Clough's tactics

[HolmesfieldBlade]

After Clough moaning and saying time and time again that we need more players and the squad wasn't good enough it's now blatant that it was his system that was the problem not the players.

New Nigel has come in made a few QUALITY additions and we look dangerous. First time I've had this much confidence in a blades team since Warnock.

UTB

 

[boo radley]

Send him an email. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

After Clough moaning and saying time and time again that we need more players and the squad wasn't good enough it's now blatant that it was his system that was the problem not the players.

New Nigel has come in made a few QUALITY additions and we look dangerous. First time I've had this much confidence in a blades team since Warnock.

UTB

So are you agreeing with Clough or criticizing him?
Is it the additions or the tactics that are the solution/ problem

 

[Pragmatic Blade]

David Edgar, Billy Sharp and Connor Sammon are good players at this level. None of those were here last season.

Stop looking at what happened last season, it's irrelevant.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I think it's undeniable that Adkins is a better manager than Clough, and by a long way.

But comparing last season and this is comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Blade58]

Wonder what Clough thought Satdi teatime after we tanned Swindon's arses

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Wonder what Clough thought Satdi teatime after we tanned Swindon's arses

I'd've won 4-0 with that team.

 

[Blade58]

I'd've won 1-0 with that team.

just corrected it for you Will

 

[AnonymousBlade1995]

Wonder what Clough thought Satdi teatime after we tanned Swindon's arses

i do wonder if he still follows our results

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

i do wonder if he still follows our results

He posts on this site under the name Pinchy

 

[FatLadFromSheffield]

As much as I enjoyed the cup runs under Clough, watching us was dire. I'm actually looking forward to going to games now, much like our first season in this league

 

[Blade56]

After Clough moaning and saying time and time again that we need more players and the squad wasn't good enough it's now blatant that it was his system that was the problem not the players.

New Nigel has come in made a few QUALITY additions and we look dangerous. First time I've had this much confidence in a blades team since Warnock.

UTB

Really fed up with us referring back to Clough.

Where I do agree S11B is the effect of confidence, not just the team but the effect it's had on me! I feel happier, more confident, positive in attitude and outlook. After so long walking to a game head down wondering how low we've fallen I now go head up expecting promotion.

 

[Ashtonsmashton]

After Clough moaning and saying time and time again that we need more players and the squad wasn't good enough it's now blatant that it was his system that was the problem not the players.

New Nigel has come in made a few QUALITY additions and we look dangerous. First time I've had this much confidence in a blades team since Warnock.

UTB

I've never had this confidence, because I started supporting when I was 6 in the premier league

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Still waiting for a few things to happen, before getting too giddy personally.

Yeah, we've reacted superbly to Gillingham. But would we do so again the next time we slip up. What about how we dig ourselves out of a slump of 2,3,4 games?

Also, we've had the luxury of going ahead in games regularly this season (don't know how many times we went behind last season, but it must have been some sort of record for a side ending up in the play-offs) - how will we get back into games when we've fallen behind?

In saying that, it's impossible not to get sucked in to the waves of positivity. Just hope that the positivity works when we're in positions of adversity too, as well as when things are going great like now.

In saying that, it does feel good not to have to be involved in a constant sort of siege mentality though - things just always seemed so difficult under Mester Clough's regime. There's a lightness to the atmosphere right now.

 

[Bartleby]

i do wonder if he still follows our results

he'll have had a chuckle no doubt after Gillingham, but he might be thinking on a bit now

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Wonder what Clough thought Satdi teatime after we tanned Swindon's arses

Being kind to Clough ( he did more good than harm ) , either a tinge of sadness and pride for SUFC and Derby results , or not the slightess bothered , due to the bastards sacking me , and it still hurts , because they were wrong.

Just dont know which.

Back to now . its what we think and what Adkins does for us . I feel more content , confident after 5 games , than i did the whole of last season.

Not giddy , but fuck me , after 5 years , we can all start feeling a little smug , whilst keeping our feet firmly on the ground.

UTB

 

[Deadbat]

It is usual for a manager leaving you don't hear much from them due to contract embargos but it is literally like him, Andy Garner and his others right hand men, namely Gary Crosby, Martin Taylor and his brother Simon have disappeared off the face of the earth since being dismissed in late May. 3 months have passed and not heard a murmur from any of them and don't believe any have been re-employed anywhere?

I expect Clough and co to reappear at League Two level sometime this season when someone sacks a manager; that is unless he has just had enough of football. his body language after the Swindon game was of someone who seemed physically and mentally exhausted. He did talk of a long rest after leaving Derby and that never happened so maybe he will have a year or two off instead. He definitely needs to lose his stubbornness and be more open about his attacking philosophies. His stubbornness ultimately cost him the SUFC job. For all his shortcomings he did some decent things and I believe at the end of season meeting if he had been open to a more expansive style and acknowledged his mistakes, he would still be here now in my opinion.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

To be honest I think he is more concerned about how much his severance pay will be before looking for a new job. In the meantime he is speaking at a £20 a head dinner hosted by Radford FC (East Midlands Counties League Premier Div) on September 10th.

 

[Bartleby]

He did talk of a long rest after leaving Derby and that never happened

I read somewhere that it was his wife that wanted him to take the break but that after 3 weeks of him under her feet at home watching shit daytime TV she changed her mind and suggested he took another job.

I wish him well, he got us out of the shit for a time. Think he was happy in the conference at Burton till the Derby job came along.

 

[riselikeasalmon]

I'd've won 0-0 with that team.

 

[JohnDenver]

if he had been open to a more expansive style and acknowledged his mistakes, he would still be here now in my opinion.

I sincerely doubt he was asked to play a more open or expansive style by the board. But I'm certain he would have been asked, if only indirectly, how we resolve our inability to impose ourselves on inferior opponents.

And I suppose if a person has an unfavourable performance review at work, then they often react poorly.

 

[Dkc]

I was against sacking Clough, because sacking our manager whenever we fail to win promotion hasn't helped us in the past. I though we'd be in with a decent shout of auto this season under Old Mardy Arse.

However, I know it's very early days but I've changed my mind. There's a buzz about the Lane at the moment and I think that under Adkins we might just have a team spirit and a "never say die" attitude not seen since the days of Warnock.

This may sound blindly optimistic but could see us going up this season and challenging for promotion from the Championship next year. We're bound to hit a rough patch at some stage, but I think we will have the mental toughness to get through it.

Done and Brayford should both be back before too long remember. Both Clough signings btw.

 

[itsinyerblood]

There appears to be two camps, those who refuse to accept that Clough brought any positive changes while in his role as manager of the Blades. Clearly that questions their objectivity, but it's also understandable when you remember the poor quality of football that was served up under his stewardship. I, along with many others, was what might be referred to as a pro-Clough advocate, but it now seems, from stories that seem to have more than a grain of truth about them, that Clough was someone who couldn't see beyond his own view. Creating disharmony, especially when it's the manager who seems responsible for this state of affairs, can't contribute to a work environment that's meant to act as a launch pad for positive performances and results.....but that chapter is now closed, and with a page turned we have another Nigel as manager of this club we're all passionate about.

I'd prefer not to dwell on the obvious, the football we watched last season was pretty poor. Now we're being shown what can happen if someone questions what was once considered as a technical absolute, that the players we had, most bought by Clough, could only play as a defensive unit that might steal a result here and there. Strange that the 5-5 game with Swindon should reveal that there was firepower within this team, but counter that as we also leaked goals because the defensive frailties were never really addressed. It was no good applying a sticking plaster to what was a major weakness, and that's the analogy I'd apply to this area of last season's disappointment.

Fast forward.......and now, with the addition of Sammons, Edgar, Sharp (now a far better player than I could have imagined we'd re-sign), the youthful potential of Adams (a Clough signing), and even the little known Woolford, we're looking a proper team, one that's hard to beat but also one that's well capable of creating chances and winning games. I know a lot is made of Sharp's all-round game, and rightly so, but for myself I can't look beyond Edgar and Sammons to see where we're making things count. Edgar's reading of the game, his tactical awareness, and the way he exudes a quality we haven't seen since we signed Gary Cahill on loan, makes our defensive displays stubborn, committed, and unwilling to give much, if anything, to an opponent. With Sammons we have a different, but equally effective presence that acts like a glue for those around him. His hold-up play, his ability to bring players into an attack, and his general ability to make a nuisance of himself, cannot be underestimated as being anything other than pivotal to how we're performing as an attacking threat. Together, Edgar and Sammons are part of that spine that we hear so much of. Yes, we need strengthening in midfield and defence, but given how we're performing, I'd much prefer that Adkins took his time in evaluating where he feels we need reinforcements. We now have a group of players who are committed to this new era, and if what we've seen so far continues, well I can't imagine that there'll be anyone complaining.....on second thoughts, we're Blades, of course someone will moan no matter what happens!

 

[Woodwardfan]

It's high time we shut up about Clough, that right Grecian?

Some still want to say " I told you so" for some reason.

 

[SandyMcBlade]

While I have to agree that last season ended badly for Nigel Clough even though he did make it to the play offs, I can't help wondering what would have happened if he had had the luxury of starting his first season from scratch ? .......
Was his success in that first season down to the players that Mr Weir had brought in, and was his failure to do the same in his second season then down to the players we lost or was it just simply the wrong choice of tactics.

I don't think Mr Clough was half as bad as some on here would like to make out, but I do agree Nigel Adkins is looking by far the better tactician.....

 

[itsinyerblood]

While I have to agree that last season ended badly for Nigel Clough even though he did make it to the play offs, I can't help wondering what would have happened if he had had the luxury of starting his first season from scratch ? .......
Was his success in that first season down to the players that Mr Weir had brought in, and was his failure to do the same in his second season then down to the players we lost or was it just simply the wrong choice of tactics.

I don't think Mr Clough was half as bad as some on here would like to make out, but I do agree Nigel Adkins is looking by far the better tactician.....

Personally, I lean towards your view of Clough. Unfortunately the rumours, obviously unsubstantiated, various stories that have emanated that suggest there was far more than a grain of truth regarding his handling of certain situations and the individuals concerned. What this suggests to me is a lack of flexibility when it comes to the notion of crossing a line. In other words, if someone acted in a manner that Clough held in low regard there was no turning back. What lies behind this is uncertain, but I'd go so far as to suggest that Clough had/has disciplinarian qualities that are now inappropriate in an age where it's necessary to manage a variety of personalities in ways that were once regarded as perfectly acceptable. The world, let alone the business of football, has changed rapidly in a relatively short space of time, and for some they seem ill-equipped to recognise that with change comes the need to adapt to these new demands.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I don't think Mr Clough was half as bad as some on here would like to make out, but I do agree Nigel Adkins is looking by far the better tactician.....

To some of us he wasn't that bad. Seemed to have the traits of his Dad but never really endeared himself to the fans. Think a lot respected him, but could you ever like Nigel Clough? Difficult one that. Felt he would have solved the problem this year, but with football of a negative brand.

The decision to change was probably right but I still ask the question "Why did Southampton get rid?"

UTB

 

[Bladesway]

Hey the bloke did some good but some won't see it. He has been usurped by a better manager, hence we are doing better. He has bought better players in so hey, we are doing better. Clough laid the foundations and someone has improved on that thus far. I guess we are only 2-3 defeats on the spin from Adkins out thought.

Had we taken the first game of the season in isolation Clough would never have got us beat 4-0 at Gillingham, but we are now a few more games into the season and it looks good. I wouldn't get too giddy though because we will hit bad form and then this place will once more melt down with the Manager not knowing what he is doing blah blah.

 

[Revolution]

If Clough was still in charge my bet is that we would not have got humped 4-0 at Gillingham...but I think it's also safe to say we wouldn't have won 4 games in a row by more than one goal either.

I would have lived with another season of Clough - we would have been there or thereabouts, I'm sure - but Adkins seems to have had more success in sorting the centre half problem than Clough managed in a season of grappling with it, and some of the players seem to have a new lease of life. The football's also much more interesting. I'm happier with this Nigel.

I might add that Clough did a lot of good things in my view (great cup runs, 10 wins a row, was better than David Weir, improved our league position for the first time in 6 years, some good signings), but I do wonder whether he would ever have got us a top 2 spot.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Personally, I lean towards your view of Clough. Unfortunately the rumours, obviously unsubstantiated, various stories that have emanated that suggest there was far more than a grain of truth regarding his handling of certain situations and the individuals concerned. What this suggests to me is a lack of flexibility when it comes to the notion of crossing a line. In other words, if someone acted in a manner that Clough held in low regard there was no turning back. What lies behind this is uncertain, but I'd go so far as to suggest that Clough had/has disciplinarian qualities that are now inappropriate in an age where it's necessary to manage a variety of personalities in ways that were once regarded as perfectly acceptable. The world, let alone the business of football, has changed rapidly in a relatively short space of time, and for some they seem ill-equipped to recognise that with change comes the need to adapt to these new demands.

Clough appeared to be honest , have integrity, and high discipline standards both as a manager and a family man . He also sat in the dug out with his father from a very young age , therefore will have picked certain traits up , in this time , and working under other managers as a player .

The games has changed like life , but IMO , in certain instances , not for the better. In any football club , it does seem you cannot rule with a iron rod anymore , and more pychological man management , comes into play , especially the higher you get in the leagues . ( managers , coaches in the premiership are managing young lads , who are multi millionaires, and from multi culture backgrounds )

Clough was old school in his thinking , and perhaps could not adapt or didnt think he had to.

Did he need a Peter Taylor type , as mentioned before , to assist , reign him in , as my way or the highway , doesn't wash anymore.

We all learnt something from the Clough era , both good and bad , but the main thing for here and now , we do finally seem to have the right manager , who understands the lane culture , and todays requirements as a coach / manager / figure head.

He may have been sacked twice in a short space of time , but at least he doesnt have to worry about his bank balance . Will we ever see him in management again . Hope so just for the morbid interest on what he does , and who he does it with .

UTB