The Clough Regime

[Woodwardfan]

Winners do win , unless the board and so called player power move the goal posts.

UTB

I don't think Mourinho etc. would ever use player power as an excuse, they manage the situation.

As for the Board, they get the ground rules right and take it from there. No need for any misunderstandings if the manager negotiates what is needed, if not he leaves.

 

[Bladesway]

Oh, and for the record, who are you to tell me who I can and can't call stinky pants?

I just hope for better but as usual this year's intake isn't as good as last years. But you knock yourself out.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Whatever the shortfallings Clough has/had - We have to expand our short memories and remember how bad it was before he came. A lack of discipline was rife within the club so he did a good job of binning some very detrimental characters in the dressing room (e.g King, Brandy, McMahon, Westlake and Taylor) and brought in professional footballers that knew their job title. I think he got a bit too trigger happy towards the end with Collins, Butler, Cuvelier and McNulty but he did more good then harm when it came to fixing the character of the side.

Adkins has repeatedly praised the honesty and togetherness of the squad he has inherited and I think it is fair to say Clough laid that foundation.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Whatever the shortfallings Clough has/had - We have to expand our short memories and remember how bad it was before he came. A lack of discipline was rife within the club so he did a good job of binning some very detrimental characters in the dressing room (e.g King, Brandy, McMahon, Westlake and Taylor) and brought in professional footballers that knew their job title. I think he got a bit too trigger happy towards the end with Collins, Butler, Cuvelier and McNulty but he did more good then harm when it came to fixing the character of the side.

Adkins has repeatedly praised the honesty and togetherness of the squad he has inherited and I think it is fair to say Clough laid that foundation.

That's one side of the story of course. Certainly the last 4 named are true professionals as far as I know and I reckon 3 of the first mentioned were too.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Yes and that is entirely valid. Listen to him talk about Sunday's performance both individually and collectively. He couldn't be more pleased.

In any case he qualified that answer on the night. It was to do with the number of injuries and how his coaches needed to do a lot of work to get everybody in the squad playing their way.

Adkins is famed for his relentlessly positive outlook.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Just to be clear on Diego's car. It was a Citroen DS3, hardly flash or expensive particularly for a kid living at his parents at the time and therefore with disposable income to burn. I'm pretty sure when James Beattie signed he had an Orange Lamborghini and no one seemed to have a problem with that?!

I don't really have a view on Clough's handling of these issues and I've heard 2nd hand about the Diego story so we don't know if they're true but I suspect there's a fair bit of sensationalism gone into them as time has gone on.

 

[Bladesway]

Tittle tattle at the table of a supporters "meet the manager" night, maybe with alcohol involved, is not really suitable information for a thread.

However there is little new in what is reported. Some posters on here saw it happening with their own eyes and said so on here for months. Not until towards the very end of last season were such critical comments accepted by many on here. The poll on here after Clough was sacked showed that 60% S2 Forum members thought he should have been given more time.

I think it was me who said some time ago that fans would not realise how bad the Clough regime was- man management, tactics, scouting etc - until a good new modern manager succeeded him. That is exactly what is happening now. The Board were getting all the flack until the JTW this year and only since then did fans start to question the Clough dynasty.

It really is hard to understand how much support Clough had for so long and even to this day. Tittle tattle adds nothing as the issues have been with us for over a year. Nobody should ever suggest that Blades fans are anything but loyal and Clough enjoyed extraordinary loyalty in his time here. It's easy for some fans to jump on the bandwagon now but it serves little purpose really unless things go wrong under Adkins and then the Board will get flack again for sacking Clough early.

There is a further angle on this though. Adkins is visibly delighted with the squad he has inherited so Clough and the Board deserve some credit for that.

He saved us from relegation and took us to two cup semis. Sure he ultimately failed in getting us promoted. Hardly warrant's the bitter and nasty comments he gets from people as I see it.

I know you want to be some sort of know it all visionary but your not. Fortunately for you we upgraded our manager when we replaced him for once.

 

[WeareBlades]

IMO some players do require a rocket from the manager , as many do not appear to live in the real world . OK league 1 and 2 players may be more grounded , due to not earning big bucks , compared to the higher end championship / premiership.

Some of the stories / rumours may be true and have some substance , but a pound to a penny some players deserve what they get .

Two sides to every story , and if the players did want Clough out , i hope that wasn't reflected in some of the dire performances we witnessed last season, as a means to a end . If so , some players got there wish , but did it also cost us promotion . No idea , but i don't go for this Clough badger baiting , although he didn't help himself , in certain instances .

Clough does deserve respect , and also you do have to earn it.

UTB

Agree some of them need a rocket up their arse, could think of a few still at the club who need one. Yeah obviously faults on both sides, both players and Clough were selfish last season. Instead of being at each other's throats they should have been thinking about the club and the fans, but with wages being as high as they are these days it's all a paper chase and full of egotistical maniacs. Just a word on Clough lieing constantly, that was probably his worst trait, got my back up so many times listening to him talk bs.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Was clough a dictator and at fault for everything that went wrong? Probably not

Did he contribute to his own downfall? Probably yes. He should have shown better man management of the squad.

He fell down because he couldn't walk the line between discipline and flexibility IMO, that showed no signs of changing and was hurting the side.

But overall The new season is nearly here. Better to look forward as we can't change the past. I'm glad he's no longer here but I can appreciate some of the players he's brought in.

 

[Woodwardfan]

He saved us from relegation and took us to two cup semis. Sure he ultimately failed in getting us promoted. Hardly warrant's the bitter and nasty comments he gets from people as I see it.

I know you want to be some sort of know it all visionary but your not. Fortunately for you we upgraded our manager when we replaced him for once.

I was the Board Clapper and Manager Slasher when you were a very vocal Board Slasher and Manager Clapper and took on everything I said. I suppose I was more right than you though eh?!!

I agree it's all over though and we should move on. Have a bit more vision though B'Way.

 

[Bladesway]

I was the Board Clapper and Manager Slasher when you were a very vocal Board Slasher and Manager Clapper and took on everything I said. I suppose I was more right than you though eh?!!

I agree it's all over though and we should move on. Have a bit more vision though B'Way.

You may say that but your biggest gripe was apparently with Simon. Yet it appears Adkins thinks the work Simon did was pretty shit hot. So right in some ways but wrong in others eh?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Just to be clear on Diego's car. It was a Citroen DS3, hardly flash or expensive particularly for a kid living at his parents at the time and therefore with disposable income to burn. I'm pretty sure when James Beattie signed he had an Orange Lamborghini and no one seemed to have a problem with that?!

There was a hilarious thread about James Beattie's car on the old BladesUnited board. One poster (who i'm not really sure was the full ticket) absolutely did have a problem with it. Specifically his alloy wheels....

 

[coaxingstar71]

Just to be clear on Diego's car. It was a Citroen DS3, hardly flash or expensive particularly for a kid living at his parents at the time and therefore with disposable income to burn. I'm pretty sure when James Beattie signed he had an Orange Lamborghini and no one seemed to have a problem with that?!

I don't really have a view on Clough's handling of these issues and I've heard 2nd hand about the Diego story so we don't know if they're true but I suspect there's a fair bit of sensationalism gone into them as time has gone on.

Beattie's Lambourghini was white..........

 

[Pierre's PC]

There was a hilarious thread about James Beattie's car on the old BladesUnited board. One poster (who i'm not really sure was the full ticket) absolutely did have a problem with it. Specifically his alloy wheels....

Wasn't that Curtis - The poor man's Len?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Wasn't that Curtis - The poor man's Len?

Yep. Mad as a sack of badgers that lad.

 

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

Yep. Mad as a sack of badgers that lad.

No. "mad with rage".

Well, that was how he described himself after witnessing someone undertaking economic activity during a recession.

 

[BushBlade]

Yep. Mad as a sack of badgers that lad.

BM's Adrian Durham.

 

[Woodwardfan]

You may say that but your biggest gripe was apparently with Simon. Yet it appears Adkins thinks the work Simon did was pretty shit hot. So right in some ways but wrong in others eh?

If you say so. BTW lay off the young posters, encourage rather than bollock them: Adkins rather than Clough approach

 

[JohnDenver]

No. "mad with rage".

Well, that was how he described himself after witnessing someone undertaking economic activity during a recession.

He didn't even witness it.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Beattie's Lambourghini was white..........View attachment 12625

This only shows that one of his Lamborghini's was white.

There are three men on a train. One of them is an economist, one of them is a logician, and one of them is a mathematician. They have just crossed the border into Scotland and they see a brown cow standing in a field.


The economist says, 'Look, the cows in Scotland are brown.'
The logician says, 'No. There are cows in Scotland of which at least one is brown.'
And the mathematician says, 'No. There is at least one cow in Scotland, of which one side appears to be brown.'

 

[BushBlade]

This only shows that one of his Lamborghini's was white.

There are three men on a train. One of them is an economist, one of them is a logician, and one of them is a mathematician. They have just crossed the border into Scotland and they see a brown cow standing in a field.


The economist says, 'Look, the cows in Scotland are brown.'
The logician says, 'No. There are cows in Scotland of which at least one is brown.'
And the mathematician says, 'No. There is at least one cow in Scotland, of which one side appears to be brown.'

And the farmer says 'actually it's a horse'.

 

[Rodley]

One point re: Clough (& his brother) that he had a superb eye for a player, one of the best of any manager in the last 20 years.

There's always one or two signings who don't work, it's inevitable and part of football. However I fully expect plenty of Clough signings to kick on and develop as quality players at this level and above.

 

[mosbolad]

This only shows that one of his Lamborghini's was white.

There are three men on a train. One of them is an economist, one of them is a logician, and one of them is a mathematician. They have just crossed the border into Scotland and they see a brown cow standing in a field.


The economist says, 'Look, the cows in Scotland are brown.'
The logician says, 'No. There are cows in Scotland of which at least one is brown.'
And the mathematician says, 'No. There is at least one cow in Scotland, of which one side appears to be brown.'

That's BULL Fatty and you know it!

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Glad to see the back of Clough in the end but, interesting though some of these stories are, and some may be true, he doesn't deserve this muck raking. Yes he made a pigs ear of last season but he left us in a better state than when he found us, albeit without any centre backs.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

And the farmer says 'actually it's a horse'.

Bullocks

 

[Bladesway]

If you say so. BTW lay off the young posters, encourage rather than bollock them: Adkins rather than Clough approach

Haa Haa. Perhaps I'm more from the Clough management style than Adkins! Regards the other posters, if you want to play with the grown ups you have to play the grown up way. Mainly like children

 

[Houston_Blade]

Beattie's Lambourghini was white..........View attachment 12625

I can't see the alloys?!

 

[mosbolad]

Glad to see the back of Clough in the end but

Quite an odd sentence! Are you sure this wasn't meant for the 'other' forum you frequent?........

 

[fishpie]

In the scheme of things, Clough was around for a mere moment. It was a pretty good moment though. That F.A. cup run. Away at Villa and home against Charlton, particularly, were the most joyous games I've been to in many a season. They'll live long in my memory. Longer than the turgid last season. So I'm very happy to thank Nigel Clough for that. Good luck to him.. Not in comparison to the good luck I wish to Nigel Adkins though...Onwards and upwards, UTB

 

[mattbianco1]

Some of the comments on here really make me smile - When I was a manager within the engineering sector I had to deal with gobshites, work shy lazy arses, fiddlers and scroungers as well as my top engineers, quality office staff and good salesmen and one of my first jobs was to sort the wheat from the chaff !
What I didn't have to deal with is teenage egotistical wannabes running around in luxury sports cars, has been professionals on long contracts, and all with agents wanting to screw you, the club and anything not nailed down to get his pound of flesh !!!
We don't know the full stories about Maguire, Collins, Butler, De Giralamo, McNulty et al - but Clough had to deal with it - He couldn't win whatever the outcome !
Whilst he had his shortcomings, his tinkering, his stubborness, his intransigence, he wanted to do the best for the Blades - FA Cup Semi Final, Meteoric rise up the table with seven straight victories to nil in his first season from looking doomed when he took over to League Cup Semi and finishing fifth in the league in his second season - yes they blew it in the playoffs (would they have conceded five if Brayford had been playing - Dont think so !) but they lost Flynn, Higdon, Done, Scougall, Howard to injuries at key times but, he had made some good buys Brayford, Done, Adams, Freeman - Yet he is crucified by some on here who have probably never managed people !
As they say work for yourself - no problem, employ people major problems !!!

Well said my man.