Successful Transfer Window?

[Slim Man]

Baptiste went on season loan to Preston yesterday. Maybe CW didn't rate him, wages to high, he didn't fancy it after last time, whatever. Looked the part last time

He didn't fancy league one again

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Plenty of incomings and it looks promising for the season, more so than a couple of weeks ago.

Well done Wilder.

And good support from the Board (unless of course, that does not follow the current Forum narrative)

 

[The Bohemian]

I think so

I think we can honestly say that for the first time apart from right back we have at least 2 specialist players in each position.

We now don't have to play Basham at centre back or a centre back at left back or a striker at left wing, etc...

Brilliant transfer window, team finally looks like a squad of real players, some young, so experienced perfect mix

One con is that with so much of a change it might take a while for them to work well together, fans have to be patient, give it till XMAS before we start becoming critical of players and manager.

This season we might not get promotion but the team is looking in good shape

Much better than past season, where transfer windows have slow and when it shuts, their is a long list of players where we just left it to late to get.

Wilder and his transfer team have done better than last year and seasons before, really exciting team.

Based on positions that needed filling at the back end of 'the window', I'm pleased but not ecstatic:

GK: critical - signed
Central Defender: critical - signed
Midfield leader/enforcer: important - unresolved
Striker with aggressive pace: important - signed
Right back: would have been nice - unresolved

Too early to judge the players signed, without a detailed knowledge of their previous performances (which I don't have).

If they're up to scratch, the squad assembled will be capable of a top 6 finish but probably not top 2.

 

[PeteBlade]

Sure was but a great game of football.
You missed it didnt you?
Great night out. You should try it.

I most certainly did miss it. I wish more people had for the good of the game.
I try it regularly, thanks very much.

 

[grafikhaus]

An overdue and necessary improvement but still a very long way from perfect.

And which team in Division 3 is perfect?

The money we have raised from Adams and DCL is unlikely to be seen again

Sold best 2 young players and not re-invested the money.

So the twelve incoming players have come to play for free?

Bolton are going to piss the league with those signings today. Class. If only we matched their ambition eh?

Without knowing much about all the players Bolton have brought in, none stands out. It's probably 'quantity over quality' a la Clough. But 'Bolton are going to piss the league' yet we have no hope.

Trust me Che Adams was overrated, he will never become a good player or a high quality player we robbed Birmingham of 1.7million and same with Everton with DCL

That could be the reason that Birmingham and Everton are where they are and the Blades are in League 1,they keep getting robbed and we are legends in the transfer department.

Or they could have bought another Brayford? However £1m+ to Everton and Brum is nothing to these teams even if t doesn't work out.

Look, I'm just mightily relieved that Sharp is still with us. DCL? Another Reed who would have been 'there or thereabouts'. Until we loan them to the likes of Chesterfield, never to be heard of again. If Everton had allowed us to have DCL back on a season-long loan, there's every chance he wouldn't have got in our team. Che, without doubt, has potential but it would never have been realised at this club and at this level.

Most of us knew that a lot of the failures who finished mid-table last season needed shipping out. Wilder has done just that. Talk of 'why do United always sell their best players?' is answered with 'Because nobody wants to buy the shit players' and Clough and Adkins brought in plenty of those.

In just three months, CW has performed much-needed major surgery. Not all the incomings will work out but that's football. The transfer window progs. last night were full of signings which looked good at the time, but just didn't work (Bony? Balotelli?)

It may work at United, but it's too early to say. But talk of the Adams/DCL money having 'disappeared' are wide of the mark.

 

[Finnieston]

I most certainly did miss it. I wish more people had for the good of the game.
I try it regularly, thanks very much.

I know you do Pete . Just jesting. I have respected your common sense approach in the past.

 

[Keen Blade]

Dear Chris ,
Just wanted to congratulate you on a brilliant window for my cashflow !
Sold youngster Adams £1.7m , kerching !
Sold youngster DCL £1.5m , kerching !
Offloaded Brayford's wages , kerching !
Reduced squad by half , 46 to 23 , kerching !
Spent virtually nothing of the £3m received , yet gates still at 19,000 , kerching !
And most importantly , we will avoid that pesky expense of being in the Championship next season.
You're my favourite puppet / fall-guy and your reward is to play on our fabulous Desso pitch.
Many thanks.
Hey , we're all Blades , aren't we ?
Kevin

 

[Roygbiv]

So the twelve incoming players have come to play for free?

.

We've let 18 go. The wage bill is undoubtedly lower now than it was. Thats not a bad thing but you can't make out like the 12 we have brought hasn't been comfortablely covered by the 18 we've let go. Whichever way you look at it we've received considerably more money than we have spent in terms of transfers and also lowered the wage bill

Wilder apparently had bids in for Morgan and Webster so in theory that money should still be there in January and this was before we sold DCL. We will see what happens but I think that money will now go elsewhere outside of the playing squad

 

[Bert]

Dear Chris ,
Just wanted to congratulate you on a brilliant window for my cashflow !
Sold youngster Adams £1.7m , kerching !
Sold youngster DCL £1.5m , kerching !
Offloaded Brayford's wages , kerching !
Reduced squad by half , 46 to 23 , kerching !
Spent virtually nothing of the £3m received , yet gates still at 19,000 , kerching !
And most importantly , we will avoid that pesky expense of being in the Championship next season.
You're my favourite puppet / fall-guy and your reward is to play on our fabulous Desso pitch.
Many thanks.
Hey , we're all Blades , aren't we ?
Kevin

Clueless bollocks.

 

[BushBlade]

I too wonder about those who praise Wilder for his 'straight talking' and 'no bullshit'.

There's been less straight talking and more bullshit than any other manager I can remember in the first few months of their tenure.

Really? You've already forgotten about the wisdom of geese?
What has Wilder said that's bullshit? He's said he wanted x players in x positions. He's not responsible for getting the deals done so it's not his fault if we don't get players over the line.

 

[sitwell]

Really? You've already forgotten about the wisdom of geese?
What has Wilder said that's bullshit? He's said he wanted x players in x positions. He's not responsible for getting the deals done so it's not his fault if we don't get players over the line.

Hes one of these who is desperate to post something so thinks of things to post rather than when he genuinely has something ,he will probably post about Wilder being straightforward another time. Its like all these who now see Coutts becoming a player ,where was my back up a couple of months ago when I was getting pelters. He was very badly managed last season (along with others) and now you will see the best of him ,Basham and others who know what they are doing under a decent manager.

 

[BushBlade]

Hes one of these who is desperate to post something so thinks of things to post rather than when he genuinely has something ,he will probably post about Wilder being straightforward another time. Its like all these who now see Coutts becoming a player ,where was my back up a couple of months ago when I was getting pelters. He was very badly managed last season (along with others) and now you will see the best of him ,Basham and others who know what they are doing under a decent manager.

Hope so. Tbh, I'd written Coutts off as I thought his injuries had taken their toll, never questioned his technical ability.

 

[Bartyblade]

Wilder said he wanted 5 last week and he got 3. Not bad on paper but I imagine the Wolves lad will have been his 4th or 5th choice for centre half.

It's strange how the midfield position seemed to be the last thing on his mind as the weeks went by. Coutts must have made him change his mind

Chelsea managed to buy their 3rd choice CH after being unable to get either Koulibaly or Romagnoli of Milan.
"Despite an acceptance that David Luiz's defending can be erratic at times, Conte was so desperate to add to his optionsthat he eventually expressed a willingness tt restore the Brazilian to the ranks"
All relative of course, but shit happens to all.

 

[Bladesince59]

I'm not judging the new signings harshly mate ........ happy to give them a chance and see what they can do whilst they're in the red & white stripes ......

I'm judging what we didn't do, with the funds at our disposal from the sale of two young players and a slashed wages bill.

Opportunity missed as usual ........

However, on a positive note, the Board will have a spring in their step this morning and I've no doubt will be delighted with the transfer window business ..........

UTB & FTP

Precisely put. It's what our owners didn't do AGAIN that pisses me off too.

 

[Keen Blade]

Clueless bollocks.

Do you dispute the facts then , dearest Bert ?

 

[Yoonited]

Moan moan fuckin moan!

I seriously wonder why some people even bother paying any attention to the Blades given the seeming misery it adds to their lives.I view from a distance and take a philosophical view but even my "Glass Half Full" perspective is challenged by the depressive nature of some comments.Why would you do that to yourself? where is the joy?We are all flawed as humans and perfection is a myth. Why are all the "experts" not Football Managers themselves I wonder???It feels like a battle of who is right and who is wrong when in reality it is subjective and therefore full of contrary opinion.

I have never understood the need to scoff at fellow Blades, hardly makes for healthy debate.We all have alternative views.None of which are either right or wrong.So cheer up fellas. If i had returned from the Aussie outback after 6 months away and seen the transformation that has taken place i would be pleasantly surprised to see evidence of a new Manager fulfilling his intentions and the club going through the shake up it has needed for some time.

What some are surprised by is that we are not all of a sudden Manchester City et al overnight.God preserve us.I think expectations for some are incredibly unrealistic.I wonder if those same people are in positions of responsibility at their own workplaces and capable of team building and creating a successful formula.?? Overnight.

So is this a forum for healthy debate and encouragement or a place to come and puff your chest out to prove your "Billy Big Blade" and woe betide anyone to have a positive outlook.What i ask is: was anything ever achieved with a negative attitude? Thank heavens Chris Wilder didn't have one all those years ago each time he stepped onto the pitch.And still does not have one today.

Show me evidence of what negativity and criticism has achieved for anyone and it may be taken seriously, but for now I am more inclined to let Chris continue his achievements, giving him time and space to add to them.

Looking for someone to blame says more about ourselves than it does about the ones the finger is being pointed at. "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't you are right."

Enjoy the season Blades and remember it could always be worse. You might have been dragged up in S6.

"YOU FILL UP MY SENSES"

 

[blade67]

Very difficult to tell at the moment. 34 player turnover is very high but needed. If you let 22 leave, you're going to need to bring plenty in but that leaves us fans looking at a team/squad that we've hardly seen play.

Centre Midfield still looks short of a promotion side and that is the most important area in some ways.

Defence is a complete rebuild on last season with not one player a regular from last year.

We look to have a few goals but who knows what will happen to form and fitness

Cross your fingers and hope for the best

 

[Fulwood Blade]

. Its like all these who now see Coutts becoming a player ,where was my back up a couple of months ago when I was getting pelters. He was very badly managed last season (along with others) and now you will see the best of him ,Basham and others who know what they are doing under a decent manager.

Some of us go back to seeing something in Coutts from a very early stage there were a few, but not many that is for sure - even after he joined from Derby - after a serious injury.
There's always been a player in Coutts - but you are right he needs managing properly.

Sitters - there are many opinions on here - some good, some bad, some indifferent - it's just the nature of the forum beast.

UTB

 

[Cyprus Blade]

He was very badly managed last season (along with others)

I for one would be absolutely delighted if your favorite actually delivers in a way he never did for Adkins or Clough. You'll forgive me if I wait and see though - we've had a long, long wait for him to string a couple of decent performances together (against a newly promoted team and a team of u/23's). I've never denied there WAS a player in Coutts, just whether that player is still there and whether he wants to do it for us. His assists and scoring record is still absolutely pants for a player of his calibre so I shall look forward to that magically changing this season and him becoming a matchwinner. At the moment he wants to play, last season I don't think he did and that may be as much down to him as his former manager.

 

[grafikhaus]

Some interesting stuff on View From The John Street:

It's tin hat time as Wilder blitzkrieg faces biggest test

CHRIS WILDER has made an impact at Bramall Lane the like of which has not been seen since German aircraft bombed it in the Second World War.

Then it was wholesale damage to the infrastructure of the ground. Today it is the deeply flawed squad Sheffield United’s manager inherited when he took charge 16 weeks ago that lies in total ruin.

His ruthless action is beyond most Unitedites’ wildest dreams. But despite substantial savings on the wage bill and now cash in the kitty, it comes at a cost. Supporters can’t have it both ways but even so the first signs are emerging that Wilder’s straight-talking strategy might not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

NEW BOY: ETHAN EBANKS-LANDELL

This is his team now. Twelve additions and a new philosophy. The problem is it isn’t working. Late arrivals before the transfer window closed this week serve to ask questions of what has gone on in the weeks before. Not many imagined the time to dig in and keep the faith would have arrived so soon. But it is starting to look like that. The next few weeks will be defining. It could go either way but the status quo is not an option.

Wilder is bold, brave and until his post-match interview after defeat at Millwall which followed a midweek 3-0 crash at home to Southend, exudes an air of confidence. It visibly shook him. “That was my hardest week as a manager in football,” he later admitted. One-nil down at home to Oxford United last week, there was relief all round when United recovered to register their first win of the season.

There is no doubt it’s getting sweaty down there in the dugout. Wilder is beginning to resemble a well-meaning neighbour who has just taken your faulty car engine apart, is covered in oil, wielding a monkey wrench, surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar-looking objects and confidently reassuring that he knows how to put it all back together.

UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE

The majority of United supporters are with him every step of the way. It’s just they hope having created what looks like the Parkway roundabout at rush hour after a traffic lights failure, he has got it right. Events during Wilder’s brief spell at the helm are beginning to question that. It’s still too early in the season to make meaningful judgment, but with only one win in seven league and cup matches to his name, if United don’t start motoring soon, 2016-17 is set to be another uncomfortable ride.

“There is no doubt it’s getting sweaty down there in the dugout. ”
Contrary to popular cliche normally used by those who are looking for excuses, expectation at Bramall Lane is rather low. Yes, of course everyone wants to see United win promotion to the Championship and the club can’t afford to stay where it is. But for regulars now enduring a sixth season in League One, just a competent team, playing entertaining football and offering serious hope for the future will do for starters.

Blades fans demanded a wrecking ball be taken to the band of disaffected brothers. Largely overpaid, unbalanced, unfit for purpose and assembled by the two Nigels, former managers Clough and Adkins. A less-than-wild bunch which inexplicably flattered to deceive in, admittedly, two amazing cup semi-final runs. Boy did Unitedites get their wish.

Ten players released, two free transfers, another two paid to leave – Dean Hammond and Martyn Woolford receiving the ultimate insult, the latter immediately signed for Fleetwood Town – and four outgoing loan deals with Kieran Wallace this week following Woolford to the Fylde coast. Add to that the sale of Che Adams to Birmingham City for £1.8million and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s £1.5million move to Everton. That’s 20 departures in little more than three months.

POOR FASHION SENSE: CAOLAN LAVERY

There have been 12 arrivals. Four on free transfers, five fees paid, one of them a compensation agreement concerning Lavery, and a season-long loan of Middlesbrough’s Harry Chapman. and defenders Daniel Lafferty from Burnley and Ethan Ebanks-Landell of Wolves. Chapman misses Sunday's trip to Gillingham following a call-up to England's Under-20 squad preparing to play Brazil at Kidderminster on the same day.

It is said that fortune favours the brave. Wilder has a plan and he is confident he can deliver which has to be applauded. Admired even. Bramall Lane is no longer a luxury destination for those looking to put their feet up. Nevertheless there are serious questions to be asked and, frankly, some of those concerns don’t reflect well.

Wilder arrived full of praise for what he described as the best two fullbacks in League One, Chris Hussey, one of his early signings, and John Brayford. He was wrong. The latter is now on a season-long loan to Burton Albion who are paying part of his inflated salary, and Hussey is a huge disappointment. So much so that Wilder this week virtually relegated him to a cover role after signing Northern Ireland international left-back Lafferty from Burnley until the end of the season.

Kieron Freeman, transfer-listed but with no takers, has stepped up to fill the right-back vacancy and is doing a far better job than hugely overpaid and under-performing Brayford was. Why was this not recognised earlier on the training pitch? Was it negligence, a lack of appreciation or was £17,000-a-week Brayford just being picked in the hope of attracting a buyer?

Three centre-backs were signed, Jack O’Connell, Jake Wright and James Wilson, to strengthen a major problem area which existed under the previous two managers. As irony would have it O’Connell, the only one to command a fee, has shown himself to be the weakest link. Wilson is at best average and both have been outshone by 30-year-old Wright in his only appearance, last week’s first win of the season against his old club Oxford United. Now Wilder has added loanee centre-back Ebanks-Landell which confirms that at least two of his original signings have fallen short.

Wilder has continually talked of the need to strengthen United’s midfield and add pace. He hasn’t. Instead United now appear to be relying on Paul Coutts, another transfer-listed player, to play a key role at the centre of the engine room alongside 23-year-old ball-playing Scot John Fleck, signed from Coventry City.

Coutts, it must be recognised, is growing into the job. If he is the solution – and that is a big if – why was he put on the transfer list? Why wasn’t he taken off it once it was realised he might have an important contribution to make? Or having had bids rejected for Wigan’s Sam Morsy, who has joined Barnsley on loan, is it a case of we’ll just have to make-do? Also, given United’s new-found eagerness to launch balls forward and bypass midfield, how does that utilise Fleck who is possibly Wilder’s best signing?

NO PARTNERSHIP

Leon Clarke and Billy Sharp are showing no sign of forming a partnership up front. Yet another judgment call from Wilder which has so far failed to deliver. Sharp, who scored 21 goals in a desperately poor side last season, is a shadow of his former self since Clarke’s summer arrival from Bury. The lifelong Blade doesn’t even seem to be relishing the captain’s role.

Wilder has just added Sheffield Wednesday’s Caolan Lavery to the mix, suggesting one of the two heavyweights up front might be about to make way. Is Sharp, now easily the highest paid playing for the club, assured of the future he must have imagined when Wilder was appointed and immediately made him skipper? Matt Done, meanwhile, whom Wilder insisted would be played down the middle and not out wide like he did under Adkins, has spent most of his time…playing out wide.

ON MOVE AGAIN: MARC MCNULTY

The loan of striker Marc McNulty to League One rivals Bradford City before he has even had a chance to re-establish himself at the Lane, is perplexing. The 23-year-old scored 14 goals in all competitions in his first season in a Blades shirt and was rewarded by spending last season on loan to League Two Portsmouth.

EXCITED: McNULTY TWEETS ABOUT LOAN TO BRADFORD

Given new assurances of his worth by Wilder he has still been forced to sit on the bench watching Sharp and Clarke play like strangers as United slumped to the foot of the table with the worst goal difference in League One. Not only has he been overlooked, he now has every chance to prove Wilder wrong with potential promotion rivals managed by former Blade Stuart McCall who knows how to get the best out of players. On arriving at the Lane Wilder said in a radio interview that when Lavery joined Portsmouth last season in a brief loan spell from Hillsborough, he and McNulty formed “the best strike partnership in the division.” After what’s happened this week where is the joined up thinking in that?

Wilder has enthusiastically talked up his philosophy of taking the game to the opposition, playing with pace and energy and exciting crowds. But for the first half in the opening day defeat at Bolton, it hasn’t happened. For the most part watching United this season has been remarkably similar to the previous campaign. Which is depressing.

LACKS PACE

Wilder openly admits his squad lacks pace. He enthused about attracting young top flight talent on loan to Bramall Lane. “We have talked about younger players from Premier League clubs who will see this as a great opportunity,” he said. “There are a lot of diamonds out there that teams from our level have got from Premier league teams.” Well, none of those jewels have been delivered to the Lane in a security van. Constant talk of bringing in a much-needed midfield man and a winger didn't happen either.

Goalkeeper George Long was offered and signed a revised two-year contract by Wilder in June. Two months later the player was told by the very same man he could leave if he wished after Simon Moore arrived from Cardiff City. Long suffered a bumpy start to the season but where was the surprise in that? Remember, Wilder is also a fan and had already seen enough of the keeper to know that he isn’t by any means the finished article and prone to errors. Again man management and judgment called into question. Long is guaranteed to be back on the bench at the Priestfield Stadium as Aaron Ramsdale is on England Under-19 duty.

MERSEY BEAT: DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN

Then we come to the sale of Adams and this week Calvert-Lewin, also in England's Under-20 squad, who between them have bolstered United’s back account by more than £3million. Inevitable, yes, if the interest is there and the players want to go. But what about all the talk from manager and co-owner Kevin McCabe alike about “giving youth a chance”? If a substantial profit is preferable to raw talent, why has Wilder found it so difficult to fill the vacancies he’s so publicly declared exist? Is he taking his directive of saving the club money and pleasing the accountants a little too far?

Wasn’t United’s ill-judged pre-season preparation, or lack of it as we now know, which included trips to non league Stockbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town, Handsworth Parramore and a jolly to La Manga something out of Britain’s Got Talent?

As ever, a run of positive results with performances to match will paper over these concerns and enhance the manager’s reputation of a man who gets things done. No pain, no gain and Wilder is no slouch. He’s got form.

He survived a train wreck that was Northampton Town who couldn’t even afford to pay the wages for part of last season and after a poor start led them to the League Two title by a margin of 13 points. The difference being that particular problem was not of his own making.

 

[BushBlade]

Pretty decent under the circumstances. Not perfect but plenty of clubs' supporters would say they've done worse.
We could have done with less turnover really but the players we've got rid of either didn't want to play for us or weren't consistently good enough and most had questionable attitudes.
I don't think L1 is as about technical ability as it is drive, commitment or mental strength.

I've said for a long time that getting us up is a two year job for any manager and every time we dump one, we set the clock back. I wish the owners would stand up and admit this to take the pressure off CW a bit. We're not stupid, be honest about our situation and we'll buy into it, like we did with Porterfield, Warnock and Bassett.

 

[IMABLADE]

That could be the reason that Birmingham and Everton are where they are and the Blades are in League 1,they keep getting robbed and we are legends in the transfer department.

Well if you look at everton they are where they are because they have long term managers, and a good well organised hierarchy and owners who are hands on. Also the re invest money from the players they sell. That's why.