HUGE Praise for Adkins & the boys

[Silent Blade]

My personal favourite Bassett quote was, "one of our players would have to get gang raped in the box to win a pen" - so beautifully not PC!

.

He also said he had more ups and downs than Christine Keeler's knickers.

When the John Street Stand was demolished in summer 1994 and there was a long period when building the new stand hadnt started he called the area "Fred West's garden"

 

[metalblade]

"Let's have a look at the attendances at The Lane under DD. He drove thousands of proper football fans away."
Well I'm a proper football fan and Dave Bassett's teams solidified my support for this club, and got me to see my team at Wembley which I never thought I'd see growing up in the 80s.

Bearing in mind the mid 80s where we regularly used to get under 10k. We were one of the best 10 supported clubs in the land in 1991-92 at the peak of his team.
1987-88 10,207
1988-89 12,222
1989-90 16,989
1990-91 21,461
1991-92 22,097
1992-93 18,801
1993-94 19,562

Spot on, at a time when attendances at football country wide were at a very low level due to hooliganism and bad press due to two disasters in the 80's which had little to do with hooliganism, then Basset did rather well to increase attendances year upon year in all but one season. Yes that style of play is now obsolete but you can't take anything away from Basset's achievements.

 

[alcoblade]

And whilst that style of football is obsolete, we've had a reminder that lots of the same factors are still in play.

Both Weir and Clough tick the "modern day football" box, whilst failing miserably to acknowledge that games of football are won when you get the ball and the players into the penalty area, and the ball over the line.

Extreme styles have become obsolete. Some basic principles haven't.

UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

A agree with a lot of what you say, despite the hyperbole. But I can't abide your attitude to Bassett. I agree with you that long ball football in the modern game doesn't work, but I remember Bassett's teams and a lot of the time the main focus was getting the ball wide and playing with wingers, and it was more direct, but it wasn't 'just' hoofing. But also, that man reversed decades of decline for Sheffield United, and got us back to the top flight, and it's just bollocks about turning people away. As a reference:

"Let's have a look at the attendances at The Lane under DD. He drove thousands of proper football fans away."
Well I'm a proper football fan and Dave Bassett's teams solidified my support for this club, and got me to see my team at Wembley which I never thought I'd see growing up in the 80s.

Bearing in mind the mid 80s where we regularly used to get under 10k. We were one of the best 10 supported clubs in the land in 1991-92 at the peak of his team.
1987-88 10,207
1988-89 12,222
1989-90 16,989
1990-91 21,461
1991-92 22,097
1992-93 18,801
1993-94 19,562

A man for his era if ever there was one. What he said, did and didn't do after '95 shouldn't detract too much from his achievements here.

 

[Pinchy]

A man for his era if ever there was one. What he said, did and didn't do after '95 shouldn't detract too much from his achievements here.

I agree actually. He was the right man at the right time. I simply remind people that there were figures in the debit column as well. Not least that he fashioned an unwelcome "Hoof" reputation for us that we have yet to live down and many, quite ludicrously, would welcome it back.

He gave us four years in the Prem that we were not entitled to, given the limited ability of most of the players. Once he'd lost, through no fault of his own, his talismanic duo, his own severe limitations were exposed.

John Harris was United's greatest manager. Let's give him a name-check rather more often. His team, at its best, were an absolute delight to watch. They were admired, not despised, across the land.

Nigel Adkins creates proper football teams. If he creates the team I expect him to do at BDTBL he will eclipse Bassett and Warnock and do it by playing the game the right way. Bramall Lane will not be big enough to house everyone that wants to watch that sort of football. There's the difference.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

It's six promotions for Dino Dave, actually. Shall we complete the facts by mentioning the number of relegations?

Can we have an acknowledgement that both were found wanting at the highest level?

Shall we admit that Bassett hadn't a clue once his crude pub football was worked out by proper coaches and managers?

Let's have a look at the attendances at The Lane under DD. He drove thousands of proper football fans away.

No, it's definitely seven promotions and Bassett our increased attendances.

No matter how many times you repeat your playground nicknames and binary view on football tactics it won't alter those facts.

 

[Pinchy]

No, it's definitely seven promotions and Bassett our increased attendances.

No matter how many times you repeat your playground nicknames and binary view on football tactics it won't alter those facts.

Well you have your standards; I have mine. Long as we're both happy, no harm done....

 

[LSF]

I agree actually. He was the right man at the right time. I simply remind people that there were figures in the debit column as well. Not least that he fashioned an unwelcome "Hoof" reputation for us that we have yet to live down and many, quite ludicrously, would welcome it back.

He gave us four years in the Prem that we were not entitled to, given the limited ability of most of the players. Once he'd lost, through no fault of his own, his talismanic duo, his own severe limitations were exposed.

John Harris was United's greatest manager. Let's give him a name-check rather more often. His team, at its best, were an absolute delight to watch. They were admired, not despised, across the land.

Nigel Adkins creates proper football teams. If he creates the team I expect him to do at BDTBL he will eclipse Bassett and Warnock and do it by playing the game the right way. Bramall Lane will not be big enough to house everyone that wants to watch that sort of football. There's the difference.

Pinchy, you've hit the correct note with regard to Bassett in this post rather than the cruelly barbed rhetoric in previous DB posts from yourself. I think this is what you really think and the other shite is just your little wind ups that some folk fail to see and react accordingly.
I had the utmost respect for Bassett and what he did for the ailing SUFC once he got the bandwagon rolling, back to back promotions on a shoestring, survival in the 1st Division /Premiership on even less resource, he was indeed a miracle worker.
When the shit finally clogged up the fan and the bandits running the club brought us down, Bassett was the one who copped for the awful flack from the Lane 'faithless'. Quite how he stuck it out so long, I'll never know and the Huddersfield defeat which more or less brought his downfall was one of my saddest days at BDTBL, the venom directed at Dave that day was truly awful, oh how the short memories of football fans flourish at times like that....

As for Bassett being a dinosaur, he played the way he did to suit the resource he had at his disposal, and with his budget, the resource was indeed sparse.
I once had a long in depth conversation with DB, regarding tactics and style. He was refreshingly honest and did nothing to hide his admiration for Italian football and the technique and ability of Italian players, he was a student of Italian football but admitted sadly that he couldn't implement his ideas and idealism to the abilities he had at his disposal at SUFC.
No, Bassett was no dinosaur, believe me, just a bloke who worked the best method with what he had at hands.

 

[Caveblade]

Great post LSF have another like!

 

[Deadbat]

Interesting debate.

Sadly having been born in 78 I never saw the vaunted Harris side my late Dad and my Uncles still laud so much even to this day. Sadly the best times I have had watching United in terms of success and getting us to the top flight has been under the so called 'footballing dinosaurs' Warnock and Bassett. I agree with Pinchy to some degree, I think both have limitations as top level managers, the former especially. To pigeon hole them though is a little unfair. I recall Bassett having some decent players at Forest and them playing some excellent football to go up (so not quite a failure really - did he not help Leicester up too?). Both managers have had a great deal more success than failures wherever they have been. To get so many promotions with so many different clubs is not a fluke. Granted they could not do it at top level really although Dinosaur Dave kept us up for 4 seasons; and if we were so limited how did he do this?

Interesting perception of the playing styles.

Bassett and Warnock may have had limitations and at times it may have been poor (I recall some bad days under both) but when I compare them to the likes of McEwan, Heath, Adams, Blackwell etc; they brought far more happy memories and good times than all of those put together. We played lovey football under Kendall (at first) and under Wilson but ultimately failed under both. I would also wager both had a lot higher wage bills and more talent at their disposal than the two dinosaurs you alluded to.

It really is too easy to just say Bassett was a long ball, hoof merchant. In some regards he could not get us playing one touch tippy tappy stuff as we did not have the players but take a look back at the old videos, we got it wide, got crosses in and scored some great goals. to just say it was kick and rush is too simplistic. For long periods of the Bassett era it was exciting with lots of goals, last minute winners and quick forwards who looked to get at defenders.

Bassett did a tremendous job a United for the most part and gave me some of my best days as a SUFC fan where we would beat many of the top flight clubs at least once and cause some real surprises. It may be slim pickings due to lack of success we have had but Warnock also gave us some of our pride back.

It has been dismal most of my time supporting United and maybe these two being the best we have had is a sign of how poor things we are but for most United fans they are as good as we have had so rightly we will applaud their efforts over some of the other disastrous managers we have had. Hope Adkins can go on and be able to replicate what they achieved in a promotion sense and get us playing the beautiful way or whatever Pinchy alludes to. The reality is most fans including myself will take winning football over the style. I don't care how we get up this year as long as we get up. Of course would love it to be free flowing, passing football but winning ugly will be just as important. The games I have seen this season we have been effective but not looked scintillating. That will do for me.

 

[Deadbat]

I have to say the illusion that Bassett lost his way and team worked him out when we went down is not really accurate. We finished comfortably mid table or just below for 3 season in the top flight (one season finished in top half I believe -9th and finished above Everton, Chelsea, Spurs). We went down as the board sold his best player and gave him hardly any of the funds to replace him. They had given him buttons to spend every summer and he had to sign players from the lower leagues continually. It is remarkable that we finished so comfortably away from the bottom places for the 3 seasons really. If we were so predictable and so limited, why couldn't other top managers work us out - we beat Man United and Ferguson 2 or 3 times in this era, Spurs 6-0, the proper footballing side Weds quite a few times too. If we were so easy to play against then you would think teams would have worked us out by season 2 or 3?

Bassett's organisational skills, man management and motivational skills also are too easily forgotten. Football is not all about tactics and a simple comparison between who passes it shorter and longer. It is once again far too easy just to compare managers and teams based on so called styles. Man management and how players are drilled and play as units together are vastly under appreciated. Even Adkins with the geese video recognises this.

 

[Silent Blade]

I was told that in 1995 the players were laughing at his instructions and shouting in training or at matches. 8 years was a long time for him. Sad, it was

 

[Bladesway]

I agree actually. He was the right man at the right time. I simply remind people that there were figures in the debit column as well. Not least that he fashioned an unwelcome "Hoof" reputation for us that we have yet to live down and many, quite ludicrously, would welcome it back.

He gave us four years in the Prem that we were not entitled to, given the limited ability of most of the players. Once he'd lost, through no fault of his own, his talismanic duo, his own severe limitations were exposed.

John Harris was United's greatest manager. Let's give him a name-check rather more often. His team, at its best, were an absolute delight to watch. They were admired, not despised, across the land.

Nigel Adkins creates proper football teams. If he creates the team I expect him to do at BDTBL he will eclipse Bassett and Warnock and do it by playing the game the right way. Bramall Lane will not be big enough to house everyone that wants to watch that sort of football. There's the difference.

I hope your right. John Harris was before my time so I can't comment. I just think that people should be given fair credit for what they achieve. If Adkins gets the run and the time he will build something great. Time I'm afraid isn't easily afforded in this day and age however.

As I say I hope you are right because it would be great to get back to the Championship let alone the Premier cheats league. Right now we are in a forgotten backwater and it's high time we pulled out of it.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

No he hasn't. He has three promotions and no relegations on his CV. Ol' Big Nose and Dinosaur Dave are not in the same class as a proper "football" manager.

My world, old hoofers die hard, don't they....

Both HB and NW as managers are past there sell by date , when it comes to all things football . We made a big mistake with employing HB as a consultant advisor , when previously trying to recruit a manager .

Still more to come from Adkins of which we will benefit.

UTB