Post by deadbat on May 24, 2022 17:41:44 GMT
Staff report
Board / Club
Prince HRH Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Really hard to discuss him in some way as he is never here and we never hear from him but I have to give my analysis based on what the board (with him as the owner) have offered in the last 12 months. He does get a lot of criticism for not being here visibly and is pretty much a ‘silent’ owner. It is frustrating as we do not hear anything from anyone really and after the managerial changes, we do not even see or hear from the CEO Betis until a small statement right after the Forest defeat. Yusuf Giansirasuca was the acting chairman and he came to the press conference back in November but did say that we would never see anything from him or the Prince and he has been right! You kind of have no issues with no words if actions are being taken and there is clarity on our direction but do not get the sense, we see that. The last few months have been very quiet (aside from the takeover speculation which has not come from within the club) and you wonder day to day outside of Betis how much influence the Saudi Arabian contingent are having on decisions – maybe that is incorrect and they sign off on absolutely everything but the bizarre press conference suggested either that are not that bothered anymore to get actively involved in the day-to-day stuff (not major stuff) and/or their interests and commitments seem elsewhere. I do not get the sense there is the huge drive to get the club moving back in the right direction.
The lack of movement on facilities and key areas of the club suggest we are kind of treading water. I worry hugely if we fail to go up next season as then the cut backs come and you get the sense they may pull the plug if they could get a decent amount of cash for the club? I might be reading the room wrong but I think they have realised that to stay in the Premier League and all the cash that comes with it, you have to speculate to accumulate and maybe take some risks (Villa for instance). They have realised they probably do not have the money to have a proper go at it and maybe the Prince will just hope we can get up and have another few years to ensure he sees a more sizeable income coming in again?
Of course, suddenly the mood changed completely around Easter as we then we had all the rumours of a sale with both Ashley and an American Henry Mauriss were linked with the club but it was unclear how close either were and whilst the latter reportedly had a bid accepted, the Prince downplayed this saying there was a less than 50% chance of it happening. It does seem reading between the lines he is open to offers and getting out, whether that is just SUFC or the whole of his United World Group. We will wait to see what happens with this pone. You worry about any new owners and even though I am not sure we can move forward much with the Prince at the helm, there are worst fates that could await us so it is a quandary.
Going back to analysing the Prince for his efforts this last season is difficult. Firstly, in terms of on the pitch, we probably spent a fair bit on securing Jokanovic but then he did not back him with transfers really – albeit we did sign some expensive loans but maybe that was in reaction to the poor start. The strategy seemed to be to move away from the muck of nettles Wilder type approach and embrace a different style of play and maybe transfer strategy but then we did not follow it through and we almost gave up after only a few months and went back to the old approach. It seemed very muddled to me. You could argue we did not sign anyone but we did not sell many either, whether it was the lack of interest in our players and that only Arsenal put up decent money for Ramsdale, forcing our hand. However he kept hold of Berge and the rest of the squad and did put up a sizeable amount of wages for new players who will not have been cheap. There was the narrative we did not back Slav but maybe it should have been in the summer instead of late August or scrambling round to bring in new players after the season started? Davies, Hourihane, Gibbs White, Olsen etc will not have been cheap though.
We have recently had the accounts and from a financial perspective we seem to have made some smart decisions and the fact salaries have come down in accordance with relegation. The headline was we made a profit but surely you expect that after two years in the top flight. The worry over borrowing remains but most clubs do this and the TV money was the obvious thing to do wasn’t it? The biggest concern is what happens if/when we do not go up but that is the same for all Premier League clubs. I got the sense when the loan signings we signed did not see the big upturn, that is when he started pulling things back and the sort of signings we made (Davies, Goode, Uremovic etc) were more in line with Championship type wages I would reckon?
Off the field there is merits for discussing that we have not really build on the supposed things that Abdullah clearly had earmarked. It seems an age ago, that there was talk about possibly improvements to the ground but now other than minimal work to the visual look – any bigger work will surely now be on hold. I am not sure it is a priority. The stadium is fine for size – we did not even fill it some weeks in the top level (granted ticketing policy did not work). The Kop is tired and the facilities here are beyond basic but it is still a better ground than most at Championship level and I think any work here is now not a priority.
You cannot say the same about the training ground / Academy. A few years ago, we had rumours of a move to the Norton Aerodrome site as the current Academy is not big enough and for us to attain Category 1 status (more pitches/facilities/accommodation/changing/gym/pool/hydrotherapy etc) then we will have to move from the small and outdated Shirecliffe site which may seem new to some but we have been here for over 20 years now. It seems the Norton thing is dead in the water and Betis spoke about issues finding land. It has gone really cold on this and also with the training ground not having the improvements. We were supposed to have a temporary facility with a new two-storey building, comprising of a gym, training area, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy zones, as well as office facilities. The structure was to sit between the two existing buildings, on the perimeter of the current first team training pitches. You wonder now if it ever will happen? This has to be a priority really in terms of the facilities, training ground and getting the higher Academy status.
The current first team training ground and facilities are not really fit for purpose. We have 2 pitches and then a hut/old working man’s club that has been upgraded but the behind-the-scenes videos show how poor it is. There are some clubs at National League level with better facilities. It is embarrassing how bad it is and new players will surely not be impressed. We have heard we may level a few pitches off but that is nowhere near enough. The big praise is the academy and development teams though continue to impress despite the facilities and that is down to having the right coaches and recruitment in place down the levels so the board deserve some praise for those appointments and the work there.
Some cite the Prince extending the United World as being a negative of course and feel that this is funds that could be spent on us. Of course, many fans said the same about McCabe when he made forays abroad. We now have fairly small teams in India, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and now France. None of these are being very successful. Beerschot have got relegated with fans frustrated about the running of the club (a game was abandoned when many came on the pitch at the end of the season and it was rumoured due to the crowd trouble that Abdullah was considering his involvement) and the others are in such small regional or poor leagues. Of course, fans get frustrated when these clubs have announced plans for new facilities/training grounds. At the moment the benefit of the link has been non-existent to United in terms of on the pitch. Maybe in time we will see rewards but we never really did under McCabe’s links. People do forget that when we criticise the Prince and how we are operating.
The hotel is no nearer to being reopened and the Blades Enterprise Centre on the other side seems to lack occupancy. Both seem to be having to be maintained but with no cost coming in to us but maybe the cost of doing both facilities up and the losses we were making on them means there is little point? Maybe they get pulled down at some point?
I worry the overall direction of the club and the muddled managerial/playing staff moves in the last year or so does not give the sense of this clear plan with pillars, that they referred to last year. I think a change of ownership may be imminent but there is a lot of murky water and concerns with any change. Some say we just need anyone else who will invest more but others are more cautious. I always wonder why millionaire businessman want to get involved in second tier football clubs? They won’t make money (the Prince might ironically). What is their motive?
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The rest of the board are officially:
• Yusuf Giansiracusa (Acting Chairman)
• Jan Van Winckel
• H.H. Prince Musa'ad bin Khalid Al Saud (Was Chairman – is he still on the board – I am guessing not?)
• Princess Reem Bint Abdullah Al Saud (assume she is still on the board)
• Abdullah Alghamdi
H.H. Prince Musa'ad bin Khalid Al Saud (Chairman)
Yusuf Giansiracusa. He seems more of an advisor than a ‘money man’. Specialising in representing clients and commercial and corporate transactions but he was a key man at the court case and often is seen with Abdullah and was also seen before in the meetings with Wilder. He seems like very much a key aide for the Prince. He was seen in some of the pictures when we were looking at the new training ground and after the Chairman resigned, he was put in the role of the acting chairman but he has been acting chairman now for over 18 months! Yet he said he would not be here and we would not see him. He was quite patronising or dismissive of the fans I felt when he spoke in November. He failed to realise that they have overseen the managerial changes, the poor signings and the decline of the club, not us! He seemed to suggest they had it all under control and it was all part of a bigger plan – everything we have done – which has changed quite a bit in 18 months. I am not convinced. Him disappearing and not being seen is a concern. Granted lots of businesses operate on conference calls these days but I am not sure other than Betis, McCarthy and Reeves, who runs things day to day. Seems a very small number to be in charge running the vast numbers of staff we employ and to have no board members present or there to oversee decisions day to day seems incredulous to me and smacks of them not being interested. Many (most) other clubs now have overseas ownership or involvement but normally you see some of them in the stands or they discuss matters related to the club, even if it not every week. Our set up seems bizarre to say the least. It seems like everything day to day would be done by Betis. Granted that may be the role of a CEO but not sure his remit is to do absolutely everything from signing off on transfers, to discussing tickets or issues with the training facility?
Jan Van Wincklel has been here a while now but we don’t actually know what he does still but his name and the supposed role he plays or may play has come into the limelight more due to the reports that we were supposedly looking for a Director of Football a few years ago? This has now seemingly changed with all football matters according to Giansirasuca being made by Heckingbottom? Van Winckel, who holds a UEFA Pro License was a technical expert for FIFA and led the Saudi Arabian football team, as chairman of the technical committee, to the World Cup in Russia. He also held several coaching jobs and was for several years the assistant manager to Marcelo Bielsa at Olympique de Marseille in France. I thought when Wilder went, they may put him in charge but then maybe the Prince knew that would have been a disastrous PR move at that time. He seems to be involved in meetings and conference calls and maybe the Verrips, Berge and the Coulibaly signings he had a role especially them all having Belgian/Dutch links? What I found odd was that after Wilder left why was not more involved in day-to-day matters or the managerial search but was alluded to as having a role when we named Jokanovic? He seemed like he had at least had football experience and a background/history rather than Bettis and the Prince. I have still to be convinced what he offers to the club or the group as we do not see us tapping into many overseas signings (granted the Uremovic one came out of the blue) or do we see or hear of him being involved day to day. Yet he remains on the board?
Princess Reem Bint Abdullah Al Saud I believe is the chairman’s wife and the Prince’s daughter? We don’t hear much from her or what her role is? Apparently, she is involved with the women’s team but we do not hear anything from her? She remains on the board.
Abdullah Alghamadi – works for a company called Amos holdings and is group CEO where Abdullah’s son also has a role. Alghamadi is Group CEO. He is listed also as a Financial and Investment Advisor as well as being a Sheffield United Board member and a Beerschot board member.
The other positions of note include:
Stephen Bettis was seen as a positive figure whenever his name came up related to Wilder before he left and when the manager did move in, it became apparent there had been some sort of falling out. We had snake phrases bandied about by some and a few close to Wilder suggested he had stabbed him in the back? Not sure what the details were or whether this was just more nonsense being spouted on social media. I guess Bettis being the chief executive officer to give him proper title, was employed by the Prince has to show any loyalties to his boss when there was the clear divide at the end. I think some of Wilder’s friends are very naïve if Bettis is going to take Wilder’s side in any disagreement. Sure, he has supported him and backed him but you will not go against your paymaster. If he felt that strongly that the moves were wrong, then surely like Wilder he could have moved on?
He seemed to be the one we heard from in the managerial search more than the Prince when we appointed Jokanovic. I am not sure what football experience before he came to us and he went from this smooth business talk when we were doing well to a bit of a bumbling executive who seemed out of his depth when things started to decline. He was thrust into the spotlight and things were not going as well and we saw some of his limitations. The press conference and statement he gave was a bit embarrassing around Wilder’s departure and maybe even worse the one when we sacked Jokanovic. He stuttered and stammered on describing the sudden change and then could not give clarity on anything really. Since then, we have heard absolutely nothing from him, despite the Chairman insisting he was running things off the field with Heckingbottom in charge of all the football side.
Maybe he should not say anything but to me the club needs good communication and honest with the fans as much as they can be. It seems now we seem a bit faceless in terms of the club and the ownership/management off the field. I do have some sympathy that with the owners and board never here, he kind of has to carry the can and do a bit of everything. We seem to have a lot of staff by all accounts but a lot of pressure seems to be put on him and Heckingbottom with the rest of the board seemingly not involved day to day?
Dave McCarthy is involved still as Operations Director and we also have Paul Reeves as the head of marketing. Been really hard for these guys and this side of the club to make much money with no actual fans at games for a few years so they will be glad to have had fans in again this past season. In terms of sponsorship, we seem to have been feted with poor companies who struggle. We had a sponsorship deal with USG which was for three years when we went up and was reported to be the biggest, we have ever had but this was pulled two years in after the company hit financial problems. Global health specialist Randox announced a partnership which will last three years. They had been involved in sponsoring the Grand National and recently, have been developing tests for Covid 19. However, they have not been shown in a particularly great public light either reading about how they have handled elements of providing the process for testing and kits. Once again this is just what we hear and could be wrong of course.
As for the kit and Adidas, it seems the contract is up and won’t be renewed. I was sad about this as for all the talk of template kits, the designs on the whole have mostly been quite decent and you are assured of good quality. This extends to the other leisurewear which as a parent, my child would gladly want to wear and again the quality of the product is normally good. Beerschot have produced their own strip internally rather than outsourcing it figuring they can make all the profit from such a venture. Other clubs have done this (Wednesday gulp) with mixed results on quality, supply etc. It seems rumoured United were going to do the same and Betis said we were exploring it a while ago but then it seemed that the whole group’s kits and sportswear would be made by Errea? This company is more in line with Macron that we have had before and bit more budget like but the flip is we would get some more interesting designs. Of course, this means that the quality may not be as good in the kit and other products. I would like at least for us to have stripes all round the shirt for the home and something a bit more out there for an away kit. We have had quite dull plain white and black kits recently as change strips. I did like the pink kit a few years ago and at least the green/gold was also something we had not had before. We have not had a solid yellow (not day glo) and red (think mid-80’s) for a while so would like us to go back down that route maybe? It would be nice to see something traditional but a bit innovative all the same for the strips.
In terms of crowds and ticketing/fans experience, the club did well to offer deals and rebates from the previous season. May seem the obvious thing but some clubs did not or botched how they did (looking at you SWFC). The season ticket prices were still very good value regardless but the club put the match day prices up too much and some of the prices for Championship football for our own fans on the Kop or for visiting teams was way too much. I hope the club can look at that and at the very least have to cap things. It seemed like for ages we had been one of the best value clubs in the top two leagues but then all of a sudden, we are one of the most expensive. We still managed to get the best crowds in the league and by a fair distance and most weeks the Lane was not far off full (going from 26k to 29k). The season ticket prices to be fair being frozen were good again. They did make a mess of the ticketing for the Forest game and will need to learn from that as they annoyed the fans with a haphazard way of selling and also giving Forest more fans than they gave us in return.
Last year, I commented on the excellent work the social media team had done but said they had gone a bit cliché and some of the stuff becoming a bit difficult to watch (as we were losing every week). Suppose that is not their fault and now we have done better it seems in line with that to have been improved again. We have seen some brilliant videos, tweets and messages (the Jack Robinson street fighter one) and the training videos and Behind the Blades can be interesting and show things you would not pick up normally.
Shout out at this point to all the unofficial stuff coming out from so many fans still. Dem Blades fanzine and online stuff, The Pinch they have started is a great read. I love the videos, vlogs and interviews and almost daily content, The Sheff Utd Way, keep putting out there. They have got some tremendous interviews and to get the Prince on and other well-known people from United, past or present, is really a huge credit to the work of Hal and InGoodNick.
Still enjoy the match vlogs from Shoreham View and Travelling Blade and of course the podcasts such as Blades Pod/4 Blades/Red Half of Sheffield. All offer great analysis and entertainment. There is the Tufty Club too. I digress! Also, it is fantastic the work Rainbow Blades had done too in trying to make the club and fans more inclusive and credit to the club for recognising them and working with them too. There really is some great content out there so well done all. Of course, S2 4SU and its moderators/creators continue to do an amazing job also along with posters like Roy and his superb view from. Not sure many make much actual or much money from it and most are doing it for the love of the Blades so it really is good to hear/see/watch so much great content and all are different/offer something to fans.
I do think the local press (to be fair two seem ok - Nathan Hemmingham does not seem bad at Yorkshire Live and gets some exclusives or things we did not know about. Ditto for Richard Sutcliffe at the Athletic writes some decent stuff too) seem very stale and the likes of Shield/Hall/Biggs rarely get any inside scoops or news stories. Shield and Biggs in particular are long serving and obviously are competent at what they do or would not have a made a living but rarely if ever do they tell us something we did not know or is that interesting. Biggs gives his opinions which is one facet of journalism but I can hear that from any fan really? I want a bit more. They do not seem to have any kind of relationship with the powers that be but were not exactly getting much out of Wilder too even though many seemed to think they had a positive relationship with him – surely, they have been there long enough to get some kind of exclusives or things we do not already know? Sadly, the nationals get more stuff than the Star and our city daily often throws stuff out days or weeks after the story has come out. Quite poor really but as I say luckily, we have the excellent S2 4SU and lots of other sources to get our information. It is incredible that people pay for the subscriptions the Star does which you have to in order to see the local news. I do wonder from a Sports point of view who exactly subscribes? 30 years ago, Tony Pritchett was a proper journalist who had a good relationship with the manager AND the board. Those days seem long gone.
As an aside the long serving groundsman; Glenn Nortcliffe and his team have continued to maintain an excellent pitch. Even with some tricky weather; it looks fine and to see it almost perfect by the season end is testament to why it was important to get the Desso. The pitch always seems to look really good and you compare it to our city rivals and there is no comparison. They had real issues and the mess of the Hillsborough pitch was a marked difference to ours.
The spectre of Kevin McCabe still refuses to go away though as signs were erected near the corner of the Kop and John Street and the other end on the corner of Cherry Street as the two pieces of land, he owns he publicly announced would see construction start on student flats and offices. Seemed more posturing from him. Surely, he could make more money selling these to Abdullah and knows one of them may have an issue undergoing planning permission as it could deny access/entry to the Kop? Be interesting to see what happens with this but McCabe is probably laughing a bit at all the stick the Prince is now getting after recent developments. One thing for sure, McCabe had his chance and despite him saying how much money he put in, the reality is he never had the finances to support a top-level club (maybe the Prince does not either of course) and had made numerous bad decisions over his tenure. He had his chance and the end it was his appalling deal (business wise) he made that saw him outmanoeuvred by the Prince and lose control. I do not have any sympathy with him and whatever happens not sure we were going anywhere with McCabe. The issue of the land still remains and is probably not a priority for the club currently.
They went out and got the manager we kind of all wanted but then pulled the plug without backing him. We did sign some expensive loan players but it seemed a bit unsure as to whether we were fully committing to trying to go up (look at Bournemouth in January) or sort of half in, half out and hedging our bets? Credit to them in that the managerial change worked short term but I wonder what the long-term plan is?
As well as Heckingbottom and co have done, I do not see them leading us into the Premier League or keeping us there. They seem steady hands but also are there to probably oversee a big reduction in the wage bill/squad the next few years with more reliance on youth and lower league players. I cannot see signings like Olsen and Gibbs White this summer or for a number of years. We need some movement and direction on the training ground and academy and we need to have some clarity on what the plans are from the Prince and the board. It is bizarre they are still in charge/running things but we never hear from them, we never have a sense of a plan anymore and the press conference did not really fool anyone.
They made out that the plan was this all along when it clearly was not with the Jokanovic appointment. Hecky did well and got us playing and we ended the season well albeit we did not go up. Now we are back to square one and have a bloated, ageing squad with few saleable assets so unless get investment or be creative, then you do worry how the board can put us in contention for the Premier League again.
Grade D- (Last season E-):
Next season
It seems fairly clear now that the Prince is looking to bring more investment or even a complete sale of the club lock, stock and barrel as he clearly does not quite have the funds to compete with the real big hitters. Regardless of any immediate return to the top flight, let say we did get there in a year or two again (history again suggests it is going to be a long wait sadly) then what? We have the same problems. We simply need to improve the training ground and the academy needs to develop in terms of its production line and how it operates. We need to change our scouting and how we are managed behind the one man managing the side. Whether it be looking at the Brentford approach or elements of it or just simply diversifying how we operate – our whole recruitment of staff/players is very narrow. I personally would rather we had a longer-term plan so when we go up next time whether it is the Prince or another owner (probably another who is not that rich!) that we have something behind it that can see us stay there. We have to think differently and be more innovative. There is an argument we got there too fast maybe but you cannot pass up the chance and Wilder’s management was remarkable. Now we need to ensure that as a club if we get there again, we give ourselves a chance of remaining for longer.
It is a big year or so for Abdullah and the board. If he remains then questions will intensify. If we struggle or are not near the top, then he and the club will face some big decisions. Quite quickly the momentum we had a few years ago, can disappear and you look at the likes of Sunderland, Portsmouth and Bolton and even others like Huddersfield and Stoke – suddenly you can be stuck in a rut and the chances of returning to the top flight within a year or so can seem unlikely. We need to see that there is a plan and structure on and off the field to give us something tangible (the Wilder years was built on spirit, some talent and his amazing leadership but after he struggled and then left – there was no substance behind us at all). Hecky has restored some of that but worry it is all a bit short term.
I personally am not sure they really know where the club is going longer term and a lot seems to rest on us somehow getting up and getting the money that brings. If we do not, I expect us to panic as we know we will have to make major cost savings in a year or so. I do not get the sense they are in for the long term anymore despite their words and the recent rumours certainly seem to point that way in terms of them moving on. We will see. A change of ownership of course could change everything – whether it is for the better or worse nobody knows.
Managerial team/Coaches
Slavisa Jokanovic I have to be honest; I was firmly in favour of his appointment and delighted when we got him. I recall the free flowing, scoring and successful Fulham and Watford teams. I thought he was ideal to not only get us up but change the way we needed to play. I felt we would need 3 or 4 new players but still had enough solid players, defensively to play the way he would want us to play. In the end it failed miserably and he was sacked before the end of November. Maybe the club could have given it longer and maybe their decision went against the so-called strategy. It seemed short termism but then again, the team and players were not being very successful. The results and change since then proves that they were probably right. I cannot criticise them for the appointment though and felt it was a strong move from a board that has made some odd decisions. However, when they made the change, I wondered what they had expected from him with little in the way of capacity to change things – the loan signings came when we were right at the bottom.
In a few seasons people will struggle to remember him ever being here I would wager. In the same way Bryan Robson, David Weir and Adrian Heath (all for being even worse) had brief tenures, Jokanovic will be aligned maybe harshly in the same bracket. He managed for 19 league games and 3 cup games. In the league his record was won 6, lost 8 and drew 5. This is very poor whatever way you look at it. I saw a stat that showed that the 6 wins he got were against sides (as the season finished) that al finished bottom half and indeed 5 of the wins were against sides 20th and below (with half the wins against the bottom three). Only Stoke were a side we beat that were not even close to the bottom. We beat nobody of note basically with him in charge and very much resembled flat track bullies.
In the end he came in and perhaps expected more from the current players and also to get some help in terms of freshening things up. We had a disastrous pre season and were clearly under cooked. He seemed hell bent on getting his system to work and it failed. The football other than maybe the Peterborough game and the odd flash elsewhere was quite dull and we struggled to create much but conceded at the other end too easily. He never seemed to know his best team and kept trying different players and often in different positions. He was determined to get his formation to work but clearly did not have the personnel to play it and ironically, we looked better under him when we went to a system the players were more used to.
He just did not seem to fit here. There will be a lot of talk about connection with fans and the fact we have never had an overseas manager but I think the fans on the whole wanted to embrace him and something different and I felt never really properly turned on him at all and could have done with such a poor record. His press conference and interviews saw him in muddled English struggle to communicate to the fans and it was unclear what he was trying to do on or off the pitch. Perhaps the players could not grasp what he wanted? However, the reality is the squad that was full of experience (albeit stuck in a losing run) and should have been right where we found ourselves after he left.
We were tipped by many to come straight back up (4-4-2 magazine pegged us as champions elect for instance) and from day one we never looked right under him. Maybe it was the wrong time. Maybe he had been successful at Watford and Fulham as others made the signings and he had expensive squads. Maybe he had been out of the UK game too long and was a bit out of touch? Who knows but I feel it would have taken a long time for his ideas/system to be properly successful? We were heading to a mid-table at best finish and maybe much worse. I doubt we would have gone down but we were not really going anywhere and the fact his signings, when allowed to make them (expect Gibbs White) did not improve us that much said it all. The board would have not given him more money in January or this summer. It was odd as the club seemed to embrace this long-term project and changing of style but then did not give him the resources really to execute it short or midterm. He perhaps did not realise how poor this group had been for a long time and needed shaking up but then you look at the results since he left and you have to question his motivation, coaching and overall impact.
He seemed a decent enough guy but the intensity and aggressivity he talked of was not there and the performances from the team individually and collectively was insipid at times. We gave goals away routinely, struggled with set plays and the way we folded to concede late in games showed the mental togetherness was not there. We also looked badly unfit and faded badly in many games. When he went, I was surprised but not that disappointed. My anger was more at the about turn and the naming of Heckingbottom coupled with the length of the contract they gave him after deeming him not good enough a few months before. I did not think that Jokanovic was going to get it right and results since have showed how badly he was doing. I have some sympathy with him but it is a results-based business. Look at West Brom who did the same and they were even higher up. Not sure where he may turn up next but he will have to adapt and be more flexible if he returns to these shores.
Grade E- (Last season NA)
Paul Heckingbottom Prior to arriving with United, he had been manager at Barnsley and done well and got the Leeds job but this did not go quite to plan and he had a short stint in Scotland with Hibs. He then came away from the management side for a period. Maybe he did not want to go back into full time 1st team managing and had done well in coaching at university level and then at Barnsley coaching younger players. He had been successful at this aspect of the game. When United named him as coach of the u23’s it seemed quite a coup for a former league manager of some decent sized clubs. He made an impression with the u23’s and several players started to catch the eye. However, even he would not have thought he would be back as a first team manager at the Lane and in the Premier League. So, when Wilder left, he answered the call and to be fair did about as well as could be expected. At times we still looked poor and took some hammerings but he got a few results out of the group and some pride was restored at times. We went down but this was going to happen regardless of if Wilder had stayed or whoever had been brought in. We were doomed at Xmas.
He said he did not see himself being their long term and went back to the under 23’s but then as we did not name a manager, his name kept resurfacing before finally Jokanovic was named. I got the sense he did not really want it, especially after his previous managerial experiences. I might be wrong but I think he was happy to be out of the limelight and coach again. Still when United dispensed with the Serb, he was quickly named and not as a temporary manager but as full time and on a long contract until 2026 (four-and-a-half-year deal) which seemed a long contract for someone the previous summer did not see as a manager or the man who could take the club forward in such a role. It was a real about turn, maybe for both parties. I was really disappointed with the club. Not necessarily him being manager for a period as the Jokanovic appointment had not worked, but the whole strategy seemed an about turn and whilst he seemed a nice guy who talked well, giving him such a long contract was bewildering. They spoke about him being the man to take charge of all the football side and made out this was a plan when clearly it was not from the changes in the summer and the attempted different type of philosophy, they wanted Slav to imprint on the team and club.
He continued to speak well but I was concerned that he was now basically going to be the patsy who would be a bit of a yes man and sell players when told, not argue over the lack of signings/investment and have to use younger players. Basically, he would be the fall guy for previous bad decisions in the club both on and off the field. He went right back to basics bringing certain players back and going back to the old formation we had used before. We had a good win on his debut and followed it up with a run of wins including a really impressive one at Fulham. The defence became a lot more organised, we stopped conceding goals and player s like Fleck, Norwood and even Brewster improved. We saw some start to really step up such as Bogle, Foderingham and Robinson, all becoming key players as we moved away from the bottom of the league. We even adapted a chant for him and his coaching staff to the words of Status Quo’s ‘Rocking all over the world!’ I was pleasantly surprised by how he got the side playing as a team and was able to make us tough to beat but also more of an attacking threat. He moved out players who were not seen as part of things even if expensive signings before and the old guard became steady and influential again.
A run of games postponed around Xmas and then a number of key players getting long term injuries saw the momentum halted somewhat and the results/performances were a bit patchier but we will have won more than we lost and continued an impressive home form beating challengers such as WBA, Blackburn and most memorably former manager Wilder in a night that will have been very pleasing for Heckingbottom to get one over his old boss! We kind of limped over the line in some games as the lack of players in key positions became an issue. However, he kept getting the results where we needed it and despite our away form falling off a cliff somewhat, we continued to be so strong at Bramall Lane. I do feel the final games we sort of reverted to the showings pre Hecky and what we had seen for the previous season and it became a bit predictable replying on Gibbs White or Sharp. The fear free football seemed to disappear again and the defence started to make errors too but clearly injuries did not help. However, a big 2nd half at QPR and we were still right there despite the lack of options up front. We beat Fulham with a great performance and you think could we? Sadly, we could not and Hecky and his side were found out against Forest at home – not sure tactically he did well enough as Cooper outmanoeuvred us really and had the measure of him/us. He did not really react. Maybe Forest were better players and a better team but not sure they should have been so superior as they were at home? The second leg huge credit as he got it right and we forced them back and Cooper looked a bit clueless how to stop us and the way we attacked. In the end a back few kicks of the ball rather than tactics see us fail to get to the final.
He comes across really well in the media and speaks well and is very candid. I enjoy listening to him. He also became a bit more outspoken and as well as being honest, did not always tow the party line (critical of the training pitch after a spate of injuries) and I enjoyed his interviews where he was quite candid and had a good sense of humour too. Seems a really likeable chap. I do wonder whether next season losing Gibbs White and maybe Berge with weaker replacements, whether we will see quite how good a coach he is – in terms of improving younger players and recruiting some new ones who give us some energy. He has shown that he can do that in terms of Foderingham and Robinson. I am not totally convinced he is a the top manager or coach some may have seen despite the improvements which is odd considering what he has done. He did get a tune out of the squad but these were mostly experienced players who should have done much better than they had been doing under Jokanovic. I think next season will be a bigger test and will be as much about his coaching as players at times but for now he has done a great job motivating the players and seeing us move up the league.
Grade B+ (Last season E+)
Stuart McCall had been a coach at United under Warnock after being a big part of the triple assault season. He left when Warnock did and then ended up in management at the club, he was such a hero, Bradford City. He ended up having four spells at Valley Parade but never really quite achieved what he set out to do and was actually more successful in Scotland with Motherwell. He also had an unsuccessful spell at Scunthorpe post Scotland, but then after another failure at Bradford under difficult circumstances perhaps took a step back from management and opted to go back into coaching. He resurfaced at Blackpool last summer and the Tangerines did well and recall them coming to the Lane and winning.
However, when Heckingbottom was given the reigns a month after this game, he turned to McCall to join the staff. McCall had not been at Blackpool long but it was a chance to return to the Lane and also back to Yorkshire and closer to home. McCall’s enthusiasm was seen on the side lines for the first game and seeing him punch the air when we scored and embrace the rest of the coaching staff gave that sense of togetherness we did not have earlier in the season or even last campaign. We saw him heavily involved in training and his dry sense of humour to the fore but clearly loves working day to day with players and wanting to improve them. A larger-than-life character that I think was needed to inject some love back into the game for some players so his influence should not be down played. Hopefully he will be here for years to come and part of a successful period but I do worry that generally he has not been that successful at clubs.
Jack Lester a Sheffield lad and former High Storrs pupil, had of course played for the Blades in a decent career where he played most of his football in the second tier. He ended up involved with coaching junior football, firstly at Notts County and then over the river at Forest, a team he played for. He was u18 and u23 coach and was heavily involved in the Academy there before he ended up back at a club, he had achieved hero status as a player, Chesterfield. Sadly, he could not arrest the slide as they went out of the football league and he left. He ended up as our head of Academy a few years ago and seemed to be doing a good job so it was a bit of a surprise when Hecky took over and installed him as a coach with the first team. His actual title was head of player development and of course had a big hand with the striker’s day to day according to Heckingbottom. Along with McCall, important we have two coaches who know the level, the area and have an affinity with United and know what its supporters want. Does get involved with assistant referees and rival teams coaches and won’t back down!
We were supposedly going to get another coach according to Heckingbottom (to cover the defensive side was discussed) but nothing has happened yet so maybe will be addressed this summer.
Matt Duke, a former Blades keeper is the current keeping coach. He took over when Darren Ward moved on not long after Wilder left (now with the England Lionesses) and it was maybe a temporary move like the Hecky one but not sure I saw Slav bring in a specialist in this area as only saw two new coaches come into assist him. So, suppose he is the goalkeeping coach now permanently unless anyone know any different. We have had a lot of change in this area since Henderson left with a new keeper each season and also a lot of movement underneath the number one. You would hope we may now have some stability in this area and with Verrips, Dewhurst and Eastwood probably moving on, and Foderingham and Davies (you assume) remaining. Also, you would look then who will come through next out of the young talent in Amissah, Hiddleston, Hampshaw and Faxon.
Next season
Heckingbottom, McCall and Lester will come back and try and see if we can build on some of the really good things they started. Sadly, we will lose some key players due to loan players returning and some being out of contract. Funds mean we won’t be able to retain some of these and they will be missed in most cases. They have made a great start as a managerial team and results and performances improved immeasurably after they came in.
I think it will be much tougher next season and without the money to properly improve, albeit in a mostly weak division, I think it will be hard for him to get us near the top of the league and will see more about his coaching skills and if he they can recruit to add some pace, athleticism and youth. He needs to evolve an ageing squad and bring in quality with little funds and somehow keep us up near the top of the league competing. Not going to be easy. I do wonder in 12 months if he will still be here – despite his contract and being seen as the long-term manager – I do not see it and it still feels very short term him being here. That might be me but just how I feel and believe if we struggle or we change owners, then he might not be here as long as some think. I hope not and he can go on and be our manager for the foreseeable as I really like him as a bloke.
Board / Club
Prince HRH Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Really hard to discuss him in some way as he is never here and we never hear from him but I have to give my analysis based on what the board (with him as the owner) have offered in the last 12 months. He does get a lot of criticism for not being here visibly and is pretty much a ‘silent’ owner. It is frustrating as we do not hear anything from anyone really and after the managerial changes, we do not even see or hear from the CEO Betis until a small statement right after the Forest defeat. Yusuf Giansirasuca was the acting chairman and he came to the press conference back in November but did say that we would never see anything from him or the Prince and he has been right! You kind of have no issues with no words if actions are being taken and there is clarity on our direction but do not get the sense, we see that. The last few months have been very quiet (aside from the takeover speculation which has not come from within the club) and you wonder day to day outside of Betis how much influence the Saudi Arabian contingent are having on decisions – maybe that is incorrect and they sign off on absolutely everything but the bizarre press conference suggested either that are not that bothered anymore to get actively involved in the day-to-day stuff (not major stuff) and/or their interests and commitments seem elsewhere. I do not get the sense there is the huge drive to get the club moving back in the right direction.
The lack of movement on facilities and key areas of the club suggest we are kind of treading water. I worry hugely if we fail to go up next season as then the cut backs come and you get the sense they may pull the plug if they could get a decent amount of cash for the club? I might be reading the room wrong but I think they have realised that to stay in the Premier League and all the cash that comes with it, you have to speculate to accumulate and maybe take some risks (Villa for instance). They have realised they probably do not have the money to have a proper go at it and maybe the Prince will just hope we can get up and have another few years to ensure he sees a more sizeable income coming in again?
Of course, suddenly the mood changed completely around Easter as we then we had all the rumours of a sale with both Ashley and an American Henry Mauriss were linked with the club but it was unclear how close either were and whilst the latter reportedly had a bid accepted, the Prince downplayed this saying there was a less than 50% chance of it happening. It does seem reading between the lines he is open to offers and getting out, whether that is just SUFC or the whole of his United World Group. We will wait to see what happens with this pone. You worry about any new owners and even though I am not sure we can move forward much with the Prince at the helm, there are worst fates that could await us so it is a quandary.
Going back to analysing the Prince for his efforts this last season is difficult. Firstly, in terms of on the pitch, we probably spent a fair bit on securing Jokanovic but then he did not back him with transfers really – albeit we did sign some expensive loans but maybe that was in reaction to the poor start. The strategy seemed to be to move away from the muck of nettles Wilder type approach and embrace a different style of play and maybe transfer strategy but then we did not follow it through and we almost gave up after only a few months and went back to the old approach. It seemed very muddled to me. You could argue we did not sign anyone but we did not sell many either, whether it was the lack of interest in our players and that only Arsenal put up decent money for Ramsdale, forcing our hand. However he kept hold of Berge and the rest of the squad and did put up a sizeable amount of wages for new players who will not have been cheap. There was the narrative we did not back Slav but maybe it should have been in the summer instead of late August or scrambling round to bring in new players after the season started? Davies, Hourihane, Gibbs White, Olsen etc will not have been cheap though.
We have recently had the accounts and from a financial perspective we seem to have made some smart decisions and the fact salaries have come down in accordance with relegation. The headline was we made a profit but surely you expect that after two years in the top flight. The worry over borrowing remains but most clubs do this and the TV money was the obvious thing to do wasn’t it? The biggest concern is what happens if/when we do not go up but that is the same for all Premier League clubs. I got the sense when the loan signings we signed did not see the big upturn, that is when he started pulling things back and the sort of signings we made (Davies, Goode, Uremovic etc) were more in line with Championship type wages I would reckon?
Off the field there is merits for discussing that we have not really build on the supposed things that Abdullah clearly had earmarked. It seems an age ago, that there was talk about possibly improvements to the ground but now other than minimal work to the visual look – any bigger work will surely now be on hold. I am not sure it is a priority. The stadium is fine for size – we did not even fill it some weeks in the top level (granted ticketing policy did not work). The Kop is tired and the facilities here are beyond basic but it is still a better ground than most at Championship level and I think any work here is now not a priority.
You cannot say the same about the training ground / Academy. A few years ago, we had rumours of a move to the Norton Aerodrome site as the current Academy is not big enough and for us to attain Category 1 status (more pitches/facilities/accommodation/changing/gym/pool/hydrotherapy etc) then we will have to move from the small and outdated Shirecliffe site which may seem new to some but we have been here for over 20 years now. It seems the Norton thing is dead in the water and Betis spoke about issues finding land. It has gone really cold on this and also with the training ground not having the improvements. We were supposed to have a temporary facility with a new two-storey building, comprising of a gym, training area, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy zones, as well as office facilities. The structure was to sit between the two existing buildings, on the perimeter of the current first team training pitches. You wonder now if it ever will happen? This has to be a priority really in terms of the facilities, training ground and getting the higher Academy status.
The current first team training ground and facilities are not really fit for purpose. We have 2 pitches and then a hut/old working man’s club that has been upgraded but the behind-the-scenes videos show how poor it is. There are some clubs at National League level with better facilities. It is embarrassing how bad it is and new players will surely not be impressed. We have heard we may level a few pitches off but that is nowhere near enough. The big praise is the academy and development teams though continue to impress despite the facilities and that is down to having the right coaches and recruitment in place down the levels so the board deserve some praise for those appointments and the work there.
Some cite the Prince extending the United World as being a negative of course and feel that this is funds that could be spent on us. Of course, many fans said the same about McCabe when he made forays abroad. We now have fairly small teams in India, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and now France. None of these are being very successful. Beerschot have got relegated with fans frustrated about the running of the club (a game was abandoned when many came on the pitch at the end of the season and it was rumoured due to the crowd trouble that Abdullah was considering his involvement) and the others are in such small regional or poor leagues. Of course, fans get frustrated when these clubs have announced plans for new facilities/training grounds. At the moment the benefit of the link has been non-existent to United in terms of on the pitch. Maybe in time we will see rewards but we never really did under McCabe’s links. People do forget that when we criticise the Prince and how we are operating.
The hotel is no nearer to being reopened and the Blades Enterprise Centre on the other side seems to lack occupancy. Both seem to be having to be maintained but with no cost coming in to us but maybe the cost of doing both facilities up and the losses we were making on them means there is little point? Maybe they get pulled down at some point?
I worry the overall direction of the club and the muddled managerial/playing staff moves in the last year or so does not give the sense of this clear plan with pillars, that they referred to last year. I think a change of ownership may be imminent but there is a lot of murky water and concerns with any change. Some say we just need anyone else who will invest more but others are more cautious. I always wonder why millionaire businessman want to get involved in second tier football clubs? They won’t make money (the Prince might ironically). What is their motive?
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The rest of the board are officially:
• Yusuf Giansiracusa (Acting Chairman)
• Jan Van Winckel
• H.H. Prince Musa'ad bin Khalid Al Saud (Was Chairman – is he still on the board – I am guessing not?)
• Princess Reem Bint Abdullah Al Saud (assume she is still on the board)
• Abdullah Alghamdi
H.H. Prince Musa'ad bin Khalid Al Saud (Chairman)
Yusuf Giansiracusa. He seems more of an advisor than a ‘money man’. Specialising in representing clients and commercial and corporate transactions but he was a key man at the court case and often is seen with Abdullah and was also seen before in the meetings with Wilder. He seems like very much a key aide for the Prince. He was seen in some of the pictures when we were looking at the new training ground and after the Chairman resigned, he was put in the role of the acting chairman but he has been acting chairman now for over 18 months! Yet he said he would not be here and we would not see him. He was quite patronising or dismissive of the fans I felt when he spoke in November. He failed to realise that they have overseen the managerial changes, the poor signings and the decline of the club, not us! He seemed to suggest they had it all under control and it was all part of a bigger plan – everything we have done – which has changed quite a bit in 18 months. I am not convinced. Him disappearing and not being seen is a concern. Granted lots of businesses operate on conference calls these days but I am not sure other than Betis, McCarthy and Reeves, who runs things day to day. Seems a very small number to be in charge running the vast numbers of staff we employ and to have no board members present or there to oversee decisions day to day seems incredulous to me and smacks of them not being interested. Many (most) other clubs now have overseas ownership or involvement but normally you see some of them in the stands or they discuss matters related to the club, even if it not every week. Our set up seems bizarre to say the least. It seems like everything day to day would be done by Betis. Granted that may be the role of a CEO but not sure his remit is to do absolutely everything from signing off on transfers, to discussing tickets or issues with the training facility?
Jan Van Wincklel has been here a while now but we don’t actually know what he does still but his name and the supposed role he plays or may play has come into the limelight more due to the reports that we were supposedly looking for a Director of Football a few years ago? This has now seemingly changed with all football matters according to Giansirasuca being made by Heckingbottom? Van Winckel, who holds a UEFA Pro License was a technical expert for FIFA and led the Saudi Arabian football team, as chairman of the technical committee, to the World Cup in Russia. He also held several coaching jobs and was for several years the assistant manager to Marcelo Bielsa at Olympique de Marseille in France. I thought when Wilder went, they may put him in charge but then maybe the Prince knew that would have been a disastrous PR move at that time. He seems to be involved in meetings and conference calls and maybe the Verrips, Berge and the Coulibaly signings he had a role especially them all having Belgian/Dutch links? What I found odd was that after Wilder left why was not more involved in day-to-day matters or the managerial search but was alluded to as having a role when we named Jokanovic? He seemed like he had at least had football experience and a background/history rather than Bettis and the Prince. I have still to be convinced what he offers to the club or the group as we do not see us tapping into many overseas signings (granted the Uremovic one came out of the blue) or do we see or hear of him being involved day to day. Yet he remains on the board?
Princess Reem Bint Abdullah Al Saud I believe is the chairman’s wife and the Prince’s daughter? We don’t hear much from her or what her role is? Apparently, she is involved with the women’s team but we do not hear anything from her? She remains on the board.
Abdullah Alghamadi – works for a company called Amos holdings and is group CEO where Abdullah’s son also has a role. Alghamadi is Group CEO. He is listed also as a Financial and Investment Advisor as well as being a Sheffield United Board member and a Beerschot board member.
The other positions of note include:
Stephen Bettis was seen as a positive figure whenever his name came up related to Wilder before he left and when the manager did move in, it became apparent there had been some sort of falling out. We had snake phrases bandied about by some and a few close to Wilder suggested he had stabbed him in the back? Not sure what the details were or whether this was just more nonsense being spouted on social media. I guess Bettis being the chief executive officer to give him proper title, was employed by the Prince has to show any loyalties to his boss when there was the clear divide at the end. I think some of Wilder’s friends are very naïve if Bettis is going to take Wilder’s side in any disagreement. Sure, he has supported him and backed him but you will not go against your paymaster. If he felt that strongly that the moves were wrong, then surely like Wilder he could have moved on?
He seemed to be the one we heard from in the managerial search more than the Prince when we appointed Jokanovic. I am not sure what football experience before he came to us and he went from this smooth business talk when we were doing well to a bit of a bumbling executive who seemed out of his depth when things started to decline. He was thrust into the spotlight and things were not going as well and we saw some of his limitations. The press conference and statement he gave was a bit embarrassing around Wilder’s departure and maybe even worse the one when we sacked Jokanovic. He stuttered and stammered on describing the sudden change and then could not give clarity on anything really. Since then, we have heard absolutely nothing from him, despite the Chairman insisting he was running things off the field with Heckingbottom in charge of all the football side.
Maybe he should not say anything but to me the club needs good communication and honest with the fans as much as they can be. It seems now we seem a bit faceless in terms of the club and the ownership/management off the field. I do have some sympathy that with the owners and board never here, he kind of has to carry the can and do a bit of everything. We seem to have a lot of staff by all accounts but a lot of pressure seems to be put on him and Heckingbottom with the rest of the board seemingly not involved day to day?
Dave McCarthy is involved still as Operations Director and we also have Paul Reeves as the head of marketing. Been really hard for these guys and this side of the club to make much money with no actual fans at games for a few years so they will be glad to have had fans in again this past season. In terms of sponsorship, we seem to have been feted with poor companies who struggle. We had a sponsorship deal with USG which was for three years when we went up and was reported to be the biggest, we have ever had but this was pulled two years in after the company hit financial problems. Global health specialist Randox announced a partnership which will last three years. They had been involved in sponsoring the Grand National and recently, have been developing tests for Covid 19. However, they have not been shown in a particularly great public light either reading about how they have handled elements of providing the process for testing and kits. Once again this is just what we hear and could be wrong of course.
As for the kit and Adidas, it seems the contract is up and won’t be renewed. I was sad about this as for all the talk of template kits, the designs on the whole have mostly been quite decent and you are assured of good quality. This extends to the other leisurewear which as a parent, my child would gladly want to wear and again the quality of the product is normally good. Beerschot have produced their own strip internally rather than outsourcing it figuring they can make all the profit from such a venture. Other clubs have done this (Wednesday gulp) with mixed results on quality, supply etc. It seems rumoured United were going to do the same and Betis said we were exploring it a while ago but then it seemed that the whole group’s kits and sportswear would be made by Errea? This company is more in line with Macron that we have had before and bit more budget like but the flip is we would get some more interesting designs. Of course, this means that the quality may not be as good in the kit and other products. I would like at least for us to have stripes all round the shirt for the home and something a bit more out there for an away kit. We have had quite dull plain white and black kits recently as change strips. I did like the pink kit a few years ago and at least the green/gold was also something we had not had before. We have not had a solid yellow (not day glo) and red (think mid-80’s) for a while so would like us to go back down that route maybe? It would be nice to see something traditional but a bit innovative all the same for the strips.
In terms of crowds and ticketing/fans experience, the club did well to offer deals and rebates from the previous season. May seem the obvious thing but some clubs did not or botched how they did (looking at you SWFC). The season ticket prices were still very good value regardless but the club put the match day prices up too much and some of the prices for Championship football for our own fans on the Kop or for visiting teams was way too much. I hope the club can look at that and at the very least have to cap things. It seemed like for ages we had been one of the best value clubs in the top two leagues but then all of a sudden, we are one of the most expensive. We still managed to get the best crowds in the league and by a fair distance and most weeks the Lane was not far off full (going from 26k to 29k). The season ticket prices to be fair being frozen were good again. They did make a mess of the ticketing for the Forest game and will need to learn from that as they annoyed the fans with a haphazard way of selling and also giving Forest more fans than they gave us in return.
Last year, I commented on the excellent work the social media team had done but said they had gone a bit cliché and some of the stuff becoming a bit difficult to watch (as we were losing every week). Suppose that is not their fault and now we have done better it seems in line with that to have been improved again. We have seen some brilliant videos, tweets and messages (the Jack Robinson street fighter one) and the training videos and Behind the Blades can be interesting and show things you would not pick up normally.
Shout out at this point to all the unofficial stuff coming out from so many fans still. Dem Blades fanzine and online stuff, The Pinch they have started is a great read. I love the videos, vlogs and interviews and almost daily content, The Sheff Utd Way, keep putting out there. They have got some tremendous interviews and to get the Prince on and other well-known people from United, past or present, is really a huge credit to the work of Hal and InGoodNick.
Still enjoy the match vlogs from Shoreham View and Travelling Blade and of course the podcasts such as Blades Pod/4 Blades/Red Half of Sheffield. All offer great analysis and entertainment. There is the Tufty Club too. I digress! Also, it is fantastic the work Rainbow Blades had done too in trying to make the club and fans more inclusive and credit to the club for recognising them and working with them too. There really is some great content out there so well done all. Of course, S2 4SU and its moderators/creators continue to do an amazing job also along with posters like Roy and his superb view from. Not sure many make much actual or much money from it and most are doing it for the love of the Blades so it really is good to hear/see/watch so much great content and all are different/offer something to fans.
I do think the local press (to be fair two seem ok - Nathan Hemmingham does not seem bad at Yorkshire Live and gets some exclusives or things we did not know about. Ditto for Richard Sutcliffe at the Athletic writes some decent stuff too) seem very stale and the likes of Shield/Hall/Biggs rarely get any inside scoops or news stories. Shield and Biggs in particular are long serving and obviously are competent at what they do or would not have a made a living but rarely if ever do they tell us something we did not know or is that interesting. Biggs gives his opinions which is one facet of journalism but I can hear that from any fan really? I want a bit more. They do not seem to have any kind of relationship with the powers that be but were not exactly getting much out of Wilder too even though many seemed to think they had a positive relationship with him – surely, they have been there long enough to get some kind of exclusives or things we do not already know? Sadly, the nationals get more stuff than the Star and our city daily often throws stuff out days or weeks after the story has come out. Quite poor really but as I say luckily, we have the excellent S2 4SU and lots of other sources to get our information. It is incredible that people pay for the subscriptions the Star does which you have to in order to see the local news. I do wonder from a Sports point of view who exactly subscribes? 30 years ago, Tony Pritchett was a proper journalist who had a good relationship with the manager AND the board. Those days seem long gone.
As an aside the long serving groundsman; Glenn Nortcliffe and his team have continued to maintain an excellent pitch. Even with some tricky weather; it looks fine and to see it almost perfect by the season end is testament to why it was important to get the Desso. The pitch always seems to look really good and you compare it to our city rivals and there is no comparison. They had real issues and the mess of the Hillsborough pitch was a marked difference to ours.
The spectre of Kevin McCabe still refuses to go away though as signs were erected near the corner of the Kop and John Street and the other end on the corner of Cherry Street as the two pieces of land, he owns he publicly announced would see construction start on student flats and offices. Seemed more posturing from him. Surely, he could make more money selling these to Abdullah and knows one of them may have an issue undergoing planning permission as it could deny access/entry to the Kop? Be interesting to see what happens with this but McCabe is probably laughing a bit at all the stick the Prince is now getting after recent developments. One thing for sure, McCabe had his chance and despite him saying how much money he put in, the reality is he never had the finances to support a top-level club (maybe the Prince does not either of course) and had made numerous bad decisions over his tenure. He had his chance and the end it was his appalling deal (business wise) he made that saw him outmanoeuvred by the Prince and lose control. I do not have any sympathy with him and whatever happens not sure we were going anywhere with McCabe. The issue of the land still remains and is probably not a priority for the club currently.
They went out and got the manager we kind of all wanted but then pulled the plug without backing him. We did sign some expensive loan players but it seemed a bit unsure as to whether we were fully committing to trying to go up (look at Bournemouth in January) or sort of half in, half out and hedging our bets? Credit to them in that the managerial change worked short term but I wonder what the long-term plan is?
As well as Heckingbottom and co have done, I do not see them leading us into the Premier League or keeping us there. They seem steady hands but also are there to probably oversee a big reduction in the wage bill/squad the next few years with more reliance on youth and lower league players. I cannot see signings like Olsen and Gibbs White this summer or for a number of years. We need some movement and direction on the training ground and academy and we need to have some clarity on what the plans are from the Prince and the board. It is bizarre they are still in charge/running things but we never hear from them, we never have a sense of a plan anymore and the press conference did not really fool anyone.
They made out that the plan was this all along when it clearly was not with the Jokanovic appointment. Hecky did well and got us playing and we ended the season well albeit we did not go up. Now we are back to square one and have a bloated, ageing squad with few saleable assets so unless get investment or be creative, then you do worry how the board can put us in contention for the Premier League again.
Grade D- (Last season E-):
Next season
It seems fairly clear now that the Prince is looking to bring more investment or even a complete sale of the club lock, stock and barrel as he clearly does not quite have the funds to compete with the real big hitters. Regardless of any immediate return to the top flight, let say we did get there in a year or two again (history again suggests it is going to be a long wait sadly) then what? We have the same problems. We simply need to improve the training ground and the academy needs to develop in terms of its production line and how it operates. We need to change our scouting and how we are managed behind the one man managing the side. Whether it be looking at the Brentford approach or elements of it or just simply diversifying how we operate – our whole recruitment of staff/players is very narrow. I personally would rather we had a longer-term plan so when we go up next time whether it is the Prince or another owner (probably another who is not that rich!) that we have something behind it that can see us stay there. We have to think differently and be more innovative. There is an argument we got there too fast maybe but you cannot pass up the chance and Wilder’s management was remarkable. Now we need to ensure that as a club if we get there again, we give ourselves a chance of remaining for longer.
It is a big year or so for Abdullah and the board. If he remains then questions will intensify. If we struggle or are not near the top, then he and the club will face some big decisions. Quite quickly the momentum we had a few years ago, can disappear and you look at the likes of Sunderland, Portsmouth and Bolton and even others like Huddersfield and Stoke – suddenly you can be stuck in a rut and the chances of returning to the top flight within a year or so can seem unlikely. We need to see that there is a plan and structure on and off the field to give us something tangible (the Wilder years was built on spirit, some talent and his amazing leadership but after he struggled and then left – there was no substance behind us at all). Hecky has restored some of that but worry it is all a bit short term.
I personally am not sure they really know where the club is going longer term and a lot seems to rest on us somehow getting up and getting the money that brings. If we do not, I expect us to panic as we know we will have to make major cost savings in a year or so. I do not get the sense they are in for the long term anymore despite their words and the recent rumours certainly seem to point that way in terms of them moving on. We will see. A change of ownership of course could change everything – whether it is for the better or worse nobody knows.
Managerial team/Coaches
Slavisa Jokanovic I have to be honest; I was firmly in favour of his appointment and delighted when we got him. I recall the free flowing, scoring and successful Fulham and Watford teams. I thought he was ideal to not only get us up but change the way we needed to play. I felt we would need 3 or 4 new players but still had enough solid players, defensively to play the way he would want us to play. In the end it failed miserably and he was sacked before the end of November. Maybe the club could have given it longer and maybe their decision went against the so-called strategy. It seemed short termism but then again, the team and players were not being very successful. The results and change since then proves that they were probably right. I cannot criticise them for the appointment though and felt it was a strong move from a board that has made some odd decisions. However, when they made the change, I wondered what they had expected from him with little in the way of capacity to change things – the loan signings came when we were right at the bottom.
In a few seasons people will struggle to remember him ever being here I would wager. In the same way Bryan Robson, David Weir and Adrian Heath (all for being even worse) had brief tenures, Jokanovic will be aligned maybe harshly in the same bracket. He managed for 19 league games and 3 cup games. In the league his record was won 6, lost 8 and drew 5. This is very poor whatever way you look at it. I saw a stat that showed that the 6 wins he got were against sides (as the season finished) that al finished bottom half and indeed 5 of the wins were against sides 20th and below (with half the wins against the bottom three). Only Stoke were a side we beat that were not even close to the bottom. We beat nobody of note basically with him in charge and very much resembled flat track bullies.
In the end he came in and perhaps expected more from the current players and also to get some help in terms of freshening things up. We had a disastrous pre season and were clearly under cooked. He seemed hell bent on getting his system to work and it failed. The football other than maybe the Peterborough game and the odd flash elsewhere was quite dull and we struggled to create much but conceded at the other end too easily. He never seemed to know his best team and kept trying different players and often in different positions. He was determined to get his formation to work but clearly did not have the personnel to play it and ironically, we looked better under him when we went to a system the players were more used to.
He just did not seem to fit here. There will be a lot of talk about connection with fans and the fact we have never had an overseas manager but I think the fans on the whole wanted to embrace him and something different and I felt never really properly turned on him at all and could have done with such a poor record. His press conference and interviews saw him in muddled English struggle to communicate to the fans and it was unclear what he was trying to do on or off the pitch. Perhaps the players could not grasp what he wanted? However, the reality is the squad that was full of experience (albeit stuck in a losing run) and should have been right where we found ourselves after he left.
We were tipped by many to come straight back up (4-4-2 magazine pegged us as champions elect for instance) and from day one we never looked right under him. Maybe it was the wrong time. Maybe he had been successful at Watford and Fulham as others made the signings and he had expensive squads. Maybe he had been out of the UK game too long and was a bit out of touch? Who knows but I feel it would have taken a long time for his ideas/system to be properly successful? We were heading to a mid-table at best finish and maybe much worse. I doubt we would have gone down but we were not really going anywhere and the fact his signings, when allowed to make them (expect Gibbs White) did not improve us that much said it all. The board would have not given him more money in January or this summer. It was odd as the club seemed to embrace this long-term project and changing of style but then did not give him the resources really to execute it short or midterm. He perhaps did not realise how poor this group had been for a long time and needed shaking up but then you look at the results since he left and you have to question his motivation, coaching and overall impact.
He seemed a decent enough guy but the intensity and aggressivity he talked of was not there and the performances from the team individually and collectively was insipid at times. We gave goals away routinely, struggled with set plays and the way we folded to concede late in games showed the mental togetherness was not there. We also looked badly unfit and faded badly in many games. When he went, I was surprised but not that disappointed. My anger was more at the about turn and the naming of Heckingbottom coupled with the length of the contract they gave him after deeming him not good enough a few months before. I did not think that Jokanovic was going to get it right and results since have showed how badly he was doing. I have some sympathy with him but it is a results-based business. Look at West Brom who did the same and they were even higher up. Not sure where he may turn up next but he will have to adapt and be more flexible if he returns to these shores.
Grade E- (Last season NA)
Paul Heckingbottom Prior to arriving with United, he had been manager at Barnsley and done well and got the Leeds job but this did not go quite to plan and he had a short stint in Scotland with Hibs. He then came away from the management side for a period. Maybe he did not want to go back into full time 1st team managing and had done well in coaching at university level and then at Barnsley coaching younger players. He had been successful at this aspect of the game. When United named him as coach of the u23’s it seemed quite a coup for a former league manager of some decent sized clubs. He made an impression with the u23’s and several players started to catch the eye. However, even he would not have thought he would be back as a first team manager at the Lane and in the Premier League. So, when Wilder left, he answered the call and to be fair did about as well as could be expected. At times we still looked poor and took some hammerings but he got a few results out of the group and some pride was restored at times. We went down but this was going to happen regardless of if Wilder had stayed or whoever had been brought in. We were doomed at Xmas.
He said he did not see himself being their long term and went back to the under 23’s but then as we did not name a manager, his name kept resurfacing before finally Jokanovic was named. I got the sense he did not really want it, especially after his previous managerial experiences. I might be wrong but I think he was happy to be out of the limelight and coach again. Still when United dispensed with the Serb, he was quickly named and not as a temporary manager but as full time and on a long contract until 2026 (four-and-a-half-year deal) which seemed a long contract for someone the previous summer did not see as a manager or the man who could take the club forward in such a role. It was a real about turn, maybe for both parties. I was really disappointed with the club. Not necessarily him being manager for a period as the Jokanovic appointment had not worked, but the whole strategy seemed an about turn and whilst he seemed a nice guy who talked well, giving him such a long contract was bewildering. They spoke about him being the man to take charge of all the football side and made out this was a plan when clearly it was not from the changes in the summer and the attempted different type of philosophy, they wanted Slav to imprint on the team and club.
He continued to speak well but I was concerned that he was now basically going to be the patsy who would be a bit of a yes man and sell players when told, not argue over the lack of signings/investment and have to use younger players. Basically, he would be the fall guy for previous bad decisions in the club both on and off the field. He went right back to basics bringing certain players back and going back to the old formation we had used before. We had a good win on his debut and followed it up with a run of wins including a really impressive one at Fulham. The defence became a lot more organised, we stopped conceding goals and player s like Fleck, Norwood and even Brewster improved. We saw some start to really step up such as Bogle, Foderingham and Robinson, all becoming key players as we moved away from the bottom of the league. We even adapted a chant for him and his coaching staff to the words of Status Quo’s ‘Rocking all over the world!’ I was pleasantly surprised by how he got the side playing as a team and was able to make us tough to beat but also more of an attacking threat. He moved out players who were not seen as part of things even if expensive signings before and the old guard became steady and influential again.
A run of games postponed around Xmas and then a number of key players getting long term injuries saw the momentum halted somewhat and the results/performances were a bit patchier but we will have won more than we lost and continued an impressive home form beating challengers such as WBA, Blackburn and most memorably former manager Wilder in a night that will have been very pleasing for Heckingbottom to get one over his old boss! We kind of limped over the line in some games as the lack of players in key positions became an issue. However, he kept getting the results where we needed it and despite our away form falling off a cliff somewhat, we continued to be so strong at Bramall Lane. I do feel the final games we sort of reverted to the showings pre Hecky and what we had seen for the previous season and it became a bit predictable replying on Gibbs White or Sharp. The fear free football seemed to disappear again and the defence started to make errors too but clearly injuries did not help. However, a big 2nd half at QPR and we were still right there despite the lack of options up front. We beat Fulham with a great performance and you think could we? Sadly, we could not and Hecky and his side were found out against Forest at home – not sure tactically he did well enough as Cooper outmanoeuvred us really and had the measure of him/us. He did not really react. Maybe Forest were better players and a better team but not sure they should have been so superior as they were at home? The second leg huge credit as he got it right and we forced them back and Cooper looked a bit clueless how to stop us and the way we attacked. In the end a back few kicks of the ball rather than tactics see us fail to get to the final.
He comes across really well in the media and speaks well and is very candid. I enjoy listening to him. He also became a bit more outspoken and as well as being honest, did not always tow the party line (critical of the training pitch after a spate of injuries) and I enjoyed his interviews where he was quite candid and had a good sense of humour too. Seems a really likeable chap. I do wonder whether next season losing Gibbs White and maybe Berge with weaker replacements, whether we will see quite how good a coach he is – in terms of improving younger players and recruiting some new ones who give us some energy. He has shown that he can do that in terms of Foderingham and Robinson. I am not totally convinced he is a the top manager or coach some may have seen despite the improvements which is odd considering what he has done. He did get a tune out of the squad but these were mostly experienced players who should have done much better than they had been doing under Jokanovic. I think next season will be a bigger test and will be as much about his coaching as players at times but for now he has done a great job motivating the players and seeing us move up the league.
Grade B+ (Last season E+)
Stuart McCall had been a coach at United under Warnock after being a big part of the triple assault season. He left when Warnock did and then ended up in management at the club, he was such a hero, Bradford City. He ended up having four spells at Valley Parade but never really quite achieved what he set out to do and was actually more successful in Scotland with Motherwell. He also had an unsuccessful spell at Scunthorpe post Scotland, but then after another failure at Bradford under difficult circumstances perhaps took a step back from management and opted to go back into coaching. He resurfaced at Blackpool last summer and the Tangerines did well and recall them coming to the Lane and winning.
However, when Heckingbottom was given the reigns a month after this game, he turned to McCall to join the staff. McCall had not been at Blackpool long but it was a chance to return to the Lane and also back to Yorkshire and closer to home. McCall’s enthusiasm was seen on the side lines for the first game and seeing him punch the air when we scored and embrace the rest of the coaching staff gave that sense of togetherness we did not have earlier in the season or even last campaign. We saw him heavily involved in training and his dry sense of humour to the fore but clearly loves working day to day with players and wanting to improve them. A larger-than-life character that I think was needed to inject some love back into the game for some players so his influence should not be down played. Hopefully he will be here for years to come and part of a successful period but I do worry that generally he has not been that successful at clubs.
Jack Lester a Sheffield lad and former High Storrs pupil, had of course played for the Blades in a decent career where he played most of his football in the second tier. He ended up involved with coaching junior football, firstly at Notts County and then over the river at Forest, a team he played for. He was u18 and u23 coach and was heavily involved in the Academy there before he ended up back at a club, he had achieved hero status as a player, Chesterfield. Sadly, he could not arrest the slide as they went out of the football league and he left. He ended up as our head of Academy a few years ago and seemed to be doing a good job so it was a bit of a surprise when Hecky took over and installed him as a coach with the first team. His actual title was head of player development and of course had a big hand with the striker’s day to day according to Heckingbottom. Along with McCall, important we have two coaches who know the level, the area and have an affinity with United and know what its supporters want. Does get involved with assistant referees and rival teams coaches and won’t back down!
We were supposedly going to get another coach according to Heckingbottom (to cover the defensive side was discussed) but nothing has happened yet so maybe will be addressed this summer.
Matt Duke, a former Blades keeper is the current keeping coach. He took over when Darren Ward moved on not long after Wilder left (now with the England Lionesses) and it was maybe a temporary move like the Hecky one but not sure I saw Slav bring in a specialist in this area as only saw two new coaches come into assist him. So, suppose he is the goalkeeping coach now permanently unless anyone know any different. We have had a lot of change in this area since Henderson left with a new keeper each season and also a lot of movement underneath the number one. You would hope we may now have some stability in this area and with Verrips, Dewhurst and Eastwood probably moving on, and Foderingham and Davies (you assume) remaining. Also, you would look then who will come through next out of the young talent in Amissah, Hiddleston, Hampshaw and Faxon.
Next season
Heckingbottom, McCall and Lester will come back and try and see if we can build on some of the really good things they started. Sadly, we will lose some key players due to loan players returning and some being out of contract. Funds mean we won’t be able to retain some of these and they will be missed in most cases. They have made a great start as a managerial team and results and performances improved immeasurably after they came in.
I think it will be much tougher next season and without the money to properly improve, albeit in a mostly weak division, I think it will be hard for him to get us near the top of the league and will see more about his coaching skills and if he they can recruit to add some pace, athleticism and youth. He needs to evolve an ageing squad and bring in quality with little funds and somehow keep us up near the top of the league competing. Not going to be easy. I do wonder in 12 months if he will still be here – despite his contract and being seen as the long-term manager – I do not see it and it still feels very short term him being here. That might be me but just how I feel and believe if we struggle or we change owners, then he might not be here as long as some think. I hope not and he can go on and be our manager for the foreseeable as I really like him as a bloke.
