This club has a massive decision to make

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

davidpinder

davidpinder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
4,222
Reaction score
1,151
Location
Dronfield
Managers have come and gone over the years and we have gradually found ourselves slipping lower and lower down the leagues. This summer the club have a huge decision to make, does NA stay or go? It has been well documented that many players are out of contact and it is a chance for someone to build a good squad of there own players and finally have a pop that this division, however can we trust this manager to build that squad? Adkins main signings are as follows and i have put my opinion next to them

Billy Sharp - steady signing and i say that because of the huge wage he is on, he needs to start scoring again now
Dean Hammond - Average to poor it took an age to get him in and since that has been a bit disappointing plus again on a huge salary.
Martin Woolford - V poor IMO not really made an impact in many games, can't really hold his place in the team.

David Edgar - steady defender but nothing special doesn't really come across as a leader and has many a mistake in him.
Connor Salmon - Well what do i say? is there a word to describe him? i don't mean in a harsh way just as a signing. Shocking? waste of a wage? i don't know but can't see why he hasn't been sent back, maybe we can't.

Now Adkins himself has made some poor decisions with the current squad, Baxter clearly has been treated to softly and was given to many chances, maybe that caused some unrest? Adams went off the rails a bit when i thought NC did a fantastic job with him last year, McEveley as captain was an odd decision, however making Long as number 1 looks a good decision. Adkins is on a huge salary and needs to start showing his worth, is he really looking at the current squad to retain any? does he know his days are numbered? is there a clause in his contract about where we finish ? but one thing i do know is the fans deserve better and the attendance is already starting to slip, what was it last night 17500? against top of the league, the club must be shitting themselves at the thought of next seasons, season ticket sales.

Something needs to change and fast, is it the manager again? i don't know but he isn't doing himself many favours at the moment. Changing the manager doesn't seem to have worked in the past so do we stick with this one for a few more seasons? can we afford to give it a few more seasons, with this huge stadium and academy to run i am not sure we can afford to.

Now on the other hand with the form of the top 6 so up and down at the minute a playoff win might actually be achievable, do we sack him now and get someone in who might bring some new exciting ideas similar to what is happening at Chelsea? i personally don't think the squad is as bad at some make out, fully fit and with the right formation, compared to the others up there. Look at the Dingles, bottom in November and now level on points with 6th spot, now them getting promotion or Swindon would be embarrassing. If we went out and got 2 new loan signings, one midfielder and one up top and played the following side at home and slightly more defensive away we might start turning it round.

LONG

BRAYFORD EDGAR BAPTISTE McEVELEY

ADAMS NEW MD HAMMOND DONE

SHARP NEW ST

12 games to go, 36 points to play for show some ambition and go and bring in 2 loanees who want a contract or young lads wanting to impress there parent clubs.

Big decisions for the club to have to make and probably the biggest in there history. I won't say exciting times because it isn't, it will be interesting though none the less.

UTB
 



davidpinder said:
Managers have come and gone over the years and we have gradually found ourselves slipping lower and lower down the leagues. This summer the club have a huge decision to make, does NA stay or go? It has been well documented that many players are out of contact and it is a chance for someone to build a good squad of there own players and finally have a pop that this division, however can we trust this manager to build that squad? Adkins main signings are as follows and i have put my opinion next to them

Billy Sharp - steady signing and i say that because of the huge wage he is on, he needs to start scoring again now
Dean Hammond - Average to poor it took an age to get him in and since that has been a bit disappointing plus again on a huge salary.
Martin Woolford - V poor IMO not really made an impact in many games, can't really hold his place in the team.

David Edgar - steady defender but nothing special doesn't really come across as a leader and has many a mistake in him.
Connor Salmon - Well what do i say? is there a word to describe him? i don't mean in a harsh way just as a signing. Shocking? waste of a wage? i don't know but can't see why he hasn't been sent back, maybe we can't.

Now Adkins himself has made some poor decisions with the current squad, Baxter clearly has been treated to softly and was given to many chances, maybe that caused some unrest? Adams went off the rails a bit when i thought NC did a fantastic job with him last year, McEveley as captain was an odd decision, however making Long as number 1 looks a good decision. Adkins is on a huge salary and needs to start showing his worth, is he really looking at the current squad to retain any? does he know his days are numbered? is there a clause in his contract about where we finish ? but one thing i do know is the fans deserve better and the attendance is already starting to slip, what was it last night 17500? against top of the league, the club must be shitting themselves at the thought of next seasons, season ticket sales.

Something needs to change and fast, is it the manager again? i don't know but he isn't doing himself many favours at the moment. Changing the manager doesn't seem to have worked in the past so do we stick with this one for a few more seasons? can we afford to give it a few more seasons, with this huge stadium and academy to run i am not sure we can afford to.

Now on the other hand with the form of the top 6 so up and down at the minute a playoff win might actually be achievable, do we sack him now and get someone in who might bring some new exciting ideas similar to what is happening at Chelsea? i personally don't think the squad is as bad at some make out, fully fit and with the right formation, compared to the others up there. Look at the Dingles, bottom in November and now level on points with 6th spot, now them getting promotion or Swindon would be embarrassing. If we went out and got 2 new loan signings, one midfielder and one up top and played the following side at home and slightly more defensive away we might start turning it round.

LONG

BRAYFORD EDGAR BAPTISTE McEVELEY

ADAMS NEW MD HAMMOND DONE

SHARP NEW ST

12 games to go, 36 points to play for show some ambition and go and bring in 2 loanees who want a contract or young lads wanting to impress there parent clubs.

Big decisions for the club to have to make and probably the biggest in there history. I won't say exciting times because it isn't, it will be interesting though none the less.

UTB
Click to expand...
'A playoff win' I'm looking at the other end of the table with trepidation not the top end !

If I were the board I would ask Adkins one question to determine whether he stays or not 'do you intend offering Hammond a proper contract'...

Adkins
 
Adkins' signings: 30yo, 33yo, 30yo, 28yo, 29yo, 30yo. Average: 30 years old.

Quite apart from everything else, I'm failing to see how any sort of "young, hungry side" might come about from Adkins' summer squad rebuild.

As the O/P says, "I won't say exciting times because it isn't". There isn't even any realistic prospect of it.
 
Alfreton14Blade said:
Adkins' signings: 30yo, 33yo, 30yo, 28yo, 29yo, 30yo. Average: 30 years old.

Quite apart from everything else, I'm failing to see how any sort of "young, hungry side" might come about from Adkins' summer squad rebuild.

As the O/P says, "I won't say exciting times because it isn't". There isn't even any realistic prospect of it.
Click to expand...

As posted elsewhere, he's been limited in what he can bring in this season so has gone for a few experienced pros. You can't argue that he hasn't mixed in the kids with these 30 somethings.
 
Everyone is so quick to criticise Adkins signing but I'll repeat what I've said many a time. Woolford, Sammon et al were clearly not Adkins' first choices but when you have no money, you are left with little to no choice.

It's not like he preferred Woolford to a million pound winger. However when the board tell you you have no money, you need to get SOMEONE in, so he got Woolford and Sammon. Now what free agents that when to league 1 sides this year would have been real quality? I genuinely don't know, there may have been loads, but my guess is there aren't. Adkins isn't the main problem, he doesn't help himself, but he is a symptom, not a cause.
 
We don't know what funds for new players were, or have been available to him, its pure speculation. However, slippery Kev, our mastermind owner did let slip in his most recent outpouring that all the Murphy money had been invested in the team, one can only assume on wages and 'other payments' to get the loan players in.

My point is, we are all speculating on the worth of the manager and ultimately we don't know the hand he was dealt initially. He accepted that hand (unless it was altered after the ink was dry) and seems to have made a mess of it.

I was delighted when we signed him, however in the cold day of light, he was sacked from Southampton, he was sacked from Reading, Southampton seemed a strange one, but again hindsight would suggest the owners had seen enough to know where he was leading them. Reading fans were ecstatic to see the back of him. I just wonder if he has used up his quota of luck?
 
Yesterday made my find up finally - he's got to go. Formations/Tactics - bizarre. Motivation - non-existent. Play offs are still achievable but it needs a fresh face in. Someone like Holloway until end of season?
 
blader said:
Everyone is so quick to criticise Adkins signing but I'll repeat what I've said many a time. Woolford, Sammon et al were clearly not Adkins' first choices but when you have no money, you are left with little to no choice.

It's not like he preferred Woolford to a million pound winger. However when the board tell you you have no money, you need to get SOMEONE in, so he got Woolford and Sammon. Now what free agents that when to league 1 sides this year would have been real quality? I genuinely don't know, there may have been loads, but my guess is there aren't. Adkins isn't the main problem, he doesn't help himself, but he is a symptom, not a cause.
Click to expand...

Amen. Said it before, I will say it again. We have been getting consistently worse, through a series of managers. The playing staff ability and talent has been depleted, thanks to some pretty shit transfer mangement. Successive managers haven't bought 'their' players ... they have bought 'available' players and even then, those who don't cost much (hence 'undisclosed') Our only marquee signings, Sharp, Done and Brayford ... we acknowledge they cost 'x' amount and they are the ones currently holding the club up, surrounded by nobodies and players pinching themselves they are playing professional football at Sheffield United and not at Staveley or Stocksbridge Steels on a part-time hand out.

Adkins and Clough bought what they were allowed to buy, and the selling wasn't their decision.

That's Sheffield United under Kevin McCabe. Have the audacity to question that and you're given your P45.

pommpey
 
Last edited:
bakeblade said:
Yesterday made my find up finally - he's got to go. Formations/Tactics - bizarre. Motivation - non-existent. Play offs are still achievable but it needs a fresh face in. Someone like Holloway until end of season?
Click to expand...

Why? The stats don't hold that assumption up. It's not as though we have suddenly turned shit. We have turned shit in installments, strangely coincident with losing talent on the pitch, not which bloke is in the dugout.

I'm not blaming the players, BTW. They are as good as we can get, and that is poor if we wish to make any impact on this relatively shit division, let alone be promoted and remain promoted.

pommpey
 
blader said:
Everyone is so quick to criticise Adkins signing but I'll repeat what I've said many a time. Woolford, Sammon et al were clearly not Adkins' first choices but when you have no money, you are left with little to no choice.

It's not like he preferred Woolford to a million pound winger. However when the board tell you you have no money, you need to get SOMEONE in, so he got Woolford and Sammon. Now what free agents that when to league 1 sides this year would have been real quality? I genuinely don't know, there may have been loads, but my guess is there aren't. Adkins isn't the main problem, he doesn't help himself, but he is a symptom, not a cause.
Click to expand...

30 year olds from the top two divisions are generally very expensive in terms of wages.
 
Jim Chimmerney said:
As posted elsewhere, he's been limited in what he can bring in this season so has gone for a few experienced pros. You can't argue that he hasn't mixed in the kids with these 30 somethings.
Click to expand...

He's been limited because of budget constraints. But there's been nothing limiting him to signing players of around 30 years old or older. It smacks of an old, tired manager playing it safe with old, tired players ("experienced hands" who can "deal with the pressure" of a "demanding crowd") rather than an exciting experimenter willing to take risks. Playing it safe has took us to the heady heights of 12th in Division Three.

I'll grant you though that Sammon was almost certainly landed on him (just like Collins was, after the senior pros' touching demonstration of player power). I'll also accept that he's handled Long well, & brought him on, after his opening day disaster. He's also overseen the sketchy progress of an immensely promising youngster (in Adams) & been pretty baffling in his stop-start treatment of Louis Reed. But overall, the average age of the side must be one of the very highest in the division.

blader said:
Everyone is so quick to criticise Adkins signing but I'll repeat what I've said many a time. Woolford, Sammon et al were clearly not Adkins' first choices but when you have no money, you are left with little to no choice.

It's not like he preferred Woolford to a million pound winger. However when the board tell you you have no money, you need to get SOMEONE in, so he got Woolford and Sammon. Now what free agents that when to league 1 sides this year would have been real quality? I genuinely don't know, there may have been loads, but my guess is there aren't. Adkins isn't the main problem, he doesn't help himself, but he is a symptom, not a cause.
Click to expand...

Why is it that the likes of Walsall, Coventry, Gillingham, Peterborough, etc, etc make so much better choices when it comes to their own manoevrings with little or no money? They seem to expand the choices open to them (decent use of the loan market for Premier League club youngsters, as one example), rather than limiting their choices to aging plodders. Even Billy, who's bucked the trend with his passion this season, looked the epitome of the aging plodder last night: not only was his passion not in evidence, he was the worst player on the pitch (& that, last night, truly took some doing).
 
Ah that Belgium bloke again.
TAKE SOME FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY. GET BACK HERE AND RUN IT FROM HERE OR BUGGER OFF COMPLETELY. YOU'VE DRAGGED US DOWN TO OUR LOWEST POINT EVER IN TERMS OF TIME OUT OF THE TOP TWO DIVISIONS WITH NO HOPE ON THE HORIZON FOR ANYONE WHO IS A PROUD ASSOCIATE OF THE CLUB. STOP HIDING ABROAD AND THROW YOURSELF COMPLETELY TO THE CAUSE TO SUCCEED OR FAIL. THINK DIFFERENTLY TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE AND YOU MAY JUST DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE PROSPECTS. WE WANT TO WAIT NO LONGER WE'VE SUFFERED ENOUGH AND IN THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME ON ANY STAND. WE JUST WANT BDTBL AND OUR TEAM BACK FOR EVERYONE TO BE PROUD OF FROM BIRTH TO DEATH.
 
boo radley said:
Ah that Belgium bloke again.
TAKE SOME FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY. GET BACK HERE AND RUN IT FROM HERE OR BUGGER OFF COMPLETELY. YOU'VE DRAGGED US DOWN TO OUR LOWEST POINT EVER IN TERMS OF TIME OUT OF THE TOP TWO DIVISIONS WITH NO HOPE ON THE HORIZON FOR ANYONE WHO IS A PROUD ASSOCIATE OF THE CLUB. STOP HIDING ABROAD AND THROW YOURSELF COMPLETELY TO THE CAUSE TO SUCCEED OR FAIL. THINK DIFFERENTLY TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE AND YOU MAY JUST DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE PROSPECTS. WE WANT TO WAIT NO LONGER WE'VE SUFFERED ENOUGH AND IN THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS WE DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME ON ANY STAND. WE JUST WANT BDTBL AND OUR TEAM BACK FOR EVERYONE TO BE PROUD OF FROM BIRTH TO DEATH.
Click to expand...

Bit harsh to lay all that on Cuvelier.
 
I mostly agree with OP but I always wonder how people can comment on player's wages with such conviction. Isn't it all guesswork? I hear the rumours too but I take them with the same pinch of salt that I do with rumours of transfers and other ITK bullshit.

And with loan players do teams always pay the full wages or do they still sometimes pay a small portion of the player's contract with the parent club?
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_2016-03-02-11-23-02_1.jpg
    Screenshot_2016-03-02-11-23-02_1.jpg
    146.7 KB · Views: 15



I don't think many people will be fooled by the pre season bullshit this time.
I expect season ticket sales to be down massively
 
LYDON said:
I thought Boo was talking about Poirot.

Plastic Bertrand might even get a game if he turns up at Fleetwood.
Click to expand...

Used to work for a company that had a big Belgian site that we had to deal with a lot. We used to love winding them up asking them the one about how many famous Belgians are there. The top two were always Poirot and TinTin, both fictional, then Eddie Merckx the cyclist. That was usually all they came up with, until one day one of them triumphantly remembered Rubens. So 4 in total! Plastic never got a mention LOL.
 
Problem is, we have set a precedent now. Clough sacked for a semi-final and 5th place finish. Wilson sacked in 5th place with 10 or so games remaining.

We are so low now it is untrue. He has to go due to previous decisions.made by the board. Should he go? probably. Would I sack him? probably not. We would be back to starting again. If we are nowhere near by Xmas then yes. get shut. He needs to be given time otherwise we'll all be back on the merry-go-round... again
 
agree with the OP, because i dont envy our board 1 bit, because we have a huge decision to make in the summer & they to figure out whether to keep patience or right this season of as a bad job im still on the fence whether to keep Adkins when i was going to bed yesterday 3hrs after FT i was for giving him a 2nd yr woke up & was erring to replace him, because we know we need a clean sheet of paper as i would keep 14 players with baxter from our squad (J & K Wallace brayford, basham, sharp, "Baxter" mcnulty, done, scougall, reed, Culiever, Calvert- lewin, Diego & long) playing side but that huge decision whether that is playing side or playing & management side depends on do we trust him with the overhaul & then the following season, also in august i thought clough going was the right idea but as the season has gone on im becoming more sure we shouldve stuck & do we want to make the same decision twice

because at the moment we can play well but problem we are such a jekell & hyde team its untrue because wigan was dreadful, donny was good, we might as well not turned up at bury for good we did, port vale rochdale 1st half was best weve played in 2016 & rochdale 2nd half/ Burton were exuding a team that have given up as the pedestrian & bunch of nothing that ive ever seen but IF he was to go. i think Ian holloway, Steve Evans or Neil Warnock would be great to get some fight back in this side or try what some teams have done recently & go for a club legend in Brian deane who i was hoping for post clough because of his hero status & good job he did at sarpsborg.

but as ive said i dont envy our board 1 bit, because they got a huge decision to make in the summer
 
davidpinder said:
Managers have come and gone over the years and we have gradually found ourselves slipping lower and lower down the leagues. This summer the club have a huge decision to make, does NA stay or go? It has been well documented that many players are out of contact and it is a chance for someone to build a good squad of there own players and finally have a pop that this division, however can we trust this manager to build that squad? Adkins main signings are as follows and i have put my opinion next to them

Billy Sharp - steady signing and i say that because of the huge wage he is on, he needs to start scoring again now
Dean Hammond - Average to poor it took an age to get him in and since that has been a bit disappointing plus again on a huge salary.
Martin Woolford - V poor IMO not really made an impact in many games, can't really hold his place in the team.

David Edgar - steady defender but nothing special doesn't really come across as a leader and has many a mistake in him.
Connor Salmon - Well what do i say? is there a word to describe him? i don't mean in a harsh way just as a signing. Shocking? waste of a wage? i don't know but can't see why he hasn't been sent back, maybe we can't.

Now Adkins himself has made some poor decisions with the current squad, Baxter clearly has been treated to softly and was given to many chances, maybe that caused some unrest? Adams went off the rails a bit when i thought NC did a fantastic job with him last year, McEveley as captain was an odd decision, however making Long as number 1 looks a good decision. Adkins is on a huge salary and needs to start showing his worth, is he really looking at the current squad to retain any? does he know his days are numbered? is there a clause in his contract about where we finish ? but one thing i do know is the fans deserve better and the attendance is already starting to slip, what was it last night 17500? against top of the league, the club must be shitting themselves at the thought of next seasons, season ticket sales.

Something needs to change and fast, is it the manager again? i don't know but he isn't doing himself many favours at the moment. Changing the manager doesn't seem to have worked in the past so do we stick with this one for a few more seasons? can we afford to give it a few more seasons, with this huge stadium and academy to run i am not sure we can afford to.

Now on the other hand with the form of the top 6 so up and down at the minute a playoff win might actually be achievable, do we sack him now and get someone in who might bring some new exciting ideas similar to what is happening at Chelsea? i personally don't think the squad is as bad at some make out, fully fit and with the right formation, compared to the others up there. Look at the Dingles, bottom in November and now level on points with 6th spot, now them getting promotion or Swindon would be embarrassing. If we went out and got 2 new loan signings, one midfielder and one up top and played the following side at home and slightly more defensive away we might start turning it round.

LONG

BRAYFORD EDGAR BAPTISTE McEVELEY

ADAMS NEW MD HAMMOND DONE

SHARP NEW ST

12 games to go, 36 points to play for show some ambition and go and bring in 2 loanees who want a contract or young lads wanting to impress there parent clubs.

Big decisions for the club to have to make and probably the biggest in there history. I won't say exciting times because it isn't, it will be interesting though none the less.

UTB
Click to expand...
_____________Long
Brayford Edgar Baptiste Mcevely
Whiteman Hammond Cuvellier Adams
_________Sharp DCL

Only using what we got at the moment but this is something I would probably try if we get someone new in would change it to accommodate a new signing
 
JJBlade said:
I don't think many people will be fooled by the pre season bullshit this time.
I expect season ticket sales to be down massively
Click to expand...
If they drop they drop what I hoping is that people don't just turn into part timers who don't come back until were in the championship and can't be bothered to support us thru another season in league 1
 
Ok, the signings.

Billy - A success
Sammon - Agreement to sign before he was appointed
Woolford - Signed as cover for Murphy and free
Edgar - Been ok, up and down. I don't think we should ever contemplate signing him but we can't shop at Dan Burn.
Hammond - Improvement on what we had, purely on the basis we had no one who could play in that position.

It's a mixed bag but not impressive. However, it would seem that we're shopping at the 99p shop so hard to judge.
 
LYDON said:
I thought Boo was talking about Poirot.

Plastic Bertrand might even get a game if he turns up at Fleetwood.
Click to expand...

I'd give him a run at CB. I can see Tintin doing well on the wing as well. I always thought there always was something Colin Morris-eque about him. Not sure what we should do with Snowy though. Maybe get him to bite some of the dressing roon splitters? Start with Coutts?
 
DI36O said:
I mostly agree with OP but I always wonder how people can comment on player's wages with such conviction. Isn't it all guesswork? I hear the rumours too but I take them with the same pinch of salt that I do with rumours of transfers and other ITK bullshit.

And with loan players do teams always pay the full wages or do they still sometimes pay a small portion of the player's contract with the parent club?
Click to expand...

A lot will depend on circumstances. I'm guessing but moving Baptiste to us after he's come back from injury will suit Boro' so they will pay a lot of his salary.
There is no benefit to our manager it would seem to keep McNuts so I'd guess it suits us to pay a lot of his salary if the club is backing the managers decisions.

Where we move someone on to help them get a new club and the new club feel its to there benefit then I'd guess the loaning club would be more willing to contribute - i.e Edgar/Harris?

At the end of the day most of us are just guessing.
 
I would rip it all up and start again and in all honesty I can see that happening.
Brayford will move on, we cannot afford his salary and use any money raised from his sale to generate funds for other signings.
Coutts will not want to stay is on decent money and will be moved on.
Sharp has another two years to run, but I assume Leeds will have been paying a contribution to his first year salary and he will be moved on as we cannot afford to pay for all of it in pretty much the same way McCabe did not want to pay Beaties when the Everton subsidy expired.
Hammond and sammon will not be allowed to sign as we do not want and cannot afford ageing pros with limited time on the pitch to offer.
Done will be moved on as Adkins does not rate him otherwise he would gave been played as a striker as opposed to the four positions he occupied on Tuesday evening.
Adkins has said from the start we have to go up this year and the reason is that otherwise we gave to cut our cloth accordingly and that is what they will do as the funding has dried up until we get to the championship.
 
bertieblade said:
cut our cloth accordingly and that is what they will do as the funding has dried up until we get to the championship.
Click to expand...

I lost count of the number of times Mr. McCabe has used the cutting of cloth analogy to describe our predicament.
But he never said we'd be wearing a f*cking thong. Where's the next cut going to be?
 



You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Silkblade
A special mention to…
Replies
26
Views
2K
Lupa The Noa
Lupa The Noa
HodgysBrokenThumb
Welcome to the 3-4 Club
2
Replies
52
Views
2K
DifferentClass
DifferentClass
PaulPeschBlade
Has wilder lost the plot?
2 3
Replies
77
Views
7K
Hanauer
H
JayGreen17
Points Surrendered Due to “Squad” Rotation.
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
FifeBlade
FifeBlade
Kozzy_is_my_Dad
What tactical change(s) would you make?
Replies
14
Views
841
bonobo
B

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom