All of this Clough out bollocks

[Dkc]

....if we lose to Bradford in going to boo. They've got nothing to play for, they're a shocking team and I live and work in Bradford.

What if we play well and are unlucky to lose? What if we deserve to win but get undone by a dodgy penalty decision? What if we draw?

I'd understand booing if we put in an absolutely spineless performance and it looked like we're not trying. If that was the case at Yeovil (not seen the game yet) I'd have some sympathy. But it's OK to boo the Blades if we lost a tight local derby to a team still in with a mathematical chance of 6th?

 

[Lt. J Dangle]

Clough's halfway through a 3 year contract. Let's wait until his contract is up and if we haven't gone up, perhaps we could have a look at Simon Grayson. He usually gets sacked about 6 months after league 1 promotion , so should be free.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I was thinking more someone like Eddie Howe or even the guy at MKD, I just find Clough's style dull, slow, sideways and boring in fact very much like Weir. He even pulls everyone back to defend a corner like Weir yet we still give teams free headers.

Take your point about Eddie Howe - occasionally a good "young un" comes along like him - you can bet the FA are watching him very closely.

As for Karl Robinson - again agreed. There is something about the scouse mentality that seems to make them hard. We have tried very hard on 2 occasions to get Robinson. He probably has his job at NK for the next 10 years especially with the support of the MK chairman.

Young managers are a gamble. Danny Wilson hit if off first time at Barnsley, was nicked by the pigs and continues to be less than average after that.

I don't necessarily disagree with getting a young pup - it is just fraught with potential disaster like Weir - possibly a great coach, but shit at being a manager which need different qualities. People say that's why Clough Snr/Taylor made a pair and although I am not in tune with B'Mouth, perhaps Howe has some excellent coaches.

We as a club wouldn't be the only ones looking for this type of person. Some say that Lee Johnson as Barnsley may be one - good start at Oldham, just have to see if he does any better next season.

I'll put you on the spot - pick 2 or 3 that you think may be up and coming.

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[Jehovah]

I haven't enjoyed this season in the league. The football has been dour at times and we have had some truly embarrassing results. However, if we get promoted via the play offs it will have all been a means to an end and the only memory I will have will not be losing to bastard Yeovil, but getting absolutely bladdered at Wembley while actually celebrating and not wishing I was dead.

 

[grafikhaus]

I beg to differ.

2 x centre halves and a "fit" wallace in the centre would make a mega amount of difference. (not far removed from what sitters says above)

Yes, but having been aware of this all season (the fans, though obviously not NC) why do you think he'll suddenly have a 'light bulb moment'?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Yes, but having been aware of this all season (the fans, though obviously not NC) why do you think he'll suddenly have a 'light bulb moment'?

Yes you have a point.

If you think Clough can't see the problems then I think you are being hard on him.
Management (any where/any profession) virtually never say " I was/am wrong" - but especially in football.
I know, you know and most fans accept Clough has made errors - but as some have said, they haven't been malicious or deliberate errors. It is hard for some to accept the errors have probably been made with good reasons - Cloughs reasons. That doesn't make it right but someone has to be boss and it may ultimately cost him his job.

He would solve the problems in the close season, possibly be seen as crisis management by some - I would just hope he is honest enough to accept failure this season and re-double efforts next season. The squad isn't bad, but we need 2 x centre halves and hopefully Wallace fit. Two proper centre backs IMO would have made the difference needed this year.

For me, if we don't sneak/pox/luckily go up this season, Clough has to be given all of next season - as hard as it may be for some and would defo not enjoy this forum if we are still in this poxy division.

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[Borbokisfreekick]

It does make me laugh when people suggest Karl Robinson yet the same people are the ones saying Clough has never done anything in management.

Karl Robinson had never played above the lower echelons of non-league football, and managed to get a coaching job Milton Keynes cus he was mates with Paul Ince, prior to that he had barely ever coached above U11 kids, but Ince just threw him in there as assistant manager cus he was his mate!! Next thing he's the manager!

Now i'm not saying he's not a good manager, but it's laughable and hypocritical for fans to slate Clough cus he's "not done anything as a manager" and suggest we go after Robinson, when Robinson has less of a background than Clough!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

R

It does make me laugh when people suggest Karl Robinson yet the same people are the ones saying Clough has never done anything in management.

Karl Robinson had never played above the lower echelons of non-league football, and managed to get a coaching job Milton Keynes cus he was mates with Paul Ince, prior to that he had barely ever coached above U11 kids, but Ince just threw him in there as assistant manager cus he was his mate!! Next thing he's the manager!

Now i'm not saying he's not a good manager, but it's laughable and hypocritical for fans to slate Clough cus he's "not done anything as a manager" and suggest we go after Robinson, when Robinson has less of a background than Clough!

You make a good point about Karl Robinson - he might be an unmitigated disaster if he comes here. Sometimes managers should realise it's better the devil you know than the one you don't know, and that would probably be KR opinion of coming to United.

I wouldn't mid KR, but like any other manager, it would be a massive gamble. We should stick with NC until end of NEXT season, assuming we don't go up. If we go up, then Clough should be given at least another 2 years - and we go on.

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[metalblade]

I don't think you need look much further than some of our local rivals for good up coming managers, take Lee Johnson at Barnsley they were much like we were last season looking very likely to fall into League two but he has quickly smartened the dingles up (hehe until they met us) and when he brought his Oldham team to the lane they played some lovely stuff and first half played us off the park. An even better shout would be the Chessie boss Cook, he got them promoted playing good football in league two and you wouldn't back against him doing it again despite having to sell the leagues top goal scorer. Both have worked with budgets considerably less than the one Clough enjoys, that is the one thing above all else when you look around league one clubs and their managers none of them have the benefits of an academy like ours or the same level of backing that Clough has had ...................... we really should be doing much much better no excuses.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Karl Robinson has been manager at MKDons for nearly 5 years.In that time he has been well backed by the club financaly and still not got them promoted. The quality of football they displayed at the Lane this season was as poor as anything Clough's team has turned out.this season..

If he'd have been manager at the Lane he'd have been long gone by now.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Personally I think NC is a good manager if you have to balance budgets and make do and mend with the side. Let's face it that is what has happened defensively all season and up front for a large part of it. He largely inherited the squad last season and found a way to make it work and was able to bring in Brayford on loan which worked well (Coady was a Weir loan signing). Remember the revolving door of potential managers (including the nomark Aussie geezer) who practically laughed in our faces at what we were asking for and offering. So the new owner might make some difference in attracting the calibre of Manager we want but lets not go into fantasy land. Whatever the case NC is here for the rest of the season - and I sincerely hope he succeeds.

Where I do think the club and manager need to sit down is around balanced squad assembly, transfers and the loans market. Its not an area either have excelled in and the approach seems archaic compared with a lot of other clubs (Bristol City are one of those). Indeed Nigel seems to like it that way. Why no season long loan signings from Premiership/Championship clubs this season for example? Or a lease back deal with Hull for Maguire ( like Alli at MKD). Additionally I think the gambling on good players who have had major injuries is high risk. Wallace for example - he is no use to us if he doesn't play.The idea of another season's transfer budget being blown like this season I find disturbing because if NC does go at Xmas whoever comes in is likely to have sweet FA to spend. The only saving grace is that the appalling inefficiency of our scouting system probably means we won't have found anyone to spend it on.

Maguire's transfer was announced on 28/07/2014. Still no replacement other than Paddy McCarthy briefly thanks to Colin. Instead we play square pegs in round holes at the back all season and wonder about our defensive frailties. Did we even approach anyone? We needed a CF - sniffed around O'Grady but missed out when he was transferred to Brighton in July 2014. Got him on loan for a few weeks in December - part of which he was injured. We were told in November that Steve Davies was not available for loan, persisted, finally landing him in March. In all that time it beggars belief to think that those were the only two acceptable credible options that our scouting network could find and we ended up lurching through a huge part of the season with no established forward (harsh on McNulty but he is still learning his trade). Its cost us big time and the defence is still nowhere near sorted.

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[Fulwood Blade]

Its cost us big time and the defence is still nowhere near sorted.

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The defence is sorted apparently.

Just sign a very expensive, talisman, attacking right full back, capable of galvanising the whole fan base and then partner him with a decent midfield player who can also fill in at centre half. Play a right back at left back and a defensive wide right player at right back.

There you are - solved it for you. Now if only Clough would take those ideas on board, we would have the makings of a decent defence.

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[blade too long]

If , nay when we are triumphant at Wembley in 4 weeks or so , some people are going to be ordering bumper packs of Rennies after all the humble pie they've been forced to swallow

WHEN WE FINALLY WIN A PLAY OFF THERES GOING TO MORE BACK PEDALLING THAN IN LAST YEARS TOUR DE FRANCE

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

The defence is sorted apparently.

Just sign a very expensive, talisman, attacking right full back, capable of galvanising the whole fan base and then partner him with a decent midfield player who can also fill in at centre half. Play a right back at left back and a defensive wide right player at right back.

There you are - solved it for you. Now if only Clough would take those ideas on board, we would have the makings of a decent defence.

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Don't forget to add to buy a centre forward with a nail in his foot.

How he survived cruxifiction I'll never know

 

[Lane Ender]

If , nay when we are triumphant at Wembley in 4 weeks or so , some people are going to be ordering bumper packs of Rennies after all the humble pie they've been forced to swallow

WHEN WE FINALLY WIN A PLAY OFF THERES GOING TO MORE BACK PEDALLING THAN IN LAST YEARS TOUR DE FRANCE

You're that confident .

Take a break from that sun fella

 

[raul]

You're that confident .

Take a break from that sun fella

Nah, he's just cutting and pasting all his successful predictions of the last three seasons.

 

[Ben_1982]

FYI Clough signed a 2.5 year deal not a 3

 

[Lane Ender]

The defence is sorted apparently.

Just sign a very expensive, talisman, attacking right full back, capable of galvanising the whole fan base and then partner him with a decent midfield player who can also fill in at centre half. Play a right back at left back and a defensive wide right player at right back.

There you are - solved it for you. Now if only Clough would take those ideas on board, we would have the makings of a decent defence.

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All four you're on about are as good as anything in the league played in their correct position.

 

[Lane Ender]

Nah, he's just cutting and pasting all his successful predictions of the last three seasons.

Doing a lot of spouting .
Hope he's right though.
One for the Cloughites they are the ones that love the club apparently.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

All four you're on about are as good as anything in the league played in their correct position.

Indeed - the post was tongue in cheek.

Although would disagree about the right back played at left back. Not sure where he would play if Brayford was in his natural position.

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[Lane Ender]

Indeed - the post was tongue in cheek.

Although would disagree about the right back played at left back. Not sure where he would play if Brayford was in his natural position.

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Looks a fair utility player does Freeman

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Looks a fair utility player does Freeman

yes, agree - but as with Lowton, I question a FB's first requirement is to defend.
Freeman, like Lowton is not great at defending, much better at going forward. Freeman seems to be easily beaten for pace, and although I am not asking for Kyle Walker type pace, it does seem to be his Achilles heal.
Very much like Borbokis and Wayne Quinn - fantastic wingbacks - not so good in a back four.

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[Mad Mick]

OK, I'll bite.

Firstly, nobody expects us to be 'promoted by Christmas'.

Also why is it unreasonable to expect us to be utterly dominant like Bristol City have been? Everyone seems to forget they finished much much lower than us last season, yet they smashed the league this season. I don't see it unreasonable that a 'bigger' club with more support should expect to do the same. In fact, it's even more reasonable to expect us to be AT LEAST challenging for the automatic spots alongside the League one juggernauts which are Preston, Swindon and MK Dons.

I also find the notion of 'let's be positive and get behind the lads' making the team somehow perform to a better standard just as ridiculous as suggesting negativity puts dampeners on the team. How often, particularly in the early season, were the blades dreadful in the first half, booed off and half time then put in a better second half performance. Who's to say the booing didn't make the difference?

I think delusional blind faith is as damaging as negativity. Just as those people at the start of the season slated me and others for suggesting we hadn't recruited as well as Bristol City. Some fans will claim their team is the best without properly assessing it and watching with rose-tinted glasses.

In some ways I harbour hope that we actually don't get promoted. Seems daft, and I don't properly mean it but let me explain.... This has been the most depressing season in memory. Filled with so much hope last May, we have ended up a boring, disjointed one-dimensional side. Promotion seasons are meant to be fun. You look back in years to come and say 'oh what a season that was'. Considering that if we fluke promotion this year, we would be light years away from getting out of the championship (in the right direction) I'd rather we waited here until we had a proper promotion season, where we smash teams every week and play free-flowing football. Let's face it, the 90 point season was so much more enjoyable than this year whether we end up promoted or not!

So Ye, if we lose to Bradford in going to boo. They've got nothing to play for, they're a shocking team and I live and work in Bradford. So quite frankly, I'll be fecking livid.

I'm just laughing at the bit in bold Blader.
I've told you a million times not to exaggerate!
Just out of interest how long have you been supporting the Blades?

 

[sitwell]

I'm just laughing at the bit in bold Blader.
I've told you a million times not to exaggerate!
Just out of interest how long have you been supporting the Blades?

Its not the most depressing in the last 3 years. In my 46 years of having a season ticket it nowhere near the top 20.

 

[sheffielder]

Not the most depressing grant. It is the most disappointing for me considering how we finished last season. Everything Nigel does seems to be a contradiction to last season.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Bumped. And with good reason.

Time to stand up and be counted.

Players.
Management
Fans.

We all have a part to play.

3 cup finals. 1 ultimate goal.

It's in our own hands. Can't fookin wait

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