Will we ever learn ?

[finlaytheblade]

I agree it would be madness to sack Clough at this stage but what would be the point of giving him three or four month into next season before judging our progress ? He did great for us last season but that was last season, he started this season with a clean slate. He had all summer to sort out the striker problem and had five central defenders at the start of the season for one reason or another we now have one a young kid with dodgy knees and very limited experience, he failed to address the problems at both ends of the pitch. Despite the numbers we are weaker in midfield too, bringing more players in who are no better than what we have already and others on the treatment table constantly does nothing for the team. He spent over £1.5 million on a full back for Christ sake, every other manager in league one would have built a full team with that money. Do we really want more of the same next season ? Do the board trust him with yet more money for bang average players or crocks. Is he going to change or are we destined to have a team of ex Derby and Blackpool rejects supplemented by kids from Scotland. Whether we get lucky in the play off's or not a lot of questions need answers and nothing at all suggests to me that Nigel can give us the answers so for me he has to go at the end of the season.

and at the end of next season sack who is in the job if he fails to get promotion after putting a squad together which wont come cheap does that not ring a bell that we have been here before?. OK clough has made mistakes this season with his
recruitment down the spine of the team(i think he has been too complacent with these area,s of the team weak all season)
to sack him now when in my opinion he is close to getting these areas right! it will be next season before he can do it with players on a perminant basis but he knows as well as us that it has been apparant for sometime these area,s are our weak
point.If he can (given time) put this right we would have a squad that can compete in the championship .Promotion through the playoffs would give us the chance to bring in a better quality player championship football would be a great incentive to prospective signings .SACKING CLOUGH WOULD BE CRAZY.

 

[bladesadviser]

Its fine with hindsight to talk about Cotterill however if we had appointed him when we got Clough this forum would have been in meltdown

 

[Hodgyman]

I agree it would be madness to sack Clough at this stage but what would be the point of giving him three or four month into next season before judging our progress ? He did great for us last season but that was last season, he started this season with a clean slate. He had all summer to sort out the striker problem and had five central defenders at the start of the season for one reason or another we now have one a young kid with dodgy knees and very limited experience, he failed to address the problems at both ends of the pitch. Despite the numbers we are weaker in midfield too, bringing more players in who are no better than what we have already and others on the treatment table constantly does nothing for the team. He spent over £1.5 million on a full back for Christ sake, every other manager in league one would have built a full team with that money. Do we really want more of the same next season ? Do the board trust him with yet more money for bang average players or crocks. Is he going to change or are we destined to have a team of ex Derby and Blackpool rejects supplemented by kids from Scotland. Whether we get lucky in the play off's or not a lot of questions need answers and nothing at all suggests to me that Nigel can give us the answers so for me he has to go at the end of the season.

I agree with most of that but why wait until we fail to win promotion before putting someone else in who can motivate the players enough to take us up. It is fairly obvious to me that the players are good enough to beat anyone in this division, but will not do it for Nigel

 

[finlaytheblade]

I agree with most of that but why wait until we fail to win promotion before putting someone else in who can motivate the players enough to take us up. It is fairly obvious to me that the players are good enough to beat anyone in this division, but will not do it for Nigel

where do you get they wont do it for nigel from? surely thats just guess work ! i dont see any players just going through the motions if anything they are trying too hard!.

 

[Hodgyman]

where do you get they wont do it for nigel from? surely thats just guess work ! i dont see any players just going through the motions if anything they are trying too hard!.

Couldn't you make the game against Crewe then?

 

[Bladesway]

We have had 7 games in march 6 in which we have scored 1 goal per game losing 3 of those games its obvious why we dont win many games we rarely have kept clean sheets we either win 1-0 draw 1-1 or lose games in the last few vital minutes weve obviously got to put our chances away and defence needs to somehow find better concentration levels

Be interested in how many games we have won 1-0 because I can't think of many. Bit of a myth surrounds us as unable to score but I would argue it's creating chances is the issue rather than not finishing them.

 

[Dalelane01]

The players are good enough they proved it in our cup runs. surely there is a bonus for getting promotion.and this should be the incentive for them all to work hard so i dont think its a lack of effort or not doing it for nigel

 

[Bladebri]

I would have thought the incentive was to do the double over the pigs next season.

SU will be a different team on Saturday in front of a big crowd and high volume supporters, hope they replicate the Southampton match.

 

[metalblade]

and at the end of next season sack who is in the job if he fails to get promotion after putting a squad together which wont come cheap does that not ring a bell that we have been here before?. OK clough has made mistakes this season with his
recruitment down the spine of the team(i think he has been too complacent with these area,s of the team weak all season)
to sack him now when in my opinion he is close to getting these areas right! it will be next season before he can do it with players on a perminant basis but he knows as well as us that it has been apparant for sometime these area,s are our weak
point.If he can (given time) put this right we would have a squad that can compete in the championship .Promotion through the playoffs would give us the chance to bring in a better quality player championship football would be a great incentive to prospective signings .SACKING CLOUGH WOULD BE CRAZY.

Read the first line of my post again I'm not saying sack him this minute ......................... the end of the season will do when we fail to win promotion. You talk of Clough's mistakes incompetence if you ask me, at this stage of the season to only have a young kid as our only recognised central defender is criminal ........
close to getting these areas right! my arse.

I agree with most of that but why wait until we fail to win promotion before putting someone else in who can motivate the players enough to take us up. It is fairly obvious to me that the players are good enough to beat anyone in this division, but will not do it for Nigel

I tend to agree Hodgyman but we sacked Wilson with 5 games left and look how that turned out, and I'm not so sure the team is good enough anyway, good enough as individuals in their correct positions but not when filling in as central defenders or up front. It is a risk either way only the most blindly optimistic can even consider Clough will get us promoted. A bit of a dilemma innit.

 

[Bladesway]

I agree with most of that but why wait until we fail to win promotion before putting someone else in who can motivate the players enough to take us up. It is fairly obvious to me that the players are good enough to beat anyone in this division, but will not do it for Nigel

Sounds like you are the man for the job then. Piece of piss eh?

 

[IOM Blade]

We had the makings of a decent squad in the summer and Clough has been given millions to add to it. His KPI for the season was promotion, if he fails he should be sacked. If we fail to reach the playoffs he should be shot.

 

[Dalelane01]

We had the makings of a decent squad in the summer and Clough has been given millions to add to it. His KPI for the season was promotion, if he fails he should be sacked. If we fail to reach the playoffs he should be shot.

We still have a decent squad but its whos friends with n/c and whether hes fallen out with any of them thats why we need a big squad so hes got some players left hes still friends with. so we can have a full squad come matchday

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I think the squad composition can't be called decent because of the deficiencies at CH which have been there all season.

 

[Hodgyman]

Sounds like you are the man for the job then. Piece of piss eh?

I might be tempted to suggest that I had a better record of managing and motivating people than our Nigel but mine was in industry and commerce, (real businesses). However, I only have experience of lower-league, amateur football experience. Perhaps "Brian the Blade" has more like the experience necessary.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Well this thread was lumbering to an inevitable conclusion when this happened...



To be fair I don't know miserable any better than anyone else but trying to extract an apology for something that happened on another thread appears a bit off.

Regarding Clough no surprises that we all fall into two camps. Sack him now and keep him on. Some wild assumptions made about him wasting money in my opinion. Blokes in his first full season with us. Personally think he gets this season and into next. You keep sacking managers it's unlikely things will improve. New manager will have to strip out the old and get new in and there is no guarantee they will get that right. Then in less than a full season people want the next bloke out and another new one in. Then we go round again......blah......blah......blah.

Fair comments BW. If you were the Saudi owner, would you throw more money at Clough knowing what you know now, or would you decide he has not shown you enough to give you confidence.

Decision making determines business success. Who's a Saudi millionaire to judge what's best for you and me? But what would you do with say another £8m or so to "invest" next season? Another year wasted is at stake plus £8m or so, plus the faith of the supporters.

Would it matter who else is available perhaps?

Maybe you might be concerned about some 12 contracts to settle too!

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Fair comments BW. If you were the Saudi owner, would you throw more money at Clough knowing what you know now, or would you decide he has not shown you enough to give you confidence.

Decision making determines business success. Who's a Saudi millionaire to judge what's best for you and me? But what would you do with say another £8m or so to "invest" next season? Another year wasted is at stake plus £8m or so, plus the faith of the supporters.

Would it matter who else is available perhaps?

Maybe you might be concerned about some 12 contracts to settle too!

Woody , even if we do not make it this year ( although i still think we will with or without Clough ) , the playing staff will require completely restructuring whatever league we are in . This time whichever way , it will be down to the McCabe's and more personal and bank loans to bail us out . Financially we will be back to square 1 . We are already player squad heavy , with huge gaps in certain positions

Clough unfortunately has under estimated the league 1 and financial implications . You could say it has been a learning curve ,naivety or incompetence , i cant work out which one.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

Woody , even if we do not make it this year ( although i still think we will with or without Clough ) , the playing staff will require completely restructuring whatever league we are in . This time whichever way , it will be down to the McCabe's and more personal and bank loans to bail us out . Financially we will be back to square 1 . We are already player squad heavy , with huge gaps in certain positions

Clough unfortunately has under estimated the league 1 and financial implications . You could say it has been a learning curve ,naivety or incompetence , i cant work out which one.

UTB

Well Clough has been a manager for some 15 years plus? in both non-league and Championship. Learning curve?

Squad heavy, with huge gaps in certain positions. I thought Blackwell was incapable of building an unbalanced squad but he was a king compared to our present manager.

 

[Bladesway]

Fair comments BW. If you were the Saudi owner, would you throw more money at Clough knowing what you know now, or would you decide he has not shown you enough to give you confidence.

Decision making determines business success. Who's a Saudi millionaire to judge what's best for you and me? But what would you do with say another £8m or so to "invest" next season? Another year wasted is at stake plus £8m or so, plus the faith of the supporters.

Would it matter who else is available perhaps?

Maybe you might be concerned about some 12 contracts to settle too!

If we git promoted yes and if not he would have to sit down with me and convince me he had a plan for what to change next season. I would also want to see some contrition for mistakes made. If he convinces me of that then we go again. If not I fire him. Simple really.

 

[Bladesway]

Squad heavy

Your having a pop and Higdon and Baxter here aren't you?

 

[Woodwardfan]

Your having a pop and Higdon and Baxter here aren't you?

Some of us have natural weights, big frames, heavy bones and our mother's natural characteristics.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Some of us have natural weights, big frames, heavy bones and our mother's natural characteristics

Surely you aren't suggesting that some of us have big boobies and a fat arse ?

 

[Bladesway]

Surely you aren't suggesting that some of us have big boobies and a fat arse ?

You wish!

 

[DronnieBlade]

The squad of players used this season have been massively inconsistent.

Maybe a reason for this is sheer numbers that have been used. Or maybe that the players are mostly to blame, not the manager.

But in 35 years of following the Blades I can not recall a squad that have been so bloody up and down in terms of performance levels from game to game. It must frustrate the feck out of the management team.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

The squad of players used this season have been massively inconsistent.

Maybe a reason for this is sheer numbers that have been used. Or maybe that the players are mostly to blame, not the manager.

But in 35 years of following the Blades I can not recall a squad that have been so bloody up and down in terms of performance levels from game to game. It must frustrate the feck out of the management team.

UTB

Actually I don't remember many performances when I came out of the ground thinking "top performance, we are on the way now".

Last season I was like a rabbit with two dicks watching orgasmic football at times. I thought the Messiah had arrived and the future was rosy.

As I write that I realise that was 4-5-1 and I have made a case elsewhere for 4-4-2 to solve our problems. 4-5-1 played with aggression, optimism, movement and speed is a delight to behold. Where did it go?

Messrs Baxter, Scougall, Murphy, Brayford recently and Flynn have been nowhere near last season's standards and we miss Coadie. It might come together one fine afternoon maybe in Barnsley ( on two occasions perhaps).

 

[Punk Blade]

Just imagine if the manager is replaced in the summer, and the new guy signs some centre backs and decides he prefers Freeman to Brayford...

 

[Woodwardfan]

Just imagine if the manager is replaced in the summer, and the new guy signs some centre backs and decides he prefers Freeman to Brayford...

Actually Flynn is probably better than Freeman and as good as Brayford.