How far can we go with CWAK?

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

 

[cahill]

Be helpful to hold onto our stand out players from this season, who are steeped in the culture and way of playing of CWAK, such as Fleck, Jack, Egan, George etc. some of whom are likely to be of interests to other clubs. You're perfectly right correct recruitment is vital,and up to just they've got it right more often than wrong.
It's also important that the owners and financial backers buy into the project.
CWAK have committed their future to the club and will hopefully start to build a dynasty and become an established fixture in the Prem.

We all love Didzy but have we seen him peak last two years ?We rely on him a lot he's such a Rolls Royce of a footballer. Not sure how old our players are but with a couple of exceptions i'm guessing they're mainly late 20s early 30s. On thé flip side we must be attractive to a better quality of player now that we have consolidated our status as a Prem League team.

 

[boss hog]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

Recruitment wise if CWAK had a bigger budget then they would buy better players.
They'd still
buy good characters (winners) .liverpool are not in City or Man Us position financially but they're a better team .The aim over the next couple of seasons is to become a solid premier league team with a solid base.
We've come a long way in a short time and if CWAK can consolidate us in the prem then that will be as good a job as anything they've done up to now.
The focus will become whether the prince can keep up and deliver the cash needed.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Don't worry mate a couple of seasons of mid table mediocrity and the knives will be out

Can already see the green shoots now for not playing billy sharp

 

[SelbyBlade]

All this is not been done with any luck. However it is very difficult to establish ourselves in the prem if we get injuries the likes of Bournemouth. One injury ravaged season could unpick everything. But the longer we stay there and build up the squad the more established we will become. I believe the recruitment Chris Wilder has instigated will bring in the right players, so long as we stay there long enough. The example is Liverpool they had a great team until this season when they now have a great squad and can cope with a large number of injuries and therefore piss the league.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

The problem is would a player who's where he is because of natural ability be willing to bust a bollock to play Wilders way. Most wouldn't, proven by the fact that every premier league team has struggled to match us and I include Liverpool at the Lane in that comment.

West Ham were just a bunch of individuals.

 

[SwissBlade]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

Wilder and Knill will take us to the point where the money we make and the capacity of the ground isn't enough for the next level.

I don't think we can quite win the League or the Champions League for the next 5 years with the budget we have, but that will grow with success.

Wilder is probably onto revision 5 or 6 of his checklist. Each revision brings a new requirement, but the original pre requisites remain.

The longer we're in the Premier League the more players will want to play for Wilder, especially the ones not reaching their potential at apparently bigger clubs

 

[BladeInIreland]

As a club we need to keep up with Wilder. There's no reason we can't grow. As we grow we can attract those players.

 

[McGrath]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

The question should be "how far would we have gone without them" ... League One playoffs perhaps.


There's loads of players out there that fit the profile, the higher we go the more there are. I suspect there's probably a lot looking at United and thinking that they can get their careers to where they want it to be by coming to United, rather than festering on the bench or in the reserves of a big club.

 

[Bladezz]

Think the question has a few points to how well we can do.

Firstly we have to keep our players (Hard if someone comes in and goes here 50m for Egan). So I think it’s more we keep our players unless we get a fantastic offer.

Secondly we need a solid second string (this is easier) we all understand if a first team player gets injured the quality drops. Our current issue is that the quality drops to a league one level. I believe some investment and we can build a second choice team to help with injuries.

thirdly it’s about the budget, if we have 100m in summer there are players that fit the mould and are good such as Cantwell / Pukki / Ramsdale / Deano / Brooks etc. The other end of the spectrum there are players who are workhorse like Milner coming to the end of their careers (I know we couldn’t get him) but their are players out there.

We do that we will solidify ourselves as a premiership club while the facilities catch up to the premiership standard. We then look for the occasional 7th place and flirt with relegation every so often.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Wilder has adapted to changing conditions from non-league upwards. He will probably do so again.

 

[Rustyblade]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

You only have to look at Liverpool to see the same work ethic and spirit is possible to create with higher skill level players.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Slowly introduce more quality to the side and improve everything to do with the club with occasional seasons we chase European football would do me. Let us not think being top 6 is the new normal.

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

They’re that good I think the blades could win the World Cup!

 

[PokerBlade]

When I watched some of the darker days under Warnock, and every day under Blackwell, and almost my entire time watching the Blades, we genuinely deserved our reputation as a nothing fancy, gerrit forward and get stuck in side. I was used to sides coming to the Lane who, even the ones who couldn't beat us (especially them, in fact), could move the ball around better than us. They could pass and move, score the odd team goal, and that wasn't us.

Wilson had us playing good football for a season, granted with a few Championship players in a League One side, but that didn't last into his second year. Otherwise, I've seen us play football that I think has a limit. You can do what Stoke did with Pulis for a bit and spend some time in the middle of the Prem, but eventually if you want to push further you have to change the system. And when clubs try to make that overhaul it almost never goes smoothly. You get a new manager who is faced with a squad that can't do what he's been brought in to do. Inevitably they struggle, the club prevaricates for a few seasons over whether to persist with the cultural change or to revert to type, and they have to rebuild from the ground up.

The thing about us since Wilder is that I've had plenty of doubts about whether we'd be caught lacking in terms of quality players. I didn't know if some of our players would step up to the Championship, never mind the sodding Prem. Fortunately, that core of the team have done it somewhat comfortably, and a few minor additions have seen us flying. Still, when we faced Liverpool, you could see just how good their individuals are.

So we might be limited by the funds we have to buy better players. And there's open questions about whether Wilder can find players in a wider market if we start looking abroad, could he handle a club if he were buying superstars, could he control growing egos if he were lifting trophies, all the usual nonsense that comes from the highest success. What I have no doubts about whatsoever is that the style of football he wants to play will never be lacking. Even if we aren't as good at it, we want to press the way the big boys do, we want to pass it around, we want individual skill and flair, we want to attack and play on the front foot, score good goals.

I don't know what the limit is but at least I know we aren't going to get tactically undone or play unattractive football that so rarely succeeds at the highest level.

 

[Jacobsenthecrab]

I think we will improve the squad next season and maybe finish in a similar position to this year which would be a good result as teams will be more wary of us next year.
With the finance and wage structure we have the key will be having replacements ready for when regular first team members move onto bigger things which they will.
Our average wage is £18k per week this season with an average £500k bonus for stopping up so in total around £28k p/w.
Other clubs will think nothing of paying the likes of Egan, JOC and maybe even the Mousse £100k upwards which will mean they leave.
Medium to long-term we will need serious investment to keep progressing as we will reach a ceiling otherwise.
I’ve been reading a lot recently that the Saudi government want to buy a PL team as part of their attemp to modernise the economy and be more outward looking.
They were interested in Man Utd but the Glazers wanted £3bn so that was a no-go.
With the Prince in charge and our rising profile is it beyond the realms of possibility that they may look at us if we are the highest placed team that are available to buy, and a cheap option at that?
I know Sheffield as a city doesn’t have the profile of Manchester, London etc and it’s an outside bet but with the Princes links it kind of makes sense in a way.
Imagine a team with Wilders desire, work rate and style of play stacked with top players!
The other positive is that Wednesday might as well pack-up if it happened as we would dominate the region in years to come.
Here’s hoping.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

I still think that, long term, CW will become as significant to United as was Bill Shankly to Liverpool.

 

[SwissBlade]

As a club we need to keep up with Wilder. There's no reason we can't grow. As we grow we can attract those players.

I think that the club and owners are doing this now, we're moving very fast though and so we do need some players that are up to speed (Mousse, McBurnie and Robinson haven't been) with the rest of the established players so i think this is the only way that we will stall, when trying to bring established premier league players in that are already playing. January isn't the time to do this, but picking up players from relegated teams in the summer is. So the summer business is key

By the start of next season, McBurnie and Mousse will be on fire.

 

[Kev Gee]

A good question.
I think there will be plenty of young hungry British (and some foreign) players, not able to get a game for their current clubs who will be keen to play for Sheffield United next season.
The key requirements for these players will be the same as it was before. However with our funds being (by PL standards at least) limited, we need to make sure that we spend wisely.

 

[Sabella's Socks]

I absolutely love everything about how CWAK go about their business.
The trademark of their (our) success has been their ability to sign and develop players that fit a certain criteria.
Budget aside, I believe they will only ever select players who 'tick sufficient boxes' as CW often says.
The question is, are there enough players out there with the necessary skill, personality, flexibility and willingness to sign up to the CWAK blueprint?
The higher the skill-level (and cash required), the smaller the pond.
So in this smaller pond, the chances of them being 'CWAK type players' is significantly reduced......or is it?
Are many of the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Everton's 'highly-skilled' under-performing players likely to be Wilder-type players, or is their a limit to where we can go under the current management team?
I have no doubt in their ability, but if the very thing that their success is built on becomes limited, would their success become limited too?

As far as Simeone and staff have taken Atletico. Maybe further...

 

[BladeInIreland]

I think that the club and owners are doing this now, we're moving very fast though and so we do need some players that are up to speed (Mousse, McBurnie and Robinson haven't been) with the rest of the established players so i think this is the only way that we will stall, when trying to bring established premier league players in that are already playing. January isn't the time to do this, but picking up players from relegated teams in the summer is. So the summer business is key

By the start of next season, McBurnie and Mousse will be on fire.

Indeed, I don't think we are doing it wrong (apart from maybe the ticket issues). In the long run good teams come and go, the academy and training ground improvements will have a long positive effect. Increasing the capacity of the ground will also be a long term benefit.

Obviously like in your post it would have to be balanced with recruitment but it will all be that bit easier if the club goes that next level.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Slowly introduce more quality to the side and improve everything to do with the club with occasional seasons we chase European football would do me. Let us not think being top 6 is the new normal.

That has been the plan since CWAK came in 3 + years Ago .its bound to get harder the higher you go.in CWAK we trust.

 

[cahill]

I think we will improve the squad next season and maybe finish in a similar position to this year which would be a good result as teams will be more wary of us next year.
With the finance and wage structure we have the key will be having replacements ready for when regular first team members move onto bigger things which they will.
Our average wage is £18k per week this season with an average £500k bonus for stopping up so in total around £28k p/w.
Other clubs will think nothing of paying the likes of Egan, JOC and maybe even the Mousse £100k upwards which will mean they leave.
Medium to long-term we will need serious investment to keep progressing as we will reach a ceiling otherwise.
I’ve been reading a lot recently that the Saudi government want to buy a PL team as part of their attemp to modernise the economy and be more outward looking.
They were interested in Man Utd but the Glazers wanted £3bn so that was a no-go.
With the Prince in charge and our rising profile is it beyond the realms of possibility that they may look at us if we are the highest placed team that are available to buy, and a cheap option at that?
I know Sheffield as a city doesn’t have the profile of Manchester, London etc and it’s an outside bet but with the Princes links it kind of makes sense in a way.
Imagine a team with Wilders desire, work rate and style of play stacked with top players!
The other positive is that Wednesday might as well pack-up if it happened as we would dominate the region in years to come.
Here’s hoping.

" Wednesday might as well pack it in...." That would be sad but I think in time i'd get over it.

 

[tomtheblade]

In the past 3 seasons a ceiling has emerged in the Prem which is very hard to breach, exemplified by last season where Liverpool got 97 points and finished 2nd. The 2 before that the winners got 100 and 93 points (both Man City).

In the 1990s, low 80s-90 points was often enough to be champions. Man U won it with 75 in 96/97. That's unthinkable now.

These days, Liverpool and Man City have taken the game to an entirely new level, both in terms of performance but also sheer resources thrown at the competition.

Finding ourselves where we are this season as a newly promoted side is incredible. Just when I think I can no longer be surprised by this team and management group they find a way to do it again. Upon seeing our progression the past few years I genuinely believe that had this ceiling not emerged we could have been talking about a shot at the top 2 or 3.
As it is, even with the team performing at our absolute best week in week out, we'll find it difficult to break through into the top 4, but with some investment in the team I don't think it's crazy to say that we may be capable of that at some point in the next few seasons. Not saying we will, just that this is how much belief I have in this management team. A lot of things have to go right, but the track record and trajectory so far is astounding.

 

[lakedistblade]

Leicester city

 

[derfblade.3]

 

[Houston_Blade]

Abdullah made a tongue in cheek comment that we want to be the "bigger United" when Neville and Carragher were interviewing him. I think we'd need a reinvention of football and a wiping of its history to achieve this goal, you never know though.

To the OP, CWAK will hit a number of walls over the next few years. I really hope our fans don't turn on them if/when they do. The whole infrastructure of the club needs to change if we maintain PL status for a number of years, at the moment it feels like the football side is light years ahead of the rest. This is down to CWAK and their team.

 

[Bladezz]

Abdullah made a tongue in cheek comment that we want to be the "bigger United" when Neville and Carragher were interviewing him. I think we'd need a reinvention of football and a wiping of its history to achieve this goal, you never know though.

To the OP, CWAK will hit a number of walls over the next few years. I really hope our fans don't turn on them if/when they do. The whole infrastructure of the club needs to change if we maintain PL status for a number of years, at the moment it feels like the football side is light years ahead of the rest. This is down to CWAK and their team.

I think the majority of us understand staying up for the next 5 seasons is the aim. The premier league money yes won’t all be spent on players but it allows us to build an infrastructure. Like we have new lights on the ground a new sky box amongst other things. Every year if we make some improvements to the ground and the training ground then excellent.

At the same time bringing assets to the team and then allowing CW and to enhance that value.

Bournmouth may well go down but they are fully built to fire back up with their squad even if they sell 4/5 players.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think we will improve the squad next season and maybe finish in a similar position to this year which would be a good result as teams will be more wary of us next year.
With the finance and wage structure we have the key will be having replacements ready for when regular first team members move onto bigger things which they will.
Our average wage is £18k per week this season with an average £500k bonus for stopping up so in total around £28k p/w.
Other clubs will think nothing of paying the likes of Egan, JOC and maybe even the Mousse £100k upwards which will mean they leave.
Medium to long-term we will need serious investment to keep progressing as we will reach a ceiling otherwise.
I’ve been reading a lot recently that the Saudi government want to buy a PL team as part of their attemp to modernise the economy and be more outward looking.
They were interested in Man Utd but the Glazers wanted £3bn so that was a no-go.
With the Prince in charge and our rising profile is it beyond the realms of possibility that they may look at us if we are the highest placed team that are available to buy, and a cheap option at that?
I know Sheffield as a city doesn’t have the profile of Manchester, London etc and it’s an outside bet but with the Princes links it kind of makes sense in a way.
Imagine a team with Wilders desire, work rate and style of play stacked with top players!
The other positive is that Wednesday might as well pack-up if it happened as we would dominate the region in years to come.
Here’s hoping.

It's an interesting comment you make about the Saudi's looking to buy a Prem football team. I would think in terms of what they could acquire one for we'd be the most attractive prospect in the Premier League by far - and they've already got one of their own running it! It would be a perfect fit in that sense.

I do worry though about what that might mean for the club. Financial stability - yes, no doubt it would mean that. At least until such a time as they got bored with it and wanted to move on to another project. But respect for the club's history and traditions? Putting our own fans before others- keeping it "affordable" for the same? I'm really not sure! I think they'd use the club as a huge vehicle to generate money, not just for the club, but for their country. The international profile of the club would be massive and we'd become a mega-club in that sense. But I think the club would move away from its loyal fanbase and just become another mega-club, supported by thousands of fans worldwide, by pay per view TV.

 

[BigBed]

All the way!!
It's the money and backing were fucked with.