Bad players that came good and good players that came bad

[10-0 win]

We've bought a few players with a good track record that have been utterly bad, (Dean Hammond so bad he retired)

We've moved on players who have had a decent career elsewhere ( Simon Francis , Keith Edwards, Billy Sharp, the two latter so much we even took them back loosing money big time)

Add to the list

 

[Dec]

Is that the same Billy Sharp that's scored 31 goals in 57 games?

I'd say he's came good rather than bad...

 

[8lade]

Clive Mendonca was a mega scoring sensation for our youths or reserves (can't remember which) did we sell him or give him away? To become a mega scoring sensation at Charlton(and Scunthorpe (again) if memory serves me well) . God knows why it didn't work out here.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Up to a couple of weeks ago I would have had Ched down as the latter

 

[10-0 win]

Is that the same Billy Sharp that's scored 31 goals in 57 games?

I'd say he's came good rather than bad...

he never seemed to get the goals when he put on the blades shirt, 8 goals in two spells of 5 years. He surely came good.

 

[8lade]

Clive Mendonca was a mega scoring sensation for our youths or reserves (can't remember which) did we sell him or give him away? To become a mega scoring sensation at Charlton(and Scunthorpe (again) if memory serves me well) . God knows why it didn't work out here.

Well some of the details were wrong; yes we sold him to Rovrum where he scored goals for fun and in time honoured tradition we bought him back for 3 times the price we sold him for! Again never got a look in so sold him to Grimsby recouping most of our outlay where he scored goals for fun. Grimsby sold him on for ten times what they paid to Charlton where again he had a strike rate of a goal in 2 games.
I think this sums up a typical Sheffield United transfer deal.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I thought that Ched Evans would go down as one of the most expensive flops we've ever signed at first. His first season yielded just 4 goals in 36 games.

 

[northsomersetblade]

er, Bob Booker. I'll get me coat

 

[northsomersetblade]

I'll make it worse for myself - Brian Deane

 

[ben1987]

Paul Coutts...

Used to be shite and now hes passing us out of the division.

 

[PeteBlade]

Can't believe we wasted money on that fat useless lump Shipperly...

 

[Revolution]

Well some of the details were wrong; yes we sold him to Rovrum where he scored goals for fun and in time honoured tradition we bought him back for 3 times the price we sold him for! Again never got a look in so sold him to Grimsby recouping most of our outlay where he scored goals for fun. Grimsby sold him on for ten times what they paid to Charlton where again he had a strike rate of a goal in 2 games.
I think this sums up a typical Sheffield United transfer deal.

I don't think it does. The typical one is selling a good young player or proven goal scorer to a higher division for what the club sees as "good business".

United selling someone to a lower division side as they were deemed not good enough, and them going on to play regularly at the same or a higher level as United is much rarer.

Examples I can think of over the last 30 years

Mendonca
Billy Sharp
Kyle McFadzen
Simon Francis
Chris Marsden

The last 3 did not become really good players until a lot later though - over a decade in the case of Marsden, so it's hard to say United missed obvious talent.

As for bad players turning good, credit to Adrian Heath for seeing something in Shaun Murphy and Marcus Bent and credit to Neil Warnock for getting something out of them after terrible starts. Bob Booker is possibly the finest example of someone coming good after looking poor to begin with since I've been watching.

 

[Bert]

I don't think it does. The typical one is selling a good young player or proven goal scorer to a higher division for what the club sees as "good business".

United selling someone to a lower division side as they were deemed not good enough, and them going on to play regularly at the same or a higher level as United is much rarer.

Examples I can think of over the last 30 years

Mendonca
Billy Sharp
Kyle McFadzen
Simon Francis
Chris Marsden

The last 3 did not become really good players until a lot later though - over a decade in the case of Marsden, so it's hard to say United missed obvious talent.

As for bad players turning good, credit to Adrian Heath for seeing something in Shaun Murphy and Marcus Bent and credit to Neil Warnock for getting something out of them after terrible starts. Bob Booker is possibly the finest example of someone coming good after looking poor to begin with since I've been watching.

Booker was never better than very average, mostly he was worse than that. Couldn't be faulted for effort though .

 

[Roygbiv]

Both Nick Montgomery and Stephen Quinn are now looked back upon with fond memories by most but both were subjected to abuse for a few seasons

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

McEverly. Herbert/Ricky called it right from the get go.
Dogshit. I agreed and boy was he fucking Dogshit.

 

[Deleted member 1486]

credit to Adrian Heath

A stopped watch is right twice per day.

 

[Revolution]

A stopped watch is right twice per day.

He also picked up Martin Smith who had a good half season before we sold him.

 

[Revolution]

Booker was never better than very average, mostly he was worse than that. Couldn't be faulted for effort though .

He was very good in the second promotion season, and 8 goals from central midfield in one year is a very good total.

 

[Jan Age]

Vas Borbokis was outstanding for us and then we sold him to Derby where he hardly played and didn't pull up any trees.

Wayne Quinn was also excellent for us and the terrible when we sold him.

Claude Davies could be outstanding and terrible all within the space of 30 seconds.

 

[South London Blade]

Bombscare Nosworthy came with a decent rep, but was one of the shittest players we have ever had.

The beard was awesome on his loan spell, but lost his mojo after injuries.

John Ebbrell was immense - for his entire 45 min blades career.

On the flip side, no one expected anything from Alan Cork and he was responsible for probably the loudest celebration in our history when he scored against the pork at Wembley.

Paul McGrath was ready for pasture when he arrived, but was a commanding force until his legs gave in.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Blackwell had a habit of signing midfielders with good reputations and then turning them into dogshit....

Brian Howard
Leon Britton

Beattie was having a poor time at Everton and it could be argued that his career was rejuvenated after he joined us.

 

[coaxingstar71]

Agana was doing nothing at Watford until we signed him. Even though he did ok at Notts County, we still definitely got the best out of him.

 

[sheffielder]

Clive Mendonca was a mega scoring sensation for our youths or reserves (can't remember which) did we sell him or give him away? To become a mega scoring sensation at Charlton(and Scunthorpe (again) if memory serves me well) . God knows why it didn't work out here.

because people like Pimch don't like to see players coming through the club doing well. It's a very Sheffieldy thing. It's a lot harder for these players

 

[Bert]

Bill Deardon

 

[Roygbiv]

Del Geary seemed a ridiculous signing. Released by Wednesday, in and out of the Stockport team then we signed him and he became a cult hero

 

[ThroughThinAndThinner]

Luton Shelton...the names escaped me but didn't some big shy Chelsea player describe him as the next big thing?
Ade Akinpanicbuy...scoring for fun at Burnley, at least he got a goal against the pigs
Geoff Horsfield...decent debut Vs the pigs and then...

Warnock sure could spot a striker

 

[snootyfenooty]

Bad to good: Beattie Mk1
Good to bad: Beattie Mk2

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Didn’t Kevin Davies also play in our kids team before being released for being “too small”?


Plenty have come with decent reputations but been crap.


Harper

Hammond

Sammon

Akinbiyi

Horsefield

Nosworthy

Simmonsen


There’s been relative unknowns who we’ve taken a punt on and they’ve worked their way much higher either with or without us. Deano and Kelly perhaps being the most obvious examples.


There’s the players Warnock picked up for next to nothing and got something out of them. Geary, , Kenny etc.


There’s been the odd other flailing career we’ve turned around such as Kevin McDonald.


Some were good for us and became bad during their time often through injury. Thinking the likes of Vonk, Katchouro, Wayne Quinn, Rob Hulse etc.


Some were very good but couldn’t keep going due to old age. McGrath, McCall, Speed etc.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

A stopped watch is right twice per day.

Heath’s signing record wasn’t bad. It was his complete inability to get anything out of the players that was the problem. Marcus Bent, Martin Smith and Shaun Murphy were all very astute signings.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Blackwell had a habit of signing midfielders with good reputations and then turning them into dogshit....

Brian Howard
Leon Britton

Beattie was having a poor time at Everton and it could be argued that his career was rejuvenated after he joined us.

I always think ‘keepers are the hardest to judge in terms of potential. Some look fantastic at 18 but don’t kick on. Others can seem ordinary until 25 then suddenly improve. So much of the game is mental for a ‘keeper and if they lose confidence, they can become woeful. Steve Simmonsen was regarded one of the best goalkeeping prospects around when he was at Everton. Look how what turned out. George Long was tipped for big things at 18 but now his career is hanging in the balance.