It's only because his name is Clough

[Drift Wood]

Is anyone else sick to death of the wrist slashers on here constantly accusing everyone else of only backing Nigel because of his name? It is such a lame argument. Criticize his tactics, his signings, and his man-management if you must but to suggest he only still has a job because of his name is pathetic.

Many of us feel that, given the financial restraints he is under, Nigel is doing a decent job. Not an earth-shatteringly good job perhaps, but un acceptable one. We would think the same if his name was Revie, Jewell, or Davis.

If his name was Todd, he would have been sacked long, long ago.

[davenportram]

In that do you think of Wigan, Blackpool, Bolton, Sunderland, Stoke, Fulham, West Brom and Wolves?

Or, what about Sheffield Wednesday?

That's nothing though is it really?

Wigan, Wimbledon,Blackpool and various other smaller clubs have done better than us in the past, and som comparable if not bigger have done a lot worse than us over the years.

[footymadme]

i don't think anyone can help but romanticise with the name clough and it's history.

But i digress, the restraints clough has had to deal with since joining the club are mind boggling. Many other managers would have failed, and we could actually be a league one club by now if it wasn't for clough. I believe the signings he's had to make (mostly for the development side of things) have been clever, it's just a shame he hasn't been able to sign that little bit of class.

Those who blame clough use the same argument time and time again, not thinking about tight reign he's under. Every manager makes mistakes, but because of our recent history everything is under a huge microscope.

Things could be a lot worse without somebody with derby in their heart.

exactly right my friend.

[Gary Teale]

I don't rate him as he decided to keep pearson, green and Bywater. He spent the money he has had on the back 4 to the tune of just under 2 million, 1 million barker, over half a mil on brayford, 300k on moxey then roberts and anderson and still can't defend for toffee. I don't rate him as he is so negative in his persona, interviews and team selections. I just want us to do well and don't see how we under his management.

[footymadme]

anything worth having is worth waiting for.

you can only REALLY judge him in say 2 or 3 seasons time .

[Gary Teale]

Why can we only judge him after 5 years? Why can't we judge him on the last 2 years on charge, his signings, his tactics of when he arrived he wanted to play 442 with width, then he season after 451, then this season 4231. If I thought he was building a certain style into the side as you could see burley was doing in his dreadful first season when we just stayed up. Why can't I judge him on not being able to organise a decent back 4 in 2 years?

[Dangerous]

this is the most obvious thread imaginable by the blind faithful.I couldnt give a stuff about the romance of clough being here.I want results and inspiring performances and we arent getting them.He plays a different starting 11 every game,he is negative,he has fallen out with players publically,he has sold two of his best players without replacing them,he thinks roberts is better than moxey,he has a backroom staff of mates who arent any good,I could go on.

He may have the tightest board in history to work for but as he says himself, its pretty much the same team that were 4th.So you cant blame the board for everything.Tom Glick has the spin of a politician and as any politician will tell you,dont let the facts get in the way of a good story.The good story was appointing Clough,the facts are he is totally out of his depth.

[footymadme]

did i say 2 or 3 seasons time ....sorry.

i MEANT to say 3 or 4 seasons !!!

yes, im taking the michael.

for the reasons MR CLOUGH should be given more time/money see

all the previous posts over the last few wks.....

he deserves it ....trust me , he knows he has made mistakes and

admits to it ...dont we all...........

injuries, illness,players not keeping they're word ( commons the judas )

have all contributed to where we are now ,oh yes...and players out

of position and picking the wrong team blah blah blah.

MR CLOUGH will get there but not overnight.

and DANGEROUS ,.....if you dont like it m8e , get on yer bike and find

a billionaire that is willing to take us on as his side thingy hobby,there

are loads out there just waiting ..i mean just look at fester....

BUT , trust me when i tell you , alot of FANS will still want MR CLOUGH

in that hot seat pulling the strings..................FACT.:D:D

[DenbyRam]

this is the most obvious thread imaginable by the blind faithful.I couldnt give a stuff about the romance of clough being here.I want results and inspiring performances and we arent getting them.

Hear hear.

Clough is being afforded far too much loyalty and patience. This isn't necessarily "a bad thing", but there comes a point surely when you have to say that it just isn't working.

The Board are not immune to criticism but Tom Glick has repeatedly said that there is money available for players. Is it his fault that Clough can't/won't bring in players? Maybe a non league mentality and a chief scout who is your newsagent brother doesn't help?

We are now worse off than we were two years ago. I blame Clough and I blame GSE.

At least we will get to visit some new grounds next season eh? And then you lot still won't say it's Clough's fault will you?

[footymadme]

Hear hear.

Clough is being afforded far too much loyalty and patience. This isn't necessarily "a bad thing", but there comes a point surely when you have to say that it just isn't working.

The Board are not immune to criticism but Tom Glick has repeatedly said that there is money available for players. Is it his fault that Clough can't/won't bring in players? Maybe a non league mentality and a chief scout who is your newsagent brother doesn't help?

We are now worse off than we were two years ago. I blame Clough and I blame GSE.

At least we will get to visit some new grounds next season eh? And then you lot still won't say it's Clough's fault will you?

i like your avatar today DENBYRAM.

[WilkoRam]

"MR CLOUGH will get there but not overnight."

I want to believe this but I'm a man who works on facts and proof. How do we know he will get it right?

I've always reserved judgement on Nigel due to the finance issue. However the issues I had last season have come up again now (not naming a full bench when we can, 4 CM's across a midfield 4, hooking the ball long and get back behind the ball). I was encouraged by the start of this season we seemed to pick a formation that suited the players rather than force them into foreign positions to keep with a favoured formation. We weren't scared to pass the ball, even in our own half. We kept the ball and passed it about, we weren't the best at times, especially when passing from the two CB's to Savage and we put ourselves under some pressure but I could see signs of what we were trying to do and I thought we would continue in order to develop that mindset in the players.

That all changed though and we've gone backwards, we've got hoof ball tactics again and players being told to hook it clear and get ready to defend the ball coming back in a minutes time. You need a style to imprint on a team/club, something that gets into the players and new players are targeted to fit into. Not to chop and change all the time. Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd, etc they have a style the managers have their method, their style and the club operates like that. Arsenal don't hoof it against better teams like Barca, they still play their style. Spurs still attack no matter who they play. Why? Because it's what has been instilled in them from the start.

What is being instilled in our team? I worry.

Still let's hope for 3 points against Hull and we can all breath a little easier

[Derbiean]

Hear hear.

Clough is being afforded far too much loyalty and patience. This isn't necessarily "a bad thing", but there comes a point surely when you have to say that it just isn't working.

The Board are not immune to criticism but Tom Glick has repeatedly said that there is money available for players. Is it his fault that Clough can't/won't bring in players? Maybe a non league mentality and a chief scout who is your newsagent brother doesn't help?

We are now worse off than we were two years ago. I blame Clough and I blame GSE.

At least we will get to visit some new grounds next season eh? And then you lot still won't say it's Clough's fault will you?

In the last window yes and Glick has taken responsibility for not bringing in more players.

[smiffy]

So we need another 21 pts to improve on last season, whats going to be the excuse when we dont ?

[footymadme]

"MR CLOUGH will get there but not overnight."

I want to believe this but I'm a man who works on facts and proof. How do we know he will get it right?

I've always reserved judgement on Nigel due to the finance issue. However the issues I had last season have come up again now (not naming a full bench when we can, 4 CM's across a midfield 4, hooking the ball long and get back behind the ball). I was encouraged by the start of this season we seemed to pick a formation that suited the players rather than force them into foreign positions to keep with a favoured formation. We weren't scared to pass the ball, even in our own half. We kept the ball and passed it about, we weren't the best at times, especially when passing from the two CB's to Savage and we put ourselves under some pressure but I could see signs of what we were trying to do and I thought we would continue in order to develop that mindset in the players.

That all changed though and we've gone backwards, we've got hoof ball tactics again and players being told to hook it clear and get ready to defend the ball coming back in a minutes time. You need a style to imprint on a team/club, something that gets into the players and new players are targeted to fit into. Not to chop and change all the time. Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd, etc they have a style the managers have their method, their style and the club operates like that. Arsenal don't hoof it against better teams like Barca, they still play their style. Spurs still attack no matter who they play. Why? Because it's what has been instilled in them from the start.

What is being instilled in our team? I worry.

Still let's hope for 3 points against Hull and we can all breath a little easier

how do we know he will get it right !!!

eeeerm , if i knew that m8e i would not be sat here plinky plonkin

this compinuter thingy ........i would be sunnin it somwhere havin

won the bigun on the euro lotto m8.

nobody knows anything for sure...

well , apart from we will all die.

well , probably not by death ray ( unless god saves all his little children

of course ) yeah . right.

the sun will come out tomorrow ( well it will come out but behind bloody clouds as usual ) will this weather EVER WARM UP ..........

and derby ( bless em ) will fin in the top half come may.......

listen , i dont know for sure , but i do have faith in B.C...

he is a battler,a trier,a footballing man of good stock.

he has worked and come out of the ball sack of a genius.

( best man manager ever MR D EH EH EH )

and i just know he will do his damndest to get us playing good,

well lets say excellent on the ground footy ...promise....well

the best i can do ..fingers crossed.

keep the faith m8e...you too MR D.

[smiffy]

You have just prooved what people are saying, its just his name you are backing:D

[WilkoRam]

how do we know he will get it right !!!

eeeerm , if i knew that m8e i would not be sat here plinky plonkin

this compinuter thingy ........i would be sunnin it somwhere havin

won the bigun on the euro lotto m8.

nobody knows anything for sure...

well , apart from we will all die.

well , probably not by death ray ( unless god saves all his little children

of course ) yeah . right.

the sun will come out tomorrow ( well it will come out but behind bloody clouds as usual ) will this weather EVER WARM UP ..........

and derby ( bless em ) will fin in the top half come may.......

listen , i dont know for sure , but i do have faith in B.C...

he is a battler,a trier,a footballing man of good stock.

he has worked and come out of the ball sack of a genius.

( best man manager ever MR D EH EH EH )

and i just know he will do his damndest to get us playing good,

well lets say excellent on the ground footy ...promise....well

the best i can do ..fingers crossed.

keep the faith m8e...you too MR D.

But you said he will get there, so you must know. A lot of people say things like this and all I'm asking for is the proof that he will, without doubt, take us forward. A simple question I feel to those who are certain we have the right man.

[Gary Teale]

"MR CLOUGH will get there but not overnight."

I want to believe this but I'm a man who works on facts and proof. How do we know he will get it right?

I've always reserved judgement on Nigel due to the finance issue. However the issues I had last season have come up again now (not naming a full bench when we can, 4 CM's across a midfield 4, hooking the ball long and get back behind the ball). I was encouraged by the start of this season we seemed to pick a formation that suited the players rather than force them into foreign positions to keep with a favoured formation. We weren't scared to pass the ball, even in our own half. We kept the ball and passed it about, we weren't the best at times, especially when passing from the two CB's to Savage and we put ourselves under some pressure but I could see signs of what we were trying to do and I thought we would continue in order to develop that mindset in the players.

That all changed though and we've gone backwards, we've got hoof ball tactics again and players being told to hook it clear and get ready to defend the ball coming back in a minutes time. You need a style to imprint on a team/club, something that gets into the players and new players are targeted to fit into. Not to chop and change all the time. Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd, etc they have a style the managers have their method, their style and the club operates like that. Arsenal don't hoof it against better teams like Barca, they still play their style. Spurs still attack no matter who they play. Why? Because it's what has been instilled in them from the start.

What is being instilled in our team? I worry.

Still let's hope for 3 points against Hull and we can all breath a little easier

I totally agree if we could see a plan how he wants us to move forward we would have some hope but he tries a way of playing and when it hits a bad spell its back to everyone behind the ball and just long balls into the channels. Its like watching sunday morning football. Two years on and we are no better off knowing how he wants us to go about being succesfull. When he first came and the one thing he did at Burton was always play with wingers and played with good width but that seems to have gone out of the window. He isnt building anything its just chop and change and hopefully something will work. Great management

[EdinburghRam]

We are now worse off than we were two years ago. I blame Clough and I blame GSE.

That is simply not true, we're in a much better position as a club.

Our team on the pitch is similar if not slightly better, and our financial situation is much better. how is that not improvement? Football isn't just about results anymore

[WilkoRam]

That is simply not true, we're in a much better position as a club.

Our team on the pitch is similar if not slightly better, and our financial situation is much better. how is that not improvement? Football isn't just about results anymore

Financially we are better in terms that we are becoming self sufficient for day to day running. On the pitch? I wouldn't say we are better. People have this view that under Jewell we were destined to go down and that Nigel saved us and has taken us forward. We were 18th when he took over, we finished 18th, this season we are 18th. Hardly progress.

I'd have more faith in in the future if I could figure out the plan for on the pitch. If Nigel likes 4-4-2 so much then why are we signing Cywka, Davies, Bailey, Bueno when we have central players already and no wingers? The one winger we do sign we loan out. We have so many central midfielders now for two positions in a 4-4-2. We have Pearson, Green, Bailey, Addison, Savage, Davies and yet we have nobody for the wings. Green is not a right winger, Pearson and Davies aren't left wingers. I have no issue with 4-4-2 but you need to have the players to play it and stop buying players for positions we already have especially when money is tight.

We do not suit 4-4-2 with our current players so two choices:

Play a formation that suits the players

Or

Get players to suit the formation

I don't see progress towards either option. I did at the start of the season but not now.

[footymadme]

You have just prooved what people are saying, its just his name you are backing:D

well......of course it's his name

couldnt be him in person and me call him by another name ,

......................errr,could it ?.

you know .......like prince phillip would be Harry scroggins .

or...errrrr......David beckham would be Lord snooty.

talking of the Beckhams ...looks like miss pouty lips and the ever growing

tats man with the 3 hair styles a day will be at the royal wedding .

o.k mag will love that ay....