Optimism; My proposal for the Blades

[LouTheBlade]

I have come to the conclusion that the only way to be optimistic about the Blades is to look forward to next season and write this one off. With that in mind, I am about to demonstrate what we could achieve with the current team and a few well thought out additions – proving that football really isn’t rocket science.

Assuming that the club officials can pull their finger out of their arse for the first time in 18 months; our fortunes would improve with the following plan;

Step 1; Allow KB to gracefully resign his position (in May) and thank him for all his efforts.

Step 2; Provide a minimum transfer budget of £2 million for the new manager.

Step 3; Sign the following players (if available):-

Marcel Seip (Plymouth) – Not sure what they would be asking for, his contract might even be up but worth signing permanently.

Nyron Nosworthy (Sunderland) – Not sure how he played at Watford, didn’t look that great. But he has the right attributes and seems to be available. Would have to fork out probably though so makes our chances slim!

Frazer Richardson (Charlton) – Can’t understand why he’s still playing in League One. Good right back and gets forward well. We could get him for around £250K with their current financial problems.

Michael Tonge (Stoke) – He clearly isn’t wanted by his parent club and none of his loan suitors can seemingly afford him. We could probably capture him at £700K. Stoke would take a loss to get him off the wage bill.

Andy Keogh (Wolves) – You would get him for £1M as he will never be a permanent fixture in their side with the wealth of strikers they have.

Step 4; Renew the contracts of:-
Jonathan Fortune; James Harper; Nick Montgomery; Henri Camara (don’t know if I have missed anyone)

Step 5; We then offload the following players:-
Ian Bennett; Ryan France; Andy Taylor; Glen Little; Ched Evans (would probably get a fee for him)

Step 6; Pick the team:-

GK) Paddy Kenny
RB) Frazer Richardson
CB) Chris Morgan
CB) Nyron Nosworthy
LB) Gary Naysmith
RW) Jamie Ward
CM) Lee Williamson
CM) James Harper
LW) Michael Tonge
ST) Andy Keogh
ST) Billy Sharp

Subs: Mihkel Aksalu; Marcel Seip; Nick Montgomery; Mark Yeates; Richard Cresswell; Henri Camara; Darius Henderson

Reserves: Derek Geary; Jonathan Fortune; Jordan Stewart; Stephen Quinn; Kyel Reid

You can see how quickly we would have a strong squad with a modest investment (in football terms) and the release of a few duds. I know it’s tantamount to fantasy football rambling but I don’t care, it’s fun, more fun in fact than watching our current plight! The team above would challenge for automatic promotion, I am convinced of it. Playing a better brand of football and with the signing of his old partner in crime Keogh, Billy Sharp would start finding the net on a regular basis and they would have great competition from the lads on the bench. Get Michael Tonge believing in himself again and finally convince him that he is a WINGER and he would provide great service from the left as he used to.

Yep, it’s all if’s and but’s I know. A manager is going to have his own ideas but this is just to demonstrate how easy it would be to put a good football team together, with sensible investment. I’m sure United would pad the squad out with loan players as well

Any thoughts? Its just for a bit of fun and to give us some hope for the future. Who would you like to see in? out? shaking it all about?

 

[Latters]

Looks like a decent team to me. Not sure we'd manage to get Keogh though.

Who would you be fancying as manager? That Irvine's had a decent start at a smaller club, maybe we could pinch him from them!

 

[mattbianco1]

Yep thats it... Look to next season!! Why? We're in the playoffs and playing shit! Whats gonna happen if we start playing well.

Get a life mate.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Yep thats it... Look to next season!! Why? We're in the playoffs and playing shit! Whats gonna happen if we start playing well.

Get a life mate.

That's just unprovoked abuse. My opinion is my opinion. If you dont like it dont post a reply.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Looks like a decent team to me. Not sure we'd manage to get Keogh though.

Who would you be fancying as manager? That Irvine's had a decent start at a smaller club, maybe we could pinch him from them!

As manager - O'Driscoll looks a good shout but mainly because there isnt a lot else about. I like Irvine and fancied him as our manager when KB nearly packed up at the end of last season but tis a shame he's ended up at the sty.

 

[Grecian2000]

GK) Paddy Kenny
RB) Frazer Richardson
CB) Chris Morgan
CB) Nyron Nosworthy
LB) Gary Naysmith
RW) Jamie Ward
CM) Lee Williamson
CM) James Harper
LW) Michael Tonge
ST) Andy Keogh
ST) Billy Sharp

I can see the logic, however, Paddy may or may not come back as good as he went away.
I have no recollection of Frazer Richardson.
I haven't seen enough of Nosworthy to know if he's up to it.
Naysmith will be as large an earner as we've got so he will be gone.
I doubt Tongey would accept the wage cut to come back.
If Wolves are back in our division then Keogh could be one of thier main players.
I'm hoping Yeates is better than a bench dweller.

Important thing would be the manager and how he sets up. Attack, attack, attack.

 

[Latters]

As manager - O'Driscoll looks a good shout but mainly because there isnt a lot else about. I like Irvine and fancied him as our manager when KB nearly packed up at the end of last season but tis a shame he's ended up at the sty.

There's plenty of managers out there that could do a decent job for us, it's just whether we'd have the balls and McCabe was willing to stump up the cash to approach another club and take theirs. Irvine, Grayson, O'Driscoll or Mark Robbins would probably all do a decent job, and that's just the local ones that I know a bit about. There could be an abundance of talent further afield that the supposed football men at the Lane should know about.

As for people slagging you off for looking to next season, we might be in the play off positions this season, but it's been absolutely wank as far as entertainment goes and true to form, Blackwell would probably bottle it in the final again.

Why oh why couldn't we just play against Burnley like we did against Preston?

 

[mattbianco1]

That's just unprovoked abuse. My opinion is my opinion. If you dont like it dont post a reply.

I can't understand how everybody thinks we're screwed?? We're 6th in the league, not too far away from automatic. Granted i dont think we'll catch the top two but a decent run of games like that around this point to the end of the season last year and we have a real chance. Forest proved they're beatable the other day. West Broms only win in 2010 was against us the other day so everybody goes through bad patches. But to suggest we should give up hope of this season and look at next year is utter nonsense! We're in the play offs! Anybody can win the playoffs, you should know that. We were favourites in all 3 of our playoff finals if you look at positions we finished against our opposition.

Lets go in as underdogs for a change!

UTB! THIS SEASON and every season!

 

[Sothall_Blade]

1) Where are United going to get a minimum £2M transfer budget from? Any new manager would more likely be required to make a £5M transfer profit each season, as Blackwell has done.

2) Your "strong squad that would challenge for promotion" has TWELVE players in it brought to the club by Blackwell. Four, who he's retained as key members of his squad and another who he was forced to sell against his wishes. It seems to me that you're actually saying that Blackwell has built a strong squad and with the addition of the expensive players he's not allowed to buy, we would be challenging for promotion.

3) If we appointed a new manager and he took us into a play-off position with 18 games to go, would you "write the season off" and start looking forward to his departure?

 

[Fiery Blade]

I can't understand how everybody thinks we're screwed?? We're 6th in the league, not too far away from automatic. Granted i dont think we'll catch the top two but a decent run of games like that around this point to the end of the season last year and we have a real chance. Forest proved they're beatable the other day. West Broms only win in 2010 was against us the other day so everybody goes through bad patches. But to suggest we should give up hope of this season and look at next year is utter nonsense! We're in the play offs! Anybody can win the playoffs, you should know that. We were favourites in all 3 of our playoff finals if you look at positions we finished against our opposition.

Lets go in as underdogs for a change!

UTB! THIS SEASON and every season!

Obviously you have not been to the matches for a while!
Reading - we were lucky despite the 3-0 scoreline
West Brom - outplayed us in every department
Watford - Worst Blades performance for many a year
Back four - Missing Walker (probably most consistant player this season, Morgan, Two of the worst left backs in living history taylor and Stewart, Fortune and Geary both trying to get back from long term injuries and new men Kallio and Nosworthy
Keep piping on about going on a run not a chance
Mid table best option this season:thumbdown:

 

[mattbianco1]

1) Where are United going to get a minimum £2M transfer budget from? Any new manager would more likely be required to make a £5M transfer profit each season, as Blackwell has done.

2) Your "strong squad that would challenge for promotion" has TWELVE players in it brought to the club by Blackwell. Four, who he's retained as key members of his squad and another who he was forced to sell against his wishes. It seems to me that you're actually saying that Blackwell has built a strong squad and with the addition of the expensive players he's not allowed to buy, we would be challenging for promotion.

3) If we appointed a new manager and he took us into a play-off position with 18 games to go, would you "write the season off" and start looking forward to his departure?

OOOOOOH!!!!! Good comments! :beer:

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Why oh why couldn't we just play against Burnley like we did against Preston?

I'm sure Blackwell often asks himself the same question. Do you think he told the players to go out and play crap?

 

[Latters]

I'm sure Blackwell often asks himself the same question. Do you think he told the players to go out and play crap?

No I think he went out and told them to concentrate on not conceding whereas in the games V Preston we went and attacked.

 

[LouTheBlade]

I can't understand how everybody thinks we're screwed?? We're 6th in the league, not too far away from automatic. Granted i dont think we'll catch the top two but a decent run of games like that around this point to the end of the season last year and we have a real chance. Forest proved they're beatable the other day. West Broms only win in 2010 was against us the other day so everybody goes through bad patches. But to suggest we should give up hope of this season and look at next year is utter nonsense! We're in the play offs! Anybody can win the playoffs, you should know that. We were favourites in all 3 of our playoff finals if you look at positions we finished against our opposition.

Lets go in as underdogs for a change!

UTB! THIS SEASON and every season!

Fair play Matt. If there is anything I can get on board with its genuine support and devotion. To be honest, my lack of faith in the team this season doesnt totally stem from a dislking of KB or anything of that nature. Its just not going our way. Everything is conspiring against us at the moment and you just have to accept when your luck is out. Injury after injury after injury and the selling / loss of players isnt going to help matters.

Its more the fact that we have struggled into 6th as it is (as well as we have done to get there). Nothing is going our way so I just dont think its our season. Its ok being 6th but we're losing momentum fast and it took a mammoth effort and a big unbeaten run to get us back up there. Its just not stacked in our favour and the fact that we arent playing very well doesnt full me with hope, thats all.

If youre right and we get into the playoffs I will gladly eat my hat and refer back to this convo on here at the end of the season - but I cant see it mate. I will accept the earlier comment was out of passion so will let it go. No hard feelings

 

[mattbianco1]

Obviously you have not been to the matches for a while!
Reading - we were lucky despite the 3-0 scoreline
West Brom - outplayed us in every department
Watford - Worst Blades performance for many a year
Back four - Missing Walker (probably most consistant player this season, Morgan, Two of the worst left backs in living history taylor and Stewart, Fortune and Geary both trying to get back from long term injuries and new men Kallio and Nosworthy
Keep piping on about going on a run not a chance
Mid table best option this season:thumbdown:

Define what you mean for a while?

I've had a season ticket since 1999 so have probably missed around 2 home games each season.

I didn't go to the two away games you just mentioned as
A. I didn't fancy our chances at West Brom and would rather save the money than travel down just to feel like strangling myself on the way home.
B. I had a ticket for Watford but had to get a refund when it got called off. I can't get too far midweek due to work commitments.

So if by a while you mean in the last 7 days. Then no i haven't.

If youre right and we get into the playoffs I will gladly eat my hat and refer back to this convo on here at the end of the season - but I cant see it mate. I will accept the earlier comment was out of passion so will let it go. No hard feelings

I'm not saying we will, but i'm saying if we can play shit and have all this bad luck and still be in the top 6 then we must be doing something right.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Why oh why couldn't we just play against Burnley like we did against Preston?

I'm sure Blackwell often asks himself the same question. Do you think he told the players to go out and play crap?

No I think he went out and told them to concentrate on not conceding whereas in the games V Preston we went and attacked.

We were on top and had a good shout for a penalty in the first ten minutes. We conceded after 13 minutes. Do you honestly think Blackwell told his players to concentrate on holding onto our 1-0 defecit for the remaining 77 minutes?

 

[Fiery Blade]

If that is the case
Why the optimism
We are playing poorly
We have started shipping goals again
The manager insists on playing Monty and Quinny in the same midfield
He also insist on bringing back Henderson as soon as he was fit yet Evans and Camara or Cresswell looks a far better bet.
If he plays Williamson it is now out wide on the wing when everyone can see he is possibly the best centre midfield player on our books
He has lost our best player back to Spurs
He has lost his captain to injury
You were lucky to cash in your Watford ticket for a refund
It was dire, without passion we were made to look third rate by a side that cash wise haven'y a pot to piss in !
Yes lets go on a run to the end of the season
Get Real!

 

[LouTheBlade]

1) Where are United going to get a minimum £2M transfer budget from? Any new manager would more likely be required to make a £5M transfer profit each season, as Blackwell has done.

2) Your "strong squad that would challenge for promotion" has TWELVE players in it brought to the club by Blackwell. Four, who he's retained as key members of his squad and another who he was forced to sell against his wishes. It seems to me that you're actually saying that Blackwell has built a strong squad and with the addition of the expensive players he's not allowed to buy, we would be challenging for promotion.

3) If we appointed a new manager and he took us into a play-off position with 18 games to go, would you "write the season off" and start looking forward to his departure?

1) So £2M is a lot to ask for from a club that averages 24,000ish gates and spent £1M+ on Ched Evans?! OK......

2) So if im supposed to not include any of KB's players - should I have suggested a complete clear out / overhaul and brought in a new squad of 23 players with your less than £2M transfer budget? Or should I be realistic and accept that we would have to accomodate the majority of existing players? Which one is it? I have neither suggested Blackwell's squad is good nor crap. I happen to think he has a fairly decent group of players that are capable of playing better football than we do.

3) No I wouldnt - provided we were playing football that doesnt resemble pub tactics - provided he knew how to respond to going a goal down and provided we didnt surrender the pitch at Bramall Lane when we go a couple of goals in front.

 

[mattbianco1]

@ Fiery...

If that is the case
Why the optimism Glass is half full mate!
We are playing poorly Yes i know
We have started shipping goals again Is it any wonder losing the best two players in 1 week.
The manager insists on playing Monty and Quinny in the same midfield I try an defend both of these whilst also getting frustrated at both. They are both capable players but i will say make mistakes. Why not applaud them for trying rather than boo or grunt?
He also insist on bringing back Henderson as soon as he was fit yet Evans and Camara or Cresswell looks a far better bet. Henderson has scored 11 goals!
If he plays Williamson it is now out wide on the wing when everyone can see he is possibly the best centre midfield player on our books That i CAN'T understand
He has lost our best player back to Spurs Blackwells fault? Ok.
He has lost his captain to injury Again, Blackwells fault? Ok.
You were lucky to cash in your Watford ticket for a refund Had it been a sturday i'd have been there
It was dire, without passion we were made to look third rate by a side that cash wise haven'y a pot to piss in !
Yes lets go on a run to the end of the season We lost to SWFC in on this weekend last year (7th February 2009) and that was it our season was over. We were in 5th position on 51 points. 9 behind 2nd. This year WBA are only on 53points and they're 2nd. Honestly its do able. We lost once after that day in 13 league games. Before the WBA game on saturday we had lost once in 12 games. Do that again and we wont finish 6th. We'll be higher than that!
Get Real! I am real!

 

[Wobbly Blade]

Good balanced post Lou. I have to take issue on the 'where do we belong' aspect though. When I look at Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Hull, Portsmouth, Stoke, and so on, there's no reason at all why Sheffield should not host a more successful football team (or, dare to say it, two) capable of surviving in the top flight.

Can we make the transition and make it stick ? That's another matter.

You are right that individually we are weak, but collectively we are much stronger. Unfortunately the most powerful thing we can do - withdraw our support and not pay the cash to the club is also the most destructive thing and doesn't move things forward.

Our best hope is that clever Trevor finds a sugar-daddy. Portsmouth seem to have found three so far this year alone and they are even more certain of being in the Championship next year than us.

So, we lost two away matches - let's get over it. Saturday, now that's a different matter!

Wobbly

 

[Wards]

I appreciate your sense of optimism but I feel there are some differences from last season to this. I won't go into detail because I have too much work to do this afternoon but last year I felt we were playing poorly yet had a talented bunch of individuals trying to break out, this year I feel we're a significantly poorer squad that may just go the other way.

I think player for player, we were much stronger last season. I think that's the main difference, I felt we could go to any team and win. This year I 'know' we wouldn't go to West Brom and we wont go to Newcastle and win.

Do I feel the play offs are achievable - yes I do. Automatic - not a chance.

 

[mattbianco1]

Do I feel the play offs are achievable - yes I do. Automatic - not a chance.

That's what i said!

What i'm trying to say is keep the faith. If we do get into the play offs anything can happen. So rather than think about next season lets get behind the team and push them into the play offs.

If we then lose again. Most of you will get your wish Blackwell wont be here next season if we lose another play off final. No point getting rid now though

 

[Sothall_Blade]

1) Where are United going to get a minimum £2M transfer budget from? Any new manager would more likely be required to make a £5M transfer profit each season, as Blackwell has done.

2) Your "strong squad that would challenge for promotion" has TWELVE players in it brought to the club by Blackwell. Four, who he's retained as key members of his squad and another who he was forced to sell against his wishes. It seems to me that you're actually saying that Blackwell has built a strong squad and with the addition of the expensive players he's not allowed to buy, we would be challenging for promotion.

3) If we appointed a new manager and he took us into a play-off position with 18 games to go, would you "write the season off" and start looking forward to his departure?

1) So £2M is a lot to ask for from a club that averages 24,000ish gates and spent £1M+ on Ched Evans?! OK......

2) So if im supposed to not include any of KB's players - should I have suggested a complete clear out / overhaul and brought in a new squad of 23 players with your less than £2M transfer budget? Or should I be realistic and accept that we would have to accomodate the majority of existing players? Which one is it? I have neither suggested Blackwell's squad is good nor crap. I happen to think he has a fairly decent group of players that are capable of playing better football than we do.

3) No I wouldnt - provided we were playing football that doesnt resemble pub tactics - provided he knew how to respond to going a goal down and provided we didnt surrender the pitch at Bramall Lane when we go a couple of goals in front.

1) Evidently, it is too much to ask as we've made a massive transfer profit under Blackwell. Every player who is worth something is sold as soon as an offer comes in. Changing the manager won't make a £2M transfer budget magically appear.

2) I agree, we do have a fairly decent squad of players, built by Blackwell while making a vast profit. This indicates to me that he's doing a good job under difficult circumstances. However, they are only fairly decent players and 4th-8th is realistically all they are capable of. If we still had Tonge, Beattie, Naughton, Walker and Kilgallon in the squad I WOULD be expecting automatic promotion. Blackwell wasn't allowed to keep that quality of player and a new manager wouldn't be allowed to buy them.

3) Most of my best United-supporting memories have come while watching us play "pub football" under Bassett and Warnock. I enjoyed watching the passing football of Spackman and early-Kendall teams but they had massive, unsustainable budgets and ultimately they didn't get us promoted. The likes of Robson and Heath supposedly tried to play "good" football but their teams were terrible to watch AND didn't get the results either.

"Good, entertaining football" for me is United getting plenty of balls into the box, winning corners, having shots, scoring GOALS, earning POINTS. I'm not really too fussed how we do it, just so long as we do. Blackwell has plenty of room for improvement on the entertainment front but his teams have shown they can do it (e.g. Preston play-offs). You can't really argue with his record on the points-earning front.

 

[LouTheBlade]

"Good, entertaining football" for me is United getting plenty of balls into the box, winning corners, having shots, scoring GOALS, earning POINTS. I'm not really too fussed how we do it, just so long as we do.

Thats all im asking for. I dont care for Arsenal style one touch stuff, not interested in it. Its not viable for long term success because you will always lose a player/vital cog from the machine which will stop it working.

When United go 2-0 up I dont want to see them surrender the pitch. Thats not good football. I also want to see a team that is capable of showing some courage to come from a goal down to win the game. We did it under NW and he taught KB everything he knows!

 

[Fiery Blade]

That's what i said!

What i'm trying to say is keep the faith. If we do get into the play offs anything can happen. So rather than think about next season lets get behind the team and push them into the play offs.

If we then lose again. Most of you will get your wish Blackwell wont be here next season if we lose another play off final. No point getting rid now though

Matt Is Blackwell your dad!
Push them into the play offs
Easier to push water uphill:thumbup:

 

[super_pig]

look guys .. i don't expect total football or brazil etc.. BUTi DO think we can do better than kicking the ball so high up in the sky that the tv cameras cant even follow it.. other teams are doing it.. why can't we?

 

[mattbianco1]

Matt Is Blackwell your dad!
Push them into the play offs
Easier to push water uphill:thumbup:

I'm not even gonna rise to it! :shakehead:

 

[mall]

Thats all im asking for. I dont care for Arsenal style one touch stuff, not interested in it. Its not viable for long term success because you will always lose a player/vital cog from the machine which will stop it working.

That's not true in a well run club system. The fact that Arsenal can remain at the top of the division or thereabouts for so long is testimony to an established type of football being adopted by the club; whether it be George Graham all those years ago or Arsene Wenger now..../.same goes for Man U, Liverpool etc.
When a style is intrinsic within all club teams it makes it much easier for replacements to feel comfortable on debuts.
United however have an airy fairy approach which benefits no one.:thumbup: