Fans and Forum Members need to decide whose side we are on.

[Woodwardfan]

Simple statement and I do not intend to elaborate other than to say that each and every one of us should decide whether we wish Adkins success in S2. If we do then we need to control our behaviour. Any new manager deserves the full, committed support of the home crowd, forum members, Facebook and Twitter posters et al for a "honeymoon period" of 12 months.

If the man and his support team can't show progress after 12 months then they deserve criticism. The fans' reaction to a single defeat this week has been embarrassing and makes me wonder whose side some folk are on. Or is it some kind of Blades personality disorder brought about through decades of disappointment. Certainly the keyboard over-rules the brain after one single defeat.

We have a positive Board, a positive manager with a track record of 4 promotions and not much failure; we have immense support but I question the mentality of our supporters frankly.

P.S. The commitment of the Away Crowd is unquestioned, but not necessarily their behaviour, some of them anyway.

 

[SandyMcBlade]

(I know what your saying but lets keep it real Woody, what would you say is the average crowd at the lane, and how many of those actually post on this board ?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Simple statement and I do not intend to elaborate other than to say that each and every one of us should decide whether we wish Adkins success in S2. If we do then we need to control our behaviour. Any new manager deserves the full, committed support of the home crowd, forum members, Facebook and Twitter posters et al for a "honeymoon period" of 12 months.

If the man and his support team can't show progress after 12 months then they deserve criticism. The fans' reaction to a single defeat this week has been embarrassing and makes me wonder who's side some folk are on. Or is it some kind of Blades personality disorder brought about through decades of disappointment. Certainly the keyboard over-rules the brain after one single defeat.

We have a positive Board, a positive manager with a track record of 4 promotions and not much failure; we have immense support but I question the mentality of our supporters frankly.

Your positive clapping and red tinted glasses really do get in the way.

We are a professional football club and as such should be prepared the best we possibly could be for every game, the other lot are professional footballers paid to play the game due to their skills and qualities, it's not just a kick about with your mates.

As I've said elsewhere it's like going swimming to Ponds Forge without taking your trunks going to a game of professional football without a defence.

Inexcusable- end of.

and we've done that for ten fucking months.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

I want to agree with you Woodwardfan, I really do. But every time I think about, all that you say, my head says YES, that is consistent with my beliefs that modern football seems to be all about the now, immediate gratification, money wins all, etc, etc. BUT... my heart gently tugs on my head and reminds it of the abject capitulation at Yoevil at the end of last season, and I as I try to suppress this memory, the horror of THAT match at Swindon pops up. So, I may not agree with a lot of the imploding over the weekend, I don't agree with most of it, but I had really hoped for development by the start of the season and can empathise with the frustration. And the Forum is the place for it. And I sincerely hope (as I am sure the vast majority of posters do) that the reaction of the last few days will all seem vaguely ridiculous in a few months time as we are dominating the division.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

I do agree with the thrust of your point, OP. The comments on Twitter - with Adkins and McEvely linked in to them - are ridiculously over the top. Yes, we're all disappointed with Saturday, even more so if you travelled all that way, but it's one game and one game only. In the 2005/6 promotion season, we got battered 4-0 (or was it 4-1) by Watford but that result did not define the season. I think the over-reaction is scary and I suspect much more of it will scare Adkins off Twitter.

However, I think the supporters who were at Priestfields had a right to voice their displeasure to the players as they exited. It's not helped that the tunnel is right at the side of the away fans there either. Personal abuse - via Twitter - is wrong but I think a supporter of a promotion favourite has the right to jeer a few players if they feel that they have been badly let down by effort/desire. Not performance/result, those things go wrong sometimes, but effort/desire should never ever be in question whilst people are paying money to watch.

 

[@thelane]

I agree with what you are saying Woodward.....the issue is almost certainly the years of disappointment and nonsense we've had to endure, we ( including you presumably) are sick of the false dawns and overhype at the beginning of every season....we all fall for it.....but If we took off our rose tinted spectacles we could see that we have a squad of rubbish barring 4 players, who are never going to win anything.
I do however agree that the constant over reaction to one defeat is exhausting and counter productive.
My feeling is this season we cannot fail....so the pressure is on.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

My feeling is this season we cannot fail....so the pressure is on.

And if we do fail (without wanting to sound too negative), what happens? We march on to next season...

 

[SandyMcBlade]

I would say the anger and the negative views are more about frustration than anything else

 

[Woodwardfan]

The manager is looking for and working hard to establish a relationship with the supporters.

He has been in post for 69 days by my reckoning. I ask you Blades...what's up wi'yer.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

So the argument is that, if you criticise (after a 4-0 tonking at mighty Gillingham), then you're somehow an enemy within as it were?

Nigel has said himself, many times, that he embraces the pressures of managing a club like this. And so he should: he's got the track record to suggest he'll make a great success of it in time.

But suggesting he won't get criticism at times along the way is just naive (sorry, Woody).
I'm sure Nigel himself just sees it as part & parcel, something to be expected after Saturday. He'll be concerned about putting things right, not about criticism on football messageboards, etc.

 

[SwissBlade]

I don't think supporting the manager and demanding a performance are exclusive.

Woodwardfan the manager will forge a relationship with fans in one way - by getting the players in front of him performing. He has a good squad of players so he needs to use them or bring in replacements/ ship out the ones he can't get to play for him

If he gets performances from Poor players or good ones he'll get respect and a relationship with fans. Otherwise he won't be around long.

That goes for any manager.

 

[Woodwardfan]

So the argument is that, if you criticise (after a 4-0 tonking at mighty Gillingham), then you're somehow an enemy within as it were?

Nigel has said himself, many times, that he embraces the pressures of managing a club like this. And so he should: he's got the track record to suggest he'll make a great success of it in time.

But suggesting he won't get criticism at times along the way is just naive (sorry, Woody).
I'm sure Nigel himself just sees it as part & parcel, something to be expected after Saturday. He'll be concerned about putting things right, not about criticism on football messageboards, etc.

Sometimes proper behaviour in adversity is the way forward. Say a family member has made a serious mistake, it is not often the right way to produce the bollocking the family memeber deserves and it's times like that which demonstrate your relationship and help with the way forward.

On occasions an away crowd will show their support despite the performance. That's called bonding and takes a lot of bottle after spending 100 quid or so on the day.

 

[SwissBlade]

I don't think supporting the manager and demanding a performance are exclusive.

Woodwardfan the manager will forge a relationship with fans in one way - by getting the players in front of him performing. He has a good squad of players so he needs to use them or bring in replacements/ ship out the ones he can't get to play for him

If he gets performances from Poor players or good ones he'll get respect and a relationship with fans. Otherwise he won't be around long.

That goes for any manager.

 

[Barney]

So, just to clarify, when we are rightly not happy shortly after being taken to the cleaners by no other than Gillingham FC as a result of problems we've known about for an eternity, it turns out it's the fans fault? Fucking daft if you ask me.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I don't think supporting the manager and demanding a performance are exclusive.

Woodwardfan the manager will forge a relationship with fans in one way - by getting the players in front of him performing. He has a good squad of players so he needs to use them or bring in replacements/ ship out the ones he can't get to play for him

If he gets performances from Poor players or good ones he'll get respect and a relationship with fans. Otherwise he won't be around long.

That goes for any manager.

So 67 days is enough is it? Come on. I agree with you after a year, not before though surely.

 

[SandyMcBlade]

In defense of those complaining this week the majority will be just as fierce in their praise if we win 4-0 next Saturday....

 

[Woodwardfan]

So, just to clarify, when we are rightly not happy shortly after being taken to the cleaners by no other than Gillingham FC as a result of problems we've known about for an eternity, it turns out it's the fans fault? Fucking daft if you ask me.

If you read that in what I post then I can't say anything to you.

 

[Woodwardfan]

In defense of those complaining this week the majority will be just as fierce in their praise if we win 4-0 next Saturday....

Not good enough IMO.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Sometimes proper behaviour in adversity is the way forward. Say a family member has made a serious mistake, it is not often the right way to produce the bollocking the family memeber deserves and it's times like that which demonstrate your relationship and help with the way forward.

On occasions an away crowd will show their support despite the performance. That's called bonding and takes a lot of bottle after spending 100 quid or so on the day.

Sorry Woody, but that's fantasyland.

Nigel has to deal with the realities, including a very demanding fanbase.
That's not going to change, it's part of his job description here.

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

Simple statement and I do not intend to elaborate other than to say that each and every one of us should decide whether we wish Adkins success in S2. If we do then we need to control our behaviour. Any new manager deserves the full, committed support of the home crowd, forum members, Facebook and Twitter posters et al for a "honeymoon period" of 12 months.

If the man and his support team can't show progress after 12 months then they deserve criticism. The fans' reaction to a single defeat this week has been embarrassing and makes me wonder whose side some folk are on. Or is it some kind of Blades personality disorder brought about through decades of disappointment. Certainly the keyboard over-rules the brain after one single defeat.

We have a positive Board, a positive manager with a track record of 4 promotions and not much failure; we have immense support but I question the mentality of our supporters frankly.

P.S. The commitment of the Away Crowd is unquestioned, but not necessarily their behaviour, some of them anyway.

Coming from the man who spent the best part of last season hounding out Clough.

I don't think fans have been against Adkins, I just think fans were pissed off at the garbage performance on Saturday and summer recruitment. I think for once, the response was justified, especially as no lessons seem to have been learned from last year - yet. First game of the season or not, to get hammered 4-0 by Gillingham with that type of performance is not acceptable. Especially for a team that has aspirations of winning the league.

Adkins will have everyones support if results are good and he gets in center halves, a decent center mid who can tackle (to replace Doyle) and maybe a goalkeeper to replace Howard. If the board don't support Adkins in that recruitment, then we are fucked, we won't get good results and poor Adkins will bare the brunt of the criticism, he'll get sacked and we're back to square one.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Sorry Woody, but that's fantasyland.

Nigel has to deal with the realities, including a very demanding fanbase.
That's not going to change, it's part of his job description here.

Are you a father?

 

[sheffielder]

What should not be and never be forgotten is that although we have no devine right to win every game in this division, as many people and our own fans tell us, we do have the right to compete and be competitive.

Gillingham was anything but that and our players and management fell short, very short of being competitive.

 

[Bartleby]

So, just to clarify, when we are rightly not happy shortly after being taken to the cleaners by no other than Gillingham FC as a result of problems we've known about for an eternity, it turns out it's the fans fault? Fucking daft if you ask me.

not sure how you arrived at that based on the original post

 

[Woodwardfan]

Coming from the man who spent the best part of last season hounding out Clough.

I don't think fans have been against Adkins, I just think fans were pissed off at the garbage performance on Saturday and summer recruitment. I think for once, the response was justified, especially as no lessons seem to have been learned from last year - yet. First game of the season or not, to get hammered 4-0 by Gillingham with that type of performance is not acceptable. Especially for a team that has aspirations of winning the league.

Adkins will have everyones support if results are good and he gets in center halves, a decent center mid and maybe a goalkeeper to replace Howard. If the board don't support Adkins in that recruitment, then we are fucked, we won't get good results and poor Adkins will bare the brunt of the criticism, he'll get sacked and we're back to square one.

Just for the record re Clough, in my own way it took me a year to see what he could do. It was after a year I could see the "Emperor had no clothes".

 

[Barney]

not sure how you arrived at that based on the original post

Statements like 'the reaction to the defeat was embarrassing'.

The only thing embarrassing on Saturday was the players' performances.

 

[robbiez666]

So, no one is allowed to complain for 12 months then Il Duce?

I agree no one should be criticising the manager after 1 game. No one should be spewing disgusting personal hate against the players to their faces or on social media. However, many of these players have been here a while. They deserve boos or people criticising their workrate, ability or commitment if they don't put a shift in or play utterly terribly.

Stop telling people what to think. I agree with the sentiment which I assume is "give him a chance" but I don;t agree that they're beyond reproach for a period of time you deem to set.

 

[Woodwardfan]

So, no one is allowed to complain for 12 months then Il Duce?

I agree no one should be criticising the manager after 1 game. No one should be spewing disgusting personal hate against the players to their faces or on social media. However, many of these players have been here a while. They deserve boos or people criticising their workrate, ability or commitment if they don't put a shift in or play utterly terribly.

Stop telling people what to think. I agree with the sentiment which I assume is "give him a chance" but I don;t agree that they're beyond reproach for a period of time you deem to set.

Fair comment. I suppose it's my own sense of a reasonable time. Thing is this weekend has been alarming.

 

[sheffielder]

Fair comment. I suppose it's my own sense of a reasonable time. Thing is this weekend has been alarming.

I haven't chucked my toys out, however Saturday was very alarming. Let's see what happens Saturday.

I don't think Adkins should come under fire if we fail this year, the board and Jim's turn this time.

 

[FTPE]

I'm a billion percent behind Adkins, but he's fucked up his first game and all my optimism and positiveness isn't softening the blow.
I'm willing to draw a line under last Saturday now, but I care too much not to piss n moan after performances like that.

 

[Bartleby]

Statements like 'the reaction to the defeat was embarrassing'.

The only thing embarrassing on Saturday was the players' performances.

no, what I meant was not sure how you reached the conclusion he was saying the defeat was the fans fault because he said the reaction was embarrassing. A lot of the abuse we are told was hurled at Long, and a lot of the overreactive shite on this forum, is not just embarrassing it is shameful.