Tonights Corporate Meeting With The Chairman

[BushBlade]

Just listened to the Leicester assistant manager on radio 5. He was asked about retaining players if bids come in. He said something like, 'of course we would encourage players to stay but the most important thing to this team is unity and a happy dressing room'.

So it appears even at Premiere League winners Leicester they will not retain an unhappy player at the expense of team unity. Maybe I missed the bit where he said they can be as big a c##ts as they like but they are on contract.

Maybe that's why you are king of the forum anti-Blades and not managing/directing/chairing a professional football club.

Small margins. It could be the difference between a player giving 98% or 100%.
And for all we know, when Murphy signed a new contract it may have been on the basis that if we didn't go up last season we'd let him go if a decent offer was made.
The main reason we keep selling our best players is that we keep failing to get promoted.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Realise I'm in something of a minority on this, but I'm actually quite positive about this new emphasis on youth. I know full well it needs supporting with experience & with targeted signings to cover key areas, but the basic principle's a good one & we really ought to be using this academy, not merely having it there as an attractive but useless showpiece. Call me naive, but I do actually reckon we're beginning to see the emergence of the "strategy" that so many have been crying out for.

Plenty of proof needed for the pudding to rise, not least some evidence of the work Adkins claims is being done behind the scenes. So much is going to depend on both "culling" and recruitment this summer. But some real positives to be taken out of both forums so far IMO.

Will we put any lasting faith in it though? And how effective can it be if we sell every young player as soon as they become good enough to be first team regulars?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Yeah I was thinking it could be termed as "reinvestment" as per Jim's previous naughty comments. Debatable about whether McCabe bullshitted or not. He said the investment would mean we no longer have to sell our best young players before doing precisely that every year.

Not have to sell/unable to keep? Semantics maybe.

Jims comment about reinvestment was blatant bs and surprising.

 

[Grappler]

The issue is we can’t replace them. We’re selling to champ/prem clubs. Anyone performing at the same standard will also attract prem/champ clubs meaning we have no chance of signing them. Therefore, any replacement will be worse. The best we can hope for is that we sign players who whilst unproven prove to be as good or better in the long run or sign steady experienced players and use the left over money to compensate in other areas of the pitch.


Before we sold Maguire, we signed Butler and McGahey. In theory we had signed a solid, dependable, experienced CB who would never be as good as Maguire but should be decent and a young, unproven prospect we hoped had the potential to be the next Maguire. Neither worked out and we’re still bemoaning the lack of a replacement today.


Before selling Murphy, we already had Adams, Done and Flynn who could play there (none as good mind but Adams again had the potential). We signed an experienced head in Woolford who could play that position. We therefore had “replacements” but we simply could not get anyone nearly as good as the departing player. Unless our recruitment and scouting systems improve massively, we will never be able to cope with selling off the family silver so let’s not do it.

"....Unless our recruitment and scouting systems improve massively, we will never be able to cope with selling off the family silver so let’s not do it...."

Yep. Like I have said before, over the years we have sold off our good players and replaced them with players of lesser ability, then we sell those same players with lesser ability and get players with even less ability, and eventually you end up mid-table in Division 3, wondering how on earth we are ever going to fix this mess.

 

[Silent Blade]

Conduct negotiations in a businesslike fashion and grow a backbone.

Freedom of Contract, Bosman ruling etc, agents more powerful than ever, PFA power has made it difficult for clubs like us who are in the lower divisions and who are getting less revenue every season.

We tried that with Devlin who then went into bad form, WBA did that with Berahino and he isn't in the same form as before

Gone are the days of clubs giving players one year contracts and have the right to command a transfer fee at the end of contracts

 

[DazBlade88]

It was from a friend who was in the Executive boxes at Coventry last Saturday. Not sure where he got the info about 12 of our players being on £5K or more, think he heard it last Saturday at Coventry? The surprise was the info about none of Coventry players being on £5K a week (thought at least Fleck and Cole would get that much). When I told my ITK yesterday, he was surprised about none of the Coventry players on £5K a week and agrees that 12 SUFC players earning that or more is about right

Looking at the squad I'd say...

Brayford, Basham, Coutts, Sharp, Baxter, Baptiste, Cuvelier, Edgar, Hammond will all be on £5k+. Then you have Woolford, Flynn, Done, Harris, J Wallace and Howard who could all be around that as an educated guess. It's not beyond the realms of possibility at all.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Not have to sell/unable to keep? Semantics maybe.

.

Hence my original comment of "not quite a lie". McCabe has a habit of being (in my opinion) deliberately misinterpreted. In his interview with RS on long back he said something along the lines of "Both me and the Prince have put in £8million this season alone" before mumbling rather in coherently "....in total". People took it to mean £8 million each but I'm pretty sure it was a combined sum.

 

[BushBlade]

KM's criticisms of the football based administrative staff cannot be elaborated on for legal reasons. I wouldn't really risk expanding, beyond saying, that they weren't working in the football club's best interest. They of course left the club much richer than when they joined...
When you see this reticence to assign football specific roles to "football men", it's important to bare this in mind.

The old labour councils were often accused of 'cronyism'. It's when rather than appoint the most suitable person for a job, they give it to one of their allies, a friend or even a family member.
This is also quite common in a lot of other countries where corruption is rife. So, the new mayor might appoint his brother in law to a position whereby he is able to financially benefit from it, say Head of Parking where his salary is partly based on how many permits he issues.
It isn't necessarily illegal but may be immoral and unlikely to be in the best interest of the taxpayer.

Of course, not really relevant to what you've posted, just my musings.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Hence my original comment of "not quite a lie". McCabe has a habit of being (in my opinion) deliberately misinterpreted. In his interview with RS on long back he said something along the lines of "Both me and the Prince have put in £8million this season alone" before mumbling rather in coherently "....in total". People took it to mean £8 million each but I'm pretty sure it was a combined sum.

It was. The documentation is online. It was clarified in the Starbi think the day after. Some still stick to the £8 million each claim though. And then ask where it's gone.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Freedom of Contract, Bosman ruling etc, agents more powerful than ever, PFA power has made it difficult for clubs like us who are in the lower divisions and who are getting less revenue every season.

We tried that with Devlin who then went into bad form, WBA did that with Berahino and he isn't in the same form as before

Gone are the days of clubs giving players one year contracts and have the right to command a transfer fee at the end of contracts

True and that's why it's a risk. But at the same time, Jagielka, Rhodes, Beckford etc. have all been mentioned. It can go both ways. If we sell and replace with the sort of players that want to come to us in league 1, more often than not it will go south.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Will we put any lasting faith in it though? And how effective can it be if we sell every young player as soon as they become good enough to be first team regulars?

Concerns I share too but, even so, the basic principle is dead right IMO. Use the academy (for first team purposes); have a core of home-grown players as the heartbeat of the club, creating a bond between players & fans.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

It was. The documentation is online. It was clarified in the Starbi think the day after. Some still stick to the £8 million each claim though. And then ask where it's gone.

I think Kev does that deliberately though. I don't know if you listened to the interview it was worded in such a way as to be ambiguous about whether it was combined or each. he used to do similar things with Evans. When it suited him, he played on how the deal was incentive based and that it wouldn't cost us the £3million quoted. At other times, he used the fee as a badge of honour for what he had invested. He seems to constantly favour ambiguity which he can shift back and forth as it suits.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Concerns I share too but, even so, the basic principle is dead right IMO. Use the academy (for first team purposes); have a core of home-grown players as the heartbeat of the club, creating a bond between players & fans.

I agree. It also means that with less external signings, the ones we make "should" be of better quality. I've often found there is zero point going out and buying players for the squad who are only on a par with the kids we have around the place.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Sat in the room last night listening to McCabe speak to people that were willing to listen and not go on and on about the Maguire money or who owns the ground, was interesting.

1. I gathered that KM was persuaded by the other board members to sack Wilson, a move which he regrets.

2. The Prince is still there and has a new representative on the Board, meaning JP will probably be leaving.

3. None of the senior management who were there last night seemed impressed with the signing from the 1st half of the season. Remember the technical board got a reshuffle in December with added Academy representation, so the signings of Woolford, Hammond, Sammon etc wouldn't have passed with this lot.

4. Whilst we are in this division we are unable to ward off the bids from Championship or Premier League clubs, when we go up we will be able to ward off Championship clubs but not Prem clubs, when we get in the Prem we will be able to ward off most. He called it rules of the jungle. Someone asked why we don't sign the best players from L1 or L2 then, KM said he feels the same and this is a regular discussion at board level. We signed Andy Butler, Walsall's best player and Captain but that never worked out as planned, que lots of chuckles and raised eyebrows.

5. The panic about KM demanding the youth to played next season no matter what seems a little over egged. He would like a few of the best lads to be used but as Travis Binnion said it has to be a blend of experience and Youth, expecting 11 academy players to get promoted in League One is wrong. The loan system next season is different, there are NO between window loans, meaning that the shite little clubs around us may struggle with their little squads and the inability to get a crafty loan in for a month. We have a whole academy of players able to fill gaps.

6. Recruitment will be done very carefully this summer to make sure the right players who want to play for us join. Said most players in the division would crawl to BDTBL.

7. Clough was sacked for non football reasons and when someone said that Adkins must admit his mistakes from this season and be able to build on them, as it seemed Clough wasn't willing to admit he had got things wrong, KM never denied this, just replying "good point".

8. He will have to think long and hard about the abuse and attention that may befall the staff at the lane, before he considers helping a FREE Ched Evans get his career back on track.

9. An old man asked about the physicality of the youth players and mentioned Louis Reed, Travis Binnion lept to the defend of LR asking "how many games has he played this season?" Then it was announced Geary will be the new U18 coach. very popular decision and KM said that he's the sort of man we want coaching the youngsters, passionate, prem experience, can relate to the youngsters, 100% effort and can jump higher than Connor Sammon.

10. There's nothing quite as embarrassing as watching old rich people asking for 10% discounts, then get shot down when it goes to a vote.

 

[Grappler]

Concerns I share too but, even so, the basic principle is dead right IMO. Use the academy (for first team purposes); have a core of home-grown players as the heartbeat of the club, creating a bond between players & fans.

I know that there is a lot of sentimentality and looking at the team "through rose tinted glasses" when it comes to the home grown youngsters, but I won't apologise for that.

There is something satisfying (to me) about seeing scruffy young urchins blossom into adult footballers.

Maguire and Kennedy being the big examples of recent years. Kennedy would run through pack of wild dogs to clear a ball off the line.

I am hoping, if he ever gets his act together, that Diego will be another.

The current crop of U18's and U21's sound like they have some good lads in their ranks.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I know that there is a lot of sentimentality and looking at the team "through rose tinted glasses" when it comes to the home grown youngsters, but I won't apologise for that.

There is something satisfying (to me) about seeing scruffy young urchins blossom into adult footballers.

Maguire and Kennedy being the big examples of recent years. Kennedy would run through pack of wild dogs to clear a ball off the line.

I am hoping, if he ever gets his act together, that Diego will be another.

The current crop of U18's and U21's sound like they have some good lads in their ranks.

Hearing that story the other day of Terry Kennedy lasting 120 minutes in the u21s play-off (& in midfield too!), just a few days after limping off with the latest in his unbelievable catalogue of injuries & hearing of his pleasure in doing so, put a really warm glow in the heart.

Nowt against James Wallace whatsoever (in fact, I think he's a fine player), but can't say that his ongoing fate really interests me any more. Terry Kennedy's a wholly different kettle of fish.

That prideful Tottenham chant about Harry Kane says it all really.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

KM's criticisms of the football based administrative staff cannot be elaborated on for legal reasons. I wouldn't really risk expanding, beyond saying, that they weren't working in the football club's best interest. They of course left the club much richer than when they joined...
When you see this reticence to assign football specific roles to "football men", it's important to bare this in mind.

I've read this sort of comment before. If true, when will United be pressing charges?

I remember Clough saying Connor Sammon was just what we needed

When did Clough say that? Have you got a link?

 

[Damski]

Sacking Wilson just before the play offs and putting Morgan in charge is one of the most ridiculous and baffling decisions made in football full stop. That decision alone leaves me with little faith in this blokes leadership

And you know what really cheesed me off about that? All the smiles from McCabe and Co in the press conference. And the blind, shit-eating-grin-moronic-positivity of the response to the question of whether they think Sheffield United can win the play-offs.

"We're not thinking about the play-offs. We're trying to get automatic promotion."

Even though at the time, there were 5 games to go, we were 5th and miles off 2nd. Everyone in the room, and the country bar McCabe could see that we had a snowflake's chance in hell of reaching 2nd.

I've still not forgiven him for that.

 

[BushBlade]

Sat in the room last night listening to McCabe speak to people that were willing to listen and not go on and on about the Maguire money or who owns the ground, was interesting.

1. I gathered that KM was persuaded by the other board members to sack Wilson, a move which he regrets.

2. The Prince is still there and has a new representative on the Board, meaning JP will probably be leaving.

3. None of the senior management who were there last night seemed impressed with the signing from the 1st half of the season. Remember the technical board got a reshuffle in December with added Academy representation, so the signings of Woolford, Hammond, Sammon etc wouldn't have passed with this lot.

4. Whilst we are in this division we are unable to ward off the bids from Championship or Premier League clubs, when we go up we will be able to ward off Championship clubs but not Prem clubs, when we get in the Prem we will be able to ward off most. He called it rules of the jungle. Someone asked why we don't sign the best players from L1 or L2 then, KM said he feels the same and this is a regular discussion at board level. We signed Andy Butler, Walsall's best player and Captain but that never worked out as planned, que lots of chuckles and raised eyebrows.

5. The panic about KM demanding the youth to played next season no matter what seems a little over egged. He would like a few of the best lads to be used but as Travis Binnion said it has to be a blend of experience and Youth, expecting 11 academy players to get promoted in League One is wrong. The loan system next season is different, there are NO between window loans, meaning that the shite little clubs around us may struggle with their little squads and the inability to get a crafty loan in for a month. We have a whole academy of players able to fill gaps.

6. Recruitment will be done very carefully this summer to make sure the right players who want to play for us join. Said most players in the division would crawl to BDTBL.

7. Clough was sacked for non football reasons and when someone said that Adkins must admit his mistakes from this season and be able to build on them, as it seemed Clough wasn't willing to admit he had got things wrong, KM never denied this, just replying "good point".

8. He will have to think long and hard about the abuse and attention that may befall the staff at the lane, before he considers helping a FREE Ched Evans get his career back on track.

9. An old man asked about the physicality of the youth players and mentioned Louis Reed, Travis Binnion lept to the defend of LR asking "how many games has he played this season?" Then it was announced Geary will be the new U18 coach. very popular decision and KM said that he's the sort of man we want coaching the youngsters, passionate, prem experience, can relate to the youngsters, 100% effort and can jump higher than Connor Sammon.

10. There's nothing quite as embarrassing as watching old rich people asking for 10% discounts, then get shot down when it goes to a vote.

1. I gathered that KM was persuaded by the other board members to sack Wilson, a move which he regrets.

Never his fault.

6. Recruitment will be done very carefully this summer to make sure the right players who want to play for us join. Said most players in the division would crawl to BDTBL.

So he admits that previously it wasn't done carefully? Unfortunately, most players will crawl to BL but don't move any faster when they get on the pitch.

 

[Worksop II]

I suspect that the reason Connor Sammon appears to be shite, is that he is trying to leave the Club

He wants to go back to the Championship with Derby, but McCabe is digging his heels in,

"nay Connor lad, thas stayin here" .....

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Sat in the room last night listening to McCabe speak to people that were willing to listen and not go on and on about the Maguire money or who owns the ground, was interesting.

1. I gathered that KM was persuaded by the other board members to sack Wilson, a move which he regrets.

Ok Kev. So who were the other board members who persuaded you to sack Wilson in April 2013?

PLC and/or FC:- Simon McCabe, Scott McCabe, Jeremy Tutton(Who?), Jacob Esan, Chris Steer, David Green (current Chairman)

I bet it was that chuffing Esan with his promise of Nigerian riches wasn't it?

 

[Blade58]

Compel him to fulfil his contractual obligation that he willingly entered into whether he likes it or not?

Fkin absolutely or there's no point signing a contract in the first place

 

[Treeton Blade]

Its easy with hindsight to say the new board would have rejected Sammon.
But if Adkins wanted him, a striker who has never played below the Championship, and has International caps, would the new board have said no?

Every signing is a gamble, there will always be mistakes, as he mentioned last week, naming the Ebbrell signing he, and Dooley sanctioned.

 

[nopigfansintown]

I've read this sort of comment before. If true, when will United be pressing charges?/QUOTE]

I don't know whether you went to the first fans forum, but he mentioned the football administrators, and that you dispose of them and then don't comment publicly about the quality of their work.You just sack them or mutually agree to depart. KM said when he went to live in Belgium and he ceded control "things got wobbly", and that this was his biggest regret. I believe there's is some stuff re Terry Robinson that's a matter of public record that you may be able to dig up if . He was working for us overseas at the time - if memory serves.The other stuff could see repercussions, so I wouldn't possibly comment. I found the Harry Redknapp case very interesting and revealing regarding the machinations of the transfer market, did you. He was exonerated too. United have a deep and dark history of the "football men" having far from spotless reputations, as I'm sure you know.

 

[nopigfansintown]

I've read this sort of comment before. If true, when will United be pressing charges?



When did Clough say that? Have you got a link?

I don't know whether you went to the first fans forum, but he mentioned the football administrators, and that you dispose of them and then don't comment publicly about the quality of their work.You just sack them or mutually agree to depart. KM said when he went to live in Belgium and he ceded control "things got wobbly", and that this was his biggest regret. I believe there's is some stuff re Terry Robinson that's a matter of public record that you may be able to dig up if . He was working for us overseas at the time - if memory serves.The other stuff could see repercussions, so I couldn't possibly comment. I found the Harry Redknapp case very interesting and revealing though, expecially regarding the machinations of the transfer market. He was exonerated too. United have a deep and dark history of the "football men" having far from spotless reputations, as I'm sure you know.

 

[TonyAgana]

But if Adkins wanted him, a striker who has never played below the Championship, and has International caps, would the new board have said no?

They talk of "due diligence" - maybe they'd have insisted on a trial prior to offering him a contract. That's not a ridiculous notion, although knowing our luck it's more likely that we will miss out on targets rather than avoiding pups. Trevor Francis' insistence on seeing Eric Cantona play on grass before signing him, springs to mind...

 

[AlienWoodward]

10. There's nothing quite as embarrassing as watching old rich people asking for 10% discounts, then get shot down when it goes to a vote.

That was very sad
That was incredibly cringeworthy and wasted too much time which could have been used to raise other issues of importance to the club and not the individual.

 

[Revolution]

And you know what really cheesed me off about that? All the smiles from McCabe and Co in the press conference. And the blind, shit-eating-grin-moronic-positivity of the response to the question of whether they think Sheffield United can win the play-offs.

"We're not thinking about the play-offs. We're trying to get automatic promotion."

Even though at the time, there were 5 games to go, we were 5th and miles off 2nd. Everyone in the room, and the country bar McCabe could see that we had a snowflake's chance in hell of reaching 2nd.

I've still not forgiven him for that.

My favourite bit of that press conference is that McCabe was completely unable to explain why he'd fired Wilson, other than "we haven't been winning at home".

No shit Sherlock. We were playing Jon Forte up front thanks to your last minute sale of Blackman. What did you expect?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I don't know whether you went to the first fans forum, but he mentioned the football administrators, and that you dispose of them and then don't comment publicly about the quality of their work.You just sack them or mutually agree to depart. KM said when he went to live in Belgium and he ceded control "things got wobbly", and that this was his biggest regret. I believe there's is some stuff re Terry Robinson that's a matter of public record that you may be able to dig up if . He was working for us overseas at the time - if memory serves.The other stuff could see repercussions, so I couldn't possibly comment. I found the Harry Redknapp case very interesting and revealing though, expecially regarding the machinations of the transfer market. He was exonerated too. United have a deep and dark history of the "football men" having far from spotless reputations, as I'm sure you know.

The hints and allegations aren't just about the quality of the work, they're about illegalities (i.e. fraud).
If that's the reason people have been sacked then why would McCabe and the club let them get away with it?
Would he turn a blind eye to employees defrauding his other businesses?

I'm not saying whether what you're saying is true or not. I have no idea.
But it seems very odd to me that United (or any club/company) would have sufficient evidence of fraud to sack someone but do nothing else about it.

Regarding McCabe going to Brussels at the wrong time.
First he says, "blame the manager I don't get involved with transfers" then he says "it all went wrong because I wasn't closely involved".

 

[Treeton Blade]

They talk of "due diligence" - maybe they'd have insisted on a trial prior to offering him a contract. That's not a ridiculous notion, although knowing our luck it's more likely that we will miss out on targets rather than avoiding pups. Trevor Francis' insistence on seeing Eric Cantona play on grass before signing him, springs to mind...

I think scouting reports will be part of the due diligence, wouldn`t have thought you would get too many Championship players, contracted to their clubs, willing to drop a league on trial.
Its still a gamble, no matter how many `reviews` are undertaken before signing players.