4 signings in Jan upset the apple cart?

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

 

[Barney]

Most productive in terms of numbers of new signings.

Quality? Not so much.

 

[Leonardo Green]

No, the defence has been looking shaky but getting away with it for weeks until the last few yet wilder has still to spot it.

 

[Reedy1889]

Most productive in terms of numbers of new signings.

Quality? Not so much.

Judging them before they set foot on the pitch, Really?

 

[mattbianco1]

Most productive in terms of numbers of new signings.

Quality? Not so much.

3 haven't played yet. Stop being a "barney"

 

[JohnDenver]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

None of the new players are defenders, and that's the part of the team which has let us down. So no, there's no evidence the signings have upset things.

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

None of the new players are defenders, and that's the part of the team which has let us down. So no, there's no evidence the signings have upset things.

So you thought that was an acceptable performance from Coutts, Fleck and Duffy? Because I thought they were piss poor.

 

[Ricky]

Load of bollocks.

Half of them have only signed today and only one was in the squad tonight.

Tonight was simply a combination of individual mistakes, our inability to score at home, shocking management and good defending from Fleetwood.

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

CW has stated his signings have bolstered the squad and given more options / competition for places , maybe as you say the players don't like this but that is football and they should buckle down and keep doing there job, we have won nothing yet and after the Southend game wilder said the players believed they could win the league , maybe this has brought a ' untouchable full of it attitude

Our players have had an terrible attitude for the past few seasons before this one and maybe this is creeping back in

Tonight certainly reminded me of last seasons garbage

 

[Barney]

Judging them before they set foot on the pitch, Really?

3 haven't played yet. Stop being a "barney"

Confidence in a prediction/opinion that's all. If I'm wrong and I hope I am I'll apologise already said that but unfortunately I suspect I won't be. We'll wait and see.

 

[robbiez666]

I'm concerned and a little baffled by the signings.

Riley - ostensibly a LWB isn't he? He's already signed Lafferty in that position. We also have Hussey, which he laughably play Done ahead of. (not my words, Wilder's at Adkins insistence of playing Done at LWB). He can cover for Freeman, but I assume he's come here to start games?

Hanson - I can see the benefit of him as a player to come off the bench and change things around if we're having no success, but as a starter? It will have its benefits (crosses) but Clarke has not worked in the formation we play in/ Why would Hanson? I think it will cause more problems than it solves.

O'Shea - I thought he was an Attacking midfield player who normally operates in a free role behind a striker. I'm not sure where he fits into a thus far successful system?

Caruthers - Good signing. He will play the same role as Coutts and I can see him taking over that position in the short and long term.

We now have:

Sharp, Lavery, Hanson, Clarke, Done, McNulty as strikers. two too many for a team at this level. It's likely to cause problems unless we can move a couple on. Scougal has basically been sidelined by O'Shea and Carruthers. Hussey can't get a look in. Wilder needs to offload asap for me.

My overall worry with the new signings is that until Walsall we had a successful formation. Wilder has basically started to tinker and it's starting to fall apart.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

They have hardly played so no, this isn't a factor.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

No.

We can look for all kind of reasons but conspiracy theories based purely on speculation aren't helpful.

We've been gifting goals through ooor defending and I'm afraid Mr T is largely to blame for that. We've also not been putting chances away at the other end and that's been recognised by Wilder.

There's no "losing the dressing room" or "players taking the huff at new players coming in". It's just poor form from a few individuals and a blip which can be rectified with a few team changes.

 

[pommpey]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

Dunno. Ask Bert. He has all the answers on transfers.

pommpey

 

[FTPE]

Hold on, I'm as pissed off as anyone but did you pjust blame the 3 players who haven't kicked a ball for us yet!?

 

[GrayBlade]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

Two of them have only signed for us today FFS and in total they've played 15 minutes between them.

Nothing's at all to do with the new signings. It's the new signings that will give them a deserved kick up the arse, because unfortunately, I think some of them had started to believe in their own publicity.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Hold on, I'm as pissed off as anyone but did you pjust blame the 3 players who haven't kicked a ball for us yet!?

Think the OP is suggesting that a group of players who are top of the league playing good football and scoring for fun just might be pissed off that they are not deemed good enough to get us over the line by the manager?

They are only human after all.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

If it has FA, then maybe they would be better off at another club. God forbid, that they fight for their place.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Think the OP is suggesting that a group of players who are top of the league playing good football and scoring for fun just might be pissed off that they are not deemed good enough to get us over the line by the manager?

They are only human after all.

All teams like to strengthen come the transfer windows, has it come as a surprise to our current squad ?

 

[pheasant FC]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

If we hadn't gone out to improve the group , would we have had complaints ? Absolutely

 

[Stretch]

I'm concerned and a little baffled by the signings.

Riley - ostensibly a LWB isn't he? He's already signed Lafferty in that position. We also have Hussey, which he laughably play Done ahead of. (not my words, Wilder's at Adkins insistence of playing Done at LWB). He can cover for Freeman, but I assume he's come here to start games?

Hanson - I can see the benefit of him as a player to come off the bench and change things around if we're having no success, but as a starter? It will have its benefits (crosses) but Clarke has not worked in the formation we play in/ Why would Hanson? I think it will cause more problems than it solves.

O'Shea - I thought he was an Attacking midfield player who normally operates in a free role behind a striker. I'm not sure where he fits into a thus far successful system?

Caruthers - Good signing. He will play the same role as Coutts and I can see him taking over that position in the short and long term.

We now have:

Sharp, Lavery, Hanson, Clarke, Done, McNulty as strikers. two too many for a team at this level. It's likely to cause problems unless we can move a couple on. Scougal has basically been sidelined by O'Shea and Carruthers. Hussey can't get a look in. Wilder needs to offload asap for me.

My overall worry with the new signings is that until Walsall we had a successful formation. Wilder has basically started to tinker and it's starting to fall apart.

Re Hanson, I think he is much much better in the air than Clarke mate so should be more effective in that respect. I also suspect at least 1 striker could be moved on, although CW did say that once you factor in injuries etc he didn't feel we were top heavy in that respect.

I think Riley will start soon, but it's only right that CW gave the senior players nod in the first instance. If he feels they aren't delivering then they will be dropped, no question.

Lastly on O'Shea, I think he can also play wide but don't know a great deal about him. I suspect he is here as direct competition for Duffy.

 

[blade too long]

if players cant handle competition for places they arent good enough

its a blip , we were always going to have one, no teams ever won 46 games
look at results for any 1st and 2nd team and theres always a run where it dries up

 

[Sheffsteel]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

So your solution is to NOT improve the squad? Ha ha

In fairness, there probably has been an affect because some of the regulars now face stiff competition BUT that's life. They need to shape up or ship out, that's what happens playing for a club with ambition for promotion. Wilder won't carry any passengers and is striving to improve, have tactical options and have cover for injuries and suspensions during the promotion run in.

 

[Slim Man]

Most productive in terms of numbers of new signings.

Quality? Not so much.

Carruthers is quality. We all know nothing about Riley. O'Shea and Hanson give us 'options' I suppose...
I was expecting us to pull out all the stops this january for once.

 

[YES Blade]

Judging them before they set foot on the pitch, Really?

Why can't you judge a player based on their career so far and then have an opinion on if they would be a good signing for United?

 

[I should coco]

Why can't you judge a player based on their career so far and then have an opinion on if they would be a good signing for United?

Well by your measure the following had done nothing befoe arriving here and would have been 'garbage signings':

Deane
Agana
Currie

You might have looked pretty silly slagging them off for being 'nobodys.

Is it too much to ask that you give the new signing a few weeks to bed in, then take a considered view after half a dozen games?

 

[Davalon]

In fairness to the OP I understand the sentiment. We've seen before how strengthening the squad can affect the balance of the team and the way we play. Promotion to the Prem a prime example.

However we had to bolster the squad for obvious reasons, especially with no loan window, and on the face of it they're decent signings for this level.

Up to CW now to knit the pieces together.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Blades have their best season in years playing great football and then go on to have the most productive JTW in living memory. From a fans perspective this sounds great... but has this upset the apple cart?
These players were riding the crest of a wave and then all of a sudden 1/3 of the team's starting line-up is under threat from Carruthers, Riley, O'Shea and Hanson. I'm not criticising these purchases, but it may have affected the confidence of our existing players?

McCabe's fault, no doubt, he should have kept his cheque book in his pocket and locked up the fax machine.

 

[BushBlade]

McCabe's fault, no doubt, he should have kept his cheque book in his pocket and locked up the fax machine.

Or he could have given CW some serious funds to bring in some top notch signings, instead of having to find players who are out of contract in the summer and thus cheap.

Of course, I can see why he hasn't. It's not that long ago since Clough appeared to be the new messiah, very much like CW did a couple of weeks ago. Our FA Cup run and nearly making the playoffs gave the impression we'd found a manager who knew what he was doing. Then we allowed him to spend and we didn't get the expected results. I can see why the owners are now jaded and cynical.

When CW took over, we were close to being a broken club and he's now a victim of his own success; the speed in which he seemed to turn things around has raised expectations again and now, as supporters, we think that the logical progression is that if we give CW more money, he's more likely to get promoted.

It's certainly true that clubs with bigger budgets tend to do better than those without but sometimes, you just can't shortcut a rebuilding process without throwing ridiculous money at it. I'd like us to do that but it's not realistic with our current owners. And CW might not be good at spending money, like Warnock and Clough weren't. Maybe he's better working to a tight budget, it's what he's used to.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I think the manager has quite deliberately 'upset the apple cart' because he has been bothered about the failure to convert dominance in games into goals. Those home games against 9 men highlighted the predictable nature of our football and if the opposition defend with two banks with 10 men then we are clueless. They were extreme examples but Wilder has said time and again we should have put games to bed much quicker. He has not been happy with the creativity and all three of Sharp's intended strike partners.

Carruthers and Riley need to settle quickly and O'Shea's occasional 'magic' will be very handy.

Hanson's arrival could mean more 'hoofball' but I prefer to think it means more 'variety' of attack. At present teams are content to defend narrow and shepherd us out wide and allow us to knock in long hopeful crosses. With Hanson in the box they will be wary of doing that and may have to defend wider but they can't be everywhere.

Carruthers for Coutts. Riley for Lafferty. Hanson and O'Shea on the bench for a while. All of a sudden the manager has more options and in the second half can have more creativity and variation of attacks.

I think he'll stick with 3-5-2 but he has the 4-4-2 option and even 3-4-3/ 4-3-3 in the late stages of games.

I have only one explanation for excluding Wright in a 3-5-2 and that is his lack of pace though he rarely gets exposed as far as I've seen. Lafferty is a left back really and just maybe Wilder is thinking of 4-4-2 with a midfield of O'shea, Carruthers, Fleck and Riley. Freeman and Lafferty full backs.

Personally I've been unhappy with creativity so dependant on Duffy alone and the lack of quality wide and the lack of box to box central midfielders supporting Duffy. These changes were necessary IMO.

Very good O.P., stimulating question.