COH

[SwissBlade]

They need a director of football plus/someone else who handles transfers.

They need to get players for the first team signed who are upto to standard and can contribute now. If you also want these development players? Fine. But neglect the first team squad.

Its funny that Selles recently mentioned that the club want to bring the average age of the squad down. Last season we were third youngest, with Sunderland going up. We currently don't have the players experienced enough through the spine of the team and some just aren't ready or aren't up to it... As you say, we need players to contribute now, not create an experiment

 

[originaltrueblade]

These owners need to prove themselves in this transfer window otherwise they need to go

 

[Loco Blade]

Why can’t Bettis grow a pair and explain the facts of life or he might as well do one as well ! Just an innocent bystander or what ?

 

[Bookers Mullet]

I’m thinking of writing a strongly worded letter to President Trump asking him to tell COH to sell the club as they’re an embarrassment to their nation.

I might even beg Prince Harry to have a word.

FFS where’s Staton when you need him?

Write to your local MP fella, seems they have loads of time to help out struggling football clubs

 

[Bladesince59]

We really are threadbare

 

[Champagneblade]

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

 

[Shawy24]

Write to your local MP fella, seems they have loads of time to help out struggling football clubs

Olivia Blake only helps herself. It comes with the breed.

She wouldn’t even help a sick disabled kidney punched child. Far too beneath her.

 

[Keen Blade]

Why can’t Bettis grow a pair and explain the facts of life or he might as well do one as well ! Just an innocent bystander or what ?

No , a yes-man , a Wilder man , a bean-counter
No balls to stand up and tell the owners a few facts of football life
What a feckin mess

 

[Welshblade]

Why can’t Bettis grow a pair and explain the facts of life or he might as well do one as well ! Just an innocent bystander or what ?

I always thought he should have gone with the prince. If we do shit and don't establish ourselves higher up the leagues then he is the only thing that has been a constant and is left to change before we can say all the new things are to blame.

 

[Blade58]

I get your point that there is still time before the window closes, but the season has already started and we will be 5 games in by the time the window closes. The window has been open all summer and we've yet to sign a player on a permanent deal (although Soumares is a loan with an obligation to buy).

A new set of owners bringing in a new manager and making statements in the summer about returning to the Premier League AND sustaining the presence there, you'd expect them to be making a bit more of a statement in the recruitment field this summer rather than in the final two weeks.

I'm all for giving other sides a head start, they're clearly confident after last seasons points haul of 92 before the deduction, that Selles will go beyond that, but to not have a side ready to get going from the first game is a little surprising, if i'm honest.

To pick up on a point about a squad. I think it is extremely unlikely that we will have a squad capable of competing, we may get a first 11 and a couple of subs together by the end of August, but we won't have anywhere near the squad depth we had last season and thats not taking into account any injuries. We may get 3-4 players in at a push.

Just to point out Swiss, the obligation to buy Soumare only applies if we’re promoted. That remains to be seen but I would say currently appears unlikely

 

[SwissBlade]

Just to point out Swiss, the obligation to buy Soumare only applies if we’re promoted. That remains to be seen but I would say currently appears unlikely

Yeah wasn't sure on the terms of that, but it makes sense.

So we've just got him for a season then.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

Ll

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

I wouldn’t mind a change so much if it felt someone was in charge with a plan to hit the ground running before the season started.

Wilder was very hands on with a lot of what goes on with the club, it seems he’s left a vacuum no one is willing to fill.

 

[metalblade]

I'm struggling to see what the plan is. It is looking to me at this moment that they bought the club hoping to get a Premier league windfall but Wilder fucked that up. Now they have realised they have to finance a Championship club without any parachute payments and build a new training ground but they don't have the money to do it. Looking more and more like they have decided to have a fire sale and take out all the money they can and hope to flip the club for close to what they paid for it while we are still in the Championship. Hard times are a coming chaps, Can anyone see any signs that they will spend some cash on quality players?? no me neither.

 

[Blademan89]

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

Thing is they shouldn't be no underestimating or anything of the likes, Bettis has been at the club well past his sell by date and knows how the championship works.

What is he actually doing or telling the owners? Surely he needs to be standing up and saying something in the board room, but I guess hes just another yes man happy to get paid £100k's a year and gets an hard on about catering companies and other business related contracts.

Bettis needs to be replaced by a competent CEO, followed by a DOF to focus on the football side of things, with both DOF and CEO with a set amount of money and power to go and deliver the owners plan.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'm struggling to see what the plan is. It is looking to me at this moment that they bought the club hoping to get a Premier league windfall but Wilder fucked that up. Now they have realised they have to finance a Championship club without any parachute payments and build a new training ground but they don't have the money to do it. Looking more and more like they have decided to have a fire sale and take out all the money they can and hope to flip the club for close to what they paid for it while we are still in the Championship. Hard times are a coming chaps, Can anyone see any signs that they will spend some cash on quality players?? no me neither.

The Prince will be back within a year to buy the club for half what he sold it for...

 

[bartman]

Why can’t Bettis grow a pair and explain the facts of life or he might as well do one as well ! Just an innocent bystander or what ?

He will do what his employer tells him to do

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Awful. We sold Souza over a month ago, we needed a centre half then and we would have been 100 per cent aware of interest in Anel and the likelihood of him going to further weaken the back line, yet we've not even looked like signing anyone there, in fact there are stronger rumours that we are selling defenders rather than signing them.

COH appear to have bought in expecting promotion and a quick return on their investment. When it hasn't happened and they've seen the cost involved with just sustaining a club at this level they've baulked, sold senior pros (which I get we need to or you end up like them lot) but not replace them at all. It's disastrous - even the likes of fucking Millwall, Preston and Derby who aren't exactly rolling in cash can sign decent, experienced or strong standard defenders. Fucking joke of a club.

There’s no way anyone spends £100m plus thinking promotion is guaranteed. You don’t get to have that kind of money by making ill thought out investments. They’ll have a plan, we just don’t know what it is. I’m reserving judgement until the window shuts.

They do need to communicate more though. We’d all a feel a lot easier if they told us their plans for the playing side and the infrastructure.

 

[MartBlade]

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

Spot on - particularly your first line about the magnitude of Wilders achievement in putting together such a competitive team last season.
There seem to be so many on this forum that absolutely hate him for some reason and I just can’t get my head round it.
It is entirely down to Wilder that we’ve been anywhere near the Premier League in the last decade. With the succession of completely potless owners that we have been saddled with, it takes an extraordinary manager to turn us into a promotion team and to actually compete in the PL.
The fact that so many of our fans and COH don’t understand that is the reason we are now destined to fall back into the obscurity that we had before Wilder arrived.
I’m perfectly happy to see a change in approach and management if the owners have the serious cash required to support it. Unfortunately it appears that they don’t … and therefore they’ve sacked the best chance they had of getting back to the PL and their expected Return on Investment is plunging further into negative every day that they stand by in deluded ignorance.

 

[bakeblade]

But our XI tonight wasn't our first XI, it was our second string + O'Hare. The team we put out on Saturday would finish top 6.

The defence we put out on Saturday was a Div 1 defence, your posts seem to match the owners knowledge of soccer

 

[AWetFlannel]

The defence we put out on Saturday was a Div 1 defence, your posts seem to match the owners knowledge of soccer

What's Div 1? What's soccer?

I said the team we put out was top 6, you move the goalposts to suggest one aspect of the team is Div 1 (the old first division?). Have a think pal. Burrows? Seriki?

 

[Champagneblade]

It’s no good…

 

[bakeblade]

I get your point that there is still time before the window closes, but the season has already started and we will be 5 games in by the time the window closes. The window has been open all summer and we've yet to sign a player on a permanent deal (although Soumares is a loan with an obligation to buy).

A new set of owners bringing in a new manager and making statements in the summer about returning to the Premier League AND sustaining the presence there, you'd expect them to be making a bit more of a statement in the recruitment field this summer rather than in the final two weeks.

I'm all for giving other sides a head start, they're clearly confident after last seasons points haul of 92 before the deduction, that Selles will go beyond that, but to not have a side ready to get going from the first game is a little surprising, if i'm honest.

To pick up on a point about a squad. I think it is extremely unlikely that we will have a squad capable of competing, we may get a first 11 and a couple of subs together by the end of August, but we won't have anywhere near the squad depth we had last season and thats not taking into account any injuries. We may get 3-4 players in at a push.

We've lost 9 good, experienced championship players and we'll probably lose Robbo and Hamer also.
We've replaced them with 3 young unproven loans and a couple of AI punts.
We've missed the opportunity to bring in permanent, championship quality signings who were out of contact or looking to move on.
We've replaced an experienced manager with an inexperienced coach.
It's been a terrible start by the new owners and is probably now impossible to fix in the next few weeks.
A relegation scrap looks likely.

 

[Blacksea]

We've lost 9 good, experienced championship players and we'll probably lose Robbo and Hamer also.
We've replaced them with 3 young unproven loans and a couple of AI punts.
We've missed the opportunity to bring in permanent, championship quality signings who were out of contact or looking to move on.
We've replaced an experienced manager with an inexperienced coach.
It's been a terrible start by the new owners and is probably now impossible to fix in the next few weeks.
A relegation scrap looks likely.

This is it,it only takes a few bad decisions and you can really be in the doo doo at this level,poor transfer policy,wrong managerial appointments has done for a lot of clubs,and that's without going into ownership.
Still too early to call on any of these yet,but for sure it's not looking good on or off the pitch,after a couple of months the pattern will be pretty clear though but if the right players are not brought in before the window ends,that probably will kill us unless Selles is exceptional in turning things around

 

[Bell4]

I genuinely don’t see any incomings for the rest of this window. Very worrying!

Why don’t you ?

 

[SwissBlade]

We've lost 9 good, experienced championship players and we'll probably lose Robbo and Hamer also.
We've replaced them with 3 young unproven loans and a couple of AI punts.
We've missed the opportunity to bring in permanent, championship quality signings who were out of contact or looking to move on.
We've replaced an experienced manager with an inexperienced coach.
It's been a terrible start by the new owners and is probably now impossible to fix in the next few weeks.
A relegation scrap looks likely.

I don't think a relegation scrap will be the result, but i think midtable is very likely under Selles. I do have some confidence that we will get a couple of players based only on the statements from Selles, but whether these players will be squad fillers in an already weak squad or if they will improve what we have, is a huge question mark.

The rest of what you say, though is spot on.

I can see the owners making a decision in late October or perhaps November on Selles' position and to be honest that worries me as much as bringing him in did.

 

[Bell4]

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

Blimey

I really start to worry when you start to worry like this

 

[SwissBlade]

Ll

I wouldn’t mind a change so much if it felt someone was in charge with a plan to hit the ground running before the season started.

Wilder was very hands on with a lot of what goes on with the club, it seems he’s left a vacuum no one is willing to fill.

I think Wilder was far more involved in what goes on at a football club than the owners realised. He was a traditional manager, whereas Selles is filling the role more of a modern continental coach and perhaps needs to have the other roles filled by a DoF. Although the statement on Selles' appointment was that he would be guiding the club on recruitment and becoming a culture setter. The irony.

The lack of communication directly from the owners is frustrating, but more so there is a very distinct lack of clarity on a number of roles. I am guessing that Wilder, being the character that he is was pulling a lot of things together as well.

Taking the example of Head of Recruitment....

Paul Mitchell left early last year and he was very much the Head of Recruitment (perhaps more on the physical scouting basis). I'm not sure whether that has been filled by someone else, but we've also had Jamie Hoyland on scouting, Mike Allen, was also Head of Recruitment and has been much more of a data driven approach, so i am guessing that they have filled the void and taken things up a notch on the data side. Meanwhile, Des Taylor came in as an advisor, working with Wilder on recruitment and later being brought into the Hoyland / Allen group, but its also not clear if he's still with the club. Its quite messy from the outside and we don't get anything officially.

 

[SufcBilly]

So we've got players who can't pass the ball 5 fuckin yards to each other. We're in deep shit.

Same players who were here last season btw

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

I'm struggling to see what the plan is. It is looking to me at this moment that they bought the club hoping to get a Premier league windfall but Wilder fucked that up. Now they have realised they have to finance a Championship club without any parachute payments and build a new training ground but they don't have the money to do it. Looking more and more like they have decided to have a fire sale and take out all the money they can and hope to flip the club for close to what they paid for it while we are still in the Championship. Hard times are a coming chaps, Can anyone see any signs that they will spend some cash on quality players?? no me neither.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear rumours about the club being up for sale in the next 6 months.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

They have totally underestimated the magnitude of the task last summer for Wilder to construct a squad from the ashes and to turn it into a results achieving machine.

I’m sorry some were bored but I much preferred it to losing back to back to mediocre teams. Yes, Birmingham are mediocre. They have a big gap to close to be anywhere near the top. Any newly promoted team we should have the arrogance to go there and knock the piss out of them. Yet we seem so keen to go back into our shell at a moment’s notice.

This was a time to decisively make their mark. Add to the squad to tip the balance. If someone had to leave then replace them pronto. Look at Bournemouth. They’ve lost three key defenders. Within a day or so of one going their replacement is winging his way into the club.

It needed minor tweeking. So far changed manager, ripped out the spine of the team, scored once and conceded 6.

They are a disgrace these new owners. All summer and not a single perm apart from two tips from some poker player. How did these clowns even pass fit and proper. They have no business acumen whatsoever.

It’s unforgivable to not be ready for the start of the season. The fact it has happened twice at Sheffield United in the past three years makes it no better.

Agree with much of this, apart from the the 'minor tweaking' aspect.

We had so many players returning to parent clubs from loans, contracts expiring, plus the need to 'balance books' with a couple of sales.

The summer was always going to need an element of squad rebuilding, not just minor changes - that was impossible.

The crux of it is that no planning has gone into it and we are now left lightyears behind where we should be.

EDIT: The mess we find ourselves in happens no matter who the manager is by the way.