Transfer Window

[gavtheblade]

He left after one game, in which he came on as sub. No one is a regular after one game. The term is meaningless.

Meaningless?
You might want to take that up with Collins or oxford dictionary to refine the meaning of the term then.

 

[Revolution]

Meaningless?
You might want to take that up with Collins or oxford dictionary to refine the meaning of the term then.

Oh grow up. There are no regulars until there are a number of games.

 

[South Bucks]

Even McCabes biggest critics (me included)have to agree this is the beat window we have had in living memory.

For me the main point is we haven't sold any first 11 players, I was worried someone like Fleck, Duffy or Freeman might be attracting attention and there might be a late bid.

In addition we've added the big man up front and Carruthers and OShea who are proven in this league and secured EEL for the rest of the season. I'd have liked to keep Ramsdale but he's not played a league game all season and wasn't likely to displace Moore anytime soon.

We're second in the league with everything to play for COYRAWW

Agree that not selling anyone is unusual but I can't help feeling the squad is a bit unbalanced now. We have lots of midfielders and forwards but have two suspect keepers, an unsettled back three shipping goals in recent games and no effective defensive midfielder to protect our defence if we lose the ball high up the pitch.

Risky strategy to expect to out score the opposition each game when they know this and can break on us. I would have preferred a bit more strengthening in these areas to give better balance.

Also disappointing that we don't snap up some of these up and coming players who have 300 k buy out clauses. True they have wages to be paid but if I look at our squad I see many who are unlikely to ever get a game again or we wouldn't miss them so better to get rid of these for almost nothing to get some or all of their wages off the accounts and make space for players with more potential.

Think we missed a big opportunity in this window to push on significantly and have gone for quantity rather than quality as usual with a few exceptions (like o'Shea if he gets a game, Carruthers, possibly Riley if ever he gets a game).

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

On a purely personal level, I would love to see ''The Holy Goalie'' here.
Shame we couldn't negotiate a swap deal with AR.

 

[BushBlade]

Meaningless?
You might want to take that up with Collins or oxford dictionary to refine the meaning of the term then.

Collins will just blame somebody else.

 

[I should coco]

Also disappointing that we don't snap up some of these up and coming players who have 300 k buy out clauses. True they have wages to be paid but if I look at our squad I see many who are unlikely to ever get a game again or we wouldn't miss them so better to get rid of these for almost nothing to get some or all of their wages off the accounts and make space for players with more potential.

Is it just me, or would United get it in the bollocks whatever we had done? Who would identify these 'up and coming players' and how would we make sure we don't buy the 'many who are unlikely to ever get a game again or we wouldn't miss them' types?

Think we missed a big opportunity in this window to push on significantly and have gone for quantity rather than quality as usual with a few exceptions (like o'Shea if he gets a game, Carruthers, possibly Riley if ever he gets a game).

Yeah yeah yeah.

We should have 'bust the bank', 'shown ambition' and 'spent what it takes'.
That is the 100% guaranteed success route as we all well know.

 

[YES Blade]

I think he has made the same mistake as Jordan Slew did 6 years ago

The only ones who made a mistake was Blackburn by signing Slew.

We got a nice fee for a player not currently good enough to play higher than League Two and Slew got himself a nice Premiership contract.

Are you suggesting that Slew would be a Championship or Premiership standard striker had he stayed at United?

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Agree that not selling anyone is unusual but I can't help feeling the squad is a bit unbalanced now. We have lots of midfielders and forwards but have two suspect keepers, an unsettled back three shipping goals in recent games and no effective defensive midfielder to protect our defence if we lose the ball high up the pitch.

Risky strategy to expect to out score the opposition each game when they know this and can break on us. I would have preferred a bit more strengthening in these areas to give better balance.

Also disappointing that we don't snap up some of these up and coming players who have 300 k buy out clauses. True they have wages to be paid but if I look at our squad I see many who are unlikely to ever get a game again or we wouldn't miss them so better to get rid of these for almost nothing to get some or all of their wages off the accounts and make space for players with more potential.

Think we missed a big opportunity in this window to push on significantly and have gone for quantity rather than quality as usual with a few exceptions (like o'Shea if he gets a game, Carruthers, possibly Riley if ever he gets a game).

I think we will be ok.
Hanson will give us something totally different which we have been lacking.
Carruthers we now have a midfielder who likes to run with the ball.
O'Shea never seen him play but from what I've heard another player who likes to take players on. Will hopefully take some pressure of Duffy.
We also hopefully will have Chapman back, a player I think we have missed especially at home matches.
The defence is a bit of a worry but we do have options to change it around in Wright, Wilson and Riley.
Wilder now needs to sort his best side out and quick.
The only down side for me is the Goalkeeper position, if Moore gets injured i just don't rate Long. Equally Moore now has know one to challenge him just 3rd choice Long.
For me its been a good transfer window certainly better than alot previously.
Just wish we could have shipped McNulty and Scougall out, because if they are near the 1st I really will be worried.

 

[Silent Blade]

Are you suggesting that Slew would be a Championship or Premiership standard striker had he stayed at United?

Possibly as he was a squad player with us and Wilson probably would have started him in more games that season than he did at Blackburn. This would help him keep his confidence and not go into a stall

 

[metalblade]

Yeah yeah yeah.

We should have 'bust the bank', 'shown ambition' and 'spent what it takes'.
That is the 100% guaranteed success route as we all well know.

Where has anyone said that on this thread? is there any need to act like an arse

 

[BushBlade]

Possibly as he was a squad player with us and Wilson probably would have started him in more games that season than he did at Blackburn. This would help him keep his confidence and not go into a stall

I don't think he'd have got much game time under Wilson, when we had Evans and Cressy, unless he'd made a flying start to the season when Evans was injured.
I hadn't seen that much of him but what I did see didn't make me think he'd be a success.

Blackburn had a good academy at the time, I believe, so if he didn't make it with them and hasn't ever come close to playing above L1 since I think he'd have been as successful as Ironside b

 

[South Bucks]

Is it just me, or would United get it in the bollocks whatever we had done? Who would identify these 'up and coming players' and how would we make sure we don't buy the 'many who are unlikely to ever get a game again or we wouldn't miss them' types?

As several on here have pointed out, some players have the right profile whereby they are young cheap and with emerging potential and with far more upside than downside risk. Matty Taylor for example. Who has the better upside/downside risk between Hanson and Charlie Wyke and when they cost about the same? Who would miss McNulty, Scougall, Clarke and one or two more if they never played for us again ?

Yeah yeah yeah.

We should have 'bust the bank', 'shown ambition' and 'spent what it takes'.
That is the 100% guaranteed success route as we all well know.

Thing is it doesn't need to break the bank but needs to be smart. Ramsdale would have paid for a few of the above. Interesting to look at the model used by say Barnsley and a few others in the Championship of bringing in players with potential, develop them a bit then sell them for many times more. Worked quite well with Deane and Agana I seem to remember, they cost almost nothing, but we've stopped gambling smartly in this way. Its why we have been in league 1 for so long cos we haven't worked out there are better buying and selling models or are too stubborn to change. We seem to put too much emphasis on seeking players who are "proven" but strangely not wanted by their clubs and often its because they are on the downward slope.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Is the suggested financial model for the academy to offer long term contracts, presumably on decent wages, to anyone showing a bit of talent? We aren't Chelsea, we're in L1 losing money every year.

The number of players who've not made the grade after initial reports would simply reduce the first team budget unless McCabes money tree starts giving good harvests again.

What we should do and what we are able to do are two different things. All suggestions on how to spend the owners money should at least come with an idea of any impact on budget because that's how the real world works.

As an aside, I'm shocked that there aren't more threads about Duffy being sold.......

 

[Grizzly blade]

Me? Sign our young players on longer term deals especially if I think they good enough.

Even if they do decide to leave at some point then at least give myself a better bargaining position rather than the bent over position we put ourselves in.

It is like like we have no foresight at all and that any offer no matter how shit is a good one because we are in League 1.

"Oh thank you so much Mr Premier League Club for your derisory offer despite the amount of money you have. We are most grateful you have chosen to buy from us."

There is so much hindsight in that comment.
We can't tie all kids up to long term deals, it would cost a fortune obviously. NO club can spot every player that is going to rise to the top of the game. The player in question here was released by Bolton not so long ago.....a club in the poo financially who could do with any money they can get.
Kids mature and peak at different rates and ages. We had Diego who looked a world beater and was a shoe in it was thought to have a big career in the game. We paid him good money for zero return. George Long...another who was looking a real prospect but hasn't managed to step up to the next level. He's been paid very well and we will get no return on him either.....it's a lottery. And like it or not, football is a business. We have no benefactor willing to just piss hundreds of millions away for zero return.
So we have to buy cheap and sell high. And it's not a lot cheaper than academy players.

So there it is....we are a league one club with an academy rated as among the best in the country presently. We have created more players than many clubs could dream of, and brought in some good fees. But it is a fact, that while we are where we are, our better kids will need to be sold to fund a first team and they will have to move on to further their development.
Until we get to the premier league, and can offer our kids the same as other premier league clubs we will continue to lose them.
The dream of fielding a side made on the majority of academy players is a very long way off.

 

[Sheffsteel]

We seem to put too much emphasis on seeking players who are "proven" but strangely not wanted by their clubs and often its because they are on the downward slope.

It's ironic that it's our big ambitions driven by expectation that has caused problems.

Partially disagree about the above.

In the past we've bought Championship rejects who are past their best but are expected to be too good for league 1. However we have changed this season because we've concentrated mainly on players that are tried and tested and were excellent last season in league 1

E.g.Duffy (who was voted in the team to the season in league 1, Fleck, Clarke and Hussey.

Just shows you win some... you lose some but
surely "tried and tested" is the way all clubs would go if they could afford it, as it lowers the risk.

 

[Sean Thornton]

There is so much hindsight in that comment.
We can't tie all kids up to long term deals, it would cost a fortune obviously. NO club can spot every player that is going to rise to the top of the game. The player in question here was released by Bolton not so long ago.....a club in the poo financially who could do with any money they can get.
Kids mature and peak at different rates and ages. We had Diego who looked a world beater and was a shoe in it was thought to have a big career in the game. We paid him good money for zero return. George Long...another who was looking a real prospect but hasn't managed to step up to the next level. He's been paid very well and we will get no return on him either.....it's a lottery. And like it or not, football is a business. We have no benefactor willing to just piss hundreds of millions away for zero return.
So we have to buy cheap and sell high. And it's not a lot cheaper than academy players.

So there it is....we are a league one club with an academy rated as among the best in the country presently. We have created more players than many clubs could dream of, and brought in some good fees. But it is a fact, that while we are where we are, our better kids will need to be sold to fund a first team and they will have to move on to further their development.
Until we get to the premier league, and can offer our kids the same as other premier league clubs we will continue to lose them.
The dream of fielding a side made on the majority of academy players is a very long way off.

At this point the counter argument usually veers back towards " But We sell them too cheaply, look at Southampton"

 

[YES Blade]

Possibly as he was a squad player with us and Wilson probably would have started him in more games that season than he did at Blackburn. This would help him keep his confidence and not go into a stall

Well he's only 24 and is now playing regularly, so still chance for him to get to the Championship / Premiership, so we'll see. My gut feeling is he'll never establish himself above League One.

 

[grafikhaus]

Despite how last season ended up Che and Billy got a fair amount of goals between them.

11 goals aint bad for a reserve player.

Last season, Che started 29 League games, came on as sub. 7 times and scored 11 league goals. We scored a total of 64 League goals last season, Billy got 21, Che got 11 and the next-highest was Sammon (!) with 5. Che more than played his part.

Freeman has more than 6 I think. He should be playing alongside Sharp upfront.

This season so far:

 

[Grappler]

Freeman has more than 6 I think. He should be playing alongside Sharp upfront.

I have been thinking the same myself.

Freeman gets into the box, the majority (if not all) of his goals come from a few yards in front of goal, once in the box, with the ball at his feet, he doesn't dither, he blasts it into the goal, often straight up into the roof of the net.

How many would he score if he was up front with Billy and Riley or O'Shea was in his usual place?

 

[itsinyerblood]

Is the suggested financial model for the academy to offer long term contracts, presumably on decent wages, to anyone showing a bit of talent? We aren't Chelsea, we're in L1 losing money every year.

The number of players who've not made the grade after initial reports would simply reduce the first team budget unless McCabes money tree starts giving good harvests again.

What we should do and what we are able to do are two different things. All suggestions on how to spend the owners money should at least come with an idea of any impact on budget because that's how the real world works.

As an aside, I'm shocked that there aren't more threads about Duffy being sold.......

Duffy sold!?!!!!?!!!?!! Goddam! Someone left the backdoor key in the wrong place. Time for mass hysterical response from those who need their fix of daily blame.

 

[Grizzly blade]

At this point the counter argument usually veers back towards " But We sell them too cheaply, look at Southampton"

But other than Kyle Walker I would say the academy sales have been about right so far. He was the one who was truly well below his obvious future value, and the others have really done about what was expected. Maguire however might be the next, though there was (from me too I might add) a swell of opinion that Top end premier league and certainly England was out of his reach due to his lack of Pace.
However, to me it seems he may have developed an extra yard of pace as he's matured from the kid we had.

So my point is that we haven't really produced any players in the mould that Saints have....Walcott, Ox, Bale to name a few...all attacking players of skill and pace. These always go for higher fees, whereas we have made a few decent defenders. Even then, Bale went on for tremendous fee, and if ever Walcott or Ox left I suspect they would be worth more now than they went for. So if they had hung into them a little longer they too would have benefitted.

So I just don't agree we can be compared to Saints as we aren't making the players they have.

 

[Bladesman]

I have been thinking the same myself.

Freeman gets into the box, the majority (if not all) of his goals come from a few yards in front of goal, once in the box, with the ball at his feet, he doesn't dither, he blasts it into the goal, often straight up into the roof of the net.

How many would he score if he was up front with Billy and Riley or O'Shea was in his usual place?

It would be an interesting experiment.

Where does Freeman see himself as a player? I think he offers much more going forward than he does defensively.

There is so much hindsight in that comment.
We can't tie all kids up to long term deals, it would cost a fortune obviously. NO club can spot every player that is going to rise to the top of the game. The player in question here was released by Bolton not so long ago.....a club in the poo financially who could do with any money they can get.
Kids mature and peak at different rates and ages. We had Diego who looked a world beater and was a shoe in it was thought to have a big career in the game. We paid him good money for zero return. George Long...another who was looking a real prospect but hasn't managed to step up to the next level. He's been paid very well and we will get no return on him either.....it's a lottery. And like it or not, football is a business. We have no benefactor willing to just piss hundreds of millions away for zero return.
So we have to buy cheap and sell high. And it's not a lot cheaper than academy players.

So there it is....we are a league one club with an academy rated as among the best in the country presently. We have created more players than many clubs could dream of, and brought in some good fees. But it is a fact, that while we are where we are, our better kids will need to be sold to fund a first team and they will have to move on to further their development.
Until we get to the premier league, and can offer our kids the same as other premier league clubs we will continue to lose them.
The dream of fielding a side made on the majority of academy players is a very long way off.

Sounds game changing that does.