The way I see it

[Hartley Hare]

Let's be honest. The teams that go up this year will come straight back down.

Can you see the likes of Burton, Gillingham or Walsall establishing themselves as championship teams? Not a dogs chance.

We need a three year plan. Rebuild the team and look for promotion in the next two/three years. A team capable of not just going up but establishing a foot hold in Div II.

We need to kiss goodbye to certain players and recruit in the next two summers. A progressive approach slow and stead improvement. Bring young players on and avoid the recruitment of journeyman pro's for the quick fix.

The board need to see a vision and tell us the plan. Not wish for better than can be achieved. As fans we need patience.

Adkins is a proven manager at this level. Give him a chance to build a team and not have to worry for the next year or so about results. Go to games happy for a sing song. A few beers and some fun. Results are not so important as we gain experience and hold the thought that in a couple of years we will be back looking up.

I am trying to make the best of poor times right now. If I knew my thoughts would work out, I would put up with the gash.

HH

 

[nopigfansintown]

Let's be honest. The teams that go up this year will come straight back down.

Can you see the likes of Burton, Gillingham or Walsall establishing themselves as championship teams? Not a dogs chance.

We need a three year plan. Rebuild the team and look for promotion in the next two/three years. A team capable of not just going up but establishing a foot hold in Div II.

We need to kiss goodbye to certain players and recruit in the next two summers. A progressive approach slow and stead improvement. Bring young players on and avoid the recruitment of journeyman pro's for the quick fix.

The board need to see a vision and tell us the plan. Not wish for better than can be achieved. As fans we need patience.

Adkins is a proven manager at this level. Give him a chance to build a team and not have to worry for the next year or so about results. Go to games happy for a sing song. A few beers and some fun. Results are not so important as we gain experience and hold the thought that in a couple of years we will be back looking up.

I am trying to make the best of poor times right now. If I knew my thoughts would work out, I would put up with the gash.

HH

Great post, agree completely. I only wish the board would've taken this approach from the summer as we could've been closer to completing the jigsaw.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Ironically that was the precise plan when David Weir was appointed in 2012 and his brief was almost word for word your O.P. Then the prince arrived and we changed tack to more of the same ow'd, same ow'd.

Our fans weren't up for it under Weir and they have been told about "game changing investment" since then. It appears cash is no longer available so there is little alternative but to do what you say. That is hard for fans to take when S6 seems well set but it's typical SUFC frankly; you couldn't write the script these past few years..

I fear it will involve selling and moving on some of our better players because they signed up for a different manager and a different scenario and can hardly be expected to commit to the new plan which will be a slow burner. We will also need some cash and headroom in the wage budget to assemble a different type of squad.

I have always maintained that the negative of dropping to League 1 should be turned into a positive to rebuild a young, hungry squad capable of competing for promotion at the higher level once we get there.

It would be great to watch the incremental build of a young, pacey, mobile and hungry squad over a 3 year period. I don't think certain fans will sign up for it though as they really have had enough. Maybe home crowds will be say 4000 less or even worse if results don't go well. Then there is the real chance of failure if the manager is not big enough to see it through.

I'll be turned 70 in three years time and we travel 230 miles on match days. After decades as a season ticket holders I think we'll choose our matches and follow more from afar because It all gets a bit much. I was up for the Weir project over three years ago and feel sure we would be better placed than we are now but who knows? We might have dropped to the Conference and we might yet.

First game for 5 weeks while we've been on holiday. I'm actually dreading it and pray it all doesn't turn sour and ugly. I dislike our crowd at times but who can blame them?

 

[judge]

Ironically that was the precise plan when David Weir was appointed in 2012 and his brief was almost word for word your O.P. Then the prince arrived and we changed tack to more of the same ow'd, same ow'd.

Our fans weren't up for it under Weir and they have been told about "game changing investment" since then. It appears cash is no longer available so there is little alternative but to do what you say. That is hard for fans to take when S6 seems well set but it's typical SUFC frankly; you couldn't write the script these past few years..

I fear it will involve selling and moving on some of our better players because they signed up for a different manager and a different scenario and can hardly be expected to commit to the new plan which will be a slow burner. We will also need some cash and headroom in the wage budget to assemble a different type of squad.

I have always maintained that the negative of dropping to League 1 should be turned into a positive to rebuild a young, hungry squad capable of competing for promotion at the higher level once we get there.

It would be great to watch the incremental build of a young, pacey, mobile and hungry squad over a 3 year period. I don't think certain fans will sign up for it though as they really have had enough. Maybe home crowds will be say 4000 less or even worse if results don't go well. Then there is the real chance of failure if the manager is not big enough to see it through.

I'll be turned 70 in three years time and we travel 230 miles on match days. After decades as a season ticket holders I think we'll choose our matches and follow more from afar because It all gets a bit much. I was up for the Weir project over three years ago and feel sure we would be better placed than we are now but who knows? We might have dropped to the Conference and we might yet.

First game for 5 weeks while we've been on holiday. I'm actually dreading it and pray it all doesn't turn sour and ugly. I dislike our crowd at times but who can blame them?

another crowbared reference to the fans responsibility for the poor staff at sufc having to suffer a decade of absolute shite at our hands

 

[Woodwardfan]

another crowbared reference to the fans responsibility for the poor staff at sufc having to suffer a decade of absolute shite at our hands

Just a fact my lord; objection over-ruled!

What are you doing up at this time?

 

[judge]

Just a fact my lord; objection over-ruled!

What are you doing up at this time?

Working

 

[Woodwardfan]

Working

"Gi' us a job, I could do that!!"

 

[mattbianco1]

My fear is that we've missed the party. Not sure we can gatecrash it now either.
Fulham turning down bids of >£12m for players , Middlesbrough buying Rhodes for £11m+, Wednesday have spent >£15m this season, Burnley spent £9m on Gray.
The money floating around the championship already is obscene. This is before the big TV deals kick off too.

What we're seeing now are top end championship teams being better equipped than the lower end premier league clubs. All 3 promoted last season are outside the relegation zone. Watford are already safe.

5/6 years ago, the gulf between prem and champ was enormous. That gap has closed now and it has lowered itself down the leagues. For me the biggest gulf is the Championship & League 1 now.
Bristol City, MK Dons and Preston were head and shoulders above last season. But are all struggling like hell in the champ. A few years ago we had Bournemouth and Brentford go up. Brentford made the play offs and Bournemouth carried on through. I'd be surprised if any of the top 6 this season can stay in the championship next.

For me we've missed the boat. Need to get up this season or the money will be spent by the 24 in the league to strengthen and they will only get further away. It will get to the point where all 3 promoted clubs to the champ come straight back down with ease.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Ironically that was the precise plan when David Weir was appointed in 2012 and his brief was almost word for word your O.P. Then the prince arrived and we changed tack to more of the same ow'd, same ow'd.

Our fans weren't up for it under Weir and they have been told about "game changing investment" since then. It appears cash is no longer available so there is little alternative but to do what you say. That is hard for fans to take when S6 seems well set but it's typical SUFC frankly; you couldn't write the script these past few years..

I fear it will involve selling and moving on some of our better players because they signed up for a different manager and a different scenario and can hardly be expected to commit to the new plan which will be a slow burner. We will also need some cash and headroom in the wage budget to assemble a different type of squad.

I have always maintained that the negative of dropping to League 1 should be turned into a positive to rebuild a young, hungry squad capable of competing for promotion at the higher level once we get there.

It would be great to watch the incremental build of a young, pacey, mobile and hungry squad over a 3 year period. I don't think certain fans will sign up for it though as they really have had enough. Maybe home crowds will be say 4000 less or even worse if results don't go well. Then there is the real chance of failure if the manager is not big enough to see it through.

I'll be turned 70 in three years time and we travel 230 miles on match days. After decades as a season ticket holders I think we'll choose our matches and follow more from afar because It all gets a bit much. I was up for the Weir project over three years ago and feel sure we would be better placed than we are now but who knows? We might have dropped to the Conference and we might yet.

First game for 5 weeks while we've been on holiday. I'm actually dreading it and pray it all doesn't turn sour and ugly. I dislike our crowd at times but who can blame them?

How come 12 other clubs with less or similar resources can build promotion teams ?

Weir would have got us relegated, the idea of a Swansea style model is admiral - but do you trust the board to implement it?

 

[Woodwardfan]

My fear is that we've missed the party. Not sure we can gatecrash it now either.
Fulham turning down bids of >£12m for players , Middlesbrough buying Rhodes for £11m+, Wednesday have spent >£15m this season, Burnley spent £9m on Gray.
The money floating around the championship already is obscene. This is before the big TV deals kick off too.

What we're seeing now are top end championship teams being better equipped than the lower end premier league clubs. All 3 promoted last season are outside the relegation zone. Watford are already safe.

5/6 years ago, the gulf between prem and champ was enormous. That gap has closed now and it has lowered itself down the leagues. For me the biggest gulf is the Championship & League 1 now.
Bristol City, MK Dons and Preston were head and shoulders above last season. But are all struggling like hell in the champ. A few years ago we had Bournemouth and Brentford go up. Brentford made the play offs and Bournemouth carried on through. I'd be surprised if any of the top 6 this season can stay in the championship next.

For me we've missed the boat. Need to get up this season or the money will be spent by the 24 in the league to strengthen and they will only get further away. It will get to the point where all 3 promoted clubs to the champ come straight back down with ease.

The Premier League extends it's tentacles into the Championship by insulating their relegated members with 4 year Parachute Payments and vast amounts of money.

I agree we have missed the party which we gatecrashed briefly in 2006/7 but we never really committed to the dance floor or the banter so we were shown the door. Then we wasted the payments and the rest is history.

What baffles me is why the prince got involved if he didn't intend to spend serious money for us to rejoin the party. It's as though he hoped to sneak in by the back door while the bouncers weren't looking, having travelled there on the bus and with no party clothes on. You have to earn the right to go to the best parties and he's still an unknown quantity even in Sheffield 2; nobody seems to know what he can bring to the party, that's for sure.

 

[Whiston Blade]

What baffles me is why the prince got involved if he didn't intend to spend serious money for us to rejoin the party. It's as though he hoped to sneak in by the back door while the bouncers weren't looking, having travelled there on the bus and with no party clothes on. You have to earn the right to go to the best parties and he's still an unknown quantity even in Sheffield 2; nobody seems to know what he can bring to the party, that's for sure.

I have a sneaky feeling the prince was promised a 50/50 input on all signings and McCabe told him to jog on. I hope I'm wrong but surely a 50/50 ownership comes with agreements like that.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

How come 12 other clubs with less or similar resources can build promotion teams ?

Weir would have got us relegated, the idea of a Swansea style model is admiral - but do you trust the board to implement it?[/QUOTE

We have missed the boat and it is important we try and get in the play offs this season and for once bloody win them.
A 3 year plan to build a sound base all seems fine and dandy but we have tried it before . The Watford way seems to be the best were everything stays status quo even when the manager is changed regularly . We don't have a conduit between board and football management so every decision big or small becomes Ad hok with no joined up approach short or long term.

We are a established league 1 side like Bradford with dwindling finances every year which will get worst.

We just have not got the back room board personnel to do a Swansea . We move the pack around , give people new titles but its all same old , same old . SUFC need radical changes and it will never happen . We are run autocratic not democratic so we will have no culture change

Are we any further from the Weir days - no.

Smaller clubs can do it . Let's look at there model , vision and follow it . We need to get out of this mind set of being a big club , top billy bollocks , and eat some humble pie and learn from some of the football clubs we perhaps look at with contempt and snobbery as being smaller lesser clubs than us.

We deserve to be were we are , it's up to the club to break the circle . 20,000 plus fans are waiting for leadership and board / management have a duty of care to provide it .

Fuck all the players of promotion or no promotion and let's start again with a complete clean sheet. We just want players who are proud to wear the shirt , appreciate club and fan base . Knowing how to play a game of football would also help.

UTB

 

[Sirius]

another crowbared reference to the fans responsibility for the poor staff at sufc having to suffer a decade of absolute shite at our hands

Unfortunately pnly the owner/s cannremove him/them selves Whatever we as supporters
Do makes not the slightest difference.
They have the club by the balls
A hotel, flats, foreigm clubs with building potential A rich mans toy ambition for the club Where will the invetment go next?

 

[blade67]

Ironically that was the precise plan when David Weir was appointed in 2012 and his brief was almost word for word your O.P. Then the prince arrived and we changed tack to more of the same ow'd, same ow'd.

Our fans weren't up for it under Weir and they have been told about "game changing investment" since then. It appears cash is no longer available so there is little alternative but to do what you say. That is hard for fans to take when S6 seems well set but it's typical SUFC frankly; you couldn't write the script these past few years..

I fear it will involve selling and moving on some of our better players because they signed up for a different manager and a different scenario and can hardly be expected to commit to the new plan which will be a slow burner. We will also need some cash and headroom in the wage budget to assemble a different type of squad.

I have always maintained that the negative of dropping to League 1 should be turned into a positive to rebuild a young, hungry squad capable of competing for promotion at the higher level once we get there.

It would be great to watch the incremental build of a young, pacey, mobile and hungry squad over a 3 year period. I don't think certain fans will sign up for it though as they really have had enough. Maybe home crowds will be say 4000 less or even worse if results don't go well. Then there is the real chance of failure if the manager is not big enough to see it through.

I'll be turned 70 in three years time and we travel 230 miles on match days. After decades as a season ticket holders I think we'll choose our matches and follow more from afar because It all gets a bit much. I was up for the Weir project over three years ago and feel sure we would be better placed than we are now but who knows? We might have dropped to the Conference and we might yet.

First game for 5 weeks while we've been on holiday. I'm actually dreading it and pray it all doesn't turn sour and ugly. I dislike our crowd at times but who can blame them?

I can't express how much I disagree with this and the OP. The fans didn't buy into what Weir was doing because Weir was making a right arse of it. 5 pts from 10 games and 2 cup exits tells it's own story.

As for 3 year plans and patience, what a crap idea. What United need is a first team that wins games now. That builds confidence and will improve both the players our academy can attract and our ability to attract better first team players. I'm not saying we shouldn't build a long term plan but short term success is absolutely the key requirement. Accepting poor performance now will just see our best players want to move, making long term success even harder.

 

[Blade56]

Adkin's 'long term plan' statement means it ain't happening any time soon 2/3/4 years t best.

Given the move from positivity on 2/6/15 to abject dispair defending the indefensible by 18/2/16 I think Adkin's has realised and isn't hiding the mess we are in.

I honestly think this is out demise. Hartley Hare stated in the OP the 'likes' of Gillingham, Burton and Walsall..... Well add Sheffield United to that list, we can't compete with organised clubs owned by billionaires pocketing £99m for being the worst PL team. We will never compete again above this level, we will be the Bristol City, Notts County et al starting next season with <14,000 crowds. Our deadlocked owners will drag us down and down IMO unless one walks away.

Feckin sad days paying to watch reprobates with more money than brains taking the piss out of us whilst stealing a wage it takes most a lifetime to earn.

 

[PeteBlade]

I've no idea on what basis the OP suggests the three promoted teams will immediately be relegated.

Just sour grapes because they are 'small teams'. Rotherham shouldn't have survived.

And I ignore any dig at the fans pjs ting any part in our plight as complete pig ignorance.

 

[Woodwardfan]

At the 'Meet the New Manager' meeting last summer Adkins answered my question about our budget by saying we probably had the 6th highest budget in our league.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

No no no, its about recruiting right for once, and getting rid of players who hold us back.
Fans are not going to be happy with a plan that includes us being in this league for another 2/3 years, get promoted first and then build on the team.

 

[Hartley Hare]

I've no idea on what basis the OP suggests the three promoted teams will immediately be relegated.

PeteBlade on the right there, in Fantasy Island.

HH

 

[JJBlade]

Gillingham and Walsall have had a few fairly sustained periods in the Championship.
They go down again eventually but yo-yo between League One and the Championship every so often.
It's a bit like us yo-yoing between the Championship and the Prem.............. (oh alright then)

 

[Ricky]

If we give it two or three years to get promoted, it will probably be as hard for us then as it will be for Walsall/Burton/Gillingham next season. The Championship will evolve further with even more money flooding in, and we probably won't have progressed to any similar extent ourselves. Not unless we get owners who'll spend serious money.

We've missed the boat. In five attempts not once have we properly gone for it, and now we're reaping the rewards. Bet the board are happy they saved that few hundred grand every season which could've seen us promoted every time.

 

[Edinblade]

Bristol City went from bottom to top over one summer.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Great post, agree completely. I only wish the board would've taken this approach 10 years ago as we could've been closer to completing the jigsaw.

Corrected that for you