Are we leaving it a bit late for signings?

[blade too long]

Wow, people calling Done a failure?? We bought him, he played up front, he scored goals. Doesnt anyone blame that idiot clough for then shifting Done to the wing to accommodate his pals in the team?? I.e Davies.

who actually said that

no one
someone said if beattie didnt do the business for 4m then surely Done didnt , but he didnt cost 4 m
so it wasnt relevant

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

From what I understand, he didn't have many 'pals' by the end and this was part of the problem.

Can you substantiate this?

 

[BushBlade]

So much twaddle in here. Of course the James Beattie signing was a failure, irrespective of whether he played well or not. He was signed to help us get promotion and we failed. In fact, the fall out from his outlandish fee and subsequent departure was that we got relegated. We haven't managed to get promoted out of that league, either.

Beattie was a disastrous signing both times around.

Seems to be a bit of confusion. People have seen BT was a waste of money and, for some reason read it as 'BT was to blame for our failure to get promoted' which is completely missing the point.
We spent a huge amount of money trying to get back into the PL, more than we could afford. The players we gambled on to get us back were on big money contracts for more than the year that our parachute payments covered the bulk of the cost meaning that if we didn't go up, someone (KM) would have to pay the shortfall out of his own pocket. We didn't go up and that's what happened. We ended up with a shortfall and had to try to get promoted whilst selling our best players to find the shortfall.
None of that is BT's fault but ultimately we spent the parachute payments, the Kyles money and KM's contribution and got nowhere. So, when we could have spent half what we did and still stayed as an upper half of the championship club, it was a waste of money. We gambled, we lost. Waste of money.

 

[BushBlade]

We are run with strict governance not Harry Enfield . I just cannot see us spending big money , unless we can cut down the squad legacy numbers from the Clough era . Its not only transfer fees , its wages and contracts . Even loan players cost money . I hope i am wrong , but i don't think we are cash rich , as everyone makes out , and Adkins will know this , and see it as part of the SUFC challenge.

This does not mean we will not sign any players , but they have to be the right players , at the right price . Football economics for a established league 1 club unfortunately .

UTB

If that's the case, we have to accept that it may be a two year project then.

 

[BushBlade]

I agree you can't blame Beattie who delivered the goods (i,e, goals) but Bryan-'there's-only-one-United'-Robson mismanaged him and the other 10 culminating in a pathetic derby surrender at the pig.

We got back substantially what we paid and he was the right kind of risk we needed to take to try to get promoted back to the PL.

I also agree that Done has been a hit too but as previously pointed out, he didn't get us up either, so on that basis is no better buy than Beattie. Having said that I'm sure he will weigh in this coming season with a bagful of goals if we give him the service.

Done wasn't a big money signing on massive wages though so on that basis he is a far better buy than BT. If we're making comparisons surely the obvious one is Brayford.

 

[wizadry]

Beattie himself wasn't a failure or a waste of money.

How much you sell a player for and when you sell that player comes down to the management side of the club in which they truly fucked up on both accounts because we didn't get what we paid for him and we sold him at the wrong time.

What happens with other transfers and what funds we have left can also determine a few things but that is what we don't have a clue about.

As Bladesway pointed out, if Beattie would have been here for the rest of the second season Stoke would not now be an established Premier league club, what a waste of money eh

Only on here could a Prem player who proved he could thump goals in be classed as a waste of money to us, yet some people want Billy Sharp back. Now that was a waste of money.

 

[Pierre's PC]

Only on here could a Prem player who proved he could thump goals in be classed as a waste of money to us, yet some people want Billy Sharp back. Now that was a waste of money

I like the cut of your jib

 

[Blade82]

Warnock should have gone for Beattie in January rather than speculating on Seck, Fathi etc. Stead was good yes, but as good as Beattie, really? Beattie left us and his goals pretty much saved Stoke that season we missed out. We probably missed out because of him not being there in the first place.

Not saying stead was better than Beattie but would have delivered enough goals in the championship to get us up there In contention and believe the Beattie money could have been spent elsewhere. Did we have a 20goal striker when we went up under warnock? He spent a fair bit that season but strengthened us in the right areas at the right times.

We were conceding silly goals and shipped 2 to Colchester, 3 at palace 3 at scunny early on That season, what use is a 20goal+ striker if you're conceding that many. Meanwhile west brom got Kevin Phillips on a free and spent big money on decent players elsewhere in the team.

 

[Blade82]

Beattie himself wasn't a failure or a waste of money.

How much you sell a player for and when you sell that player comes down to the management side of the club in which they truly fucked up on both accounts because we didn't get what we paid for him and we sold him at the wrong time.

What happens with other transfers and what funds we have left can also determine a few things but that is what we don't have a clue about.

As Bladesway pointed out, if Beattie would have been here for the rest of the second season Stoke would not now be an established Premier league club, what a waste of money eh

Only on here could a Prem player who proved he could thump goals in be classed as a waste of money to us, yet some people want Billy Sharp back. Now that was a waste of money.

Billy sharp is a proven lg1 goal machine why wouldn't we want him? As long as we don't do all of our dough on him and don't strengthen the other key areas can't see anyone's problem with it. If we chuck our budget at him though and still conceding 5 at bloody Swindon what use is that.

Beattie was a success for Stoke because he helped them achieve their objective. Here he didn't so I think it would have been better to spend that money elsewhere that's all.

 

[Come from away]

Well, it's nearly a week since this thread started and still not a single signing.

I thought we started training a week early to asses the squad so are where we were last year when players were just doing their initial fitness testing, seems early to worry about transfers. He just hired his scout last week and has done his initial assessment of the squad. So ow;d not expect much to emerge in the next couple of weeks except links to players he has previously brought in elsewhere - at least until they get picked up by somebody else. Chilling time I think.

 

[wizadry]

Billy sharp is a proven lg1 goal machine why wouldn't we want him? As long as we don't do all of our dough on him and don't strengthen the other key areas can't see anyone's problem with it. If we chuck our budget at him though and still conceding 5 at bloody Swindon what use is that.

Beattie was a success for Stoke because he helped them achieve their objective. Here he didn't so I think it would have been better to spend that money elsewhere that's all.

If Billy came to us and scored 20 odd goals and we didn't get promotion i wouldn't say he has been a failure or a waste of money, i'd say we didn't get something right with the rest of the team. Beattie did his job but unfortunately that's seems to not be enough for some people.

If we didn't have Beattie and then spent the money elsewhere, we wouldn't have had his goals, meaning we could have been worse off earlier than when we did finally get relegated, although we wouldn't have used £4 million quidsworth of our budget so i do take that point.

Spending money elsewhere would not necessarily mean we'd have been better off because as i said, Beattie did a cracking job with more than a goal every two games, what more could the man do himself and do you think Beattie himself will have said he failed and was a waste of money? I think he will have been very happy with his contribution first time up.

 

[Kenilworth]

Let's hope we are not just sleep walking into yet another season of mediocrity and failure.

They will be judged pre season since last pre season was a complete fuck up.

They will be judged over the first 10 games as we started off slowly last year and never gained any pace or momentum.

They will be judged on league placing after 10 games as a guide to how well we will be contesting automatic promotion.

We will be judged pre season as to how the CB pairing is addressed because if it is still just Collins and McGahey as the only fit options then we will be screwed from day one. If we get players in, last minute, I want none of this "give them time to gel" shit as this should have happened 12 months ago never mind within the next 3 weeks.

If Billy Sharp is our marquee (????) signing and we off load Murphy then I will have no trust at all that NA has a clue what he is doing.

So far it's all been talk, analysis, assessment and calmness. That's all well and good if there is something to back it up with. If not then it will be yet another season of rubbish, humiliation and despair to endure.
To be honest I am getting mighty fed up of the mediocrity, acceptance of mediocrity, apologists and the holier than thou merchants. Go and find Buddha if that's your bag.

This club demands action
We supporters deserve a spark to enthuse us
We have been carrying this barrow load of fetid animal faeces for too long now.
It's about time they fucking man up and show some bollocks and take this shit league by the scruff of it's neck, choke the rest of the fuckers into submission and ram it down their fucking throats.

 

[Pennblade]

NO...NO...NO......................You all sound like Corporal Jones!!!!
Leave it to the Management ....... They are much better qualified and experienced than you lot !
Brownie number, number, number , number and Barmy Blade Chill Out All will be well
Stop panicking and leave it to the people that matter !

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Let's hope we are not just sleep walking into yet another season of mediocrity and failure.

They will be judged pre season since last pre season was a complete fuck up.

They will be judged over the first 10 games as we started off slowly last year and never gained any pace or momentum.

They will be judged on league placing after 10 games as a guide to how well we will be contesting automatic promotion.

We will be judged pre season as to how the CB pairing is addressed because if it is still just Collins and McGahey as the only fit options then we will be screwed from day one. If we get players in, last minute, I want none of this "give them time to gel" shit as this should have happened 12 months ago never mind within the next 3 weeks.

If Billy Sharp is our marquee (????) signing and we off load Murphy then I will have no trust at all that NA has a clue what he is doing.

So far it's all been talk, analysis, assessment and calmness. That's all well and good if there is something to back it up with. If not then it will be yet another season of rubbish, humiliation and despair to endure.
To be honest I am getting mighty fed up of the mediocrity, acceptance of mediocrity, apologists and the holier than thou merchants. Go and find Buddha if that's your bag.

This club demands action
We supporters deserve a spark to enthuse us
We have been carrying this barrow load of fetid animal faeces for too long now.
It's about time they fucking man up and show some bollocks and take this shit league by the scruff of it's neck, choke the rest of the fuckers into submission and ram it down their fucking throats.

If Adkins thought we were a lost cause or a damp squid , he wouldn't have put his reputation on the line to fail , and accepted the job , as manager , in the first place .

I can understand your frustration and doubt , if truth be known , whatever spin you put on it , we perhaps deep down , all feel the same , as we have been let down or failed so many times.

As we have now got the best manager to get us out of this league , he will sort out the playing side , i would have thought sooner rather than later . If he had just gone out and brought in any Tom , Dick or Harry , we would be in the same position as last season .

Give the guy credit with time , and he will build a league 1 team to be reckoned with . The club don't appear to be panicking , so we have to follow suit , and believe it will be sorted.

Adkins is no rookie , and has the tools to succeed. The spark , action , with no mediocrity , will arrive .

Under promise , over deliver .

UTB

 

[Lane Ender]

Let's hope we are not just sleep walking into yet another season of mediocrity and failure.

They will be judged pre season since last pre season was a complete fuck up.

They will be judged over the first 10 games as we started off slowly last year and never gained any pace or momentum.

They will be judged on league placing after 10 games as a guide to how well we will be contesting automatic promotion.

We will be judged pre season as to how the CB pairing is addressed because if it is still just Collins and McGahey as the only fit options then we will be screwed from day one. If we get players in, last minute, I want none of this "give them time to gel" shit as this should have happened 12 months ago never mind within the next 3 weeks.

If Billy Sharp is our marquee (????) signing and we off load Murphy then I will have no trust at all that NA has a clue what he is doing.

So far it's all been talk, analysis, assessment and calmness. That's all well and good if there is something to back it up with. If not then it will be yet another season of rubbish, humiliation and despair to endure.
To be honest I am getting mighty fed up of the mediocrity, acceptance of mediocrity, apologists and the holier than thou merchants. Go and find Buddha if that's your bag.

This club demands action
We supporters deserve a spark to enthuse us
We have been carrying this barrow load of fetid animal faeces for too long now.
It's about time they fucking man up and show some bollocks and take this shit league by the scruff of it's neck, choke the rest of the fuckers into submission and ram it down their fucking throats.

Fucking hell and season has'nt even started.
We ain't even played a first team friendly!

 

[Bladesway]

So much twaddle in here. Of course the James Beattie signing was a failure, irrespective of whether he played well or not. He was signed to help us get promotion and we failed. In fact, the fall out from his outlandish fee and subsequent departure was that we got relegated. We haven't managed to get promoted out of that league, either.

Beattie was a disastrous signing both times around.

Out of the twaddle you have won the battle with this beauty. He scored goals but was a failure because the 10 around him and the manager didn't do their job? He was proven when we signed him, he scored at an average of around 2 games per goal, was one of the leagues top scorers (when was the last time we had one of those who didn't end up in prison?) and this was failure on his part?

He blotted his copybook when he came back but lets at least have a straight record and not some sort of concocted book of lies just to fit your agenda.

What next, Beattie and Clough to blame for all world ills?

 

[Newbury Blade]

Let's hope we are not just sleep walking into yet another season of mediocrity and failure.

They will be judged pre season since last pre season was a complete fuck up.

They will be judged over the first 10 games as we started off slowly last year and never gained any pace or momentum.

They will be judged on league placing after 10 games as a guide to how well we will be contesting automatic promotion.

We will be judged pre season as to how the CB pairing is addressed because if it is still just Collins and McGahey as the only fit options then we will be screwed from day one. If we get players in, last minute, I want none of this "give them time to gel" shit as this should have happened 12 months ago never mind within the next 3 weeks.

If Billy Sharp is our marquee (????) signing and we off load Murphy then I will have no trust at all that NA has a clue what he is doing.

So far it's all been talk, analysis, assessment and calmness. That's all well and good if there is something to back it up with. If not then it will be yet another season of rubbish, humiliation and despair to endure.
To be honest I am getting mighty fed up of the mediocrity, acceptance of mediocrity, apologists and the holier than thou merchants. Go and find Buddha if that's your bag.

This club demands action
We supporters deserve a spark to enthuse us
We have been carrying this barrow load of fetid animal faeces for too long now.
It's about time they fucking man up and show some bollocks and take this shit league by the scruff of it's neck, choke the rest of the fuckers into submission and ram it down their fucking throats.

Calm down. The players have been back in training for two weeks. That's just about long enough for the new manager to have a good look at them, see who he thinks has and hasn't got what it takes, and plan the necessary recruitment on that basis. Or did you expect him to start buying players without assessing the current squad first?

Last season Clough made signings early in the summer and look how that turned out – by the time the season started he had fallen out with at least one of them and he clearly didn't know what his best team was meant to be. Adkins' approach appears to be much more realistic, thoughtful and encouraging.

That said, I am sure there will be action on the transfer front this week.

 

[sothall blade]

Out of the twaddle you have won the battle with this beauty. He scored goals but was a failure because the 10 around him and the manager didn't do their job? He was proven when we signed him, he scored at an average of around 2 games per goal, was one of the leagues top scorers (when was the last time we had one of those who didn't end up in prison?) and this was failure on his part?

He blotted his copybook when he came back but lets at least have a straight record and not some sort of concocted book of lies just to fit your agenda.

What next, Beattie and Clough to blame for all world ills?

agreed BW, beattie was at times playing teams on his own,the gulf in class between BT and some of the other donkeys was there for all to see,maybe
the finger should be pointed at Mccabe who sold him to stoke, thus cutting the goals supply out of the team,yep second time round was a mistake,but what would we give for that or any other player of that ilk now

 

[Woodwardfan]

Billy sharp is a proven lg1 goal machine why wouldn't we want him? As long as we don't do all of our dough on him and don't strengthen the other key areas can't see anyone's problem with it. If we chuck our budget at him though and still conceding 5 at bloody Swindon what use is that.

Beattie was a success for Stoke because he helped them achieve their objective. Here he didn't so I think it would have been better to spend that money elsewhere that's all.

Beattie was a short term fix for Stoke and the season after didn't he fall out with them, have a fight with the manager in fact - if my memory serves me well.

Beattie was what he was, a huge talent but rarely broke into a sweat; a wasted talent compared to what he could and should have been.

In some ways he did exceptionally well for us but we failed despite his £40k per week wages ( imagine that, £40k per week at SUFC) and despite all the other big, big wages we paid the other Robson signings.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Calm down. The players have been back in training for two weeks. That's just about long enough for the new manager to have a good look at them, see who he thinks has and hasn't got what it takes, and plan the necessary recruitment on that basis. Or did you expect him to start buying players without assessing the current squad first?

Last season Clough made signings early in the summer and look how that turned out – by the time the season started he had fallen out with at least one of them and he clearly didn't know what his best team was meant to be. Adkins' approach appears to be much more realistic, thoughtful and encouraging.

That said, I am sure there will be action on the transfer front this week.

To be fair, it would take about 2 mins to realise we need 2 central defenders - not 2 weeks. And not much longer to know we need more pace and power generally.

Hopefully there will be 3 or 4 decent signings in the next week or so.

 

[Bladesway]

To be fair, it would take about 2 mins to realise we need 2 central defenders - not 2 weeks. And not much longer to know we need more pace and power generally.

Hopefully there will be 3 or 4 decent signings in the next week or so.

Or perhaps this Clough bloke wasn't far from getting it right after all?

 

[Barney]

I'm already slightly concerned at the lack of signings because as others have mentioned it doesn't take 2 weeks to realise what we need. Adkins has said from the start what he thinks we need, to 'score more and concede fewer', therefore showing he already knew what was required from the tapes or whatever he watched, or just our league position and goal stats for that matter. On that basis I question why we are still without signings and hope this lack of signings so close to the start of the season isn't another petty excuse to justify spending yet another year in league one after this one.

 

[Lane Ender]

Or perhaps this Clough bloke wasn't far from getting it right after all?

Yes it could have been better under Clough this season if he'd learnt from his mistakes.
Would he have? we will never know.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I'm already slightly concerned at the lack of signings because as others have mentioned it doesn't take 2 weeks to realise what we need. Adkins has said from the start what he thinks we need, to 'score more and concede fewer', therefore showing he already knew what was required from the tapes or whatever he watched, or just our league position and goal stats for that matter. On that basis I question why we are still without signings and hope this lack of signings so close to the start of the season isn't another petty excuse to justify spending yet another year in league one after this have been qone.

To the loo the I

 

[Kenilworth]

Calm down. The players have been back in training for two weeks. That's just about long enough for the new manager to have a good look at them, see who he thinks has and hasn't got what it takes, and plan the necessary recruitment on that basis. Or did you expect him to start buying players without assessing the current squad first?

Last season Clough made signings early in the summer and look how that turned out – by the time the season started he had fallen out with at least one of them and he clearly didn't know what his best team was meant to be. Adkins' approach appears to be much more realistic, thoughtful and encouraging.

That said, I am sure there will be action on the transfer front this week.

Not mentioned panic buys or knee jerk reactions just want some evidence of fire in the belly and not some lackadaisical saunter into a new season that starts with a whimper and goes nowhere (sound familiar)

With the dog shit we have been serviced up in the last 5 years is that too much to ask?

(FA Cup and League Cup runs excepted)

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Or perhaps this Clough bloke wasn't far from getting it right after all?

You mean the clown who left us with no central defenders and played the most negative football ever seen at the Lane?

 

[Barney]

To the loo the I

?

 

[Barney]

Or perhaps this Clough bloke wasn't far from getting it right after all?

It's this sort of acceptance of pure failure that is very concerning. I'd be worried if our board members had such an attitude towards a 5th season in league one, not that we've seen any evidence as of yet in terms of investment to prove they don't share your view.

 

[finlaytheblade]

If Adkins thought we were a lost cause or a damp squid , he wouldn't have put his reputation on the line to fail , and accepted the job , as manager , in the first place .

I can understand your frustration and doubt , if truth be known , whatever spin you put on it , we perhaps deep down , all feel the same , as we have been let down or failed so many times.

As we have now got the best manager to get us out of this league , he will sort out the playing side , i would have thought sooner rather than later . If he had just gone out and brought in any Tom , Dick or Harry , we would be in the same position as last season .

Give the guy credit with time , and he will build a league 1 team to be reckoned with . The club don't appear to be panicking , so we have to follow suit , and believe it will be sorted.

Adkins is no rookie , and has the tools to succeed. The spark , action , with no mediocrity , will arrive .

Under promise , over deliver .

UTB

There,s too much common sense in that post lord boss I agree with you whole heartedly

 

[Bladesway]

It's this sort of acceptance of pure failure that is very concerning. I'd be worried if our board members had such an attitude towards a 5th season in league one, not that we've seen any evidence as of yet in terms of investment to prove they don't share your view.

What in my statement gave my point of view? I have witnessed your genius since you came on here and if I read it right your sole subscription is to wholesale change no matter what. Your the one behind a million and one posts about us not having signed anyone yet.

I wouldn't start chucking stones about acceptance of mediocrity in my direction if I were you.