Some slack for Mr Adkins ! !

[PeteBlade]

Missing the point pal. Nowt to do with Rovrum just pointing out that it would be nice to have an hands on Chairman who sits watches games . . Just like us and holds Adkins to account for some of these abject performances.

If the general point is that our chairman are shit, I agree.

 

[Bladesince59]

His primary role is motivation at which he is clearly struggling.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

for some of the green shoots that have emerged over recent weeks to gather strength & grow.

Have you smoking something???

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Absentee chairmen are usually shit. . . .

 

[wizadry]

I'm not deluded. It also takes a good manager not to tinker with a winning team as well. Clough will be preparing for the Championship this summer, while Adkins will mowing his lawn every other day.

Adkins has had a decent managerial career, I think he'll have a gardener to mow his lawn. Adkins can perhaps do some more walking or something instead

Oh and 'btw', there's plenty of time for Clough to fuck up, I'm pretty sure he's not counting his chickens just yet. Blades 3-1 Burton tomoz, that will do for starters, Clough has gone, lets leave him to it, we have our own minor problems.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Why do so many "proven" managers and "proven" players turn to shit when they walk through the Bramall lane front door?

 

[wizadry]

Why do so many "proven" managers and "proven" players turn to shit when they walk through the Bramall lane front door?

We have a proven manager but not many proven players, this is where the problem lies. We need better players as soon as possible.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

What's with the Hammond lovefest, I cant see him improving, he's had plenty of time for that. Adkins needs to accept he hasn't worked out.
Adkins is going to get the slack as McCabe made it clear he is backing him and also having dinner dates with him.
I do think the new formation could become good, but with the current lot playing you can see it going wrong.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

We have a proven manager but not many proven players, this is where the problem lies. We need better players as soon as possible.[/QUOT
Hammond is proven. . . . believe it or not

 

[wizadry]

That's why I said "but not many proven players", this is where I think our proven manager has done one of his fuck ups, listening to his scouts or signing someone that is unfortunately clearly passed it. He was obviously good in his day but he isn't now, I'd say he's had about 2 games worth of minutes where he's done a decent to good enough job, that isn't enough.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Yeah, as you say, each manager has their own style - Adkins' own style is conciliatory rather than confrontational. Which should work a lot better with his own hand-picked players around him, all of them pulling in the same direction.

Shame we've wasted an entire season but, maybe, in hindsight, it was unavoidable, especially with Adkins & his particular managerial style.

We need some momentum going into next season though, & for some of the green shoots that have emerged over recent weeks to gather strength & grow.

This is a point I’ve been making for a while. We had the option of stick with Clough and let him build on his stuttering playoff season or wipe the slate clean, new start, new manager, new philosophy, new squad. We went for the latter but decided we would wait a year before thinking about the new squad bit due to all those under contract at the time. If we sack Adkins without letting him assemble his squad, this year will have been a complete waste and would categorically prove we might as well have stuck with Clough. Let’s at least try to bear the fruit of what has been an extremely laborious season.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I'm not deluded. It also takes a good manager not to tinker with a winning team as well. Clough will be preparing for the Championship this summer, while Adkins will mowing his lawn every other day.

I think Clough showed in his time with us is that he is a very good coach. That was demonstrated in his first season turning his inherited team of losers into winners. He fell down when he had to assemble a team. His recruitment was poor overall and add in the tendency to fall out with players and it became even more difficult for him.


I think we overlooked the fact that he was a good coach when we got optimistic about Adkins coming in. It’s been shown that Clough did have them playing to their potential (around 5th best in league 1) and that the positivity of Adkins alone wouldn’t take them beyond that. Let’s just hope Adkins does a better job of the rebuild than Clough did in 2014.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Why do so many "proven" managers and "proven" players turn to shit when they walk through the Bramall lane front door?

It’s us nasty fans. Nobody could possibly succeed with 20,000 cheering them on or expressing frustration when they let us down.



Or maybe it’s that the powers that be couldn’t arrange an orgy in a whorehouse.

Which do we reckon is more likely?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

What's with the Hammond lovefest, I cant see him improving, he's had plenty of time for that. Adkins needs to accept he hasn't worked out.
Adkins is going to get the slack as McCabe made it clear he is backing him and also having dinner dates with him.
I do think the new formation could become good, but with the current lot playing you can see it going wrong.

Personally, I’m not thrilled by the idea of signing Hammond permanently but accept in all likelihood it will happen. Adkins is a big cheerleader for what he brings to the dressing room as a role model for other players. Perhaps that needs to be offset somewhat against his limited footballing ability.


What it does mean though is that we will need more mobile players to compensate for him. I think he could be somewhat effective in the right set up but was hoping for more complete midfielders to be signed.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

As daft as it sounds. I don't think Hammond would sign on a permanent basis for us anyway. I bet he can't wait for this loan period to end.

 

[Bladesince59]

We have a proven manager but not many proven players, this is where the problem lies. We need better players as soon as possible.

Or maybe he is a proven manager BUT with proven players.

 

[Bladesince59]

Vast majority of fans wouldn't be all that bothered as long as it was winning football they were watching.

You think that they'll play champagne football under Warnock?

They certainly won't but they will put up a fight.

 

[Bladesince59]

If what I have read elsewhere on here is correct - namely that Clough wanted 7 new signings and that was why he went - I do have some sympathy for Adkins insofar as the squad he inherited (minus HM, Coady and Murphy) was poor and uncompetitive and those thinking Clough would have us in the automatics with those players are deluding themselves. Coupled with this I think Clough is probably culpable for landing us with Sammon rather than Adkins if you look at the timings.

A couple of cup runs seem to have stuck in people's memories far more than the imbalanced and run of the mill squad, drab, negative and boring football, defeats by teams we should have thrashed given their league position - with a result that Clough seems to be getting away with a lot of the responsibility for the mess that is Sheffield United. Typical Clough - he never accepted responsibility for anything bad when he was at the club. If I was able to be there tomorrow I certainly would not applaud him. Nor would I boo for that matter. I am just glad that he and his brother have gone and he can do no further long term harm to the club I love.

I do think Adkins took too long to sift through the players, but then again he commented on a general lack of fitness and high injury count right at the beginning and it took some while to get to see everyone for those reasons. I also think he was told from the off that there were limited funds available until the squad was brought down to size - again thanks to Clough. It also think it seems quite clear that there were changing room cultures, divisions and issues that arose during the Clough era to resolve. I think this may explain Hammond coming and some of the departures.

Don't get me wrong, the current state of affairs is unacceptable and needs to improve. Adkins has made mistakes, but to expect him to wave a magic wand to change what has developed over the last few years is, in my view, asking a bit much. I bet he wishes he had never taken this job on as it has turned into a ruddy minefield.

I hope desperately hope we avoid humiliation by JFH's Burton tomorrow as I wouldn't want to give Clough OBE (Other Bugger's Efforts) the satisfaction.

UTB

The thing that stood out for me about Clough was that he was always such a miserable bastard, completely lacking in the ability to motivate his team to perform. At least Adkins smiles occasionally.

UTB

 

[longinthe toothblade]

The thing that stood out for me about Clough was that he was always such a miserable bastard, completely lacking in the ability to motivate his team to perform. At least Adkins smiles occasionally.

UTB

It's wind!!!

 

[Bladesince59]

It's wind!!!

It will be after 75 minutes tonight. After which he will shit himself.

 

[wizadry]

Or maybe he is a proven manager BUT with proven players.

I don't follow, mate?

 

[grafikhaus]

A couple of cup runs seem to have stuck in people's memories far more than the imbalanced and run of the mill squad, drab, negative and boring football, defeats by teams we should have thrashed given their league position - with a result that Clough seems to be getting away with a lot of the responsibility for the mess that is Sheffield United.

I'd agree with that. However, as I've said before, I don't think Chris Morgan can escape criticism over this. Having worked under Clough - many years at BDTBL, knowing the set up and no doubt thinking of his future - Morgan would have been the first man that Adkins went to to 'test the lie of the land' when he arrived.

Morgan would have said that 'all is well, just a couple of players away from challenging for promotion, no issues over fitness, morale or discipline'.

Or, he could have told the truth.

 

[Bladesince59]

I don't follow, mate?

My point was perhaps he is only a proven manager when he already has proven players rather than knackered ones like Hammond, Woolford etc. (Sharp excepted) and the shower of shit he inherited.

I am not sure what is his core skill? Recruitment, development, motivation. None in real evidence so far here.

UTB

 

[wizadry]

My point was perhaps he is only a proven manager when he already has proven players rather than knackered ones like Hammond, Woolford etc. (Sharp excepted) and the shower of shit he inherited.

I am not sure what is his core skill? Recruitment, development, motivation. None in real evidence so far here.

UTB

Ah right!

Well, whilst I'm still right behind Adkins I can't disagree with what you've said really, other than he needs next season so we can judge his time with us properly and fairly.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I'd agree with that. However, as I've said before, I don't think Chris Morgan can escape criticism over this. Having worked under Clough - many years at BDTBL, knowing the set up and no doubt thinking of his future - Morgan would have been the first man that Adkins went to to 'test the lie of the land' when he arrived.

Morgan would have said that 'all is well, just a couple of players away from challenging for promotion, no issues over fitness, morale or discipline'.

Or, he could have told the truth.

IF he was asked.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I think Adkins is that far up his own arse. T I simply don't think he would have consulted anybody about the squad of players on his arrival.

 

[Bladesince59]

It will be after 75 minutes tonight. After which he will shit himself.

I think Adkins is that far up his own arse. T I simply don't think he would have consulted anybody about the squad of players on his arrival.

It doesn't seem like he had seen them before he grabbed the job.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

The thing that stood out for me about Clough was that he was always such a miserable bastard, completely lacking in the ability to motivate his team to perform. At least Adkins smiles occasionally.

UTB

Give me a miserable bastard any day of the week. A managers mood should reflect what's just happened on the pitch. But happy clapper Nigel Adkins continues to piss down our collective necks and tells us its raining.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

I'll give the cunt some fucking slack..a ton of coal on top of him.

 

[Dalelane01]

He's had his slack he needs to tighten up