Nigel Clough Appreciation Society

[Davalon]

'You start with a point, and you make sure you don't lose that point' is something Chris Wilder will never say.

 

[northsomersetblade]

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

The fawning rewriting of history, allied to selcetive amnesia on here is frankly nauseating,

Any experienced lower league manager would have kept us up after the failure of clueless 13th choice rooky Weir, who did actual recruit a couple of good players. in Baxter Cuvelier, and Coady.
Clough's crap league form was papered over by a few fluky wins in the cup (yes hand on heart we have to say we had a lot of luck in our cup competitions)
He failed massively despite having the biggest budget in the league. He acquired a woeful 71 points with a 41% win record (CW achievement was 65%wins and gigantic 29 points better)

His time at the lane left a legacy to Adkins of a club with massively bloated piss poor squad on ridiculously high contracts wages, with frozen out players, no defence, no attack, and best players desperate to leave. His player recruitment throughout was the worst of any blades manager when set against our clubs relative bargaining power. Over inflated transfer fees , Over paid contracts for Over rated players was his legacy.We lost millions on the wages/transfer fees on the likes of Wallace, Scougall, Done, Brayford, The scale of these loses dwarf the cup money., added to his very 'dubious transfer dealings' with his mate the bang shady Brannigan.

Clough is NOT a above average manager he is bang shite manager.
His managerial career record is abysmal, his man management skills are nearly zero. His constant winging about officials, makes Warnock look like a monk on a sabbatical.

His record does not stand up to any serious scrutiny

Presided over Derbys worst ever run of lowest sequence league positions in their 130 odd year history FACT.
Inherited Burton who were romping away with the league and scraped up by turning them into a 7th place form club. FACT
In nearly 7 years of management at Derby and Burton his win record is a paltry 33%.FACT
Name me another EFL manager who has been allowed 7 years of utter failure with that record.
Name one player who Clough has discovered and gone on into PL/international level.
Coutts, Duffy and, Freeman are unrecognisable players under Sir Chris's tutelage .
He couldn't even get Mark Duffy to join him in the championship.

Anyone seriously missing a cup run under Wilder?
Anyone missing the shit bore fest crap pedestrian sideways style served up by Clough?
I am not.
I am delighted the over-praised incompetent arsehole, living off his dads name, will not be anywhere near our club ever again..
A sentiment a certain Prince and Mr McCabe who coughed up big time for his bungling, I am sure will concur with

If only I could like this umpteen times..

Brilliant

 

[nowtfancy]

If only I could like this umpteen times..

Brilliant

Yes I read it all it made me laugh too!

 

[Jan Age]

Some excellent cup wins (Forest, Charlton) and the unforgettable Wembley semi-final v Hull (that applause that went round the ground near the end literally brought a lump to my throat) as everyone has said.

The stand out for me though was Villa away, we completely dominated them and the Blades support was just incredible!!

I do think he was a bit wasteful with the budget as well but I also believe that much of that was not being able to get his first choice signings (Coady, O'Grady etc)

No animosity from me as I don't think he had the huge wedge that many think he had.

That is also my lasting memory of the Hull game. The applause started just after they score the last goal followed by the singing. You could see the look of shock on the Hull player/fans faces! Made me very proud.

 

[Jan Age]

It’s a ‘meh’ from me...

1st season - great job

2nd season - awful , miles off first place and in reality never in the race despite finishing in play offs.

Any other manager would have been given another season but as I remember Clough had started to take shots at individual players, the fans and the board and at a club like ours that is something you do at your own risk.

Wasn’t it also rumoured that he blamed the play off loss to having no recognised CB! Despite bombing two out of the club that season and wasting money on other positions. If true final nail in the coffin.

 

[Stretch]

4 pages in and I haven't seen anyone mention the Higgopotamus yet.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Danny Wilson surely?

It's easy to get them mixed up.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Clough was great in the cups, against more fancied opposition, where we were underdogs and our counter-attacking worked perfectly. But in League 1, we needed to act like the big dogs that we were, which Clough didn't do. Wilder's approach has showed exactly what was needed.

 

[Jesus_was_a_Blade]

I don't think he had the huge wedge that many think he had

Do you spend much time thinking about Nigels wedge?

 

[Blade for Sale]

4 pages in and I haven't seen anyone mention the Higgopotamus yet.

Ah yes, the missing piece of the jigsaw. Unfortunately the jigsaw was 2 foot square and the piece was 7 x 5 foot. As an aside, did anyone see him on Blue Planet 2 hoovering up krill? Good to see him back in his natural habitat.

 

[bladesince64]

I have a massive wedge so I tend to give more thought to that tbh.

 

[Ricky]

Oh and if we're judging by win percentage then Danny Wilson is a Blades legend.

But when you consider the reality that those wins were in the third division over a relatively short period it's really not too impressive at all.

Like every other Clough fact when put in any context.

 

[sitwell]

Clough was great in the cups, against more fancied opposition, where we were underdogs and our counter-attacking worked perfectly. But in League 1, we needed to act like the big dogs that we were, which Clough didn't do. Wilder's approach has showed exactly what was needed.

No you've got it all wrong ,we were lucky in the cups ,everytime apparently . As for Davies selective amnesia he seems to forget the situation we were in when Weir left and the miraculous job Clough did in that first season ,but that was probably all luck to. Freeman Basham and Coutts were bad signings ,Cuvelier and Baxter were good though ,jesus wept.

 

[Lane Ender]

Oh and if we're judging by win percentage then Danny Wilson is a Blades legend.

But when you consider the reality that those wins were in the third division over a relatively short period it's really not too impressive at all.

Like every other Clough fact when put in any context.

If Danny Wilson would have had the funds available same as Clough he would have got us out of L1.
Clough had an open cheque book and fucked up big time.

 

[Ricky]

If Danny Wilson would have had the funds available same as Clough he would have got us out of L1.
Clough had an open cheque book and fucked up big time.

If Wilson didn't have Blackman sold he would've got us up quite comfortably. If he would've been given £1m to spend on top of that in that January window we'd have pissed the league. And he's a bang average manager.

 

[stringer]

Oh and if we're judging by win percentage then Danny Wilson is a Blades legend.

But when you consider the reality that those wins were in the third division over a relatively short period it's really not too impressive at all.

Like every other Clough fact when put in any context.

90 points, 92 goals. Wrongly shorn of his star striker or he’d have got United promoted immediately with a season almost as memorable as last. No-one said Clough was a Blades legend but the stats show he did a decent job. Certainly better than ‘fuck Nigel Clough’ comments

 

[Tunstall Fred]

No you've got it all wrong ,we were lucky in the cups ,everytime apparently . As for Davies selective amnesia he seems to forget the situation we were in when Weir left and the miraculous job Clough did in that first season ,but that was probably all luck to. Freeman Basham and Coutts were bad signings ,Cuvelier and Baxter were good though ,jesus wept.

Upon his return to the Lane,i joined in with the applause for Nigel from the United fans,if the same thing happens on friday night,i will join in with that also,to show my appreciation of the good times he gave us

 

[Ricky]

90 points, 92 goals. Wrongly shorn of his star striker or he’d have got United promoted immediately with a season almost as memorable as last. No-one said Clough was a Blades legend but the stats show he did a decent job. Certainly better than ‘fuck Nigel Clough’ comments

It's about far more than the (unimpressive) results and the stats with Clough though. The manner in which he went about the job was totally wrong. It was insulting to the fans.

Wilson would've got us up in his first season but for that jury but he should have regardless of that. We had the best squad in the league. We threw away a lot of stupid points. He did OK but even if he took us up he wouldn't have gone down as a great Blades manager.

 

[billyblademan]

It's about far more than the (unimpressive) results and the stats with Clough though. The manner in which he went about the job was totally wrong. It was insulting to the fans.

Wilson would've got us up in his first season but for that jury but he should have regardless of that. We had the best squad in the league. We threw away a lot of stupid points. He did OK but even if he took us up he wouldn't have gone down as a great Blades manager.

Granted we had an excellent squad, but the football we played in the first season down in League 1 was the best until CW came along. DW also seemed a good bloke (for a Lancastrian), and didn't have the dour and unnecessary pops at players/fans that Clough did.

EDIT: Apart from the 4-0 against Stevenage. Thanks for that abomination Danny

 

[Hull Blade]

I'm a member of CRAP...or as it is better known to us members: The Cliff Richard Appreciation Party

 

[Tunstall Fred]

I'm a member of CRAP...or as it is better known to us members: The Cliff Richard Appreciation Party

Congratulations

 

[ucandomagic]

Funny isn’t it. In the end if Danny W or FLN had got us up we’d probably have become a bang average mid to top half Champ side and stuck with them as long as relegation didn’t loom.

It makes you realise that perhaps sacking managers isn’t a bad strategy, as each time you do you have a chance to win the jackpot.

We’ve hit 4 Bars in more ways than one!

The Magic is Back

 

[1danewhitehouse]

No you've got it all wrong ,we were lucky in the cups ,everytime apparently . As for Davies selective amnesia he seems to forget the situation we were in when Weir left and the miraculous job Clough did in that first season ,but that was probably all luck to. Freeman Basham and Coutts were bad signings ,Cuvelier and Baxter were good though ,jesus wept.

Coutts and J. Wallace were big gambles. Coutts has eventually paid off whereas Wallace didn't but both were gambles given their injury problems and in terms of what they gave Clough during his time here, they were bad signings. Fortunately, Wilder has been able to reap the rewards of Coutts, Freeman and Basham and get them playing to the best of their ability.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

One decent cup run..

Vs

Blowing £2m on a full back,

Signing a player off a YouTube package and making him captain before realising his legs had gone

Signing a Centre back, falling out with him in about 5 minutes and kicking him out the club.

The utterly bewildering pursuit of O'Grady.

Alcock and Maceverly as a Centre back partnership in a play off semi.

Boring negative sterile football.


Yeah good old Nige. Let's give him a big hand....

It was actually 2 very good cup runs.


I also don’t see why pursuing O’Grady was “bewildering”?

Can’t argue with the rest though.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I'd go as far as saying the mess he (Clough) left the club in made Adkins job untenable, way too many players on long high wage contracts who we could just not get rid of. Not that Adkins helped himself with the signings he made, it was always going to end in tears. Hard to believe that after Adkins and the players got a round of boo's and abuse from the few who stayed to witness the end of season lap of shame that the club would be 18 months later sat 2nd in the championship.

I think the fact that Clough had so many of his “pals” at the club too made it impossible for Adkins. A bit like when Clough senior took over at Leeds or when Bassett took over at Watford. The players didn’t want to respond to the new guy. They were still pining for Clough (Freeman, Coutts, McEveley, Brayford etc. had all been Clough players at previous clubs).

 

[sitwell]

I think the fact that Clough had so many of his “pals” at the club too made it impossible for Adkins. A bit like when Clough senior took over at Leeds or when Bassett took over at Watford. The players didn’t want to respond to the new guy. They were still pining for Clough (Freeman, Coutts, McEveley, Brayford etc. had all been Clough players at previous clubs).

These are professional footballers you are talking about ,earning wages to pay for mortgages ,playing in front of thousands of people and on TV.They don't 'pine' for managers ,a good manager makes them play better earn more money etc ,only Brayford has gone on to play for Clough again ,you act like they are schoolkids playing Wembley in the playground ,its just nonsense.

 

[Grecian2000]

To be fair, and taking no account at all of any previous managers, how long AFTER the golden CV walking through the door did the players start looking at each other and rolling their eyes in a "what's this fruit cake talking about" manner. Thirty seconds is my bet!

I'm not going to Burton on Friday but will be giving Nigel a good round of applause when they return to Bramall Lane next year.

 

[him behind you]

These are professional footballers you are talking about ,earning wages to pay for mortgages ,playing in front of thousands of people and on TV.They don't 'pine' for managers ,a good manager makes them play better earn more money etc ,only Brayford has gone on to play for Clough again ,you act like they are schoolkids playing Wembley in the playground ,its just nonsense.

Problem is Stiwell, they are exactly that and will do what they want if they don't like a manager. There have been very few managers who have been able to control players consistently, you only have to look at the number of teams who suddenly improve once they've got the current manager sacked. Maybe a new manager has something to do with it but they don't go from inept 1 week to decent the next. There is very little professionalism about the attitudes of most professional footballers IMO.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

These are professional footballers you are talking about ,earning wages to pay for mortgages ,playing in front of thousands of people and on TV.They don't 'pine' for managers ,a good manager makes them play better earn more money etc ,only Brayford has gone on to play for Clough again ,you act like they are schoolkids playing Wembley in the playground ,its just nonsense.

Really? So were Bassett and Clough Snr not "good managers"?