Like it or not

[Lane Ender]

adkins has apparently spunked 8 million on hammond, sammon, woolford and billy.. 25 percent success ratio for that kind of money is unacceptable.. i heard a rumour that hammond is on 30 k per week. that is more than Swiss is on!

I'm not having that SP

 

[super_pig]

I'm not having that SP

that's what Kev said the other day. he has put in 8 million. all the other players were already on contract.. they are the only new signings?? where did it go then??

 

[Lane Ender]

that's what Kev said the other day. he has put in 8 million. all the other players were already on contract.. they are the only new signings?? where did it go then??

You can't seriously believe anything Mcabe says.

 

[super_pig]

You can't seriously believe anything Mcabe says.

heh.. sorry i was being sarcastic in the first place

 

[Lane Ender]

heh.. sorry i was being sarcastic in the first place

You had me worried there fella

 

[super_pig]

You had me worried there fella

thought you knew me better than that.. sorry

 

[alcoblade]

that's what Kev said the other day. he has put in 8 million. all the other players were already on contract.. they are the only new signings?? where did it go then??

You been drinking fella? They don't get paid up in full when they sign you know, they still paid as they go.

edit - woosh!

UTB

 

[super_pig]

You been drinking fella? They don't get paid up in full when they sign you know, they still paid as they go.

UTB

so where did the money go then?? 8 million. on... a pitch.. ummm.. pukka pies on special offer.. buy twenty years worth just in case? i dunno
(i'm agreeing with you btw)

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

Wouldn't you agree that our squad was enormous, too big to work with?

Clearly Clough is responsible for that - there's not even a question there.

Of that huge squad, list the players you'd like to keep?

Why he should have been allowed to buy "7 more" players is beyond me. The wheels fell off before the end of last season.

UTB

Yes our squad was big, but again, who's to say how that would have changed in the summer. Adkins and the board knew the squad was big, could have made changes but didn't.

Also, to reiterate again, this 'awful' squad finished 5th quite comfortably last season. Yes we had Murphy, but we didn't have a striker of sharps caliber.

Players I like that Clough brought in: brayford, done, Adams, I actually like Scougall if he's used right, everyone seems to be pleased with Coutts this season, I like Bob Harris, I think basham is a good squad player, McNulty scored 10+ goals last season but it all depends on his attitude, I like Reed and think he's got a good future if developed right. Everyone seemed happy with Kieran Wallace until Adkins dropped him, after giving him a new 2 year contract!

Remember there are a lot of players that Clough didn't bring in and weren't 'his' players - Collins (who he wanted out), both keepers, Baxter (who he would have gotten rid of), Cuvelier wasn't a Clough signing, Flynn wasn't a Clough signing.

So out of the current squad, the players that I think we'd probably all most likely want to keep are Clough signings.

Clough signings in the squad that aren't worth keeping on - McEverly, Campbell-Ryce (Clough would have got rid of him last summer anyway), probably McNulty if he can't get his attitude right, probably Scougall who I do quite like and I think there's a player there, freeman (who actually looked okay for a time), mcgahee (if that's the right spelling!), those players you may as well throw on Adkins duds - woolford, Hammond, Edgar. So it's like for like there.

We have no idea of knowing how the summer would have gone with Clough, but we keep hearing words like consistency, stability, patience, time etc. well those should all have applied to Clough and we had a great chance to get the first bit of stability since Warnock left and push on this year.

Now we've wasted year, and have to hope that Adkins gets it right this summer, if not, he'll be out in December and we start again.

 

[alcoblade]

Yes our squad was big, but again, who's to say how that would have changed in the summer. Adkins and the board knew the squad was big, could have made changes but didn't.

Also, to reiterate again, this 'awful' squad finished 5th quite comfortably last season. Yes we had Murphy, but we didn't have a striker of sharps caliber.

Players I like that Clough brought in: brayford, done, Adams, I actually like Scougall if he's used right, everyone seems to be pleased with Coutts this season, I think basham is a good squad player, McNulty scored 10+ goals last season but it all depends on his attitude, I like Reed and think he's got a good future if developed right. Everyone seemed happy with Kieran Wallace until Adkins dropped him, after giving him a new 2 year contract!

Remember there are a lot of players that Clough didn't bring in and weren't 'his' players - Collins (who he wanted out), both keepers, Baxter (who he would have gotten rid of), Cuvelier wasn't a Clough signing, Flynn wasn't a Clough signing.

So out of the current squad, the players that I think we'd probably all most likely want to keep are Clough signings.

Clough signings in the squad that aren't worth keeping on - McEverly, Campbell-Ryce (Clough would have got rid of him last summer anyway), probably McNulty if he can't get his attitude right, probably Scougall who I do quite like and I think there's a player there. For those players you may as well throw on Adkins duds - woolford, Hammond, Edgar. So it's like for like there.

We have no idea of knowing how the summer would have gone with Clough, but we keep hearing words like consistency, stability, patience, time etc. well those should all have applied to Clough and we had a great chance to get the first bit of stability since Warnock left and push in this year.

Now we've wasted year, and have to hope that Adkins gets it right this summer, if not, he'll be out in December and we start again.

They couldn't realistically cull the squad in the summer. Nobody wants our players because they are overpaid shite.

Brayford sums up Clough's regime - vastly overpriced in a position we didn't need.

I accept there's a fair few from before his time that want binning too, but the idea that we should keep most of his players is a strange one to me.

We finished 5th, but we were totally spent in the 2nd half of last season. Then we sold our player of the season and the money disappeared paying the likes of John Brayford, at full back!

UTB

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

They couldn't realistically cull the squad in the summer. Nobody wants our players because they are overpaid shite.

Brayford sums up Clough's regime - vastly overpriced in a position we didn't need.

I accept there's a fair few from before his time that want binning too, but the idea that we should keep most of his players is a strange one to me.

We finished 5th, but we were totally spent in the 2nd half of last season. Then we sold our player of the season and the money disappeared paying the likes of John Brayford, at full back!

UTB

Let's hope Adkins and the board finally learn from past mistakes. They've now got 5 and a half months to plan. Be interesting to see if all that 'hard work behind the scenes' and 'endeavor' pays off!

 

[Smirth]

Clough isn't the answer but sadly I'm starting to think Adkins isn't either. He just seems so naive, which is odd for a man with 3 promotions from this division.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

adkins has apparently spunked 8 million on hammond, sammon, woolford and billy.. 25 percent success ratio for that kind of money is unacceptable.. i heard a rumour that hammond is on 30 k per week. that is more than Swiss is on!

Bollocks

 

[super_pig]

Bollocks

exactly.. that missing smiley cost me there didn't it

 

[nopigfansintown]

I used to work at the club and still have excellent contacts in senior positions. Clough went to the board with a list of seven players in the summer - before the Murphy deal was completed. The the board wouldn't play ball. They were deeply unhappy with the injury records and general contribution of players for the wages and fees paid. Mal Brannigan had already completed the deal for Sammon, and was ready to rubber stamp expensive deals for Kyle Mcfadzean and Andy Williams.The other five players were Buxton and Bennett at Derby; Smith and the goalkeeper at Swindon, and one more I cant remember. The board gave Brannigan a budget to spend, and both he and Clough had free reign to decide how to spend it. Brannigan was there to provide the checks and balances. If Blades knew the type off wages the likes of Coutts, James Wallace, Baxter etc had received for their contributions they'd be shocked. Anyway, in the Star article this week McCabe says we gave Clough too much to spend -which says it all. Before the Jan transfer window - when we signed Brayford and Done - we adopted a high wage and low fee policy in order to acquire players. A misguided approach in my view, given the age and fitness profile of players we have acquired, and potential resale value now.

 

[alcoblade]

I used to work at the club and still have excellent contacts in senior positions. Clough went to the board with a list of seven players in the summer - before the Murphy deal was completed. The the board wouldn't play ball. They were deeply unhappy with the injury records and general contribution of players for the wages and fees paid. Mal Brannigan had already completed the deal for Sammon, and was ready to rubber stamp expensive deals for Kyle Mcfadzean and Andy Williams.The other five players were Buxton and Bennett at Derby; Smith and the goalkeeper at Swindon, and one more I cant remember. The board gave Brannigan a budget to spend, and both he and Clough had free reign to decide how to spend it. Brannigan was there to provide the checks and balances. If Blades knew the type off wages the likes of Coutts, James Wallace, Baxter etc had received for their contributions they'd be shocked. Anyway, in the Star article this week McCabe says we gave Clough too much to spend -which says it all. Before the Jan transfer window - when we signed Brayford and Done - we adopted a high wage and low fee policy in order to acquire players. A misguided approach in my view, given the age and fitness profile of players we have acquired, and potential resale value now.

You could weep, couldn't you?

How on earth, after Robson, could we let that happens again.

UTB

 

[shorehamview]

You could weep, couldn't you?

How on earth, after Robson, could we let that happens again.

UTB

Because we are run by someone who is enthusiastic but clueless?

 

[alcoblade]

Because we are run by someone who is enthusiastic but clueless?

Yes. You'll notice I didn't even pose it as a question.

UTB

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

For the sake of everyone's sanity, the forum should close for an hour after every defeat.

We're still paying for the mistakes of the Clough regime. Why that's not blindingly obvious to all is beyond me.

UTB

We're paying for the repetitive mistakes of the board. That's the obvious bit.

 

[nopigfansintown]

You could weep, couldn't you?

How on earth, after Robson, could we let that happens again.

UTB

Exactly. McCabe hasn't wanted to micromananage Sufc, he's just picked the wrong staff to do it and then had to pay them off at huge expense.

 

[alcoblade]

Exactly. McCabe hasn't wanted to micromananage Sufc, he's just picked the wrong staff to do it and then had to pay them off at huge expense.

You seem to know a lot of detail from within. How sure are you that the Sammon deal was done by Clough / Brannigan?

I think it's Brannigan who McCabe was referring to about people who should know better letting costs get out of control.

UTB

 

[nopigfansintown]

You seem to know a lot of detail from within. How sure are you that the Sammon deal was done by Clough / Brannigan?

I think it's Brannigan who McCabe was referring to about people who should know better letting costs get out of control.

UTB

I was told Clough was getting him regardless of league status before the play off campaign. Sammon has been out of favour at Derby for some time.

 

[Bladesince59]

The "yes man" manager thing resurfaces. Without doubt one of the stupidest criticisms that can ever be thrown at a manager.

Exactly what do you want the manager to do? Take a shotgun to the next board meeting?

UTB

He was in a position to lay down terms to get us promoted when he signed up. Clearly he failed at that too.

 

[alcoblade]

He was in a position to lay down terms to get us promoted when he signed up. Clearly he failed at that too.

Ah yes. Come to think of it, they should all do that. You've nailed it.

Just lay down terms. Who needs anything else?

Out of interest, when we move onto the next bloke who will "lay down his terms" for the board to reject, just how many do we go through? Should we just say "who needs a manager"?

UTB

 

[Bladesince59]

Ah yes. Come to think of it, they should all do that. You've nailed it.

Just lay down terms. Who needs anything else?

Out of interest, when we move onto the next bloke who will "lay down his terms" for the board to reject, just how many do we go through? Should we just say "who needs a manager"?

UTB

Well he clearly didn't demand much did he?

 

[alcoblade]

Well he clearly didn't demand much did he?

Follow that through. What if we haven't got a pot to piss in? Will you be happy when all managers turn us down?

Your point just does not make sense.

UTB

 

[boo radley]

still making progress. Against us not with us.

 

[nopigfansintown]

I hope he brought a big coach and took his old players with him. They clearly don't want to play for us.

 

[boo radley]

jmykuyki

I hope he brought a big coach and took his old players with him. They clearly don't want to play for us.

what you mean you don't know? but you can find out for us can't you with all your high ranking contacts at the club please tell us what is going on, on the inside including who Adkins was talking about in his interview.
So easy to waffle on about the manager who was sacked and blame him for the current predicament quoting your friends hearsay about players Clough wanted to sign.
Give us something from the present so we can say "yeah nopigfansintown was right and it was right to sack Clough".

 

[nopigfansintown]

jmykuyki

what you mean you don't know? but you can find out for us can't you with all your high ranking contacts at the club please tell us what is going on, on the inside including who Adkins was talking about in his interview.
So easy to waffle on about the manager who was sacked and blame him for the current predicament quoting your friends hearsay about players Clough wanted to sign.
Give us something from the present so we can say "yeah nopigfansintown was right and it was right to sack Clough".

I've already said a lot about why Clough and Mal Brannigan were ousted. I wanted Nigel Clough to be given until this Christmas to try and get united around the automatic places, and thought that he'd financed many of his mistakes with the money he'd brought into the club via cup runs.Most of what I've said is on the public record now, or close to being so, given McCabe's recent interviews.I think I proved my credentials by preempting his recent statements (to some degree?). The truth is, McCabe trusts the day to day running of the club to other people - including transfer strategy and execution. Nigel Adkins took the job knowing he had minimal room for monoeuvre, and discovered he'd inherited a squad in which eight players hadn't done a preseason, with several returning back stones overweight. There are cliques within the squad that have attempted to undermine the board and manager - due to loyalty to Clough. If you look at the players we've loaned out (not James Wallace) and the most disreputable characters on the pitch last night (Coutts) you won't go far wrong. There is a lack of off field discipline and a culture that is not conducive to developing young players. To see it all play out last night wasn't that surprising, frankly. Going forward, the prince has major concerns about were his investment is going and whether to amicably withdraw from his involvement, but this has been a ticking time bomb since the Weir disaster. The last thing United need is another manager, unless its the modern day Bassett who can overcome all odds. The best case scenario for United is that the Prince and McCabe continue to invest at the same rate, we sign good young players, and Adkins is successful as manager. I only have two contacts at the club I glean info from: Baptiste, if he proves his fitness, will sign for the Blades if Boro are promoted, and should be seen as a longer term move. Adkins is also trying to sign a young wide player on loan.