23/04/10 - Q&A with Birch & McCabe Full Transcript

[Linz]

Probably less important this time around seeing as it was on RS but we'll be transcripting anyway and due to popular demand, making the chunks available in smaller pieces.

Seth Bennett: Good evening to you then, welcome to Bramall Lane for what should be an intriguing night of questioning to the two men that run Sheffield United Football Club - the Chairman Kevin McCabe and the Chief Executive Trevor Birch. Let's put our hands together, we have a live audience here.

/applause

SB:... so there'll be some questions from the floor. Of course there's been an awful lot said about Sheffield United over the last couple of years and the fact that the Blades aren't in the play-offs this season will no doubt cause an awful lot of conversation amongst the Blades fans here and I'm sure, as well, amongst the top table. So we'll be taking questions from the audience but before we do that - Kevin, you first, how do you analyse this season?

Kevin McCabe: Well let me firstly say that it's good to address our fans both those who are listening and those here in the Legends of the Lane. In the start of the season when I first did... sorry... last did an interview, it has been a tricky one for us. I think that expectations at Sheffield United are high and expectations from fans and indeed the club itself are to succeed so for this season it's not gone quite as we expected but I can assure ever fan here that it's not for the want of trying, effort and commitment on and off the field of play to make us successful. So, hey, it's good to talk and I am looking for Trevor and myself to have the most interesting questions and forthright questions because there's no fear from this top table of being transparent and answering them honestly.

SB: Trevor, you've not been here for the full season but what have you made of Sheffield United's plight since your arrival?

Trevor Birch: Well, it's been well documented the number of injuries and the number of first appearances and debuts that have been made this year so I've never known a situation like it in football where a team has been so unlucky. I think we have to say that up front and it's been said many times but there has been a great deal of bad luck well... since I arrived... I don't know if that's the right thing to say but erm... I think there has.

 

[Linz]

SB: Keep your microphones nice and close fellas, remember that we are broadcasting all the way around the world so we need to be as loud as possible. You talk about injuries. Actually one area where Sheffield United did make some cut backs during the summer months was within the medical department. There was a departure of a physio and there were a few changes made within there. Has that got anything to do with the injury problems we've had this year, do you believe Trevor?

TB: No, I don't think so. I've looked at our physio department and our fitness department and they're amongst the best I've seen so I don't think you can blame it on that.

SB: Is it just luck then? It can't just be luck.

TB: As far as I can see, it is.

SB: Kevin, what do you feel about this?

KMc: Ooo, we've been cursed by injuries. All supporters know whether it's crucial players like Chris Morgan, Monty, Jamie Ward, Darius Henderson, Lee Williamson and I think couple that with the loss of Paddy Kenny, who thankfully returns tomorrow... you know, we have had this situation where key key players have been injured for a good portion of many games and very important games and you know if Paddy had've been back, you know, I reckon it'd have been worth another seven or eight points to us. We all know how good a 'keeper Paddy Kenny is because we've not seen him play for us this season.

SB: Maybe he's improved?

KMc: I know he's desperate to play so let's hope so.

SB: For you, you know the one thing that people will look at. You stated to me, earlier this season I think, that this is the club that's spent the fourth most on wages within the Championship. Do you still stand by those comments and is that a figure that changed as the season went on?

KMc: We have spent more this season than was ever planned. Yes, indeed Seth. Our wage bill for the season that ends a week on Sunday will be the fourth highest in the Championship. Make no bones about that. And every occasion where we've suffered the injury plight of key players, we have attempted to get replacements in quickly. You know it's not been easy and the curse of last year's play-off final, which is great for us although not great losing at Wembley but that takes away a month, a precious month, of close season, which is often the month where you go and secure players for the coming season. We lost that month through what you'd loosely term 'success'. You know, we were there or thereabouts again and that's played its part and probably the collection of players at the start of the season, we all thought, you know, the club and collectively the supporters that they'd be up for playing for United and right for us but on reflection now, when you begin to examine what happened in the season, they probably weren't the best of choices and you know, I think we've suffered that and then when we've had the injuries. And I can't think or tell you the names of the loan players. I had to get my sheet out. We have tried on every occasion and you know and most of you know... most of the loan players have come from Premiership clubs. We've not scrimped to get the right players in. But getting loan players to unite despite of the skills and background is difficult and that's one of the key reasons that for our expectations, we've not done as well as we expect to do. Because you know, Sheffield United has had a successful period for a long time of exciting football.

TB: All I was going to say Seth is that I don't think you can underestimate either having your full compliment of players on day one of the pre-season and I think Kevin (Blackwell) only had, I don't know how many players that was but, it was a small amount and unless players actually have a full pre-season, it seems to stay with them for the rest of the season and I think we've suffered from that as well.

 

[Linz]

SB: Did you get the transfer policy wrong last summer?

KMc: We didn't think so at the time, Seth. I mean like any football club, sorry, Sheffield United as a football club, planned to get it right. Just take what I said. We lost a month because of the play-offs and getting to the final so that was detrimental to probably two or three players who we quite fancied went to other clubs because we didn't know if we were going to be in the Premiership or the Championship, so we were handcuffed. We couldn't start moving until after we'd lost at Wembley. So we thought we'd got it right with the players we'd brought in but on reflection, you know, maybe, we could've got other players if we'd have had that precious month we lost.

SB: Where was the big signing last summer?

KMc: Well I think we made the signing that was most expensive in the Championship with Ched Evans who's cost us three million. He's a very talented youngster...

SB: He hasn't cost you three million though has he?

KMc: Absolutely. It's...

SB: Have you paid three million already for him?

KMc: Well we've paid some of the three million. We're committed to pay three million. Make no bones about it. We're very clear...

SB: Isn't that only on goals and international appearances and all the rest of it?

KMc: It's on a set amount of money that's on appearances only.

SB: On appearances only?

KMc: Yep, I mean...

SB: How much have you paid for Ched Evans as of today?

KMc: Errr... I can't tell you to be honest with you....

SB: Trevor?

TB: Well it's spread over the course of the contract but we are committed to you know, over two million.

SB: Already? That's already been paid?

TB: Well it's not already been paid but it will be paid over the course of the contract. But it's a two million pound commitment.

KMc: We'll get you the factual information Seth but to every supporter - Ched, who we think is a fine player but maybe not had the season we all hoped for as supporters, is a three million pound package that the club pay for him on a transfer fee that was the largest in the Championship. It's not a myth. And I don't know why there seems to be some belief that we're paying a lot more...

SB: Well probably because your manager has said that the fee for Ched Evans was £750,000 up front with money still to come.

KMc: Well that is... well we paid, when he first joined, we paid £750,000 as the first stage of the payment and when you conduct transfers, out or in, I should think invariably, eight transfers out of ten are paid in stages. It's not unusual. It's the norm.

TB: Yeah, I think that's the way transfers are done these days. It's spread over the course of the contract.

 

[Linz]

SB: What about the other players you've signed though? They seem to be squad players and not more than squad players and when the manager only names, you know, only five or six subs on the first game of the season, isn't there an alarm bell going off in your head saying, hang on a second, this might not be quite right to make a push for promotion which is what you pitched before the season?

KMc: Not really no, I mean, at the beginning of the season we brought in eight players at the start yeah? Including players from clubs like West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers, Hull City. We also believed we'd have two or three more coming through from the Academy but it was felt that the Academy kids in the season that's just... sorry, last season that ended, they weren't right and proper to come through as Championship players. So we probably lost the two or three that we'd like to think, as club stewards, would come through from the Academy. There weren't really any Academy kids coming through until young Matty Lowton started to appear on the bench in the later stages of this season with the experience he's gained from Hungary.

SB: For you, when you look at money you invest in this football club and you've told me before you've invested around fifty million pounds, you feel, of your own money in this football club....

KMc: Not feel! Have!

/audience laughter

SB: People argue. People would argue that point. You're telling us that you've put fifty million pounds into this football club. Of that money, how much do you expect to get back?

KMc: Erm... look. My aim for Sheffield United, because I'm passionate about this club just as any person in this room and any person listening. You know, I've United in the blood. It's a curse but it's a truth. My aim for Sheffield United is to work my utmost to give it success. Yeah? And I think that's what we've seen achieved here. Any long-term supporter knows that we have transformed the club but we're not back to where we're desperately trying to get back to. And I'll not rest easy until we achieve that, Seth. I'll say that to every supporter. The ambition, the drive.... it's still of a club going forward. There's a common sense approach to ensure we adapt because circumstances change. Not specifically for Sheffield United but for the industry of football and the recession of a nation called United Kingdom. And all supporters here, and that are listening, do not want to see Sheffield United in the plight that many other clubs, big clubs like ourselves, are in. Do we?

/audience consensus along the lines of 'no'

KMc: So do you want common sense? Of course you do. Do you want ambition? By golly, I do and you do. Do you want to drive forward every season trying to get it right? That's what we do. We tried this season. Fourth highest wage bill but it's not gone to plan. Mistakes have been made. Hey, great, we all make mistakes, no question about that. But we will not stop striving to get Sheffield United back into the Premiership because that is our ambition and I'm proud and happy to say it.

 

[Linz]

SB: Is ambition selling every single one of your best players over the last three seasons?

KMc: Well if you ask me a question of the players, Seth, I'll give you the answer.

SB: You can go through them from Jon Stead, James Beattie, Michael Tonge, Rob Hulse, the two Kyles, Matt Kilgallon...

KMc: Well if we do it on the latter part, Matt Kilgallon was out of contract at the end of this season yeah? We offered him terms to stay, what we think were very good terms, but they were refused. And that's why Matthew was sold in January. Not through desire but through the circumstances of a player contract finishing in June of this year. So what is the solution? Now, if you're wearing my hat, the solution is you've no alternative. If you don't sell him in January, at the end of the season, you don't get a red cent. And the player wanted to go because he was able to join, in this instance, Sunderland who were able to offer a lot more money than we can offer because we are in the wrong division. Who was the next one?

SB: I accept that and the James Beattie one we've talked about. The Kyles we've talked about. But you say this is an ambitious club. This lot, and many other fans, see players going one way but don't seem to see a similar calibre of players coming back the other way.

TB: Seth, there has to be ambition with a sense of reality as well, I mean, if you look at the statistics on the transfers, over the last five years from the season before we went into the Premiership, we spent £35 million and received £32 million. Ok, so you can't say that we've under invested on transfer fees and on, what we've talked about because that's only one part of the equation but...

/SB tries to interrupt

TB: ... you might challenge it, it's a game of opinions, but the quality of the player that's brought in.

SB: But what you're doing is saying that well over a five year period, but over the last twenty four months, have you expended as much as you've brought in?

KMc: I would think on the package of transfer fees and wage bills, Seth, yes. Give or take, we will have done. And sometimes that's what supporters can't correlate to - the transfer fee and the player wage bill. Our player wage bill this season is higher than we ever budgeted for. And it's partly because of the amount we've paid for loan players in fees and salaries. Which, I think Trevor, £2 million plus?

TB: Oh yeah, £2 million this year.

KMc: Now supporters can't possibly know that unless we tell them and it's only on forums like this where we can actually say how much it's cost. So with the fourth highest wage bill in the Championship, that's correlated to the fact that some players that you get aren't on transfer fees, there are agents fees, there are loan fees and of course, there's a salary.

 

[Linz]

SB: The impression you're left with this season is that the club has been cutting its cloth as the season has gone on, is that the case? Trevor?

TB: Well, then I'll turn it around and say why shouldn't it act prudently? I mean, we've seen in football this season, you've Adam Pearson making statements about Hull... I don't think anyone would want, in this room or listening, to hear of Sheffield United being in that position. As far as I'm concerned then, the biggest responsibility that I can give to the club is to actually ensure its long term survival and stability.

SB: Isn't that the impossible though? Cut a wage bill to seven million quid and still get promotion? Isn't that an impossible as?

TB: Well Burnley did it...

SB: But Burnley invested quite heavily towards the back end of that season didn't they?

TB: Well they went up with a wage bill of £7 million, £7.5 million...

SB: And what's happened to Burnley now?

/audience laughs

KMc: Who's talking seven million Seth?

SB: That's what we're led to believe that the wage bill will be. Well, tell us. What will the wage bill be next season?

TB: We're not going to tell you that...

KMc: We won't disclose that Seth. With respect to your good self for asking the question, we're a club that runs ourselves sensibly. We're a club that over this last, I can't think how many seasons, have always been there and there abouts. And one of the reasons for that is that we have invested heavily and continued to do so. What's happening in football generally, and particularly in the Championship, is that most clubs, most clubs, are reducing player wage bills. Now in fairness to counter balance that again, they're still getting the players they want because players are beginning to realise that they have to accept less money. Money in football, in that top echelon, is starting to reduce. You all know it. You read in the newspapers how much top Premiership clubs get paid for TV income. Parachute payments are going up. That does not occur in the Championship. So, you know, as we talk as the ambitious club... let's be honest, most players want to come to play for Sheffield United. They know we're a big club. They know we've got fantastic support. We've got a great stadium. Great Academy. We've got facilities that players actually want to come to Sheffield United. That never used to be the case....

SB: Is that still the case? I've got to be honest... I've interviewed your manager on a hundred occasions this year where he's not been able to get the player he wanted. Now you're telling us that players want to come here but the truth is, those players the manager wants can't come here or won't come here for some reason. Now, can you explain that?

KMc: Well I say, I repeat again - most players want to come to Sheffield United. Amongst the top Championship club, we're rated highly. And if you go round other football clubs, our competition, you certainly appreciate that from comments passed in the boardroom and by many supporters of clubs. And we've not failed in our efforts to ensure that money's been available to get players that's been wanted for this season. We've been obviously short of time, and this is where injuries come in, because if you get a Chris Morgan injured, and I think at the time maybe Matthew Kilgallon, you end up with you know, the Stoke City lad we signed for a lot of money. You've only got days to get players to sign for you for a weekend match. You don't have two or three months to work it out Seth.

TB: Seth, you're talking in generalities as well so it's a bit difficult to comment on individual cases

 

[Linz]

SB: Let's take some questions from the floor. This is BBC Radio Sheffield and this is Football Heaven live from Bramall Lane and we will continue the joust. Let's get this first question. The gentleman just to the left of the aisle. What have you got to say sir?

Audience: Good evening Kevin, Trevor. Thanks for speaking to us tonight. My question comes from looking at United. We like to be portrayed as a global club yet last year, we made a £3 million loss in China which is nearly half this notional Championship wage bill that we talk about. Obviously there's corruption problems in the league which are well documented there's a seeming lack of local interest, particularly from the young people in China in football. The standing of the game's dropping and the latest this week is that the top three or four hundred best Chinese players are going to be transferred to the top European clubs to gain better experience. | just wonder on the back of this and given the potential cutting of costs, potential cutting of turnover if season ticket sales do fall, how long the directors are prepared to subsidise this venture in China at the expense of Sheffield United Football Club?

KMc: Well we have actually completely reorganised our China interests. We do control still Chengdu Blades but we actually did a deal about four months ago, this was prior to some of the problems that's hit Chinese football, where we do not have a financial responsibility to Chengdu Blades. We have commercial rights. We still have overseeing rights and one or two of my colleagues are doing regular visits there but we've actually restructured so that we don't have that financial responsibility. I would say that generally on the international front, we do need to work harder as a club to ensure we can see that football football benefits and the Chinese venture at Chengdu, the Hungarian venture with Ferencvaros and also the Australian club that I personally have an interest in... that the talent that must be round the three clubs, we're not making enough use of ourselves. It's something we have been addressing with Trevor. We must not neglect... we have this pool of potential talent, that if it is the talent we think it is, all players actually want to emanate and come and play in England. We must work harder to ensure we don't miss it. So any criticism about Chengdu or our other overseas interests is valid. I don't think we've made enough of it ourselves and it's something we've got to pull up our socks and achieve more from.

 

[Linz]

SB: Next question then, from the floor. The guy on the back right side...

Audience: Hi guys. I'd just like to pick up on something Trevor mentioned earlier with regards to Kevin Blackwell starting this pre-season that's just gone with minimal players. Can we expect the same for the next pre-season?

TB: It's a good question and that's why we're working on it now, sort of night and day, with Kevin and the scouting team. To achieve precisely that, to have as many players as we possibly can ready for day one of pre-season. Because I do think it's so vital.

SB: What would stop that happening?

TB: Well, the players that you want not being available or the issue with players or clubs waiting... of course the window stays open until the end of August so you've got a problem there in that some players will be waiting for different offers. You have to make sure, well, you have to try and ensure that those players that you want... you're successful in dealing with them early.

SB: You're listening to the Sheffield United fans forum here on BBC Radio Sheffield live from Bramall Lane which Chief Executive Trevor Birch and Chairman Kevin McCabe. Let's continue back to the floor, the gentleman just on the middle of the row there with the moustache and glasses...

Audience: My question actually was about injuries... were they just caused by bad luck or anything else, now you have answered that and what you've effectively said 'it was just bad luck'. There were no other reasons behind the scenes with style of play or anything else.... so we please hope so, because we cannot have another season for Kevin Blackwell or the fans seeing all these loan players every week that we don't know. So I'll ask another question. Loan players. We lost the two Kyles and a few more over the season that were recalled so why has Billy Sharp been left at Doncaster scoring goals and not being recalled to the Lane? One reason apparently given was we don't play his style of play where we should alter to his style of play because he scores goals.

TB: The reason why he wasn't recalled was the loan agreement for the year didn't give us that ability to recall him in January. The only reason we could've recalled him is if we'd have received an offer for him in which case we could've recalled him then sold him but unfortunately the loan agreement didn't give us the opportunity to recall him and the reason for that was because if they kept him for the year, then they would pay the whole of his wages for the year.

SB: Do you two believe that he has a future at this football club?

KMc: Yes most certainly. I think Billy Sharp has proved to us all as supporters that he can score goals at Championship level. Correct?

/audience agrees

KMc: He's definitely got a future at our football club...

SB: Can he score goals for Kevin Blackwell?

KMc: I hope he can score goals for Sheffield United. It's as simple as that.

SB: Can he score goals for Kevin Blackwell though? That's an acute question...

KMc: Of course Seth, of course.

SB: Those two have had a fall out though. It seems they don't get on with one another. How do you repair that rift?

KMc: Well it's between men isn't it? Gosh, I argue with my wife five times a week. But we never really fall out.

SB: Do you see her that much?

/audience laughs

KMc: On the telephone!

SB: Let's get back to the floor. Got a question here, gentleman in the black top in the middle. It's BBC Radio Sheffield, Football Heaven. Off you go sir...

Audience: Gentleman, firstly thank you for giving us the opportunity to ask some questions. Mr McCabe, I have a question for you. At least three times now in the start of this, you mentioned that our wage bill is the fourth highest in the Championship, and I'm sure it is, I don't doubt you....

KMc: I wish it weren't but it is...

Audience: Well none of us seem to be sure exactly what the figure is but I'll accept your...

KMc: Trevor will tell you...

Audience: I'm sure he will do. But is that not a reflection of the fact that we got it dramatically wrong at the start of the season in the fact that most of that wage bill, we are paying more than budget, is purely and simply down to the fact that we had to bring so many loan players in rather than the fact that we were intending to be ambitious, to use that word.

KMc: Nah, I think you're right. I think, you know, we reflect back on this season. We did bring in a lot of new players at the start. If I'm trying to put it into reasonable arguments: we lost a month, we lost Paddy Kenny, which was a big big blow, bigger than I think we all recognised at the time, and the players that we've brought in probably weren't the right sort for the unit that suits Sheffield United. So I'll say that, and we're very honest in it, that we made the mistake. We didn't get, sort of maybe, the right blend of players. Then the curse of the injuries that we've suffered. Someone like Lee Williamson who was a good buy, a good signing from Watford, he was injured in pre-season training and didn't really appear for us until the back end of 2009. So I think we have been cursed but you know, to answer your question; yeah, we probably got it wrong on reflection but hey, we're humans aren't we? We did our efforts, Blackie and ourselves, to get it right and bring these players in that we thought were right.

SB: What was the wage bill this year?

TB: It was nearly double the figure you were talking about before.

SB: About £14 million?

TB: More or less.

SB: What was the wage bill... what should the wage bill have been at the start of the season? And what was the wage bill at the start of the season?

KMc: Well I can't remember Seth but I'll tell you that the wage bill we've ended up paying for this whole season is more than I'd wish to have paid. And that's said with a lot of honesty. And that's why we're the fourth highest wage bill in the Championship. You don't need to question it any more.

SB: But I think the gentleman makes a point. You talk of ambition... if the reason you've paid the money is just because of the injuries you've had, the ambition is very different.

KMc: Seth, Seth.

SB: £14 million in August.

KMc: Seth, I love you to death. But you don't listen. We did bring in eight new players at the start of the season. We're saying honestly that we probably made a mistake in the quality or the selection of players but these things happen. But these loan players did cost us money in loan fees and agents fees.

SB: I'm not sure that answers the question. Back to the gentleman, I think he wants to make another point on this.

Audience: Thanks for responding to that but, I must admit, I'm in business and if I'd spent £14 million, I would be wanting to know where the buck stopped because we've clearly not achieved what we intended to this year. Would you like to comment on that?

KMc: Well I think, again, I don't want to repeat myself but I suffer like any fan. We've had games this season where we've performed very poorly. So I get frustrated but I don't sort of say much or do much until the morning after the game. I have to be reasoned in my approach because of the hat I have to wear as Chairman but at heart, I'm just a supporter like your good selves. And when I wake up on a Sunday morning and think 'god, we were poor yesterday, I'm so disappointed'. I look and I so often have looked at the team that we've turned out which have been good players in terms of where they've come from, loan players etc. We've had to get them out of necessity because either Chris Morgan or a Monty or a Paddy Kenny, Lee Williamson, Jamie Ward etc. has been injured but it's not worked. There have been reasons therefore. Best intentions of players who've come from Sunderland or West Ham or Tottenham or Fulham, no question, best intentions, but it's just not worked that's all. I think it's a lesson from this season, getting too many loan players, particularly short term loan players, you can't build a unit. Unless you're jolly lucky. And that's really the lesson for this season. It's cost us dearly for the short term loans and it hasn't worked. Which you know and I know.

 

[Linz]

SB: Let's go back into the audience....

Audience: Good evening. My question is that this last season we had a lot of loan players now it's been reported in the press recently that we need fourteen new players. Will the majority of these players be permanent signings or are we going on this loan fiasco route again?

TB: I think Kevin has just answered that the intention of the club is to have its own players and if possible, have them in for the first day of the season. It's not necessarily fourteen players when we have sixteen players already contracted for next year. So, you know, fourteen is a little bit exaggerated.

Audience: Will we be able to compete in the transfer market?

TB: Yeah but then again remember, transfer fees are only one half of the equation. It's about the amount you're prepared to spend on an annual cost, wages cost which if you like is an annual player cost which includes transfer fees.

Audience: Thanks very much.

KMc: To intercede. If you look at the Championship now, you can fire comments back but, amongst Championship clubs, who's really paid transfer fees? Name me the club's who've paid real transfer fees.

Audience: Cardiff - who're in trouble

KMc: You struggle hard to think of clubs who are paying real transfer fees. It's the way the game's played because the emphasis is on players now and the package they get. And it's that that stops transfer fees of any size being paid between clubs. Turning the clock back probably ten plus years, until Sky TV took over to give the Premiership such money, there was regular transfer of players and you could bank upon selling players if you wanted to sell players. You can't any more because of the amount players are being paid at certain clubs prohibits other clubs from being able to take them because they're just being paid too much.

TB: I think I'd echo that. I think there'd be less and less transfer fees paid in the Championship. Definitely.

 

[Foxy]

SB: Couple of other questions in the middle, before we get to that, is the manager under any pressure to sell in this next transfer window? Trevor?

TB: Well again, it’s all in the mix isn’t it, in terms of, we’ve got to look at the playing squad, look at what we’ve got available as a ??non-cost?? for next year and make those decisions, so no decisions have been made yet and we will look at it very carefully.

KM: The simple strategy is to start next season with a first team squad that we, the management of Sheffield United, believes will take us out of the Championship. That’s a very simple strategy, it’s difficult to enact, but that’s our aim.

SB: You two know football though, do you believe that there will be any departures of first team players, not players that are out of contract or players that are on the periphery, we’re talking the likes of your Hendersons, your Evans, those kinds of players?
KM: You’re pre-supposing Seth, I mean, you know, the season is not over. In fairness were it not for some of the travel difficulties caused by the Atlantic ash cloud, we may have been having meetings with Kevin this week to talk about next season because we know we are in the Championship. That’s not taken place yet. But we revise, we’ll sort our strategy out, you can’t start pre-supposing in your own mind who’s coming and going because you know, it’s a myth.

TB: It’s a very negative way of looking at it as well Seth, in terms of.....

SB: I don’t think it is!

TB: ...in terms of your question. Because what we are saying is the level of playing costs that we will throw at it, we will be able to compete.

SB: Is it negative though? When maybe you could earn money out of a player and use that player to bring in two or three different players?

TB: That’s all part of the equation, that’s the...

SB: So it’s a positive question, maybe a negative answer, I don’t know? Let’s go back into the audience

/Audience laughter

 

[Foxy]

Audience: We’ve talked a lot about wages tonight, obviously probably the turning point for United in terms of the wages was the first season when we came down from the Premier League. We invested £4million in transfer money and very high wages on James Beattie, Gary Naysmith, obviously probably on very good wages as well. Assuming that would have had an impact on some players who’s salaries would have been contracted to be lower when we got relegated. I just wondered really, whether Mr McCabe, whether you have any regrets about investing that kind of money? Obviously we are now left with the situation where a popular player like Nick Montgomery is struggling to agree terms, I’m assuming possibly on the back of the contract he may have signed around the time we signed Beattie.

KM: Erm, maybe to give you an answer. It’s again being specific to players and look James Beattie, a player that as supporters we all loved, he was on a contract for three seasons with Sheffield United. His contract should have expired at the end of this season, let me get the dates right now, in October 2008 and I think I’ve explained this to fans before... October 2008, which is sort of a season and a half before his contract was due to expire, James was probably the highest paid player in the Championship, his agent was on to Terry Robinson. Terry showed me texts’, wanting to negotiate a new contract with James Beattie. You know, he’d not been with us that long, he was doing great, no question about that, and my sort of reaction was... No, James is with us until June 2010, he’s committed to playing with us because he’s under contract, but of course the agent was playing, because a new transfer window was coming up, James was playing well.

So, if I turn to colleagues, what would you do? I think you’d have probably said the same as myself. We’ll adhere to the obligation we have to our player, James, and that’s exactly what we said. What happens then between October and January, the agent, not Sheffield United, starts to look towards placing James, to find a club that’ll give him a lucrative contract that’s longer, because James is coming up to thirty one in January 2009? That’s how some of your players, you can’t control it, it’s not the club trying to sell the player, it’s the agent trying to get a better deal for the player.

SB: Let’s just go back, hang on a second, till we get the microphone back. It’s BBC Radio Sheffield, this is football heaven live from Bramall Lane.

Audience: I wasn’t actually disagreeing with the decision to sell Beattie, because you only have to look at, you know...

KM: No, we didn’t want to sell him.

Audience: What I’m interested in, is the inflationary effect it’s clearly had on wages at the club, to the level that we are now and now we’re obviously going to have to bring them down and reign them back in.

KM: Accept the climate has changed since James Beattie’s departure, I think we’re all aware because we have to live and this is a changing environment. We are in a major, major recession, you know, there’s job losses, there’s social problems, and if any business, non more so than football... If you are blind to it and just adjust to the down, then you’re in trouble. Hey, Trevor can comment on big clubs like ourselves, that we’re not in that position, there is wisdom here even though the ambition that we strive for, to bring success continues at pace.

TB: But we’re not alone as a club, that, has struggled erm, on coming down from the Premier League, you look at all the clubs. I mean in fact, up until two weeks ago, we were still competing for a play off position, outside our parachute payments, and you look at some of the other clubs who have come out of their parachute payment season, they have just plummeted through to League One. So in a sense, it’s an incredibly difficult thing to rebalance your wage budget once you’ve, as you say, you’ve been on those Premier League salaries. So, to have done that and yet still be competing this year, I think is still a tremendous effort. You are right, it does leave you with a legacy effect on your wages and one which we are still trying to cope with.

SB: If you’ve got a question in the audience, please stick your hands up in the air, if we could hear from any new voices, we’ll try and do that, erm... do make sure though, you can make yourself known so we can get there with a microphone.
What about Nick Montgomery then Trevor? What’s the situation with him? Why have you not been able to get that contract sorted yet?

TB: Well because we always said we would talk really, at the end of the season. I’ve met his agent again recently, we are still continuing to talk and I’m confident that we’ll reach an agreement on him.

KM: And I cuffed him round his lug hole, last weekend.

SB: Does that usually sway the player?

KM: I reckon it did yes.

SB: Was it the player or the agent?

KM: It’s Monty, he doesn’t want to leave the Blades, he’s a Blade through and through and we’re doing our best.

TB: Listen, he’s had a fantastic season, so of course we don’t want him to leave.

 

[Foxy]

SB: Lets go to the back of the room again.

Audience: Hi guys, erm, £14million spent on wages this season, what’s the budget for next season?

KM: Not set it.

Audience: Around the same? A reduction?

KM: A reduction, most certainly a reduction and a better use of the academy facilities with youth training, better use of the overseas links we have, both with the clubs that we have influence and control over and I think overseas generally. It’s probably a market where we’ve been scouting, but not scouting successfully.

Audience: Okay, nine contracted players potentially at the end of this season we may have left. Are we looking to increase that considerably and not rely on the loan system?

KM: Well Trevor’s gonna comment in detail but you know, we’ve obviously got to get a squad.

TB: Sorry no, it’s sixteen contracted players left for next season.

SB: Do you know who they are? I’m just trying to think through off the top of my head.

TB: Believe me, there are sixteen.

 

[Foxy]

SB: Okay, erm, we’ve talked a lot about the manager. Our radio station, goodness me, we’ve talked more about Kevin Blackwell, in the last twelve months than I think about any other manager in the history of Football Heaven and Praise or Grumble. How confident, Kevin McCabe, are you still that Kevin Blackwell is the man to get this football club back into the Premier League?

KM: I think Blackies a good manager. You know, I’ve known Kevin a long time, pre-him coming to Sheffield United as Neil’s assistant. I think he’s obviously learned a lot, I think there’s many points to address from what’s happened this season, you know, this is the responsibility we have at the top table here. That, to address with Kevin, to get ready for next season. You know, whether it is the quality of the squad, whether it’s trying to avoid some of the pitfalls that have confronted us during the season and the mix of the players. Maybe the playing style? The key really is, that we need to know that we’re working with Kevin as the manager on a style of play, that god willing gets us out of the championship.

SB: Can he play and can he manage a team that plays the style of play that appeases the fans?

KM: Again, maybe I go back you know since Kevin’s been with us, the season when he joined us in the February where we all but got a play off place and lost at Southampton the final game if you recall... The quality of football there I don’t think we’d probably complain about. Last season we had a good season apart from that horrible game at Wembley. I don’t think fans were complaining at all that season...

SB: They were.

KM: ...Well, okay, we’ve all got the right to complain but I didn’t and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. We lost getting back to the Premiership by a whisker. This seasons been a bit different, a bit below our expectations in terms of quality. I think we’ve attempted to explain that, although I’m sure most supporters recognise it, that’s the plight of injuries and too many temporary loan players.

SB: Do you feel he’ll walk away? He’s a man who’s had a rough ride at Leeds, he’s had a rough ride at Luton, he comes here thinking brilliant, finally got a squad of players that I’ve got a chance of getting in the Premier League and within the space of two seasons he’s talking about having to sell his best players, which he’s done consistently since he arrived at the football club. He’s having to cut the wage bill, consistency since he’s arrived at the football club. Has he kinda been sold a bit of a, a bit of a dummy here?

KM: No, that’s a load of codswallop Seth.

SB: Well he has done all of those things though.

KM: He hasn’t Seth. Players have to move on. If the player’s contract is expiring at the end of the season it’s not having to sell as a manager. The club have to say, well we can’t get the right contract in place for a Matthew Killgallon for example. Players are brought in to replace, the replacements haven’t worked as of yet.

TB: It’s just part and parcel of being a Championship manager isn’t it?

KM: It’s how you run football clubs, there must not be this myth that you keep players all of the time. Regrettably you can’t. It’s not going back to, even your TC days, you know, there was a time where players would be loyal to a club forever. It doesn’t happen does it? It’s very infrequent.

SB: But being brutally honest, the job you are asking him to do, today, is different to the job you asked him to do when he arrived at the football club isn’t it?

KM: Not at all, you tell me a manager, maybe Alex Ferguson or Sir Alex is the good example. During his career at Manchester United he must have built five or six different squads of players. Managers have to adapt and change the team all the time, sorry change the first team squad all the time. Because players get older, players move on, even Ronaldo. It’s quite normal Seth.

SB: Do you expect him to be manager in August?

KM: Very much hope so yeah...

SB: Hope or?

KM: ...I very much hope so, look, it’s not the end of the season. We’re charged with the responsibility of running our club and our club is the supporters, the city of Sheffield. Of course we do things sensibly, yes I’d like Blackie to be in charge next season, we’ve not yet started to talk about the reshaping. We may have started this week but for the Icelandic’s.

 

[Foxy]

SB: Okay, anymore questions from the floor then? Have one from near the back...

Audience: Hi Mr McCabe, erm, we’ve talked about the actual playing squad tonight and quite a lot. So I’d like to pick on something else. We’ve heard in the last few years about how well this clubs been run in terms of finance, infrastructure etc and how positive we should be. Erm, we’ve heard in the press etc about how well we’re actually run financially and be positive about it. But I get the impression, certainly the last four or five months, erm, there’s been a little bit of negativity creeping out from the boardroom and it seems to have coincided with the appointment of Mr Birch. Not that I’m saying that he’s the cause of it, you know, far from it. But also seems to coincide with the fact that we weren’t awarded the World Cup, now that said, it moves onto my next question which is basically... How dependant was the development of the football ground, Bramall Lane, on us being awarded the World Cup? Will that still continue to go ahead? I.E will the Kop be done in my lifetime?

KM: Well let me just, I mean, maybe just to answer the first part of the question about you know, how well the club is run. Firstly with Trevor, I interviewed Trevor, gosh, over three years ago and err, he’s too bloody expensive, bit like a footballer, could afford to bring him to Sheffield.
But seriously, I interviewed Trevor three years ago and I’m delighted that he did join us, the latter part of last year. Trevor is responsible you know for the day to day business of the Blades. Because it is a business and what we’ve tried to do and have done, over this last seven or eight years ago, is work at transforming the rickety old football club into one that is modern and has a business model that will, sorry should and will work. That modelling includes the off the field activities, whether it’s a fine stadium that has function rooms like we’re sat in this evening or conference and banqueting facilities which are the best in Sheffield, or a business centre, which produces about half a million quid a year profit for us, or indeed the hotel, which had been open just over a year.

You can say that Sheffield United actually begun to totally reshape itself, our stadium I think we’re all proud of now. We weren’t really proud of it that many years ago were we? But we know that we’ve got a good stadium that whilst we are in the championship is adequate in terms of capacity, plus the add-ons that give us income producing benefits, restaurants, conference and banqueting.

We’ve got one of the best academies in England, that’s not said lightly, it’s said with fact, plus a junior academy. The benefits that most other clubs don’t have.

If I’m trying to say, where are we going wrong?, two things...

I personally don’t think we’re making full use of the academy, two Kyle’s can sort of bail me out as being wrong, I don’t think we’re getting enough kids coming through yet. It is something that Trevor can comment on, how we’re reshaping that to be more aggressive and at this level to demand success from the academy, because we have invested so heavily.

I don’t think we’re getting enough from our international divisions, which I mentioned earlier. We must strive to do it! Because we’re lucky to have those facilities, and kids playing in Hungary, China or indeed Australia, that if you can get half a chance to be good enough, should be playing here at Bramall Lane. We’ve got to sort of, fill in the blank and get that working. So I think we’ve got all these ingredients for a business model that does work.

When will we extend the Kop? When we are back in the Premiership.

When will we extend South Stand, not sure, you know if we are gonna extend the Kop it takes us to about thirty seven thousand. Which in human terms is one of the top twelve size stadiums? Hope that answers it? Trevor?

TB: I certainly hope I’m not the source of all the negativity, because I can tell you I feel very positive about this club. Kevin said it’s a curse and I think I’m being infected by it because it has absolute, you know, wonderful opportunities and it is different. You look at the make up of it, you look at the infrastructure, you look at the global reach that the club has and we are different. I’m certainly going to play my part in driving it forward and maximising the assets to their full ability to benefit Sheffield United here.

KM: The business model is to get more and more income from the assets that we own, hotel, enterprise centre, conference and banqueting, retailing, five-a-side football, gymnasiums. The more income we get from that, the more we can invest in the first team squad, because Sheffield United is a business, it’s hub is absolutely Sheffield United FC and success on the pitch. That’s why we’re all here isn’t it? And we, top table, serve this community, the communities of the supporters and the areas in which we play.

 

[Foxy]

SB: What about the world cup bid? You lodged a complaint, with the, towards the Sheffield Council, what’s the latest with that? Are you still pursuing that? Is that something that’s still active?

KM: Hey, look, look, I think we’re all surprised that Bramall Lane was not selected as Sheffield’s favoured venue for the World Cup bid of, England’s World Cup bid for 2018 and 2022. You know, there was an expectation. Our simple complaint has been towards the council, not Sheffield Wednesday, but the council, for what we believe was erm, mal-administration for Sheffield Wednesday’s application, not Wednesday’s fault, the councils, because they’ve found reason to fast track it. For an injustice done to Sheffield United for not being awarded the World Cup venue status. Injustice to our responsibilities for the Sharrow area and south Sheffield, because that’s where we are, and a financial injustice. So it’s a complaint against Sheffield Council, I do state very clearly, not Wednesday.

SB: Where’s it at though? This complaint?

KM: It’s with the ombudsman.

SB: Any idea of timeframe as when, were you to get some news out of it and what’s the end game with all that?

KM: The end game is a complaint. I suspect the truth is, if the ombudsman agrees with me, the council gets their knuckles rapped. End of story. So it’s really gone from my agenda, we’ve done what we think is right and proper, because we look after and defend Sheffield United.

 

[Foxy]

SB: We’ve have another question from the floor, it’s BBC Radio Sheffield into the final nine or ten minutes of the programme tonight, so if you’ve got a question get your hand in the air, sir?

Audience: Yes, Mr McCabe, I think you have run the club very well on a business like basis and having been in business, I appreciate what you’ve done. In sharp contrary distinction to many Premiership clubs who are run in a bucket fashion I say I might think. Having said that, rumour has that having put money and energy into this club, you are now thinking of lowering down your involvement and what I don’t want and many more I’m sure don’t want, is some foreign owner coming in, borrowing to buy the club, loading the club with debt as happened with Manchester United and in a much worse situation than now. So, a personal question I must admit, are you going to continue to support us in the future? The foreseeable future?

KM: I wish I could say no...

/Audience laughter

KM: I mean you know, it is a personal question and yeah, I’d like to step out of the chair, I’ve said this the last two or three seasons and you know bizarrely if it were not for the Carlos Tevez affair and that very unjust relegation, I’d have probably stepped down as chairman for our first season back in the Premiership. The Tevez affair was one where, you know, someone was gonna fight like sting for Sheffield United, we’re not a club that’s trodden on any more. You know, were a proud club that stands for it’s rights. So, that made me stand for longer than I would have wished. Yeah, I do want to step down, but hey, stepping down makes no difference, if I put my hand up and say I still can’t avoid being the owner, if you are an owner, you can’t relieve yourself of responsibilities.

I can’t spend the time on the day to day business of running Sheffield United, Trevor can and Trevor is a very accomplished guy. So the commitment still yearns in me, we’ve got to bring that success of being in the top echelon. I’ll strive like hell behind the scenes, not doing many interviews these days, because I’m not around. But, the commitment of ambition, the drive, this aint a club going backwards, none whatsoever. We’re a club that will be different from most of the other clubs and strive for that success. Hell or high water. We will not risk the club in terms of the financial predicaments you’ve seen more recently with Hull City or Portsmouth or Crystal Palace or other smaller clubs and clubs that will come out of the woodwork soon with real problems. It’s not that easy running football in the climate that we have at the moment.

SB: What about the money you have in the club, how much is it right now?

KM: Well it’s the amount that’s been invested Seth, simple as that...

SB: Is it about £23million, something like that?

KM: ... most of , most of the money has been put in as capital, so it’s not owed to me, it’s invested in the club.

SB: So you’ll never take that out, if you like?

KM: Well if Roman Abramovic wants to come along? Look, look, we can say openly...

SB: It’s a concern with the fans

KM: ...of course it is, it’s a big thing for myself Seth. The responsibility I have as the owner of, as the principle shareholder of Sheffield United, is to my club, my supporters, to ensure that we don’t get into a mess. To ensure, because we’re all supporters who want to get back into the Premiership, I’ve said many times my desire is top ten, can’t look beyond that.

We’re trying to seek new investment, not bothered about selling one share, you hear me on that? I’m trying to bring in new investment, new capital that will buy issues of new shares, that is capital that you can invest then back into the club. You understand that Seth?

SB: Just about

KM: Whether we can achieve it, you know, it’s a bit of a rock and roll world. But parts of the world, you know, are prosperous and some of our international ventures with the other clubs. The territories where if we spend more time, if my exec. colleagues who I drive like hell, via Trevor now, if they are more adventurous and creative, they maybe the sort of reason where we can find people who want to invest in Sheffield United because they’ve heard of us.

SB: Can you just clarify for us and we’ll come to Trevor Birch in a moment, can you clarify, you have some loans with the club, can you clarify what sort of percentage those loans are accruing right now?

KM: Well, what I will clarify, because you know, I did see some press of a few weeks ago and Trevor can answer it and Simon Capper our FD’s here, just ask my colleagues if they’ve paid any interest to me at all on any loans I’ve made? Answer?

SB: Trevor?

TB: No.

KM: No.

SB: Why set the loans up then with interest that accrues?

KM: Because Seth, as a courted PLC, at the time, now were delisted, we did have a brokerage called KBC Peel Hunt, and they are actually the ones, to coincide with FSA regulations advised myself on what is a normal loan rate on loan notes and that’s how it comes about, but I repeat to you Seth, please don’t disbelieve me. I haven’t charged one penneth of interest, not a penny! Seth you happy?

TB: Seth, what Kevin is actually saying there as well is, that if we get an investor, Kevin is very happy for that money to go directly into the club...

KM: Not to me!

TB: ...and not to Kevin. Now that is, that’s a big big thing.

KM: I’m a blade like everybody who’s listening to this programme and we’re great friends within this hall, through and through Seth, don’t you try and deny me otherwise mate, else I’ll cuff ya.

/Audience laugh

 

[Foxy]

SB: You’ll have to catch me first, we’ve got a couple more minutes to go, just going for one more question from the middle here. It’s BBC Radio Sheffield, on the way Phil Butler, with the best of the seventies and eighties, we’ll be listening to that as we leave Bramall Lane.

Audience: I think we’ve all seen that season ticket deadline has been extended, do we infer from that that season ticket sales are down quite dramatically and do we also infer from that, that as a consequence that’s why we’ve not agreed a budget yet for wages for next year? Whatever that budget might yet be, whatever number of players that might yet be?

TB: Well we’ve extended it, because it’s still a great deal and we want people to benefit from it, in terms of numbers we’re not dramatically down. We are about, at the moment, twelve thousand.

SB: How many are you expecting, very briefly?

TB: At this stage last year, I think it was about thirteen and a half, fourteen. So at this, not dramatically down.

KM: Hey, look, I say to you all, we’re gonna do our darndest to get ready for next season, for yet another promotion push. There will be no stone left unturned to get it right, if we have to adjust wage bills, it’s not something that’s a big drama, it’s recognition that the games changed a wee bit. I’ve made comments before, you know, the last few years, so don’t worry about it, this is a club that still strives to succeed.

We’re not going backwards and sometimes I don’t see media coverage, you know from the newspapers or you know, from Radio Sheffield, but I suspect there a bit of a myth going around. This club pushes forward, every fan of Sheffield United must recognise that, top tables as keen as mustard to bring success...

SB: Gotta stop you there, a round of applause then please for the top table, Trevor Birch and Kevin McCabe...

/Audience applause

** RADIO SHEFFIELD COVERAGE ENDS **

 

[Foxy]

SB: Thank you everybody for being so quiet and listening and all the questions you got. I hope, was it a valuable experience, did you find out enough information tonight? Feel free to continue.

KM: Thanks Seth.

Audience: How many players are likely to come, from any of the ranks of Sheffield United into the first team in the next two years, I mean from any source?

KM: Again we can’t really answer that question, if I’m sort of making judgement, I expect in a way to see a player from Australia, a player from Hungary, a player from China, as a matter of course, yeah?

Audience: and that’s what you’d like?

KM: I expect yeah, I’m not saying we’re going to achieve it as we would like, and likewise from the academy. Two or three coming through every season. So the make up of the squad should have six or seven players who are Sheffield United players, from overseas or from our academy. That’s what we’ve really got to strive to achieve, because that’s why we’ve invested in the facilities.

Audience: I saw a reserve match the other day, for the first time in a long time and there only looked like Lowton that was capable...

TB: I’ve think we’ve had a couple of difficult years from the academy but...

Audience: I’m not trying to criticise the guys on the pitch, but no-one really shined

TB: No, I agree with you and that of course is an issue, as you can see because none of them made the bench. Apart from Matty. The first year scholars we’ve got at the moment are considered to be a very very talented bunch of players and the next level of scholars coming in and the following year of the first year are also of very high quality. So hopefully, in two, three years time, we should be seeing from the academy, hopefully two or three players.

Audience: I mean, are we to see an eighteen-year-old suddenly make the grade?

KM: I hope so, I mean that’s the absolute intention, that’s why we invest heavily in the academy. You know, we do say it with the two Kyles don’t we? They are wonderful young players and we are hoping theres another two Kyles every season.

TB: I think we as a club, as I’ve said in the program notes, should strive to have at least five, six, seven players I think coming through our ranks.

Audience: Because we heard so many years about Warnock putting the money into the academy, instead of spending it elsewhere...

KM: Managers don’t put money into academies. We do.

Audience: Not taking that money allows, sort of, that not going into his pot to spend... We didn’t really see a lot happen over those years?

KM: Well we got Jagielka, we got Curtis Woodhouse, we got Monty, we got Michael Tonge, we got Lee Morris. If we reflect that, we’ve had youngsters come through this last ten years?

TB: I mean the problem is, it isn’t a science, unfortunately there are dips and erm troughs in it. For me, it’s the most important part of the club, is the academy. Which is why, you know, I wanted to change that and John Pemberton who’s coming in two weeks time, very well regarded in the profession and I will be really driving that because I think the recruitment aspect of the academy is important as well. I’m not sure whether we’ve really driven that and you’ve got to, we’ve got to be a bit more aggressive.

Audience: That’s your experience? You can do that side of, that’s what you’ve been tasked to do as well?

TB: Yeah I’m dealing with all the...

KM: I’m retiring remember

TB: That’s where we have to be much more aggressive in terms of recruitment, right at the very lowest age range.

 

[Foxy]

Audience: Coming back to the two Kyles, I remember when we sold them for whatever the sum of money was. I remember reading on the official site, that we’d now developed this special relationship with Tottenham Hotspur and that special relationship would allow us to have any player from them that we wanted, so when Kyle Walker went back at short notice, what went wrong there and Kyle Naughton obviously went somewhere else and Danny Rose obviously went somewhere else. What went wrong with that special relationship?

TB: Do you know, I don’t know, that’s the honest answer. I’m not sure whether Kevin Blackwell or the rest of the management team know the answer to that as well. There are conspiracy theories all around aren’t there? It’s either that Daniel Levy was the man who bought them and therefore Harry was trying to make a statement. Or whether it was that Harry and Daniel Levy.... I don’t know what the real issue was, but, it just seemed to me extraordinary that they could call the player back, within I think it was an hour or two hours of the deadline.

KM: If i’m correct in saying Trevor? In December they told us that they wouldn’t be calling him back, so it was a complete about turn.

TB: and to have not have even given us a days notice or two days notice - “look this may be happening” or just say “this MIGHT be happening”.

There was no advance notice at all! So as you say, what special relationship was that? So I don’t know.

Audience: Of course, you want us to believe the rumours that are circulating that we wouldn’t pay his wages?

KM: What a load of cobblers, I mean how on earth these myths...

Audience: No... I’m happy for you to challenge it.

TB: Consider it challenged! No, it’s absolute rubbish.

Audience: So there is no ulterior reason that we would, that it could be our blame?

KM: Who on earth creates these rumours?

Audience: I presume you read them yourself?

KM: To be honest with you I don’t, that’s why sometimes when I’m picking up and I’m listening to my colleagues I’m thinking... I shake my head that there is such a misapprehension about some of the deals or the way the clubs run. It doesn’t come out the right way, but rumours like that are absolute nonsense.

Audience: But at the end of the day Kevin, if there’s a vacuum in terms of information, some rubbish will inevitably fill the vacuum.

KM: Is there a vacuum of information?

Audience: Yes.

KM: Seriously?

Audience: I think there is a balance between doing what they are doing across the city, which seems to be picking fights with fans on Facebook and on everything and proper structured communication with the fans about what’s going on.

KM: Trevor, get it addressed.

Audience: It might not come to something like tonight. A sort of ongoing dialog through the season, this is where we are going, this is what we are doing and it’s come through the program a lot more, but that’s more on the business side and commercial side.

TB: No, you’re right, there does and I think I’m taking that on board, that there needs to be more.
KM: There will be some ears boxed.

SB: There’s a little bit of confusion though, may well be talking out of turn here, but I think there’s an awful lot of people that feel unless you’re saying it [aimed at KM], nobodies saying it. That’s not a criticism of you [TB] but if it’s coming from Trevor Birch, it’s not coming from Kevin McCabe. Maybe that’s where the confusion is?

KM: Well make no bones about it, Trevor is the boss. You know, I don’t live in Sheffield any more; I’m not at Bramall Lane frequently enough, Trevor’s charged with the responsibility of running the club. Of course he relates to me on important matters, but he’s in charge on the day to day of all off the field and on the field activities. Liaising obviously with Blackie on the first team squad, now John Pemberton to be on the academy and with colleagues Simon Argyll, Simon Capper and Mike Farnan, international, on hotels, enterprise centres and the like. Trevor, the boss...

TB: I’m conscious that communication, you know, has not been as good as I think it could have been in the last couple of months. I’ll apologise for that as Chief Exec. and it will improve.

KM: It should do, there shouldn’t be this vagueness or this misconception that fans are getting, because it’s untrue.

Audience: All we ask as supporters, is if you’re straight with us, the majority of us, all we want is you to be straight with us. If you say your budget next year is gonna be £7million and you are aiming for if we get top eight and above, that’s what we are aiming for, we’ll support you. But, what we don’t want is you saying it’s going to be £14million and we’re going for the top... Just be straight with us and I’m sure you’ll get far better support and more positive support.

KM: Yeah, but you hear what I say, firstly, I don’t know where £7million has come from. Secondly, because I’m answering you honestly, we haven’t set the budget. Funnily enough on the train today, Trevor and I were talking about it, but we haven’t set it yet. A lot of it depends on how much money we can bring in from our businesses and Trevor has had a session with the execs who know they’ve got to be driven to get more income from what we have. The more income we get from hotels and conferencing etc means we’ve got more to spend on the first team squad to make the budget higher. So there is a big challenge for the off the field execs to boost the income, we’ve got things other clubs don’t have. But we’ve got to make them work, we’ve got to make assets sweat and bring in more revenue, because as supporters of which I’m one, we want to invest more heavily in the squad, we want to take advantage of other clubs predicaments. Don’t we?

 

[Foxy]

Audience: Looking at the teams that are in the Championship and the poor quality that is in this division, do you think we’ve shown enough adventure away from home this season? I accept the injury position, but going away and playing one up front against very ordinary sides, is just almost caving in before the battle has started.

KM: Well you know, supporters are all tacticians and therefore managers. In defending the manager, there’s many occasions where the things we don’t know as supporters, of some of the players who are playing, aren’t fully fit. He’s trying to play tactics to protect one or two players who’ve maybe got minor injuries... So the issues sometimes, you do scratch your head, but they are factual that can make a manager decide on what the formation of the team should be. But, look, last season we were a great away team, this season, simple terms we’ve been poor. I can’t put my finger on it, I really can’t, it does perplex me just as much as your good self.

Audience: When you’re expecting people to follow the team around the country, go to places like Peterborough and watch one shot at goal during the whole game? I mean, it’s not consistent with the aspirations you’ve set out for the club.

KM: Well it is, in as much as, we’re reflecting on this season with supporters and rest assured, we are reflecting on this season with our manager. Because what you’re saying, is what I say. You know, I’ve seen poor performances, we can’t deny it can we? We’re honest with ourselves, I’m not gonna defend and say we’ve been unlucky, because this season I don’t really think that’s the case other than the injury problems. Some of the displays we’ve had have been pretty poor. We’re not really used to that are we? You are right, I mean the Peterborough game which I didn’t go to, I went to the one that wasn’t played... But you know, if we have one or two shots in the match, that’s not really what the Blades are about!
Points that we are addressing with Kevin, maybe we’ve got to change style of play.

SB: I think you picked wisely on that. Erm, just one other question and then the guys are going to have to go, sir?

Audience: At the end of last season, Kevin said we missed out by a couple of goals, he went out, said we need attacking players and then he brought these players in. But at the end of the day he is a defensive manager, he likes to play a defensive style of play. He plays four central midfielders, doesn’t play attacking players and then farms them out, says that they didn’t fit in, he is a Neil Warnock clone isn’t he? We’re not great to watch week in week out.

KM: You’re probably right but, if you look at the forwards that we’ve had and have, we have plenty of them don’t we? We’ve paid a lot of money for them, we’ve paid a lot in wages.

TB: How did it compare to last season though?

SB: Long ball Blackwell was what they said last year and I’m sure that’s what they’ll say next year.

Audience: I think the defence was better last season, so we didn’t let many goals in. The fact is, we got away with a lot with winning one-nil, when we defence isn’t doing the job, we know why... No Paddy Kenny, Naysmith, Killgallon, Walker, there’s nobody there. But what Kevin said at the beginning of the season, what we need is more attack, it’s great to hear that, but then watching this season that’s not happened. I don’t think Kevin can do that.

KM: I did mention earlier obviously, on reflecting on the season, when we’re talking to Blackie as review what next for the coming season, style of play comes into it. Our away form has been poor and it probably has cost us a play off spot hasn’t it?

Audience: We didn’t score many goals at the end of last season though, plenty of clean sheets, but not many goals.

KM: Yeah but that’s half of football isn’t it? If you can keep the clean sheets, and you are right we had a settled defence last season, that wins you matches on it’s own doesn’t it? You can snatch a one-niller and you know most of the clubs who escape from the Championship, the defence is key. We’ve had the problems of Paddy, Gary Naysmith who has not played for us all season. Up to him getting injured in the league match against Burnley, he had an excellent second half of the season, then obviously Killgallon going, Morgan, the ones we’ve brought in have tried their best but it’s not been the same unit.

SB: Thank you very much for your questions this evening, very good of you to come down on a Friday night. Can we, one more time please have a round of applause? Trevor Birch and Kevin McCabe.

/Applause

KM: Hey thanks everyone, it’s always good to talk to you and you to talk to me.

 

[Foxy]

That concludes the full transcript of tonights events, I'll have a proper read through in the morning and ensure I haven't made any errors with my part - The old eyes tend to start hurting a little and words all begin to look the same after 2.15am

Don't forget to add any comments or questions to THIS THREAD and we'll pass them on tomorrow.