Adkins out

[PeteBlade]

McCabe has put money in yes (taken alot of property out too) and he can do it again to get correct his bad decision to sack Clough. he can do this out of money which isnt included in FFP.

Whats not true about Brayford? he cost a reported 1.5 Mil and Clough was sacked 6 months later? please elaborate.

he has proved it he needs shit loads of cash because hes done absolute shite with a half decent team and hes been aloud to piss away 500K on Sharp and seems to want to rely on Prem cast offs rather than signing promising youngsters from lower leagues. Hes also proved he cant motivate anyone, all the players are currently playing at about 75% of what they can do and thats all down to his bad management.

"If we have money then we can afford to sack him' is a bizarre statement."

not atall, when you lot are saying we cant afford to sack him, I am saying we can and we should immediately in fact we cant afford not to sack him

Which half decent team has he managed?

Sharp is widely acknowledged as our shining light this season. Money well spent I'd say.

 

[Deadbat]

From his body language in his interview I didn't think he looked as stressed and under pressure as he has in some others recently, so I'm wondering if he's had word from above that his job is safe.

I don't think anyone can trust anything McCabe says even if he had given such assurances. He said Clough was fine and he was doing promotional videos for the club a week before he was sacked. What is to say Adkins goes in to the end of season meeting and says I am signing Hammond. McCabe says no and they agree to part ways?

For me he is under more pressure now than at any time. Sounds odd when the pressure is off and even though we are all asking him to play more kids and plan for the future; he wont as he knows if we lost say 4 or 5 of the last 7; he may very well be sacked. If we finished say 6th-8th bottom; even though it matters little in grand scheme of things from where we are now; I would not be shocked if McCabe sacked him.

From past experience with sackings (Blackwell, Clough, Wilson) McCabe has proved that he can act very quickly. Too quickly in all those cases maybe. So I would not rule anything out.

 

[HoodedClaw]

...and we forget all the utter dross we've witnessed all season?



Now you're talking. Instead of the usual cycle of - crap manager sets us back, crap manager departs considerably richer, next crap manager comes in - why can't we employ a manager who has a stake in the club. This could be a bonus-heavy payment for success, clear guidelines of no payout for failure and a fair (but not £10k a week) salary. £2k should do it.

You honestly thing any manager thats any good would come for that financial package? Doesn't give them much of a payout when they get sacked.

 

[Coily]

I actually remember the reaction Phil Brown got when suggested as s potential manager last time around.

I remember the reaction when we appointed Adkins. And when the Pigs appointed Carlos Whateverthefuckhisnameis too... turns out we know fuck all!

 

[Deadbat]

Any plans regarding player recruitment over this summer being made by Adkins and his staff as we speak. The sort of plans being made by every club in the country around this time of year. Basically what I said in the sentence before the word 'derailing'!

If we had acted quicker last season then we may not have resigned quite a few of dross that is still here (McEveley) and also may not have signed Sammon (all signs are that deal was signed off before Clough went).

As others have said; if we are derailing signing of Hammond, Edgar permanent and more players of ilk of Woolford then is that a bad thing?

We have a cheif scout who was head hunted and seen as one of the best in the lower divisions and so far he has done what exactly? All the signings we have made have been Adkins old mates or journeyman ageing players from higher up pyramid. A scouts is tasked chiefly for me with finding young, up and coming talent and players who can improve both the present and the future. All this rubbish about us not being able to sign players/spend players (some may argue Turnbull identified players possibly) I do not agree. Likes of Hammond, Edgar, Baptiste will be on very high wages even if parent clubs contribute. The money spent on their wages and loan fees (you normally have to pay a loan fee) could have been used surely towards young, hungry talent?

I am very concerned about what signings Adkins may make this summer based on his track record so far. I thought he knew the lower divisions but evidence so far on not identifying opponents better players/shapes/type of play or being able to counter it and his complete lack of signings of such talent, is a major red flag for me.

 

[Deadbat]

I remember the reaction when we appointed Adkins. And when the Pigs appointed Carlos Whateverthefuckhisnameis too... turns out we know fuck all!

Adkins has not worked out despite many being delighted with appointment and old Carlos has done well but has been given a lot of money and help. He has been able to sign several players on decent money and likes of Hooper, McGeady will be on astronomical wages. Fair play to their board and new owner. They have gone for it. Would be sickening if they went up but Mandaric and this Thai bloke have shown how to invest and turn a club around.

We are still run by amateurs who might be successful businessmen but are playing at it when it comes to SUFC. They are never there (run a major business barely even part time) and have entrusted people who have simply no proven track record or football experience in Phipps and Green - the fact the latter David Green is in chair of football operations is simply baffling. Even someone I know who knows Green and likes him (good friends and says he is a decent bloke) says that in his opinion his knowledge of football and football matters/transfers you could put on the back of a postage stamp. Worrying how we are run really.

Seems Phipps is out of the equation now (poorly or been told to stay out of the way?) and the Prince nowhere to be seen. Hear little from Baki (another who seems to be just a mouth piece) do think this summer there may be an announcement on the future of the Saudi contignent. I have said it for a year or so now but I felt if we failed this year they would pull out (so to speak). They have lost some money (not as much as they make out I would guess - is a guess) but now know it could be a long, long time before we even become a respectable Championship club. The Prince would be better investing in a ready made product. There are plenty in Champ and Prem who could be taken over to fulfull his dream of owning a 'big successful British football club'. Lets be honest the Prince and his advisors tried to get involved with Leeds and several others before us. We were just cheap and McCabe was desperate. They saw a game at Wembley and maybe that was as good as it would get for them. Would we be any worse off? Hard to tell but I doubt it. We are in the bottom half of League One and more likely to go down than up. What a royal mess.

 

[HoodedClaw]

This has to be my favourite suggestion I've seen made by a selection few on here.

Absolutely hilarious.

We do have some comedy genius fans.

The number of times I have to read and re-read post because of the ludicrous content gives me eye strain.

 

[TJB.]

If we had acted quicker last season then we may not have resigned quite a few of dross that is still here (McEveley) and also may not have signed Sammon (all signs are that deal was signed off before Clough went).

As others have said; if we are derailing signing of Hammond, Edgar permanent and more players of ilk of Woolford then is that a bad thing?

We have a cheif scout who was head hunted and seen as one of the best in the lower divisions and so far he has done what exactly? All the signings we have made have been Adkins old mates or journeyman ageing players from higher up pyramid. A scouts is tasked chiefly for me with finding young, up and coming talent and players who can improve both the present and the future. All this rubbish about us not being able to sign players/spend players (some may argue Turnbull identified players possibly) I do not agree. Likes of Hammond, Edgar, Baptiste will be on very high wages even if parent clubs contribute. The money spent on their wages and loan fees (you normally have to pay a loan fee) could have been used surely towards young, hungry talent?

I am very concerned about what signings Adkins may make this summer based on his track record so far. I thought he knew the lower divisions but evidence so far on not identifying opponents better players/shapes/type of play or being able to counter it and his complete lack of signings of such talent, is a major red flag for me.

I sincerely hope that we don't sign Hammond permanently. I don't think Edgar is anywhere near as bad as people make him out to be, but I don't think he's pulled up any trees. No indication that we're signing him permanently. Woolford was a freebie and a gamble which hasn't paid off.

If Sammon was agreed before Adkins arrived, and it's taken that Edgar isn't too bad. that means 3 out of 5 (Sharp, Edgar, Baptiste) signings have been acceptable. Considering the tightness of the purse strings since Adkins has arrived due to the fucking massive squad he inherited, is that really such a bad record?

I reckon frank discussions were had and it was decided that the aim was indeed to go for promotion, but that bar a couple of additions, no major resources would be available until the squad size/wage bill was trimmed. I also reckon, as I've said, that our chief scout is working his tits off to find a few gems and bring them in for the start of next season. I sincerely doubt that the club has headhunted a man who has simply sat on his hands for 8 months or whatever. If we are employing people on decent wages to do nothing, then I'm off to tinker my CV.

I don't think we'll be derailing plans to buy more ageing journeymen whose legs have gone. It doesn't take a genius to realise what we badly need and what is needed to go up from this division. If the budget is indeed spunked on such players, there will be uproar from us all. Myself included.

Big summer for board and manager. GET IT REYT.

 

[sheffielder]

Judging by performances I don't think Adkins has the whole dressing room, and why would he. He's dropped every one of them this season at some point and pointed his finger randomly at some and not at others.

Players need a leader so if this is the route we are going down you need to be sure he can handle them. The fact he didn't bring on reed on to create something tells me he was punishing him for the mistake when he should be sticking him on to see if the lesson is learnt.

I don't trust him

 

[Bartleby]

I remember the reaction when we appointed Adkins. And when the Pigs appointed Carlos Whateverthefuckhisnameis too... turns out we know fuck all!

without knowing what's going on behind the scenes how can we know? Bassett had done brilliant with Wimbledon, not had such a great time at Watford then comes here and it all kicks on. Adkins similar with with Saints and Scunny, blip at Reading, comes here and it all goes shit shaped. Not the fault of those of us fans who wanted Adkins in based on what we knew.

 

[grafikhaus]

You honestly thing any manager thats any good would come for that financial package? Doesn't give them much of a payout when they get sacked.

Any manager who is confident of his own ability - and who wants to work in front of very large crowds - shouldn't have any problems with that package i.e. very large 'wedge' dependant on success. 'Any manager that's any good' would be about 5% of the tossers currently employed as a football manager. Football can't go on paying vast sums for failures - it's not as if they're politicians.

 

[Jostein's Bandage]

I'm not convinced about Wilder, but he's the name i'd come up with because he's the obvious one. All i really want right now is Adkins gone. Worry about who replaces him afterwards. The board should be in a better position to find a new manager than the average supporter. Right now i'd take almost anybody, because i've had enough of his chirpy bloody optimism after every defeat and the constant random team selections and subs. The formation is a joke. The midfield is a mess.

I don't know lower league managers well enough to make an informed choice, i just want someone who plays a proper formation, picks the best team every week, doesn't fall out with half his players and can motivate them to try to win a game of football. There must be 2 dozen managers who can at least do those things.

 

[Bartleby]

all the players are currently playing at about 75% of what they can do and thats all down to his bad management.

not necessarily, sometimes a manager just inherits a squad that will never want to play for him. Warnock found this a lot at clubs in the lower leagues that had journeymen seeing out their careers and paying him no respect, and he solved the problem by clearing the crap out.

 

[gavtheblade]

Does any sane person think owd David Brent can shape the mighty blades into a promotion squad , Flynn central mid ? ,Hammond still playing ? Jay Mac captain? Bash am pro footballer? Done left wing back ? Coutts ??? (Pro footballer ,and I'll use that very loosely can't play more than 45 mins ,hang your tackle shy boots up ) . Salmon ?(I keep having Paul williams flash backs .). And that fraud of a player he got from millwall can't remember his name as he's so inconspicuous . Sack the idiot

Thought I'd have mellowed to him after December, but he's shown me nothing to convince me he's the man to take us forward.
Ian Holloway please.

 

[TJB.]

All i really want right now is Adkins gone. Worry about who replaces him afterwards.

Fucking suicide. That's one of the stupidest things I've ever read on a football forum. And I came here from BladesMad.

 

[mattbianco1]

I think you are right, other than the appointment of Warnock first time around, this chairman and his board appear to be pretty clueless when it comes to appointing the right man.

Didn't Derek Dooley appoint Warnock? I thought McCabe stepped down with McDonald when Heath left?

 

[Bartleby]

Didn't Derek Dooley appoint Warnock? I thought McCabe stepped down with McDonald when Heath left?

according to his book Warnock rang McCabe after Heath went to aks him what was the hell was going on at the club and McCabe said "when can you start?"

 

[Latters]

There's some right old shit on here sometimes.

McCabe spent £1.5m on a right back and sacked a manager so he must be able to afford to do it again? Yes, of course, because that's how money works. I might go out and buy a Range Rover because by that logic I'd definitely be able to buy another.

Sack Adkins and then worry about who to appoint? Jesus Christ. That's how we ended up with fucking Weir in charge. We panicked, sacked Wilson without anybody in mind and no fucker wanted to come to us so we ended up with a shit fifth choice.

We're also blaming the head scout for the board giving Adkins no money to sign anyone in January and get one loan in in the loan window.

The problem is higher up than Adkins. Sacking him would achieve absolutely fuck all.

As for Chris Wilder being a good choice because "he knows the club and the fans". What is this bollocks? The last time he was here we had entirely different staff, and just how many of the 20k coming through the gates does he know? He doesn't know me and he doesn't know the club just because he used to play in our shirt at our ground with a completely different bunch of people.

 

[HoodedClaw]

Any manager who is confident of his own ability - and who wants to work in front of very large crowds - shouldn't have any problems with that package i.e. very large 'wedge' dependant on success. 'Any manager that's any good' would be about 5% of the tossers currently employed as a football manager. Football can't go on paying vast sums for failures - it's not as if they're politicians.

I like and admire your philosophy, if it was up to me I'd try to apply it to players too.

To me it's a catch 22, managers won't come on the package you mentioned and not enough clubs will offer the package so limiting the current way. There are too many variables that can effect success for a manager, injury to players, twats at board level not funding the team adequately etc etc.

 

[bertieblade]

Could nick cox be our Eddie Howe?

 

[Latters]

Could nick cox be our Eddie Howe?

Who?

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Could nick cox be our Eddie Howe?

Nick Cox should get recognition what he is doing with the academy . He was 10 years at Watford and has a good reputation and is respected by his fellow peers .

If we are shifting this pathway for the young players coming into the first team , it would make sense for him to be involved more in first team matters . As Adkins is a thinking mans type of manager with vision , no doubt he will have thought of this . The people who want to up there game besides Adkins are Wilkins and Crosby , who appear to be failing .

Most blokes who are escalated into the first team managers slot from youth manager level usually fail . Derby being the most recent example I can think of , after sacking another top coach and visionary Paul Clement.

A shake up on the playing front , football management / staff , board level is required and this summer is a ideal time for all.

 

[BushBlade]

Whilst I can fully understand why people want Adkins out, I don't understand why people think replacing him will be some sort of panacea.

I read the same comments about Blackwell, Wilson and Clough as I am now doing about Adkins and each time there was a belief that sacking the manager would bring about an improvement. The only time it worked was with Weir, who was truly inept.

Maybe sacking Adkins will work and maybe it won't, I don't know but our past form suggests it won't. Isn't the clamour for sacking him as much about punishing him for our shit, disappointing, hurtful season as it is the belief that we can bring in someone who can turn us around and get us up?

People are now going on about Parkinson and Brown but they've been given time to take their clubs to where they are. And neither will get sacked if the clubs don't get promoted.

 

[Bladesman]

If the most qualified man on the planet, to get us out of this league is struggling, it shows what a big job it is to turn us round.

We have been progressively getting worse since dropping to this league, and there has been a definite shift in policy halfway through this season, losing experience, replacing it, with kids.

Think his interviews aren`t helping, but any manager losing games is perceived as an idiot, whatever he says or does.

Purely on his record in this league (before this season!), I would stick with him.

I think he had the rug pulled on him around November time. Hence the lack of signings in the JTW.

It explains why Adkins was desperately trying to get players out on loan or permanently just to hopefully free up some money. He did manage to do that but only to enable the loan of Baptiste.

 

[mattbianco1]

As for Chris Wilder being a good choice because "he knows the club and the fans". What is this bollocks? The last time he was here we had entirely different staff, and just how many of the 20k coming through the gates does he know? He doesn't know me and he doesn't know the club just because he used to play in our shirt at our ground with a completely different bunch of people.

I was going to post something very similar. He played a handful of games 17 years ago and around 100 games about 10 years before that. Other than being a local guy, WTF does he know about SUFC now? Yes he may support Sheffield United (not sure?!??) so has an invested interest in us, but his Saturday's and Tuesday's have been taken up by managing other teams since the turn of the century. He's probably only been to 5 or 6 of our games in those years, two of which were the times we spanked Oxford 3-0 in the FA Cup in 2011 and 2013.

All that said. He has done a fantastic job at Northampton Town but i'd rather keep NA than gamble on yet another manager, unless McCabe is trying to make it 9 in 9 years?!?

 

[Tezza1889]

To be quite honest there's so much wrong with the club regarding the playing side of it would sacking him make any difference.?

Let's look at the facts..

When we get any player of any promise they are sold, not added to with more quality, sold and as I've said before if you want to dish out any excuses then you should think on, because how will we sign the type of player we now need to achieve promotions, because the type of players we sell at the first shot for money which pays the wage bill (as confirmed by mcabe re Murphy) are those type of players, the answer is to recognise thier value and give them a pay rise to keep them in the fold, all the big clubs do this... And it works...

The only thing the chairman invests in is his buildings and properties which he then charges us rent to use, there is absolutely nothing in it for mr mcabe to want a decent product on the pitch regarding players, and as previously mentioned, player sales go to the playing squad in wages, Murphy had to go, as did Maguire, as did macdonald, to pay player wages, this income combined with sponsorship, and gate receipts form a strategy where mcabe and the prince pay little or no wages...


Has beens and never beens on the pitch, aside from George long, billly sharp, and Che Adams and at a push Brayford we haven't got any player who has desire and a clear will to win, in a good team Brayford excels, as does sharp and Adams, the horrific defence we've had since Morgan/Maguire vacated haven't helped young George. But even though we've got toy town defenders, George has kept 11 clean sheets this season...not a bad effort when you remember that some of our players could claim assists for the goals scored by the opposition this season.. Look forward to more has beens looking for one last pay day, cause as I see it this is the pattern and has been for a few years, big name, appeases fans, player shot and on the last legs, winding down his career or coming back from a serious injury, in short what's in the bargain basket, it's just my opinion but we can look forward to more of the same while we have tinpot owners.


Managers, while ever we strip the team of any quality as I've banged on about all post, then it doesn't matter who we have in the hot seat, I personally feel sorry for them all, even mr selfish Nigel clough, and also the recruitment of managers old boys, well that's a recurring theme isn't it and no wonder, you've got a small amount to spend, go for an old pal who you know well and hope for the best, but 9 times out of ten you've got a player well past it, who was good a few years back when you had half a decent team for him to perform in...


The fans.... Ask yourself this, if we can spot the players we need, thier type, age and positions why don't we ever seem to go out and get one? The answer is of course money, and the most recent example is Connor Coady, he was a million pound player all day long and clough didn't go for him with any intent (500k was the fee, no risk there), instead he'd promised old boy coutts a contract and that's who we got, coady fitted the buy and build around model that we the fans know we need, for coutts see Hammond right now, the same deal is happening again, buy an old pal with no resale value or miles on the clock, an old guy with experience is great alongside a good ambitious youngster like Dack, but we won't sign Bradley Dack will we....

Lets talk game changing now...

Prince ( no real money )
Phipps ( a nice man who knows nothing about soccer )
Baki ( fenerbache hooligan who just flies around Europe)
All three of them are totally invisible... And quite frankly nothing but an embarrassment..

These guys have brought in the square root of fuck all, they are more evidence of the smokescreen of looking like a big club without acting like one, on paper we look to have good owners, but good owners speculate to accumulate, and look at the dross we sign year after year, think on this, on arrival the first thing that happens was our star player being sold, if we didn't need the money and had a wealthy Arab prince on board you'd have thought they'd offer macdonald a few quid, told him to stop and we'd build a team around him, in short, we'd make our team just like the one he was heading for, so he wouldn't need to leave.. So why hasn't this happend? A big clue was the princes arrival being kept secret till after the window shut...why, because they couldn't spend what they don't have....

In summary to ram it all home in possibly the hardest stomach churning way I could, until we have an owner with money ( like you know who ) who wants to take a well supported but underachieving club who are languishing in the lower divisions (like you know who) appoint a fresh manager with new ideas (like you know who) and back him in the transfer market with a balance of solid British players and a few talented foreigners, then in January add to it with more of the same whilst not selling emerging talent, you know, building a team that the fans want to pay to see, not go out of loyalty, until we have owners who have this kind of desire and match it financially we are going to go around in circles..

Sell potential, underperform, sack manager, discover talent, sell talent underperform, sack next manager.....

Adkins in, it makes no difference, we could have stuck with Wilson, Adams, even weir the way we're heading...

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

The only reasons to keep Adkins are entirely negative ones -

- The board have kept "chopping & changing"; this needs to stop.
- The money isn't there to compensate him.
- What if whoever's appointed to replace him turns out to be worse?
Etc.

Get rid. Acknowledging that he was the last, ultimate, try at the "quick fix" to get us up out of this hellhole of a division. It's failed.

Time to build for the future - & Adkins isn't the man to do that.

 

[BushBlade]

The only reasons to keep Adkins are entirely negative ones -

- The board have kept "chopping & changing"; this needs to stop.
- The money isn't there to compensate him.
- What if whoever's appointed to replace him turns out to be worse?
Etc.

Get rid. Acknowledging that he was the last, ultimate, try at the "quick fix" to get us up out of this hellhole of a division. It's failed.

Time to build for the future - & Adkins isn't the man to do that.

No they're not. They aren't the only reasons. Other reasons are
He's proved he can do it at more than one club. Two flukes would be extremely flukey, albeit not impossible.
He hasn't had the time or money to make sufficient changes. The problems with the club are so deep they can't be turned around overnight, without serious investment.

You can argue against both points as they are a matter of opinion as much as fact but they are reasons why some people are prepared to give him another chance.

But it will probably be down to ST sales in the end. If sales are slow KM is likely to sack Adkins anyway and bring in some Bladey Blade like Wilder to get them bums on seats. If we even have a long term plan we don't ever stick to it, just spin the roulette wheel and hope for the best.

 

[Ecco1889]

The only reasons to keep Adkins are entirely negative ones -

- The board have kept "chopping & changing"; this needs to stop.
- The money isn't there to compensate him.
- What if whoever's appointed to replace him turns out to be worse?
Etc.

Get rid. Acknowledging that he was the last, ultimate, try at the "quick fix" to get us up out of this hellhole of a division. It's failed.

Time to build for the future - & Adkins isn't the man to do that.

Was Adkins minimum remit to get in the play-offs?i don't know but it should have been,if there's an ounce of truth that he wants to sign Hammond and build a team around him then sack the chump today,because that will be an unmitigated disaster, imo of course

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

No they're not. They aren't the only reasons. Other reasons are
He's proved he can do it at more than one club. Two flukes would be extremely flukey, albeit not impossible.
He hasn't had the time or money to make sufficient changes. The problems with the club are so deep they can't be turned around overnight, without serious investment.

You can argue against both points as they are a matter of opinion as much as fact but they are reasons why some people are prepared to give him another chance.

But it will probably be down to ST sales in the end. If sales are slow KM is likely to sack Adkins anyway and bring in some Bladey Blade like Wilder to get them bums on seats. If we even have a long term plan we don't ever stick to it, just spin the roulette wheel and hope for the best.

I'd suggest the second of your two positive reasons for keeping him could be interpreted as a negative. All managers work within parameters & Adkins will have (presumably strict) parameters limiting him next season the same way that he has had this season. It's more of an excuse for his failings rather than an endorsement of his capabilities.

The first - his previous record - is, I admit, a compelling reason for many as to why we should stick rather than twist. As you say though, arguable. He was able to bring his vaunted positivity to bear in both situations in a way in which he hasn't been able to (&, I'd argue, won't be able to in future) here. Can't argue with his impressive previous record, just that it seems very much a case of "past glories" after what we've had to endure this season.

The basic problem with Adkins is that he wasn't part of any long-term plan - just the most recent & most blatant example of the quick fix mentality which dominates the club (fans as much as board).