Rate Our Summer

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Slim Man

Slim Man

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I mean United's, not the overall British summer before some smart arse chirps up :cool:
Marks from 1-10, 1 being the worst summer ever, 10 being the best. Naturally.
Now the window is over it seems as good a time as any to rate whats gone on.

Take into account whats happened over the summer, starting from the top:
New Pitch and General Improvements - Must admit this was a bonus. Theres the stuff around the ground from the 125 and new ticket office etc, the adidas stuff, it's really modernised the ground but the pitch was letting us down. The club spent £1,000,000 on making sure we had a state of the art pitch to match. We also saw new sponsors of the ground and a supposed improvement of the concourse.
Retained List - It saw us lose Michael Doyle and keep Jay McEveley. They were the two big talking points.
Clough Sacked - If you're like me, this was a bit... meh. I was happy for him to take next season simply as I had no faith in United to appoint the right man, Adkins was my first choice but I really thought it was going to be Parkinson. Strange however to let him put out his retained list and then get a new man in to work with them.
Adkins Appointed - After the chase of Parkinson this was a relief. What a breath of fresh air he has been, working with players seemingly not good enough for the predecessor, some of them look like different players. He has a positive air about him and a proven track record. The type you build a club around. Mr Positive.
Woolford Signs - The first signing of the summer, a bit of a um and ah signing. Good squad player maybe past his best a lot thought, but I think he's proving he can still offer us a lot now he's coming to fitness.
Sammon and Sharp Sign - The first one was greeted with a bit of ridicule but a lot of understanding, the second one really divided our fanbase. Think we can collectively say they are possibly already the best partnership in this division. Sammon is a better footballer than I ever gave him credit for, and Sharp has improved tenfold on the player that left this club all those years ago. A cut above.
Season starts: 4-0 drubbing at Gillingham - Don't lie, after this, you panicked. Such a solid, unbeaten pre season then back to earth with a bang. It tested Adkins positive tone but it really showed him what we had wasn't good enough.
Edgar Signs - For me the most important signing we've made, this one player has transformed our whole season in just a few games. He organises everyone around him, kicks it, heads it, and stays calm throughout. I think he has to take a hell of a lot of credit for the result on saturday, he is the only one of that defence who hasn't had his arse handed to him at Swindons ground for this club - can one player really make that much difference? It seems they can.
Murphy leaves for Brighton - £1.5mil - We were told all summer we wouldn't sell Murphy, we didn't want to or need to. But along comes a transfer request and he's gone. Simple as that. I think we got a good price when you consider what similar players from this league went for, and we look stronger as a unit without relying on Murphy, him going missing was like playing with 10 men.
Che Adams new contract - Another good piece of business tying one of the hottest properities outside the Premier League down long term. Hasn't done much since his brace v Chesterfield but that's to be expected at his age - great player we're moulding there.
Dan Burn & Dean Hammond deals fall through - Due to circumstances beyond our control we can't complete the signings that for me would probably complete the squad. They would have been two fantastic signings, both whom know how to get out of this league, but who's to say they won't be joining us in the loan window with (hopefully) a view to a permenant as both could do a sterling job in the Championship if we get there.

Taking into account everything, including results and business, think we have to give this window an 8 or maybe even a 9. That's mostly down to the manager change.
Each to their own though, post your rating based on what you think and include reasons.

Would be interested to know what other Blades think of the summer as a whole. Not just TDD.
 

TWELVE :D

It's ok. 6/7 out of 10.

Sharp and Edgar are fantastic signings. Sammon is proving to be a handful and useful foil to Sharp. Woolford looks to be gaining his fitness and looking better each game.

James Wallace - we've seen more of him this season than in his entire first season near enough.

Pitch - looks good.

Start to season better than expected TBH. Sitting 2nd at the end of August is most welcome.

We have to be careful not to do a "gillingham" again but at the moment, I can't see anything that suggests we won't be celebrating come May 2016... or even April... at a push.

Oh, and just to add. Pigs have missed out on loads of signings. They have built up a decent looking squad but this joker in charge doesn't have a clue it seems.
 
Erm 7? 7½?
Highlight of the window is signing one centre back. Half of what we desperately needed.
Still a bit torn on whether we should have sacked Clough or not but hey that's in the past and irrelevant now. Adkins seems to be slowly getting things sorted, although yesterday was a disappointment.

To be honest a transfer window can only really be concretely deemed as great or shite after the season begins to take shape (After 10 games/Christmas/whatever). It'll suggest whether we truly needed the "targets" we "targeted". Hindsight is wonderful.
 
I would give our summer a 6/10.

Positives

The appointment of Adkins was a brilliant move. The best we could ask for.

New pitch, training facilities, dugouts etc. All positive but these things are more icing on the cake issues.

Sharp, Sammon and Edgar look very useful signings. Not sure on Woolford yet but he's improving.

I think it was right to relase Doyle.

Che Adams new contract is a big positive.

We've just won 4 on the bounce and are 2nd.


Negatives

Sale of Murphy had a feel of "same owd" about it.

Failure to land our targets on deadline day had a feel of "same owd" about it

The ticket office queueing situation is still shit.

Our injury situation is less than ideal.

The Gillingham debacle was horrible but we seem to be recovering well.
 
All told, not a bad summary danny. Agree about Edgar, and your assessment of Sammon and Sharp.

I think there's a natural tendency amongst some Blades to immediately reach for the suicide help-line when we don't bring anyone in. The assumption seems to be that we'll not be able to sign again until January, why this is so is beyond me. The answer is far less negative than this view would have us believe, we'll loan if at all possible, in fact I'd say it's a nailed on certainty that Adkins will reinforce the first team. Disappointment is one thing, but the lengths some posters go to (not anyone on this thread just yet I should add) would make you believe they're perpetually just one step from calamity. Gillingham was probably a blessing in disguise, it would have confirmed any doubts Adkins may have had, thus he moved quickly to ensure we didn't repeat this defeat.

If most of us had been told we'd be second in the division this early in the season I'd wager we'd be delighted. Not a single one of us is blind to the fact that we need to strengthen, just allow our manager to make whatever moves he feels are necessary in this department. Behind that positive demeanour there's a steely resolve to do whatever's necessary, so let the guy do his job and, like every other manager, judge him on what he achieves.

Forgot to add - as far as summer transactions go I'll give this 7 and a bit.
 
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If you include results so far, at least 8/10. 6.5/10 for transfers, lots and lots of points for performances and results
 
7/10 for me.

If the 2 signings we think were the ones they were trying to get over the line, materialise in the loan window with a view to permanent, it will go up to a 9. As things stand we are too vulnerable to injuries and suspensions.
 
My problem with going down the loan route is that you can end up in scenarios like we did last season with Paddy Mac and COG. The first didn't train witht the team all week making it dififcult to gain any defensive cohesion and the second was recalled after about 3 games I think.
 
I'll go with a 7/10.

Positives
Edgar, freeman, Che Adams, Sammon
Adkins, good recovery

Negatives
Sacking Clough
Not signing a permanent centre half
Jim Phipps tweets
Sale of Murphy/ timing
Depth of squad
Neil Collins

For me the positives do outweigh the negatives, despite listing fewer positives. I'm concerned that we've papered some cracks though - at the back and the general spine (except up front)

I wasn't overly excited about Billy, he seemed to be a luxury and again moved the focus from the critical centre half slot. However he's a much improved player and holds the ball better than previously when he was here.

Results and performance wise we've done well and I'm happy there although the league cup was a joke.
 
Sold our best player (again) and not replaced him (again). What can possible go wrong! ;)

10/10
 
I am going for 7, and only because the CB was not sorted until after Gillingham and we are low on options in a couple of positions.

Didn't originally love the signing of Edgar, but he has been quality. Sharp and Sammon were great signings and Woolford seems to be in the thick of it when on the field. Just might need a few attempts to score.

We need to stay in the JPT as long as we can to give the reserves some match time.

I think some of our opinions have been done to death in regards to the time between getting a Murphy bid to the end of the transfer window.
 
4/10

Contributing factors:

- Not sacking Clough earlier

- Not attempting to move the obvious deadwood on whilst we searched for a new manager (sacking Clough earlier and before he announced the retained list could have made this much easier)

- The above resulting in an immoderate squad size vastly limiting our ability to recruit effectively.

- NA not signing a CB until he was pretty much forced to following the Gillingham result and even then being left now with only one CB on loan meaning an injury to him and it's back to Aug 8th.

- Problems recruiting on deadline day for reasons that need adressing whatever they may be. A few suggestions for the issues could be NA not getting a realistic grasp on the type of players we can attract, or it could just be that we have a weakness in negotiating. Interesting to note though how much simpler the process becomes when we are the ones selling.


Overall, i'm dissapointed with the way things have gone purely because the potential was there to do so much better. I expected a lot more from this summer and if you had told me on May the 11th that we would be sitting here having only signed 1 CB on loan, that signing only coming after a wake up call on the first day then frankly I would have said you were having me on.

If you'd have also went on to mention that we were to spend vast amounts on 2 players in positions of least need, prior to strengthening the key and most vital area, then at that point I would have said stop it your being silly now. Such as it is that's where we find ourselves. Albeit we have put together a good run but it's important not to forget we have hardly faced opposition that will be up near the top, maybe excluding Swindon.

A few injuries here and there and it's back to square one, especially if god forbid our only competent CB Edgar gets injured. I've refrained from becoming lulled into a false sense of security as a result of a minor good run and I think that's a significant step to take when we leave ourselves as vulnerable as we have with our transfer activity.
 
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6/10
Positives
We have got the best manager anyone could have wished for at this level.
Sharpe & Sammon are welcome additions up front where we have been very weak for over a year.
Nice to see J Wallace getting back to fitness he could be a big player for us this season.
Adkins moved fast after the Gillingham debacle and changed the defence, Edgar looks quality but like Sammon I'm glad the loan is season long and no recall.
New pitch & dugout even if they are only used for half of the 46 games.
Adams tied down to a long contract.
We are trying to play a more attacking style of football
Negatives
Letting Clough do the retained list and not sacking him sooner.
The age old centre back problem has still only been half solved.
The age old midfield problems have not been fully solved.
The keeper problems are still with us
Jose Baxter is still at the club
As usual after the season ticket sales are all in we sell our best player after the season starts despite assurances up top that A/ we don't need to ...... B/ we have no wish to.
Having sold our best player we have not replaced him .......... sorry Woolford don't come close and Che adams is still very raw and will have many ups and downs as he has lots to learn, Done who could play on the left is out for a long time.
Jim Phipp's telling fans what they want to hear even if it is bollocks.
Again we miss out on transfer targets at the last minute. Actually other clubs can say no to sales and it is not as easy to replace players as some would lead you to believe.
We are again spouting the loan window opens in a week bollocks while hoping the fans forget they are now 3 month loans, to take a player on loan up to the JTW with a view to buy means we can't bring him in for another month or if we do he has to go back to his club in December giving other clubs the chance to steal our targets from under our nose.
It just seems no matter who is in the boardroom we still make the same mistakes and downright fuck ups that we have been making for the last five years or more, we never learn.
Overall
Lots of work to be done on both the squad and behind the scenes but with Adkins we are begining to see the light at the end of the tunnel we seem to be playing more as a team and have more goal threat than last season where we relied heavily on Murphy to make things happen.
 
I'm going with a 7-.

I thought Clough should have been given another season, but I wasn't looking forward to it, it was SO boring last season.

Fantastic appointment of Adkins, I would have dreaded Parkinson.

Before a ball was kicked this season (about 30 minutes before), I said that I was going to renew our season tickets on Monday (then mid August) unless we get beat 4-0 by Gillingham (what a prediction). As a consequence, I didn't re-new and didn't attend against Morecambe or Chesterfield, both I had planned to attend. My first game was Peterborough away, and wow, what a difference. I subsequently renewed season tickets for Blackpool match.

One of my issues, was renewing season tickets over the phone, whilst wanting to change seats. Half an hour's wait in the queue and then the "girl" not being able to direct me successfully to the available seating plan on the web site. So I went to renew before the Blackpool game. I got there about 13:30 p.m. (plenty of time) and joined a queue stretching to the club shop. After getting in, I was treated very well by the staff, until I asked to pay by month direct debit (they had run out of photocopied forms!). I finally left with my season tickets at about 14:45 p.m. and saw that the queue was stretching past the club shop and up the hill! (hence a loss of a point for the ticket office, although they were very friendly and helpful (better systems needed!)

I've not been bothered by the Murphy sale, or the lack of late transfer deadline activity. We have a strong enough squad, when taking the injured players into account, and the money can always be used if and when required. In Adkins I trust (said the same about Clough).

Ask me again when my target of Champions has been achieved (or otherwise).

Get behind the team and stop bickering between ourselves.

Pitch looks fantastic!
 
7

Difficult decision by the board to sack Clough, doubt they wanted to but felt it was necessary.
Fantastic recruitment of replacement Nigel. Genuinely think they couldn't have done better.
Had they managed to bring in Burn and Hammond it would have been nine. If we hadn't sold Murphy, ten.

IMHO massive improvement since the Prince has got on board but need to keep up the impetus.
 
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