Adkins - should he be sacked?

[nopigfansintown]

Do you think that's a possibility given the incompetence at board level?
I thought it was the funny that the only thing he could really admit to a mistake on was the fact that he moved away and gave himself less control.

I think he'll be given the completely unrealistic remit of automatic promotion next season, and one way or another he'll leave the club mid season. If he succeeds it will be success of Bassett or Warnockesque proportions (eg in spite of the boardroom). The stuff about the academy was code for cost cutting. There will not be the "new money" we were hoping and expecting.

 

[alcoblade]

I agree with the winning part. You can forgive a lot of the team is performing. However, this was the most lacklustre, colourless season we have had in the last 20+ years. Even the last relegation season was "interesting" with the variety of managers we went through. This season we had one minor highlight of Old Trafford (brought to a crunching halt by Hammond) but the rest was just Blah. An inept series of insipid displays and passionless performances.

Cup run aside, it was a mirror of last season without the playoff debacle.

I agree it's been awful, but no worse than last season for me.

Last seasons under Wilson and Blackwell were notably bad.

It still comes down to time for me. I never wanted Clough, we were awful last season despite him blowing huge funds, yet I'd still have given him until Christmas.

1 year, under these circumstances too, would be an unforgivably short time to give a manager.

UTB

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Cup run aside, it was a mirror of last season without the playoff debacle.

I agree it's been awful, but no worse than last season for me.

UTB

I'd have loved a cup run and playoff debacle this year. Instead we had nothing. Nothing Nigel. It's like being run by an accountant or a middling bank manager.

 

[alcoblade]

I'd have loved a cup run and playoff debacle this year. Instead we had nothing. Nothing Nigel. It's like being run by an accountant or a middling bank manager.

I wouldn't have wanted a repeat of the playoff debacle, and I doubt the thousands of other a Blades who were calling for Clough's head at Swindon would have either.

UTB

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

I wouldn't have wanted a repeat of the playoff debacle, and I doubt the thousands of other a Blades who were calling for Clough's head at Swindon would have either.

UTB

Disagree. Even a hard luck story is better than no story.

 

[alcoblade]

Disagree. Even a hard luck story is better than no story.

Well, it's all about opinion. I fucking hate the playoffs, and with the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn't swap last season for this.

Anyhow, bald men and combs and all that......

UTB

 

[grafikhaus]

I think he's been desperately trying to get the players he's got into a formation which works. Given the quality of players and a number of injuries that's not exactly a simple process!

Good point, Robbie (and Post #48). The problem is, he seems to have settled on a starting line-up that he's happy with but most of us can see is nowhere near good enough to mount a serious promotion challenge. Citing 'quality of players' and 'injuries' is not good enough. Every team has injuries and, after almost a year in the job, he's had more than enough time to make his mark on the squad.

But this is the problem with most managers. They have a 'get out of jail free' card when they bleat about players being sold from under their feet. Surely, this could be stamped out at interview stage? Instead, like Flores at Watford, they choose to wait for the axe without putting up a fight.

 

[blackydog]

Did he meet the objective set to him by Kev? NO
Was it a realistic objective for his first year? Questionable
Is there anybody out there (available) who would have taken this lot up? Questionable
Will he bollocks talk himself the sack? Quite likely

 

[grafikhaus]

I think he'll be given the completely unrealistic remit of automatic promotion next season, and one way or another he'll leave the club mid season. If he succeeds it will be success of Bassett or Warnockesque proportions (eg in spite of the boardroom). The stuff about the academy was code for cost cutting. There will not be the "new money" we were hoping and expecting.

I'd agree but then it all comes down to McCabe. He will have 'failed to fix the roof while the sun was shining' and 20k crowds will become a distant memory, as will large transfer fees for the Kyles, Harry, Murphy etc. Who will he blame then?

WHF's post #1 was a masterclass in evasion. He really should go into politics.

 

[Trueblade]

It's been said on this forum numerous times...if not Adkins then who?

Give him some more time. Or we end up at square 1 again with a new manager coming in and wanting to give everybody a chance, before realising there shit. Then we've lost another season. Like him or not he has achieved success in the past. Let him make his mark over the summer. Next seasons team will be his own, and then he will have few excuses if we get the same appalling performances. The answer can't be continually sacking managers.

 

[BLADEOR]

I couldn't decide so I asked our lass and she said yes. So it's a yes vote from me.
UTB!

 

[wizadry]

Nice to see the no voters comfortably winning, although I have a feeling that won't make a blind bit of difference when it comes to what the board decide to do. The money it costs to sack him would hinder the next manager tremendously so lets give Adkins that money to bring in the players who he wants and not players like Connor fucking Sammon.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

It'll cost us more if we keep Adkins and it's another wasted season, or even worse we get relegated.

I'd love to be able to say okay we've had an up and down season under Adkins, but he's addressed some of the problems and we're heading generally in the right direction, or he's a tactical wizard or a brilliant motivator or he's pulled in a few gems in the transfer market. But for me none of this has happened and Adkins has been poor in every aspect of what you'd expect from a football manager. Personally, I'm seriously worried in where the team is going under the current manager.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Nice to see the no voters comfortably winning, although I have a feeling that won't make a blind bit of difference when it comes to what the board decide to do. The money it costs to sack him would hinder the next manager tremendously so lets give Adkins that money to bring in the players who he wants and not players like Connor fucking Sammon.

I get the impression this forum is more pro-Adkins than most of our fans.

In an ideal world both Adkins and McCabe would go. However, our club is at such a low point with no ambition or direction, I can see both staying and yet another season of appaling underachievement.

 

[PeteBlade]

I get the impression this forum is more pro-Adkins than most of our fans.

In an ideal world both Adkins and McCabe would go. However, our club is at such a low point with no ambition or direction, I can see both staying and yet another season of appaling underachievement.

If a poll doesn't say what you want it to say, blame the forum.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

The problem with SUFC is it's rife with complacency, chairman, board, manager, players (far, far too many just treading water, with the notable exception of Billy Sharp), even some of the fans (60% on this board) are happy to go along with it.

It starts at the top, so ideally we want McCabe replaced with someone with drive, hunger, motivation and a real will to move the club forward. That isn't likely to happen over night, next best thing has to be a football manager with the same qualities as listed above, who can then install that into his team and players. They need someone who will go through the first team like a dose of salts, who doesn't stand on ceremony and gets them all dying for the cause (is there enough cliches in there but they're cliches for a reason!). I haven't seen this from the current manager and I can't see it changing next season if he remains.

 

[PeteBlade]

The problem with SUFC is it's rife with complacency, chairman, board, manager, players (far, far too many just treading water, with the notable exception of Billy Sharp), even some of the fans (60% on this board) are happy to go along with it.

It starts at the top, so ideally we want McCabe replaced with someone with drive, hunger, motivation and a real will to move the club forward. That isn't likely to happen over night, next best thing has to be a football manager with the same qualities as listed above, who can then install that into his team and players. They need someone who will go through the first team like a dose of salts, who doesn't stand on ceremony and gets them all dying for the cause (is there enough cliches in there but they're cliches for a reason!). I haven't seen this from the current manager and I can't see it changing next season if he remains.

Your major mistake (one of them anyway) is dismissing 60% of the people who have voted on this forum as 'complacent' because they don't share your desire to sack another manager and can look at the bigger picture better than you can.

 

[raul]

I voted to keep in an earlier poll on the basis I was worried Kevvy would have one of his ambition/stupidity crossovers and appoint Schteve. Following the recent fans forum I'm now reassured to know his feet are on the ground, he's in control and he won't be doing that.

I'm now voting keep because Graham Westley.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Your major mistake (one of them anyway) is dismissing 60% of the people who have voted on this forum as 'complacent' because they don't share your desire to sack another manager and can look at the bigger picture better than you can.

Ok we can argue all day about some fans being complacent / a mythical bigger picture that only the 'wise' can see - but do you not agree that there is serious complacany problems at Bramall Lane at boardroom level, at managerial level and with the players out on the park?

 

[Esablade]

Believe Brian the Blade's doin' nowt?

 

[sheffielder]

Out of the people who said no, did you vote this because...

a. You think Adkins has done enough to warrant another season?
b, It won't make a difference anyway without money being chucked at the team?
c. You don't trust the board to pick the right guy anyway.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Ok we can argue all day about some fans being complacent / a mythical bigger picture that only the 'wise' can see - but do you not agree that there is serious complacany problems at Bramall Lane at boardroom level, at managerial level and with the players out on the park?

There has never been complacency at the lane . Incompetence yes.

UTB

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Out of the people who said no, did you vote this because...

a. You think Adkins has done enough to warrant another season?
b, It won't make a difference anyway without money being chucked at the team?
3. You don't trust the board to pick the right guy anyway.

a, b, and 3 for me

 

[sheffielder]

a, b, and 3 for me

Good catch

What has Adkins done to deserve another season? Not having a bash, but I am looking for something to give me hope.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Nice to see the no voters comfortably winning, although I have a feeling that won't make a blind bit of difference when it comes to what the board decide to do. The money it costs to sack him would hinder the next manager tremendously so lets give Adkins that money to bring in the players who he wants and not players like Connor fucking Sammon.

60% in favour's hardly a ringing endorsement though. Cloughy was polling higher at last season's end, wasn't he?

 

[Worksop II]

I think Adlins and McCabe need to start lowering expectations for next season

Announcing both Ameobi's as requirements for next Season should do it ...............

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Good catch

What has Adkins done to deserve another season? Not having a bash, but I am looking for something to give me hope.

I think he's done just about enough to deserve a chance in the next season, given I think any other manager that came into this environment (bulky, imbalanced squad, loads in their final contract year etc) would have found it tough. A year ago, it was the same reasoning behind why I was willing to give Clough till Christmas, as I thought whoever came in wouldn't have great flexibility to get it right. Clough probably would have done a better job this season – it was, after all, a squad he had built and he had the benefit of last season to know which changes needed to be made.

I've seen glimpses in parts this season to suggest that if Adkins is allowed to continue reshaping the squad we'll improve. But they are only glimpses – there is absolutely no hiding the fact that on the whole we have been mostly mediocre, and at times shockingly poor. But I do think that he should be given some time. Not another whole season mind – as I said a year ago, give him till Christmas and if we haven't significantly improved, that's when we should make a change.

 

[jediblade]

I voted no, we could end up just 2 points worse off than last season with in my opinion a better squad than we had. Let's face it although we made the playoffs last season nobody gave us a chance of progressing, so not much on the pitch progress but I believe by reducing the squad to a more manageable ( both financially and in football terms) level we should be able to move forward next season. Agree with loughboroblade though, if no significant progress by Xmas, bye bye Nigel.

 

[PeteBlade]

Ok we can argue all day about some fans being complacent / a mythical bigger picture that only the 'wise' can see - but do you not agree that there is serious complacany problems at Bramall Lane at boardroom level, at managerial level and with the players out on the park?

I believe there are major major issues with how our club is run yes, and I believe the owners are definitely guilty of complacency yes.

The bigger picture that I mention is that I believe the issues with the running of our club are so big that whoever the manager is, he'll be blighted by them.

If we replace him, it will be someone who's record is worse and with the ownership how it is, I'm fearful we could get worse.

 

[Ricky]

Ok we can argue all day about some fans being complacent / a mythical bigger picture that only the 'wise' can see - but do you not agree that there is serious complacany problems at Bramall Lane at boardroom level, at managerial level and with the players out on the park?

Agree that the owners and boardroom are extremely complacent - complacent that we'll automatically get promoted soon and that the fans will automatically carry on turning up. Agree that the players are complacent and have been far too comfortable for far too long - this is a knock on effect from the boardroom's lack of urgency and involvement, and is also due to the lack of consequences for failure and the low standards Clough set while he was manager. I think Adkins was certainly complacent when he took the job, his actions basically proved that, but no way will any of that complacency remain now - if it does then he needs his head examining.

Bottom line is it starts in the boardroom, and everything below is a symptom.