Jim addressing the fans on twitter 18/10/15.

[sheffielder]

We are on our third manager since big Jim
And the prince rode into town. All this in less than three years.... Get your bosses to put up or please shut up now Jim

 

[Bladesman]

subtly the debate over our investment has changed since the Prince came in, has anyone noticed?

Initially, the point of this new investment was so that we would keep our best players and spend money (which we previously didn't have) on more players to improve the side.

Now, the debate has shifted. It isn't about how much we have invested, but how much have we 're-invested' which is a completely different point. It's evident now money isn't being spent on bringing in players of quality 'a la Wolves, Bristol City etc' but are we having a net spend of zero? And basically, no we aren't.

I don't mind that we dont have millions, but Phipps needs to stop acting like we do. If the board were genuinely willing to spend what it takes to get out of the league, they would re-invest the Murphy money, and then some. They wouldn't be haggling over a few grand for Burn, or a few grand on Hammond's wages. A serious board would put faith in the manager and pay for the player's Adkins (the man THEY chose to get us up) has said would gain us promotion.

Furthermore, on the topic of Murphy and Maguire, and how the attitude of 'if a player wants to leave we're better getting rid' is applied. I remember Joe Garner handing in a transfer request at Preston and turning down a new contract. Preston managed to convince him to stay, they went up with him as top scorer. Let's not pretend once a player shows intent to leave, then it's all over. Rooney could also be used as a good example.
A serious, well run club negotiate these things in a professional manner and do what is best for the first team. They don't sell players to the first bidder and hide behind the fact they 'expressed an interest to leave'. It's utter bollocks.

That's it right there.

We have been blinded by the sales of key players and we actually haven't improved the squad despite selling players. The level of investment was "think Liverpool" and now it's more like "think L**ds".

We assumed we would be adding to the likes of Maguire and Murphy when we got taken over.

I think we have got investors that are doing what McCabe was doing. Which is propping the club up and nothing more. If a player can be sold then it will happen with little fuss.

 

[JJ Sefton]

You could take Phipps' tweets, jumble them up randomly, and not notice a blind bit difference. He's been saying the same thing endlessly which is that all is working well (when we win) and all is working well but there will bumps on the road (when we lose). But as the involvement of Phipps and the Bogroll Billionaire have made zero difference to this club on the field, all is clearly not working well.

We're stuck. We're going fucking nowhere and Phipps should stop bullshitting.

 

[Sirius]

That's the factor everybody ignores when players leave. That they actually WANT to go.
I don't want anybody at United who doesn't want to be. They perform like wankers and the overall team morale suffers. We've got enough of that with the players we still have at the moment.

I agree TD they WANT to go. They were more than happy though to sign a binding contract for x amount of time and wages to play for us. As Sam Goldwyn remarked "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper is written on."
Before signing a legally binding document, should be made to understand that, once signed, they should honour it.

If only a club would enforce this, They hold the contract. A week or two of gardening l leave, or a breach of contract scenario might bring the greedy players into line and give stability to their employers.
I am surprised that this has not been enforced.

 

[PokerBlade]

In some defence of them they did back Clough financially. Taking them at their word (a dangerous policy, I know), they gave the manager a budget and let him do with it as he pleased. That amounted to him signing an awful lot of players that weren't up to the task.

What's irritating to me is that rather than tell us what would seem to make sense, that the large number of players we have is holding us back, we're instead told that the club has a policy of being quiet about its finances but everything's good and the funds are there to send us up.

What really irritates me even more is the way the Brayford transfer was handled by Jim. Everything's an undisclosed fee when we sell. But when the board wants to show off it makes a habit of responding to speculation by saying "It was more than that" to a guess of 1.5m. Seems like a convenient way of gloating when it suits them and not taking flak when it doesn't. Don't talk about the value of Murphy, but show off about the price of Brayford. Be open with the fans while saying nothing when it suits.

Overall Jim's PR efforts are quite good but I'd predicted from the start that when things don't go well you end up in an impossible position. And you end up like Lee Strafford when he was on Owlstalk. Granted, Jim's doing a far better job at talking to fans than that mug ever did but there's no escaping the fact that you're pretending to be open and honest in a world where sometimes you'll have to keep your mouth shut. When that time comes you get called out for it and often criticised more than if you'd never been open to begin with.

We want success. We're being told that everything is in order to bring us that. And yet we're not seeing the results. So something's wrong and it just turns into annoyance when his role on Twitter is essentially to insist otherwise.

 

[Sirius]

Hold On Guys ! Everything is alright
We now have Lee Turnbull - Top Player Scout - He'll find some players for us when he's settled into his job!
His record at present is not as good as Nigel Clough's brother Simon !
Another Adkins Jobs for the Boys methinks !

You may well think that, but to be correct, you would have to factor in, and compare and contrast the achievements of the partnerships over the periods they have worked together.

 

[Revolution]

I have no doubt that our owners have good intentions and that they conduct their business in the best interests of the club and its supporters.

My doubts surround whether they can make the correct decisions or if we even have sufficient finances to even attempt it. I'm completely happy to take them at their word that the JM money and any other player sale proceeds have been made available for the first team. I'm then left wondering why that money can't buy us at least one (if not two) players that can make a positive impact. There are hundreds of players in the football league and surely a number that fit the criteria.

Our failure to do anything suggests that as I quite well suspect football finance is becoming ever more bonkers than it already is and that for whatever reason we can't put together an attractive enough deal to sign difference makers. My horrible sinking feeling is that football has left us behind and we are simply priced out of a bloated and disproportionate market.....I'm not even sure our directors realise it.

There is money to tread water.

There is no money to improve, or push on.

That much is clear.

And this man should not be anywhere near the running of a football club. He is overmatched.

 

[Sirius]

I reckon it will get much worse soon my prediction is Adkins will not see out the full season .He will be off to a championship club due to false promises.

Correct me if i am mistaken. We will not spend now. We will wait to see what January offers.? What possible advantage to a push for promotion can this be.?
Adkins has admitted that the squad we have will not get us promoted. Then ,Why wait two months to put in place the players capable of doing the job?
bring players in now who will garner more points than the present lot between now and January, and then add players who can improve our chances from then on.

tying a hand behind our back risking playing catch up from January. Kick start the push now. By January we could be sitting on top of the league.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

tying a hand behind our back risking playing catch up from January. Kick start the push now. By January we could be sitting on top of the league.

We could be but we won't be.

Most likely be on our why to conceding the fortieth goal?

 

[BouncinBlade]

The best thing JP can do is come off all social media. It will save him a lot of headache and eventually his sanity!

 

[Smirth]

Jim is the master at using lots of words but in fact saying very little and giving nothing away.

I'd prefer to deal in actions rather than words and the actions of this current board are that they are currently over seeing their 2nd full season in charge of the club and at the start of each they've cashed in on our best player and not adequately replaced them. No amount of waffle from Jim will change that.

Compare that with the last 2 seasons and there are two examples of teams in this league holding on to players who want away and going on to achieve promotion. Wolves in their first season down here. Bakary Sako was in demand, both Forest and Fulham made bids but Wolves stayed resolute and kept the player despite him wanting out.

Last summer Joe Garner was down to the last year of his contract, he wanted away but the club kept hold of him, turned down bids for him, and he went on to fire them to promotion.

It can be done and it just takes the club having a bit of back bone and willing to take a risk not to cash in on an asset. It worked for both Wolves and Preston as Sako & Garner both played key roles in their promotion. Sadly the trend with us will mean it won't happen.

It's been done to death, but do you really think Harry Maguire and Jamie Murphy are the type of people to kick up a stink if the club said no to them? They aren't, they both know they need to keep up their performance levels if they continue to want away.

Who knows, if we'd had some back bone, kept them and won promotion then we would probably be able to change their minds from wanting away.

It's a handy excuse for the club to hide behind but it doesn't wash with me, nor does the continued waffle from Jim who rarely says anything of substance.

 

[RMBlade]

It's been done to death, but do you really think Harry Maguire and Jamie Murphy are the type of people to kick up a stink if the club said no to them? They aren't, they both know they need to keep up their performance levels if they continue to want away.

As far as I was aware didn't Maguire want to leave the season before but we kept him? Maybe on the promise that if we don't get promoted he can leave?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Jim is the master at using lots of words but in fact saying very little and giving nothing away.

I'd prefer to deal in actions rather than words and the actions of this current board are that they are currently over seeing their 2nd full season in charge of the club and at the start of each they've cashed in on our best player and not adequately replaced them. No amount of waffle from Jim will change that.

Compare that with the last 2 seasons and there are two examples of teams in this league holding on to players who want away and going on to achieve promotion. Wolves in their first season down here. Bakary Sako was in demand, both Forest and Fulham made bids but Wolves stayed resolute and kept the player despite him wanting out.

Last summer Joe Garner was down to the last year of his contract, he wanted away but the club kept hold of him, turned down bids for him, and he went on to fire them to promotion.

It can be done and it just takes the club having a bit of back bone and willing to take a risk not to cash in on an asset. It worked for both Wolves and Preston as Sako & Garner both played key roles in their promotion. Sadly the trend with us will mean it won't happen.

It's been done to death, but do you really think Harry Maguire and Jamie Murphy are the type of people to kick up a stink if the club said no to them? They aren't, they both know they need to keep up their performance levels if they continue to want away.

Who knows, if we'd had some back bone, kept them and won promotion then we would probably be able to change their minds from wanting away.

It's a handy excuse for the club to hide behind but it doesn't wash with me, nor does the continued waffle from Jim who rarely says anything of substance.

You've literally created an alternative reality and then dismissed as excuses anything that challenges this sparkly magicland.

Comforting and way beyond rational debate.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

You could take Phipps' tweets, jumble them up randomly, and not notice a blind bit difference. He's been saying the same thing endlessly which is that all is working well (when we win) and all is working well but there will bumps on the road (when we lose). But as the involvement of Phipps and the Bogroll Billionaire have made zero difference to this club on the field, all is clearly not working well.

We're stuck. We're going fucking nowhere and Phipps should stop bullshitting.

Have you read what he said?

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

There is money to tread water.

There is no money to improve, or push on.

That much is clear.

And this man should not be anywhere near the running of a football club. He is overmatched.

I think you've nailed it. Completely agree, I usually do agree with you though.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

There is money to tread water.

There is no money to improve, or push on.

That much is clear.

And this man should not be anywhere near the running of a football club. He is overmatched.

But somehow we sacked Clough and appointed Adkins. How did that happen? Chance? Jim wasn't involved? Jim objected but was overruled? Other?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I think you've nailed it. Completely agree, I usually do agree with you though.

Have you read Jim's tweets?

 

[JJ Sefton]

Have you read what he said?

Yes. It's the same thing I was reading a year ago.

 

[Revolution]

But somehow we sacked Clough and appointed Adkins. How did that happen? Chance? Jim wasn't involved? Jim objected but was overruled? Other?

I don't know. What I do know is appointing Adkins, selling his best player and not shoring up problem areas is not good management.

 

[sheffielder]

I don't know. What I do know is appointing Adkins, selling his best player and not shoring up problem areas is not good management.

This ^^ we bought a car and forgot the petrol.

 

[Smirth]

You've literally created an alternative reality and then dismissed as excuses anything that challenges this sparkly magicland.

Comforting and way beyond rational debate.

Which part is the alternative reality?

The bit about selling our best 2 players at the beginning of each season HRH has been involved in the team?

The bit that we did not NEED to sell those players? i.e the club were powerless to stop them leaving

Or that in the past two seasons, two promoted teams stopped one of their best players from leaving despite them wanting to go?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I don't know. What I do know is appointing Adkins, selling his best player and not shoring up problem areas is not good management.

Selling Murphy doesn't really enter into it.

So do you know Jim made the other decisions? Or what those decisions were based on? What the limitations are? Whether Adkins thinks the best use of the money is permanent moves etc etc.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Which part is the alternative reality?

The bit about selling our best 2 players at the beginning of each season HRH has been involved in the team?

The bit that we did not NEED to sell those players? i.e the club were powerless to stop them leaving

Or that in the past two seasons, two promoted teams stopped one of their best players from leaving despite them wanting to go?

The bit where we keep Murphy and Maguire and everything is covered in fairy dust.

 

[Revolution]

Selling Murphy doesn't really enter into it.

So do you know Jim made the other decisions? Or what those decisions were based on? What the limitations are? Whether Adkins thinks the best use of the money is permanent moves etc etc.

What experience did Phipps have of running a team? Of transfers? Of the loan market? Of budgets?

None.

He's not a football man. He's an interpreter turned lawyer turned adviser for a rich guy.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Yes. It's the same thing I was reading a year ago.

We hadn't sold Murphy a year ago...

Same for any number of other issues addressed in the tweets.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

What experience did Phipps have of running a team? Of transfers? Of the loan market? Of budgets?

None.

He's not a football man. He's an interpreter turned lawyer turned adviser for a rich guy.

And somehow he struck lucky with Adkins. He must be really jammy.

 

[Smirth]

The bit where we keep Murphy and Maguire and everything is covered in fairy dust.

Didn't say that it would lead to promotion or anything like that, it's undeniable holding on to them could have changed our fortunes though.

My issue is Jim talks about the transfer requests as though that's the end of it all and the fight to keep a player is lost. It isn't, and it goes against what they said when they invested in the club. Other clubs say no to their players to the benefit of their team. We say yes to the benefit of the players career whilst we continue to consolidate our position as a league 1 club.

 

[Revolution]

And somehow he struck lucky with Adkins. He must be really jammy.

That remains to be seen.

 

[sheffielder]

And somehow he struck lucky with Adkins. He must be really jammy.

You think Jim picked Adkins?

 

[JJ Sefton]

We hadn't sold Murphy a year ago...

Same for any number of other issues addressed in the tweets.

No it isn't. We're still being told that all these lumps of dogshit we keep getting served are, in fact, fine Belgian chocolates. We're still being fed endless excuses as to why we are stuck with a shit team in a poxy division.