David Weir - Moving the Goalposts?

[Sothall_Blade]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/game-offers-balm-for-raw-wounds.22674243

"The goalposts moved: the owners changed and it became a different job. You were asked to do things and I did them but it was irrelevant really when it came to the crunch"

I think Weir is being disingenuous by implying that the change in ownership made his job harder.
What it meant in practice was that he was able to sign THIRTEEN new players when it would probably have been around SIX new players without the arrival of The Prince.
Expectations may have been raised slightly but even before the ownership Sheikh up nobody expected us to win only one match and be dumped out of both cups.

What were these mysterious "things" that he was asked to do by the evil Board?
Sell players? He only lost McDonald of note.
Play the kids? Long and Maguire were regulars anyway. Ironside and McFadzean were given a few games but no other young players were blooded. Even those that he signed himself (Bunn, Johns).
Play attractive football? I suspect nobody told him he had to play one up front and barely have a shot
Win matches? Not an unreasonable request but he certainly didn't manage it.

 

[JJ Sefton]

"The goalposts moved:

And he couldn't find them.

 

[MCFC]

Ridiculous..It´s not like he was asked to relegate the club

 

[Darren]

What utter bollocks.

Any owner of the club, apart from Mr Mad McMad of Madsville, five times winner of Mr Mad UK, would have have insisted that Weir had the same basic job - to win a few games. He failed to do that.

 

[bladeinspaceandtime]

What utter bollocks.

Any owner of the club, apart from Mr Mad McMad of Madsville, five times winner of Mr Mad UK, would have have insisted that Weir had the same basic job - to win a few games. He failed to do that.

This is McCabe we are talking about. He gave boozehound a job!

 

[Coily]

Weeks after his departure and he still doesn't get the very simple premise that you have to win games every now and then to stay in your job as a football manager.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Oh well, at least he’s stringing whole sentences together again, unlike the shell-shocked, mono-syllabic, rabbit-caught-in-the-headlights who was interviewed after the Hartlepool match.

I actually think our Board did him a favour by stepping him in when they did and preventing him from taking any further punishment.

There were absolutely no signs of improvement and continuing as we were could have been seriously bad for his (and United’s) health.

 

[highpeakblade]

I'm sure it wasn't the board asking Weir to employ negative tactics in every single one of his games. The players he brought in were attacking minded yet he still only wanted a single shooter in the final third of the pitch!

In a sense I do feel slightly sorry for Weir because despite us being in League One, the expectations of the fans at Bramall Lane areon par with those of teams in the premiership by far.

You had your chance Mr Weir and it didn't work out. Your tactical awareness wasn't up to the job and never mind the fact that we were absolutely unable to win games under your reign as gaffer, the problem I had with you is that we weren't even doing the basics correctly under you. The was down to the fact that you came in and in my opinion forced players to play in a completely unfamiliar formation!.

Look at Cloughy.....He's come in and he is keeping things simple. He is playing a familiar system, familiar tactics and playing his players in natural positions. He isn't feeling the need to meddle around with things! He's trying to work with a proven system and so far we look a hell of a lot better for it!

 

[Darren]

I'm sure it wasn't the board asking Weir to employ negative tactics in every single one of his games. The players he brought in were attacking minded yet he still only wanted a single shooter in the final third of the pitch!

In a sense I do feel slightly sorry for Weir because despite us being in League One, the expectations of the fans at Bramall Lane areon par with those of teams in the premiership by far.

You had your chance Mr Weir and it didn't work out. Your tactical awareness wasn't up to the job and never mind the fact that we were absolutely unable to win games under your reign as gaffer, the problem I had with you is that we weren't even doing the basics correctly under you. The was down to the fact that you came in and in my opinion forced players to play in a completely unfamiliar formation!.

Look at Cloughy.....He's come in and he is keeping things simple. He is playing a familiar system, familiar tactics and playing his players in natural positions. He isn't feeling the need to meddle around with things! He's trying to work with a proven system and so far we look a hell of a lot better for it!

I don;t think that's right as far as Weir was concerned. A lot of people were resigned to this being a transition season. If Weir had kept us mid table without seriously threatening either end of the table, he would have been fine.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Moving the goalposts , now we know the reason why we could'nt score , fucking groundsman have a lot to answer for if you ask me , ohh and your tactics were shit .

 

[JJ Sefton]

In a sense I do feel slightly sorry for Weir because despite us being in League One, the expectations of the fans at Bramall Lane areon par with those of teams in the premiership by far.

And Weir was even disappointing whichever fans there might be whose expectations stretch to not getting relegated to the Fourth Division.

 

[blade too long]

They told him to get results, he got off to a flyer, but then couldnt buy a win . if you go for any managers job surely the minimum is stay off the bottom of the table, bottom 4 , bottom half for us

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I don't think I have ever lost respect for anyone connected with the Blades as quickly as I did for Weir. Boring, negative, clueless tactics followed by equally negative post match comments. He was absolutely useless.

 

[thevoot]

Who?

 

[Blackheath Blade]

"The goalposts moved: the owners changed and it became a different job. You were asked to do things and I did them but it was irrelevant really when it came to the crunch".r

Fixed it for you Mr Weir:

"The goalposts moved. Like our attacks, they moved sideways. Sadly, the team went backwards, the owners changed and realised the previous owners had fucked up when they appointed me and Carsley.

It became a different job, especially when I realised I had to speak to the media after another loss. I was asked to do things and I did them badly so I was irrelevant really when it came to the crunch"

 

[alcoblade]

Who?.............

........the worst manager is our history. They changed to goalposts and asked him to stop being. Bastards.



UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

He's right that the remit changed. But in truth it got a chuff load easier. Damn that increased budget!

 

[Bladesway]

I'm sure I have read the same article as you lot but I see nothing more than a bloke disappointed it didnt work out. Read the words and not just your own hate agenda and it is clear.

By the way, new ownership did move the goalposts. Suddenly some fans thought we could win the Premiership in 3 seasons. Yet no players were available in reality because of the timing. He wasn't the man for the job it appears but some of the misreading of a simple interview with the bloke is beyond childish.

 

[alcoblade]

I'm sure I have read the same article as you lot but I see nothing more than a bloke disappointed it didnt work out. Read the words and not just your own hate agenda and it is clear.

By the way, new ownership did move the goalposts. Suddenly some fans thought we could win the Premiership in 3 seasons. Yet no players were available in reality because of the timing. He wasn't the man for the job it appears but some of the misreading of a simple interview with the bloke is beyond childish.

I love the bit about people reading the words, followed by you making a load of words up about people thinking we would win the premiership in 3 years. Perhaps around Meltham they did?



UTB

 

[puppet]

had his best player sold from under him just like many before him

 

[alcoblade]

had his best player sold from under him just like many before him

Awwe, come on. That's not goalposts shifting, that's football the world over. He was allowed to sign 13 players for that one loss and turned a play-off team into relegation lookalikes. Once he'd rubber stamped his epitaph as the worst manager in our history, he walked away with towards £1,000,000 of our hard earned season ticket money.

Fuck him.

UTB

 

[puppet]

but to have no sense in the immediate positions above him left him flailing and i believe that the likes of winter and the like work with the supposed scouting network to find players with a resale value over the last few seasons... hence the risks on the likes of murphy, taylor, baxter ....even miller... were they the managers choice? an ambitious club wouldve kept a player like mcdonald anyway at this level, even if he hadnt been the absolute lynchpin of weirs preseason, no team with an eye on promotion wouldve entertained his sale. im not defending weir here so much as the cancer in the boardroom that has got us in this mess in the first place.

 

[alcoblade]

but to have no sense in the immediate positions above him left him flailing and i believe that the likes of winter and the like work with the supposed scouting network to find players with a resale value over the last few seasons... hence the risks on the likes of murphy, taylor, baxter ....even miller... were they the managers choice? an ambitious club wouldve kept a player like mcdonald anyway at this level, even if he hadnt been the absolute lynchpin of weirs preseason, no team with an eye on promotion wouldve entertained his sale. im not defending weir here so much as the cancer in the boardroom that has got us in this mess in the first place.

McDonald had a get out clause in his contract that was known about and understood by Weir. That get out clause meant that he re signed for us at a time when the odds were definitely against it. When Jacket came back (for the 2nd time, the first being prior to Weir), the club were powerless to stop it.

Of all the self destructions we've sponsored over the last few years, this wasn't one of them.

UTB

 

[Highbury_Blade]

but to have no sense in the immediate positions above him left him flailing and i believe that the likes of winter and the like work with the supposed scouting network to find players with a resale value over the last few seasons... hence the risks on the likes of murphy, taylor, baxter ....even miller... were they the managers choice? an ambitious club wouldve kept a player like mcdonald anyway at this level, even if he hadnt been the absolute lynchpin of weirs preseason, no team with an eye on promotion wouldve entertained his sale. im not defending weir here so much as the cancer in the boardroom that has got us in this mess in the first place.

I think Weirs biggest problem was that he had too rigid an idea of what style of football he wanted to be known for.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

I really cannot see what his axe to grind is. He failed; with all the backing and resources a rookie Manager would ever need to succeed (not to mention a payout based on poor performance that'd make a Banker salivate).

You were out of your depth Weir and because of you we are two steps further back then we were when you started.

 

[Blackheath Blade]

I'm sure I have read the same article as you lot but I see nothing more than a bloke disappointed it didnt work out. Read the words and not just your own hate agenda and it is clear.

By the way, new ownership did move the goalposts. Suddenly some fans thought we could win the Premiership in 3 seasons. Yet no players were available in reality because of the timing. He wasn't the man for the job it appears but some of the misreading of a simple interview with the bloke is beyond childish.

Bladesway, I'm sorry but I cant help but totally disagree with you here.

I and a lot more members of S24SU share Weir's disappointment that things didn't work out. Go back to the posts on this site when he was appointed and I think you'll find that there was a genuine hope and optimism that the board had looked beyond the "usual suspects" and secured the services of a bloke with premier league and international pedigree to get us out of this league. Correct me if i'm wrong but I cant recall anyone saying we would be Premier league in three years, let alone win the fuckin thing.

As for hate agenda, the majority of posters on here were genuinely sorry when he parted with the club and although it didnt work out, they wished DW2 well in whatever he chose to do next. By it's very nature, the football industry will ensure he wont be out of work for long in any capacity and as alcoblade says, he's walked away with a dented reputation but substantially wealthier for the experience.

It was perhaps inevitable that his first in-depth interview following his sacking would reveal his true thoughts. Perhaps we'll never know the reasons behind the "moving the goalposts" comment nor the additional things that were required of him. Nevertheless, I dont think there is any hatred of the man despite what you may think. David Weir had a great opportunity at The Lane to enhance his reputation in the game but didnt take it. There are one or two comments on this thread (including mine earlier) that will take the piss, however, Weir has achieved a lot more in football than a lot of people and he'll always have our respect for that.

 

[Sirius]

had his best player sold from under him[/B] just like many before him

One swallow doesn't make a summer. I really felt that Weir was the right man for the job when he was appointed. IMO he would be better keeping his mouth shut about his time in charge and getting on with life.
The cold hard facts are there for all to see, and make up their mind about Weir's performance. Bad form for him to lay the blame elsewhere..

 

[Kev Gee]

He will no douybt end up with a job in Scotland. end up doing well up there.
We will then have some saying we should have given him more time.

 

[Darren]

He will no douybt end up with a job in Scotland. end up doing well up there.
We will then have some saying we should have given him more time.

I have to say that my money is on him doing a bit of PR work for Everton and/or Rangers, maybe coaching kids and otherwise counting his money. I can't see why he would put himself through the managerial hell again when he doesn't need to.

 

[cooperblade]

Speculation of course but I would guess that the moving of the goalposts that he refers to is initially being told he was expected to change the style of play to one which would be used not only for the first team but also for all the academy teams and that he'd been given time for this change to bear fruit.

However, when his chosen approach led to relegation looking like a possibility, he was put under pressure to change his system and play 4-4-2 even though the players he (or more likely Stevenson) had recruited weren't necessarily best suited to that formation.

Pretty sure he'd have gone anyway but I think he'll have been disappointed that he wasn't allowed to stick to "the plan" - a plan which was meant to be the club's plan, not just his.