Thanks Chris Wilder.

[PeteBlade]

I'm surprised you're still chirping up, I thought you'd have gone all quiet when you realised the reaction was what it was yesterday.

Surely even you can see that the overwhelming majority thought the retained list was done excellently.

The reaction being completely opposite to how you said it would be, the disagreement on various players let go, the various threads on which players people would keep and completely split reaction on various players?

'Unanimous' being the word you used regarding releasing them all.


You can attempt to pretend to have been 'correct' all you like but anyone who can read can see it it weren't.

 

[Maidenhead]

Showing your age a tad, I had to Google it

young whippersnapper

 

[RealMcCoy]

Highest prize money at the time. A mega jackpot of £1000!!
The yes/no interlude was very entertaining. Times were simpler back then.

Sh!t! That was Take Your Pick!

 

[Barney]

The reaction being completely opposite to how you said it would be, the disagreement on various players let go, the various threads on which players people would keep and completely split reaction on various players?

You can attempt to have been 'correct' all you like but anyone who can read can see it it weren't.

The reaction being completely opposite to how you said it would be, the disagreement on various players let go, the various threads on which players people would keep and completely split reaction on various players?

'Unanimous' being the word you used regarding releasing them all.


You can attempt to have been 'correct' all you like but anyone who can read can see it it weren't.

You are utterly hilarious.

Unanimous is there or thereabouts as I said it would be.

I've seen one thread since the retained list saying he thought it was a mistake to release so many players and one maybe two people agreed with him.

Not read much if the forum today so unless you can point me in the direction of all these other "various threads"?

It should be easy, even for you to know that there's always going to be a few unhappy with every single decision.

To reject that an overwhelming majority are in favour of the retained list anyone can see is just daft.

 

[Maidenhead]

I do but Im sick of wasting my breath. The signing ironically hailed as Branningans finest accomplishment probably cost him his job ,which got me thinking how many careers did Adkins either ruin or stall in the last 12 months. The man has been an absolute walking disaster since he stepped foot in the club.

I was in favour of giving Adkins more time but this Hammond fiasco has obviously changed my mind.

I would guess that it also made Mr McCabes mind up as well as costing Brannigan his job, on the basis that he was responsible for contract negotiation and the board probably wouldn't know the full details of their would have been no need to have employed him in the first place.

Brannigan must have had serious persuasion from Adkins who wanted to bring Hammond in at any price and that's probably why the new chief executive is from outside football to keep a proper business eye on proceedings rather than allow widespread dodgy football related practices to prevail.

 

[Maidenhead]

Sh!t! That was Take Your Pick!

Michael Miles (google search not necessary )

 

[PeteBlade]

You are utterly hilarious.

Unanimous is there or thereabouts as I said it would be.

I've seen one thread since the retained list saying he thought it was a mistake to release so many players and one maybe two people agreed with him.

Not read much if the forum today so unless you can point me in the direction of all these other "various threads"?

It should be easy, even for you to know that there's always going to be a few unhappy with every single decision.

To reject that an overwhelming majority are in favour of the retained list anyone can see is just daft.

You added 'thereabouts' after you'd originally just said it would be unanimously agreed which was clearly false.

Have a look back at the original thread if you like.

I've seen people disagree on Jay, McNulty, Scougal, Harris, Freeman and various others, just read the threads.

Your original point that the board should have handled the retained list because the decisions were obvious and unanimous were correctly called out as complete nonsense by a wide range of different people.

 

[Barney]

You added 'thereabouts' after you'd originally just said it would be unanimously agreed which was clearly false.

Have a look back at the original thread if you like.

I've seen people disagree on Jay, McNulty, Scougal, Harris, Freeman and various others, just read the threads.

Your original point that the board should have handled the retained list because the decisions were obvious and unanimous were correctly called out as complete nonsense by a wide range of different people.

I cannot believe you're actually arguing that the reaction to the retained list was not overwhelmingly in favour of what was done.

And no, what you've said there definitely wasn't my point actually. That's a point you've made up to be mine.

Nowhere did I say that the board we have currently should have done the retained list.

I said that we should have a board capable enough to know what needs to be done, but that it's frustrating because they aren't.

Obviously this perplexed your little mind and you clearly couldn't and still can't differentiate between the two.

 

[PeteBlade]

I cannot believe you're actually arguing that the reaction to the retained list was not overwhelmingly in favour of what was done.

And no, what you've said there definitely wasn't my point actually. That's a point you've made up to be mine.

Nowhere did I say that the board we have currently should have done the retained list.

I said that we should have a board capable enough to know what needs to be done, but that it's frustrating because they aren't.

Obviously this perplexed your little mind and you clearly couldn't and still can't differentiate between the two.

I was wondering what you were doing with those goalposts. Then I realised you were just moving them.

 

[Barney]

I was wondering what you were doing with those goalposts. Then I realised you were just moving them.

It's there in the threads, look back at your will.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Personally, i'm holding my load back.
Going to wait and see who we bring in as replacements
before I swallow anything.

We don't want to be replacing donkeys with turkeys.

True, we are not going to win many matches with our current squad. But I feel confident in Wilder.

I felt confident in Adkins too, at the start of his reign.

 

[PeteBlade]

It's there in the threads, look back at your will.

I have, "They could and should have dealt with the retained list" being a particularly memorable quote.

 

[Barney]

I have, "They could and should have dealt with the retained list" being a particularly memorable quote.

Well then you should know what my point was.

It's OK for you being unable to differentiate, but there's no excuses to continue pretending otherwise now.

 

[RealMcCoy]

Well then you should know what my point was.

It's OK for you being unable to differentiate, but there's no excuses to continue pretending otherwise now.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargghhhh!
Givit a rest you two!
Please.

 

[PeteBlade]

Well then you should know what my point was.

It's OK for you being unable to differentiate, but there's no excuses to continue pretending otherwise now.

Ha ha ha ok Barn.
Let's leave it there.
Thread still open for anyone else.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Total nonsense, I've been completely and totally positive about Wilder since day one.

It's not being disingenuous to simply disagree with you whilst offering rational and reasonable examples as to how I've arrived at this opinion.

Just realistic as to how we're run, and I'm not fawning over releasing a load of player who would more than likely have been released anyway.

I supported keeping Adkins on (clearly) and I'll support keeping Wilder on too.

Because I believe we're run awfully by people who don't know what they're doing, please see Hammond's contract clause as evidence of this.

If truth be known under Clough and then Adkins we all thought a couple of tweaks and additions , we would have the automatic promotion side we all want .

Poor decision management by both a lough and Adkins prevented this , with the old adage of square pegs in round holes scenorio and players losing confidence , not understanding what was required , and getting into the zone of take the money and run .

Wilder has IMO carried out the clean sweep to allow fresh blood , and clear 5 seasons of a mishmash of a squad.

Up to press , excellent . Loads of hurdles still to get over , but the hurdles with Wilder seem to get smaller not bigger.

Happy - Yes . cautious - Yes . Realistic - Yes.

UTB.

 

[PeteBlade]

If truth be known under Clough and then Adkins we all thought a couple of tweaks and additions , we would have the automatic promotion side we all want .

Poor decision management by both a lough and Adkins prevented this , with the old adage of square pegs in round holes scenorio and players losing confidence , not understanding what was required , and getting into the zone of take the money and run .

Wilder has IMO carried out the clean sweep to allow fresh blood , and clear 5 seasons of a mishmash of a squad.

Up to press , excellent . Loads of hurdles still to get over , but the hurdles with Wilder seem to get smaller not bigger.

Happy - Yes . cautious - Yes . Realistic - Yes.

UTB.

My thoughts too by and large, with a few more 'we're owned by dickheads' thrown in there.

 

[Barney]

Last season most people were saying we simply needed to add a small amount of players to the current squad to achieve promotion.
.

!!

How many times have I tried telling you this in past discussions about whether 5 signings should have been enough for promotion last season? Breakthrough at last.

 

[PeteBlade]

!!

How many times have I tried telling you this in past discussions about whether 5 signings should have been enough for promotion last season? Breakthrough at last.

I'm aware others don't want to read another one of our squabbles so I'll simply point out the difference between people's opinion and the reality.

As for 'breakthrough', that would be you admitting you made up that dodgy season ticket selling story.

Enjoy your evening.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Adkins compiled the list. Passed on to the board. The board see it, don't like certain items.
Sack Adkins.

Appoint Wilder. Pass on the list with their views (which MUST be acted on, without question)
Wilder's implemented it. The board are win/win.. they've got their wishes carried out by the new manager and we all swallow it as though
it's Wilder who's made the decisions. We never saw the lips move.

Let's not for one second think that we have manager's who waltz in and start to change the furniture/decor
without the authorization of the landlord/s.

Wilders mates [who he will trust because they are his mates] will have been in his ear all last season telling him why Adkins wasn't performing, what was wrong and which players needed ditching.

Wilder knew what needed doing before he got here AND had his list of players who he wanted to strengthen a promotion wining team, some who will have been a pipe dream for Northampton and a formality for us.

He's off and running.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Wilders mates [who he will trust because they are his mates] will have been in his ear all last season telling him why Adkins wasn't performing, what was wrong and which players needed ditching.

Wilder knew what needed doing before he got here AND had his list of players who he wanted to strengthen a promotion wining team, some who will have been a pipe dream for Northampton and a formality for us.

He's off and running.

Did he turn down Blackburn Rovers and had he agreed to move to Charlton Athletic before we showed concrete interest?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Did he turn down Blackburn Rovers and had he agreed to move to Charlton Athletic before we showed concrete interest?

Wilder and Knill were on their way to Charlton to sign up when McC got in touch and asked them to go to his London office.

Bettered what Charlton had on the table, the rest is history.

The call to Charlton letting them down was from McC's office.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Wilder and Knill were on their way to Charlton to sign up when McC got in touch and asked them to go to his London office.

Bettered what Charlton had on the table, the rest is history.

The call to Charlton letting them down was from McC's office.

Thanks GRUMPY BLADE Dad...

 

[grafikhaus]

Interesting stuff on vitalcharlton when they thought CW was going to The Valley.

 

[malagablade]

when i was speaking to chris wilder in his early days at northampton,he told me that there were players that were big time charlies,on nearly 2,ooo a week ,that there walking around like prem players ."no way getting into his team" and they didnt ,he cleared the lot out ! ! told in a professional way ,no names mentioned . the team that he took up last season was entirely his team by the way ! no reason he cant do that here ,he still has a nucleus of players that he has retained that are up for it !

 

[BladeFisher]

Wilder and Knill were on their way to Charlton to sign up when McC got in touch and asked them to go to his London office.

Bettered what Charlton had on the table, the rest is history.

The call to Charlton letting them down was from McC's office.

I presume it came up as 'Witheld' on the Chairman's phone. Lucky he answered it, it could have been PPI or a replacement boiler promotion.

 

[Booker4]

Lol, "the easy bit"...

Wilder's done more in 12 days than Adkins did in 12 months.

I love Wilder, I love what he's done so far but all I say in defence of Adkins, on this occasion, Adkins unlike Wilder, didn't have the opportunity to release ten players and Adkins inherited the bloated squad as a result, which definitely hampered his attempts to re-shape the squad. ITs the the last but about re-shaping the squad where Adkins can receive criticism because his signings were for guys on bigger wages, and approaching 30 or over 30. But I do have some sympathy for Adkins, and when he said a clean slate to the squad that seemed sensible at the time because we'd just finished 5th and a few players had been ostracised by Clough that Adkins was prepared to give another chance too and I think that was fair enough. Maybe he should have known more about the squad but even if he did he would still be stuck with the squad for most of the season because many of the players didn't want to move onto smaller contracts at smaller clubs.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Lol, "the easy bit"...

Wilder's done more in 12 days than Adkins did in 12 months.

Had Adkins presided over the expiry of the contract of a lot of these players, I'm sure he would have also got rid of loads. The test will come in the recruitment but it's a positive start.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

I love Wilder, I love what he's done so far but all I say in defence of Adkins, on this occasion, Adkins unlike Wilder, didn't have the opportunity to release ten players and Adkins inherited the bloated squad as a result, which definitely hampered his attempts to re-shape the squad. ITs the the last but about re-shaping the squad where Adkins can receive criticism because his signings were for guys on bigger wages, and approaching 30 or over 30. But I do have some sympathy for Adkins, and when he said a clean slate to the squad that seemed sensible at the time because we'd just finished 5th and a few players had been ostracised by Clough that Adkins was prepared to give another chance too and I think that was fair enough. Maybe he should have known more about the squad but even if he did he would still be stuck with the squad for most of the season because many of the players didn't want to move onto smaller contracts at smaller clubs.

Maybe I'm too harsh on Adkins, I probably am. But can't say I'm willing to look back on his reign (given how it petered out so pathetically) with any sort of generosity.

Of course, there's truth in what you say. But, within the parameters he was working in, did he really do enough?, was he anything like proactive enough? I don't think so.

I don't believe the maxim "nice guys can't succeed" in football (witness Ranieri for e.g.). But nice guys need a nice environment. And his attempted creation of that nice environment was to bring his mates in to surround himself with a comfort blanket, rather than tackling problems head-on. Adkins didn't have the steeliness needed for a seriously tough job, with a depressed & disaffected fanbase, & a playing staff that didn't have enough respect for him.

Yes, he was landed with players who weren't good enough, who were getting payed too much, who were in far too much of a comfort zone. Why not make an example of one or two of them though (like Clough did with Collins, say)? Why not criticize poor performance, rather than endlessly justifying & excusing it?

He avoided problems (including trimming the squad), rather than tackling them. With the shameful end result that United finished 11th in Division Three.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Maybe I'm too harsh on Adkins, I probably am. But can't say I'm willing to look back on his reign (given how it petered out so pathetically) with any sort of generosity.

Of course, there's truth in what you say. But, within the parameters he was working in, did he really do enough?, was he anything like proactive enough? I don't think so.

I don't believe the maxim "nice guys can't succeed" in football (witness Ranieri for e.g.). But nice guys need a nice environment. And his attempted creation of that nice environment was to bring his mates in to surround himself with a comfort blanket, rather than tackling problems head-on. Adkins didn't have the steeliness needed for a seriously tough job, with a depressed & disaffected fanbase, & a playing staff that didn't have enough respect for him.

Yes, he was landed with players who weren't good enough, who were getting payed too much, who were in far too much of a comfort zone. Why not make an example of one or two of them though (like Clough did with Collins, say)? Why not criticize poor performance, rather than endlessly justifying & excusing it?

He avoided problems (including trimming the squad), rather than tackling them. With the shameful end result that United finished 11th in Division Three.

I think we can probably agree that his methods didn't work on the players he inherited. Where we're more likely to disagree is in relation to whether he should have been given a chance with his own team, whether he should have been given the chance to release the players on expiry of their contracts and put together a side of his own. Personally, I bought into what he was trying to achieve even though it wasn't coming together with the players he had at his disposal. I wanted attacking football, positivity, athletic, robust players etc. Unfortunately, the game is such that if you don't deliver immediate results with what you inherit, you don't always get the chance to put such plans into action.