The Perfect Storm

[Jan Age]

There will be no change at the club any time soon. The owners have created the perfect storm.

X 2 owners - who don't attend games, don't reside in the country and don't spend any meaningful amount of time at the club.

X 1 'Co' Chairman who has gone to ground.

X 1 manager who depending on your view either a) has his hands tied or b) hasn't a clue

An infinite amount of players so unprofessional they seemingly can't be arsed to even try.

My point is; to action any meaningful change you need a large majority of like minded people pulling in the same direction for a common goal.

The 'large majority' at our football club is the fans. But herein lies our biggest strength and biggest weakness and this plays into our owners grubby little hands.

Some fans blame McCabe some thank him some fans blame the Prince some value him some love Phipps some hate him some fans rate Adkins some don't.

Essentially they have divided the (large) fan base and conquered as while it is unclear to us fans who to 'rise up against' no meaningful action will take place which means no change. We will just continue to bicker amongst ourselves.

It's time we decided who needs to go first and take action.

 

[sheffielder]

I know who needs to go first, me

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

I know who needs to go first, me

It's time for the fans to vote with their feet and stop attending games because while ever the board see home crowds of ~20k and away support as good as last night (over 800 in a crowd of 3k!) they'll continue in this way!

 

[The Fox]

We're not in this shit because we don't have a decent full back or we should have played 442 or a diamond to Christmas tree or whatever..
It's not because Adkins is the new undiscovered pep or just a physio chancer

It's because people at the very top and the board make poor decisions , have done for years and continue to do so ..

 

[Deleted member 1486]

We're not in this shit because we don't have a decent full back or we should have played 442 or a diamond to Christmas tree or whatever..
It's not because Adkins is the new undiscovered pep or just a physio chancer

It's because people at the very top and the board make poor decisions , have done for years and continue to do so ..

Yup. Nothing will change until there is change at the top.

 

[The Fox]

Yup. Nothing will change until there is change at the top.

Don't hold your breath . I imagine he's owed far more than the clubs worth and unlikely to take a hit on the debt .
Fucked !

 

[Sheffsteel]

The Fox,

But most of the decisions were great on paper and welcomed by the fans.

Take this season the fans DEMANDED we show ambition by

1: Employing the best manager no matter the cost. Someone tried and tested with a winning record in league 1 and preferably in the Chsmpionship too CHECK.

2: Our attack was non existent last year so let's bring in a tried and tested striker at this level. Will cost big money but the best are expensive. CHECK.

3: Bring in players with quality preferably with promotion experience. CHECK. The club has shown ambition by paying big money for loanees from the leagues above.
In retrospect Hammond, Edgar, Woolford and Sammon all look surprisingly poor.

What's the answer?
Usually it's sack the manager but we've tried that and ended up in a worse position everytime.

I think we need players with character, fight and the mental attitude to play at the biggest club in league 1 that can cope with expectation and pressure.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Sitting thousands of miles away from the city of steel I am probably not the best suited to comment on what went on at Gigg Lane last night and I have never been a fan of Keith Edwards on the radio. But sitting listening to him last night you could tangibly feel the frustration, anger and pain in what he was saying.

And you know you are in trouble when, and I'll use the term I rarely do, Wednesdayites are actually sympathising with Blades supporters in the Stir instead of twisting the knife in further.

You have to go back a long time to find the last occasion when Bury did the double over us. This was West Bar Fire Station in 1925. We also won the cup that year. And Bury did the double over us (1-0 both games).



Bury join a list of new all-time lows our club has managed to heap on the back of its supporters in the last 2 or 3 years, Yeovil away, Crewe, Fleetwood all spring to mind too easily. The thing is that its not just one game. We are spiralling into an abyss of mediocrity and sleepwalking into oblivion as a club. Already we are living on our past because the future looks FUBARed.

It doesn't help that there seems no single point where the buck stops (or starts) - McCabe, Prince, Phipps, Adkins - take your pick. Having two owners does nothing but ease the financial burden on McCabe. In terms of direction, decision-making and all of the important things connected with leadership it undermines us and leaves us in a total hiatus. One or other of these two guys needs to go but the sad truth is they won't as, in their minds, the club owes them money. "Team SUFC Board" are looking as clueless, dithering and uncommitted as the Manager and the charlatans who wore lime green last night. They have about as much credence to lead a dynamic, committed, forward-thinking football club as would a public sector committee stuffed with placemen, hangers on, walking ego's and politicians.

I hope someone, somewhere knows the way out of the mess that has been created because right now we are floundering around like a wounded animal hoping someone will put us out of our misery. Total respect for the 700 or so who went last night. I hope the Board, Manager and players hurt like fuck today because I know I do and I didn't go and I don't have to suffer the wind-ups most supporters have to.

UTB

 

[super_pig]

The Fox,

But most of the decisions were great on paper and welcomed by the fans.

Take this season the fans DEMANDED we show ambition by

1: Employing the best manager no matter the cost. Someone tried and tested with a winning record in league 1 and preferably in the Chsmpionship too CHECK.

2: Our attack was non existent last year so let's bring in a tried and tested striker at this level. Will cost big money but the best are expensive. CHECK.

3: Bring in players with quality preferably with promotion experience. CHECK. The club has shown ambition by paying big money for loanees from the leagues above.
In retrospect Hammond, Edgar, Woolford and Sammon all look surprisingly poor.

What's the answer?
Usually it's sack the manager but we've tried that and ended up in a worse position everytime.

I think we need players with character, fight and the mental attitude to play at the biggest club in league 1 that can cope with expectation and pressure.

4. buy a decent centre half.. umm.. umm.
5. don't sell our best player for a change.. umm. umm

 

[super_pig]

It's time for the fans to vote with their feet and stop attending games because while ever the board see home crowds of ~20k and away support as good as last night (over 800 in a crowd of 3k!) they'll continue in this way!

i would have thought that one of the 'assets' used by mccabe to justify his 50m price tag is that he gets 20k punters for every game and x thousand ST holders.. we need to lower the price tag??

 

[LoughboroBlade]

4. buy a decent centre half.. umm.. umm.
5. don't sell our best player for a change.. umm. umm

We effectively brought in a better centre-half than any we had. The problem was not getting in two.

On the second point, had Murphy stayed do we think that would have been enough to push us into the top two? I'm not convinced it would have.

I agree with Sheffsteel – the vast majority, myself included, thought this appointment was an excellent one. I do think it's within the realm of possibility that Adkins could turn this around once he can perform major surgery to the squad, but it's now at the stage where I'm getting quite worried. On paper this should have been a decent season. Likewise last year with Clough. Matching last year was frankly the least I expected, which in our current state would now look like a great achievement.

Were we collectively wrong to have such high hopes for Adkins, or is the set-up at the club such that it was always going to be a tougher much longer term job? My fear is that in changing yet again, however talented the next manager is would likely have to go through yet another year of transformation. Though with the number of contracts up this summer, the process on paper should give more flexibility. Problem is, what looks one thing on paper doesn't turn out to be reality where Sheffield United is concerned.

 

[super_pig]

We effectively brought in a better centre-half than any we had. The problem was not getting in two.

On the second point, had Murphy stayed do we think that would have been enough to push us into the top two? I'm not convinced it would have.

probably not in this case.. i was more commenting on the general trend
like you i think Adkins 'should' be in the best position to decide what crap to get rid of.. unfortunately i'm starting to worry he is incapable of doing this .. hammond?? really nige??

 

[Sean Thornton]

The problem now isn't making bad decisions, it's doing nothing at all.

 

[wizadry]

Adkins hasn't put us in this mess, simple as that for me. I know the question but not the answer and that's what's becoming a recurring theme when we're concerned.

 

[The Fox]

The Fox,

But most of the decisions were great on paper and welcomed by the fans.

Take this season the fans DEMANDED we show ambition by
.

I would agree that it looked good on paper, it had to .

Historically there have been too many to list , however more recently we somehow managed to sanction spending of rediculous wages and in some cases fees on players that weren't good enough , had no sell on value and whose contracts all end at the same time , and changed manager half way through then sanctioned more spending to add to the biggest squad in league 1, with more crap , loans and a few little fan pleasers thrown in .

We can all be wise after the event , not all players come off , for that you can look at the scouting , management etc .. But someone has to give the go ahead , sign the cheques and say this is all ok . Someone else had to give that director the authority to do so.. Etc ..

It's sold as ambition , it's in reality complete and utter miss management of the business , budgets , personnel , contracts ., etc ., wouldn't let them run a whelk stall .

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Nothing will change until people start to vote with their feet and I don't care if I get pelters for that it's the truth. Hurt the club's pocket and force change.

If circa 20,000 keep going through the turnstiles then they will feel justified in what they're doing.

I won't be going again until this regime is out, I refuse to support it and give them my money. They need to go, all of them, end of.

 

[sitwell]

Down to the manager for me Im afraid , he assembled ,managed ,coached and picked that shit last night ,they had poorer players , less finance ,shitty stadium ,will be lucky to get 2k on Saturday ,and they outplayed us. It wasn't a lucky win ,we had no heart ,no fight ,no skill ,nothing to beat them with and that was down to the manager who had his best players on the bench. Having said that I would like a direct contact between manager and board ( Warnock would be perfect) with a football manager in charge as there doesn't seem to be any relationship between the board and manager. The thread should be Supporters-players-manager-board ,and if that thread is broken then another piece should be added.

 

[finlaytheblade]

The Fox,

But most of the decisions were great on paper and welcomed by the fans.

Take this season the fans DEMANDED we show ambition by

1: Employing the best manager no matter the cost. Someone tried and tested with a winning record in league 1 and preferably in the Chsmpionship too CHECK.

2: Our attack was non existent last year so let's bring in a tried and tested striker at this level. Will cost big money but the best are expensive. CHECK.

3: Bring in players with quality preferably with promotion experience. CHECK. The club has shown ambition by paying big money for loanees from the leagues above.
In retrospect Hammond, Edgar, Woolford and Sammon all look surprisingly poor.

What's the answer?
Usually it's sack the manager but we've tried that and ended up in a worse position everytime.

I think we need players with character, fight and the mental attitude to play at the biggest club in league 1 that can cope with expectation and pressure.

Agree totally with that Sheffsteel and
Adkins is charged with finding them.
Can see what he's doing getting rid of the nearly men (and that includes some. of his signings going down the younger route but it also means we could miss out this season,loan window is our only hope to give us the chance which is still there even after last night's no show

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

it's in reality complete and utter miss management .

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Nothing will change until people start to vote with their feet and I don't care if I get pelters for that it's the truth. Hurt the club's pocket and force change.

If circa 20,000 keep going through the turnstiles then they will feel justified in what they're doing.

I won't be going again until this regime is out, I refuse to support it and give them my money. They need to go, all of them, end of.

That's pretty much what I've said!