Adkins - should he be sacked?

[Bladesince59]

History says it took him 6 and a half seasons to get us promoted last time.

Not from this shit league.

 

[Grecian2000]

No, from the league we'd spent 5 and a half years in (i.e well established). We've been in this league for 5 (i.e. well established). Job is very similar for me or perhaps even harder as it is harder to attract players to this "shit" level.

 

[Revolution]

I have come to the conclusion it makes no difference who is manager.

Whoever is in charge will be hamstrung by the sale of better players and cost cutting. We will be nowhere near the top six.

McCabe has no intention of funding the club for a promotion push and is going with the loopy fiction that we can be self sustaining and use the puny midgets from our academy to fill gaps. The only reason he will put money in is if we look like going down.

This state of affairs is going to continue until McCabe dies, sells up, or someone gets promotion despite his policies.

As someone noted recently, we are turning into Notts County.

 

[Revolution]

I imagine Clough would have got us comfortably into the Play Offs, but the football would have been dull as dishwater.

If appointed at the start of the season, Warnock would have had a big job on, as he'd probably have wanted to get rid of 70 percent of the squad and bring his own players in. I reckon we could have been been 9th or 10th around Christmas under Neil, followed by a late surge up the table after the JTW. Given the resources at their disposal, I doubt any manager working today would have done any worse than the mid-table finish we can now expect under Adkins. David Weir excepted, maybe.

Clough's plan was Steve Davies and Conor Sammon up front, and his centre half signing was a man who hadn't played for 3 years. I have my doubts we'd be top 6.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I imagine Clough would have got us comfortably into the Play Offs, but the football would have been dull as dishwater

We'd have also had another season where people would be criticising every interview he did as being "too miserable and boring".

On the plus side, we'd have been likely spared the McNulty loan updates (owing to his likely sale) and the calls for De Girolamo to be given a chance (owing to his departure following contract dispute).

 

[Revolution]

We'd have also had another season where people would be criticising every interview he did as being "too miserable and boring".

On the plus side, we'd have been likely spared the McNulty loan updates (owing to his likely sale) and the calls for De Girolamo to be given a chance (owing to his departure following contract dispute).

Plus no Che Adams, who was only to be used for 10 minutes a month.

 

[Grappler]

I have come to the conclusion it makes no difference who is manager.

Whoever is in charge will be hamstrung by the sale of better players and cost cutting. We will be nowhere near the top six.

McCabe has no intention of funding the club for a promotion push and is going with the loopy fiction that we can be self sustaining and use the puny midgets from our academy to fill gaps. The only reason he will put money in is if we look like going down.

This state of affairs is going to continue until McCabe dies, sells up, or someone gets promotion despite his policies.

As someone noted recently, we are turning into Notts County.

"....This state of affairs is going to continue until McCabe dies, sells up, or someone gets promotion despite his policies...."

I would assume that when Kev Mac passes away, his sons inherit the club.

Like we keep saying, if people want a change from the McCabe family we need to find a buyer who has 30 million to buy the club, then put money in to build a promotion team.

 

[Revolution]

"....This state of affairs is going to continue until McCabe dies, sells up, or someone gets promotion despite his policies...."

I would assume that when Kev Mac passes away, his sons inherit the club.

Like we keep saying, if people want a change from the McCabe family we need to find a buyer who has 30 million to buy the club, then put money in to build a promotion team.

My fear with the McCabe children is that they treat the club in the same way that Ken Booth's sons treated Rotherham. I have no basis to believe that, but that's the sort of thing that happens to us.

 

[Higgo's Belly]

Clough's plan was Steve Davies and Conor Sammon up front, and his centre half signing was a man who hadn't played for 3 years. I have my doubts we'd be top 6.

Clough was believed to have lined up the signings of McFadzean from MK Dons and Williams from Swindon, prior to his sacking. He had chased O'Grady throughout the season, so I suspect he would have tried to sign him also. There were reports from Swindon that Clough was about to sign Smith from Swindon, who is awful. Personally I thought Steve Davis did well for the Blades and would have been a far better signing than Sammon, although thats not difficult.

 

[alcoblade]

History says it took him 6 and a half seasons to get us promoted last time.

It took 6 years to get promoted beyond our natural position, not back to it - different state of affairs entirely.

UTB

 

[Revolution]

Clough was believed to have lined up the signings of McFadzean from MK Dons and Williams from Swindon, prior to his sacking. He had chased O'Grady throughout the season, so I suspect he would have tried to sign him also. There were reports from Swindon that Clough was about to sign Smith from Swindon, who is awful. Personally I thought Steve Davis did well for the Blades and would have been a far better signing than Sammon, although thats not difficult.

Steve Davies did not score until 30 January. Like Sammon, he has five goals all season. He's currently suspended.

We dodged a bullet IMHO.

 

[Maidenhead]

I have come to the conclusion it makes no difference who is manager.

Whoever is in charge will be hamstrung by the sale of better players and cost cutting. We will be nowhere near the top six.

McCabe has no intention of funding the club for a promotion push and is going with the loopy fiction that we can be self sustaining and use the puny midgets from our academy to fill gaps. The only reason he will put money in is if we look like going down.

This state of affairs is going to continue until McCabe dies, sells up, or someone gets promotion despite his policies.

As someone noted recently, we are turning into Notts County.

McCabe has funded a good few promotion pushes and backed a number of managers beyond what is sensible.

His problem is that he picks the wrong managers to fund.

I've don't ever recall a manager leaving us complaining that his job was made impossible due to lack of money at the club, if anything the problem is the exact opposite.

He let Robson, Weir, Clough and anyone else you care to name sign whoever they wanted on silly contracts and saddled us with an unbalanced, bloated squad of mercenary players, being paid the sort of money that is bleeding him dry (notice I didn't say earning)

Hopefully he is now maturing a bit and will no longer be like a kid in a sweet shop with the money and his technical board, whoever they are, will help him channel his limited resources in a more focussed manner.

Adkins certainly seems to be on board with that philosophy and hopefully this time, with a bit of PATIENCE, it will start to come good.

 

[PeteBlade]

I don't see much evidence that he has a great deal of "grit" - he has shown wanting when standing up to the Board (imo) and certain players. I don't think he has the bottle to stand up to the supporters for another year and, as you suggest, Hammond's departure could be the final nail.
UTB

How would you go about 'standing up to the board then'?

Without being shown the door. Even Alex Fergerson bowed down to the Glazers.

 

[Dkc]

Manager: "Let me sign this 1m player or sack me"
McCabe: "OK here's your P45. Now hoppit"

 

[Bladesince59]

It took 6 years to get promoted beyond our natural position, not back to it - different state of affairs entirely.

UTB

Quite. We are a top end Championship club.....if only we could get there.

 

[Maidenhead]

Manager: "Let me sign this 1m player or sack me"
McCabe: "OK here's your P45. Now hoppit"

I didn't know that you were Nigel Clough in disguise

 

[Dkc]

Clough's plan was Steve Davies and Conor Sammon up front, and his centre half signing was a man who hadn't played for 3 years. I have my doubts we'd be top 6.

Clough's previous finishes with us were 7th, then 5th. This season he got automatic promotion with Burton after five months in charge, albeit with a head start. I doubt we'd have finished outside the top six.

 

[BushBlade]

Clough's previous finishes with us were 7th, then 5th. This season he got automatic promotion with Burton after five months in charge, albeit with a head start. I doubt we'd have finished outside the top six.

But ultimately, it can't be proven. All we know is that Clough has done better at Burton than he did with us. Which indicates he wasn't as shit as many thought he was post Swindon.

And which also indicates our problems lie deeper than the manager.

 

[Dkc]

All we know is that Clough has done better at Burton than he did with us..

Without checking, I'd guess his form with Burtom was play-off form but not automatic, and it was the head start handed him by JFH that made the difference

 

[BushBlade]

Without checking, I'd guess his form with Burtom was play-off form but not automatic, and it was the head start handed him by JFH that made the difference

But if he was as shit as people said, he'd still have failed, head start or not. And I could just as easily argue that they'd have fallen away under JFH like Gillingham have done under Edinburgh.

 

[Grecian2000]

It took 6 years to get promoted beyond our natural position, not back to it - different state of affairs entirely.

But it's not about going "beyond" our natural position, it's about where you start.
If you're an established L1 team (which we now are) and are funded accordingly (i.e. we are going to sell our best player(s) during the summer (see Murphy, Maguire, McDonald last three summers) or January if they've done OK (see Blackman)) then it is not as easy as "We're a top end Championship club" because clearly we haven't been that for 5 years. We were still only 5 years out of the Prem when Warnock took over.
Whoever is manager, they need the backing to get us up. If Warnock didn't get it, his name wouldn't be enough.

 

[Seagull]

But ultimately, it can't be proven. All we know is that Clough has done better at Burton than he did with us. Which indicates he wasn't as shit as many thought he was post Swindon.

And which also indicates our problems lie deeper than the manager.

Without checking, I'd guess his form with Burtom was play-off form but not automatic, and it was the head start handed him by JFH that made the difference

I think you'll find that Clough's record with Burton has been pretty similar to when he was with you.
I think it stands at: W12 D7 L6. You can also say he had the benefit of the momentum that Hasslebaink left with that squad of players, a lot of managers are appointed to turn around failing teams, he had the luxury of taking Burton with no inherent problems to solve. With that said, I think you have to give him credit for Burton's (near) promotion.
For what it's worth, on a personal level I don't like Adkins, find him to be a smarmy t**ser. However, I do have respect for him on a professional standing and believe him to be a relatively competent manager, therefore think sacking him would be unwise.
With my outside perspective. If we had to appoint either Clough or Adkins, I'd rip your arm off for Adkins.

 

[Grappler]

I think you'll find that Clough's record with Burton has been pretty similar to when he was with you.
I think it stands at: W12 D7 L6. You can also say he had the benefit of the momentum that Hasslebaink left with that squad of players, a lot of managers are appointed to turn around failing teams, he had the luxury of taking Burton with no inherent problems to solve. With that said, I think you have to give him credit for Burton's (near) promotion.
For what it's worth, on a personal level I don't like Adkins, find him to be a smarmy t**ser. However, I do have respect for him on a professional standing and believe him to be a relatively competent manager, therefore think sacking him would be unwise.
With my outside perspective. If we had to appoint either Clough or Adkins, I'd rip your arm off for Adkins.

If for any reason you don't go up automatic, please batter SWFC, have a day out at Wembley and what will be, will be.

The important part is battering SWFC.

 

[Seagull]

If for any reason you don't go up automatic, please batter SWFC, have a day out at Wembley and what will be, will be.

The important part is battering SWFC.

I'm still optimistic of doing Middlesbrough, so let's hope it's them to batter SW.
Very nervous down here at the moment.

 

[Grappler]

I'm still optimistic of doing Middlesbrough, so let's hope it's them to batter SW.
Very nervous down here at the moment.

I think you will beat Boro, BUT the main thing is I think you would easily beat SWFC whereas Boro might hit a blip.......

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I will accept any decision our "trigger happy" board of directors make. . honestly.

 

[Dkc]

I think you have to give him credit for Burton's (near) promotion.
.

I didn't even realise that Burton aren't quite over the line. A loss for Burton combined with a win for Walsall, and Burton could be in the play offs. Tbh I hadn't even glanced at the league table since we lost on Saturday

 

[BushBlade]

I didn't even realise that Burton aren't quite over the line. A loss for Burton combined with a win for Walsall, and Burton could be in the play offs. Tbh I hadn't even glanced at the league table since we lost on Saturday

Goal difference. It's quite a big gap.

 

[The Bohemian]

he had the luxury of taking Burton with no inherent problems to solve

Other than losing his top scorer to QPR in the JTW. Which would have been a good excuse, if he'd needed one, for failing to gain auto.

 

[alcoblade]

But it's not about going "beyond" our natural position, it's about where you start.
If you're an established L1 team (which we now are) and are funded accordingly (i.e. we are going to sell our best player(s) during the summer (see Murphy, Maguire, McDonald last three summers) or January if they've done OK (see Blackman)) then it is not as easy as "We're a top end Championship club" because clearly we haven't been that for 5 years. We were still only 5 years out of the Prem when Warnock took over.
Whoever is manager, they need the backing to get us up. If Warnock didn't get it, his name wouldn't be enough.

You can't seriously be suggesting that say, getting Sheffield United promoted from the Conference would be as difficult as getting them to qualify for the Champions league, if it just involves moving them forward 20 places from their current position?

By "established league one team", let's be clear, that really means 4 times bigger than just about every club around us. That will not be the case in The Championship.

It's taken a special kind of incompetence to get us into this position. Yet you will still get meagre odds on us getting out if it.

UTB