S2 Sackings

Since my first visit to the Lane that I remember in December 1999 - an FA Cup game against Rushden & Diamonds - United have gone through a total of seven managers, which will shortly become eight after the sacking of David Weir. Eight managers in just under 14 years translates to roughly a new manager every 21 months, but the reality, as all Unitedites know, is much worse. Neil Warnock, love him or loathe him (or both to some people, myself included), was in charge for 7 and a half years which means that, since his departure, we've seen a new manager for every 11 months since then. Bearing in mind that Blackwell (30 months) and Wilson (23 months) are both in that list, it sums up the failings of the appointments, not to mention slipping from the Premier League in Warnock's final game to languishing in 22nd place in League one after Weir's reign concluded.

Everyone will have different opinions on the managers we've endured in that period and whether they should/shouldn't have had more time, what went wrong and whether they should even have been appointed in the first place, so here are mine.

Neil Warnock - The manager I grew to love United under and the conductor of by far and away my favourite season as a Blade, 02/03, even with the ultimate heartbreak. After managerial turmoil before his appointment, Warnock stabilised that side of the club and was given the time to develop the team. Finally, we won promotion for the first and only time in my life so far and, from the very off, it seemed as though Warnock would only stay if survival was achieved. From my point of view, that season saw far too many wasted transfers on players like Ahmed Fathy, Luton Shelton and Mamadou Seck - almost £3 million of transfer fees for a handful of appearances and 0 Premier League goals. Yes, people can bemoan a lack of luck from Hulse's injury, the Tevez affair and Liverpool being given a penalty on the opening day but, ultimately, some truly horrendous signings left us high and dry. I'll always be glad of what Warnock did for the club, the memories he helped create, but I never want to see him in charge of United again and, from what I understand, neither does Kevin McCabe.

Bryan Robson - Where to begin?! I was at my Grandparent's when I heard that Robson was announced as the new manager and I couldn't believe it. My Grandad, a Villa fan, said he gave him until Christmas and he wasn't far off. He'd hardly set the world alight in his previous managerial roles and his appointment seemed very much like the board wanted to throw money at a world famous name. In the end, that's what it proved to be. Robson's start to the season wasn't unlike Weir's in terms of results, but off the field he was far from calming as a fan. After a truly dismal performance at Hillsborough in January 2008, Bryan Robson came out and lambasted his players saying that everything was their fault - not the best way to get already unhappy fans behind you. As if he hadn't insulted enough people with that outburst, over the next month he stated that he was disappointed at the lack of funds provided to him, despite splashing out £4 million on James Beattie and with the majority of players on Premier League wages. Ultimately, the final nail in his coffin came when he blamed the fans for his team being unable to beat lowly Scunthorpe United. He will most likely go down as my least favourite Blades manager I've ever seen in charge of my beloved club, unless of course, heaven forbid, we end up with Gary Megson!

Kevin Blackwell - A man of the Warnock era back to try his own hand in the hot seat this time. Several fans were initially unhappy with the appointment, given the fact that he left as our assistant to become manager of Leeds United, but I wonder how many of them wouldn't have done the same? Blackwell reinvigorated the team in the last 2 months of the season and his clear determination, honest evaluation and hard words united the team and fans in a real push for the play-offs, although they were never really on the cards after the Robson fiasco. The next season started and promotion was on the cards, like it should have been a year earlier. January came and, as the Blades know only too well, we once again sold our talisman of the season, this time it was Beattie. On paper we still had the squad to do it, and in the end we were only 3 points from automatic promotion.

That Burnley game at Wembley, well, one up front was a big mistake, Jamie Ward made one daft handball and was adjudged to have had another which got him sent off and the following two subs came too late to have an impact. The worst end to a season that should have seen us return to the top flight. Blackwell's response to that defeat showed he was a broken man and had no real confidence that he could better, or even equal his 'achievements' that season and threatened to resign, a motion stopped by the instant backing of Mr McCabe. For me, the board shouldn't have tried to keep Blackwell without hearing him out, gut instincts are a wonderful thing and shouldn't be discarded as easily as Blackwell's was. It's great to look back in hindsight and say this but had the board worked with Blackwell to bring in a replacement after the Burnley game, would we be in the mess we find ourselves today?

As things happened, Blackwell stayed and the next season turned out to be nothing more than mediocre. We missed out on the play-offs once again and fans started turning against Blackwell and his direct approach. Again we can point at things beyond our control, not least Paddy Kenny's 9-month ban which meant we had to settle for too many bit-part loanees throughout the season, including 3 goalkeepers as cover for Kenny. In addition to that, following the sale of the Kyle's to Spurs and Walker re-joining United for the season, Harry Redknapp's decision to recall him without leaving sufficient time for us to recruit a suitable back-up. If this season told us anything, it was that, no matter how hard he tried, Blackwell would never be able to recreate the highs of the previous year at the Lane. After finishing 8th, this was again a guilt-edged chance for the board to interact with Blackwell to help find a successor, or to back him further. Initially, the option they took was the latter, and Blackwell brought in 6 or 7 permanent transfers. We were all set to make another attack on the promotion race and started with a draw away at Cardiff but that was followed by a hammering to big spenders QPR. It's been suggested that the talks with the Football Fund, primarily Joe Sim, who was advised in part by our old friend Bryan Robson, was the reason behind Blackwell's sacking just two league games in. Whether true or not, there's no good explanation anyone could give for his sacking at that time in season.

Gary Speed - The late, great Gary Speed, a true legend of the game but sadly such a short career in management. He was only in charge at the Lane for four months and you can't gloss over his stats, they were far from great, but I believe Speed was the right appointment at that time. In the end, we had no right in stopping him chase his dream job and he was slowly rebuilding the Welsh national team before he tragically took his own life.

Micky Adams - After moving through two managers already that season and not even reaching Christmas yet, this was the time to take a long, hard look at the situation and appoint a manager with a clear footballing philosophy. As it happened, we made a move for Port Vale boss and boyhood Blade, Micky Adams who brought Alan Cork in as his assistant. It took 12 games before Adams led the team to their first win of his reign, even after bringing in another ex-Blade Dave Bassett as his consultant to help deal with the size of the task. This addition was the first sign that Adams was perhaps out of his depth and yet it was clear he kicked every ball, like Warnock and Blackwell before him, however the writing was on the wall from the off. After finishing 6 points adrift of safety, it didn't come as a surprise when Adams parted company with the club after less than 5 months.

Danny Wilson - It's fair to say that this was far from the most popular appointment, but, on paper, an excellent manager ready to implement his own style on the squad. This was the first time we'd given a new boss the summer to prepare for his initial match since the appointment of Robson. Wilson's ex-Wednesday links led to protests in the car park on the day he was announced, leading us to come across as a laughing stock in front of the rest of the footballing world. Yes, everyone has opinions about someone but some of our most hard-working players of the last few years have previously been at our neighbours, notably Richard Cresswell, Alan Quinn and fan favourite Derek Geary. 99% of fans seemed willing to give them a chance, so why was the situation different for Wilson?

In the end, he brought in his own men and tried to implement his own style slowly into the play, although this began to fade out again in his second season. In his first season at the Lane, racking up what would normally be more than enough points for automatic promotion, we were pipped late on and subsequently lost another play-off final. Nobody can deny that we were unlucky that season, if also too sloppy at times, and losing our top scorer at a crucial time with Cresswell also out injured was a double blow we couldn't pick ourselves up from. That season was probably the most competitive in League One history and should have served as a warning that we weren't in for an easy ride, especially given the squad cuts we had to make to fit in with the Financial Fair Play rules. Personally, I saw the following season as one that would be used to stabilise the club, letting Wilson build a solid footing that we could then push on from. As it turned out, the season did pan out to be just that, reaching the play-offs again but it was clear the board wanted more. A month before the season drew to an end, a truly baffling decision was made to sack Wilson in the hope that someone else would come in and give the squad a final lift. No doubt the boards thinking was along the same lines as Huddersfield Town and Wednesday the season before, however both of those had experienced managers lined up and were given more time, whilst we lumped our faith in Chris Morgan. Had Wilson remained in charge, not only would we have been better equipped in the play-offs, but we'd also be in a better league position today, I have no doubt of that.

David Weir - This was possibly the longest managerial decision the club has ever made, and was also the most positive reaction to a new manager I've experienced. Alright, he had no first hand knowledge but he had worked with Walter Smith and David Moyes so why not give him his time to shine? He came in wanting to transform the style of play, something that will never be achieved quickly in the lower leagues unless done in stages or with a brand new squad. The season came about and we got off to a flyer, playing some of the best football we've seen in years and, after having a poor season prior to this, Kevin McDonald was showing his true quality. Perhaps it was naive of Weir to stick all his plans for success around one man, but also don't forget the people who wrote the clause in McDonald's contract, probably his agent. The departure wouldn't have seemed so bad had he left for a higher league but the fact that he would be playing for a league rival? That was hard to take.

After that, we plummeted. Performances were lacklustre, there was little sign of even basic skill at times and, worst of all, we weren't showing any passion. I've grown up, with the exception of the Robson era, with close to 11 players fighting for themselves, their team mates and us fans even if they weren't the most talented bunch. For me, that passion on and off the field is what Sheffield United is all about, no matter what division we are in. The lack of goals has been a problem that set in towards the end of Wilson's tenure but Weir was failing to save it. Saying that, Tony McMahon has hit the woodwork at least twice this season, both times would have given us crucial goals against Rotherham and Crawley. Had we been 2-0 up at Rotherham rather than just one goal, would the result have been different? Probably not on the basis of our second half display, but if we had gone on to beat Crawley, that could well have galvanised the squad and bought Weir more time.

On the other hand, in the games I've seen this season and the reports from my Dad, it appears that too many players just can't be bothered, something that is totally unacceptable. As well as that, players like Maguire and Collins have failed to show their form of last season or the year before in Harry's case. One thing that has baffled me, and others, is how Michael Doyle still manages to keep the captain's armband. On his day, he is a player well suited to this division defensively, however he gets bogged down far too often by constantly chirping away at the referee and telling off his own players, very rarely does he show any encouragement, not to mention his poor interviews. I noticed earlier in the Colchester game that the only player who tried to encourage the players and crowd after conceding was Collins, and I hope the new manager changes his captain sooner rather than later.

I know many people won't agree with me but I still believe that, had Weir still been in charge by the end of the season, we would finish closer to the top of the table than the bottom, however it was clear from his interview on Tuesday that he was a defeated man. The timing of the sacking is the strangest part, two days before another crucial game and just hours after he had done his media duties for the game. Personally, I would have looked at bringing in an experienced head several weeks ago, similar to when Dave Bassett was brought back to help Adams. The problem, as is now the case when looking for a new manager, would be who could help? Perhaps Weir was too inexperienced and should have stuck to coaching for a while longer, his decision on Tuesday to make five changes for a game where a win against lower opposition would be the perfect time to regroup and build confidence was baffling, or were those changes due to players not wanting to play? Lee Carsley saying in the build up that lots of the squad did want to play added wood to the fire of stories that the dressing room was lost, something only the players can answer for. In the end, the fans just wanted the real United back. The teams that fought every game like it was the last they'd ever play but, the truth is, we've not seen a full team like that in far too long.

? - United's 27th full-time manager, whoever they may be, will hopefully be granted the time and resources required, first to stabilise the club and then push on to fulfil promotion back to the Championship. Who this will be, I have very little idea, however it is very important that the decision is made quickly, but effectively. Jim Phipps, one of the new board members, has come out today saying the same things and in two brilliant interviews, with Sky Sports and Radio Sheffield, has shown the club and himself in a very positive light. This isn't the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last, that Jim's received praise from us Blades. As for names, Nigel Clough has seen his name thrown into the mix, an appointment who would work on continuing the current philosophy but with more experience than Weir. The consensus among Derby fans was that they were disappointed with his sacking and he certainly stabilised the club, however he didn't necessarily push them on as much as they could. A name that I would have been more than happy with in the summer, although people had their doubts, would be Russell Slade. He's shown this season so far that he can build a winning team if given the time to do so and has come on a great deal since he was linked with us back in 2011. One of the problems of hiring Slade could well be that he is full of old connections to the club, and we know how that ended for Micky Adams. Again, a name that I've mentioned before as one who can help implement our wanted philosophy and use the younger players to our advantage would be Steve Davis of Crewe, however he lacks League One experience and his side have struggled so far this year, despite a good season last year.

Other than these, I can't see many inspiring managers who would want to come in, particularly not on the bookmakers lists, but the summer proved just how far from the outcome they can be. Hopefully we get a new boss in sooner rather than later, and can finally reach our squads potential, because we don't have relegation players. The problem is, I'm not certain we have a squad of promotion-chasing ones either at the current stage. The biggest point is that we back whoever comes in 100%, as Weir suffered from a lack of this. I've grown fed up of people asking why people still backed our ex-manager, but the truth is if you don't back him, you can't fully support the club. Sometimes you've just got to put all other thoughts out of your head and urge on the people who can make a difference whether you believe they can or not.

The only was is up, right?