Statement from McCabe - Official Site

[PeteBlade]

And his signings, tactics and results. You keep forgetting I mention those too. Probably because they are harder to defend.

But you always mention his interviews and comments and I'm genuinely baffled at what you think that has to do with anything?
It's almost like you feel the need to add things on that don't matter.

 

[Barney]

But you always mention his interviews and comments and I'm genuinely baffled at what you think that has to do with anything?
It's almost like you feel the need to add things on that don't matter.

Probably something to do with the fact that he can't give a straight answer to a straight question, gives inaccurate game summaries, and has little digs at the supporters here and there. Not what you want and largely ironic from a manager that has pioneered a tiresome "united together" stance from the get go.

 

[PeteBlade]

Probably something to do with the fact that he can't give a straight answer to a straight question, gives inaccurate game summaries, and has little digs at the supporters here and there. Not what you want and largely ironic from a manager that has pioneered a tiresome "united together" stance from the get go.

How would you know how accurate his games summaries are?

 

[mosbolad]

Not what you want and largely ironic from a manager that has pioneered a tiresome "united together" stance from the get go.

Barney!!!! You simply cannot criticise Adkins turn of phrase and then finish your sentence with "from the get go"!!!!!

I was this close and I mean 'this close' to reporting you to Foxy!

 

[sheffielder]

Probably something to do with the fact that he can't give a straight answer to a straight question, gives inaccurate game summaries, and has little digs at the supporters here and there. Not what you want and largely ironic from a manager that has pioneered a tiresome "united together" stance from the get go.

So we're clough interviews worse or better in your humble opinion?

 

[Barney]

How would you know how accurate his games summaries are?

I have had the misfortune to listen to about 8 games worth of interviews.

 

[PeteBlade]

I have had the misfortune to listen to about 8 games worth of interviews.

Yes and we've all had the misfortune of listen to your analysis of them.

 

[Barney]

I was this close and I mean 'this close' to reporting you to Foxy!

 

[Barney]

So we're clough interviews worse or better in your humble opinion?

Yes. A lot more direct.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

But you always mention his interviews and comments and I'm genuinely baffled at what you think that has to do with anything?
It's almost like you feel the need to add things on that don't matter.

What he says gives the fans an indication of how he thinks and sees things. For example his comments suggest he thought we played well at Bury. He's also said Hammond contributes a lot. I find comments like this baffling. You are so far up his backside you probably don't even notice them.

 

[Jan Age]

I would say none
It seems the buge sums being talked about are just to keep us afloat and if true are unsustainable

Which begs the question; did the prince carry out due diligence? And if he did he would have known the losses we are running at and yet .... We were still promised significant investment in the first team?

 

[Jan Age]

I would say none
It seems the buge sums being talked about are just to keep us afloat and if true are unsustainable

Which begs the question; did the prince carry out due diligence? And if he did he would have known the losses we are running at and yet .... We were still promised significant investment in the first team?

 

[PeteBlade]

What he says gives the fans an indication of how he thinks and sees things. For example his comments suggest he thought we played well at Bury. He's also said Hammond contributes a lot. I find comments like this baffling. You are so far up his backside you probably don't even notice them.

I'll ignore the utter bollocks you've finished off that post with as its utter bollocks.

But you seem to be very niave and childlike in what you expect a manager to say in his interviews.

You'd be happy if he came out and said we were complete wank and that Hammond is dire.

I imagine you got upset when Wilson kept his hands in his pockets too.

 

[judge]

Which begs the question; did the prince carry out due diligence? And if he did he would have known the losses we are running at and yet .... We were still promised significant investment in the first team?

He would have needed a chilcott type inquiry to get to the truth of our accounts

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

All Blades fans are hurting as a result of our position in League One, particularly after spending far too long in this division. Expectations are rightly much higher than playing at this level, and everyone connected with the Club believes the current position is unacceptable.


When other teams visit Bramall Lane they're taken aback by the quality of our Stadium, Academy and other facilities - all geared up for the Premier League and definitely not the third tier of English football. Add to that our magnificent supporter base - which has remained solid and steadfast - then we do deserve better - much better, than where we are at the present time. Rest assured, our position is not a result of lack of effort, investment or ambition from the owners - my family's investment over the years amounts to around £90 million and Prince Abdullah has in a short space of time contributed a further £15 million. In this season alone, the joint owners have, in total, put in £8 million of money. The notion of 'owners taking money out of the Club' is too ridiculous for words as I think any fair-minded fan recognises how Bramall Lane has been extended and extensively improved from what it was some 15 years ago, to become a 'Premier Stadium' alongside developing a highly ranked first class Academy at Shirecliffe and a Junior Development Centre at Crookes. Lest we forget, in the summer of last year alone, over £1.8 million was spent on property improvements including upgrading the pitch with a DESSO surface together with new synthetic coverings to the outdoor and indoor pitches at Shirecliffe.


On the playing front, the number of new recruits brought on board in the last three or four seasons alone exceeded over 40 new players joining the Blades, surely demonstrating our commitment to succeed. Whatever the reasons at the moment, the various costly recruitments have not as yet brought us the success we crave.


Since the misfortune of our relegation from the Premier League in 2007, as a result of the so-called 'Tevez Affair', we have had to cope with unforeseeable and extraordinary circumstances which have played their part in halting the progress been made at the time of our promotion back to the top echelon of football in 2006. Any reasonable minded supporter acknowledges that were it not in part for ill-luck, we should surely by now be playing in a higher league. This statement is not proffered as an excuse but as a rational assessment in understanding some of the reasons for failure to date to meet our objectives in spite of applying best efforts coupled with major funding. One only needs to look at the number of play-off matches the Blades have lost in recent times to think that luck has not been on our side and thus hopefully in the months and years ahead, fortune will turn to favour the Blades.


Despite the present difficulties we remain resolute and committed to getting out of this league at the earliest opportunity. I accept that mistakes may have been made both on and off the field, which for a variety of reasons has resulted in the under-achievement of our first-team. These errors include the appointment of certain previous team managers and coaching staff, all of whom seemed appropriate at the time but with hindsight did not bring positive progress to our proud and fine Club. We have tried to learn from past mistakes, and in Nigel Adkins appointed an individual with excellent credentials to undertake the job in hand.


I gather certain supporters have questioned my role in events during the last couple of seasons and suggest that it is time for me to move on. I can only say that for as long I am here serving Sheffield United I will continue to do my utmost to bring success to a Club that I have been a fan of since I was a nipper. However, if there are level headed businessmen, either local, national or international who can clearly demonstrate that they have the credentials to work on enhancing the progress of Sheffield United FC, then they should make contact as I am prepared to listen to their proposals.


There is no hiding from the fact that we have experienced some dark days of late, where the frustration and disappointment of all supporters is understandable. However, I can say that Sheffield United will rise again with good times returning sooner rather than later. Our history, heritage, facilities and outstanding supporter base makes this inevitable.


Up the Blades!
Kevin McCabe
February 2016


Read more at http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/sheffield-united-kevin-mccabe-2964012.aspx#pbsB3COmaxWdEhwk.99

Good to see McCabe finally coming out and doing an interview. Fans who have been discussing a protest have been given stick this past week, but had these fans not started seriously discussing a protest and speaking up I very much doubt McCabe would have come out and done this interview today. So regardless of peoples viewpoint on the fans who wanted to protest - well done to them for at least causing McCabe to speak and initiating a reaction.

Aside from him not going into depth about where the Murphy money has been spent and casually glossing over the fact that the Cup run money was what paid for the new pitch, I don't think McCabe send anything out of turn in that interview.

Now I'll put my tin hat on (given my outspoken views on Adkins awful interviews) and say I liked the interview. I don't think anyone can question the amount of personal money McCabe has put into the club. His biggest failings have been appointing Robson / Speed / Micky Adams and in my opinion sacking Clough. He has also failed to adequately appoint a managing director / CEO who can effectively run the club day to day ever since Dooley retired. Those have been his biggest mistakes.

McCabe is right in regards to the money invested in the team over the past 18 months, no one can dispute that. 1.5 million for Brayford / 500K for Done / 500K+ for Sharp / big wages paid out for the likes of Hammond / Sammon / Coutts / Edgar / a new contract for Adams etc. They have shelled out a lot, but its just typical United that it hasn't worked.

I would much prefer McCabe be more vocal and communicate more than have Jim Phipps doing the talking.

So where do we go from here, I would like the following steps to be taken:

- streamline the board / technical board. There are way too many people involved. In any business you need people with a clear focus on what their role is. Too many voices and opinions confuse matters. The fact that SUFC don't even have an up to date list of the clubs executives on the official website speaks volumes. So unprofessional. Get rid of the likes of Phipps and Baki - I don't see what they bring at all other than tweeting a lot. They seriously need to

- Although I don't think he's the man for the job, they need to stick with Adkins for another season. Let's see what some stability at the club can actually bring for once. It would be nice if someone at the club could have a quiet word with Nigel and tell him to stop talking so much waffle and crap.

- The club HAVE to invest more money in buying a quality center half or two, and a quality center mid. Hammond is not the answer.

- Improve the scouting of players from non-league / League 2 and League 1. We need to get the very best, young hungry players from these leagues - just like Bassett and Warnock were able to do.

- Keep pushing through the academy players. Nice to see Long, Reed, Sharp through the spine of the team yesterday. All products of our academy and passionate Blades. They will give their all for the club and are the attitudes we need at the club to replace muppets like Baxter, McNulty etc.

- Finally have a policy of not selling our better players late in August i.e. Maguire, Quinn, MacDonald, Murphy. Hold players to their contracts, and if they do genuinely need to sell because the player wants to leave then wait until January to sell them so we can get more money and at least have time to plan and get adequate replacements in.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I'll ignore the utter bollocks you've finished off that post with as its utter bollocks.

But you seem to be very niave and childlike in what you expect a manager to say in his interviews.

You'd be happy if he came out and said we were complete wank and that Hammond is dire.

I imagine you got upset when Wilson kept his hands in his pockets too.

You calling anyone naive is laughable.

I don't expect him to slate players but I do expect him to acknowledge when performances are not good enough - and there have been plenty of those this season. Instead he comes out with the same rubbish week after week that bears no resemblance to reality.

I don't recall Wilson having his hands in his pocket. I do recall him trying to win games though - rather than setting out for a draw and hoping we might nick a goal.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

When other teams visit Bramall Lane they're taken aback by the quality of our Stadium, Academy and other facilities - all geared up for the Premier League and definitely not the third tier of English football.

F**king hell Kev, I never realised we gave visiting teams a visit to Shirecliffe, etc, pre match? Very generous - hope you've made sure we rub out any tactical stuff from the whiteboards.

 

[PeteBlade]

You calling anyone naive is laughable.

I don't expect him to slate players but I do expect him to acknowledge when performances are not good enough - and there have been plenty of those this season. Instead he comes out with the same rubbish week after week that bears no resemblance to reality.

I don't recall Wilson having his hands in his pocket. I do recall him trying to win games though - rather than setting out for a draw and hoping we might nick a goal.

Let's just sack another one then shall we? Let's see the level of candidate we get and hopefully he'll do some nice cuddly interviews to win the fans onside.

Who was it that said the definition of madness was to keep on behaving the same way but expecting different results?

My viewpoint has always been that the way we are run is hindering Adkins and that it will hinder any manager that comes here so that simply changing the manager is looking at a symptom and not the wider problem.

If you class that as being up Adkins backside, then you're even more daft that I gave you credit for.

 

[alcoblade]

Probably something to do with the fact that he can't give a straight answer to a straight question, gives inaccurate game summaries, and has little digs at the supporters here and there. Not what you want and largely ironic from a manager that has pioneered a tiresome "united together" stance from the get go.

How do you know the game summaries are inaccurate?

UTB

 

[Barney]

How do you know the game summaries are inaccurate?

UTB

Carry on scrolling and you'll find out.

 

[alcoblade]

You calling anyone naive is laughable.

I don't expect him to slate players but I do expect him to acknowledge when performances are not good enough - and there have been plenty of those this season. Instead he comes out with the same rubbish week after week that bears no resemblance to reality.

I don't recall Wilson having his hands in his pocket. I do recall him trying to win games though - rather than setting out for a draw and hoping we might nick a goal.

How did you rate Warmock's view on the game, and his players? Didn't you find it strange that it was always the referees fault, and didn't you notice the lack of any correlation between the results and the interviews?

Why people it so much emphasis on this is beyond me.

UTB

 

[Barney]

How did you rate Warmock's view on the game, and his players? Didn't you find it strange that it was always the referees fault, and didn't you notice the lack of any correlation between the results and the interviews?

Why people it so much emphasis on this is beyond me.

UTB

If it isn't further evidence of his cluelessness and does in fact know we don't play well when we don't, then that brings into question of his reasoning behind not being honest. You don't have to slate players, but if it's a poor performance, call it as such and don't gabble on about how exhilarating it was when it clearly wasn't.

 

[alcoblade]

If it isn't further evidence of his cluelessness and does in fact know we don't play well when we don't, then that brings into question of his reasoning behind not being honest. You don't have to slate players, but if it's a poor performance, call it as such and don't gabble on about how exhilarating it was when it clearly wasn't.

Like Warnock did?

UTB

 

[sitwell]

How did you rate Warmock's view on the game, and his players? Didn't you find it strange that it was always the referees fault, and didn't you notice the lack of any correlation between the results and the interviews?

Why people it so much emphasis on this is beyond me.

UTB

All the best managers protect their players ,just look back in history ,Fergies players ,Wengers ,Paisleys ,never did wrong it was always the ref.

 

[Barney]

Like Warnock did?

UTB

Warnock wasn't the best at interviews, and he used to take the biscuit in blaming the referees but that's not what we're debating.

 

[sitwell]

Too much emphasis is spent on after match and local radio interviews ,they are often in the heat of the moment or with people the managers cant stand ,don't pay to much attention to them ,behind doors is a complete different story.

 

[alcoblade]

Warnock wasn't the best at interviews, and he used to take the biscuit in blaming the referees but that's not what we're debating.

It's exactly what we are debating. Look at Sitwell's post above - the best managers ( Warnock being a local example) do not give anything anything away in interviews.

His interviews were the same when he won 2 LOW titles, got 3 promotions from this division, and one promotion from the championship.

I understand the frustration, but I don't understand why people make profound judgements about it ( other than you, who's had an agenda from the off)

UTB

 

[Barney]

It's exactly what we are debating. Look at Sitwell's post above - the best managers ( Warnock being a local example) do not give want thing anything away in interviews.

His interviews were he same when he won 2 LOW titles, got 3 promotions from this division, and one promotion from the championship.

I understand the frustration, but I don't understand why people make profound judgements about it ( other than you, who's had an agenda from the off)

UTB

It's not about having an agenda, it's about seeing him a mile off. It's just that everything I've been saying is coming more and more to light each and every week and there's more supporters seeing and recognising it.

 

[alcoblade]

It's not about having an agenda, it's about seeing him a mile off. It's just that everything I've been saying is coming more and more to light each and every week and there's more supporters seeing and recognising it.

Whatever happens in future, it will remain the case that the correlation between the quality of interviews and on field success is the square root of fuck all.

UTB

 

[Barney]

Whatever happens in future, it will remain the case that the correlation between the quality of interviews and on field success is the square root of fuck all.

UTB

Again, that's not the point. The point is he has to do interviews for a reason. Unless he genuinely does not know a good performance from bad (perfectly possible) why not be honest? Not being so a) leaves supporters knowing he's talking rubbish and b) makes supporters less inclined to get onside. Being honest and calling a spade a spade eliminates both of those and there's absolutely no net difference of effort in the process.