Who should stay, and who should go?

[shorehamview]

Given that Blackwell might be off, and that we certainly could do with changes in the coaching structure, however small or large, who should stay and who should go?

As far as the coaching staff stand then if one goes should they all? How much stability will that give us - we finished third, and almost secured automatic promotion. So Blackwell and his staff can't be as useless as people seem to think.


Now the squad, there are several who can go, and sooner rather than later.

Ones to keep -
Paddy, Bennett, Naysmith, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naughton, Walker, Cotterill, Montgomery, Ward.

Hmmmm, not sure -
Ehiogu - is he fit? Is he too old?
Speed - same as Ehiogu.
Bromby- will he be happy as cover, or will he want to play?
Sun Jihai - keep, or get rid? Can one of the younger players do his job?
Hendrie - will he perform if he gets the chance, and is he on too much money?
Geary - there is no doubt what this club means to him, so should he get the chance to coach, do we wait to see if he gets fit, which is highly unlikely, or do we get rid?
Henderson - we've seen what he can do in fits and starts, but can he be consistent? I'm not sure.
Howard - if he performs he's good, if he runs around like a headless chicken then he's pointless. To be fair to him it's hard to play when the ball spends most of the game floating over your head, but he's not made the most of his chances when he's had it at his feet.

Ones to sign -
Greg Halford - if he wants to come, and if we can afford him, and if Sunderland's new manager wants to sell, then sign him.
Lupoli - same for him. When he's had a chance he's played well. Will Fiorentina let him go?

Ones to get rid of -
Carney - what a waste. He looked good at first, but the shine soon wore off.
Small Quinn - has an alarming tendency to go missing. We might as well play 4-3-2 and let him have the day off.
Webber - a bit part player now. Get rid and spend the wages on someone else.
Billy Sharp - I really wanted him to be a massive success and score loads, but there's no chance of that. A crying shame, as you can see that scoring for us means as much to him as it would to any other Blade, but Warnock was right. Sorry Billy.
O-Toole - Why does he always look lost? He runs after the ball like a Jack Russell chasing a 99p newsagent's special on the beach. Very enthusiastic with no product.
Craig Beattie - he might have been a decent signing but for two good reasons. If he didn't whinge and moan like a spoiled brat every time a decision from the officials didn't go his way, and if he tried passing the ball to one of our players when they were in a good position. West Brom can have him back with pleasure.

 

[Vistoma]

Ones to keep -
Paddy, Bennett, Naysmith, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naughton, Walker, Cotterill, Montgomery, Ward.


Agree with most of your thread but I wouldn't keep Cotts or Morgan or Montgomery IF we had a choice and could afford replacements

Cotts delivers one game in three Morgan is far to slow and Montgomery cant pass wind. However we won't have a choice so will have much the same team less any talent which will go.

 

[mattbianco1]

Ones to keep -
Paddy, Bennett, Naysmith, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naughton, Walker, Cotterill, Montgomery, Ward.


Agree with most of your thread but I wouldn't keep Cotts or Morgan or Montgomery IF we had a choice and could afford replacements

Cotts delivers one game in three Morgan is far to slow and Montgomery cant pass wind. However we won't have a choice so will have much the same team less any talent which will go.

Montgomery was the best player on the pitch yesterday! And he was against Preston. He would die for the club if he had to!

 

[Vistoma]

Montgomery was the best player on the pitch yesterday! And he was against Preston. He would die for the club if he had to![/QUOT


Yes he was and that says it all for me.

 

[Foxy]

Yes he was and that says it all for me.

What it says to me, is that if we had 11 men with the energy, drive, commitment and passion for the Blades as Nick Montgomery, there's a chance we'd have been waking up in the premiership this morning.

The most critisised bloke on the field for the last god knows how many years is the one who always stands up to be counted, always put himself in the spotlight by taking responsibility for the rest of them.

First name on the teamsheet for the opening game of the season next year.

 

[Warnock=God]

What it says to me, is that if we had 11 men with the energy, drive, commitment and passion for the Blades as Nick Montgomery, there's a chance we'd have been waking up in the premiership this morning.

The most critisised bloke on the field for the last god knows how many years is the one who always stands up to be counted, always put himself in the spotlight by taking responsibility for the rest of them.

First name on the teamsheet for the opening game of the season next year.

Couldn't agree anymore.

Him and Naughton were the only two good players out there for us yesterday. Walker was a different player to the one that came out in the 1st half as well.

 

[Vistoma]

Couldn't agree anymore.

Him and Naughton were the only two good players out there for us yesterday. Walker was a different player to the one that came out in the 1st half as well.

I never have, or will, criticise Montys effort and I have already agreed he was probably our best player yesterday. However, a midfield is meant to (I believe) create chances for fowards and score the occasional goal to help the cause. If you don't think that then lets play the long ball as that cuts out the need for a creative midfield. He just does not give us that.

If you were, honestly, picking a best in the Championship midfield, he would not be in it would he?

Also pick your all time Blades top team, and have a look at the midfield, you may have chosen Currie, Brown etc I almost guarantee they will all be as described above, not hard working hard running Montys.

Life is all about opinions and this is just mine.

 

[Linz]

I never have, or will, criticise Montys effort and I have already agreed he was probably our best player yesterday. However, a midfield is meant to (I believe) create chances for fowards and score the occasional goal to help the cause. If you don't think that then lets play the long ball as that cuts out the need for a creative midfield. He just does not give us that.

If you were, honestly, picking a best in the Championship midfield, he would not be in it would he?

Also pick your all time Blades top team, and have a look at the midfield, you may have chosen Currie, Brown etc I almost guarantee they will all be as described above, not hard working hard running Montys.

Life is all about opinions and this is just mine.

But a midfield is not just one man.

By doing the dirty jobs, it allows the three players in the midfield with him to push forward and not be defensively exposed.

It'd be pointless cloning Christiano Ronaldo and playing a midfield existing solely of him because for every goal you scored, you'd concede three.

It's unfair to compare him to Brown and Currie because he is a different type of player. Those flair players can only shine with the right men alongside them.

 

[yuley82]

Monty's not a creative player, never has been never will be but he's not in the team to be creative, thats the job of players like quinny hendrie and howard, but they have all failed!!! Every team has a player like monts because there needed!! As for the players i'd get rid of would be Quinn, Hendrie, Webber, Eugo, Carney, O'toole, Geary, I'd sign Halford and let Beattie and Lupoli go back.

 

[Foxy]

Also pick your all time Blades top team, and have a look at the midfield, you may have chosen Currie, Brown etc I almost guarantee they will all be as described above, not hard working hard running Montys.

Remind me who Currie and Brown had besides them when on the top of their game?

Monty is excellent at what he's put in the side to do. Sadly, despite his sterling efforts, he isn't able to do the job of 3 other underperforming midfielders whilst going forward. If he was, he'd be playing for Manchester United.

 

[MAQ]

I never have, or will, criticise Montys effort and I have already agreed he was probably our best player yesterday. However, a midfield is meant to (I believe) create chances for fowards and score the occasional goal to help the cause. If you don't think that then lets play the long ball as that cuts out the need for a creative midfield. He just does not give us that.

This statement alone is the answer, we all know that Monty will run until his feet bleed and then keep going, and as was said was one of the best players on the pitch yesterday, and again against preston, and the brum match. But He isnt the player that you are describing. He is the player that sits in the middle, is used to move the ball from left to right and back again, to break down the play and to provide extra support. All of which he does very well IMO. But one thing that monty isnt is the creative player that we have both needed and been crying out for for so long. Thats the role that Squinny and Howard are supposed to play. Squinny had a good start to the season, however after coming back from injury/suspension has failed to perform to his own previous standards. Howard is a different matter completely. He will be a journey player IMO that shall live the rest of his career on the Goal at Anfield. He sems to go missing through games almost all the time, rarely gets into a good position, goes down easier than a cheap prossy, and lets face it, usually has the touch of a baby elephant!

Life is all about opinions and this is just mine.

Respected, as the above is mine and open for debate.

 

[Vistoma]

But a midfield is not just one man.

By doing the dirty jobs, it allows the three players in the midfield with him to push forward and not be defensively exposed.

It'd be pointless cloning Christiano Ronaldo and playing a midfield existing solely of him because for every goal you scored, you'd concede three.

It's unfair to compare him to Brown and Currie because he is a different type of player. Those flair players can only shine with the right men alongside them.

Most points taken, although I struggle to see where the "Monty" is in the Man utd side!!!

My main point is still not whether Monty will run Forest run but are we prepared to settle for that?

Brownie was, still is, a ball winner and runner but has a pass and a shot, Paul Scholes and Gatuso much the same, I fully agree that every team needs a ball winner BUT if they then can't distrbute it whats the point in winning it. I am not expecting us to sign a Ronaldo, I am a realist.

I just think there are better out there. Enough about this He was our MOM yesterday and deserves much praise for at least giving a damn!

 

[Bladesman]

To keep:

Paddy, Bennett, Naysmith, Lupoli, Kilgallon, Naughton, Walker, Halford, Speed(if he still wants to play if not he can be our manager) Ugo ( if he isnt retiring)

the rest can go

 

[madeinsheffield]

To keep:

Paddy, Bennett, Naysmith, Lupoli, Kilgallon, Naughton, Walker, Halford, Speed(if he still wants to play if not he can be our manager) Ugo ( if he isnt retiring)

the rest can go

I would add Morgan, he might not be the quickest but I rate him as the best leader of a team by example in recent memory, He will run through a wall for United. Tudguy told a mate he was glad morgs didn't play in the derby because he knew he'd have a hard time, Morgs is one of the hardest centre halves he has played against.

Apart from that yep time for a clear out, we've carried too many players having long bad spells this season.

The truth is we didn’t finish enough teams off early in the season, cos we weren’t scoring goals, James Beattie is still our leading scorer, and if you remember he was injured at the start of the season too!

 

[TonyAgana]

James Beattie is still our leading scorer, and if you remember he was injured at the start of the season too!

And until the moment he left we were teetering on the brink of the play-offs.

 

[SBSP]

Montgomery was the best player on the pitch yesterday! And he was against Preston. He would die for the club if he had to!

I wish he would!!

Maybe then we could have a midifelder who could actually play a pass.

The fact that he was our best player shows just how truly terrible the rest of the team were.

 

[keenzy]

And until the moment he left we were teetering on the brink of the play-offs.

Still half of the season to play though so cant really say if we were going to get them or not.

 

[TonyAgana]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/8068231.stm

New contract for the lad. I hope that the last contract talk he had, he was told "learn how to pass a ball and we'll extend it." I was a big critic of his until the new year when, dispite certain posters' opinions ^^^^ he has improved his passing ten-fold.

 

[TonyAgana]

Still half of the season to play though so cant really say if we were going to get them or not.

Apologies for double-post. I know it's difficult to look at the whole season retrospectively but take the time out to have a look through the old posts on this forum to judge the feeling around the club up until the point he left, then have a look a couple of months later. We were playing disgusting football with Beattie up front and we were all complaining about it. That soon changed.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Remind me who Currie and Brown had besides them when on the top of their game?

For those too young to remember Tony Currie played alongside Trevor Hockey - For those of us who remember, "nuff said" - for those who weren't lucky enough to be there the "Wolfman" made a career of stopping every attack in the 70s (except for that one by George Best )

I can't see a day when Sheff Utd will get anywhere without a Monty type player and given that even Sky rave about him, we'd be crazy to let him go.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I never have, or will, criticise Montys effort and I have already agreed he was probably our best player yesterday. However, a midfield is meant to (I believe) create chances for fowards and score the occasional goal to help the cause. If you don't think that then lets play the long ball as that cuts out the need for a creative midfield. He just does not give us that.

If you were, honestly, picking a best in the Championship midfield, he would not be in it would he?

Also pick your all time Blades top team, and have a look at the midfield, you may have chosen Currie, Brown etc I almost guarantee they will all be as described above, not hard working hard running Montys.

Life is all about opinions and this is just mine.

Actually if I pick my all-time best Blades midfield first name on the sheet is Tony Currie, next name is the one that allowed him to play as he did Trevor Hockey. Hockey-High couldn't pass or shoot to the standard that Currie did. He could tackle and stop the opposition though, so TC could do his stuff. Every team needs a Monty or a Hockey or a Makelele. I've a feeling that we will lost Montgomery over the summer to a PL club, likewise Killa and Naughton, which goes some way to explaining his value and worth as a player.

 

[TonyAgana]

Actually if I pick my all-time best Blades midfield first name on the sheet is Tony Currie, next name is the one that allowed him to play as he did Trevor Hockey. Hockey-High couldn't pass or shoot to the standard that Currie did. He could tackle and stop the opposition though, so TC could do his stuff. Every team needs a Monty or a Hockey or a Makelele. I've a feeling that we will lost Montgomery over the summer to a PL club, likewise Killa and Naughton, which goes some way to explaining his value and worth as a player.

Just signed a new contract, SEB. Good news I reckon. He'll be happy to be paid minimum wage and he'd sooner take up ballet than leave the Blades.

 

[Sensiblade]

I wish he would!!

Maybe then we could have a midifelder who could actually play a pass.

The fact that he was our best player shows just how truly terrible the rest of the team were.

You really haven't got a clue have ya!

 

[Vistoma]

Actually if I pick my all-time best Blades midfield first name on the sheet is Tony Currie, next name is the one that allowed him to play as he did Trevor Hockey. Hockey-High couldn't pass or shoot to the standard that Currie did. He could tackle and stop the opposition though, so TC could do his stuff. Every team needs a Monty or a Hockey or a Makelele. I've a feeling that we will lost Montgomery over the summer to a PL club, likewise Killa and Naughton, which goes some way to explaining his value and worth as a player.

The fact is that Hockey was only at United for a year or so with Currie joining in Jan 1971 and breaking his leg in Feb 72 missing loads of games and joining Norwich in Dec 1972.

Currie was here until 1976 and played the vast majority of his united career not alongside Trevor. He played alongside wingers like Woodward and Dearden and midfielders like Geoff Salmons. Woodward Dearden and Salmons were all ball players and not Montys. Strangely this coincides with what is arguably the best period in Sheffield United history.

I watched just about every week then as a youngster and then a teenager and we played football on a muddy pitch with tackles flying in, we got the ball out wide to Woody and Dearden.

Hmmmmm

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Billy Dearden was a winger at Crewe, Chester and Oldham but rarely (if ever?) was used in that position for us. He was converted by Harris to be a striker cos of his positional nous, his finishing and above all his bravery. Too small to be a true centre forward though. The wingers were usually Salmons (like an express train alongside the cricket field but couldn't take the ball with him) and Scullion or Reece on the left.

Keith Eddy replaced Hockey - had a good brain but we missed Hockey's steel.

And the lessons of history? Beer was cheaper, pork pies had real dead pig in em - and we need Monty in our midfield!!

 

[Hartyblade]

Ones to keep
Kenny, Naughton, Morgan, Kilgallon, Walker, Monty, Cotterill, Ward, Henderson

Sign Halford, Lupoli, Bromby if we can get him cheap.

Get rid of ASAP.
Quinn
Beattie (He's gone now anyway)
Howard
Naysmith - He's gonna be out for a while and i have a feeling he's one of the highest paid players?


Positions to sign for.
Leave the back 4 and kenny alone.
An attacking Centre Mid - Llalana for southampton, think thats how you spell it.
A prolific goal scorer - Beckford would be ideal.

Speed for manager

 

[DazBlade88]

I wish he would!!

Maybe then we could have a midifelder who could actually play a pass.

The fact that he was our best player shows just how truly terrible the rest of the team were.

So let me get this straight, you think because our team is that bad we should sell the player that looks the best and most consistent?

For players that we own...

Keep : Kenny, Bennett, Naughton, Walker, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naysmith, Montgomery, Cotterill, Speed (as coach, maybe manager if Blackwell leaves), Ward, Henderson.

Let go : Carney, Quinn, Webber, Sharp.

Wouldn't mind keeping but need to free the wage bill : Sun Jihai, Hendrie, Ehiogu.

Not sure : Howard.

For players on loan, I'd like Halford but I don't think we can afford him. Lupoli is more affordable, and I'd like to see him at the Lane. Beattie can go back, he wasn't enough for us. Bromby, waste of time bringing him back for £1m+. O'Toole I'm not sure about, he can probably do a job but it depends on our expectations, which unfortunately may be mid-table with the way this summer looks like it's going to pan out.

The ones to keep are all money providing, I feel offers may be coming in for our players now Blackwell has publicised the fact we need to sell.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

Get rid of Quinn. Constant badly timed passes or intersepted when not kicking ball out of play. Got the odd goal from free kicks but by the law of average even I would score if I spent the amount of time on the pitch he does.
Beattie must have a picture of blackie in the nude to keep getting picked. The odd promising run but has delivered nowt! Has to never return after loans over.
To think Beattie has got picked before Billy sharp and Danny Webber and lupoli is strange beyond words. You could understand if he was banging goals in.

 

[rachyblade]

I cant see us gettin rid of Howard, we only just got him.

Hendrie, webber, sharp, quinn, sun, carney should all go.

Not sure about signing Halford, he has not been great of late.

I'd try to get Bromby as cover plus I think Killa will go.

Naughton - we will find it hard to keep him.

I'd like to see a few more of the youngsters given a chance next season, we have seen what Walker and Naughton are like, I also think Laws did ok when he was given a chance few seasons back.

 

[keenzy]

I cant see us gettin rid of Howard, we only just got him.

Hendrie, webber, sharp, quinn, sun, carney should all go.

Not sure about signing Halford, he has not been great of late.

I'd try to get Bromby as cover plus I think Killa will go.

Naughton - we will find it hard to keep him.

I'd like to see a few more of the youngsters given a chance next season, we have seen what Walker and Naughton are like, I also think Laws did ok when he was given a chance few seasons back.

Agree with all of that,

Get maxime in!!!!