"Assessing what we have" has ruined us

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Nope, of course they would, but I'm just uncomfortable about any manager taking football advice from their Board.

Seriously, if you were a board member sat in on the interview and you asked a potential new manager what he was going to do about the clubs defensive frailties and who he would bring in to shore up the leaking defence you'd be happy if he told you to take a running jump, he'll decide if we have any problems not you?

Seriously?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Arsenal are bottom of the Premier League. Sack their board!
Arsenal and the Blades will both finish top 2 or 3 of their respective leagues.

Hope your right but Arsenal have not spent the last 10 months wondering why they have no defence and the last 3 months wondering why the new man has done fuck all (apart from today's signing) to sort it.

Can't compare our hiccup to Arsenals hiccup.

 

[Harry's Game]

I think We should have stuck with Nigel Clough.































Not really.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Hope your right but Arsenal have not spent the last 10 months wondering why they have no defence and the last 3 months wondering why the new man has done fuck all (apart from today's signing) to sort it.

Can't compare our hiccup to Arsenals hiccup.

To be fair, I think Arsenal fans have pondered about their defence, and their strikers, a bit longer than three months. But it's all relative. To think their fans stressing about not winning their first match to set things up for a Premiership win... and here we are pondering the result at Morecambe.

 

[BushBlade]

To be fair, I think Arsenal fans have pondered about their defence, and their strikers, a bit longer than three months. But it's all relative. To think their fans stressing about not winning their first match to set things up for a Premiership win... and here we are pondering the result at Morecambe.

Heard a gooner ranting on the radio earlier; no defence, the seven dwarves in midfield, need a new spine.
Sounded familiar.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I'm tempted to not use this forum until we've put a couple of wins together. Never in my life have I witnessed such relentless moaning and whinging.

We're all aware that we lost 4-0 on Saturday. In fact I'm trying to put it out of my mind, forget about it to some extent, not dwell and look forward to a better game next time out.

We've been at this level for how long now? If you can't get over losing now you never will.

 

[robbiez666]

It's not the losing tbh, it's the fact that nothing had changed. The realisation that all our enthusiasm could be dashed by yet another unsuccessful season.

I feel sorry for the poor bastards who went. It's one thing losing 4.0. It's another when your players don't turn up and defend like a pub team.

I think most people have calmed down now but we had a big bubble of positivity and hope kicked out of us. The Edgar signing helps but I think Saturday was a stark realisation that we are a long way off where we need to be.

 

[alcoblade]

Seriously, if you were a board member sat in on the interview and you asked a potential new manager what he was going to do about the clubs defensive frailties and who he would bring in to shore up the leaking defence you'd be happy if he told you to take a running jump, he'll decide if we have any problems not you?

Seriously?

I can imagine he's got a budget that he'd like to spend wisely. Given that, it's s case of ordering your priorities, not compiling a list of "shite".

Knee jerk signings have delivered this squad. It's amazing that so many want a whole raft if immediate changes.

I'm surprised it took so long to find a centre half. More surprised that we've given Long another chance (backed by you). But the level of criticism overall is pathetic.

UTB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

What makes you think I care about people liking my posts? People like you have turned this forum into a negative space. I'm just doing what I can to ridicule the ridiculous.

Well said.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

4,140 minutes of football

Now there's something I've learned (to go with my 86 400).

 

[Bartleby]

Seriously, if you were a board member sat in on the interview and you asked a potential new manager what he was going to do about the clubs defensive frailties and who he would bring in to shore up the leaking defence you'd be happy if he told you to take a running jump, he'll decide if we have any problems not you?

Seriously?

wonder if that's what happened with Clough at the end

 

[alcoblade]

wonder if that's what happened with Clough at the end

I'd expect that the manger who'd built the squad to have a clear understanding of its' limitations - if only in his own mind.
I'd expect the next manager to be given time to assess all options and draw a new set of conclusions.
I wouldn't expect, in a million years, a 4 time promotion winner to be taking footballing advice from the man who employed Bryan Robson.
I'd expect the man who employed Bryan Robson to accept this.



UTB

 

[Bartleby]

I'd expect that the manger who'd built the squad to have a clear understanding of its' limitations - if only in his own mind.
I'd expect the next manager to be given time to assess all options and draw a new set of conclusions.
I wouldn't expect, in a million years, a 4 time promotion winner to be taking footballing advice from the man who employed Bryan Robson.
I'd expect the man who employed Bryan Robson to accept this.



UTB

yep, I agree with all that, was just speculating about why Clough was allowed to stay long enough to decide on the retain list and then given the boot. Might have made it a bit easier for the current manager to trim down the bloated squad if Clough had gone straight after the playoffs.

 

[Edinblade]

Quite simply.

If only we had been ruthless and trusted video footage of every game of last season, coupled with a pro-active board advising the manager on our failings and the areas where every man and his dog could see needed improving. Watching the footage would have just confirmed to the man in charge what the board told him was spot on and at that point we could have began to start the process of shipping out and re-building.

But no, let's ignore all the footage and distrust what every single blade has been saying for the past 10 months and let's spend week after week assessing the bollocks we all know we have before it finally becomes apparent to the manager at the first game when it's too late that in fact the fans were right, and what we have is truly as shit as last season proved.

We really do never learn.

Unfortunately video evidence of last season would not have shown how Collins and McE play together.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

wonder if that's what happened with Clough at the end

I think you're right on that and Clough was told to change things after his de-brief on the season, no says Nigel and they went their separate ways.
I backed Clough but he had to make some changes this season if he had stayed, that was obvious.
I'm backing Adkins, I think he is a step up from Clough on paper but the situation with the centre halves and not dealing with it is criminal.
Who's to blame?
Has Adkins no money?
Has Adkins tried his positive out look on everything and its bit him on his arse?
Did Adkins not realise we needed centre halves?
Was the board scared to emphasise to Adkins what the problems were and how he should solve it in case it scared him off coming?
Could they not believe their luck that Adkins was interested?

We'll never know probably but we've made the start to the season that many feared, many knew why it could happen and many knew how to solve.

Onwards and upwards, it can only get better.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I wouldn't expect, in a million years, a 4 time promotion winner to be taking footballing advice from the man who employed Bryan Robson.
I'd expect the man who employed Bryan Robson to accept this.



UTB

Agree on paper but our short comings could be seen by Blunkett.

As Adkins was lead to the board room for his interview all it needed was "we need some centre halves if you get this gig" in his ear.

 

[Rodley]

Everyone and his Uncle on here was hammering Clough for not having Collins in the team. Now everyone's hammering Adkins after 90 minutes football for having him in the team.

I can't keep up with all this moaning! Already the seasons ruined and I've not seen them play a competitive game yet. I don't know whether to boo, cheer or take my shoes off.

 

[BushBlade]

Everyone and his Uncle on here was hammering Clough for not having Collins in the team. Now everyone's hammering Adkins after 90 minutes football for having him in the team.

I can't keep up with all this moaning! Already the seasons ruined and I've not seen them play a competitive game yet. I don't know whether to boo, cheer or take my shoes off.

Not everyone Rodley but I get your point. I'm still not sure whether the squad's too big or we need more players, and if it is too big and full of shit players why other clubs aren't queuing up to take said shit players off our hands.

 

[alcoblade]

Agree on paper but our short comings could be seen by Blunkett.

As Adkins was lead to the board room for his interview all it needed was "we need some centre halves if you get this gig" in his ear.

I don't think it's really that simple. Here's an example - You think George Long has proved he's our number 1. I wouldn't pick him for the Dog and Duck and argue he's miles behind Howard.

We needed at least one centre half - that we all agree on. The idea that the wholesale changes that so many are ridiculously suggesting that should already be in place, even offered as a pre requisite to the current manger, are not nearly so obvious.

Note the stupid thread title "assessing our options has ruined us". Is BladesMad taking over here?

UTB

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I don't think it's really that simple. Here's an example - You think George Long has proved he's our number 1. I wouldn't pick him for the Dog and Duck and argue he's miles behind Howard.

We needed at least one centre half - that we all agree on. The idea that the wholesale changes that so many are ridiculously suggesting that should already be in place, even offered as a pre requisite to the current manger, are not nearly so obvious.

UTB

I said Long's performances for Motherwell [admit I watched the games just to see how long was getting on] were MOTM performances, he really surprised me at a time when Howards bad back was preventing him from stopping daisy cutters.
Long seemed to be ahead of Howard based on what I saw and I would have given him the shirt.

Neither can however command the No 1 shirt over the other and have no problem if people think one of them is better or worse than the other, perhaps a GK on loan?

There are other players that shouldn't be in the team, Collins is one in my opinion. McCeverley is back up at best.
Kennedy is good but his knee/s aren't, that's a shame for the lad as well as us but that leases a whopping great hole in the defence. one in, 1/2 more needed.
Higgo is another that has far to go to convince me he's a striker, looks like a training aid to me.

That said it's not much to have to sort out.

 

[alcoblade]

I said Long's performances for Motherwell [admit I watched the games just to see how long was getting on] were MOTM performances, he really surprised me at a time when Howards bad back was preventing him from stopping daisy cutters.
Long seemed to be ahead of Howard based on what I saw and I would have given him the shirt.

Neither can however command the No 1 shirt over the other and have no problem if people think one of them is better or worse than the other, perhaps a GK on loan?

There are other players that shouldn't be in the team, Collins is one in my opinion. McCeverley is back up at best.
Kennedy is good but his knee/s aren't, that's a shame for the lad as well as us but that leases a whopping great hole in the defence. one in, 1/2 more needed.
Higgo is another that has far to go to convince me he's a striker, looks like a training aid to me.

That said it's not much to have to sort out.

As pointed out above - half this board were bemoaning Collins' omission last season. You can bet half of the same posters are now jumping up and down that the obvious hasn't been done - dropping Collins.

My blindingly obvious change - dropping Long - is not very obvious to you.

Hindsight's being employed on an enormous scale by a few here.

UTB

 

[robbiez666]

It's not just hindsight though.

I was one of many who thought Collins should have played at the end of last season. He'd just returned from a successful loan spell and it seemed like a sensible option given our defensive frailties towards the end of last season. I would never have thought he would start there this season, but thought he'd be ok cover.

As for Long. I only know he did ok on loan and in pre-season. It made sense, if Howard was not fully fit, to give him the start on Saturday.

I've said previously that we needed a better keeper and CBs but that wasn't addressed before kick-off.

The big point ot note here is that we're not seeing these players on a daily basis. When I saw the team for Saturday my expectations dropped. It was a combination of several players starting - Long, Collins, J-Mac, McFadzean, Baxter which added up to danger. weak in one area is one thing but weak in 3 out of 4 is asking for trouble.I assumed that Adkins would be fully aware of this and knew something we didn't, which clearly wasn't the case.

Then again, given the ridiculous state of our squad, and the unfortunate level of injuries we have (arguably down to Cough), there aren't that many options. You could have risked Howard and then lost him again for weeks. Played Woolford or McEverley at LB but then you have to play Basham at CB and Che on the wing which would have made the midfield even weaker.

Unless he's allowed to bring in 3 or 4 players or some of the injuries heal quickly, Adkins has a nightmare of a job on his hands.

 

[Jan Age]

Yes the CB should have been the first port of call. It wasn't.

We should have showed more up front at the weekend. We didn't.

Are we in danger of playing catch up after the window has closed and we have signed the player see need. We are.

Does one game define a season. No.

Far more important for me is the response we get on Saturday in front of a big crowd at the lane. That will tell us much more about the fight, ability of all personnel involved.

 

[Bartleby]

Has Adkins no money?

possibly not until he has reduced the squad size a bit. I looked a while ago and I think the average squad size of the League 1 teams that I'd expect to be challenging for top six was 24. Ours was 33 at the time and has since gone up.

Has Adkins tried his positive out look on everything and its bit him on his arse?

I think that's quite likely some of it. This is a team of mainly non-physical players and injecting a bit of positivity is not the same as pysching them up for a scrap.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

My blindingly obvious change - dropping Long - is not very obvious to you.

UTB

Didn't go to Gillingham so difficult to comment. Can only call what I see.

Either goalie should be OK with a better back four in front of them.

 

[alcoblade]

Didn't go to Gillingham so difficult to comment. Can only call what I see.

Either goalie should be OK with a better back four in front of them.

That's not my point though.

We couldn't be further apart on our view of Long, as an example. Yet the general consensus seems to be that the required changes are so obvious that they should practically have been wiritten into the managers contract for him.

UTB

 

[Barney]

the required changes are so obvious that they should practically have been wiritten into the managers contract for him.

Correct.

 

[BushBlade]

That's not my point though.

We couldn't be further apart on our view of Long, as an example. Yet the general consensus seems to be that the required changes are so obvious that they should practically have been wiritten into the managers contract for him.

UTB

If it were me I'd want to see it with my own eyes. I'd think it ludicrous if I was expected to take action based on the opinion of supporters, journos or the fuckwits responsible for getting us into the current situation.
Although I'd probably now be thinking 'shit, they may have a point'.

 

[alcoblade]

Correct.

Haven't you got a Bladesmad to go to?

UTB

 

[Jan Age]

If it were me I'd want to see it with my own eyes. I'd think it ludicrous if I was expected to take action based on the opinion of supporters, journos or the fuckwits responsible for getting us into the current situation.
Although I'd probably now be thinking 'shit, they may have a point'.

Agreed it was so obvious to us fans but Adkins needed to show he was giving everyone a chance in order to keep positivity and get players onboard. However he could have done this and bought the players in as they didn't necessarily have to start any new signings immediately. I think he has been 'over fair' if that is even an actual critisism.