Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough talks budgets, summer recruitment and expectations

[S6Blade]

We’ve signed 11 players is it? Do you think they signed on because we’ve got a nice ground and are turning up each week for the love of the game? You can read between the lines and twist Clough’s words all you want but money has been spent.

And if I was the chairman I’d be asking serious questions over the Butler situation. Lauded as a great signing and potential captain when he signed yet shipped out having never played a league game for us leaving us with only two recognised centre halves, one of which is an 18 year old with four professional starts prior to this season.

 

[judge]

People have to bear in mind that we'd brought in Basham, JCR, McNulty, Alcock, Butler, Wallace and Davies by early July. They were all 'free' but that doesn't mean free to the club. Add to that the contract extensions to Howard and Harris and a fair chunk of the budget will have already therefore been spent regardless of the Maguire situation. It was clear Maguire was leaving by this time but they had no way of knowing what kind of fee we were eventually going to get or the structure of the deal. We might have had a player swap for example. Higdon was also signed post Maguire followed by McEveley.

It's worrying that NC admitted that the club didn't deal particularly well with the situation and will learn for January, it's hardly a new thing this transfer window, but we'll never know whether 'lend us a million Prince, you'll get it back at the end of the month' would have made a difference. He did sound a bit pissed off but at the end of the day, HIS team shouldn't produce performances as chalk and cheese as they have been in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

do you actually think that people think that free transfer signings dont get paid a wage ?
If not then that is a bit of a pointless point
What kind of wages do you think they are on ?
What sort of size wage budget do you think we have ?

Above average on both doubts woukd be my guess
Which is where we are as a league 1 club at the minute

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

do you actually think that people think that free transfer signings dont get paid a wage ?
If not then that is a bit of a pointless point
What kind of wages do you think they are on ?
What sort of size wage budget do you think we have ?

Above average on both doubts woukd be my guess
Which is where we are as a league 1 club at the minute

I was making the point that even though there is no transfer fee, it's not free to the club, signing on fees, agent fees etc. The fact they are all probably on decent (relatively) wages also blows the 'we haven't spent any money. Clough hasn't been backed' argument out of the water.

 

[sheffielder]

I was making the point that even though there is no transfer fee, it's not free to the club, signing on fees, agent fees etc. The fact they are all probably on decent (relatively) wages also blows the 'we haven't spent any money. Clough hasn't been backed' argument out of the water.

So has Clough spent the money wisely or not?

 

[judge]

I was making the point that even though there is no transfer fee, it's not free to the club, signing on fees, agent fees etc. The fact they are all probably on decent (relatively) wages also blows the 'we haven't spent any money. Clough hasn't been backed' argument out of the water.

I dont think anyone thinks the club doesnt pay the players a wage

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

So has Clough spent the money wisely or not?

There weren't many complaints at the time, individually or collectively. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I seem to remember he (and the club) were praised at the time for doing good business nice and early for a change.

 

[Woodwardfan]

So has Clough spent the money wisely or not?

I rated each player on another thread and the average score for merit to date was 5.4 ! Not a very satisfactory performance by the manager or his brother.

Whatever anyone says about the budget we are one of the highest in this division.

Clough clearly isn't happy with his summer work and nor am I.

 

[Latters]

There weren't many complaints at the time, individually or collectively. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I seem to remember he (and the club) were praised at the time for doing good business nice and early for a change.

Weren't there? I expressed disappointment in the underwhelming signings and I wasn't the only one. On the face of it, we appeared to be signing a bunch of average League 1 players from average League 1 clubs (or Blackpool or Scotland). At the moment it looks as though this was the case, as well.

None of the signings have shown any sign that they would be any use in the league above and most, if not all, have looked average at best at this level.

 

[Woodwardfan]

There weren't many complaints at the time, individually or collectively. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I seem to remember he (and the club) were praised at the time for doing good business nice and early for a change.

Sorry Chiminey throughout the summer we trusted Clough and although we didn't know some of the players we thought he was doing good early and planned business. We always assumed he would put his heralded "strong strikeforce of four" together after he said McNulty would have to fight his way into the team in due course. Some of the later signings have been uninspiring and a bit desperate in truth.

Whatever, Clough is still way in front on "brownie points" but he has not done well since the end of last season and the preparation and start to this season has been poor.

 

[wizadry]

There weren't many complaints at the time, individually or collectively. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I seem to remember he (and the club) were praised at the time for doing good business nice and early for a change.

I think it was a mixture of the two to be honest,a lot were happy about the early buisness so to speak,but there were also a lot of people saying they weren't happy with the signings themselves,underwhelming was the key word as Latters so rightly put.Still early days though but the performances have to improve tremendously if we are to even reach the playoffs atm.Cloughy said we had our moments in the Swindon match on Saturday,well i'm not been funny but that first half they could have gone in 7-0 up and we had nowhere near that amount of chances Cloughy.

 

[sheffielder]

There weren't many complaints at the time, individually or collectively. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I seem to remember he (and the club) were praised at the time for doing good business nice and early for a change.

From memory alot of people thought we signed some very good squad players, however were waiting on a bit of quality towards the end of the window. That never came. I don't think anyone expected Basham to play as an attacking central midfielder, which I am guessing would include you?

I really don't want anymore mediorcre signings. I would rather Nigel found a settled team with what he has now. Any more players could cause problems

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I think it was a mixture of the two to be honest,a lot were happy about the early buisness so to speak,but there were also a lot of people saying they weren't happy with the signings themselves,underwhelming was the key word as Latters so rightly put.Still early days though but the performances have to improve tremendously if we are to even reach the playoffs atm.Cloughy said we had our moments in the Swindon match on Saturday,well i'm not been funny but that first half they could have gone in 7-0 up and we had nowhere near that amount of chances Cloughy.

From memory alot of people thought we signed some very good squad players, however were waiting on a bit of quality towards the end of the window. That never came. I don't think anyone expected Basham to play as an attacking central midfielder, which I am guessing would include you?

I really don't want anymore mediorcre signings. I would rather Nigel found a settled team with what he has now. Any more players could cause problems

Agree with both, they looked decent enough signings on paper without being the 'names' people were looking for with this MASSIVE wealth we have. Going over old ground but NC hasn't played the team he had planned IMO which has meant Basham, Alcock, Davies playing out of position etc

It's easy now for people to say they were right about the mediocre signings when we're struggling (relatively). They may be right of course long term but it's far too early to write most of them off as failures.

 

[wizadry]

Agree with both, they looked decent enough signings on paper without being the 'names' people were looking for with this MASSIVE wealth we have. Going over old ground but NC hasn't played the team he had planned IMO which has meant Basham, Alcock, Davies playing out of position etc

It's easy now for people to say they were right about the mediocre signings when we're struggling (relatively). They may be right of course long term but it's far too early to write most of them off as failures.

I haven't written anyone off yet jim,thats why i stated it's still early days.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I haven't written anyone off yet jim,thats why i stated it's still early days.

Wasn't a dig at you Wizzo, I know you don't believe anything you read anyway

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Maguire's transfer was confirmed on the 29th July, leaving the club a mere 33 days before the transfer window slammed shut.
It's a bit ridiculous for either Clough or the board to claim that his "late" departure resulted in us not signing a replacement.

 

[bladesadviser]

I actually think that every player as played well for some part of every match but not a whole match or a succession of games. I thought Higdon had a great first half against Bristol City and Basham had a good second half against Preston. There is just not enough of the good stuff

At the first game of the season I thought the defence was shakey and we looked ok in attack, then we had good run defensively and we couldn't score and now in the last week we can score again but not defend

 

[wizadry]

Wasn't a dig at you Wizzo, I know you don't believe anything you read anyway

Very good,i like how you did that

 

[wizadry]

I actually think that every player as played well for some part of every match but not a whole match or a succession of games. I thought Higdon had a great first half against Bristol City and Basham had a good second half against Preston. There is just not enough of the good stuff

At the first game of the season I thought the defence was shakey and we looked ok in attack, then we had good run defensively and we couldn't score and now in the last week we can score again but not defend

Inconsistent then

 

[Latters]

Agree with both, they looked decent enough signings on paper without being the 'names' people were looking for with this MASSIVE wealth we have. Going over old ground but NC hasn't played the team he had planned IMO which has meant Basham, Alcock, Davies playing out of position etc

It's easy now for people to say they were right about the mediocre signings when we're struggling (relatively). They may be right of course long term but it's far too early to write most of them off as failures.

I am making an assumption that I am one of the people you refer to, but would like to point out that I wasn't claiming to be unequivocally "right". I was simply stating that a number of us were far from happy with our summer transfer activity, in contrast to your claim that there weren't many complaints. I, along with others, said at the time that the signings were underwhelming. I then said that thus far they have performed in an equally underwhelming manner and were living up (or down) to expectations. They may improve. Time will tell.

As the summer transfer window rolled on, I was hopeful that the majority of the signings made were going to be squad players to supplement the main signings that would come later. I don't think I was alone in hoping for this. Unfortunately it wasn't the case.

However, I reiterate that nobody has been proved correct or otherwise yet. There is plenty of the season still to go at, although I would feel a lot more confident if we got some talented players in on loan and the summer signings were reduced to squad players.

 

[Kenilworth]

Going over old ground but NC hasn't played the team he had planned IMO which has meant Basham, Alcock, Davies playing out of position etc.

Only
a) Basham was bought as a central attacking midfielder, the Coady role - with only a handful of goals to his name throughout his career
b) Alcock is being played in his favoured position now and has been after the first two games of the season
c) Davies - is a very versatile player and has been one of our only consistently useful players to date wherever he has been asked to play..

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I am making an assumption that I am one of the people you refer to, but would like to point out that I wasn't claiming to be unequivocally "right". I was simply stating that a number of us were far from happy with our summer transfer activity, in contrast to your claim that there weren't many complaints. I, along with others, said at the time that the signings were underwhelming. I then said that thus far they have performed in an equally underwhelming manner and were living up (or down) to expectations. They may improve. Time will tell.

As the summer transfer window rolled on, I was hopeful that the majority of the signings made were going to be squad players to supplement the main signings that would come later. I don't think I was alone in hoping for this. Unfortunately it wasn't the case.

However, I reiterate that nobody has been proved correct or otherwise yet. There is plenty of the season still to go at, although I would feel a lot more confident if we got some talented players in on loan and the summer signings were reduced to squad players.

I wasn't being personal or point scoring, it was just a general comment. They weren't big name signings or edge of the seat players no but should be good enough for this division at least. As ever, when the team struggles it highlights their short comings.

Only
a) Basham was bought as a central attacking midfielder, the Coady role - with only a handful of goals to his name throughout his career
b) Alcock is being played in his favoured position now and has been after the first two games of the season
c) Davies - is a very versatile player and has been one of our only consistently useful players to date wherever he has been asked to play..

I'd say Wallace was bought to play the 'Coady' role and Basham was there to replace Doyle. Wallace's injury and Reeds pre-season form threw all that planning out of the window.

Alcock has done OK from what I've seen, the goals seem to be coming straight through the middle, it's not as if he's being constantly skinned down that flank. He doesn't, however, seem to be as attacking as he looked like he might be pre-season although that may be what he's been told rather than the player himself.

I'm sure Davies was bought mainly as cover but injuries and form have meant he's been an ever present. As it's turned out, just as well thus far.

 

[Kenilworth]

I'd say Wallace was bought to play the 'Coady' role and Basham was there to replace Doyle. Wallace's injury and Reeds pre-season form threw all that planning out of the window.

Other way around JC - my understanding from the interviews and talk when they arrived was that Wallace was brought in as the CDM for his aggression and his power to get things moving and that Basham was earmarked for the CAM (Coady role).

If Wallace can get fit and remain so then I think we have a very useful player from what I have seen of him (at least 3 times live)
From what I have seen of Basham - meh - he should be doing so much more than apparently the chasing of shadows.

 

[wizadry]

Other way around JC - my understanding from the interviews and talk when they arrived was that Wallace was brought in as the CDM for his aggression and his power to get things moving and that Basham was earmarked for the CAM (Coady role).

If Wallace can get fit and remain so then I think we have a very useful player from what I have seen of him (at least 3 times live)
From what I have seen of Basham - meh - he should be doing so much more than apparently the chasing of shadows.

Basham is not a CAM,just have a look at his career,he has never played there so why at the age of 26 Cloughy is playing him there i'll never know.Try him at CB or DM,thats where he's played all the way through his career and thats where he should stay.Cloughy really has done some strange things tactically this season and there's only him who can tell us why.

6 goals in 127 appearances,need i say anymore.

 

[Kenilworth]

Basham is not a CAM, just have a look at his career,he has never played there so why at the age of 26 Cloughy is playing him there I'll never know.Try him at CB or DM, that's where he's played all the way through his career and that's where he should stay. Cloughy really has done some strange things tactically this season and there's only him who can tell us why.
6 goals in 127 appearances, need I say more.

I know - but that's the position he was seemingly bought for as I understood it from the interviews etc. Not DM

Might be just as well to try him at CB the way we are leaking goals at the moment

 

[Grecian2000]

Basham is not a CAM,just have a look at his career,he has never played there so why at the age of 26 Cloughy is playing him there i'll never know.

What? You mean you've not seen the "nearly man" runs he makes into the box that only the connoisseur (certainly not his team mates) can see? You heathen.

I agree with Latters, there were plenty of people who were expecting better signings than what actually arrived. All the nonsense we had to put up with that Maguire was shit (leadboots no less), Brayford over hyped and Coady "not all that" when it became clear they were going/not coming was quite laughable in contrast to what was actually stepping through the in door.

Being away for a couple of weeks mean I only see the bare result so it was quite a shock to hear how poor it's been since Preston (from the people I go to matches with, not on here).

 

[Blade59]

None of the players signed are particularly poor and individually are capable at this level. However collectively the squad is no more than a top half side with a chance of challenging for the play offs. We need 2 or 3 players of the calibre of Brayford, Maguire, Coady,etc. to make that step up to genuine promotion contenders. I think most of us expected that these quality signings would be brought in with a few of the average players being moved out the other way. This has not happened and it appears we are as financially constrained as ever despite the Prince and Mcabes game changing statement. Once again we are relying on the loan market but our track record here does not exactly fill you with optimism.

 

[davidpinder]

Cheers fella!

Good question. Not really sure how he would sound if he was hungry for success. He's certainly not here to just do a job

On Saturday he was clearly emotional as he was fuming. And he did come across a little flustered. But in this interview his demeanour is very much back to business as usual, we know what we need to put things right.

I think it rattled him on Saturday and so it should. With Clough you very much get the impression that he drills expectations into players and when they don't do their jobs he gets pissed off.

So to answer your original question: no I don't think he sounds hungry for success, he sounds like a man with a plan. He does sound like a man who knows what it takes to get us out of this league.

Interesting. I am somewhat concerned about his lack of confidence in going up and he also seems very down about our dealings in the transfer market. He repeatedly mentions how wrong the bookies were to make us favourites but let's be honest why shouldn't they? We had the best run from February onwards, finished on a high and made the semi final of the FA Cup but most of all in September 2013 we had "game changing" investment now that to any bookmaker screams spending and last January we made some excellent loan signings. He should be confident that we are going for promotion not saying the bookies are wrong, he shouldn't even mention it if he is confident.

 

[wizadry]

What? You mean you've not seen the "nearly man" runs he makes into the box that only the connoisseur (certainly not his team mates) can see? You heathen.

I agree with Latters, there were plenty of people who were expecting better signings than what actually arrived. All the nonsense we had to put up with that Maguire was shit (leadboots no less), Brayford over hyped and Coady "not all that" when it became clear they were going/not coming was quite laughable in contrast to what was actually stepping through the in door.

Being away for a couple of weeks mean I only see the bare result so it was quite a shock to hear how poor it's been since Preston (from the people I go to matches with, not on here).

I have seen the runs you're referring too,but i for one now doesn't think he's good enough to put it in the net.

As for the signings i totally agree.If you look back through the thread you will see that Grecian2000 .I haven't got a clue why you're referring this to me or my post,especially when i'm in agreement as regards Maguire,Coady and Brayford.I wanted Coady and Brayford back.I would have also liked Maguire to stay as i think this or the Championship level at best is where he should be playing,but he wanted out and got his way,thats fine,he's made his bed he can now lay in it.

As for the performances,the last couple have been shocking,well apart from 10 minutes against Colchester,it's still early days but we can't afford for the performances to stay the same otherwise we will be in shit creek.

 

[BerksBlade]

Even if that is the case, let's say you are Nigel Clough and manager of our club. What - exactly - brings you to Bramall Lane on the back of a fucking disastrous season opening seeing your club anchored in the relegation zone of the third tier of English football? When he joined, the playing staff were not only shit, their structure and style was shit. I may be assuming a lot, but I can't be far from the truth to assume that McCabe shook hands with a man who believed that steadying the ship was mission one, and getting us promoted the following season based on a staff refresh with real ability was mission two. How much HAS Clough spent on there fourteen 'signings' then? Do you honestly believe that it is in any way near what a 'game changing investment' actually is? Or was it like much of what McCabe says, just Billy Bollocks to keep us all from asking these very same questions? So many people on here have countered what us 'knockers' have been spouting on S24SU - but the last two games have finally burst the banks of the river and try as people might, I am wholly unconvinced we have a stable situation at Bramall Lane that will see us promoted automatically. I think our manager is disillusioned with his lot and I think we lack horsepower to overcome the obstacles in our way. I seriously- genuinely hope I am wrong and that last Satdi is the wake up call we need. But Clough's words give so much away about the lack of passion and fire that he knows he needs to achieve mission two. Poor bastard. Poor us. Poor Sheffield United.
pommpey

I'm pretty sure Nigel's brief would have been as you say - make sure we don't go down then build a team for a promotion challenge. In some respects he did too good a job - winning 10 in a row and running a Premier League team close in an FA Cup semi-final.
However - the team spirit and commitment responsible for those achievements seems to have gone out of the window. Scougall, Murphy, Flynn & Harris look shadows of the players they were at the end of last season. Who's responsible for motivating the players?
I don't know how much Nigel has spent on his signings. What I do know is that he has had money to spend (on wages if not transfer fees) and in several cases has spent poorly. Other teams have got out of this League without the "game-changing investment". But despite regular attendances of 17-18,000 we can't?
All the messages coming out of the club are that Nigel was given the funds he asked for (before Maguire's departure at least). Why would they lie? If there is no money and the manager has to wheel and deal to put a squad together, why not just say so? If nothing else, it gives them a get-out clause if we don't get promoted.
I still think Nigel is the right man for the job, but he's not just a helpless pawn being sabotaged by a tight-assed board and uncooperative players.
Hopefully, all this is just the build-up to a late-season run similar to last season.

 

[Davie Blade]

None of the players signed are particularly poor and individually are capable at this level. However collectively the squad is no more than a top half side with a chance of challenging for the play offs. We need 2 or 3 players of the calibre of Brayford, Maguire, Coady,etc. to make that step up to genuine promotion contenders. I think most of us expected that these quality signings would be brought in with a few of the average players being moved out the other way. This has not happened and it appears we are as financially constrained as ever despite the Prince and Mcabes game changing statement. Once again we are relying on the loan market but our track record here does not exactly fill you with optimism.

So to sum up we are no good at loans and we need a Coady and Brayford who were errmmm................loans.

Oh and we've no money except for the 11 /12 new players.