Clough's demeanour...

[Blackheath Blade]

Is it concerning anyone else? I have heard most of the interviews he has given since preseason started and to be bluntly honest he doesn't seem to have the same spark he had last season, back then even in the darkest moment after Crewe away he was Spikey his "we didn't pick up any injuries as no one put in a tackle" comment springs to mind.

Listening to his interviews after Mansfield and especially today on RS he sounded completely flat and almost distracted, is something happening behind the scenes we don't know about. is it the Ched situation weighing on his mind? Whatever is up it seems to me something is not right with him.

Maybe he's thrown the towel in like a good number of members on here did earlier today. It's one thing being concerned about the loss of the opening two league games but today's shoutbox at five o clock was disturbing to read. In fact, forget disturbing, it was a fucking disgrace.

 

[wizadry]

we have signed 12/13 players all that will be on as good if not better than most others players at this level in my opinion. WE would have been better pooling our resources to sign 2 or 3 quality permanent signing and a couple of season long loans than players that are all much of a muchness.

You could have just put this Deadbat and i would have liked it a million times.This is all we needed to do.Replace the good players with other good players and we wouldn't have even had to break the bank.And i don't want to hear any bullshit,saying there aren't any good players out there at the right price because i'm not buying it.

 

[judge]

Maybe he's thrown the towel in like a good number of memi
ers on here did earlier today. It's one thing being concerned about the loss of the opening two league games but today's shoutbox at five o clock was disturbing to read. In fact, forget disturbing, it was a fucking disgrace.

I think this seasons transfer dealings were a lot more concerning , the shoutbox doesnt affect our season one Iota

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Agree with Deadbat that quality is spread too evenly across the squad which makes knowing your best XI difficult. So far, albeit a premature judgement, it looks like the only effective signings we've made are JCR and Alcock which also happened to be the least inspiring. I hope I am wrong, but I feel we compromised the quality of Coady with the quantity of Basham & Wallace, a proven striker with Porter & McNulty etc. Even more baffling is despite having a natural player for each position, we're still experimenting with a RB at CB and a RM at RB.

That said; 2 games in, give it another 5-7 before we start lobbing our shoes at Jim Phipps in the car park.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Reading different threads it is clear no one has a clue what Nigel is up to with his bizarre team selections

More importantly does Nigel ?

 

[OllyBlade]

Just listened to his interview - https://audioboo.fm/boos/2400437-su...=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

He bemoans lack of form of Murphy, Flynn, and Scougall, and loss of Brayford and Maguire. Sorry Nige, but you train the squad and pick the team accordingly. Oh yeah, and you made all those signings this summer... So why aren't any of your new players good enough to replace any of those first 3? Is it your scouting that isn't working or your coaching? Said it before in relation to the transfer policy but there are too many excuses.

We are at a stage after 2 games where we are picking players not on the basis of what they offer, but that they can't possibly be as bad as the people who played the previous game. E.g. he says Collins was dropped for goals conceded pre-season with him in the team, and "now comes back into contention".

What a clusterfuck this transfer window and start to season has been. All we need now is some big, divisive, sloppily handled controversy hanging over the club like a cloud of acid rain... Is that the door opening to a prison cell I hear?

 

[Wards]

We still haven't plugged what has been a major problem for a few seasons...pace. whilst Murphy is fairly quick he's not the most direct with it. I think we're crying out for a real pacy wideman. One of the associated problems is that NC appears to like his wingers to contribute defensively which makes it very difficult for us to break decisively.

Failing that then we should at the very least be finding place for Baxters creativity.

 

[FTPE]

I've heard about a bust up with Collins, Doyle and butler anyone else heard anything?

Doyle, Collins and Butler are upsetting moral then??
Shiiiiiiiiit, if only they weren't so irreplaceable and important to us!
..... Ship the twats out if it's true

 

[Toronto Blade]

Ammers must be licking their lips.

 

[sothall blade]

Is it concerning anyone else? I have heard most of the interviews he has given since preseason started and to be bluntly honest he doesn't seem to have the same spark he had last season, back then even in the darkest moment after Crewe away he was Spikey his "we didn't pick up any injuries as no one put in a tackle" comment springs to mind.

Listening to his interviews after Mansfield and especially today on RS he sounded completely flat and almost distracted, is something happening behind the scenes we don't know about. is it the Ched situation weighing on his mind? Whatever is up it seems to me something is not right with him.

probably realised that the club as no ambition and he as fell for the same old bollocks as us season ticket holders

 

[alcoblade]

probably realised that the club as no ambition and he as fell for the same old bollocks as us season ticket holders

How many or your season tickets have you bought on the strength of our club's ambition?



UTB

 

[BladeFisher]

Agree with Deadbat that quality is spread too evenly across the squad which makes knowing your best XI difficult. So far, albeit a premature judgement, it looks like the only effective signings we've made are JCR and Alcock which also happened to be the least inspiring. I hope I am wrong, but I feel we compromised the quality of Coady with the quantity of Basham & Wallace, a proven striker with Porter & McNulty etc. Even more baffling is despite having a natural player for each position, we're still experimenting with a RB at CB and a RM at RB.

That said; 2 games in, give it another 5-7 before we start lobbing our shoes at Jim Phipps in the car park.

7 games is too long that would make 9 in total. I wouldn't expect the sort of recovery we got last year if left that long, certainly promotion would be a dream. I'd say Clough has got 3 league games to get a win. After that I reckon the Board will start to have doubts.

 

[ScoobBlade]

7 games is too long that would make 9 in total. I wouldn't expect the sort of recovery we got last year if left that long, certainly promotion would be a dream. I'd say Clough has got 3 league games to get a win. After that I reckon the Board will start to have doubts.

Seriously , 3 games to get a win. I honestly want to scream at this bloody thread. 2 games in and all we're doing is moaning, I understand it's been a difficult start but that's just it, a start. 44 games left to sort it out, I know that may not be enough for some of you but come on, get a grip !

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Just listened to Clough's postmatch interview, and to be completely honest think people are reading far too much into it - he just seems thoroughly disappointed in a number of them. Murphy, Flynn and Scougs got the brunt of that in particular - understandable given they are key to whether we create anything going forward. I would expect all three could be dropped for Tuesday, with maybe JCR, Baxter and Collins coming in (Davies being moved to the wing).

For the record, he sounded exactly the same on numerous occasions last season, albeit Crewe game and prior to that. I think a few on here have just forgotten what he sounds like when he's thoroughly disappointed with players after a couple of rubbish games. But in their defence, it has been a while.

 

[Jonboy60]

A number of possibilities, likely from;

Lots of new faces disrupting team spirit.

Being forced to sign a convicted rapist.

The chasm between expected funding and reality.

UTB

Giving the captains armband to the C/F won't help either.

 

[Darthblade]

I think Nige always sounds quite monotone come win, lose or draw. The morale in the squad isn't there anymore, but turning over 10 signings and a few players being released to boot will do that.

What is pissing me off with Nige is the 'square pegs/round holes' approach and being stubborn with it despite that we have a natural player to occupy every position on the pitch. If he doesn't ring the changes for the next game it's going to start feeling very Weiresque.

Next game i'd go with;

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins Harris
Campbell-Ryce Scougall Basham Murphy
McNulty Higdon

Subs;
Turner, McEveley, Butler, Davies, Baxter, Flynn, Porter

Forgive me being a synical old bas**rd, but this side seems well balanced and has players actually playing in their best positions !!
How does that work then .....
UTB & FTP

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Forgive me being a synical old bas**rd, but this side seems well balanced and has players actually playing in their best positions !!
How does that work then .....
UTB & FTP

Does that mean you are happy with what you see and it is just a matter of time in waiting for things to develop?

UTB

 

[Darthblade]

Just listened to Clough's postmatch interview, and to be completely honest think people are reading far too much into it - he just seems thoroughly disappointed in a number of them. Murphy, Flynn and Scougs got the brunt of that in particular - understandable given they are key to whether we create anything going forward. I would expect all three could be dropped for Tuesday, with maybe JCR, Baxter and Collins coming in (Davies being moved to the wing).

For the record, he sounded exactly the same on numerous occasions last season, albeit Crewe game and prior to that. I think a few on here have just forgotten what he sounds like when he's thoroughly disappointed with players after a couple of rubbish games. But in their defence, it has been a while.

I agree ..... he sounded like a manager who's players are letting him down with performances way below the acceptable standards set previously. I wouldn't be surprised to see Flynn, Scougal and Murphy "benched" for a couple of games; perhaps one last chance on Tuesday night. If they don't step up to the plate, I would expect to see:
Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Davies Basham Reed JCR
McNulty Higdon

Subs: Turner, Butler, Baxter, Porter, Murphy, Dimao, De Giralmo

The players NEED to wake up and smell the coffee and deliver the goods as they have been second best so far this season with effort and attitude being in question.
UTB & FTP

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I agree ..... he sounded like a manager who's players are letting him down with performances way below the acceptable standards set previously. I wouldn't be surprised to see Flynn, Scougal and Murphy "benched" for a couple of games; perhaps one last chance on Tuesday night. If they don't step up to the plate, I would expect to see:
Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Davies Basham Reed JCR
McNulty Higdon

Subs: Turner, Butler, Baxter, Porter, Murphy, Dimao, De Giralmo

The players NEED to wake up and smell the coffee and deliver the goods as they have been second best so far this season with effort and attitude being in question.
UTB & FTP

I think the team on Tuesday is immaterial.

What is important is that we do NOT lose - ok, so it might be a drab 0-0 or hopefully (for once) a real streak of luck and we pox a 1 nil win.

The result sometimes has to outweigh the performance.

UTB

 

[Darthblade]

Does that mean you are happy with what you see and it is just a matter of time in waiting for things to develop?

UTB

No .... I think you have misinterpreted my comment. I was referring to the line-up that Deadly suggested .... THAT one looked balanced.
I'm far from happy at what I currently am watching as we seem to have too many players out of their best position. Cant comment about the Coventry game as I wasn't there, but vs Bristol City we looked pedestrian in the second half, no pace no guile no strength and although I don't think we deserved to lose we certainly didn't deserve to win.
UTB & FTP

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

"probably realised that the club as no ambition and he as fell for the same old bollocks as us season ticket holders"

Glad to say I wasn't one of them, but it does appear the club have pocketed the Maguire fee, money from the cup run and increase in ST sales and given as little back for team strengthening as they can get away with. The only consolation is that it looks as though McCabe has fallen for it as well, writing the debt off for £1 for our Pearly Prince's involvement.

 

[Darthblade]

Just listened to his interview - https://audioboo.fm/boos/2400437-su...=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

He bemoans lack of form of Murphy, Flynn, and Scougall, and loss of Brayford and Maguire. Sorry Nige, but you train the squad and pick the team accordingly. Oh yeah, and you made all those signings this summer... So why aren't any of your new players good enough to replace any of those first 3? Is it your scouting that isn't working or your coaching? Said it before in relation to the transfer policy but there are too many excuses.

We are at a stage after 2 games where we are picking players not on the basis of what they offer, but that they can't possibly be as bad as the people who played the previous game. E.g. he says Collins was dropped for goals conceded pre-season with him in the team, and "now comes back into contention".

What a clusterfuck this transfer window and start to season has been. All we need now is some big, divisive, sloppily handled controversy hanging over the club like a cloud of acid rain... Is that the door opening to a prison cell I hear?

Or, controversially, you could say the opposite. Something to temporarily distract people from the crap performances of some of our key players for a few weeks whilst they "get their act together", because its the players that aren't delivering the goods !!! They're still getting paid but the performances have been uninspiring at best. And I make no apologies for saying that I would welcome a certain striker back to the Club on two conditions:
a) he can get match fit in a reasonable space of time AND deliver goals
b) NC is happy to have him
Its as simple as that ......
UTB & FTP

 

[Bladesman]

Compared interviews of his pre match and post match videos for Coventry.

Not sure I see much different in his demeanor and seems to go in to detail where he thinks what went wrong.





Maybe he just hates being interviewed for RS and I probably would too.

 

[pommpey]

7 games is too long that would make 9 in total. I wouldn't expect the sort of recovery we got last year if left that long, certainly promotion would be a dream. I'd say Clough has got 3 league games to get a win. After that I reckon the Board will start to have doubts.

I think that any notion of sacking Clough is nothing short of ridiculous. It is quite obvious where the pivotal moments were last season which led to our revival and the patent lack of ability to either maintain those players in a United shirt or replace them with equal quality is as evident as our inability to sign an already-fit, hungry striker with pace and ability.

It isn't Clough's fault that what we are left with here are underperforming dud-firers. We have scored three goals in three games, only one of them coming from a striker, and only then from a set piece. It says a massive amount about our setup and available talent, now that our attacking winger isn't here, the midfield craft of Coady isn't at the club and our ability to defensively dominate is hampered because post-Maguire, we look very, very fragile. Clough must be pissed off to fuck, given that when Wier was binned, one of the deal-breakers would have been immediate playing staff input (which there was) and future investment, which to me would have involved far more horsepower than the rather uninspiring clutch of newcomers we appear to be landed with now.

pommpey

 

[Worksopblade1]

Very revealing in the interview about more new signings. He says the players he wants are out of reach .... Suggests to me financially and this is where the board are not backing him IMO !

Went v quickly from wanting two more strikers before signing Higdon for a "small fee" as NC quoted to no more strikers needed !
This plus issues with senior players left out of team with his non performers probably disagreeing with this = his bad morale IMO .

 

[Bladesman]

Very revealing in the interview about more new signings. He says the players he wants are out of reach .... Suggests to me financially and this is where the board are not backing him IMO !

Went v quickly from wanting two more strikers before signing Higdon for a "small fee" as NC quoted to no more strikers needed !
This plus issues with senior players left out of team with his non performers probably disagreeing with this = his bad morale IMO .

So the board are not backing him now?

 

[Worksopblade1]

So the board are not backing him now?

Look at the words he's used.

 

[forever_blade]

Don't read too much into his interview, for me he's not absolutely leathered into Murphy, Flynn & Scougall, more giving them a massive wake up call that they need to start delivering.

The Butler situation seems as it is, Clough & him obviously haven't seen eye-to-eye & I reckon he'll be on his way out as he doesn't seem the type to fit for his place which for me shows a bad attitude e.g, if rumours are true he's gone to watch Walsall rather than his team-mates.

For me, it just isn't working, it seems like there's been too much change too soon. I'm not too concerned yet but yesterday was bad really bad infact. We lacked any sort of composure on the ball & no-one wanted to take responsibility, get on the ball and make things happen, the back four weren't brave enough to pass it out from the back and took the easy option of lumping it forward everytime they got it, at the same time it doesn't help non of the midfield were brave enough to be willing to come & collect the ball and set us off moving e.g. Coady last season.

Higdon is getting no service and with him being the size he is we are just lofting balls towards him and hoping we can get on the second balls & feed off the scraps/second pieces from the knockdowns either from Higdon himself or the centre half challenging him - we're better than that.

It was very Blackwelleque yesterday, lofting high-balls forward all game in the 'general' direction of a forward & feeding off scraps that fell down.

We've lost Maguire, Brayford & Coady & as I see it bought replacements that should be more than good enough at this level in McGahey, Alcock & Wallace. Obviously McGahey, Alcock & Wallace aren't in the same league ability-wise as the three who've departed but at League One level should be more than capable.

I'd go back to basics of what worked well last season -

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins Harris
Flynn Wallace Doyle Scougall Murphy
Baxter

With Baxter uptop we know we can''t go long and will force us to start getting the ball on the deck again. Doyle for all his critics will go and get the ball off the back four and try to set us off moving forward.

I'm not saying we should stick with that side all season but we need to get some points on the board & that side is exactly the same as last season barring the three replacements in McGahey, Alcock & Wallace.

Hope Clough sorts it out as I believe with a bit of patience we'll be fine but we need to start getting points on the board starting on Tuesday night.

 

[BladeFisher]

Seriously , 3 games to get a win. I honestly want to scream at this bloody thread. 2 games in and all we're doing is moaning, I understand it's been a difficult start but that's just it, a start. 44 games left to sort it out, I know that may not be enough for some of you but come on, get a grip !

You've obviously got a short memory and also didn't read the post properly. I said the Board would have doubts not that the Board would sack Clough (doh!). Last season isn't very long ago. How long did we give Weir 13 games? And then later we needed a miraculous turn around in fortunes. I think it is unlikely he'll achieve that again. He's lost too many good players in Brayford, Coady and Maguire. I doubt he expected to lose all three by the start of the season.

In his interview yesterday he emphasised that the media and fans and bookies had, in his view, over hyped United's chances. I agree with that. I think the danger is United will enter this cycle of getting slightly better but not good enough to get up. Players who did well last year will get fed up and leave Scougall, Murphy come to mind. Not now but maybe the end of next season?

What is so sad about this shambles is that for two years running we got into the play offs. Now we are frigging around at the wrong end of the table again. Yes it's two games. Yes there are 44 to go. Let's see where we are when we play Rochdale. Given performances so far it would hardly be unreasonable to predict both teams will start that match in the bottom four.

It may be the beginning of the season but to wait until we're over a fifth of the way into the season to say "We got it wrong again", is naive. If nothing else Clough needs to get a grip of his team selection. At the moment from what others have said it is all over the place. I don't think Clough will go at all - unless he takes us into League Two.

 

[BladeFisher]

I think that any notion of sacking Clough is nothing short of ridiculous. It is quite obvious where the pivotal moments were last season which led to our revival and the patent lack of ability to either maintain those players in a United shirt or replace them with equal quality is as evident as our inability to sign an already-fit, hungry striker with pace and ability.

It isn't Clough's fault that what we are left with here are underperforming dud-firers. We have scored three goals in three games, only one of them coming from a striker, and only then from a set piece. It says a massive amount about our setup and available talent, now that our attacking winger isn't here, the midfield craft of Coady isn't at the club and our ability to defensively dominate is hampered because post-Maguire, we look very, very fragile. Clough must be pissed off to fuck, given that when Wier was binned, one of the deal-breakers would have been immediate playing staff input (which there was) and future investment, which to me would have involved far more horsepower than the rather uninspiring clutch of newcomers we appear to be landed with now.

pommpey

I said the Board would have doubts not that Clough would be sacked. . The second part of your post is what in fact I was alluding to. In simple terms we are mediocre and there have been too many changes with rather uninspiring recruits.