Question

[Deleted member 875]

I was at work earlier and was chatting with a lad who I work with who is a huge Notts Co fan, knows his stuff about football. The exchange went a bit like this

"I watched you lot on the telly last night Brownie"
"Now you have you seen how shit we are, I bet it makes you think Notts play like Barcelona at times"
"Well you weren't as bad as us, but how the fuck are you that bad, I thought you would have been out of that division years ago, you are the biggest club in it"
"Yeah pal, but we are where are we are. Just don't even have a clue why any more, clubs in a rest state"

So how would anyone else answer the question of how bad we are at the minute?

Manager, Players, Board, Fans????

There has got to be some explanation, but I'm a seasoned United observer and I just don't know any more.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I was at work earlier and was chatting with a lad who I work with who is a huge Notts Co fan, knows his stuff about football. The exchange went a bit like this

"I watched you lot on the telly last night Brownie"
"Now you have you seen how shit we are, I bet it makes you think Notts play like Barcelona at times"
"Well you weren't as bad as us, but how the fuck are you that bad, I thought you would have been out of that division years ago, you are the biggest club in it"
"Yeah pal, but we are where are we are. Just don't even have a clue why any more, clubs in a rest state"

So how would anyone else answer the question of how bad we are at the minute?

Manager, Players, Board, Fans????

There has got to be some explanation, but I'm a seasoned United observer and I just don't know any more.

The people at the top haven't got a clue what they're doing, the players are shit, and the manager is clueless. The problem is that there are lots of problems.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

The people at the top haven't got a clue what they're doing, the players are shit, and the manager is clueless. The problem is that there are lots of problems.

^^^^^ What he said ^^^^^

 

[JJ Sefton]

I think the biggest problem is getting someone in to replace McCabe and the Prince.

 

[TJB.]

A Bury fan at the pub said the exact same thing to me when they beat us earlier in the season. All I could muster was 'How long have you got?'

It's such a long-winded, multi layered story of consistent decline that nobody is quite sure where to start. If I was to tell the tale it'd be summet along the lines of:

'It all starts with a broken leg at Stamford Bridge...'

 

[Deleted member 875]

The people at the top haven't got a clue what they're doing, the players are shit, and the manager is clueless. The problem is that there are lots of problems.

Ok then clever clogs, how do we sort our problems out, and can I have a graph if possible?

I don't see any end to the current malaise, and I can't see how things will change for the better any more.

 

[The Crab]

I wouldn't say it's the fans, how many clubs would still pull the crowds we do after 5 years in League 1? As for the others, a combination of bad excecution of bad ideas, players who think they are bigger than the club and all they care about is how good their car is and how bronze the birds look. To be honest most of my contempt is aimed at the players as they have something the likes of me and you would have killed for.

So Brownie, basically whatever you want to call it, two words that immediately spring to mind are Clusterfuck and Omnishambles. I don't think even Steven Hawking can come up with a formula to get us out of the shit we find ourselves wading in.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I wouldn't say it's the fans, how many clubs would still pull the crowds we do after 5 years in League 1? As for the others, a combination of bad excecution of bad ideas, players who think they are bigger than the club and all they care about is how good their car is and how bronze the birds look. To be honest most of my contempt is aimed at the players as they have something the likes of me and you would have killed for.

So Brownie, basically whatever you want to call it, two words that immediately spring to mind are Clusterfuck and Omnishambles. I don't think even Steven Hawking can come up with a formula to get us out of the shit we find ourselves wading in.

You are definitely on to something with the players.

I've noticed a distinct lack of mutual trust and respect between the fans and most of the players. It was more abundently clear at Millwall when the travelling support who has been excellent, and not got on anyone's back, received rhe thanks of one solitary player who could be arsed to walk over and acknowledge us.

To throw another random in to the debate. I follow a certain Wally Downes on Twitter. He summed it up with a tweet last night when he said when United are attacking or defending with purpose then Bramall Lane is like a Cauldron of noise, but when he was passing it sideways it is like a library.

 

[Jostein's Bandage]

I think the best thing to do, is to get all the players trying out different sports. Eventually we might find one that we aren't too bad at. We could be the first Croquet Club in history to have 20,000 fans.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Ok then clever clogs, how do we sort our problems out, and can I have a graph if possible?

I don't see any end to the current malaise, and I can't see how things will change for the better any more.

I don't think you have to be particularly clever to see that this club is rotten from top to bottom. As you'll see, the most pressing issue is that of the boardroom, we need someone there who knows their arse from their elbow. What can we as fans do about that? I go back to the BIFA thing.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I think the best thing to do, is to get all the players trying out different sports. Eventually we might find one that we aren't too bad at. We could be the first Croquet Club in history to have 20,000 fans.

I think Dean Hammond and Paul Coutts would make excellent traffic bollards. If Connor Sammon wasn't like perpetual motion he would make an excellent bollard as well, but that is a dicussion for a different day

 

[derryblade]

I was hoping to hear the announcement of the retained list and the 5 loans returned to their clubs this morning, just to cheer me up. Maybe after Saturday

 

[Deleted member 875]

I don't think you have to be particularly clever to see that this club is rotten from top to bottom. As you'll see, the most pressing issue is that of the boardroom, we need someone there who knows their arse from their elbow. What can we as fans do about that? I go back to the BIFA thing.

But do you think a BIFA type organisation would be able to change anything for the better?

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

A Bury fan at the pub said the exact same thing to me when they beat us earlier in the season. All I could muster was 'How long have you got?'

It's such a long-winded, multi layered story of consistent decline that nobody is quite sure where to start. If I was to tell the tale it'd be summet along the lines of:

'It all starts with the board agreeing Chris Guthrie was a good signing to push us into the top 3...'

Fixed it for you, Jones bach!

 

[JJ Sefton]

But do you think a BIFA type organisation would be able to change anything for the better?

I think it has more chance than continuing as we are.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I think it has more chance than continuing as we are.

Personally I don't think it would, it would probably have more chance of antagonising McCabe and the Saudi group.

The football protest movement in my opinion has moved on a lot since all the money came in to the game, we are at the bottom of a very big food chain, and our opinions wether voiced or not, count for very little any more.

 

[Bladesman]

A Bury fan at the pub said the exact same thing to me when they beat us earlier in the season. All I could muster was 'How long have you got?'

It's such a long-winded, multi layered story of consistent decline that nobody is quite sure where to start. If I was to tell the tale it'd be summet along the lines of:

'It all starts with a broken leg at Stamford Bridge...'

That along with passing of Dooley. Every decision made since around that time has been the wrong one. The fallout with Warnock and his contract, the appointment of Robson, Blackwell being sacked at the wrong time, The Beattie Flu and it just goes on.

What annoyed me most about McCabe is ulitimately it was and still is him making most of these decisions but he still says "We may have made some mistakes in the past." No Kevin its mostly been you making the mistakes.

 

[TJB.]

That along with passing of Dooley. Every decision made since around that time has been the wrong one. The fallout with Warnock and his contract, the appointment of Robson, Blackwell being sacked at the wrong time, The Beattie Flu and it just goes on.

What annoyed me most about McCabe is ulitimately it was and still is him making most of these decisions but he still says "We may have made some mistakes in the past." No Kevin its mostly been you making the mistakes.

This is my point, mate. Nobody knows where to start.

One could argue that if you were armed with a library card, an internet connection, a notepad and a lengthy spell of unemployment, you could begin the story right back in 1889.

 

[The Crab]

You are definitely on to something with the players.

I've noticed a distinct lack of mutual trust and respect between the fans and most of the players. It was more abundently clear at Millwall when the travelling support who has been excellent, and not got on anyone's back, received rhe thanks of one solitary player who could be arsed to walk over and acknowledge us.

To throw another random in to the debate. I follow a certain Wally Downes on Twitter. He summed it up with a tweet last night when he said when United are attacking or defending with purpose then Bramall Lane is like a Cauldron of noise, but when he was passing it sideways it is like a library.

I think you've nailed that in your first paragraph. It feels pretty rough to be a Blade at the moment, yet the players appear to not give a shiny shite based on the crap they post on the likes of Twitter, banging on about what they're gonna do with their mates on holiday or shite like that. Not one of them taking any responsibility for the shite they've produced for us this season. They just moan and bitch if they don't get picked.

Well I hope they enjoy their Holidays, and I hope they enjoy the Conference League North (if they're lucky) when they get back. Bollocks to 'em.

 

[Worksop II]

I think it has more chance than continuing as we are.

Stability

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

All about getting priorities fatally wrong IMO.

We've got a beautiful ground, a top class academy set-up with u18 & u21 teams going from strength to strength, & continue to attract stunning attendances for the level we're at. But at first team level we fall deeper & deeper into the worst malaise in the club's history.

You're left asking: if the club's guardians can clearly get certain aspects of the club so right, why do they get the very most important thing so wrong?

If only we had the set-up we've got at development level, with the principles they've established over a period of time, operating at first team level.

Instead, we're rudderless, without any realistic sign of a change of direction away from mediocrity & compromise with failure.

 

[Bergen Blade]

This is my point, mate. Nobody knows where to start.

One could argue that if you were armed with a library card, an internet connection, a notepad and a lengthy spell of unemployment, you could begin the story right back in 1889.

Lack of long term planning, our continual bouncing back strategy is the main cause of our downfall.

When we realise we have to gradually build a team and squad that can improve year by year, playing modern, effective football we'll be moving in the right direction.


We have to think long and hard about our future this summer. With the expected clear out, it's a great chance of a fresh new start.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Lack of long term planning, our continual bouncing back strategy is the main cause of our downfall.

When we realise we have to gradually build a team and squad that can improve year by year, playing modern, effective football we'll be moving in the right direction.


We have to think long and hard about our future this summer. With the expected clear out, it's a great chance of a fresh new start.

Agree with you, Bergen.

And appointing Nigel Adkins exemplifies that attitude - the ultimate "quick fix for getting out of Division Three" man.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Agree with you, Bergen.

And appointing Nigel Adkins exemplifies that attitude - the ultimate "quick fix for getting out of Division Three" man.

The pressure to deliver instant promotion will again be a threat of the rebuilding job that's needed. Will we go for the potential of Alex Gilbey from Colchester or the "proven" ability of Dean Hammond?

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

The pressure to deliver instant promotion will again be a threat of the rebuilding job that's needed. Will we go for the potential of Alex Gilbey from Colchester or the "proven" ability of Dean Hammond?

Spot on. This is where the "expectations of fans" argument comes in - the overwhelming pressure for promotion to be achieved any how, any way. But there's also pretty overwhelming pressure not to sign Hammond, or the likes of Hammond, & to sign younger, more dynamic players with potential instead.

Hammond's a comfort blanket for a manager out of his depth in the situation he finds himself in. But, sadly, I'm fully expecting us to start next season with Adkins (brimming with unfounded positivity) & player-coach Hammond in place. And all sorts of talk about "pathways for youth" (funny how we didn't hear that at the start of the season?) and being "United together", but little or nothing in the way of signings of younger players from this level or below. Soundbites but no substance.

Like you said, we've got a great opportunity this summer. Not just with so many out of contract, but also with it having been made clear to so many others that they're not wanted here (by them having been shunted out on loan).

But to take that opportunity, Adkins needs sacking & replacing with a manager (of the Lee Johnson ilk) committed to creating a vibrant, youthful side, one that can generate hope for the future (even if it doesn't succeed immediately).

 

[Grappler]

If the Chinese investment story is true (on the rumours thread) then I wonder if McCabe has said to the Prince, "look mate, you and me are in this together, now you start using YOUR connections, as well as me using mine, and let's find someone with deep pockets to take over the running of the club"

 

[Grappler]

oh, and if there is one part of the equation that is not to blame, it is the fans.

 

[Tyler Durden]

In the late 90's, Mike McDonald, the fat fucking spawn of Satan said the reason we had to continually sell our assets and couldn't bring anyone in was because our attendances were too low and if we drew capacity crowds like his beloved Man Citeh, things would be different.

Crowds are much higher now yet the same problem persists. Eventually you sell your best players until there's nothing left to offload. You replace them with either shite or nothing at all and you end up as a mid-table 3rd division club. Nothings changed except the excuses.

Throughout this past 15+ years, any coherant voice representing the supporters has been absent. BIFA became a spent force soon after Reg Brearleys departure. We desperately need that consolidated voice to speak up again, directly to clowns in charge.

The problem is that any suggestion is dismissed on forums like this, people prefer to moan and groan but scoff at the idea of doing it proactively. It's a peculiarly British mentality unfortunately.

 

[Foxy]

Throughout this past 15+ years, any coherant voice representing the supporters has been absent. BIFA became a spent force soon after Reg Brearleys departure. We desperately need that consolidated voice to speak up again, directly to clowns in charge.

The problem is that any suggestion is dismissed on forums like this, people prefer to moan and groan but scoff at the idea of doing it proactively. It's a peculiarly British mentality unfortunately.

The problem usually is, progressing from the suggestion, as that's when it normally becomes clear that the main aim of most people is to simply moan that we are shit. Ask what should be done and it soon becomes rather quiet or "that's not my job".

A consolidated voice has to be consolidated.... Many people are unable to act in such a way and are simply out for their own aims/personal agendas.

 

[raul]

I miss Uncle Richard.