[Confirmed] Adams & Cork gone

[Vancouver]

It was a very sad indicator of the state the club was in when Speed buggered off to manager the leek-eating sheep botherers

Or he was aware that he probably wouldn't enhance his reputation at the Lane and took the opportunity to get the job managing his national team and one he played for many, many times.

 

[bricktop]

Or he was aware that he probably wouldn't enhance his reputation at the Lane and took the opportunity to get the job managing his national team and one he played for many, many times.

That was exactly the point i was making.

It's good that Birch has been given the boot, as he was as much to blame for this entire sorry fucking mess

 

[bladeinspaceandtime]

Or he was aware that he probably wouldn't enhance his reputation at the Lane and took the opportunity to get the job managing his national team and one he played for many, many times.

Probably thought about how Mark Hughes' star had risen as Welsh manager, I just think it's a bit weird why someone starting out in football management would take what is essentially a part-time job in charge of a pointless side (he would have been better off starting in non-league/League 2 than with us and our short-fuse fans)

 

[ZoneManWilf]

It's good that Birch has been given the boot, as he was as much to blame for this entire sorry fucking mess

Has that been confirmed apart from that throwaway line on SSN? I agree with you as well.

 

[bricktop]

Probably thought about how Mark Hughes' star had risen as Welsh manager, I just think it's a bit weird why someone starting out in football management would take what is essentially a part-time job in charge of a pointless side (he would have been better off starting in non-league/League 2 than with us and our short-fuse fans)

Surely a Championship club with Premiership aspirations would have been a better option for Speed. It tells me that he knew he couldn't do the job, or the club was in a mess and he wanted out. I think it is likely his decision to leave was a combination of both.

I will say that the sacking of Blackwell was horrendously timed. At the start of the season you either start with a new manager, or give him 10-12 games and make the change then.

 

[Big Mart]

Surely a Championship club with Premiership aspirations would have been a better option for Speed.

Just so long as we weren't that club. Waste of space that fucker, he'll never do owt as a manager because he's a useless prick.

 

[bricktop]

Just so long as we weren't that club. Waste of space that fucker, he'll never do owt as a manager because he's a useless prick.

And he is someone who can be blamed for the shit hand Adams was dealt.

 

[Jostein Flo]

And he is someone who can be blamed for the shit hand Adams was dealt.

I agree Adams inherited a truly awful situation but Speed didn't sign any players of note or sell anyone as he wasn't in charge during a transfer window. Not sure how much blame can be sent his way.

 

[diplomat]

What's all the wisdom of keeping him and then giving him a whopping ten games. If he was to be kept, how about letting someone run a whole contract term?

 

[Micalijo]

Never mind that Diplo - get a beer in!!!! Sweet.

 

[ListerBlade]

Only just found out about Micky's exit. It's what I wanted I think, but some threads yesterday got me thinking as I wanted Micky gone as his record was awful and I didn't hold much hope of him making us bounce back, but I don't know who a viable and realistic replacement is.

I've wanted Di Matteo for a long time, can't see it happening but I guess we wait and see what happens next...

 

[sheffielder]

I agree Adams inherited a truly awful situation but Speed didn't sign any players of note or sell anyone as he wasn't in charge during a transfer window. Not sure how much blame can be sent his way.

I do feel for poor micky. He decided to gamble on our future by swapping Bartley and Britton for Collins and Doyle.

 

[bricktop]

Britton was still a spineless little turd, who didn't get stuck in, and was quite often a passenger

 

[beechblade]

I do feel for poor micky. He decided to gamble on our future by swapping Bartley and Britton for Collins and Doyle.

We were still shipping goals when Bartley was here. Britton sadly was spineless. The signing were shit but about the level we could and probably still can afford.

 

[ListerBlade]

Britton was still a spineless little turd, who didn't get stuck in, and was quite often a passenger

I think Britton was a piece for the next step of bringing in more total football orientated players. Look what he does for Swansea. He just never managed to do it with us. I have him in the same bracket as Howard (but a better version).

 

[bricktop]

I'd disagree. I thought Howard was a decent player but didn't fit in to our style of play.

On the other hand i thought Britton was awful. Under Blackwell i doubt he would have lasted a season

 

[ListerBlade]

Howard was a good player that didn't fit in, but I think Britton is better. Another one that didn't fit in unfortunately and more proof that we desperately need a change in style of football and philosophy. Just lookd at Swansea and Reading.

 

[Foxy]

Brian Howard was a fantastic player if you want someone who wishes to hide at every available opportunity.

I don't think any style of football allows the tactic known as "ensure, whatever you do, you are marked or in a position whereby it is impossible to receive the ball" to excel

 

[Latters]

Howard was a good player that didn't fit in, but I think Britton is better. Another one that didn't fit in unfortunately and more proof that we desperately need a change in style of football and philosophy. Just lookd at Swansea and Reading.

I think Britton and Howard would make a decent midfield pairing in a decent team. What's that I hear you cry, "No combative midfielder?"

With Britton collecting the ball from the defence and Howard getting forward you'd have a lot of possession and create a lot of chances in my opinion.

 

[riselikeasalmon]

And he is someone who can be blamed for the shit hand Adams was dealt.

With the players, league position and games left when he took over, whoever came in should have had enough to keep us up.
I thought at the time Mickey was as good as anyone to do that, but he didn't. I feel for the guy, I'm sure he did what he thought was best but his methods didn't pull the squad together as needed and ultimately he failed.

 

[diplomat]

Never mind that Diplo - get a beer in!!!! Sweet.

Oh go on then.

A change is as good as a rest.

 

[SteelCity Blade]

Well that's made my sabbatical from the forum a short lived one! I was very much planning on having a break from discussion on all things Blades.....trust the club to give me an excuse

I have very mixed feelings tonight. I feel desperately sorry for Micky as he is a decent guy and a true Blade. His professional pride will be hurting tonight but he goes with my best wises (and most Blades' best wishes I'm sure) and I am sure he will be successful somewhere else. It just wasnt meant to be and as someone who wanted the job so much he was unfortunate that he couldn't have come to the club at a worse time. That said, he has paid the price for not being able to turn a very dire situation around. On the other hand his signings were poor and he will look back with regret at a few decisions I'm sure. It just wasn't meant to be.

I dont think I need to point out to anyone what a shambles the club is at the moment, as the club has done a very good job of showing itself up in the last 6 to 8 months. Although I'm sad to see Micky go I can in some ways understand this decision. The directors will be determined to avoid a repeat of the KB situation and sack the manager early on in the season. Perhaps better to sweep the decks now and give someone new a whole summer to start putting their own stamp on it. If they were unsure about MA then they have done the right thing by making a tough decision now. As the old cliche goes....."back him or sack him" - if they cant give 100% to the former then its probably best to do the latter.

As far as a successor goes, there are only two reasonable candidates taking all things into account (IMO) - John Pemberton and Sean O'Driscoll.

 

[alcoblade]

If we go for Pembo I hope it's because of more than the youth aspect. If we plan to base our fight too much on youth, we'd better start planning for Pembo's replacement and 4th division football.

UTB

 

[MunXy]

and so the blades merry go round continues, how many managers this season?
granted micky failed to keep us up but there were signs, and with a full pre season, bit of wheeling in transfer market i honestly believe he would have turned it round and brought us back up.
Now the joke that MY beloved blades has become under the leadership of Number 1 blades fan, becomes ever more farceicle, we are fast becoming the club even teams like acrington, barnet and wednesday are laughing at.
mccabe has taken one of the proudest clubs in the league to an absolute laughing stock, id rather have seen him and his family of leeches leave, even if he took all he owed and put us into admin, he makes reg brearly, mike mcdonald et all before him appear "true blades" rather than the asset stripping twats they were.
sell the players, tie managers hands, destroy morale then blame everyone else including the fans for the pleasure of kevins foray's into football/real estate debacles.

I Love My club, but is it too much to ask to get an owner and board that actually care for the club, id even take a dodgy dealing russian mobster that just wanted to launder money thru the club, at least he wouldnt claim love of the blades then sell out our club the the lowest bidder.

R.I.P. S.U.F.C

MunXy

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I think in retrospect he grossly underestimated the task at hand. I will always remember one of his early interviews where he says the job was bigger than he expected, around the time Bassett was brought in. How on earth could someone that professes to be a Unitedite get that so spectacularly wrong?

I do feel sorry for the guy. He left Port Vale in a great position, had restored to some degree his reputation as a manager (which had been damaged somewhat by lacklustre ends to his time at Coventry and Brighton again), and now it's in tatters again. A return to League 2 seems almost certain.

 

[ListerBlade]

I think Britton and Howard would make a decent midfield pairing in a decent team. What's that I hear you cry, "No combative midfielder?"

With Britton collecting the ball from the defence and Howard getting forward you'd have a lot of possession and create a lot of chances in my opinion.

I was going to mention that they are different types of midfielders but didn't want to complicate my post too much. You'd need a defence like Wolverine's metal if you were to play them together and not concede many.

 

[Sirius]

SOD. Not for me thanks. Looking at the events over ther past month, SOD is fortunate the season ended when it did. Remind me where did his team finish?
Marginaly better than the failures we employed.

 

[bricktop]

Regarding SOD, i thought he would be a bad appointment in December when we was already in a relegation battle, as at the time i thought that pretty football would look shit and not get results when your fighting for lives getting points.

I still think it would be a poor appointment as you need to be motivated and direct in League 1

 

[Pinchy]

Regarding SOD, i thought he would be a bad appointment in December when we was already in a relegation battle, as at the time i thought that pretty football would look shit and not get results when your fighting for lives getting points.

I still think it would be a poor appointment as you need to be motivated and direct in League 1

Absolute stereotypical rubbish! Have you not noticed Brighton, Southampton, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Peterborough all play proper football?

Astonishingly We still :heart: Hoofing.

Will we never learn?

I despair.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Absolute stereotypical rubbish! Have you not noticed Brighton, Southampton, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Peterborough all play proper football?

Astonishingly We still :heart: Hoofing.

Will we never learn?

I despair.

Well said.