a series of bad managers (not Gary Speed, who may have been out of his depth, but was respected by his peers).

As has been said by others, it may only take two or three good (key) signings to galvanize the team and send us on a run into the top six and cement us there (top 2 is out of reach as far as I am concerned).

 

[mosbolad]

Final prediction based on our board and they're mindset, we don't go up, (we don't deserve to btw as it is)

What does this even mean Tezza? Where does 'deserve' come into anything?

I suggest if after 46 games and possible play offs, if we don't get promoted we don't 'deserve' to. If (and a big it) we do get promoted we do 'deserve' to?

And why don't we 'deserve' promotion Tezza? Is it based on your personal opinion of how well or not the club is run? Do enlighten us all?

 

[blade too long]

a. McCabe has put shitloads of cash into the squad. I counter if he didn't expect to do so, he is in the wrong business
b. The suad has been augmented by fifteen signings. I say not many of these are worthy siginigs.

All McCabe is is a facilitator , he only supplies the funds , all our squad are wholly down to previous managers and of course a few Adkins has hired
Adkins was probably unaware of how, whats the best word,,,,, bland our squad is, too many players , not necessarily rubbish , but not outstanding.
Its a hard task to bring in players in August when you arent certain how any new players will fit in with what was here, its not like managing top quality players where they are more adaptable.
What we had arent as flexible in positional choice , they are ok in one or two set ups , but not too good in alternative set ups .
Adkins is looking to get in more flexible players , after shipping out the limited ability ones, its not a rapid process

 

[Woodwardfan]

The problem is we've spent four seasons in this division before it's occurred to us that we ought to get a manager with a proven record of getting promotions, from this division, with more than one club.
And we've been doing this since Warnock left. Putting aside the other issues regarding the way the owners run the club (fucking gravy train for the owners' mates and family, total reliance on the manager to recruit players, boom and bust short term thinking), if we can't get this right, we won't succeed. It's that simple.
Supporting a manager isn't just about throwing cash at him, it's about providing the infrastructure he needs to do his job properly, about being able to set clear and achievable objectives and proper checks and balances to prevent him from overspending on some players when the whole team requires strengthening and about supporting his decisions regarding first team selections and having the final choice of who we sign.

And probably other stuff that I don't even know about, stuff that successful clubs do that we don't.

And I'm pretty sure KM wouldn't ask John Carver for a development appraisal on a site he's looking at so why is a development surveyor doing Brannigan's job?

Not since Viv Nicholson has the term 'more money than sense' been more apt.

Your comment Bush made me think of Mike Ashley who's just appointed his 26 year old son-in-law as his Group Property Chief and the young lad is a former night club promoter.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

I would like to see us promoted, if only so we can play the pigs. Those derby days charged with their electric atmosphere are becoming a distant memory.

 

[pommpey]

All McCabe is is a facilitator , he only supplies the funds , all our squad are wholly down to previous managers and of course a few Adkins has hired
Adkins was probably unaware of how, whats the best word,,,,, bland our squad is, too many players , not necessarily rubbish , but not outstanding.
Its a hard task to bring in players in August when you arent certain how any new players will fit in with what was here, its not like managing top quality players where they are more adaptable.
What we had arent as flexible in positional choice , they are ok in one or two set ups , but not too good in alternative set ups .
Adkins is looking to get in more flexible players , after shipping out the limited ability ones, its not a rapid process

Hmm. Sounds like you are excusing the inexcusable there.

Let me put a scenario to you. McCabe approaches Cluogh, who is out of a footballing management job. The bloke has pedigree and reputation and then there's that name. It means 'robust, take-no-prisoners approach'. Well, it did with his dad, anyway.

McCabe is in a quandry. He has appointed yet another dud manager, after falling out with and sacking the previous one, this coming close after a hit-miss-fucked-it-up-no-plan-b period. This dud manager he has just sacked has left his club rock bottom of anywhere and heading south. To shit in the pillowcase even more, he's just got the nod from some Saudi Prince on a half share of his debts.

McCabe says to Clough, " Players ... transfers ... cash ... Championship ... the world ... next year though" and Clough buys it. After an unbelievebable turn round/rescue attempt, we are safe. Next year comes round and all sorts of nonsense prevails as to why there's no incoming talent. To manke it worse, his best central defender is sold out from under his feet, and word on the street is he won't be replaced. He'll have to make do with what he has. He muckles through the season, bringing in cheapo after cheapo and shops at Netto for some players who, true to form haven't the ingredients even to cut it at the third level of English football. We finish the season dumped out of the playoffs, but with a few decent domestic Cup efforts behind us for what that is worth if anything, because the revenue from that doesn't seem to be made availabe in a hurry.

In the close season Clough gives McCabe a few straight truths about why last season failed so miserably. Most of them point to the lack of investment in talent he was promised and he gives them an ultimatum that if he's not allowed to spend wider in the close season they'll get more of the same and he won't be able to keep his gob shut to the media this time round. The crowd have not been on his back in great order, but if the coming season is like the last, they will and he'll be forced to declare his hand. He's sacked.

Likely cnadidates are interviewed and the only one with the required attributes is Adkins. Again, 'next year' promises are made and he's forced to make do. Early in the season his best player and credible attack option (at this level at least) is sold and we aren't told for how much and why.

Now, does anyone see a pattern forming here? If we fail to achieve this season, next season the supporters are going to be on Adkins back big time. The board ... the real criminals in this play ... get away, scott free.

I've just read 'Fit and Proper'. It makes me wonder what successive rewrites and additions will say about this grim era at Sheffield United and if it will show a contimued manner of shit management from upstairs.

pommpey

 

[Newbury Blade]

Hmm. Sounds like you are excusing the inexcusable there.

Let me put a scenario to you. McCabe approaches Cluogh, who is out of a footballing management job. The bloke has pedigree and reputation and then there's that name. It means 'robust, take-no-prisoners approach'. Well, it did with his dad, anyway.

McCabe is in a quandry. He has appointed yet another dud manager, after falling out with and sacking the previous one, this coming close after a hit-miss-fucked-it-up-no-plan-b period. This dud manager he has just sacked has left his club rock bottom of anywhere and heading south. To shit in the pillowcase even more, he's just got the nod from some Saudi Prince on a half share of his debts.

McCabe says to Clough, " Players ... transfers ... cash ... Championship ... the world ... next year though" and Clough buys it. After an unbelievebable turn round/rescue attempt, we are safe. Next year comes round and all sorts of nonsense prevails as to why there's no incoming talent. To manke it worse, his best central defender is sold out from under his feet, and word on the street is he won't be replaced. He'll have to make do with what he has. He muckles through the season, bringing in cheapo after cheapo and shops at Netto for some players who, true to form haven't the ingredients even to cut it at the third level of English football. We finish the season dumped out of the playoffs, but with a few decent domestic Cup efforts behind us for what that is worth if anything, because the revenue from that doesn't seem to be made availabe in a hurry.

In the close season Clough gives McCabe a few straight truths about why last season failed so miserably. Most of them point to the lack of investment in talent he was promised and he gives them an ultimatum that if he's not allowed to spend wider in the close season they'll get more of the same and he won't be able to keep his gob shut to the media this time round. The crowd have not been on his back in great order, but if the coming season is like the last, they will and he'll be forced to declare his hand. He's sacked.

Likely cnadidates are interviewed and the only one with the required attributes is Adkins. Again, 'next year' promises are made and he's forced to make do. Early in the season his best player and credible attack option (at this level at least) is sold and we aren't told for how much and why.

Now, does anyone see a pattern forming here? If we fail to achieve this season, next season the supporters are going to be on Adkins back big time. The board ... the real criminals in this play ... get away, scott free.

I've just read 'Fit and Proper'. It makes me wonder what successive rewrites and additions will say about this grim era at Sheffield United and if it will show a contimued manner of shit management from upstairs.

pommpey

Brayford, Coutts, Done – "cheapo after cheapo", "can't cut it at this level"? What complete bollocks.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Dunno about anybody else but I'm a bit tired off all this getting promoted malarkey, while I want us to be successful and challenge the biggest clubs at the highest level I just know in my heart of hearts were nowhere near ready to even start the process..

The team are at best a bunch of triers, smatterings of quality here and there in some games, but on the whole diss jointed, dysfunctional, slow, weak (especially in defence) and lack cohesion pace and understanding, we are missing key pieces of the jigsaw who have not been replaced, clear as day, we don't have anybody beyond sharp who performs consistently week in week out, and he's pulling the team along by the bootstraps at the minute... Some have a good game, then a howler, and then the next game anonymous ....

Then on to the ownership, absolutely no desire to put a quality team on the pitch, they are the definition of the idiots who had the goose that layed golden eggs and sold it at the first chance, they are a group of people running a business where breaking even appears to be the target each season, and talking up a good pre season to get the fans through the door seems to be the main concern, sacrificing managers along the way to create the myth that "he's failed, not us, we're not accepting that" and a fresh manager installed (who they also will hinder straight away for the balance sheet) and back to square one we go...

I realise that I can't go on crying about players sold and not replaced, or the fact that we have to chase one player for over nine months each season whilst other clubs seem to nip up to Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham, etc, loan a starlet or two and watch them banging goals in every odd week, it's ironic that we currently have a "Dan burn" in the oven for over 6 months, who is in fulhams first team, it's a smoke screen isn't it guys, a distraction tactic while we remain inactive.

Rolling out the squad size and ffp regulations as reasons we can't bolster/build the squad, it's just more waffle that I don't hear from any other club in the league, and moving over to qpr who smashed those regs to pieces, how are they doing in league 2 these days, oh what was that, nowt happened to them, still in the championship..

We're not ready to be promoted on any level other than the ground and the fanbase, so maybe we just drop the obsession, especially at the boardroom level, because it's clearly not an ambitious board when the fans have been telling you the problems with 100% accuracy for the last three years at least and they've not listened, I doubt they even care so long as the club is financially well and they don't have to put thier own money in.... New owners please, this is all a pipe dream unless we have fresh ownership....


Nigel Adkins, nothing to answer for just the third manager in a very short space of time who is of course very capable of doing the job in question, but without support, or even a resolve to let him keep key players to build around will ultimately fail.... An apology to Nigel Clough is inserted here, poor man manager, but in retrospect poor decision to sack him, again, the board not us, we never turned on him... Wonder why they did?

Final prediction based on our board and they're mindset, we don't go up, (we don't deserve to btw as it is) we keep all those players on reduced contracts who we know would put us on for another season instead of releasing them, we sell Che Adams/Brayford (insert decent player) at the end of the transfer window, we chance it with Adkins for the opening months who struggles again, he's sacrificed, but the board says we gave him another go, new manager, fresh start lots of chest beating and no action financially........... Round and round we go again..

I agree with the sentiment, but as a football club SUFC needs to be challenging with it's natural peers and rivals. Whether it be Pigs, Seatsmashers, Scabs, Sheepshaggers etc etc. We want it, the board want it and all those empty seats in the Bramall lane end want it too.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Getting out of this particular division is a must for all kinds of reasons.

But I feel very little desire to get to the Premiership quite frankly. The bullshit that goes with being in that division would seriously dull my interest in football. The inflated ticket prices, arsehole stewards, prima donna cuntish players, Sky, the whole obscene circus just turns me right off.

 

[mosbolad]

He muckles through the season, bringing in cheapo after cheapo and shops at Netto for some players who, true to form haven't the ingredients even to cut it at the third level of English football.

Adkins. Again, 'next year' promises are made and he's forced to make do.

The board ... the real criminals in this play

This all looks really plausible and if I didn't know better I would believe you Pommpey. However as Newbury points out where does Brayford, Coutts and Done and of course Adams fit into 'shopping at Netto'?

Where does Adkins 'forced to make do' when he has brought in Sharp, Hammond, Edgar, Sammon, Woolford? Where is the 'make do' in this?

Why do you disregard all this? 'The board....the real criminals'? How do these signings fit in with your version of events? I really would like to know?