In Conversation with Kevin McCabe (Octagon)

[I should coco]

Might have been a bit luckier if he wasn't pissed all the time.

Yes, not exactly Gary Player was he?

'Hic, the harder I drink, the luckier I get....I mean, hic,....bollocks, pass me the bottle'

 

[Davalon]

I've sat and talked to Mr Mcabe, or Kev

He got united at heart, acknowledges some of his mistakes but is adamant that Robson was just an unlucky manager...some players had to be sold, some wanted to go,

Would i do it if i had his money...yes, would i make mistakes ..yes ..shit happens

I genuinely hope he doesn't really believe that.

Here's the man who said Monty could play a Steven Gerrard role for us, and tried to make Morgan play like Beckenbauer. Then when it didn't work out he blamed 'Neil Warnock's players' without seemingly realising that these players were proven top of the Championship players.

Joke of a manager in many ways.

Had to laugh when I watched the class of 92 the other week when Gary Neville was telling the Salford players not to drink before a play off game, and Robson piped up 'lads don't listen to Nev, get a drink'.

Everyone laughed but we know don't we. Wonder how many more of our managers have been boozing until the wee small hours in the hotel less than 12 hours before a game.

 

[Ghostshark]

I genuinely hope he doesn't really believe that.

Here's the man who said Monty could play a Steven Gerrard role for us, and tried to make Morgan play like Beckenbauer. Then when it didn't work out he blamed 'Neil Warnock's players' without seemingly realising that these players were proven top of the Championship players.

Joke of a manager in many ways.

Had to laugh when I watched the class of 92 the other week when Gary Neville was telling the Salford players not to drink before a play off game, and Robson piped up 'lads don't listen to Nev, get a drink'.

Everyone laughed but we know don't we. Wonder how many more of our managers have been boozing until the wee small hours in the hotel less than 12 hours before a game.

Sadly he does..maybe one day he'll acknowledge it was a huuuge mistake.

But right now that is his mindset

 

[Champagneblade]

There was nothing unlucky about Bryan Robson.

At Boro they had to get Venables in to give him a hand.

If you have to employ someone else to help someone do their job properly it’s not because they are unlucky, it’s because they’re shit at their job.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

James was one of those extremely gifted players that never seem to make it. Joe Cole Ilk imo. from my time in the youth systems every academy had one, by far the most gifted player on the pitch and yet they never ever seem to make it... Sheffield Wednesday had one called Scott Needham. who would have been same age. James spent time in Hungary same time as Matt Lowton.

Do you mean the Joe Cole who made over 350 appearances for West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool and made over 50 appearances for the full England team? Blimey, what do you consider as having made it?

 

[mancunianblade]

Do you mean the Joe Cole who made over 350 appearances for West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool and made over 50 appearances for the full England team? Blimey, what do you consider as having made it?

Well I do say ilk. How many more? Lee Trundle?

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

Well I do say ilk. How many more? Lee Trundle?

So are you talking about their temperament and personality rather than their playing records as I cannot see the correlation between Joe Cole and Lee Trundle?

 

[MiserableBlader]

There is absolutely no difference in ownership of the ground from the PL season. The rent doesn't cover the borrowings so the FC is actually better off. And it paid for the upkeep anyhow, because the money tree fairies wouldn't have it any other way.

A twelve million increase in tv and advertising lol.

£7m becomes £8m and last years sales are included in this year for effect.

Break even hopefully.

A little knowledge and all that but it's my fault for speaking to soon about agendas.

Look you can stick your head up McCabe's arse,
scream la la la as loud as you like,
or whatever people in denial do.
It is a fact that McCabe stated when we were relegated we would lose £10 in TV and advertising for dropping out of the Championship.
Whether you believe a word that cunt says is another matter.
But that is what he said.

Everybody could see we lost amounts from TV which have been quoted above.
Advertizing (shirt, ground etc advertizing, corporate boxes), well I don't have a clue.
We did lose the Malta agreement.
I'm not saying that's what we lost.
Just saying that's what McCabe said.
If I had the time and inclination I could probably find a recording of it.
I have cassette recordings of United related interviews (and now audios) going back to when Keith Edwards was a player!
I take an interest.
That's why I remember when the money man says 'we will lose £10 million pound a year'.
Are you saying there is LESS money in football now?

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Do you mean the Joe Cole who made over 350 appearances for West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool and made over 50 appearances for the full England team? Blimey, what do you consider as having made it?

People who saw Joe Cole in his early teens thought he'd be one of, if not the best English player ever. He was meant to be that good. The career that followed, however good, is viewed in that context. Saying that Billy Kenny never got off the starting blocks & Ravel Morrison is making a right hash of his, so perhaps Cole should be credited for achieving what he did.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Look you can stick your head up McCabe's arse,
scream la la la as loud as you like,
or whatever people in denial do.
It is a fact that McCabe stated when we were relegated we would lose £10 in TV and advertising for dropping out of the Championship.
Whether you believe a word that cunt says is another matter.
But that is what he said.

Everybody could see we lost amounts from TV which have been quoted above.
Advertizing (shirt, ground etc advertizing, corporate boxes), well I don't have a clue.
We did lose the Malta agreement.
I'm not saying that's what we lost.
Just saying that's what McCabe said.
If I had the time and inclination I could probably find a recording of it.
I have cassette recordings of United related interviews (and now audios) going back to when Keith Edwards was a player!
I take an interest.
That's why I remember when the money man says 'we will lose £10 million pound a year'.
Are you saying there is LESS money in football now?

We'll see when next years accounts are out. According to you our turnover will be up by ten/twelve million on last years on advertising and sponsorship alone. So plus the Championship money, extra gate receipts and the windfall from sell ons our turnover will be in excess of thirty million. Let's see shall we?

McCabes a liar but you'll use his quotes when it suits. Okay.

Welcome to the forum RC. Still going in that newsagents?

 

[MiserableBlader]

Do we actually pay rent? I didn't think we did or if so was nominal

Well it's in the accounts so we better!
First year it was over £100K
Second year it was over £300K.
Have not looked since.
Have my own accounts to sort out.
Presumably the first year was a part year.
You decide whether that is nominal.
You decide whether if you rent a football ground it is fair to have to pay for a new near million pound pitch on it.
You decide what you think is fair for other ground developments and who pays for them when they occur.

 

[LondonBlade89]

I genuinely hope he doesn't really believe that.

Here's the man who said Monty could play a Steven Gerrard role for us, and tried to make Morgan play like Beckenbauer. Then when it didn't work out he blamed 'Neil Warnock's players' without seemingly realising that these players were proven top of the Championship players.

Joke of a manager in many ways.

Had to laugh when I watched the class of 92 the other week when Gary Neville was telling the Salford players not to drink before a play off game, and Robson piped up 'lads don't listen to Nev, get a drink'.

Everyone laughed but we know don't we. Wonder how many more of our managers have been boozing until the wee small hours in the hotel less than 12 hours before a game.

Robson was such a bad manager in so many ways. In addition to the points mentioned above, he was obsessed with forcing players to fit into his own 'system'. Unless you're doing a total squad re-build, you pick a system which suits your players, not the other way around. Of course, it's not always black and white, and you can do a bit of adjusting on either side. But his 'system' was completely at odds with the way we'd played previously that it was never going to work.

 

[Rodders]

Well it's in the accounts so we better!
First year it was over £100K
Second year it was over £300K.
Have not looked since.
Have my own accounts to sort out.
Presumably the first year was a part year.
You decide whether that is nominal.
You decide whether if you rent a football ground it is fair to have to pay for a new near million pound pitch on it.
You decide what you think is fair for other ground developments and who pays for them when they occur.

Is this a haiku? I'm struggling with the syllables.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Is this a haiku? I'm struggling with the syllables.

Believe me, he's at his very best here. WIt until he really gets going.

 

[BushBlade]

We'll see when next years accounts are out. According to you our turnover will be up by ten/twelve million on last years on advertising and sponsorship alone. So plus the Championship money, extra gate receipts and the windfall from sell ons our turnover will be in excess of thirty million. Let's see shall we?

McCabes a liar but you'll use his quotes when it suits. Okay.

Welcome to the forum RC. Still going in that newsagents?

I think KM did say that but I'm struggling to see how it's relevant. I think he was possibly rounding up a bit as I doubt it was £10m but certainly more than £5m. The problem is that over the six years wages and transfer fees have risen at an alarming rate so whilst we may have an extra £10m in income, our expenditure will have also risen considerably, just to keep the players we had, on improved contracts and to sign the players we've signed since promotion, all on 'championship' money.
Every club without parachute payments loses money in this league and we're no different. I don't know why people don't get this.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

I think KM did say that but I'm struggling to see how it's relevant. I think he was possibly rounding up a bit as I doubt it was £10m but certainly more than £5m. The problem is that over the six years wages and transfer fees have risen at an alarming rate so whilst we may have an extra £10m in income, our expenditure will have also risen considerably, just to keep the players we had, on improved contracts and to sign the players we've signed since promotion, all on 'championship' money.
Every club without parachute payments loses money in this league and we're no different. I don't know why people don't get this.

I’m a total cretin, which explains why I don’t get it. But I’m not sure about anyone else.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I think KM did say that but I'm struggling to see how it's relevant. I think he was possibly rounding up a bit as I doubt it was £10m but certainly more than £5m. The problem is that over the six years wages and transfer fees have risen at an alarming rate so whilst we may have an extra £10m in income, our expenditure will have also risen considerably, just to keep the players we had, on improved contracts and to sign the players we've signed since promotion, all on 'championship' money.
Every club without parachute payments loses money in this league and we're no different. I don't know why people don't get this.

He said a £12m increase

 

[BushBlade]

He said a £12m increase

Who did?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Who did?

The bloke who took Blades Mad to its lowest point ever.


No, not Kev.

 

[BushBlade]

The bloke who took Blades Mad to its lowest point ever.


No, not Kev.

May as well try to explain surgery to someone who doesn't understand anatomy.

 

[Sean Thornton]

May as well try to explain surgery to someone who doesn't understand anatomy.

You really don't want to know.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Here's the man who said Monty could play a Steven Gerrard role for us,
.

I know this to be true !

By chance after we'd lost 3-2 at Scunthorpe, I bumped into Monty the following day totally unexpectedly. I told him I'd been to the game and if he apologised once for the performance, he must have apologised 10 times. He actually said it was one of the worst team performances he'd been in during his entire time at the Lane.

He said Robson had asked him to be the midfield playmaker, spraying passes around. He kind of shook his head and said that isn't my game at all.

I'd never met Monty before and I was amazed at how frank he was but at that point it dawned on me that the players didn't have any confidence in Robson.

Say what you like about Monty but he knew what he was in the side for and what he could and couldn't do. Sound lad as well.

 

[wizadry]

McCabes business partner and co owner of our club seems to have come if for some stick from some quarters regards funding but let me tell you this, we would still be in league one now or even league two if it wasn’t for him so let’s give the bloke a bit of respect eh!

It’s obvious McCabe hasn’t been able to chuck money at it for ages as he’s paid for his mistakes, he’ll be trying like mad to get someone in who can help us get back to the Premier league so he can recoup the money he’s put in, one year in the Prem would sort this so it’s in his best interests aswell as ours to sort this as soon as possible and games like the Wolves game last week will have opened his eyes to see what’s required to help us get there.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I genuinely hope he doesn't really believe that.

Ditto. If he does it’s seriously worrying, and if he doesn’t recognise it was a mistake god help us whenever Wilder’s time with us comes to an end. If he can’t see he was a terrible error in judgment and hasn’t learnt from it, there’s a very real possibility he’ll make a similar mistake in the future.

 

[BushBlade]

Ditto. If he does it’s seriously worrying, and if he doesn’t recognise it was a mistake god help us whenever Wilder’s time with us comes to an end. If he can’t see he was a terrible error in judgment and hasn’t learnt from it, there’s a very real possibility he’ll make a similar mistake in the future.

Doubt it.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Doubt it.

Ah yes, had posted that without catching up on this afternoon’s news...

 

[Davalon]

I know this to be true !

By chance after we'd lost 3-2 at Scunthorpe, I bumped into Monty the following day totally unexpectedly. I told him I'd been to the game and if he apologised once for the performance, he must have apologised 10 times. He actually said it was one of the worst team performances he'd been in during his entire time at the Lane.

He said Robson had asked him to be the midfield playmaker, spraying passes around. He kind of shook his head and said that isn't my game at all.

I'd never met Monty before and I was amazed at how frank he was but at that point it dawned on me that the players didn't have any confidence in Robson.

Say what you like about Monty but he knew what he was in the side for and what he could and couldn't do. Sound lad as well.

A few of the squad were shocked at his approach and failure to know players individual strengths.

As for Monty a fantastic professional and more importantly a top drawer lad. Not met anyone inside the game, or outside who's met him, who doesn't hold him high regard.

He knew his own limitations technically but worked his bollocks off to get where he did, and justifiably had a really good career.

We all know he wasn't a silky footballer but I find it sad and disrespectful those few of our fans who talk about him like he was a joke.

Truly shit footballers don't play at the level he did for that many years.

 

[S64 Blade]

Went along tonight and it was really interesting, particularly so as McCabe evidently had a bee in his bonnet about the Prince's role at the club. When probed he said the Prince had been brought on board to bring in investment and that the ownership model needed review.

I took this to mean and/or the Prince is not putting his hand in his pocket - is not courting further investment in Saudi Arabia.

My perception levels are obviously way off.

 

[harrierjames]

Hi there,
Just wondering whether anyone is aware of any recordings (video or audio) of the conversation? EDIT: or a comprehensive set of notes.
I'm a student at the Uni of Sheffield and this could be a very useful interview for my research. Would be keen to hear from anyone who might have any info on this.

Thanks, James

 

[UnitedBlade]

Hi there,
Just wondering whether anyone is aware of any recordings (video or audio) of the conversation? EDIT: or a comprehensive set of notes.
I'm a student at the Uni of Sheffield and this could be a very useful interview for my research. Would be keen to hear from anyone who might have any info on this.

Thanks, James

It was organised by Sheffield University, so probably best start with their events team.

https://universityofsheffield.sym-online.com/registrationforms/mccabestd/closed.htm