The Press Conference - Video

[Come from away]

Blade's future :-
Sunday - same starting 11 minus Fleck
- Championship 5-3-2- with Gibbs-White in the Duffy role
January - accept any reasonable offer, e.g., Burke, Moose, Lowe, Slater
- release Goodiho
- add some youth, maybe Jebbo, Lopata, Brunt
Season - best would be the usual play-off fun
- worst would be a solid defence and avoiding relegation
Summer - let old contracts run out
- sign up more youth U23
Season 2022 - mid-table fun
- New Owner and start all over again

 

[Revolution]

“We will not bring in flesh blood or new bodies. We will work with the football manager.”

You’re going to have to sell some of these players for glue before the 5 years are up lads.

These people have no grip on reality at all.

 

[Revolution]

BTW I’d love to hear Jokanovic’s side of this.

 

[Revolution]

They let that guy ramble on and on and didn’t ask him a follow up question about that crap he spouted? Wow.

 

[Revolution]

It’s also clear from Heckingbottom’s comments that anyone really good we produce who “outgrows us” will be sold. So Regan Slater might be scuffling around in the first team but you can forget another DCL doing it.

Heckingbottom is so wet, btw. He’s like Steve McClaren on Athletico Mince.

 

[robbiez666]

I think Robbie that when they didn't pay up to release Slav from the remaining month or so of his previous contract that was an indicator that they had no money and didn't know what they were doing. I agree they have been panicking and the transfer window is an example of that.

They took a long time to appoint Slav but in the end it seems like he challenged them over transfers etc. Which of course they don't like.

He was unhappy in summer and we missed out on a DM and 2 wide players we clearly needed to implement his way of playing. I suspect he assumed we'd rectify this in January and was told we won't.

They were very complimentary about Slav and his team. I suspect he was asked to change to a 5-3-2 with this change in mind.

 

[Addison]

So 20 mins in someone did ask, and Bettis’ flannel shows there’s no money.

Heckingbottom embraced youth? Horseshit again. He played Jebbison 4 times (once as sub) and gave Seriki and Ndiaye less than 30 mins combined. All after we were down. Before that he was still trotting out Lundstram until even the club couldn’t ignore fans’ views on his shameful performances.

The future is signing young players? Ramsdale apart that’s been a disaster under this regime.

It gets worse check out the UW's CEO's rambling answer to the JTW saying its not about money in January but its about what happens in 5 or 6 years time. Add in YG saying investment will not come direct to SUFC it will go to a holding company, so in essence SUFC is reduced to a subsidiary of UW begging for scraps from the Holding company table.

At the end Hemmingham asks them a direct question about what are the benefits of UW to SUFC because a lot of fans are concerned. It says a lot that the Chairman doesn't answer it and passes it to Bettis who mumbles its in its infancy, its not worked with 2 players we've sent over so far, so its just a means to send players to other clubs whilst at the same time having direct investment cut off.

I've managed strategic communications in the past and the story about not having a plan is of pantomime proportions. I was half expecting PA to appear and the journalists shout to YG "he's behind you"

When you've got a difficult message to give out just be truthful admit you were wrong and it didn't work out with SJ. Don't dig a hole for yourself by inventing a story around not having a strategic plan. You just look incompetent because no one believes it.

 

[robbiez666]

It’s also clear from Heckingbottom’s comments that anyone really good we produce who “outgrows us” will be sold. So Regan Slater might be scuffling around in the first team but you can forget another DCL doing it.

Isn't this just realism and honesty though?

We will never attract the most talented young players if they think we're going to block their progress should they be too good for us.

We will never overpay young players in an attempt to keep them should they think they deserve better than they're getting.

As a club, you don't want to play youngster when they're not ready and you will struggle to hold on to youngsters if you're not ready. Like Brooks. If he'd come through a hear later we would have likely kept him. You can't control these things and you need to accept, as fans, that in order to progress we will, at times, need to sell our most talented players. The trick is, doing that at the right time and for the right money.

 

[Harrisblade]

“We will not bring in flesh blood or new bodies. We will work with the football manager.”

You’re going to have to sell some of these players for glue before the 5 years are up lads.

These people have no grip on reality at all.

How does it come across if you write it as:

"We will not bring in flesh blood or new bodies. We will work with the football manager.”

 

[Nagima]

He was unhappy in summer and we missed out on a DM and 2 wide players we clearly needed to implement his way of playing. I suspect he assumed we'd rectify this in January and was told we won't.

They were very complimentary about Slav and his team. I suspect he was asked to change to a 5-3-2 with this change in mind.

They were complimentary of him but i think that was a smoke screen. We didn't see a thank you in the club statement and I am not certain on this but I don't think Slav released a statement either?... could be wrong on that but I think his departure is less than amicable. On the DM front we are crying out for a player in that role. So his requirement of one is valid.

 

[Revolution]

Isn't this just realism and honesty though?

We will never attract the most talented young players if they think we're going to block their progress should they be too good for us.

We will never overpay young players in an attempt to keep them should they think they deserve better than they're getting.

As a club, you don't want to play youngster when they're not ready and you will struggle to hold on to youngsters if you're not ready. Like Brooks. If he'd come through a hear later we would have likely kept him. You can't control these things and you need to accept, as fans, that in order to progress we will, at times, need to sell our most talented players. The trick is, doing that at the right time and for the right money.

You say will sell at times. It took that answer as will sell at all times.

Plus this is fine if, like in 2016-7, you buy to help you. That’s not on the agenda. It’ll be “self sustaining”. Any money will not be spent on better players if I understand his waffle correctly.

 

[Revolution]

How does it come across if you write it as:

"We will not bring in flesh blood or new bodies. We will work with the football manager.”

He didn’t give that emphasis. He ruled out spending on players.

 

[JPSharpy93]

The chairmen said if he gets it wrong then he will take responsibility. But nobody is taking responsibility in that press conference for appointing Jokanovic. “It was the right decision at the time”….yeah but who decided that? If we end up in League 1 in a couple of years I bet we will hear the same BS.

 

[Revolution]

YG was pretty emphatic that Heckingbottom has responsibility for all of the football side, while Slav just coached the 1st team.

I wonder if they considered getting a director of football to do that. Might have been a better bet.

Bettis does not come across as an impressive figure at all.

 

[Revolution]

Sorry I am live blogging this a day too late btw. I’ve been busy.

 

[Revolution]

Won’t be judged on what happens on a Saturday afternoon. We will see about that.

I wonder what will happen if he loses 8 of 11 again?

 

[Revolution]

Btw I think I have finally sussed what the issue is with “football manager”.

They have a series of managers at the club: events manager, food and beverage manager etc - and Hecky is on a par with them and called football manager to differentiate him.

 

[Revolution]

Relying heavily on Paul Mitchell re recruitment, and is aware of the gaps on the squad.

Mitchell, of course, being partially responsible for that.

Mitchell - There’s a bloke who really is lucky to be in a job.

 

[Gaini Blade]

Btw I think I have finally sussed what the issue is with “football manager”.

They have a series of managers at the club: events manager, food and beverage manager etc - and Hecky is on a par with them and called football manager to differentiate him.

That makes sense and explains why when I met Slav in the car park and asked him for a pie he looked daggers at me.

 

[robbiez666]

You say will sell at times. It took that answer as will sell at all times.

Plus this is fine if, like in 2016-7, you buy to help you. That’s not on the agenda. It’ll be “self sustaining”. Any money will not be spent on better players if I understand his waffle correctly.

I interpreted that to mean more expensive players. Following the same buy young approach Wilder was working from (Brewster, Bogle, Lowe, McBurnie, Mousset, Ramsdale) but not paying big money for talent. I'm all for that. We're not a club who will likely ever be in a position to pay £20 million for a player who won't have an instant impact. Madness. Should never have been allowed to happen. But here we are.

In a perfect world we'd buy young players cheap from lower divisions, develop them, play them or sell them for a huge profit. Then re0pinvest that money in buying more young players. We seem to be starting earlier, at academy level, and doing that. We desperately need to get the training facilities and Academy sorted out to do that.

I'm happy to sign no one in the JTW as long as money goes to upgrading the infrastructure. I think we have enough to stay up. That will do as long as there's development off and on the field.

 

[Revolution]

Bloody hell - 800 full or part time football people in United World! What the hell are they all doing?

 

[Revolution]

I interpreted that to mean more expensive players. Following the same buy young approach Wilder was working from (Brewster, Bogle, Lowe, McBurnie, Mousset, Ramsdale) but not paying big money for talent. I'm all for that. We're not a club who will likely ever be in a position to pay £20 million for a player who won't have an instant impact. Madness. Should never have been allowed to happen. But here we are.

In a perfect world we'd buy young players cheap from lower divisions, develop them, play them or sell them for a huge profit. Then re0pinvest that money in buying more young players. We seem to be starting earlier, at academy level, and doing that. We desperately need to get the training facilities and Academy sorted out to do that.

We do, because if we aren’t category one we are vulnerable to poaching.

 

[Come from away]

The NEW strategy - the Prince wants his money back before he sells!

 

[Grey Blade]

There was a lot of talk regarding the 'strategic plan' and why if it wasn't in place did they employ Slav. It seems to me they had several months to think about a plan because CW had intimated that he'd had enough before Christmas 2020 IIRC. If the plan hadn't been formulated why didn't Hecky continue in charge whilst the plan was finalised. It seems to have been an expensive mistake to employ Slav especially if as hinted, his pay off was more than the January transfer budget.

Hecky passed comment about putting smiles back on faces. I don't think that will be too difficult judging by Slav's apparent demeanour

 

[Revolution]

You know, I’m listening to this strategic plan waffle from YG in answer to Shield’s question and it occurred to me that sacking Jokanovic and appointing Heckingbottom is less like a strategic plan and more like something Kevin McCabe would do or, more accurately, did in 2008 with the Robson/Blackwell switch.

The parallels to that season get weirder. That’s why I still think we will finish 8th. Presumably also Ollie Burke is going to accidentally do something good when he trips over a balloon.

 

[mancunianblade]

Can’t help but think PH comes across as a bit of a snake in this presser.


Also If he believed in this project so much then why did he rule himself out last season and if he ruled himself out because he was told that he wasn’t going to get the job then that means the whole plan which they speak of is new horse shit.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Journalist: "Paul, is it true that you were only approached for the job and accepted it because you are a yes man?"

Heckinbottom: "No."

Chairman: ".........You're fired!"

 

[Deaneandagana]

Great question from Andy Giddings to Steve Bettis….

AG - “will Paul be backed financially during the JTW”

SB - “that’s the wrong way of looking at it”

 

[Sean Thornton]

The 50 million on facilities figure is what they’ve had to pay McCabe to buy the ground and training pitches isn’t it

Yes. The word “acquiring” tends to be a clue, but people would rather suggest it’s a lie.

 

[Sean Thornton]

BTW I’d love to hear Jokanovic’s side of this.

“It was the players that done it”