Kevin McCabe introduces the new boss

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he does care about the club i know him personally (he's my late grandpas cousin) hes a lifelong blade always has been yh mate you are unfortunately in the minority but at least theres other people on here who like him he knows how to run a football club

It's not as black and white with McCabe as people sometimes make it out to be. He's definitely a Blade and he definitely cares but on the flip side, he's made some truly, truly awful decisions, particularly regarding managers. Appointing Robson, appointing Adams, extending Blackwell's contract in 2009, sacking Wilson...the list goes on.

The other point to make is that Bob Scratchit is absolutely spot on: the major thing lacking at the Lane is a coherent strategy. That, and that alone, is why we stumble around like a blind man on a ferry in a storm.
 



Not saying it can't, don't claim to be on a high horse, very conscious that the entropic second law of thermodynamics dictates all things in life will ultimately burn out in the end, just studying current trends and I think your model at this moment in time is evidently unsuccessful and I think that is McCabe is responsible for that.

I only mentioned Southampton to correct what I saw as an erroneous comment which I wished to correct, not to gloat. We are on an upward curve at the minute (that will turn one day as you say), but it's not just us, there are many teams in the PL like Stoke, West Brom, Swansea etc whom a club of your size should be competing with and I simply post to say why them and not you?. Why are they getting on whilst you wait for the right face to click at managerial level?

Appreciate you deigning us with your presence. We've never noticed we were underachieving, someone should have mentioned before. ;)
 
Aye, let's not forget that important bit, Bob: your lot going into administration 7 years ago.

Some have greatness thrust upon them; some go into administration, welch on their debts & luck out, debt free, with a decent new owner in tow*.




* Wiki: On 22 October 2007, it was announced the club's plc board had received a takeover bid from an unknown investor which would purchase 55% of the shares in the company. Two days later, a London-based hedge fund, SISU Capital, was named as the potential new owner. The self-described "special situations investment fund management company" has previously attempted to gain control of Derby County and Manchester City; former footballer Ray Ranson was involved with both bids, and SISU intended to nominate him for a place on the Southampton board. However, on 14 December it was confirmed that SISU had completed a takeover of Coventry City, effectively ending their interest in Southampton.

How different it could have been...

I find it odd to use that against me. We were run into the ground by terrible owners and that's why that happened. That's precisely what Id be worried about happening if I had someone like McCabe in charge as our owner was similar to him. Its very odd to have the thing I'm warning you about (in our discussion in the other thread) thrown at me as an argument against me! I totally accept that we lucked out with our new owners and that it could have been different. Still, every success since we were taken over has been down to good ownership and leadership from executive level. Hence why I recognise good practice and am warning you of the perils of the bad practice currently coming from McCabe. That you would then use the result of the bad ownership Im warning you Im witnessing against me is a very off line or argument.
 
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Forgive me but as a Saints fan I have to take umbrage with that comment about Southamptons owner. Katarina Liebherr (and her late father before her) is one of the best owners in the country, her family bought us at the bottom of L1, wiped out our debts and wrote them off, backed us big time in the lower leagues and has poured tens of millions into our club over the years on the academy and club infrastructure to try and get us to the top table of PL football. The strategy of selling many of our players was actually consistent with our growth strategy, we made an obscene amount of money from those players and have the infrastructure in place to replace them with better players for half the money and we continued to climb the table as a result. We are one of the only clubs making a net profit as we improve year on year.

I say this not to gloat but because I know what both a well run club and a badly run club looks like having gone experienced both extremes in the last 10 years, Administration in L1 to Europe and top 8 in the PL. I completely agree with your comments regarding McCabe and consider you a badly run club, you are among the most under-performing teams and I think it's sad that a club like yours is still in L1. With a fit and proper owner with a coherent long term strategy you should be fighting to get back into the PL, its outrageous that you are still in L1 going into your 6th season and McCabe still has people convinced that its all the managers fault and bad luck.
If you were a Blade you'd know that Clough was given a huge budget and spunked it all bar the signing of Adams. Adkins was given enough money in the form of a big fee and 5 huge wages to see progress on 5th. We finished 11th.

To me that shows managers are not all innocent victims. It's all very easy to sit there having zero knowledge of each season and think you're looking in to it from a clever angle by blaming McCabe, but when you dissect it season by season - you'll find that has not always been quite the case.
 
I find it odd to use that against me. We were run into the ground by terrible owners and thats why that happened. Thats precisely what Id be worried about happening if I had someone like McCabe in charge as our owner was similar to him. Its very odd to have the thing Im warning you about (in our other thread) thrown at me as an argument against me! We lucked out with our new owners, everything since has been good ownership. Hence why I warn you of the perils of bad ownership and then you use the result of bad ownership against me. Very odd that you would do that.

Nothing personal, mate. Just saying that your club had the enormous financial advantage of not having to pay your debts off, making staff redundant, seeing local small businesses fold. That's more the Wendy way than the Blades way tbh.

And instead of having the Liebherr family run your affairs it could quite easily have been SISU.

As I say, nowt personal - just that luck's played more of a part than you seem willing to admit, & so has malpractice. Good luck to you, as with Leicester - another club doing marvellous things these days, having been kickstarted after taking the easy way out.
 
If you were a Blade you'd know that Clough was given a huge budget and spunked it all bar the signing of Adams. Adkins was given enough money in the form of a big fee and 5 huge wages to see progress on 5th. We finished 11th.

To me that shows managers are not all innocent victims. It's all very easy to sit there and think you're looking in to it from a clever angle by blaming McCabe, but when you dissect it season by season - you'll find that has not always been quite the case.

I agree and I think Adkins failed, I have said that before, its not unreasonable. I would just be asking, why do managers succeed elsewhere but fail here? Your issues are bigger than the managers (though they have undoubtedly caused issues.
 
Forgive me but as a Saints fan I have to take umbrage with that comment about Southamptons owner. Katarina Liebherr (and her late father before her) is one of the best owners in the country, her family bought us at the bottom of L1, wiped out our debts and wrote them off, backed us big time in the lower leagues and has poured tens of millions into our club over the years on the academy and club infrastructure to try and get us to the top table of PL football. The strategy of selling many of our players was actually consistent with our growth strategy, we made an obscene amount of money from those players and have the infrastructure in place to replace them with better players for half the money and we continued to climb the table as a result. We are one of the only clubs making a net profit as we improve year on year.

I say this not to gloat but because I know what both a well run club and a badly run club looks like having gone experienced both extremes in the last 10 years, Administration in L1 to Europe and top 8 in the PL. I completely agree with your comments regarding McCabe and consider you a badly run club, you are among the most under-performing teams and I think it's sad that a club like yours is still in L1. With a fit and proper owner with a coherent long term strategy you should be fighting to get back into the PL, its outrageous that you are still in L1 going into your 6th season and McCabe still has people convinced that its all the managers fault and bad luck.

Saints fans were not saying that when you sold everyone a couple of summers back. Look back and she was getting dogs abuse. With hindsight it looks great but at that point in time you looked doomed to relegation and she got the full weight of abuse from the fans.

Oh and by the way I have no axe to grind with Saints. Good club and I like the way you just go about your business quietly. You weren't coming across badly at all, just some people will take offence at a plank of wood if they got out of bed the wrong side. :)

Anyone who thinks Pompey are anything other than an objectionable bunch of crooks with a sweaty bloke with a bell as their top boy has issues.
 
I agree and I think Adkins failed, I have said that before, its not unreasonable. I would just be asking, why do managers succeed elsewhere but fail here? Your issues are bigger than the managers (though they have undoubtedly caused issues.

Wasn't exactly a roaring success at Reading either to be fair.
 
Nothing personal, mate. Just saying that your club had the enormous financial advantage of not having to pay your debts off, making staff redundant, seeing local small businesses fold. That's more the Wendy way, than the Blades way tbh.

And instead of having the Liebherr family run your affairs it could quite easily have been SISU.

As I say, nowt personal - just that luck's played more of a part than you seem willing to admit, & so has malpractice. Good luck to you, as with Leicester - another club doing marvellous things these days after having taken the easy way out.

Luck plays a huge part and it could very well go wrong again for us, just like one day it will turn around for you. I just think good planning plays a bigger role than perhaps you are prepared to admit?.
 
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1: McCabe cares, but is worse than useless. His decision making is all emotional, and that never ends well. The club is a mess because of him. No one else. He oversees it all. His staff, his players etc. Ultimately when a company is underperforming the man at the top is to blame. No different at a football club.

2: Why is everyone taking offense to the Soton fan? All he did was quite rightly, correct a post that was in accurate? Deary me, can be such hostile people on here at times.
 
We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that's all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
No, no!

I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
Though I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do ya?

There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss
 
Saints fans were not saying that when you sold everyone a couple of summers back. Look back and she was getting dogs abuse. With hindsight it looks great but at that point in time you looked doomed to relegation and she got the full weight of abuse from the fans.

Oh and by the way I have no axe to grind with Saints. Good club and I like the way you just go about your business quietly. You weren't coming across badly at all, just some people will take offence at a plank of wood if they got out of bed the wrong side. :)

Anyone who thinks Pompey are anything other than an objectionable bunch of crooks with a sweaty bloke with a bell as their top boy has issues.

Haha thanks!

Most saints fans were not worried, there was concern that money would not be reinvested, as soon as the club announced it would be reinvested and we appointed Koeman they were placated. The loud ones of course grumbled loudly. Saints fans like myself who use forums with reliable ITK's knew what was happening before, me personally I was never worried. I agree though, it could have failed, it was a test of the structures we put into place (which we started putting into place in L1)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11366206/Gary-Neville-The-era-of-the-gaffer-is-over.html

I just wanted to respond to the posts toward me but don't want to take up more space, I think people understand my argument and hopefully know I'm not trying to goad, just trying to make the point I think your club needs to modernise off the pitch and I think the main problem is McCabe and he will remain a problem, whether you luck out with Wilder this year or not.
 
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The logic of some of our fans eh?

If the chairman puts prices up to £40 a match, drives gates down to 12,000 average, appoints Brian the Blade on £40K pa who then signs loads of players for £10,000 from the non league.

If that team gained promotion then obviously that means the chairman must be brilliant.

The reason McCabe sacks the manager is because he's ambitious and won't rest until we're back in the PL. Also lets be fair the morale and feedback from the crowd after the Scunthorpe match made NA position untenable.

I know a few that weren't going to go next season but now many seem to be looking forward to a new season again.

Some say NA wasn't backed but he had the 2nd highest budget in league 1. Also Warnock went the Rotherham , didn't spend a penny but his motivation made them 20% better overnight. Whereas NA made some of our players 20% worse overnight.
 
I agree and I think Adkins failed, I have said that before, its not unreasonable. I would just be asking, why do managers succeed elsewhere but fail here? Your issues are bigger than the managers (though they have undoubtedly caused issues.
Fair enough and using that logic I can see where you are coming from, but I think the blame has shifted a bit each season.

McCabe bangs on about being unlucky, which I don't agree with. The only real time he has a case for that is 11/12 when we had promotion taken from under our feet when Ched got sent down. That season, nobodies fault, he's right in saying pure luck was the reason we didn't go up.

Season after that McCabe was at fault for sacking Wilson. We were in the play offs, playing good football and if we'd have kept him I think we'd have gone up the following season.

Under Weir, they were both as culpable as each other. McCabe went through a ridiculous phase where he wanted to do everything on the cheap, and Weir with his inexperience proceeded to recruit terrible players. Both as bad as each other on that one.

Under Clough (14/15), he was given a sizeable budget to work with. Clough just about wasted it all. Including about £2m on a full back that isn't even worth 200k any more. There is an argument to say McCabe was at fault for not letting him run ragged, but Clough has to take the majority of the blame for that season for me.

Adkins came in and took over a 5th placed division three side. He was given a large fee to spend on Sharp and 5 huge wages for the rest of his signings. McCabe's biggest mistake of this season was not re investing the Murphy money on transfers. He chose to use it on wages and the running of the club so he didn't have to dig as far in to his own pockets. But even though we sold Murphy, the total outlay on fee and wages should have easily been enough to see progress on 5th. We finished 11th. Anyone can see how much of a failure that is. Adkins very much more to blame this season.

Goes in the order of luck, McCabe, equally as bad, manager, manager.

Others will have their own opinions but that's how I see it.
 
Luck plays a huge part and it could very well go wrong again for us, just like one day it will turn around for you. I just think good planning plays a bigger role than perhaps you are prepared to admit?.

Maybe so. I'd certainly like us having more of a vision in place, & a sustainable template (meaning, like Swansea or West Brom, that we could lose a manager & slot another one in pretty seamlessly without it causing great difficulties). But, even so, we need the right manager regardless, to galvanize us & get us rolling, just like every other underachieving club (or treading-water club) does. Perhaps West Brom are the ideal club in terms of sustainability? In honesty, who knows where Swansea or Bournemouth will be in 5 years time? Or, for that matter, whether yourselves or Leicester can maintain current lofty positions?

Just going back to those clubs you mentioned earlier when you asked "why are the likes of Stoke, West Brom, Swansea in the Prem, while SUFC are stuck in the Third Division waiting for the right manager to appear?", it does seem that having that "right fit" manager to start it all off is key - especially in Stoke's case with Pulis. There's plenty of big clubs wallowing in the Championship, even getting overtaken by more dynamic clubs on the rise (like Bournemouth, Hull, Swansea*). Loads more too on the slide into oblivion (like Blackpool). What each & every one of those clubs would do for a "right fit" manager?



(* All of whom had their own special managers who galvanized their clubs & got them shooting upwards - Howe, Brown, Jackett/Martinez)
 
Maybe so. I'd certainly like us having more of a vision in place, & a sustainable template (meaning, like Swansea or West Brom, that we could lose a manager & slot another one in pretty seamlessly without it causing great difficulties). But, even so, we need the right manager regardless, to galvanize us & get us rolling, just like every other underachieving club (or treading-water club) does. Perhaps West Brom are the ideal club in terms of sustainability? In honesty, who knows where Swansea or Bournemouth will be in 5 years time? Or, for that matter, whether yourselves or Leicester can maintain current lofty positions?

Just going back to those clubs you mentioned earlier when you asked "why are the likes of Stoke, West Brom, Swansea in the Prem, while SUFC are stuck in the Third Division waiting for the right manager to appear?", it does seem that having that "right fit" manager to start it all off is key - especially in Stoke's case with Pulis. There's plenty of big clubs wallowing in the Championship, even getting overtaken by more dynamic clubs on the rise (like Bournemouth, Hull, Swansea*). Loads more too on the slide into oblivion (like Blackpool). What each & every one of those clubs would do for a "right fit" manager?



(* All of whom had their own special managers who galvanized their clubs & got them shooting upwards - Howe, Brown, Jackett/Martinez)

I agree there is nothing to guarantee prolonged success but the evidence is a coherent long term strategy helps. In that link I posted it basically says the strategy is one of minimizing risk. Taking the chance out of the game as much as possible, precisely because chance does play such a big part, you want to try and limit it (without ever being able to fully avoid it of course)

I agree that managers are very important, but you look at a club like Swansea. If a manager doesn't work out they have a template of what kind of manager they go with. Martinez, Sousa, Rodgers, all very similar types of manager. It may have been Rodgers who got them up to the PL, but the work started under Martinez.

I'm not saying you need to play swansea's way, but consistency of selection with the manager would help a lot. In your case Adams, Weir, Wilson, Clough, Adkins and Wilder are all very different managers, almost reactions to each manager. Each manager ill adapted to use the squad their predecessor had built. The good news is that Adkins didn't sign many and Wilder is closer to Clough in the way he likes his teams to play so at least this time there might be some continuation.
 
Virtually every decision McCabe has made has, at the time, been greeted positively by fans. Even the appointments of Robson and Weir were seen as a great coups at the time. Arguably his best decisions - his initial appointment of Warnock and his sticking with him through the lean times - weren't as popular with fans.

The problem is that McCabe is a fan like us, not a ruthless businessman with a dispassionate view. But even with all the bad decisions (which were seen as good at the time but bad in hindsight) I'd rather have McCabe in charge than someone who would look to profit from the club, move to a new stadium or even merge with the pigs.

As for people criticising McCabe's references to bad luck, it's absolutely true that we've had some terrible luck since 2007. KM can't be blamed for Hulse's injury, Ched's indiscretions, the lenient treatment of West Ham and Fergie putting out an under strength team, the pigs' amazing run to promotion, Simonsen's penalty, etc etc. People who say "you make your own luck" are to an extent talking bollocks.
 
Anyone notice his body language. McCabe says " Absolutely delighted that he has joined them" then folds his arms.
Not sure he's happy about this decision at all. He doesn't look happy making this announcement .....
 
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Oi Bob Scratchit, Kevin McCabe might be a twat, but he's our twat and we don't appreciate some jumped up southern sailor coming on here and having a go at him!

Leave our Kev alone.
 
1: McCabe cares, but is worse than useless. His decision making is all emotional, and that never ends well. The club is a mess because of him. No one else. He oversees it all. His staff, his players etc. Ultimately when a company is underperforming the man at the top is to blame. No different at a football club.

2: Why is everyone taking offense to the Soton fan? All he did was quite rightly, correct a post that was in accurate? Deary me, can be such hostile people on here at times.
Because with respect, people don't like getting preached to about the club by someone who isn't even a supporter of the club. I don't think many of the Saints fans would appreciate a Blade going on their forum and doing the same.
 
Virtually every decision McCabe has made has, at the time, been greeted positively by fans. Even the appointments of Robson and Weir were seen as a great coups at the time. Arguably his best decisions - his initial appointment of Warnock and his sticking with him through the lean times - weren't as popular with fans.

The problem is that McCabe is a fan like us, not a ruthless businessman with a dispassionate view. But even with all the bad decisions (which were seen as good at the time but bad in hindsight) I'd rather have McCabe in charge than someone who would look to profit from the club, move to a new stadium or even merge with the pigs.

As for people criticising McCabe's references to bad luck, it's absolutely true that we've had some terrible luck since 2007. KM can't be blamed for Hulse's injury, Ched's indiscretions, the lenient treatment of West Ham and Fergie putting out an under strength team, the pigs' amazing run to promotion, Simonsen's penalty, etc etc. People who say "you make your own luck" are to an extent talking bollocks.

Robson was seen as a great appointment by nobody at all.

The bookies dropped us from 3rd favourites to 6th the day he was appointed.

All our troubles stem from that appointment
 
They should have brought him out to this

 



Anyone notice his body language. McCabe says " Absolutely delighted that he has joined them" then folds his arms.
Not sure he's happy about this decision at all. He doesn't look happy making this announcement .....

That's just the way he is - he always seems a bit hesitant
 

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