Matchday Thread Sheffield Utd v PNE | 25.04.26 | KO: 3PM | Championship

[Heck Tuah]

Isn't it funny how often this debate comes up and yet nobody from either side of the argument ever seems to bring up the FA Cup quarter final that was deemed to be a big achievement at the time?

It's like we all collectively forgot about it after it kick-started our demise last season.

 

[RibbletonWhite2.0]

Are we still bloody comparing Lowe with Hecky. It’s been done to death.

Both poor managers. Both won’t be remembered very well.

Also the defence of Hecky (because he isn’t Lowe) is very odd. Fans deserve mediocrity when a manger comes out with a 28% win ratio. And yes win percentage does mean something.

 

[RibbletonWhite2.0]

Isn't it funny how often this debate comes up and yet nobody from either side of the argument ever seems to bring up the FA Cup quarter final that was deemed to be a big achievement at the time?

It's like we all collectively forgot about it after it kick-started our demise last season.

View attachment 33730

It’s like fans forgot we almost got relegated last season or does the fa cup quarter final just suddenly make that irrelevant?

Beating them premier league power houses Wycombe on pens was a special highlight.

 

[Heck Tuah]

It’s like fans forgot we almost got relegated last season or does the fa cup quarter final just suddenly make that irrelevant?

Beating them premier league power houses Wycombe on pens was a special highlight.

No, it doesn't. Its just something I found interesting.

Most North End fans have never seen an FA Cup quarter final in their lifetime. It was a big deal at the time and a big plus point for the management team. Now it doesn't even get a mention even from people who are pro PH.

And behave - obviously the highlight was battering Premier League bound Burnley 3-0.

 

[Bodney Rewes]

Are we still bloody comparing Lowe with Hecky. It’s been done to death.

Both poor managers. Both won’t be remembered very well.

Also the defence of Hecky (because he isn’t Lowe) is very odd. Fans deserve mediocrity when a manger comes out with a 28% win ratio. And yes win percentage does mean something.

Stats mean nothing without context. I'll happily compare Heckingbottom to Neil if you want. Neil joined a much stronger squad and ultimately didn't take us anywhere. During his time in charge, we saw a decline in the quality of our squad. Key players were lost cheaply under his watch (during one window in particular), not adequately replaced, and he signed a raft of players who we weren't going to make much money on.

Under every manager we've had since returning to the Championship, you can define us as "busy doing nothing". I at least want to give Heckingbottom the time to show that this season is a transitional season into better things. We improved on last season, I think he deserves to show he can improve on this season. He is doing no worse this season than any of those previous managers.

 

[CMYW]

Isn't it funny how often this debate comes up and yet nobody from either side of the argument ever seems to bring up the FA Cup quarter final that was deemed to be a big achievement at the time?

It's like we all collectively forgot about it after it kick-started our demise last season.

View attachment 33730

Didn't our drop in form coincide with the loss of our first choice keeper both last season and this one.

 

[norfolk white]

Are we still bloody comparing Lowe with Hecky. It’s been done to death.

Both poor managers. Both won’t be remembered very well.

Also the defence of Hecky (because he isn’t Lowe) is very odd. Fans deserve mediocrity when a manger comes out with a 28% win ratio. And yes win percentage does mean something.

As you say, the comparison between the two has been done to death and you are moaning because it keeps being brought up, yet you then go and add your tuppence worth 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[justinr73]

I've noticed elsewhere the narrative has changed to the lack of home wins recently.

Never really understood why home/away results get brought up as a reason to sack someone. Yes it's disappointing as a fan if you've got a season ticket and they're better away, or you go to a lot of away games but the away form is poor, but it's about the results in general.

Same with win percentage being used when draws exist in football. A lot. You're not going to get too far with a poor win percentage, but also doesn't mean you're going to be relegated either.

Performed way above expectation in the first half of the season, and below expectation in the second half of the season. Yes, some other clubs probably would've sacked him during that run, but mid table is where we're at, and that's where this squad belongs. Certainly is what my expectations were after the summer window shut anyway. Start of the season I thought would be more bottom six, but then after couple more additions prior to the window closing, mid table seemed right.

And that's not taking into account losing your no1 GK for so long. Again.

A significant majority see a significant majority of their games at home.

If home form is good, then most people are happy.

It’s how the fuckin’ Broon got away with it for so long.

 

[SF]

I mean realistically, it's on Peter Ridsdale.

But if it's on the manager, to say Heckingbottom's spend is about a quarter is lowballing it. Frokjaer is supposed to be £1.5m, we supposedly made our money back on Okkels (£1.7m), Thor is another we've supposed to have made our money back on. In three players you've got to about £4m. Then Theo Mawene was a 'significant undisclosed fee', Whatmough was about half a million (if I recall correctly) and Stewart was probably a couple of hundred grand. We won't have made profit, but it's a lot more than a quarter.

Equally, let's actually look at the quality of those players sold. Under Lowe Ridsdale would often handwave and say "You need somone to be interested", I don't think any of the players we've sold under Heckingbottom you could realistically say were key players. Some like Okkels and Stewart probably fit into the 'shite' category. Yet under Heckingbottom we've managed to sell them.

Again the main culprit is Ridsdale, but I don't think it's worth pretending the transfer activity had nothing to do with Lowe. We didn't receive bids but we didn't go out and encourage teams to bid either, while now we do.

We supposedly only got £400k for Thor, I'd be amazed if we even got a million for Okkels after what he did here, and I think Whatmough was more like £250k. But yeah, more than a quarter when you take them all into account.

Heckingbottom has definitely had better overall backing that Lowe did though. As I say, he didn't spend a penny in the first 18 months. Maybe PH is more trusted with cash, or maybe they panicked fearing relegation. Ridsdale said this summer was the biggest transfer spending we've had since he's been here.

Peter Ridsdale exclusive: Deadline day, Cannon, Armstrong, Osmajic, budget and more

Exclusive chat with the PNE CEO following the close of the summer transfer window

www.lep.co.uk

I think 12th is where we should be as a squad, but the drop off is hard to ignore, and I'd be happy to see the back of his uninspired football and personality. No defence of Lowe, but I think PH has had a much easier ride here.

 

[monky1234]

I think 12th is where we should be as a squad, but the drop off is hard to ignore, and I'd be happy to see the back of his uninspired football and personality. No defence of Lowe, but I think PH has had a much easier ride here.

This is definitely true, but Lowe only has himself to blame for that. He lost so many fans by constantly bullshitting to media about his attacking brand when we were seeing something different.

I think if he didn't act like that, it wouldn't have got anywhere near as toxic and fans would've accepted that the football was needs must in order to finish well in the league. Obviously still would've been fans unhappy, because we were on the receiving end of a lot of tonkings, but it was his gob that lost a lot of people. He'll probably go down as one of the managers who's got one of the best records out of the most disliked managers because of it.