Outgoing? John Fleck

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

Unthinkable to most of us at the moment, of course. But...

Unlikely?

Entirely possible?

Absolutely probable?

Has anyone else noticed that we have rather a lot of midfielders at the club presently and we are still looking to add more? Lundstram should sign this week and we have still not given up on Leonard apparently. Why?

There were rumours a while ago that Rangers may be in for Fleck, although after his performances last season I'm sure they won't be the only ones to be taking notice of him.

Given United's tradition of making profits every year on player sales, Fleck could be used as a pawn in the game to raise funds to allow us to replace him with a similar type player (Leonard) and make a handsome profit at the same time.

Something is not quite right with the goings on down there at the moment. It's as though there's some kind of bottleneck that is blocking certain players coming in - and I suspect that's financial. The sale of another one of our better assets may well be seen as the remedy - so I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see us cash in on a player who cost us no fee at all.

I hope not - but United have long since stopped surprising me.

Brain overactive. Recommend a quiet lie down.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Fleck and Coutts are joined at the hip ,our Morecambe and wise ,hale and Pace ,Bodie and Doyle ,Collins and Doyle. Just watch them warming up before a game.Going nowhere.

Clough & Taylor?
Warnock & Blackwell ?!?
Agana & Deane !?!?!
Woodward & Currie ( who we ain't got)

 

[Snowman]

Clough & Taylor?
Warnock & Blackwell ?!?
Agana & Deane !?!?!
Woodward & Currie ( who we ain't got)

This still going? What was the thread title again? It either Altzheimers or Drunk for me.Maybe both.

 

[Rodley]

If somebody offers an absolutely staggering amount of money Fleck like all others will be sold

About a million and a half is still staggering to Sheffield United

He's back!

 

[wizadry]

There's only Fleck who can play Flecks role, you get rid of him and you're playing a very risky game, luckily it's all bollocks anyway.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Well the club can always prove me wrong

It's just that in all my days I cannot remember them ever doing it

And I don't expect them to if an offer comes in for Fleck

The club can never prove you wrong
Because you've already decided we're doomed.
Doesn't matter what happens. We could win the Champioms League and you'd manage to put a negative spin on it.

I would normally reply to your post but I'm beginning to think you're just on the wind up.

 

[JJBlade]

The club can never prove you wrong
Because you've already decided we're doomed.
Doesn't matter what happens. We could win the Champioms League and you'd manage to put a negative spin on it.

I would normally reply to your post but I'm beginning to think you're just on the wind up.

Don't think I would somehow
And how you and others can insinuate that Fleck would not be sold if an offer comes in is mind boggling

 

[Bladezz]

Don't think I would somehow
And how you and others can insinuate that Fleck would not be sold if an offer comes in is mind boggling

We have been in League one, championship teams could attract our players easily! Like we are trying doing with Lundstram / Leonard / Baldock etc.

Now we are in the same league the players although may want to leave we have some more bargaining power which allows us to drive up the price.

Every player in the league has a price, if the price hits something we want he will go. Just like Assombalonga did, same as Roberts etc.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Don't think I would somehow
And how you and others can insinuate that Fleck would not be sold if an offer comes in is mind boggling

He would be sold if it's makes financial sense but that's always been the case and applies to virtually every club in England.

A major aspect is player contract and player power.

I understand Fleck has 2 years left in his contract so next Summer becomes twitchy bum time.
Flecks agent might be demanding £25K a week or he'll refuse to sign a contract extension.

So the big decision next Summer could be "do we keep Fleck to serve the last year of his contract and risk a drop in morale/ performance knowing he'll leave in a free" or

Do we sell him for £5 million and try to re-invest some of that money is improvements to the team. £5 mil would be a fantastic price for us with someone entering his final year.

Or thirdly do we pay him £25K a week and gamble by risking overspending putting the future of the club in jeopardy.

Most clubs choose the second option and cash in whilst they can.

PS: Seriously doubt we'll get any bids for Fleck this Summer, think he's only started 4 (FOUR) matches in the Championship whilst on loan at Blackpool. PL clubs will see how he performs in this new league before considering a large bid.

 

[Bladezz]

Fleck has to perform exceptionally well this year so either way we cannot lose.

If Fleck is having bids thrown at him it means we're doing okay so let's fire away.

 

[Groucho Blade]

Why is this thread in the Rumours section? Perhaps we should have an Idle Speculation thread.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Fourth option: Have faith that Fleck and O'Connell will make the step up. Get them on long contracts before our rivals have seen them ace the championship. Strengthen our bargaining position when the bids come in, during the January or summer transfer window.

 

[SwissBlade]

Cerberus Blade

Who said this today?

"We're looking to bring in another Centre Half, it would free up Bash to play centre midfield*. At the moment we only have two centre midfielders"

Spoiler: ?????????

None other than Chris Wilder on RS

* Personally i don't think Basham was much of a Centre Midfielder at league 1 level, let alone Championship, but I accept its an option if we need to break up play and sit alongside Fleck and Coutts.

 

[Pinchy]

For the love of all that is holy.....how many more times.

We don't have attacking midfielders and defensive ones.....we have Midfield players. All good at the main role of midfield. Some better than others, all offering something a little different.

Precisely so. The title defines the role. The silly abbreviations should be left on Junior Computer Manager or whatever it is they play. They do Tufty's 'ead in.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

For the love of all that is holy.....how many more times.

We don't have attacking midfielders and defensive ones.....we have Midfield players. All good at the main role of midfield. Some better than others, all offering something a little different.

Just the other day, Tufty differentiated between the role played by Duffy/Samir/Brooks as opposed to that played by Fleck and Coutts. He considers that we only have 2 central midfielders with Bash able to play there if needed as well. He does not consider Brooks, Duffy, Carruthers central midfielders. 2 positions currently occupied by Fleck and Coutts. Tufty hopes Leonard and Lundstram will come in and provide competition for those 2.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Precisely so. The title defines the role. The silly abbreviations should be left on Junior Computer Manager or whatever it is they play. They do Tufty's 'ead in.

I refer you to my previous post. Thankfully, Tufty agrees with me.

 

[Pinchy]

I refer you to my previous post. Thankfully, Tufty agrees with me.

...and me:

 

[1danewhitehouse]

...and me:

View attachment 28911

So, what position to Duffy/ Carruthers/ Brooks play?

 

[Pinchy]

So, what position to Duffy/ Carruthers/ Brooks play?

Something of a free role, as we used to call it. No one doubts that midfielders have different attributes. Some are more creative; others put the hard yards in; but nobody should be allowed the Montgomery job description - half a job.

All the silly abbreviations do Tufty's head in. He said so, quite clearly, in those very terms. He's right. Midfielder - that's the role. Do you think Cloughy, Shanks or Paisley ever spoke of ACMs or 'sitting' or 'holding'?

I can just hear Cloughy... "Young man, I don't pay you to sit...stand up and join in the bloody game..and put down whatever it is you're fucking holding, it'll slow you down. Now get over there and play football.."

Sadly, some of our Junior Computer Managers think football was invented by Coca-Cola and didn't exist before the Premier League.

"Tony ACM Currie...Tony ACM Currie"

 

[I should coco]

Sadly, some of our Junior Computer Managers think football was invented by Coca-Cola and didn't exist before the Premier League.

Actually it was Pepsi in conjunction with Barclays.

Football started in 1992 and we have Sky and that really nice Murdoch bloke to thank for it. Oh, and the helpful chaps at FIFA too.

Keep up at the back there!

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Something of a free role, as we used to call it. No one doubts that midfielders have different attributes. Some are more creative; others put the hard yards in; but nobody should be allowed the Montgomery job description - half a job.

All the silly abbreviations do Tufty's head in. He said so, quite clearly, in those very terms. He's right. Midfielder - that's the role. Do you think Cloughy, Shanks or Paisley ever spoke of ACMs or 'sitting' or 'holding'?

I can just hear Cloughy... "Young man, I don't pay you to sit...stand up and join in the bloody game..and put down whatever it is you're fucking holding, it'll slow you down. Now get over there and play football.."

Sadly, some of our Junior Computer Managers think football was invented by Coca-Cola and didn't exist before the Premier League.

"Tony ACM Currie...Tony ACM Currie"

I think you're issue appears to be primarily one of semantics. You acknowledge the difference between the role performed by Fleck and Coutts and that performed by the likes of Duffy. Depending on the formation played, I think "central midfielder" can have different connotations. The "free role" played by Duffy and co in our system means that Fleck and Coutts play slightly deeper than they probably would in a traditional 442. They are still central midfielders but the role changes slightly depending on the system. The requirements change a bit. Neither Fleck or Coutts for example are expected to make late runs into the box to meet crosses whereas when we consider someone like Tim Cahill, who was also a central midfielder of sorts, that was his forte. There are million aliases thrown at midfielders (destroyer, holding, sitting, CDM, CAM, number 10, free role, in the hole, playmaker, box to box, ballwinner, creator, regista etc.). Fact is, they are all central midfielders of some description. Whilst I don't excuse "half a job" (Duffy should still press, Coutts should still threaten the goal, make tackles etc.), different players in the system have different strengths (as you acknowledge) and the system works better if you have the right blend throughout and players being deployed in a position that maximises their strengths and covers their weaknesses. I wouldn't get too upset about what the kids are calling that these days.

 

[BushBlade]

Something of a free role, as we used to call it. No one doubts that midfielders have different attributes. Some are more creative; others put the hard yards in; but nobody should be allowed the Montgomery job description - half a job.

All the silly abbreviations do Tufty's head in. He said so, quite clearly, in those very terms. He's right. Midfielder - that's the role. Do you think Cloughy, Shanks or Paisley ever spoke of ACMs or 'sitting' or 'holding'?

I can just hear Cloughy... "Young man, I don't pay you to sit...stand up and join in the bloody game..and put down whatever it is you're fucking holding, it'll slow you down. Now get over there and play football.."

Sadly, some of our Junior Computer Managers think football was invented by Coca-Cola and didn't exist before the Premier League.

"Tony ACM Currie...Tony ACM Currie"

I believe Mr Clough (and I'll call him that out of respect and to differentiate him from his less successful offspring) used the phrase 'your job is to win the ball and give it to someone who can play' so he wasn't unfamiliar with the concept, even if his terminology differed.

But Mr Clough's refusal to adapt to modern ideas such as scouting the opposition and providing information on them to the players meant that he himself became a dinosaur whose later successes were, to a great extent, due to his tendency to allow McGovern and Gemmil to do a lot of the pre-match preparation.

The idea of an attacking central midfielder or defensive central midfielder isn't restricted to computer games I'm afraid, it's just coaches' shorthand for a specific role in a team, just as Shankly might have used the term 'inside forward'. As formations and roles within a team have changed, so have the terms used to describe them.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Precisely so. The title defines the role. The silly abbreviations should be left on Junior Computer Manager or whatever it is they play. They do Tufty's 'ead in.

The 'Junior Computer Manager or whatever it is they play' that knows infinitely more about football that you ever will?

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

In a slight change of your own words....

Perhaps you should try it, you might learn something.

 

[The Crab]

Actually it was Pepsi in conjunction with Barclays.

Football started in 1992 and we have Sky and that really nice Murdoch bloke to thank for it. Oh, and the helpful chaps at FIFA too.

Keep up at the back there!

A completely unrelated (I'm sure, honest guv) theory is that when FIFA got involved, there was a massive spike in the sale of brown envelopes

 

[Pinchy]

The 'Junior Computer Manager or whatever it is they play' that knows infinitely more about football that you ever will?

Does it? Stick a real ball on a real centre-spot and I'll play it for £50,000.

It's this sort of naive stuff that really separates those who know what they're talking about from those who play computer games.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Does it? Stick a real ball on a real centre-spot and I'll play it for £50,000.

It's this sort of naive stuff that really separates those who know what they're talking about from those who play computer games.

It's this sort of archaic technophobe......

The research that goes into this game is phenomenal. Input from hundreds of people 'in the game' that also know far more about football that you.

 

[Pinchy]

A completely unrelated (I'm sure, honest guv) theory is that when FIFA got involved, there was a massive spike in the sale of brown envelopes

Some of which made their way to Big Fat Useless Hoofy Sam; Wide Boy Tel and Arry's Dog....

 

[The Crab]

Some of which made their way to Big Fat Useless Hoofy Sam; Wide Boy Tel and Arry's Dog....

 

[Pinchy]

It's this sort of archaic technophobe......

The research that goes into this game is phenomenal. Input from hundreds of people 'in the game' that also know far more about football that you.

One thing's for sure. You are certainly not one of them, or you wouldn't be promulgating utter bollocks like this. I'm surprised you can keep a straight face.

Dear, oh dear, oh dear. How old are you, young tyro?