Jim Phipps on Facebook

[MobileBlade]

But we aren't just constantly reminding you that are we?

We are saying reasons why we think we are down here

Just remind me again. We moved on [counts] 6 posts. I've forgotten.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

You need to ro read again what he said. Most of what you say makes no sense as it is so take a step back and start again

Start again! Do I have to?

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Just remind me again. We moved on [counts] 6 posts. I've forgotten.

So have I

 

[MobileBlade]

So have I

Thank fuck. Please dont re-read ☺

 

[PeteBlade]

Perhaps next summer is the time to discuss it not 15 games into a season. You can't bring Murphy back (he wasn't our best player btw). So move on. Support the club, get behind the decisions no matter whether you think they were good or bad. Come next May if we go up - fantastic. We can open the prosecco and plan for next season. If we don't have the inquest and move on. Constantly drilling out the same repeated 5th season in league, sold best player etc etc etc serves no purpose other than to satisfy own "told you" agendas.

When it's affecting us THIS season, why would we possibly not talk about it this season?
It's nothing to do with "told you" agendas, that's bullshit.
Just blindly clapping along like a drunken seal makes them think they've done well.
If we kick up a fuss, kick off, loudly complain and let them know, maybe, just maybe, they'll think twice before selling our best player, and yes, he was our best player, again and again.

Then maybe we'll actually get out of this division sometime in the next half century.

 

[MobileBlade]

When it's affecting us THIS season, why would we possibly not talk about it this season?
It's nothing to do with "told you" agendas, that's bullshit.
Just blindly clapping along like a drunken seal makes them think they've done well.
If we kick up a fuss, kick off, loudly complain and let them know, maybe, just maybe, they'll think twice before selling our best player, and yes, he was our best player, again and again.

Then maybe we'll actually get out of this division sometime in the next half century.

Do you work in a manager role?

 

[PeteBlade]

Do you work in a manager role?

Yes.

 

[MobileBlade]

Yes.

So when your boss makes a decision which you don't agree with but have to inflict it on the staff what do you do?

 

[Top Cat]

When it's affecting us THIS season, why would we possibly not talk about it this season?
It's nothing to do with "told you" agendas, that's bullshit.
Just blindly clapping along like a drunken seal makes them think they've done well.
If we kick up a fuss, kick off, loudly complain and let them know, maybe, just maybe, they'll think twice before selling our best player, and yes, he was our best player, again and again.

Then maybe we'll actually get out of this division sometime in the next half century.

So you think that your constant bleating and bashing (although last season you maintained that your constant carping didn't mean that you wanted Clough sacked..you were merely expressing your concerns 10 times per day) is productive and that someone from the club will read your posts and think...hang on a minute...Pete is right..why couldn't we see it.

And your "surprised monkey" avatar really gets up my nose.

Rant over.

 

[secretchief]

All where? Unless I've missed something basically this started with

It's wrong to sell our best player.

and ended with

We should sell our best player at the right price.

Which I reckon is about as much progress as can reasonably be expected.

All you established is that people will admit that it is theoretically defensible if it results in promotion. That being people's stated estimation of the 'right price'.

Since we haven't been promoted recently whilst consistently underselling our best prospects, I'm not sure this is exactly a ringing endorsement of the Socratic method you're pursuing here.

I mean, is there a single example in our entire history of the club strengthening or becoming successful in any meaningful way as a result of selling our best players that you can point to?

It really is time this changed.

If we are talking about being 'realistic', why do people who are willing to fork out ten million every year in running costs choose to offset their losses with 1-2 million in sales that virtually guarantees that we stay in this division?

 

[PeteBlade]

So when your boss makes a decision which you don't agree with but have to inflict it on the staff what do you do?

Completely nonsensical comparison.

But if decisions are constantly made, over and over again, which clearly and obviously have a detrimental impact on the business, it would be wise to point this out to maybe stop it from happening again.

 

[PeteBlade]

So you think that your constant bleating and bashing (although last season you maintained that your constant carping didn't mean that you wanted Clough sacked..you were merely expressing your concerns 10 times per day) is productive and that someone from the club will read your posts and think...hang on a minute...Pete is right..why couldn't we see it.

And your "surprised monkey" avatar really gets up my nose.

Rant over.

No, you overly sensitive little sausage, it's a football forum, where people talk about football, if it upsets you that much, go and take your own silly little avatar and go clap blindly in a corner.

Funny that most of those concerns were incredibly accurate and even backed up by the chairman recently.

Fancy that.

 

[Top Cat]

And you are pointing this out so that the bastions at the club can benefit from your wisdom. Fantastic.

Do you believe in fairies?

 

[MobileBlade]

Completely nonsensical comparison.

But if decisions are constantly made, over and over again, which clearly and obviously have a detrimental impact on the business, it would be wise to point this out to maybe stop it from happening again.

Not at all. Its about raising the issue at the right time in the right environment. But ultimately you have to support the decision to the staff or find another job. It's only the same.

 

[MobileBlade]

And you are pointing this out so that the bastions at the club can benefit from your wisdom. Fantastic.

Do you believe in fairies?

You do realise we've been in this division five years don't you? (Just for the benefit of anyone who has joined this thread and skipped maybe two or three posts)

 

[PeteBlade]

Not at all. Its about raising the issue at the right time in the right environment. But ultimately you have to support the decision to the staff or find another job. It's only the same.

In your world, when would we, as supporters, be allowed to express our concerns?

I mean if not on a football message board, would you grant us an hour's slot in the close season right before they do it all again and you wouldn't allow us to complain again for another season?

 

[MobileBlade]

In your world, when would we, as supporters, be allowed to express our concerns?

I mean if not on a football message board, would you grant us an hour's slot in the close season right before they do it all again and you wouldn't allow us to complain again for another season?

Actually season lasts 39 weeks. I think the other 1/4 of a year is ample.

 

[PeteBlade]

And you are pointing this out so that the bastions at the club can benefit from your wisdom. Fantastic.

Do you believe in fairies?

No I'm talking about football on a football message board.
Which part of that confuses you the most?

 

[s35blade]

In other news: Millwall and Wigan are just starting to get going.......

 

[Hamburg Blade]

The number of threads which are deteriorating into petty spats is ridiculous "show me where I said that" should be banned. I don't post much but do read quite a few of the threads, this one as a subject / original post is perhaps more important than most on here, but after 20 pages, look at the state of it. Unreadable.
I was intending to post my opinions on JP's Facebook post, which is, on reflection, quite appalling in my view, but I don't see the point of trying to squeeze a serious comment in amongst the squabbles.

 

[Top Cat]

So you have no comprehension that your posts may be slightly repetitive and boring? Same old recycled shit?

Get behind your club....be loud and proud. You lose a game...you move on. You win...rejoice..simple.

 

[PeteBlade]

So you have no comprehension that your posts may be slightly repetitive and boring? Same old recycled shit?

Get behind your club....be loud and proud. You lose a game...you move on. You win...rejoice..simple.

Oh I'm sure they upset a few overly sensitive souls who misplace their anger. Can't say I'm overly interested.

If I find I dislike someone's postings, I tend to ignore them.

 

[Barney]

The number of threads which are deteriorating into petty spats is ridiculous "show me where I said that" should be banned. I don't post much but do read quite a few of the threads, this one as a subject / original post is perhaps more important than most on here, but after 20 pages, look at the state of it. Unreadable.
I was intending to post my opinions on JP's Facebook post, which is, on reflection, quite appalling in my view, but I don't see the point of trying to squeeze a serious comment in amongst the squabbles.

Pete's got himself into a bit of a stew of recent. Getting into many of these little "you kick, I kick" squabbles.

Post your thoughts, i'll read them.

 

[Wards]

The number of threads which are deteriorating into petty spats is ridiculous "show me where I said that" should be banned. I don't post much but do read quite a few of the threads, this one as a subject / original post is perhaps more important than most on here, but after 20 pages, look at the state of it. Unreadable.
I was intending to post my opinions on JP's Facebook post, which is, on reflection, quite appalling in my view, but I don't see the point of trying to squeeze a serious comment in amongst the squabbles.

I've found the ignore function very useful over the past couple of weeks... It's filtered a lot of shite out!

 

[Revolution]

So you would sell Adams...

Don't really want to pursue this any further so I'll leave it at that.

Wow. Just wow.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

All you established is that people will admit that it is theoretically defensible if it results in promotion.

Fairy nuff.

Fwiw I think there was a (garbled) reference to a post I can't see.

Since we haven't been promoted recently whilst consistently underselling our best prospects, I'm not sure this is exactly a ringing endorsement of the Socratic method you're pursuing here.

• in this universe at least, we haven't gained promotion recently by keeping players against their will either
• underselling begs the question
• selling and underachievement are not established to be causally connected - as I'm sure you're aware

Pedantry Points:

• the Socratic method was good enough for Socrates - or was it Plato? So I don't think it's the method per se that's at fault.
• the outcomes can be questioned though

All of that from the first line. I'm not saying any of this is conclusive, far from it, but further elaboration would be tedious in the extreme.

UTMB

 

[secretchief]

• in this universe at least, we haven't gained promotion recently by keeping players against their will either
• underselling begs the question
• selling and underachievement are not established to be causally connected - as I'm sure you're aware

Pedantry Points:

• the Socratic method was good enough for Socrates - or was it Plato? So I don't think it's the method per se that's at fault.
• the outcomes can be questioned though

All of that from the first line. I'm not saying any of this is conclusive, far from it, but further elaboration would be tedious in the extreme.

UTMB

Surely you jest.

a) We haven't kept anyone against their will, so the argument is nonsensical. There is no evidence as to whether holding players to their contract might improve matters. There's a ton of evidence that selling your best players is counterproductive.
b) I used underselling in the sense accepted here - that anything short of promotion is to undersell.
c) Selling and underachievement are causally connected. You have fewer good players so you don't win as many games. Anything else is just being obtuse. I mean, come on.
d) I'm not saying that the Socratic method is at fault (you can add that straw man to your tally of pedantry points). I'm saying that your tedious attempts to employ it here, where you think you are asking a series of leading questions to bring people to their true enlightenment, isn't quite having the effect you believe it to be.

It certainly isn't conclusive, you are right about that.

 

[metalblade]

Oh I can keep a track of my arguments but you, metal, judge, some guy with a leeds post code, barney rubble, up pomppeyi and others just fade into one mass of constantly reminding everyone - because we dont pay attention - that - and forgive me if I get this next bit wrong - I think we are in the fifth season in the league.

I promise I'll do my best to remember that. You may need to keep reminding me every now and then.

Oh and that Murphy was our best player this season start, Maguire last season start, Lowton a couple of seasons before that. And because we are in League 1 and we sold them to clubs in a higher league then everything about the club is shit. Is that right?

I'm genuinely bemused at your misplaced anger.
It's nonsensical to aim your hissy fit at fellow Blades and not the actual culprits and people that keep doing these things.
Still, if it makes you feel better to slag off fellow fans instead, knock yourself out.

I thought you would have realised by now that's how it works on this forum anyone who isn't a complete McCabe brown nose is soon jumped upon rather the usual suspects opening their eyes to other viewpoint .......... how very dare we criticise the club. This lot of McCabe apologists like to throw insults and muddy the waters until the debate degenerates into a playground name calling game.

 

[Bladepicker]

Very easy to blame Clough.

Fact is he brought some decent players to the club and if the board had the ambition and the investment they waffle on about then, after his first succesful 6 months they could have paid the money needed for Coady, not sold Maguire and stumped up the cash required to force Brighton's hand on O'Grady.

Had they stumped up the cash and not sold our best player we could have kept the nucleas of our most sucessful team of recent times and strengthened it with the addition of the target man we needed.

But they didn't. Which means we were saddled with lots of cheaper shite that we can't get rid of.

Yet in this piece the bit of self criticism Phipps allows is the fact that they didn't reign in the last manager or sack him earlier. Yet they allowed him to do the retained list at the end of the season? More spin than a 5th day dust bowl at the Wankhede.

 

[Woodwardfan]

The recent message from Phipps is a remarkable communication on social media which is the most effective way to reach fans. By taking the time in his busy schedule to communicate with fans on a weekly basis the man is demonstrating his commitment to the club and is placing fans right up there in his priorities.

In this landmark communication he has spelled out the Prince's investment to date and through to the end of January ( more to come). He has advised us why Clough was sacked and it turns out our ex-manager was riding roughshod over the recruitment systems established by his employer and seemingly refused to change during the summer.

Over the years certain United fans have feasted on lack of knowledge and facts and there has been so much hot air and conjecture and in some cases deliberate nonsense spouted. I believe there are a few Wednesdayites infiltrating this and other forums just to damage morale and fulfill a role they have assumed as the best way they can serve their club and this is something that cannot be eradicated. Each poster has to be judged and treated on merit and mentally put in place by each member of the forum; some things they say are so outrageous and destructive, they cannot possibly be Unitedites.

Then there are those type of people who are genuine Unitedites but have that sort of personality which always looks for impending disaster, conspiracies, the end of the world and all that. They are sincere but they have personality disorders in everything they are involved in, be it family, work, pub, club and so on.

The many contributions from the above two groups drip, drip, drip and over time influence the opinions and morale of other types of supporters. When things are not going well they assume more credibility and other groups who take defeats and adversity not so well then join in the negativity.

What Phipps is attempting to do is to put all the facts out there to reduce the frustrations and help all fans to see exactly what the Board are doing and investing ( big money). He is even prepared to make public the reason Clough was sacked and Phipps' own opinion of why he failed to assemble a quality squad. He has gone on to applaud the efforts of Adkins to date and to explain why the squad cannot be reshaped immediately and why expected results and the pruning of the squad have been hampered by the severe injury list.

The reason he is making all this effort is in the hope that everyone will be singing from the same songsheet with knowledge of what's going on and where all the efforts are channelled to achieve success.

There is some criticism that his language is disrespectful to the league and to Clough. Isn't he simply trying to communicate in a language his audience will understand and respond to. A mistake?- probably.

Good on'yer Jim and thanks so much for treating us supporters with respect and attaching such importance to us. I have worried about your Facebook communications and disagreed with them because of those two categories of fans mentioned above and because they will give you hell. The Wednesdayites will try to discourage you and hope to drive you out of town, no question. How do you differentiate between genuine fans, those with personality disorder and Wednesdayites? I think the way genuine fans can help re-address the balance is to join Facebook and communicate their rational views to him and encourage him. I'm joining Facebbok today.