2nd December 1999

[Jim Chimmerney]

Neil Warnock takes over his beloved cash strapped, struggling Blades.

11 years later with a brief stay in the Premier League behind us and where are we now ? How did we manage to seemingly go so far only to arguably sink back to where we were before he took over ?

OK, the infrastructure, the Academy, the debt, but what about the team ? Have we ever had three full-time managers in a season, let alone before Xmas ? We have the prospect of a potentially bright young manager walking out on us, presumably because he can't see a future here. We have a new Chairman due to start any time and no investment on the horizon.

Warnock brought the drive and enthusiasm we needed back in '99 but can anyone see a similar thing happening this time round ?

 

[dingledog]

These are dark days indeed, but on the bright side it starts to get lighter again in two weeks, maybe its an omen!!

 

[Revolution]

How did we manage to seemingly go so far only to arguably sink back to where we were before he took over ?

McCabe gave up, just like McDonald and Brearley before him.

 

[sheffielder]

I find it amazing that everything appears to the supporters fault and that we have been having a merry time over the last 5 years.

Apart from the promotion to the PL I have to say I haven't really enjoyed the ride and I certainly can't see us recovering unless we go back to basics and take the hit now. I am close to officially admitting United have broken my heart

 

[Wards]

Am I considered a doom merchant if I consider us good as down this season? I fail to remember a team that's had 3 managers in a season and stayed up.

On the plus side, there's a few grounds in league 1 I haven't been to

 

[super_pig]

no.. we're too good to go down.. aawww shit.. that's torn it

 

[LoughboroBlade]

We are in a lot of trouble, and I am extremely concerned about our prospects in getting a decent manager in for the long-term. When we sacked Robson we had a large number of the Premiership squad with us, plenty of options, plus people like Beattie, Hendrie, Naysmith etc. The best person we could attract was Kevin Blackwell, then last season moving to unemployment from Luton Town. If that was the best we could do when we had a strong squad, and parachute payments helping to maintain it, who on earth are we likely to be able to attract this time round? We have a smaller squad, made up of a combination of players that aren't our own, and those that are ours under-performing substantially.

I'm not convinced today's starting XI would actually beat the XI Warnock played in his opening game against Portsmouth:

Tracey, Murphy, Quinn, Sandford, Derry, Ford, Gysbrechts, Devlin, Ribeiro (Hunt, 78 ) , Bent (Kachouro, 88 ) , Smith (Kozluk, 69 )

 

[S64 Blade]

Neither am I LoughboroBlade. For a start of, Bent could be relied upon to bag quite a few goals. Devlin always looked good going forward and the back four 11 years ago is arguably stronger than it is at the moment.

 

[broomhillblade]

How did we manage to seemingly go so far only to arguably sink back to where we were before he took over ?

McCabe gave up, just like McDonald and Brearley before him.

McCabe made some appalling errors of judgment. Even the muppets could see that Robson was a bad choice.

Then he gave up.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Am I considered a doom merchant if I consider us good as down this season? I fail to remember a team that's had 3 managers in a season and stayed up.

On the plus side, there's a few grounds in league 1 I haven't been to

This division is full of mediocre teams most of similar ability and for that reason we should be able to turn it around but further upheavel isn't going to help. As I've said elsewhere, if Speed does leave, to me, that's telling us that he isn't going to get the financial support he needs to do the job required which will stand for anyone else coming in.

As was pointed out to me last night, Fleetwood could be a division behind us next season. That brought it home to me big time.

 

[lenners]

Fleets,
Our team has been losing to the mediocre teams consistently, has an appalling scoring record and shows no sign of turning it around.
Everything that has happened this season points to relegation.
I hope we get out of it but unless that expletive-deleted who owns our club gets his ferking arse in gear we are going one way. And unless there is more significant change, it's looking like a one-way ticket with a return not available for quite some time.

 

[sheffielder]

This division is full of mediocre teams most of similar ability and for that reason we should be able to turn it around but further upheavel isn't going to help. As I've said elsewhere, if Speed does leave, to me, that's telling us that he isn't going to get the financial support he needs to do the job required which will stand for anyone else coming in.

As was pointed out to me last night, Fleetwood could be a division behind us next season. That brought it home to me big time.

We don't know how realistic Speed's transfer targets were. From the interviews he has given in the last month it all sounds like he can't see the woods for the tree's.It could be we used this as a way of changing manager as things might not be what they appear behind the scenes. Well I can hope

 

[Robbie]

if Speed does leave, to me, that's telling us that he isn't going to get the financial support he needs to do the job required

I can't agree, what person would turn down the opportunity to manage their country? Probably going to a higher wage too.

 

[Rustyblade]

Reports are that he's taken a wage cut to go there.

 

[lenners]

I can't agree, what person would turn down the opportunity to manage their country? Probably going to a higher wage too.

Anyone who thinks this isn't about Speed taking a handy opportunity to get away from McCabe, United and the ongoing car crash needs their bumps feeling.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We don't know how realistic Speed's transfer targets were. From the interviews he has given in the last month it all sounds like he can't see the woods for the tree's.It could be we used this as a way of changing manager as things might not be what they appear behind the scenes. Well I can hope

We don't but only last week we were talking about the possibility of brokering a deal for Andy Reid in January. I think there was quite a bit of activity planned but as we know, things change very quickly.

I can't agree, what person would turn down the opportunity to manage their country? Probably going to a higher wage too.

I can understand about the pull of the National job but reports are suggesting he would be taking a bit cut in wages. It's the timing that confuses me on both scores. The Wales job will come around again in a few years when the latest failure to qualify occurs and by then, he'll have a few years managerial experience under his belt.

 

[JohnDenver]

Anyone who thinks this isn't about Speed taking a handy opportunity to get away from McCabe, United and the ongoing car crash needs their bumps feeling.

Will you feel my bumps for me?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I can't agree, what person would turn down the opportunity to manage their country? Probably going to a higher wage too.

The guardian are reporting he'll be taking a pay cut to manage wales


edit: oops didn't read full thread

 

[Cheshire Cat]

We don't know how realistic Speed's transfer targets were. From the interviews he has given in the last month it all sounds like he can't see the woods for the tree's.It could be we used this as a way of changing manager as things might not be what they appear behind the scenes. Well I can hope

His interviews after the initial couple of weeks were increasingly confusing - giving the distinct impression that what he thought management was and what it turned out to be were two very different things. It's clear that he thought he could change the playing style, but then realised that we were shipping goals for fun. Since then I think he's been struggling for ideas.

Anyone who thinks this isn't about Speed taking a handy opportunity to get away from McCabe, United and the ongoing car crash needs their bumps feeling.

I don't think this is the whole story. A spell managing Wales gives him the opportunity to get out of a hole he's been digging for himself. I think he misread the situation when he took over and thought he'd be able to cope. This gives him the opportunity to get out with reputation intact into a role where his PR skills are probably more valuable than his coaching skills for the first few months - giving him time to reflect on where he needs to strengthen his management skills. A modicum of success as Wales manager and he can come back untainted and prepared for the worst football can throw at him having seen it first hand.

 

[Grecian2000]

I can't agree, what person would turn down the opportunity to manage their country?

Anyone who's Scottish, Irish or Welsh for a kick off.

These are teams in the International back waters. They rarely attract anyone who is already in a decent job and are nothing jobs (didn't Mark Hughes manage them part time?).
The current incumbents (Worthington and Levein is it?) would wet their kecks at the chance of a Premiership/Championship job if they were good enough to get one.

If Speed takes this on then he is basically going for an easy life (they haven't qualified for a tournament since I was born in '58 have they?) with no hassle and no expectation.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Mark Hughes managed them part-time whilst playing for blackburn. When he retired from playing he went full time.

I think Speed would be very sensible to take this post on

 

[lenners]

His interviews after the initial couple of weeks were increasingly confusing - giving the distinct impression that what he thought management was and what it turned out to be were two very different things. It's clear that he thought he could change the playing style, but then realised that we were shipping goals for fun. Since then I think he's been struggling for ideas.



I don't think this is the whole story. A spell managing Wales gives him the opportunity to get out of a hole he's been digging for himself. I think he misread the situation when he took over and thought he'd be able to cope. This gives him the opportunity to get out with reputation intact into a role where his PR skills are probably more valuable than his coaching skills for the first few months - giving him time to reflect on where he needs to strengthen his management skills. A modicum of success as Wales manager and he can come back untainted and prepared for the worst football can throw at him having seen it first hand.

Cheshire, fully agree with that.
I think he knows he's out of his depth as well and this is a great chance for him to walk away without his reputation terminally damaged.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

This gives him the opportunity to get out with reputation intact.

I don't think walking out on a club after 18 games means his reputation is totally intact. Whatever the reasons for leaving, he'll forever have this on his CV as Coppell did after leaving Citeh (repeated with Brizzle this season.)

If he's been shafted by the board then fair enough, time will tell I guess.

 

[Grecian2000]

I think Speed would be very sensible to take this post on

I think he'd be mental if he didn't.

Get out of the situation he's in (on a hiding to nothing), piss easy job in the offing and he's even got Gareth Bale and the kid from Arsenal. Get the armchair and cigars out and take the next four years off (or until the fail to qualify for Euro '16).

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I don't think walking out on a club after 18 games means his reputation is totally intact. Whatever the reasons for leaving, he'll forever have this on his CV as Coppell did after leaving Citeh (repeated with Brizzle this season.)

If he's been shafted by the board then fair enough, time will tell I guess.

It depends how well he uses his PR skills - he only really has to hint that he's not getting the support he was promised otherwise he wouldn't have considered the Wales job and that will be enough of a smokescreen for the media and probably us too.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

We don't but only last week we were talking about the possibility of brokering a deal for Andy Reid in January. I think there was quite a bit of activity planned but as we know, things change very quickly.



I can understand about the pull of the National job but reports are suggesting he would be taking a bit cut in wages. It's the timing that confuses me on both scores. The Wales job will come around again in a few years when the latest failure to qualify occurs and by then, he'll have a few years managerial experience under his belt.

He'll have time to work for Sky and also an occasional stint on Q of S to, more than, make up the loss in money I would imagine

 

[Grecian2000]

he only really has to hint that he's not getting the support he was promised otherwise he wouldn't have considered the Wales job and that will be enough of a smokescreen for the media and probably us too.

Would you really consider that a smokescreen?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

It depends how well he uses his PR skills - he only really has to hint that he's not getting the support he was promised otherwise he wouldn't have considered the Wales job and that will be enough of a smokescreen for the media and probably us too.

He strikes me as the kind of person who wouldn't want to get into mud slinging but then again, if I was him, I'd want the world to know that I'd been let down if that was the case.

Then again, Steve Bruce hasn't really suffered has he.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Would you really consider that a smokescreen?

Yes.

Doesn't matter if it's true or not. Speed's media reputation is great, our club's less so - and there are stories every week of different clubs struggling financially so the angle isn't difficult to engineer. Couple that with the fact that we as supporters seem pretty undecided one way or the other as to whether the problems on the pitch are down to his inability or down to what he inherited. One thing we all seem clear on is that we haven't got the resources to mount a major attack on the league in January.

If I was Gary I know what I'd say (or let slip). If, on the other hand, I was advising the club - I would strongly recommend that there was a clause in Speedo's release that made sure that he couldn't say anything to that effect and that the new manager is able to make signings in the first week of January to dispel any rumours that that was the reason that Speed left.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I think he'd be mental if he didn't.

Get out of the situation he's in (on a hiding to nothing), piss easy job in the offing and he's even got Gareth Bale and the kid from Arsenal. Get the armchair and cigars out and take the next four years off (or until the fail to qualify for Euro '16).

He has two options:

- manage a team containing Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Craig Bellamy, and Ched Evans

- manage a team containing Stephen Quinn, Nick Montgomery, Richard Cresswell, and Ched Evans

It's a no-brainer even if he'd never set foot in Wales.