A Time for Reflection

[CalmJimmers]

So as another season comes to a close, I think it’s time for a good look in the mirror, as a fan base and club.

 

So to us, as a fan base and club. It will be 20 years next year that we were last in the top flight, and near 30 years since we managed any real success. Why? Why in that 20 years have United gone up twice and we haven’t once? Why have Huddersfield, Brighton, Bournemouth, Burnley, Swansea, Cardiff all managed but not us? Poor financial management that we are still feeling? An arrogance in the last 5 or so years that we’re above United so it’s alright? A reluctance to sell players when stock is high and reinvest? Poor academy products so a lack of affiliation to the club and selling on assets? Poor recruitment? An inability to move with the times?

 

For me, I think financially we were without a pot to wee wee in for so long when football was going so commercial that we got left behind and we’re playing catch-up still. I also think as a club we have an arrogance that holds us back a little. We don’t sell because we are too big to be a ‘selling club’ (hate that phrase with a passion). We are also sparing to those that cannot take us further and are terrified of letting them go - Hooper, Lee, Hutchinson are all injury prone with evidence staring us in the face and some still don’t want to move them on, Forestieri hasn’t been the same for near on two years, some wanted George Hirst to dictate terms to us so we could keep him. The amount of times we have been done by letting player’s contracts run down because we are scared of letting them go has burnt us - Brunt, Antonio etc.

 

Are we stuck too in the past, inflexible and fearful to really progress? Or have we just been unlucky?

[flo]

Yes. 

[CalmJimmers]

Thought so

[Kalamunda]

We had the most unwieldy ownership structure until 2011. We could not get taken over until we had all the shares in one place. We took ages to “get with the program” or respond to the new world order. Since then we have been finding our way (and getting comparatively smaller all the time). 

The top flight was changing when we were in it. We were not structured to take advantage of it then and we are still way behind now. But we probably stand a better chance in it than some teams.

[S36 OWL]

I think DC has finally realised that to get out of this division you need an experienced manager with experience of getting teams promoted from the championship . 

[Morepork]

16 minutes ago, S36 OWL said:

I think DC has finally realised that to get out of this division you need an experienced manager with experience of getting teams promoted from the championship . 

 

Yep and he’ll learn plenty from Bruce so regardless of what happens I’m certain we’ll benefit in the long run.

[legendaryswan]

Leadership starts at the top,boardroom,money helps but only if its used with a degree of wisdom,weve been bereft of both untill Chansiri,but weve swapped a bunch of old darlings and yes men for a dictatorship from far afield,someone local would have been far more in touch,DC hasnt the first idea of the city or how we work the average wage and all the important bits that make up the people inside the ground the ones hes tried to squeeze every last cent out of,to let him embark on his football ego trip,the blokes got a lot still to learn,hopefully hes not alienated too many,I know a few who will never sit in the ground while hes chairman.

For some principles are above all,spose its the same for DC hes cast his stone,how does he retract his decisions?

[Errol Flashman]

 

We've got a proper gaffer in place. Knows the division. Knows what is needed in  a winning dressing room. 

 

It take time and he'll have to make some decisions we won't like. But that's it. Football is cyclical. You can't keep banging your head against a wall hoping to break it down. Sometimes you've got to try sumat different. 

 

Shame we wasted a lot of money, and it'll probably take him 3 or 4 windows to get the squad balanced exactly how he wants it. 

As OP said we've had 20 years wi hardly any highs so we might have to wait a bit longer but at least now it looks like we've got a proper plan set out.

[DuttyTeabags]

The odds are stacked against us in terms of commercial income streams and we fell out of the Prem at just the wrong time as TV revenues started to rise exponentially. 

 

Mismanagement of expenditure in mid to late 90's. Paying top 3 wages with lower mid table performance and income. Took on 16m from Sanderson and then blew it on likes of de Bilde, Sibon, Hinchcliffe, Blondeau, Scottish pair, Jonk etc. I honestly believe if Big Ron had been given job he would have sold off the dross, stabilised the club in mid table with addition of astute signings like Emerson Thome and then pushed on from there. Dave Richards in his drive for revenge on Ron not only fkd the club then but also in not supporting di Canio. We would have built around the 2 Italians which would have meant the chance of top 6 / Europe. 

 

Cue a decade and a half of hand to mouth, where arguably due to financial constraints we did as well as we could hope for.  Cue Stuart Gray, astute loans and frees saw us in much better shape than we'd been. DC money arrives, we buy Bus, Melo and Vermijl from Man Utd. Not the type of signings which Gray scouting network would bring so sounds like the 'advisors' were already at work. 

 

DC mistake number 1. Wrong advisors. 

DC mistake number 2. Listening to advisors who pushed CC and told him to let Gray go. 

DC mistake number 3. Buying a bunch of overpriced over the hill Prem bllcks (see released and Rhodes). 

 

In essence, a complete replay of late 90's financial and recruitment imprudence which has led us to here. 

 

Due to the location of Hillsborough outside of the city, plus the relative lack of financial / economic prosperity / growth in Sheffield (see how Manchester has reinvented itself) we will always struggle from a commercial revenue streams POV. We are a 2 club city, and whether or not we like it SUFC do have the upper hand in terms of proximity to city centre. 

 

In short, we need to reset the wage bill, try and remove some of the other big earners from the balance sheet and bolster squad with hungry quick loanees which will be much easier with our second half season performance and Bruce relationships / reputation. We can't bleed the fanbase much more than currently so may have to accept we'll lose one fan favourite if paid offers come in. 

 

Hopefully promotion soon, a few seasons in the Prem to stabilise the club and make much needed incremental improvements to the stadium. 

 

It's a shame HS2 rail link couldn't be persuaded to stop closer to Hillsborough but it follows the M1 and with Hillsborough North West makes no sense. 

 

Let's just nail next season and go from there!! 

[owls maniac]

Yes it’s bad but many clubs are in the same boat. Forest have been out of the top flight even longer than us, Leeds not much less. We can’t get too hung up on what has gone before. Let’s focus our efforts on supporting SB to reshape the team and finish next season as high as possible. Let’s be frank, we couldn’t have a better man at the helm right now. 

[Holmowl]

6 hours ago, S36 OWL said:

I think DC has finally realised that to get out of this division you need an experienced manager with experience of getting teams promoted from the championship . 

 

This is the key for me.

 

If our finances are not a disaster, and Bruce stays two or three seasons, we have a fabulous chance of going up.

[Blatter]

6 hours ago, DuttyTeabags said:

The odds are stacked against us in terms of commercial income streams and we fell out of the Prem at just the wrong time as TV revenues started to rise exponentially. 

 

Mismanagement of expenditure in mid to late 90's. Paying top 3 wages with lower mid table performance and income. Took on 16m from Sanderson and then blew it on likes of de Bilde, Sibon, Hinchcliffe, Blondeau, Scottish pair, Jonk etc. I honestly believe if Big Ron had been given job he would have sold off the dross, stabilised the club in mid table with addition of astute signings like Emerson Thome and then pushed on from there. Dave Richards in his drive for revenge on Ron not only fkd the club then but also in not supporting di Canio. We would have built around the 2 Italians which would have meant the chance of top 6 / Europe. 

 

Cue a decade and a half of hand to mouth, where arguably due to financial constraints we did as well as we could hope for.  Cue Stuart Gray, astute loans and frees saw us in much better shape than we'd been. DC money arrives, we buy Bus, Melo and Vermijl from Man Utd. Not the type of signings which Gray scouting network would bring so sounds like the 'advisors' were already at work. 

 

DC mistake number 1. Wrong advisors. 

DC mistake number 2. Listening to advisors who pushed CC and told him to let Gray go. 

DC mistake number 3. Buying a bunch of overpriced over the hill Prem bllcks (see released and Rhodes). 

 

In essence, a complete replay of late 90's financial and recruitment imprudence which has led us to here. 

 

Due to the location of Hillsborough outside of the city, plus the relative lack of financial / economic prosperity / growth in Sheffield (see how Manchester has reinvented itself) we will always struggle from a commercial revenue streams POV. We are a 2 club city, and whether or not we like it SUFC do have the upper hand in terms of proximity to city centre. 

 

In short, we need to reset the wage bill, try and remove some of the other big earners from the balance sheet and bolster squad with hungry quick loanees which will be much easier with our second half season performance and Bruce relationships / reputation. We can't bleed the fanbase much more than currently so may have to accept we'll lose one fan favourite if paid offers come in. 

 

Hopefully promotion soon, a few seasons in the Prem to stabilise the club and make much needed incremental improvements to the stadium. 

 

It's a shame HS2 rail link couldn't be persuaded to stop closer to Hillsborough but it follows the M1 and with Hillsborough North West makes no sense. 

 

Let's just nail next season and go from there!! 

In (very) short.

The last time we had success was when we had a manager who knew how to wheel and deal in the transfer market.

[Holmowl]

I live surrounded by Huddersfield fans.

 

All were thrilled to be promoted. Few are dismayed to come back to the Championship.

 

Most, but not all, enjoyed their first season. Nobody has enjoyed this second season. 

 

I’m desperate to get promoted, but part of me loves the Championship. 46 games, loads of midweek matches, a chance in every game we play, and the hope of a top six or top two position.

 

I think we can really look forward to August. It sounds like we are acquiring players, and we have a been-there, done-it manager at the helm.

 

Cant wait.

[S36 OWL]

8 hours ago, Morepork said:

 

Yep and he’ll learn plenty from Bruce so regardless of what happens I’m certain we’ll benefit in the long run.

 

Correct mate 

[penrhyn bay owl]

9 hours ago, CalmJimmers said:

So as another season comes to a close, I think it’s time for a good look in the mirror, as a fan base and club.

 

So to us, as a fan base and club. It will be 20 years next year that we were last in the top flight, and near 30 years since we managed any real success. Why? Why in that 20 years have United gone up twice and we haven’t once? Why have Huddersfield, Brighton, Bournemouth, Burnley, Swansea, Cardiff all managed but not us? Poor financial management that we are still feeling? An arrogance in the last 5 or so years that we’re above United so it’s alright? A reluctance to sell players when stock is high and reinvest? Poor academy products so a lack of affiliation to the club and selling on assets? Poor recruitment? An inability to move with the times?

 

For me, I think financially we were without a pot to wee wee in for so long when football was going so commercial that we got left behind and we’re playing catch-up still. I also think as a club we have an arrogance that holds us back a little. We don’t sell because we are too big to be a ‘selling club’ (hate that phrase with a passion). We are also sparing to those that cannot take us further and are terrified of letting them go - Hooper, Lee, Hutchinson are all injury prone with evidence staring us in the face and some still don’t want to move them on, Forestieri hasn’t been the same for near on two years, some wanted George Hirst to dictate terms to us so we could keep him. The amount of times we have been done by letting player’s contracts run down because we are scared of letting them go has burnt us - Brunt, Antonio etc.

 

Are we stuck too in the past, inflexible and fearful to really progress? Or have we just been unlucky?

I look in the mirror and can't understand why my granddad is staring back at me. 

[S36 OWL]

1 hour ago, Holmowl said:

 

This is the key for me.

 

If our finances are not a disaster, and Bruce stays two or three seasons, we have a fabulous chance of going up.

 

In my opinion Bruce has released the right players , he knows what is needed.

[alan48]

Letting Big Ron go second time around , was probably the biggest mistake

[EcclesallOwl]

8 hours ago, S36 OWL said:

I think DC has finally realised that to get out of this division you need an experienced manager with experience of getting teams promoted from the championship . 

 

Every manager in the top 6 has either no or little experience of the championship and the two promoted have never been promoted from the championship before 

[TheEnchanter]

I think a lot of our fans are stuck in the past. There's now a couple of generations that have never seen this club in the Premiership and in that time have only seen about 5 top half Championship finishes. You do have a different perspective of the club as a whole if that's all you've known. 

 

I think maybe some of the younger folk don't care that much or have a connection with the legends of the 90s. They've never seen them play. Can't relate. I think a lot of people are waiting to see where the new legends are going to come from. The ones we can speak about in 20-30 years time again. Overall its a very success starved situation but a lot of other clubs are in the same situation.

[dorian gray]

9 hours ago, CalmJimmers said:

So as another season comes to a close, I think it’s time for a good look in the mirror, as a fan base and club.

 

So to us, as a fan base and club. It will be 20 years next year that we were last in the top flight, and near 30 years since we managed any real success. Why? Why in that 20 years have United gone up twice and we haven’t once? Why have Huddersfield, Brighton, Bournemouth, Burnley, Swansea, Cardiff all managed but not us? Poor financial management that we are still feeling? An arrogance in the last 5 or so years that we’re above United so it’s alright? A reluctance to sell players when stock is high and reinvest? Poor academy products so a lack of affiliation to the club and selling on assets? Poor recruitment? An inability to move with the times?

 

For me, I think financially we were without a pot to wee wee in for so long when football was going so commercial that we got left behind and we’re playing catch-up still. I also think as a club we have an arrogance that holds us back a little. We don’t sell because we are too big to be a ‘selling club’ (hate that phrase with a passion). We are also sparing to those that cannot take us further and are terrified of letting them go - Hooper, Lee, Hutchinson are all injury prone with evidence staring us in the face and some still don’t want to move them on, Forestieri hasn’t been the same for near on two years, some wanted George Hirst to dictate terms to us so we could keep him. The amount of times we have been done by letting player’s contracts run down because we are scared of letting them go has burnt us - Brunt, Antonio etc.

 

Are we stuck too in the past, inflexible and fearful to really progress? Or have we just been unlucky?

for me, we are still short of coming to the point of being where we were under stuart gray when dc took over.

he had the nucleus of a side, in need of seriously developing it's attacking options, but the final games of gray's tenure were to bloody the noses of both the champions and runners up on their own turf, watford being 'lucky' to escape with a draw.

gray's side needed capital investment to explore those attacking options.

whilst bruce must ship out 'driftwood' to 'trim the budget', to allow him to spend on 'better attacking options', and shore up the m/f and defence too.

time and money wasted, prices raised to £40 odd a game, and a bus full of 'nigh on worthless' footballers in need of 'moving on'.

it has been run badly, very, very badly.