Jims Thoughts on SUFC's JTW 2016

[Bladesman]

Blades, there is a lot of passion on display at the moment. I get that and 100% share the desire (read: desperation) to see this club go up. I believe I can fairly say we all do. While I cannot respond to every message I've received individually, I can share my thoughts on JTW 2016 in one take and review your responses. Here's my take:

General Take: We accomplished some, but not all, of our goals for JTW 2016.

Specific Take: I’d offer these five points:

• Right-sizing: Having a squad that is too big is unhealthy. During JTW 2016, we have begun the process of right-sizing the squad. More work on this front will need to wait until the close season, when contracts expire.
• Inward transfers: We have not brought in new players during JTW 2016, apart from extending inward loans to the end of the season. This is not for lack of resources, but rather because we did not get any of the footballers with respect to whom the football professionals had: (1) conducted due diligence; and (2) determined would make an improvement. It might have been tempting in the final hours of JTW 2016 to do something just for the sake of being seen to do something. The better choice, however, was to avoid both panic buying and purchasing for cosmetic reasons.

• Keeping top talent: During JTW 2016, we have not traded away top talent. While the financial realities and economics of the modern game make essentially every club a trading club, we have managed to preserve strength for the future in this window.
• Recruiting process: By my reckoning, counting JTW 2016, it will take at least three transfer windows to complete the work of addressing past recruiting errors and excesses. The key to getting this right going forward is the work we are doing now to reclaim, to strengthen and to implement club-owned recruiting processes and procedures. This imperative is and will remain a major focus. The resolve shown during JTW 2016 in not making panic or cosmetic acquisitions is an early victory in this process. More progress on this front should begin to evidence itself in the close season and transfers windows thereafter.
• Promotion imperative: We continue to seek promotion this year. We have 18 matches left to play this season. That’s 54 points for which to play. We are currently two points off the playoff places and 12 points off the automatic promotion places. By way of reality check, we are also only 14 points above the drop zone. The league table doesn’t lie. The competition remains tight. While going up this season remains feasible, doing so will require the Mighty to pull it together, to work together in a sustained fashion to make this happen. Lungs will need to be burnt out. Passion will need to be on display ... lots of it.

You can TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK HERE and, of course, in comments below. Though not scientific, doing the survey helps me get a sense for the rough numbers.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-thoughts-sufcs-jtw-2016-jim-phipps

 

[axel smeets]

Keeping top talent????!!!!

Fuck me, what 'top talent' is there left at Bramall Lane now?

 

[DiggerBlade]

" Keeping the top talent "

Made me chuckle that did.

 

[Bladesman]

Keeping top talent????!!!!

Fuck me, what 'top talent' is there left at Bramall Lane now?

Well it reads to me like like they are looking at next season for recruitment as they have not offloaded all the dross they wanted to.

 

[bricktop]

I think every single word Jim Phipps has written is absolute bullshit.

When will he learn that actions speak louder than words on whatever branch of social media he makes his utterances on (LinkedIn today).

I've been watching the Blades 30 odd years, he has been involved with football for 2. He doesn't pull any wool over my eyes.

The Blades haven't got a pot to piss in, and the board are in disarray.

I'm betting we have 5 more years in this godforsaken shithole of a Division, christ knows that if we did go up, how the fuck would we ever be competitve in the Championship.

 

[Tyler Durden]

"Keeping top talent: During JTW 2016, we have not traded away top talent."

You're right there Jim

I was very worried that we might lose some of our world-beaters......

 

[UnitedBlade]

Fair enough. I'd like to know if we turned down any bids for our players.

It looks like he is still engaged.

It also looks like he's relying on the Footballing Gods for promotion this season.

Well, we all know how that ends.

I would imagine the clubs felt our bids were way out.

We are where we are, struggling to get into the top 6.

Maybe we will be lucky one day.

 

[axel smeets]

Well it reads to me like like they are looking at next season for recruitment as they have not offloaded all the dross they wanted to.

There are at least another 15-20 players that need offloading. It obviously couldn't be done in one transfer window, what with player contract expiration dates.

 

[Bladesman]

Doing a flashvote? Did he really expect any other outcome?



Anyway remember to vote everyone: http://flashvote.me/iefa40

 

[Grappler]

"....By my reckoning, counting JTW 2016, it will take at least three transfer windows to complete the work of addressing past recruiting errors and excesses....."

At least three transfer windows?

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I think any promotion for this season would be seen as a lucky bonus. I wouldn't expect extensive signings on loan either why bother with the expense?
I understand right sizing, I've done it myself however I didn't make noises about growth or recruiting top talent while I did it.
As I've posted elsewhere if this is the start of a real plan to recovery then great but I'm there is no well of good will left. They want it, they need to get bailing and for me to see them doing it.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Why would the next two transfer windows (of the three, including this one identified by Jim as needing to be used to put right "past recruiting errors & excesses") be any more successful than this one? We haven't landed a single target. Presumably, we'll continue to "avoid panic buying & purchasing for cosmetic reasons" & we'll continue to fail to recruit.

"While the financial realities and economics of the modern game make essentially every club a trading club, we have managed to preserve strength for the future in this window." - "we have not traded away top talent." No, nor have Gillingham. Nor have Walsall. Those are the sorts of clubs we're on a level with. Or we would be if we'd got 11 to 12 more points than we have now.

That said, no blame attached to Jim IMO. He's just doing his job. It's his employers that are the problem.

 

[ThatJa]

THREE TRANSFER WINDOWS.

LEAGUE ONE UNTIL AT LEAST 2018 CONFIRMED

 

[Bugboyblade]

What a load of shite.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Spin.

 

[Borbokisfreekick]

• Recruiting process: By my reckoning, counting JTW 2016, it will take at least three transfer windows to complete the work of addressing past recruiting errors and excesses. The key to getting this right going forward is the work we are doing now to reclaim, to strengthen and to implement club-owned recruiting processes and procedures. This imperative is and will remain a major focus. The resolve shown during JTW 2016 in not making panic or cosmetic acquisitions is an early victory in this process. More progress on this front should begin to evidence itself in the close season and transfers windows thereafter.

Absolute garbage - and just using Clough and Brannigan as a scape goat for the boards failures. Three transfer windows!!! So he's telling us it won't be until Summer 2018 that we've shaped our squad! Utter nonsense.

Also, the bit about "Keeping Top Talent" is rubbish. We don't have any top talent to sell!! Our best two players are Sharp and Adams. One is in the twlight of his career and isn't going anywhere, the other is an unproven 19 year old who is on a slump. I'd gladly take money for any of the other dross we have in our squad, but they're that crap no club would even bid for them! This comment alone shows out of touch and clueless Jim is when it comes to football. How he has the audacity to even write this paragraph after offloading Murphy and Maguire in previous transfer windows is shocking.

 

[metalblade]

They will be starting next season without my season ticket money and no amount of hot air blown up my arse will change that. The garden gnome Jim is full of shit ,actions speak louder than words.

 

[Roygbiv]

I actually feel sorry for him. He isn't the one refusing to put the money in and he isn't the reason why we are in such disarray. I'm glad he's come out as hopefully it shows his side are still interested. I personally would hate to see McCabe back in sole charge.


Very downbeat message in many ways though. 3 windows to sort everything out suggests that next season will be similar to this. I think the comment about not signing anyone being a "victory" is the most comical thing in the piece but fair play for coming out. He isn't really the one who should be answering the questions in my opinion

By Jim's standards that message is pretty bleak. Dark days are ahead

 

[Bladesman]

Why would the next two transfer windows (of the three, including this one identified by Jim as needing to be used to put right "past recruiting errors & excesses") be any more successful than this one? We haven't landed a single target. Presumably, we'll continue to "avoid panic buying & purchasing for cosmetic reasons" & we'll continue to fail to recruit.

"While the financial realities and economics of the modern game make essentially every club a trading club, we have managed to preserve strength for the future in this window." - "we have not traded away top talent." No, nor have Gillingham. Nor have Walsall. Those are the sorts of clubs we're on a level with. Or we would be if we'd got 11 to 12 more points than we have now.

That said, no blame attached to Jim IMO. He's just doing his job. It's his employers that are the problem.

I thought this was the second of the transfer windows to clear up the mess and the final one would be this summer as we could actually recruit new players.

McCabe and the Prince are OK while they have Jim Phipps shaped shield in front of them. I wonder how long Jim will continue to put up with the flack for though.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I actually feel sorry for him. He isn't the one refusing to put the money in and he isn't the reason why we are in such disarray. I'm glad he's come out as hopefully it shows his side are still interested. I personally would hate to see McCabe back in sole charge.


Very downbeat message in many ways though. 3 windows to sort everything out suggests that next season will be similar to this. I think the comment about not signing anyone being a "victory" is the most comical thing in the piece but fair play for coming out. He isn't really the one who should be answering the questions in my opinion

By Jim's standards that message is pretty bleak. Dark days are ahead

If that's a genuine comment from Jim and not some boardroom bullshit, then it suggests to me that Adkins will be given what he needs in the summer and January 2017 to get us up. It is however confirmation that this season is a write-off.

 

[Revolution]

Right Sizing in 2016?
McCabe called it re-profiling in 2009.

Same old excuses.

 

[Bugboyblade]

If they hadn't bought quantity instead of quality we wouldn't need to right-size the squad.

 

[Barney]

I actually feel sorry for him. He isn't the one refusing to put the money in and he isn't the reason why we are in such disarray. I'm glad he's come out as hopefully it shows his side are still interested. I personally would hate to see McCabe back in sole charge.


Very downbeat message in many ways though. 3 windows to sort everything out suggests that next season will be similar to this. I think the comment about not signing anyone being a "victory" is the most comical thing in the piece but fair play for coming out. He isn't really the one who should be answering the questions in my opinion

By Jim's standards that message is pretty bleak. Dark days are ahead

I read the three windows bit as including last summer and this January.

And so the summer being the third.

Probably wrong though, especially with the awful recruitment we had last summer.

 

[brownie4583]

There are at least another 15-20 players that need offloading. It obviously couldn't be done in one transfer window, what with player contract expiration dates.

Pay some off then like Higdon,we could use some of the £2.5 million from Murphy and Man Utd game.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Like Roy, I honestly feel for Jim. He's a decent bloke who's clearly developed a love for the club, the city and the fans (anyone who has met him will attest to that).

We can contemplate all day about the reasons the owners (plural, and I don't include Jim in that!) have lost interest. But what is clear is that Jim has been sold a dud too, and is now taking the flak for relaying promises.

 

[Grappler]

If that's a genuine comment from Jim and not some boardroom bullshit, then it suggests to me that Adkins will be given what he needs in the summer and January 2017 to get us up. It is however confirmation that this season is a write-off.

But why say three transfer windows including this one? Is he talking about the amount of time needed to get rid of players, or to bring people in (or both), and if it is bringing players in, I assume that we can only afford a couple of players in Summer and a couple next January?

 

[Grappler]

I read the three windows bit as including last summer and this January.

And so the summer being the third.

Probably wrong though, especially with the awful recruitment we had last summer.

No, he said three transfer windows, including JTW, so this one and two more. That is how I read it.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

But why say three transfer windows including this one? Is he talking about the amount of time needed to get rid of players, or to bring people in (or both), and if it is bringing players in, I assume that we can only afford a couple of players in Summer and a couple next January?

Well he hasn't got a crystal ball has he? There's no guarantee that Adkins will get all his targets in the summer. Sound like jimbo is just heading his bets whilst also hinting at future transfer activity so the season ticket renewals don't fall off a cliff.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I read the three windows bit as including last summer and this January.

And so the summer being the third.

How on earth can you draw that conclusion from what he wrote?

 

[Grappler]

Well he hasn't got a crystal ball has he? There's no guarantee that Adkins will get all his targets in the summer. Sound like jimbo is just heading his bets whilst also hinting at future transfer activity so the season ticket renewals don't fall off a cliff.

Exactly, he hasn;t got a crystal ball, but seems to know that two more transfer windows are needed?