What should we do?

[Grecian2000]

Never created a poll before so fuck knows what this'll look like.

Thought I'd have a crack at an adult discussion about what (and more importantly why) we should do about our current situation.
It seems a lot of people were less than happy with the week-end's events and, judging by a number of threads on here, this might have been a back breaking straw for some people.

1. Simple poll question. What should we do about Nigel? Choice of 4.

2. Why? A few words (ok WWF/IIYB fill yer boots if you want) as to your reasoning. Keeping it civil would be nice.

FWIW. I'm a 3.

I think we saw enough at the back end of last season that we can deliver and if the backing had been there in the summer (or if the pieces had fallen into place if you prefer) then we wouldn't be having this conversation at all. I think the revival last year was undermined in the summer by not pulling out all the stop to keep the squad together and the first half of the season has been wasted to a large extent.
Carry on Nige for me then. Take us down and it's all over though!

 

[UnitedUnitedWeStand]

End of the season for me if no promotion. He is way to defensive fo my liking, and I just can't understand why he doesn't trust this group of players to get after teams and belt them. This team is good enough to have a mentality that if the oppo score one, we'll score two...

 

[Rodders]

I'm a 3-er.
Saw enough at the back-end of last season, and I just don't think we can sustain yet another bill for sacked manager's wages plus coaches etc. As we go through managers at a rate of knots, the talent pool available to us decreases further and further. Stability is the key.

I understand the gripes about not being attacking enough, but I don't think we're far enough away to rip it all up and start again.

 

[Gretschblade]

Nigel should be given another season unless things go disasterously wrong. Another change, another new start is not what this club needs.
In general I think we have good players, it's just the gameplan that isn't working. I would give Nigel another year to change his stubborn ways and change it, but if I were the Chairman I would be having words.

 

[YES Blade]

1 for me

Too defensive, boring to watch, massively under achieving with the budget at his disposal.

The main reason is that I do not believe Clough will get us promoted this season or after another 5 seasons, so why bother sticking with him.

 

[Esablade]

3, Another season for me.

We've all got doubts but I'm sticking with Nigel for now...see how things shape up over the summer if we're still in this league...or the champ

 

[Bladesway]

I'm a 3-er.
Saw enough at the back-end of last season, and I just don't think we can sustain yet another bill for sacked manager's wages plus coaches etc. As we go through managers at a rate of knots, the talent pool available to us decreases further and further. Stability is the key.

I understand the gripes about not being attacking enough, but I don't think we're far enough away to rip it all up and start again.

Pretty much what Rodders says. We aren't actually that far away although judging by Saturday it possibly feels like it to some. Also, at what point does someone other than the Manager take the fall for the shit? We keep sacking people and it isn't doing anything positive right now. We sack Clough and what, raise his dad from the ground? There isn't a nailed on solution in a manager that solves our problems so for me you keep with what you have.

 

[MiserableBlader]

I'm a 3-er.
Stability is the key.

Really.
So the stability of being stuck in the 3rd division as we are is what you want :?
Or the stability of only 5 changes last game as opposed 10!

Be interesting how you validate Clough's position if Chesterfield (or Rochdale FFS!) go straight through the division like mighty Rotherham last year!
Ignoring the fact that MK DONS Bristol and Swindon have stormed by us leaving us trailing in their wake over the close season alone.

He's got to go without promotion - or at very least robbed by 3 offside goals in a play off final.
ie some sort of genuine excuse.
Not Judas's 'bad luck' BS.

Question is - does he go before if it continues disastrously.
But please Judas.
If you eventually correct your bad appointments by sacking
- do have a plan to continue!
Not like Wilson when the obvious thing was to appoint Warnock for the run in but you did your not so sweet FA!
There's no point in that

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I would probably have opted for "go next xmas if not promoted or in the automatics", but I went for 3 - reasoning being that the cost and upheaval of a change is likely to be high but I would replace his brother as chief scout straight away if he cannot find us a finished striker in loan window (as opposed to a raw recruit or a finished one in the other sense like Higdon). Scouting at the club is well overdue for an overhaul anyway.

 

[billyblademan]

I think he deserves another season, unless we don't make the playoffs.

Personally, I think he'll go about November/December time when we're midtable (again).

 

[Latters]

I think he should go if we don't make the play offs. Performances definitely need to improve sooner rather than later, but I'm fearful of who we'd end up with if we get rid in the near future.

 

[OllyBlade]

Really torn on this one. For the long term, continuity of management is vital and I like the approach Clough takes with squad building and youth development. However, in our 4th (!) straight season in the 3rd division, a single season has to be the necessary timeframe to judge success. We can't keep waiting for him to get it right consistently on the pitch. I've gone for 3, I'd like to feel Clough would learn from the mistakes made this season and that we have a squad for next season that lacks only strikers, assuming we don't get promotion. I also share the worries of people who question who we'd be able to attract.

 

[wizadry]

Agree with the last couple in that we have to make the playoffs,if we don't,with the budget in hand,would be seen as a huge failure in anyones book.Come on Cloughy,time to stop fucking about now and show a lot more attacking intent,not only in tactics but also team selection.

 

[DI36O]

I'm a 3-er.
Saw enough at the back-end of last season, and I just don't think we can sustain yet another bill for sacked manager's wages plus coaches etc. As we go through managers at a rate of knots, the talent pool available to us decreases further and further. Stability is the key.

I understand the gripes about not being attacking enough, but I don't think we're far enough away to rip it all up and start again.

Same as this. Remember we were making the same noises about Wilson when we were struggling to make the playoffs, and the end result was Weir. It's only Cloughs turnaround that pulled us away from the relegation zone.

If you look at the teams near the top, Cooper has had a full season before this one and Robinson has been working on MK Dons for years. Cotterill has had 2 months less than Clough but their run in the autumn that has put them up there is only like ours near the end of last season.

The point is they all finished outside the playoffs last year but there were no alarm bells. 16 months isn't a great deal of time to get an automatic promotion chasing team assembled from the mess he arrived at.

He will need to get a move on though. Otherwise we're in for more upheaval with a new guy wanting his own set of players recruited.

By the way it does my head in when people advocate sacking a manager without any realistic suggestions for who to replace him with.

 

[longinthe toothblade]

I'm a 3-er.
Saw enough at the back-end of last season, and I just don't think we can sustain yet another bill for sacked manager's wages plus coaches etc. As we go through managers at a rate of knots, the talent pool available to us decreases further and further. Stability is the key.

I understand the gripes about not being attacking enough, but I don't think we're far enough away to rip it all up and start again.

Agree with all of this. Save us from the wrath of the "it was always a three year plan" brigade..............my arse!

 

[Small Mendonca]

Can we have a buy more midfielders option please?

 

[botoble]

The option of "sack him if we don't make play offs" would be a high percentage choice I would think. We should be going up this season... however can I see us beating Preston then MK dons in the playoffs...hmmmm... but if we make play offs we give him the chance to redeem himself in the opening 3 months of the next season. If he fails...bring someone in before Christmas. I'd be semi-tempted due to our huge wage bill among playing staff to go cheap and let Morgan give them a kick up the arse until the end of next season if clough isn't fighting for top 2 finish come end of November!

 

[wizadry]

If you look at the teams near the top, Cooper has had a full season before this one and Robinson has been working on MK Dons for years. Cotterill has had 2 months less than Clough but their run in the autumn that has put them up there is only like ours near the end of last season.

The problem with this statement is that the clubs you mention that finished outside the playoffs would have had different ambitions to ours and a lot lower budgets than ours.And Cotterill has done brilliant this season because he has bought very well and not had any fear of attacking teams.What i'm trying to say is don't look at what other teams and managers do just to try and suger coat our league performances so far this season under Nigel Clough.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Same as this. Remember we were making the same noises about Wilson when we were struggling to make the playoffs, and the end result was Weir. It's only Cloughs turnaround that pulled us away from the relegation zone.

If you look at the teams near the top, Cooper has had a full season before this one and Robinson has been working on MK Dons for years. Cotterill has had 2 months less than Clough but their run in the autumn that has put them up there is only like ours near the end of last season.

The point is they all finished outside the playoffs last year but there were no alarm bells. 16 months isn't a great deal of time to get an automatic promotion chasing team assembled from the mess he arrived at.

He will need to get a move on though. Otherwise we're in for more upheaval with a new guy wanting his own set of players recruited.

By the way it does my head in when people advocate sacking a manager without any realistic suggestions for who to replace him with.

That's about the sum total of things mate, well said. Objectivity is in short supply at the moment, so it's refreshing to read someone else who appears to have an understanding of what it takes to mount a promotion push. If all we ever do is react (think those who suffer this affliction should consider their actions and who would be available to take NC's place) to a period of underwhelming performances then all we'll ever do is jump hastily from one manager to.....oh I forgot, there's no suggestion of who would replace Clough.

Yes, life at the Lane isn't currently an exciting proposition, but just as performances diminish so they improve. It wasn't that long ago that we were one conversation away from signing Chris O'Grady. We can all imagine how his inclusion would have improved things. Now we have Done, so let's see how he adapts to being here as he tries to make a difference. We have the makings of a decent side, and yes, one or two more additions, a central defender who is uncompromising, as well as a central midfielder with good defensive instincts, will turn this potential into something formidable.

I hope no one imagines I'm happy with the way we seem to wave the white flag far too early. I like backbone in a player, in fact I demand this as an essential ingredient if you put on a Blades' shirt, so I hope we can find someone who can inspire the players to give that missing percentage that makes all the difference.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

There's doubtless lots of issues we can dissect with the current team, and I look forward to continuing and contributing on this forum about them... But I believe that we need to give NC more time, I look around at other under performing big teams and how they chop and change managers with no particular success and often to the detriment. A bit more patience, let's see how the team settles...

 

[Gretschblade]

I hope no one imagines I'm happy with the way we seem to wave the white flag far too early. I like backbone in a player, in fact I demand this as an essential ingredient if you put on a Blades' shirt, so I hope we can find someone who can inspire the players to give that missing percentage that makes all the difference.


I was hoping Brayford might be that man.

 

[Revolution]

3 as well, because:

1. as others say, there have been good things last season and in the cups.

2. I think a number of the players have let him down (baxter, scougall, Higdon to an extent, Mceverly recently)

3. I don't see anyone better on the horizon.

4. I don't think we'll go down this year.

I just wish he'd be a bit more flexible tactically, and when he signs more players, they must bring something different to the table, like height and goals.

 

[itsinyerblood]

I hope no one imagines I'm happy with the way we seem to wave the white flag far too early. I like backbone in a player, in fact I demand this as an essential ingredient if you put on a Blades' shirt, so I hope we can find someone who can inspire the players to give that missing percentage that makes all the difference.


I was hoping Brayford might be that man.

Thank you for quoting me. As good a player as Brayford is, we are short of the type of presence that a John Terry (and I'm not a fan of JT) or Tony Adams, or someone whose on-field advice will be responded to, as well as the necessary bollocking when called upon, would be able to fill that role. The title of captain is meaningless unless they can inspire, so this should be something we need from someone, anyone, who has personal pride in the performance of the team they represent.

 

[grafikhaus]

This team is good enough...

But are they? We should steamroller teams like Colchester tomorrow given the money we've spent etc.

But I bet we don't.

 

[Mouth of the South]

Option B for me - go at end of season if no promotion. Single objective set by the Board, largest budget in the division. No excuses if not achieved

Of course, caveated by how close they get to promotion i.e. another heartbreaking failure at Wembley may get him another crack, and or course it would depend on who else is available and would fancy the role - N Adkin; G Johnson; P Cook?

 

[Blade56]

Go now for me! Might seem a bit radical but the board must realise he is making a mistake, they got caught up in the name of Clough. I remeber McCabe saying we meant business and had a big name lined up. But what's in a name?

Nige is a lovely guy and has a stabilising effect?

However, he doesn't have a winning pedigree, has stood every club still, the football is boring and I get the feeling he thinks he is bigger than the club.

We are a bit in the shit now with the SIZE of the squad both in numbers and stature, also there is a my way or the highway attitude about him.

Give it another season and crowds will drop, performances will remain averaging 1.25-1.5 points per game and we will be bored shitless and go into meltdown.

Now is the time for action. A good manager can turn the same squad around, look at Pullis, McClaren, Kit Symons etc took a static or failing squad and made the same players winners. The boards job is to find a winner to replace Mr Negative / Mr Steady NOW. don't give him more rope, save it for the next guy!

But that's my feeling

Reality is board will shut their eyes and hope for the best

 

[Woodwardfan]

We are short of two strikers. I've been writing that since last summer.

From this position Clough has a lot of work to do to turn it round. Momentum is wonderful when you've got it, but elusive if you haven't. He's got to rebuild confidence and trust piece by piece.

It's hard to keep over 30 professionals happy even when things are going well; impossible when things are going badly.

Stability? Continuity? All well and good as long as the manager has the ability to do the job at hand given time. I think Clough should get us up within two seasons but I have grave doubts whether he and his brother are big enough and good enough to lift us beyond the next level within a reasonable time frame.

The board has to decide whether that is good enough. By the time they fail they will have spent a lot of cash and wasted a lot of time. I'm glad I don't have to make the decision.

 

[YES Blade]

4. I don't think we'll go down this year.

I started the season thinking that I would be disappointed if we ended up in the play-offs, now we're all hoping we will make the play-offs.

The fact that relegation is even being mentioned just shows how piss poor we have been in the league.

 

[Bergen Blade]

It took Warnock two and a half seasons before he'd built his first great team, for the 2002/03 season. He needed another couple of seasons of mediocrity before he'd put together his second great team.

Different circumstances, but I think it shows that team and squad building can take time and it's not without set backs (and hopefully learning) along the way. When Clough does leave us I think he will do so with the club in a very healthy position. I'd stick with him as long as we don't get ourselves relegated, but I would expect a strong challenge for automatics next season.

 

[Rossb123]

Who cares, we are rubbish. Lets just enjoy being rubbish, promotion is overrated. Last season we mixed it up a bit, flirted with relegation then the FA Cup and finally the play offs.

I like watching our team spend the most money in the league and still being rubbish. I also enjoyed spending my Saturday evening travelling home from Gillingham.