Well done Paul Mitchell. You've had a very good summer.

[PokerBlade]

I speak to PL fans and most look at our signings and think we’ve had an awful Summer transfer window.

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).
So they are all confident that Robinson, Freeman, Osborn, McBurnie will really struggle.

Believe it or not many reckon our main signing and main hope is Phil Jagielka
They think we’ve bought him to be our defensive king pin. They are amazed when I tell them he’s back up and might hardly play.

They're just making bad inferences. It's trivially true that most players aren't good enough to play at a level higher than they currently are - that's why they play at that level. It's also true that all players earn their chance by playing at a lower level - nobody plays pro football without having played, at the very least, youth football. Pointing out that we've only signed Championship players means at a raw probability they'd not be good enough for us ignores that we aren't randomly selecting from a pool of players, we're selecting from the players we think have shown they have the ability to make the step up.

It's a bit like they're saying that the average height of a man in the UK is 5'10 and therefore Oli McBurnie is 5'10. I guess you'd have an okay shot at being right but all it tells me is that you don't really know anything about the players you're talking about. Population stats don't tell you about the individual.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Just because we haven't spunked big money on some Spanish/Portuguese/South American/French players (ok we have brought in a French player!) the so called experts assume we'll fail in the EPL.
They're totally ignorant of the fact that we have one of the best managment teams in the Country and an ethos which has served us well as a team in our climb from D1 to the PL, plus the DNA of the Club has been adhered to in the recruitment of the better Championship players, with not only a hunger to play at this higher, but with the ability to step up.
Any concerns?
Maybe the actual number of new recruits, that and the abilty of a couple of the existing squad to step up, but overall I feel we will surprise quite a few teams and hopefully shut up all the doubters!

 

[Kop Cat]

have these PL "fans" actually looked at other clubs signings, Villa 1 from Reims (18th in French League une) 1 from Kasimpasaspor (14th in Turkey) 1 from Brum,1 from Brentford and 1 from Brugge, hardly proven P.L. class. They have also signed a Citeh reserve, Mings who made his name in the Championship and the only proven PL player Matt Target, yet Most seem to think Villa will be o.k.
Norwich have signed from partick, Rochdale, schalke, munchengladbach and an Arsenal u21. Yet our signings will not keep us up, FFS

 

[Pedro's Winger]

Take a bow Sir!

Our expectations have been exceeded and the shrewdness of each acquisition is there to see.

I'd love to hear you reflect how you and the manager set about the rebuild of the squad way back in 2016. The financial planning, the incremental improvement and the assessment of needs in the squad.

I wonder when you started planning for the Premier League, Stage 1 - Summer 2017 ? Stage 2 -Summer 2018 ? Then in earnest by the Xmas?

Thanks Paul, we are up and ready to go.

Hopefully but we'll have a better idea once we've actually started playing Premier League football.
We've little idea at the moment how shrewd any of the acquisitions have been and whether they can cut it at the top.

 

[derryblade]

I don't get why people are getting upset by us being tipped for a quick return to the Championship, most clubs newly promoted to the Premiership are. I am sure Mitchell has spent a great deal of time identifying players who fit our profile will they cut it in the Premiership, personally I haven't got a clue, add the fact our promotion winning side have very little experience of this division I can see why we are tipped for relegation. I don't get the opinion that all Premiership fans are clueless regarding the other divisions, I would imagine they remember when their clubs were struggling in lower divisions. Why not just enjoy the ride.

 

[Woodwardfan]

.

Hopefully but we'll have a better idea once we've actually started playing Premier League football.
We've little idea at the moment how shrewd any of the acquisitions have been and whether they can cut it at the top.

Give each lad until Xmas. If they all gell together quickly it would be a miracle.

By the New Year they may have found a level and it is up to each player to earn his place in the team. Never have we had much competition for places or such a quality bench, whoever is on it each week.

 

[Punk Blade]

Of our promotion side, Enda Stevens seems to be fancied to have a better chance than most of making the step up to the PL. This of course coming two years after he leapfrogged L1 from L2 and was a real star of last season.

In the main I want to see us signing players from a lower position in the pyramid as they’ll be young, improving and ambitious. Signing players from above will be out of favour because they’re not good enough for their current club - be it in decline, old or having a poor attitude - and also expensive. I’ll be happy to see us signing more PL players when we’ve finished above half a dozen PL clubs.

 

[Kevin Arnott]

That big nosed streak of piss Ian Rush couldn't play in Division 1 could he ? He plays for Chester in Div 4. And that little twat called Keegan at Scunthorpe. Can't sign him for Liverpool because he's not Division 1 proven. Go and do one. Any transfer, at whatever cost, is only ever relevant to the club buying him and the system in which they expect him to play.

 

[BarcaBlade]

I'm sticking with my line that we don't have a difficult game before Xmas.

When my Liverpool-supporting colleague summed it up as, "what, so you're only classing difficult games as away against the top six?" it was clear the message hadn't sunk in and had to set him right that our difficult game this season is Man City away.

(Although I will admit that this is all bravado as I do have a bad feeling about Southampton away for some reason. That shouldn't matter though as we'll have it all tied up by then.)

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

They tell me that most Championship players struggle with the step up to the PL (which does seem to be true).

So how have the likes of Leicester, Watford, Burnley, Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Hull all gone up and stayed up in recent years?

I don't remember them all completely overhauling their squads and signing established Premier League players.

 

[Joeblades1]

The big boys dont look further than the end of their nose.like they got to spend big to appease the fans
I knew when i started watching Harry Maguire early doors he was a man amongst boys man mountain but could play , when we was trying to flog him and their was only interest from hull for a paltry 2miliion. I Was like why!! Wtf . And The rest is history.. Quite amazing.they just go for fashionable signings usually foreigners.

 

[derryblade]

Harry was far from the finished article when he was with us, Harry got his head down and worked to establish himself at Hull, Leicester and England and the coaches at Hull and Leicester deserve credit for helping him develop those skills. I certainly hope our signings are successful in the Premiership, it will take hard work and good coaching to do that.

 

[Woodwardfan]

The big boys dont look further than the end of their nose.like they got to spend big to appease the fans
I knew when i started watching Harry Maguire early doors he was a man amongst boys man mountain but could play , when we was trying to flog him and their was only interest from hull for a paltry 2miliion. I Was like why!! Wtf . And The rest is history.. Quite amazing.they just go for fashionable signings usually foreigners.

How true is that! Well said. And Brooks went for peanuts too.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Harry was far from the finished article when he was with us, Harry got his head down and worked to establish himself at Hull, Leicester and England and the coaches at Hull and Leicester deserve credit for helping him develop those skills. I certainly hope our signings are successful in the Premiership, it will take hard work and good coaching to do that.

Bruce thought he had two better centre halves in fact, Maguire deputised now and again.

Mind you he was still young and inexperienced. Our signings are all broken in apart from the Moose.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Has he ?

Time will tell .

UTB

 

[Davalon]

We've spent more than many of us envisaged and could only still afford top Championship players unproven in the Prem, despite smashing our transfer record a few times.

I'm not sure how we could have bettered it without the gift of hindsight come the season's end.

Not all the signings will pay. Despite always liking him I'm not convinced Freeman will step up. Just a hunch.

A good question might be for people to say how they feel we may have done better with our recruitment and transfer strategy.

 

[Snowman]

My only worry is that Lundstram is a Mitchell recommendation signing and he constantly supports him as then does the remainder of the management team. Sometimes you have got to accept you get one wrong now and again. IMHO.

 

[Kenilworth]

PL fans - that sums the fuckers up - not a club fan but a PL fan = blinkered wankers
I am a Blades fan and allus will be - don't give a fuck what division we are playing in from that perspective.
PL fans can fuck right off.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Has he ?

Time will tell .

UTB

I’m with you (for once) on this. If we didn’t have Wilder in charge, as a man who has more often than not made silk purses from sows ears over the last few years, I would say that we were destined for relegation.

I just hope that these players adapt to tuftyball pretty sharpish and prove everyone wrong.

I can see what people are looking down their noses at our signings, we’re used to that by now though aren’t we?!

 

[DronnieBlade]

I’m with you (for once) on this. If we didn’t have Wilder in charge, as a man who has more often than not made silk purses from sows ears over the last few years, I would say that we were destined for relegation.

I just hope that these players adapt to tuftyball pretty sharpish and prove everyone wrong.

I can see what people are looking down their noses at our signings, we’re used to that by now though aren’t we?!

And not for the first time, I’m genuinely against the grain on this one.

I would have bought Canos instead of Freeman.

I wouldn’t have touched Lys at all. Genuinely concerned by what I saw at Matlock rather than encouraged. Won’t write him off yet but the improvement will need to be vast and quick !

McBurnie has much to do to win me over.

Rav - well none of us know so here’s hoping !

Jags - most obvious signing I can remember. Will do just fine and a sensible addition.

Osbourne - Dunno. I’ll have a close look when I can.

Robbo - IF Tufty gets the team selection right, this lad could turn in to a superstar IMHO. Needs clever technical players around him. This is Sharp and Dids (in the main). Doubt gaffer sees it like this and he will play off McBurnie. It won’t work !

UTB

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Osbourne - Dunno. I’ll have a close look when I can.

Please don’t take too long, Messrs Wilder and Knill are desperate for your verdict.....

 

[Pinchy]

It's not just going to be Paul Mitchell though is it. The more well known our targets become, the more it's over to the manager. Wilder, Knill and Mitchell will all have known exactly how good Robinson, Freeman and McBurnie are for example.

Bettis must have done a great job as well. Played a blinder with Robinson in particular.

As for 'PL fans' and their judgement, it could't be worth any less and I tell them this. They're generally very ignorant and have no appetite for the game outside the top division. They're brainwashed into thinking signings can only be good if they cost a fortune and have been through the hype machine. They're idiots. Many think they're tactical experts though since they started watching their Gary Neville.

In reality we've recruited as well as we could have been expected to. And we have at least one significant signing left.

We all know them. They refer to Newton Heath as ‘United’. As indeed do modern commentators and reporters who think football was invented by coca-cola and began in 1992.

 

[Pinchy]

I'm more than happy with our summer and it has definitely exceeded mine and no doubt many other fans' expectations.

But as a ball hasn't even been kicked yet, I think it's a bit early to start patting anyone on the back for a job well done.

Well the owners certainly deserve a pat on the back whether a ball has been kicked or not. They have facilitated expenditure way beyond what any of us expected. After that it’s up to the professionals.

 

[Pinchy]

Please don’t take too long, Messrs Wilder and Knill are desperate for your verdict.....

My verdict is two vowels too many. He’s carrying surplus letters and needs to slim down.

 

[Pinchy]

How true is that! Well said. And Brooks went for peanuts too.

Nobody offered any more peanuts than we got, Woody. The move was in the public eye for about a week before he signed. Nobody else came in.

 

[Pinchy]

We've spent more than many of us envisaged and could only still afford top Championship players unproven in the Prem, despite smashing our transfer record a few times.

I'm not sure how we could have bettered it without the gift of hindsight come the season's end.

Not all the signings will pay. Despite always liking him I'm not convinced Freeman will step up. Just a hunch.

A good question might be for people to say how they feel we may have done better with our recruitment and transfer strategy.

Many of them would simply play last season’s team despite a universal consensus that we needed to recruit and £20m was a ludicrously low sum to do the job.

I think we should be more concerned about Norwood and Fleck than Freeman. As ever time will tell, but it’s a limited commodity when you only have two transfer windows.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Nobody offered any more peanuts than we got, Woody. The move was in the public eye for about a week before he signed. Nobody else came in.

I think that's the point someone had made Pinchy and I agree with it.

P.L. scouts are lazy and the big clubs just dole out the big cash for what they hope are racing certainties. They rarely find the lads whose career is at the development stage. They can't afford to play kids at their level. They do cherry pick the top 16 year olds but don't usually bother with players who can't make an impact in the first team straight away.

Unusually The Mancs have signed James from Swansea and may be changing their approach to a degree. They also seem to be leaning towards younger players. Let's keep big Jack under wraps.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Please don’t take too long, Messrs Wilder and Knill are desperate for your verdict.....

They have my number.

Speed dial #1 .

.

UTB

 

[Weasel]

PL fans - that sums the fuckers up - not a club fan but a PL fan = blinkered wankers
I am a Blades fan and allus will be - don't give a fuck what division we are playing in from that perspective.
PL fans can fuck right off.

Agree. When we got promoted to the PL, a work colleague (he is a Villa fan who is based overseas so I will forgive his natural ignorance to most footballing matters) mentioned to me that it is great that I can now go and see the PL superstars come and play at Bramall Lane next season.

I had to stop myself from scutching the idiot round the ear, as I explained to the inbred fool that I am a born and bred Blades fan and I only go to the Lane to watch United. I couldn't give a fuk about the opposition and definitely fuk all about their players. They are there just to make up the numbers and to get their arses handed to them on a plate by the red n white wizards.

In the same way, my knees have never got all trembly about going to Wembley (or any other away ground for that matter). My favourite ground is Bramall Lane. Always was, always will be. Its my spiritual home where my family and friends (some of them now long gone) have been going to for many years.

I did admit to him though that of course, it is better for United to be properly tested each week by the bigger clubs in the PL, rather than clearly inferior smaller clubs such as Forest, Leeds, Sunderland, Derby, Pigs etc.

Great to see the Premier League stars... fukin indeed.