McCabe pop at Adkins

[David Lee's first touch]

We shouldn't have sold some of the players we did and failed to invest the money in decent replacements over the course of 9 years.
Sometimes owners should admit their mistakes instead of deflecting them.

Logged in just to like this 100% fact

 

[sheffielder]

Logged in just to like this 100% FACT

Thought I had better correct you.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Cant remember the last time it looked like these players left everything on the pitch.

Left owt on the pitch? These fuckers [not you Billy when you read this] don't even drag owt out of the changing room onto the pitch.

 

[grafikhaus]

..erm, I think there must be some kind of 'typo' on David Weir's 'win ratio'...

7.69% according to Wankipedia.



Mind, the '13' matches he was (nominally) in charge was made up of ten league games, one in the Capital Cup (lost) and two in the JPT (one draw, one lose). His ten League games record was:

W, L, D, L, L, L, L, L, L, D. Five points out of a possible thirty. Don't we fucking pick em.

 

[Balham]

I'm talking about how he comes across. No doubt he's good at real estate and construction (and also using a football club to line his pockets and cement his reputation abroad) but he's a loyal, yet incompetent, football club chairman. He's been dire but he's propped us up. If we did get back to back promotions it certainly wouldn't have been down to him.

McCabe's decision making has been awful (I think he's put too much trust in the managers) but you can't say that he's "used a football club to line his pockets". He's put more money into this club than anyone - admittedly mainly because of the mistakes he's made - but he's definitely not taken anything out.

7.69% according to Wankipedia.

View attachment 17459

Mind, the '13' matches he was (nominally) in charge was made up of ten league games, one in the Capital Cup (lost) and two in the JPT (one draw, one lose). His ten League games record was:

W, L, D, L, L, L, L, L, L, D. Five points out of a possible thirty. Don't we fucking pick em.

United 2-1 Notts County
United 1-2 Burton [League Cup]
Brentford 3-1 United
United 1-1 Colchester
Bradford 2-0 United
United 0-1 MK Dons
Scunthorpe 0-0 United [JPT, 3-5 on pens]
Rotherham 3-1 United
Carlisle 1-0 United
United 0-1 Preston
Wolves 2-0 United
United 1-1 Crawley
United 0-1 Hartlepool [JPT]

P13 W1 D3 L9 F7 A19

I wanted Weir to do well but that record is spectacularly awful. I seem to recall the Carlisle game involved Joe Ironside on his own up front and Darryl Westlake in central midfield. Jesus wept.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Unfortunately, you may not have read some of my previous posts about selling players ,
I wished Harry all the best , and thanked him for the effort he put in with us .
I would never stand in any players way , if after putting in a shift , running their bollox off , and generally giving a fuck about our club he felt the need to move on Quinn was another example .
It's replacing like for like .
We would never have signed Coady as , and he's right from a professional point of view
we could have given him the stage ( championship level ) at which to play .
While I liked McDonald , he was to hit and miss for me , never really grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck .
When we sold Blackman , I put forward a suitable replacement, a guy we could have got from Luton , still in the conference at that stage , but going to be playing premier league next year , the lad Gray at Burnley.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Also no the club shouldn't be held to ransom over wages , the want to play or can fuck of like set for life Slew .
UTB .

Recruitmnet has been a huge issue but that’s always going to be the case when there’s no continuity in management, no scouting network independent of the ever changing manager and no commitment above manager level to any particular pattern of play.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

By the way and going against the grain, mr McCabe kept our well paid stars after our relegation, trying to get back at the first attempt, I'll give him some credit for that , it was only after the heart and soul had been torn from our team did we fail to get promoted. People have different views on that as well .
Hence getting rid of everything in Wilsons second season , where he performed a miracle even keeping us within touching distance of promotion.
UTB .

Was that a choice or did nobody come knocking for them? Ward, Yeates, Henderson, Bogdanovic, Ertl etc. were all moved on whilst the loans of Lowry, Mattock, Vokes and Riise expired.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

He was also right in appointing Adkins - at least that's what a huge majority of supporters thought at the time.

But most assumed he’d get a crack at managing with some of his own players rather than just failing with Clough’s and then getting sacked.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Going by his woeful performance this last season, the only strategy Adkins would have been capable of delivering on would be the "take us down deeper into the mire" one.

Amazes me how many Blades (albeit a seeming dwindling minority now) would have been willing to let him wreck another season & set us back even further from the historic low point we're at now.

I’m almost certain he would have improved on this season if he’d stayed. Getting the dross out the door and having a chance to bring in some of his own players would surely have seen an improvement. We already were improving with Baptiste in the team. Now we go again, delayed retained list, behind our rivals on doing deals (Barnsley already signed Yiadom).

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Two thirds were in favour of Clough being kept on, based on a large poll on here and another on BM. In fact, most Blades supporters have shown commendable patience and tolerance towards managers since relegation to Div 3. McCabe, rightly or wrongly, has, evidently, been far less patient.



Hammond has been signed. Adkins oversaw a one-year option being granted at the time of his extended loan deal. That's why we were continually being softened up to his "unseen" attributes and why Adkins had to play him in the final game. Given that its inconceivable he'll play again for us, we will be left with buying out his option.

McCabe's non too cryptic point about Adkins and Hammond is spot on:

“But if managers sign them then they play them. Sometimes, maybe managers should accept mistakes rather than try to paper over them. We all make mistakes but sometimes, if you admit them, it’s easier to correct them."

Hammond was a plausible enough signing, given his pedigree, he just couldn't deal with the pace and agility of younger, hungrier players. Instead of facing up to this, Adkins chose to keep digging, losing credibility along the way and eventually creating a hole big enough to bury himself.

Read more: http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...-insists-kevin-mccabe-1-7912800#ixzz48pBg3QGj

McCabe’s comments suggest that he thinks he knows better than the manager when it comes to player recruitment. Like on the Warnock documentary:-


NW: I think John Stead could be the signing we need to get promoted


KM: What about Duncan Ferguson. I think that would excite the fans more.


The guy is an absolute moron when it comes to footballing matters. More fickle than some of the numptries sat on the kop. Wouldn’t be surprised hif he gave himself a bash at managing the team one day. But maybe not as then he’d have to pay his taxes (unless he did it remotely from Brussles).

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Whilst not knowing the full facts about who signed Sammon surely the club haven't made a similar cock up again?
You'd think the board would want a look at a player before agreeing to this irrespective of what the manager thinks?
I suppose it could have been part of the original loan deal but the same issue arises then.

Personally I could never understand those thinking of a player coach deal being acceptable or a bench player on decent money after watching him play.

Again though, questions have to be asked about the board regardless of Adkins crush on Hammond if he's signed.

Seems very unlikely to me. The board haven’t backed Adkins to bring in permanent signings on top of cheap as chips Woolford and crowd pleaser Billy (softening us up for the Murphy sale). They clearly weren’t sold on Adkins from January hence the lack of signings. It wouldn’t make any sense for them to sanction Hammond if that was the case. But then this is SUFC so I suppose you never know.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

No. But not at all wholly blameful, as McCabe is now starting to allude.

The common denominator in our decline is McCabe. He can hire managers and sack them all he wants. We are going nowhere with him.

pommpey

The problem I have with McCabe blaming Clough and Adkibs is that you wouldn't expect either of them to sign cheques. The last two managerial appointments seem to have been allowed to do what they want financially while the co -owners seemingly sat there eating belgian biscuits/ sheeps eyes while they did it. So it's either bs or incompetence.[/QUOTE]


Adkins has been able to do what he wants financially? He’s had less wiggle room than a caged chicken

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Silly comment, KM is a quality Blade, just not showing well at the moment. I have a Leicester fan and mate who was in favour of street protests 12 months ago, no exaggeration.

What will you do Blade if we achieve back to back promotions all of a sudden? Will you keep your pseudonym? Big deal, fellow Blade.

If only he did what you’re signature says eh Woody?


If we got back to back promotions, I would congratulate Kev for finally getting something right after so many years of getting so many things so monumentally wrong. Unfortunately, I can’t see it and think his and our

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Replace "investment hasn't been enough" with "allowed employee after employee to spunk vast resource on shite" and I'm with you all the way.



UTB

Replace “employee after employee” with “Bryan Robson and Nigel Clough (but only 4 months before sacking him) while every other fucker’s had no chance” and I think we’d be nearer the mark.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Seems very unlikely to me. The board haven’t backed Adkins to bring in permanent signings on top of cheap as chips Woolford and crowd pleaser Billy (softening us up for the Murphy sale). They clearly weren’t sold on Adkins from January hence the lack of signings. It wouldn’t make any sense for them to sanction Hammond if that was the case. But then this is SUFC so I suppose you never know.

That's why my first sentence used the words "surely the club haven't" as in they haven't let it happen again.

 

[Sean Thornton]

The problem I have with McCabe blaming Clough and Adkibs is that you wouldn't expect either of them to sign cheques. The last two managerial appointments seem to have been allowed to do what they want financially while the co -owners seemingly sat there eating belgian biscuits/ sheeps eyes while they did it. So it's either bs or incompetence.

Adkins has been able to do what he wants financially? He’s had less wiggle room than a caged chicken[/QUOTE]

Again, I think you've missed the whole point.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Was that a choice or did nobody come knocking for them? Ward, Yeates, Henderson, Bogdanovic, Ertl etc. were all moved on whilst the loans of Lowry, Mattock, Vokes and Riise expired.

Think cos the pigs where in this league , and he wanted as Blade fan to show them who was boss , and we should have gone up .
But towards the end of the season , that all went tits up , for 1 reason or another .

Bogdanovic , where did he end up ?

 

[Pedro Verde]

The problem I have with McCabe blaming Clough and Adkibs is that you wouldn't expect either of them to sign cheques. The last two managerial appointments seem to have been allowed to do what they want financially while the co -owners seemingly sat there eating belgian biscuits/ sheeps eyes while they did it. So it's either bs or incompetence.

Adkins has been able to do what he wants financially? He’s had less wiggle room than a caged chicken[/QUOTE]

On transfer fees maybe but paying Hammond and Sammon an aledged £30k per week between them is frankly ridiculous in L1 especially for 2 players who added fuck all to the team

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Recruitmnet has been a huge issue but that’s always going to be the case when there’s no continuity in management, no scouting network independent of the ever changing manager and no commitment above manager level to any particular pattern of play.

Agree Dane , 100% .

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Adkins has been able to do what he wants financially? He’s had less wiggle room than a caged chicken

On transfer fees maybe but paying Hammond and Sammon an aledged £30k per week between them is frankly ridiculous in L1 especially for 2 players who added fuck all to the team[/QUOTE]


Still, I very much doubt the wage bill he left behind will be anywhere near that Clough had at the end of last season.

 

[alcoblade]

Replace “employee after employee” with “Bryan Robson and Nigel Clough (but only 4 months before sacking him) while every other fucker’s had no chance” and I think we’d be nearer the mark.

And all those that oversaw the spending.

UTB

 

[Champagneblade]

Very fair observation, McCabe does have a tendency to speak as if his involvement was peripheral yet being Chairman/Owner means the buck stops with him.

If in some cases he gave proxy to someone who was a bad appointment, e.g. Robinson, then it doesn't make McCabe any less culpable.

He's said a few things that worry me and don't support the fact that he is learning:

1. Luck comments aside he put some of the failure down to moving abroad and handing off a little. When it has come to any MAJOR decision around the management, around selling key assets, around fruitless foreign ventures, he's been very visibly the key decision maker.

2. In the narrative around meu culpa, it was more or less stated that all the recent management appointments were right but just didn't work out. I don't see this as a clear admission. Wilson was by far not the most qualified having just relegated Swindon, Weir was totally under qualified, Clough had never masterminded a league promotion at all, Adkins I would concede; perplexed as to how he got it so wrong.

I have to agree to disagree on the last point Dane; bringing in 1 senior player from a PL club and 5 senior players from Championship clubs, including one for a decent six-figure fee; could only be done by Wigan and ourselves. There's a massive outlay there in contrast to the 22 other teams.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I’m almost certain he would have improved on this season if he’d stayed. Getting the dross out the door and having a chance to bring in some of his own players would surely have seen an improvement. We already were improving with Baptiste in the team. Now we go again, delayed retained list, behind our rivals on doing deals (Barnsley already signed Yiadom).

Don't know where you get your confidence in Adkins from Dane - certainly not on any tangible evidence from his time at the Lane.

I don't have any faith that the players he'd have brought in would have been improvements, none. You cite the example of Baptiste - too little, too late. And yet another expensive import from higher levels (with about a 0.5% chance of him returning here next season). There was no flexibility about Adkins's transfer dealings - I really don't see why there would have been a sea change in his approach over the summer.

The delayed retained list is worth it if it means a clown or two less who would otherwise have stayed. Same goes for a bit of a delay in recruitment - no Hammond, no more of Adkins's trusted mates whose legs happen to have gone.

Adkins was too soft, too indecisive, & had too little character for the job he was confronted with here. If he'd got off to a flyer straight away (as at Southampton & Scunny), & had got everyone onside in that way, then it might have been very different. Instead, he had us losing 4-0 to Gillingham. And then providing zero in the way of highlights throughout the season, nor any realistic hope for the next one.

Adkins's past achievements seem ceturies ago now. McCabe's done right.

 

[diplomat]

Went past this morning. All still there unless you're counting burger vans.

Had another bit been chiselled off for the family to develop and own outside of the football club though?

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I think, maybe a few of us were more confident of SUFC succeeding under Adkins, simply because we had failed under Clough.
Somebody had to achieve success.
A very simplistic form where no hardcore evidence was required.

Soon though, we'll not be confident at all. Well, not in the levels we aim for.

Happy with finishing 10th next season?

 

[Woodwardfan]

Another thread that shows the depths we were in up to our necks when Wilder was appointed.

Miracles do happen.

 

[SwissBlade]

Another thread that shows the depths we were in up to our necks when Wilder was appointed.

Miracles do happen.

I think we know that by now....

 

[Manuel Azaña]

Sadly the only different approach it looks like we'll be taking now for a few years is delving deeper into the bargain bin.

Would that be, the bargain bin Laden by any chance?

 

[Woodwardfan]

I think we know that by now....

Never hurts to look back at conditions when the Messiah started his and our journey.

Also, to see some quality posts on here in hard times. After 4 games of Wilder there were rumblings at the game and loads on here from all the usual doom and gloomers.

Have a good read.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Some excellent contributors on the thread b.t.w, shame we don't see much of them these days.