"We have to get up this season"-Adkins

[Kenilworth]

I really think a lot of posters have forgotten what decent footballers look like. It's nothing personal, but the vast majority of this lot have no place in the spine of a promotion first XI, yet that's what we're expecting of them.

Most can put in the odd decent performance, but who can we bank on? Who has the quality and application that's needed?

Sharp, Brayford, Done, Basham? Can't think who else I'd want in the trenches. The vast majority are just woefully unreliable.

Wouldn't want Basham in the trenches. As far as I am concerned he is part of the problem when he is in midfield. He's a CB or nothing.
Waste of space as a central mid and if he's captain material then Baxter is international class

 

[JohnDenver]

Wouldn't want Basham in the trenches. As far as I am concerned he is part of the problem when he is in midfield. He's a CB or nothing.
Waste of space as a central mid and if he's captain material then Baxter is international class

Yup, I'd have him at centre half next to a big ugly monster. He's shown he's good enough to be there.

I want consistency and grit but we've had a year of players turning up for perhaps one-in-four games. Baxter is the shining poster child for this, but he's not the only one.

 

[alcoblade]

Yup, I'd have him at centre half next to a big ugly monster. He's shown he's good enough to be there.

I want consistency and grit but we've had a year of players turning up for perhaps one-in-four games. Baxter is the shining poster child for this, but he's not the only one.

There's more than consistency missing though. Most of our players are just average third division players, and they demonstrate is every week.

We were out muscled everywhere today. Many put that down to lack of fight / bottle. It's not that. We don't have that fight in us. We are a bunch of un athletic weaklings. We've fallen for the bullshit about if stroking the ball around being the key to modern football, meanwhile teams constructed on a fraction of our budget are showing us up. And people keep repeating it - apologising for utter shit like Paul Coutts and claiming it's lack of footballing nouse that makes us miss it.

UTB

 

[metalblade]

Some of us (me included) urged caution when Adkins was signed - partly because he inherited a set of players bought to play a certain way and now expected to play a different ways.
Some of us wanted Clough to have another season (me included) not because he was good, but because it was his squad and "any" manager was going to struggle with them and Clough "may" have not been far away - even though the football was boring and methodical - it might, just might have got us out.
Adkins is now struggling to get Cloughs average players to play how he wants.
Personally, I think he will fail - not because I want him to fail, but because the players are not the right ones for (a) this division (b) to play how Adkins wants.
Adkins is becoming as belligerent as Clough with certain team selections and choices.

As for your comment - Adkins inherited a set of quality young players from what was regarded as the best youth development in the country, so you may actually be right. We all have to hope though that your comment is wrong, other wise we are well and truly..........stuffed.

UTB

No disrespect but that is a load of bollocks, Clough's set of average players as you call them didn't or couldn't perform for Clough and the midfield still couldn't cope when we were playing 4-5-1 how many teams playing 4-4-2 dominated our five in midfield last season I'll tell you lots. It is not the formation that is the problem it is the players, the whole spine of the team is still as soft as shit, time after time we get out muscled and bullied not addressing the CB problem is one thing you can criticise Adkins for, only up front has the team slightly improved the downside though is by selling our best player once again we have lost 20% of our total goal tally for last season and lots of assists. Sorry to say to those other posters who think Adams is a replacement that they are way off the mark, Adams don't have a lot of pace and at best he has had two good games this season, he is not a left winger so not really fit to clean Murphy boots. We might as well face it we have a team full of over paid shite apart from a few exceptions typified when a player with a handfull of 1st team games but with a fancy name can afford to drive around in a 15 plate Range Rover and other players some who can't get a game prefer to go out on the lash rather than spend their free time on the training ground. Wankers the lot of em I'd ship half the squad out tomorrow if possible not only not fit to wear the shirt but not fit to be called professional footballers.

 

[JohnDenver]

There's more than consistency missing though. Most of our players are just average third division players, and they demonstrate is every week.

We were out muscled everywhere today. Many put that down to lack of fight / bottle. It's not that. We don't have that fight in us. We are a bunch of un athletic weaklings.

A bit of a circular argument, but what makes a lot of our players third tier performers is their lack of consistency. And part of that is mental, and related to a lack of fight. The cup games showed what some can do given the correct attitude.

No doubt we need more physicality too, but that's something only recruitment can solve. Their attitude is really what really winds me up, and we can't expect it to change. We can only hope new players have these attributes...

 

[Bladesince59]

He's a YES man

 

[alcoblade]

A bit of a circular argument, but what makes a lot of our players third tier performers is their lack of consistency. And part of that is mental, and related to a lack of fight. The cup games showed what some can do given the correct attitude.

No doubt we need more physicality too, but that's something only recruitment can solve. Their attitude is really what really winds me up, and we can't expect it to change. We can only hope new players have these attributes...

I'm not questioning their attitude or fight. There was loads of graft today, we were just 2nd best. They are just not up to it, technically or physically.

UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

They are just not up to it, technically or physically.

UTB

But other than that, we're ok right?

 

[alcoblade]

But other than that, we're ok right?

The only positive is that I think Adkins will have seen it now. I'll be really disappointed if he persists with Coutts, but it's become about who he can get in rather than who he picks from this shower.

I wish we'd focus on players doing it in this division rather than players who aren't good enough for the division above. It seems to be a failing policy that we're carrying on.

UTB

 

[Tyler Durden]

We're capitulating to teams my fucking nannan could could bag at least two goals against.

And she's a natural left-back.

 

[Bladesman]

We had to get up at the first time of asking and we didn't.

 

[Kev Gee]

They're nice. They're all nice aren't they? The Prince, he's nice. Sela, a grand chap if youve met him. Brannigan, always time for a chat. Jim, the nicest man there ever was. Apart from Superblade, to whom we owe everything. New Nigel, he's nice. Nice nice nice nice.


Nice we've already got covered, in monopolic quantities. Any chance of some Good?

Can we please have some cuntishness now please?? The time for being nice is now very very. very much over.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

As for your comment - Adkins inherited a set of quality young players from what was regarded as the best youth development in the country, so you may actually be right.

UTB

What evidence is there that this is the best youth development in the country? Not exactly a production line of stellar talent is it?

 

[Slug]

What evidence is there that this is the best youth development in the country? Not exactly a production line of stellar talent is it?

Think he was referring to what he inherited at Southampton

 

[Barney]

No disrespect but that is a load of bollocks, Clough's set of average players as you call them didn't or couldn't perform for Clough and the midfield still couldn't cope when we were playing 4-5-1 how many teams playing 4-4-2 dominated our five in midfield last season I'll tell you lots. It is not the formation that is the problem it is the players, the whole spine of the team is still as soft as shit, time after time we get out muscled and bullied not addressing the CB problem is one thing you can criticise Adkins for, only up front has the team slightly improved the downside though is by selling our best player once again we have lost 20% of our total goal tally for last season and lots of assists. Sorry to say to those other posters who think Adams is a replacement that they are way off the mark, Adams don't have a lot of pace and at best he has had two good games this season, he is not a left winger so not really fit to clean Murphy boots. We might as well face it we have a team full of over paid shite apart from a few exceptions typified when a player with a handfull of 1st team games but with a fancy name can afford to drive around in a 15 plate Range Rover and other players some who can't get a game prefer to go out on the lash rather than spend their free time on the training ground. Wankers the lot of em I'd ship half the squad out tomorrow if possible not only not fit to wear the shirt but not fit to be called professional footballers.

Sorry metal but I couldn't and still can't understand your opening line. You say Fulwood's post was a load of bollocks only to go on and agree with him? He wasn't saying the players played well for Clough. I agree with both posts for the record.

Edit: Sorry, mis-read on my part about FB's emphasis on formations. Ignore above.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Wouldn't want Basham in the trenches. As far as I am concerned he is part of the problem when he is in midfield. He's a CB or nothing.
Waste of space as a central mid and if he's captain material then Baxter is international class

Think his Grandmother is from the Isle of White.

 

[Kenilworth]

What evidence is there that this is the best youth development in the country? Not exactly a production line of stellar talent is it?

No. Southampton have (had) that
We have the third division equivalent because we can afford more than those around us.
And look where we are.

Maybe the youf system is what Phipps is referring to when he says the Murphy money is being put to good use.

 

[alcoblade]

No. Southampton have (had) that
We have the third division equivalent because we can afford more than those around us.
And look where we are.

Maybe the youf system is what Phipps is referring to when he says the Murphy money is being put to good use.

The youth system is a waste of money and one of the reasons we lose millions, despite having inferior players to Port Vale.

UTB

 

[Fulwood Blade]

What evidence is there that this is the best youth development in the country? Not exactly a production line of stellar talent is it?

Sorry Highbury - I meant Southampton's youth system not ours. Adkins dropped lucky with the young players - hence the reason they went straight through the divisions.

Presume you thought I meant our youth system? Apologies

UTB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Who needs 4 lucky promotions when you can prove you're shit by not being able to turn a poor squad around in 12 games?

I despair.

UTB

We should have got rid of the useless bastard after Gillingham. The writing was on the wall then.

 

[BushBlade]

Adkins may be just a bag of hot air that got very lucky at Southampton.

If it was just Southampton I might agree with you but he did well at Scunny too.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

If it was just Southampton I might agree with you but he did well at Scunny too.

Agree but results make you search for reasons.

Adkins CV is good and he is a step forward over Clough but:

Why did Southampton dump him when most people thought it was madness at the time.
Why did he fail at Reading?

 

[Blade58]

Correct me if I'm wrong GRUMPY BLADE , but I thought as with the pigs and sacking Gray, Southampton decided to change direction and bring in a foreign coach. Do Saints now have foreign owners?

As for Reading, Adkins was struggling, but partly due to Reading being skint. Fortunately for them, new owners bought the club (investment is being realised as shown by their current results and position) As a result of the takeover, they decided as with most new owners to change manager. Happens a lot these days

 

[BushBlade]

Agree but results make you search for reasons.

Adkins CV is good and he is a step forward over Clough but:

Why did Southampton dump him when most people thought it was madness at the time.
Why did he fail at Reading?

I think the then CEO of Southampton wanted to bring in Pochettino because he was highly rated, that season's 'next Mourinho'. They thought he was a better manager than Adkins and they were right.
At Reading he inherited a club with financial and ownership issues, already on the slide. They seem to have stabilised a bit after relegation and the turmoil it can cause. Not sure how much of this is down to their current success and how much can be attributed to Steve Clarke.

It does add an element of uncertainty but I think you can forgive a manager one failure, they usually take over a failing club and they can't always turn it around. Pardew's got the sack a few times and is now being touted for the England job.

 

[SUFC Guy]

who can we bank on? Who has the quality and application that's needed?

Sharp, Brayford, Done, Basham? Can't think who else I'd want in the trenches. The vast majority are just woefully unreliable.

This is spot on. Perhaps 6 players and the rest can go.
I really do believe it's the players that need to go and not the manager. We will not get a more proven manager than NA.
It will cost a fair whack to ship them out but it's something the club must do before we fail again and either NA gets fed up or shipped out himself.
This season is nowhere near over yet but I would hope NA is here again next year to oversee a massive exodus of talentless tits!

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Adkins also won the League of Wales title twice. Many may scoff, but the signs of being better than the competition have been on show througout his career.

UTB

 

[judge]

He is about as good as we can expect to get (and if that sounds like a dig its not )

He is more than capable of turning things round but its obvious his hands are tied

The club officials may be businessmen but they dont seem to have any idea how to deal with football transactions

Jim phipps talks about transfer dealings as if its easier to make contact with aliens and this is a guy who.has been part of middle east peace negotiations

Weve all been in situations where youve been stopped from doing your job by your superiors not doing theirs

I dont even think its a case of not having money i just dont think they have a fucking idea how to spend it
We got brayford but only because the guy was unusually desperate to sign for us

I like jim and i am grateful to the new people that they lifted us from the state we were in because mccabe seemed to have given up and certainly wasnt willing to put his hands in his pockets anymore

I think adkins is going to have to use all his football experience and nous to steer these guys in the right direction because its obvious to me they need all the help they can get

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

The one thing the cup runs showed to me last season was the lack of effort the players were putting in for league games and the inability to perform consistently

The team that clough put together after weir was sacked contained just the right balance with coady maguire and brayford alongside murphy we were just lacking a goalscorer and a centre half partner for harry


Our board have to take a long hard look at how we have managed to get from that side that was good enough to walk promotion to this one which will just be up and down all season and get beat by teams like port vale and gillingham simply because they cant be arsed to put a shift in

Why is it always the boards fault though?

IMO they've done everything that could be asked of them since the end of last season. They've got a manager who we were all chuffed with and backed him financially.

Sometimes things go against you and no-ones to blame. Have a bit of faith, there's plenty of time left yet.

Personally I've got faith in Adkins. He's a good manager, that's beyond doubt. He'll get it right sooner or later.

But he will get it right.

 

[Bartleby]

Can we please have some cuntishness now please?? The time for being nice is now very very. very much over.

you are right - we need some aggression now

 

[Sheff de party]

This really is a bad time to be a Blades fan compounded by the fact that the other lot are spending money like it is going out of fashion and beginning to get results, yeah take the piss out of their ticket prices but lets be honest in the last three years they have moved light years ahead of us.

I bet even in the promotion to premier league season, you were unhappy we only finished 2nd.