What Have We Become?

With huge and humble apologies to fellow Blade PD Heaton and J Abbott.

What have we become?

Trips to Fleetwood but not Leeds Scum,

Five dire seasons stuck in League One

That's what we've become

What have we become?

Still there in numbers, but a disgruntled hum

Apart from when there's a song to be sung

Or players' egos stung

Strategies change, so many bad decisions

You have to question if there is a long term vision

Managers depart, the poor players stay

Just what is The Blades Way?

And it's awful after awful after awful, there's no great

We're stuck in a rut and we've forgotten to hate

Lacking heart, no shape to our play

Permanently in a malaise

What have we become?

Rivals retain their stars, but ours have gone

A squad too large for the club to fund

Some should be long gone

What have we become?

Money spurned, investment long gone

Bad decisions from everyone

No more spin to be spun

And it's awful after awful after awful, there's no great

Our dugouts are nice and out pitch looks oreyt

And we have to look back to admire the greats

Stranded in a malaise

And you'll actually love our club less

As they stumble from one disaster to a complete mess

A future that feels like it's laden with doom

The tide has got to turn soon

And it's awful after awful after awful, there's no great

Players do drugs, they assault and they rape

No new heroes for young fans to praise

Discipline long gone away

Stuck in malaise

Stuck in malaise

Stuck in malaise

And here's the original to enjoy, or sing along to.

What Have We Become - Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott

Sticks and Stones

It seems to be one of "the" unwritten rules in football; a manager should never publicly criticise his players. When they do, they often attract criticism themselves, from fans and media commentators alike. Much of the media condemnation comes from ex-players, often reflecting on their experience and how they would feel.

Just taking the last couple of seasons, Tim Sherwood has attracted condemnation from Michael Owen for the then Spurs manager’s criticism of his side and Peter Schmeichel suggested that Roberto Mancini’s constant disparagement of his Manchester City players contributed to their slump in form. 

Rarely, do you see managers doing it. Therefore when it happens it is bound to grab attention and make you wonder. Why that player? Why this particular game or moment? What is driving the decision to go public with the comments?

Very few top managers do it and Sir Alex Ferguson was clear about why he didn't berate his players in the press.

"My job is not to criticise my players publicly. When a manager makes a public criticism, he is affecting the emotional stability of a player and that cannot be the professional thing to do."

That is why, as a tool of man-management, public criticism of your own employees tends to be viewed so negatively, not just in football but any industry. Everyone prefers to be spoken about favourably, or at least criticised in private. I have never used that tactic and can’t imagine when I would.

Back to football, Jose Mourinho has a slightly different approach, based on how view the maturity of the players and their working relationships.

"It is part of my job, to try and find the best strategy to get the best out of my players. I love to praise my players publicly. I don’t love to criticise them. But sometimes, either by strategy or by frustration, I’ve done it.

I think the most important thing is the personal relationship. When you have a personal relationship, you can accept the criticism and are open to it. You know your friend, your coach, your father or your wife criticises you it’s for your own good. That’s the basis of our relationship. I have a fantastic group of guys and a great relationship with them."

“It reminds me of my first team at Chelsea, the same kind of relationship I had with that fantastic group of guys. I feel completely open with them. If they feel they have to do the same with me, I don’t have a problem.”

Closer to home, Nigel Clough has come in for criticism this season for his handling of Marc McNulty. Match winning and goal-scoring performances have seen the player return to the bench for the next game. Attempts to cajole praise for McNulty from the manager in post -match interviews, instead provokes lists of problems, things the striker has still to learn and could do better. Yes he scored, but……….

To some fans it feels like Clough is nit-picking. To others it adds to a perception that the manager likes to be contrary and go against the flow. Or, in a more positive light, that he is just being his own man - a manager in the mould of his father - willing to stand by his decisions however much others see it differently.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the mix. McNulty does have a lot to learn; both in terms of positioning and all round game play. At the same time, in a side struggling for goals, fans wanted to see some positive threat on the pitch, something that McNulty seemingly provided.

The manager has pointed out in interviews that this is part of how he handles McNulty, focusing on how the player responds to this criticism. This has in itself generated concern amongst fans. They view it as a risky strategy, one that only seems to raise the hackles of the striker's father on social media and doesn't seem to be to the overall of benefit of the club. Subsequently, the criticism has spread to other members of the team, as players were named as to blame for recent defeats. This blame game, with little self-flagellation from the manager seemed to raise ire further.

Bizarrely, public criticism is frowned upon by any fans, yet many of these very same fans are the ones who want and demand honesty from their manager. If the view from the terraces is that tactically the manager got it wrong, or a player underperformed they want it acknowledged, they want to see some form of action taken.

Yet we all see the game differently, within that view and opinion there will be some common ground, but everyone is looking at the game in different ways. At half time versus Scunthorpe, I was criticised by some for being too negative, given we were winning 2-0. Yet, if it hadn't been for Jose Baxter's penalty we would have been going in at half time 1-0 up, having rarely tested the Scunthorpe keeper and the nervousness at not capitalising on our dominance of possession would have left many fans fearing another slip up.

To test the water I praised the first half against Crewe, one all at the time, but with a very similar 45 minutes to the Scunthorpe game in terms of how we had played, passed and finished. I was criticised again. It was "rubbish", the passing was "awful". The responses highlighted the difference made by a goal, on a rare foray forward, from the opposition, but also how we all view matches with different tints of red and white. On this basis can a manager ever be seen to be getting this right? 

This isn’t the first time a United manager has used this as a means of motivating his players. Early in the 1991 season, with United yet again making a slow start in the top tier, Dave Bassett was highly critical of his players in the press. Rarely singling out individuals, he came down more heavily on the team as a whole, in his own forthright fashion.

A young 16 year old fan, read and listened to his comments, thought about it and sent him a letter. The letter largely thanked the manager for what he had achieved at Bramall Lane, they remain some of the greatest times that fan has had watching the Blades even twenty odd years later, but the letter also asked why he was so openly negative about his team.

A week or so later a letter came back to the writer, a copy is below. In Bassett’s reply, he touched upon the fact that many of his comments were well thought out and not a spontaneous, heat of the moment outburst that his style tended to suggest. He also suggested that used sparingly these comments are a useful management motivational tool in both business settings as well as sporting realms and that he would hope that his management style had matured to the extent that he knew the right balance to use with his players.

He went on to make a point about using public negativity to develop a united response from players, whether that criticism has come from the fans, media or the manager himself.

"What you see and what you are told by the press is only a small part of my overall motivational strategy that has the best interests of the club at heart."

So maybe we, as fans, have to accept a nuanced approach to man-management, more so in football. Whilst we, as managers in our day to day work, may not take the critical approach to personal development used by Bassett, Clough and Mourinho, we need to accept that the manager will see fit to use what they think is right. They will only act in a way they feel is in the best interests of the club, they have no reason not to as it is their livelihood at risk.

The fact that one of the most popular managers in United’s recent history used similar techniques is often forgotten amongst his success. It certainly didn’t inspire the kind of response Clough’s player criticism has generated, albeit the use of social media means the strength of views are amplified these days. Who knows how many others questioned the manager in letters to the club? We will never know.

It could also be argued that with his team under-performing in the league and recruitment decisions and team selection under scrutiny, this is just another verbal stick with which to hit the manager. But as he might argue when defending his treatment of McNulty, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but saying things won’t hurt me’.

Making Plans for Nigel

So United have finally confirmed what many have suspected over the last 10 days, Nigel Clough is the new Blades manager. Their number one choice from the start, according to reports, but I am sure it was not without a great deal of consideration and thought as to the merits and risks of the appointment.

 

Thinking over the candidates and when asked for my Top 3 last week, I struggled to make a 100% certain case for any of the candidates; each raising a degree of risk and concern. So I thought it worth setting out my thoughts on Clough, starting with my concerns. After all, it is always good to end on the positives>

 

Detractors could point to the steady consolidation at Derby County and whether his play and tactics will be positive enough when we desperately need some forward thrust, both in the short term and over the next two or three seasons. Derby were accused of lacking a winning mentality, something Clough will need to instil at United and quickly. They also lacked goals and Clough's inability to find a winning and scoring formula will be one familiar to Unitedites.

 

In a similar way to our feelings about David Weir, Derby fans could see what he was trying to do in terms of playing style, but without the results early season, fans believed that it would click into a positive run of results. They never got the chance to find out. His style of play may well fit the club's over-arching plan, but it needs to bring results.

 

There have been question marks over his man-management of the personalities at Derby, particularly Stephen Bywater, whilst outbursts against players such as Dean Leacock, Paul Green and Tomasz Cywka gained criticism from supporters and observers alike. You would also expect there to be not much of a future at Bramall Lane for Chris Porter, given observations made by Clough during the striker's time at Pride Park. 

 

For a manager left looking in Scotland, Ireland and the lower leagues for players, concerns have been expressed about the club's recruitment policy and scouting structure. This was possibly put further under the microscope by the appointment of his brother Simon as scout; a role for whom has been found at Bramall Lane. Appointments like this raise questions of nepotism and appointing the best man for the job.

 

Looking for the positives, I think it is fair to say we have made a "safe" appointment. Despite the concerns previously expressed he has some great experience and is a steady performer with clear success. He served a long and successful apprenticeship with 11 years at Burton Albion, taking over at a relatively young 32 whilst still playing.

 

With two promotions he all but took Burton into the Football League in 2009, joining Derby County with the Brewers well clear at the top of the Conference Premier. At relegation threatened Derby, he inherited a mess from the departing Paul Jewell. A run of early form was not maintained, although the Rams did survive on the penultimate weekend of the season. 

 

Over his period in charge at Derby, Clough had overseen the development of several young players into first teamers - even putting to one side the one-off talent that is Will Hughes; there have been Jeff Hendricks and Mason Bennett amongst others. Clough has built strong foundations with the club's academy, which were partly a result of necessity, given the financial restrictions he faced and I expect that he will be expected to continue that work at United.

 

There is no doubt that he has worked within tight budgetary controls and that will still be a factor at United. You only have to listen to the co-owners to know that this isn't some vanity project that sees millions being thrown at the team. This also highlights the challenges the club will face, if and when promoted, when up against an increasing number of teams with ever increasing parachute payments.

 

His sacking in favour of a bigger name and ex-Derby player Steve Maclaren was not exactly welcomed by Derby fans. Many recognised the job he had done in difficult circumstances and although a freshening up may seem sensible, they questioned whether anyone would have done better. After all the club had the faith in him 18 months previous to give him a contract that still had nearly two years left to run.

 

Clough was in the middle of a long term transition with Derby and a lot of fans believed he was the best man to run with the project. United's transition will be expedited by money and if not the transition itself the expectation will be. It will be interested to see how he responds in a more demanding environment.

 

Just as Derby felt they would benefit from a change, maybe Clough will benefit from a new challenge. A new challenge, not without expectation, but without some of the baggage that comes from being at one of his father's former clubs.

 

Chris Morgan and Mick Wadsworth have steadied the ship in the last couple of weeks and it is now up to Clough to build on this and take us forward. You can never dismiss any team you come up against in League 1 and certainly not in our current position; however it is fair to say the upcoming run of fixtures appears kind to our new manager and will hopefully lead to a positive start to his reign.

 

Any appointment will never gain 100% agreement across a fan-base. People will have their favourites and I think the idea of new money in the club led to some aspirational suggestions from supporters. Maybe the perception of financial reward and money to spend might have attracted certain names, willing to ignore the club's league position, but I don't think they would be the right kind of manager for our club and where we find ourselves right now.

 

To be honest, I am not sure Clough would have joined in the summer, if he had been a free agent then, so maybe the money is a possible factor in this appointment. At least he is a realistic appointment for the position we are in, not a vanity appointment without lower league knowledge or experience. The key thing for me, now it has been announced, is that whatever their prior opinions or choices, the fans are 100% behind the new manager. That appears to be the case.

 

I can't say he was my first choice, but I back the board's judgement and wish him the best of luck. Don't under-estimate the luck, as we know from painful experience, you can do so much right before fates conspires against us. Maybe this time the Footballing Gods might look on us kindly…..maybe Old Big 'ead can have a word in their ear…then again, maybe he wouldn't, he won't have that fond a memory of the Blades.

Full Time for Weir

 

 

 

When David Weir was appointed back in June, no one expected his first run in football management to be over after 13 games, with one victory and Sheffield United in the League One relegation zone. A season of consolidation with some player churn was expected, that might not mean a top 6 position of the like United had achieved for the last two years, but not the abject failure that has followed.

 

At the time of his appointment I did ponder whether there was an element of the fans (me included) being relatively happy because, when compared with other candidates and names that had appeared in the press, he appeared a breath of fresh air.

 

I also suggested that he lacked the experience of management (and League One) that, in our current situation, might have been preferable. However, his coaching qualifications and a wealth of playing experience in both top level club football and at international level partly. He spoke calmly, confidently and well about what he wanted to achieve and how he was going about it.

 

Whilst there is no doubt the subsequent investment in the club changes the landscape, it has also hastened the decision making. Whilst his footballing philosophy could not be faulted, it wasn't working and in a results driven business there needs to be short term points gain otherwise confidence drops and results are harder to come by, however pretty the football is. And even the football wasn't that pretty; plenty of passing, but little incision and pretty ineffective in the final third. Minimal chances were created, decision making was defensively minded, yet still the team conceded game after game.

 

Just two weeks ago I was still preaching for patience. The Preston North End game raised fans' hackles yet I still felt the potential for improvement was there if Weir demonstrated some flexibility, a willingness to adapt and time was allowed for the many new faces to bed in. I wanted David Weir to succeed, because that meant that United succeeded and teh club wouldn't be going through more turmoil and change.

 

Even after the Crawley game, the first half of which was possibly one of the worst 45 minutes of football from a United side I have ever watched at Bramall Lane, I still had hope that Weir would put it right. The improvement in the second half wasn't difficult to achieve from such a low starting point, but the manager at least showed some variation in tactics and plan. It was still nowhere near where it needs to be, but there was an element of progressive thinking.

 

Then came Hartlepool in the Johnstone Paint Trophy. A performance so devoid of spirit, passion and belief, both on and off the pitch that I struggled to see a way back from that point. Rumours of player discontent with tactics and coaching staff were clearly demonstrable. The players seemed dis-united, not that they were arguing with each other, they lacked the passion to even argue and fight their cause. Saying a manager has "lost the dressing room" is a bit of a cliché, but if the players claim they were playing for the manager on Tuesday night, they are liars. They were barely playing for each other.

 

As the on pitch malaise was perpetuated over 90 minutes of largely turgid football, Weir stood, arms folded, on the touchline. Largely motionless and seemingly lost in thought. His post-match interview was heart-breaking to watch as a fan and it was hard not to feel some sympathy for a man who looked completely lost and overwhelmed after. The terseness and mono-syllabic responses not arrogance but bewilderment

 

In some ways I feel sorry for Weir. He has tried to effect change, possibly too quickly, and as a result has clearly suffered from dissent. The players are better than how they have been performing. Yes some of their on-pitch failure is tactical, but the problems run deeper than that. Rumours of cliques and trouble-makers pre-date Weir's arrival and as an observer you cannot help but feel that the stories have some credence.

 

Not all the problems that have plagued United's start to the season are managerial. As the manager heads to the exit door, the players remain. They don't have to face up to their ineptitude or the consequences of a poor attitude. I feel that some will be quite happy right now, and I am not sure they are the kind of players I want at the club.

One other worthy of further scrutiny is Head of Football Operations, John Stephenson. On arriving from Watford with a glowing reputation, he has had an active role in Weir's arrival, the changing structure of the club and academy, the over-arching playing philosophy and the identification and recruitment of players. Yet he sits silently in the background, without the pressure of observation or direct criticism.

 

The timing, coming more than two days after the Hartlepool defeat and no more than an hour after Weir performed his pre-(Coventry)match duties with the media, points to a realisation that any success on Sunday was going to provide only short term succour and that the board couldn't wait until next week, when a sacking after a draw or victory would have seemed more callous. It also suggests they waited to have a shortlist of candidates lined up and you would assume the time has allowed them to sound out candidates for positive interest. Swift change, as promised by director Jim Phipps, is vital after the drawn out and publicly embarrassing shambles in the summer.

 

Certain factors have worked against Weir. Arriving so close to an already planned pre-season meant he had little chance to prepare the players how he would have wanted and hastily arranged additional pre-season friendlies saw the manager shuffling the pack trying to establish the best combination right up to the start of the season. The loss of Kevin McDonald should not be under-estimated, especially given the importance of his role in Weir's chosen formation and planning. The investment has also heightened expectations and although he has had the ability to recruit, trying to integrate so many new players in a short space of time is not easy.

 

Where he has failed, and what any new manager needs to address, is in taking a team with one of the best defensive records in the country and leaving them apparently susceptible to conceding every game. He also failed to deal with the lack of goals and a goal scorer which has affected United for several seasons, either side of Ched Evans' prolific final season before incarceration. Instead he has packed the team with midfielders to create chances for non-existent strikers. There is also the failure to man-manage a playing group with disruptive influences and a lack of on-field leadership.

 

Whoever takes charge at Bramall Lane, needs to be a strong personality and willing to deal with long running issues on the playing side. There are clear tactical decisions to be made although there isn't an unlimited transfer kitty to deal with defensive frailties and attacking gaps, you can imagine there will be significant churn of players in January. This is a group of good League One players who should be up and around the Top 6, what it needs is a manager with lower league success who will take the club and team to where they should be.

 

Why "The Worst Manager" Escapes Vilification

 

We live in an ever demanding football world. The past is soon forgotten, as runs of bad results immediately lead to cat-calls from the terraces and managerial obituaries written by keyboard warriors. When past success has been obliterated from the memory, all that is left is the resonating sound of the failures that brought a managerial reign to an end. Either a mournful last post or a rousing anthem of uprising and anger.

Fans have long memories. Very few managers leave and are remembered fondly. When they do, there is always the denouement which tarnishes it. Dave Bassett took United to successive promotions and back to the top flight for the first time in 14 years yet, in the latter days of his reign, United's poor form following relegation and his inability to address the issues led to infighting amongst fans at matches. There are few things as divisive as a dip in form from a worshipped manager.

Bassett is lucky, fans will look back on his time fondly and he is guaranteed a great reception every time he returns to Bramall Lane. Others will never be that lucky. Returning manager's receptions are either black or white, you either loved them or you didn't. Rarely is it a grey area. Saturday demonstrated the exception to the rule.

Micky Adams returned to Bramall Lane, as United faced his Port Vale side in an FA Cup tie, just 18 months after he had departed having presided over the final instalment of one of United's worst seasons in recent memory. He had joined a club in turmoil, much of its own making, thanks to sacking Kevin Blackwell just three games into the season and then giving the late Gary Speed his first managerial experience before he left after 3 months to take the Wales job.

Few shed any tears for Blackwell, although the timing of the decision was widely condemned as ill-conceived, and once he had gone the club was only ever going to promote Speed; a man finding his way in the job. By the time Adams took over from caretaker boss John Carver on 30th December 2010, United sat in a disappointing 19th place, two points above the relegation places. United were fighting to get the club back on an even keel, paying the price for maintaining a Premier League infrastructure, paying players extortionate salaries in a sign at all costs mentality and a misuse of the loan market.    

A Blades fan from childhood, Adams' appointment received a mixed reception from United fans. Some saw him as a relatively safe pair of hands, an unimaginative, but steady appointment. Those last two adjectives also being barbs aimed by his detractors and those of the board who wanted United to show a little initiative in their appointment. Maybe he could be the man to put a bit of passion back into an apathetic club, limping along in the Championship.

The immediate, and often short term, boost in form from the appointment of a new manager never happened and the appointment of Dave Bassett as a consultant, to advise and share the burden, just over a month into his reign was a sign he wasn't up to the job. Far too often winnable games, slipped away. Rumours quickly spread of player dissention and disciplinary issues.

The beginning of the end was a week in February when United played relegation rivals Preston, Palace and Scunthorpe and picked up no points. The Scunthorpe game saw United 2-0 up at Glanford Park, before eventually losing 3-2. Post-match, in an emotional interview with local radio, Adams referred to issues behind the scenes that were not helping him in his job. He suggested that it was 'about time the players took responsibility because you can’t fool the public all the time.' He sounded at a loss as to what to do next.

Having had a small advantage over relegation rivals on Adams' arrival, United made as much progress as an asthmatic ant with a large bag of shopping. United finished second bottom and were seven points from safety. Adams' United took 14 games to get a win and by the season end had won 4 games in 25. United had incurred one of the division's biggest wage bills and used 40 players.

Saturday saw a muted reception from the Blades fans as Adams appeared on the touchline. All the noise being made by the Vale fans still supportive of a manager who had left them for the Blades, only to return and successfully steer the financially stricken club to second in League 2. The only time United fans joined in the "One Micky Adams" chants was ironically as Shaun Miller stole it for the Blades in the final seconds of injury time. As the fans chanted "Na, Na, Na, Na, he's a Blade and he's a Blade", a little bit of you felt for the man stood staring in disbelief on the touchline.

As we watched the highlights of the FA Cup on ITV at the weekend, Adams appeared for a post-match interview. His rabbit in the headlamps stare was something we saw so often saw in his previous time at Bramall Lane. He had a general look of bewilderment at the events that had unfolded and looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He talked about his love of United, how glad he was to have received a warm welcome and how he hoped United went on to further success. The edit removing any comment on his new club and how they had performed.

"Aww", said my wife. "I just want to give him a big hug. He looks like he needs one."

I saw a similar comment from a fellow (female) Blade on my twitter timeline the next day. And there you have Micky Adams in a nutshell.

A man who got his dream job, in the most trying of circumstances and just wasn't up to it. A majority of fans bear him little malice. They recognise he was one of us. No-one doubted his efforts, no-one could believe he didn't do anything but his best, but his best just wasn't good enough. He came across as the little boy lost, deep in his own thoughts, chastened by his experiences and unable to foster the respect and toil required of his charges. A man you would happily share a pint with, but wouldn’t necessarily leave in control of the family crockery, you know, just in case he dropped it. A man who looks like he needs a hug.

Past managers have dismayed Blades fans with their attitude (Steve Bruce), their ineptitude (Adrian Heath) or both (Bryan Robson). Bruce deserted when money became tight, Heath's man- management and results were awful and Bryan Robson squandered probably the biggest budget and most talented squad in recent memory, yet aimed his barbs at the fans rather than recognising his own failings. None would get anything near a warm welcome at Bramall Lane. None would receive the dispassionately neutral response Adams received, yet statistically Adams was the worst manager in United's history.   

Back in 2010-11 Adams was a loyal and committed sergeant leading his troops over the top on an risk-laden mission, compromised by events that had gone before and the plans of the generals and tacticians above him. At the same time he was unable to organise his troop of deserters and people just not up to and up for the charge. The outcome had been depressingly predictable for some time. Few will forget those events, few will look back fondly on Micky Adams' time at Sheffield United, but few will doubt his commitment and effort.

I can imagine he made a note in his diary as he headed to Bramall Lane for the final home game against Barnsley, fate all but sealed, that simply said "Bugger!". It was only a surprise that he never appeared on camera with two pencils up his nose and his underpants on his head shouting "Wibble". Mind you I doubt it would have helped, I mean, who would have noticed another madman round Bramall Lane that season?

Appraising the Scapegoats

Yesterday Richard Bevan, Chief Executive of the League Managers Association called for the scapegoating of football managers to stop. He called for appraisals of manager performance where "the strengths and weaknesses of how the football-side of the club is performing might be assessed against realistic expectations and previously, mutually agreed goals.

Richard Bevan c Mirror

"In any other sector, there is a recognition that the highest performing organizations are those who build winning organizational culture - shared beliefs, goals and ways of behaving - coupled with a long-term vision." Fair enough, so what would this mean for some of those Bevan represents?

When Roy Hodgson joined Liverpool in the summer, he was employed by different owners, Gillet and Hicks and a Chief Executive, Christian Purslow, who is yet to be replaced. He joined on the back of their worst season for a decade, the LMA Manager of the Year stating, “I'm here for the long haul and to do the job that needs to be done, hopefully winning trophies very quickly." So what were the expectations and objectives when he took over? Did they change with new ownership? And do any new objectives take account of the changes above him?

By stating an aim for trophies and quickly he has personally set an objective that, as things stand, he is still on to achieve. You have to assume that such statements are made in line with directors' expectations. Trophies are not won in January and Liverpool remains in both the Europa League and the FA Cup - okay so they only join the latter on Sunday! 

Hodgson's shock as objectives revealed c Mirror

With an inadequate squad and limited funds to change things, could he realistically be expected to improve on 7th and a 23 point deficit on Champions Chelsea? To be fair, at the very least, he should have been capable of maintaining the status quo. With Liverpool sitting 12th, 19 points behind Manchester United and with 9 defeats to their name (just 2 less than the number over the whole of last season), it could be said that Roy has failed, to date. Yet does he not need more time to impose his ways, to sign more of his own his own players? Neutrals and the few Liverpool fans in the Paul Konchesky Fan Club might suggest so; an increasingly vocal majority at Anfield would not. 

Carlo Ancelloti is being talked of in some quarters as at risk. Unfounded rumours swept the country yesterday that both he and Roy were heading for the exit door. The reigning champions sit 5th. 9 points off top spot, having won less than half of their games and having suffered 6 defeats - as many as they suffered in the whole of last season. On paper - Carlo is not achieving objectives, but should other factors come into play. With an ageing and injury riddled squad this season it has not been easy. Some of the more flexible squad members left in the Summer, with few replacements brought in, and youngsters, like McEachran, Sturridge and Bruma, have been blooded, probably more readily than the manager might have anticipated.

You would think that given last season and the enforced turnover within the playing squad he will be given n the chance to re-group and re-challenge. But this is football, where there is an expectation level to be maintained, firmly in the public eye.

A more cut and dried case perhaps is that of Roy Keane at Ipswich. Having splashed around £9m of Marcus Evans' cash around on players who failed to make an impact, with, since dismissed, rumours of unrest with star prospect Connor Wickham and Damien Delaney (amongst others) and a plummet down the table to 19th, 3 points above the relegation places, Keane can hardly claim to have met expectations. However, on his departure he expressed "a genuine belief that we were making progress".  Unfortunately for Roy his objectives were league based and, however nice a Carling Cup semi-final appearance is, the progress the club made was downwards.

More time to walk the dog c SkySports

At the end of the day football is a results business, unless you are an Arsenal fan and watching aesthetically pleasing football from both sides also appears to be required. (Mind you when you are paying close to a £100 per ticket, it is probably a not unreasonable request). Results = points. And we all know what points make............

Well it should be trophies, a place in the record books. That is how it would have been previously, but with significant money on offer for an improvement of just one league place in today's game the pressure for points intensifies. Bevan states that a manager's average tenure during the 2009-10 campaign was one year and four months, compared to three and a half years in 1992, yet football has changed tremendously in that time. The rewards for improving results are greater but the risks that clubs are willing to take are much smaller.

There is always someone else ready to take on the challenge and the cost of change is much less than the potential financial impact of failure. There are 79 "available" managers listed on the LMA website. I looked at the list, prior to the Blades appointing Micky Adams, and what an un-inspiring list it is. Aside from Martin O'Neill , maybe Rafa Benitez, who would you want at your club. Take a look. Why not comment your choice for your club below. I doubt we will see a great deal of variety.

However uninspiring they are, they are LMA members looking for work. If average tenures increase, then the longer these managers and others like them will be redundant. As respected journalist Gabriele Marcotti tweeted on Thursday night it is "funny how LMA worry about sacked managers more than out-of-work ones who might seize opportunity of job opening." Bevan is acting like most union officials, looking after those in jobs, but does he not owe a bit more to those who are awaiting a new opportunity, aside from giving them advice on their statements to the media following their last departure.

Football takes much more of a short-term view than other businesses, probably due to the propensity of stakeholders involved, opinions given and the media spotlight. Managers will have objectives and they will know how they are performing against those objectives. With the odd notable exception, Chris Hughton for instance, can many managers really be that surprised by the sack? Well, maybe Roy Keane. But as we know and as Louise Taylor so wonderfully states in this article in the Guardian, young Roy doesn't take constructive criticism very well.

We as fans might not like some of the changes to the game in recent years; I made my feelings known here. Richard Bevan might not like the impact it is having on its members, but in a world where so many people's jobs are at risk, where often it is nothing to do with their own personal performance, where decisions are made regardless of achievement of objectives and where they earn a wage much lower than the average manager, I'll give him an objective. Keep calm, keep quiet and carry on with your job.