Why are our fans suddenly turning to £££ as our problem?

[5tannington Blade]

We seemed to pride ourselves on our transfer spend and wage bill when we were in the Championship, bottom third for spend and yet we finished in the top 2. We were so smug about this.

Now we are in the Premier League and a few results don't go our way it is always 'THE BOARD AREN'T SPENDING ENOUGH'. It is clear and obvious that our squad is short in certain areas but just throwing huge transfer fees and wages at the problem isn't the sole solution. If we do spend £20m plus on Brewster, and say he is a flop come January, the same fans will have the same excuse in January that we aren't spending enough and will want another £20-30m+ striker in January. It is like an endless problem that fans seem to get fixated by. Never been an issue up to now in Wilder's tenure.

By the way I'm not saying a new signing or two won't give the fans and team a boost it needs, but fixating on this problem constantly is just absurd.

 

[247Blade]

If we had a decent all round squad we wouldn't need to spend!!! We haven't!!

 

[bromtom]

If we had a decent all round squad we wouldn't need to spend!!! We haven't!!

We do have a decent all round squad, apart from needing a couple up front, and given Foderingham's performances, maybe one in the net.

Our midfield and defence is very decent, with a good mix of solid, quality, and exciting younger players.

 

[PokerBlade]

Money's been our limiting factor for a while so what confuses me is that some people are acting like it's a surprise. We've spent a lot more money than I expected us to. Fact is we can't compete with a lot of teams around us financially. Nobody's tried to hide that fact from the fans so it's tough luck if what we can afford isn't enough.

 

[nopigfansintown]

We seemed to pride ourselves on our transfer spend and wage bill when we were in the Championship, bottom third for spend and yet we finished in the top 2. We were so smug about this.

Now we are in the Premier League and a few results don't go our way it is always 'THE BOARD AREN'T SPENDING ENOUGH'. It is clear and obvious that our squad is short in certain areas but just throwing huge transfer fees and wages at the problem isn't the sole solution. If we do spend £20m plus on Brewster, and say he is a flop come January, the same fans will have the same excuse in January that we aren't spending enough and will want another £20-30m+ striker in January. It is like an endless problem that fans seem to get fixated by. Never been an issue up to now in Wilder's tenure.

By the way I'm not saying a new signing or two won't give the fans and team a boost it needs, but fixating on this problem constantly is just absurd.

It's the opposite. It's always been a problem but people have chosen to do their best ostrich impressions. It will remain a problem under the Prince too.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

If we had a decent all round squad we wouldn't need to spend!!! We haven't!!

How did we finish 9th last season then?

 

[Revolution]

How did we finish 9th last season then?

Just about everything broke right for us,

 

[JJBlade]

Transfer fees aren't a problem

WAGES ARE !!!

A free transfer, pre contract agreement, bosman or whatever else you might want to call it are all available if we pay the wages.

It's not that we're not spending, it's that we are spending far too much on average Joe's that fit into a wage structure that no established Premier League player will accept.

Every single signing is a major major gamble in excess of the ordinary level of risk

And when they cost £8 - £9 or £10 million a pop the risk is even greater

 

[finlaytheblade]

If we had a decent all round squad we wouldn't need to spend!!! We haven't!!

Rome wasnt built in a day and if we had a balanced squad the spending doesn't stop there,as Wilder often says "stand still and we go backwards.
No way can a club come the distance we have in 4 years without having quality problems.
Wilder doing his best to heal the cracks,wont get it right everytime .

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Just about everything broke right for us,

That's a massive insult to what Wilder and all the players achieved.

We were in the top 7 for most of the season.

It was down to hard work and genuine quality not just good fortune.

 

[247Blade]

We do have a decent all round squad, apart from needing a couple up front, and given Foderingham's performances, maybe one in the net.

Our midfield and defence is very decent, with a good mix of solid, quality, and exciting younger players.

Yes for Championship

 

[247Blade]

How did we finish 9th last season then?

That wS yesterday.... been and gone!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

That wS yesterday.... been and gone!

Same group of players apart from Dean Henderson.

They haven't all suddenly turned shit overnight.

 

[bromtom]

Yes for Championship

Respectfully, that's a crock of shit.

We don't have any big names which might make you and others feel better, but we were flirting with CL until shutdown and were in with a chance of Europe until the Everton game.

Our fitness team held their hands up and said they overworked our players during lockdown which is why we looked so fucked during the restart, but you don't hang around top 6 with a "good for the Championship" squad.

Our defence in particular is already doing better than half the league despite our results, only 3 teams have conceded fewer.

 

[FMBlade1]

Same group of players apart from Dean Henderson.

They haven't all suddenly turned shit overnight.

Other teams have improved whilst we have at best stood still, as Wilder has said.

Our best defender who is also integral to our system is out for the season, and whilst Ramsdale played well last match he is a downgrade from Henderson.

Stevens for one has lost form as has Norwood and when a couple drop off it affects the whole team.

Takes just one leak to sink a ship...

 

[BushBlade]

No one likes losing. We keep losing, people want a solution. It’s as simple as that.

 

[Revolution]

That's a massive insult to what Wilder and all the players achieved.

We were in the top 7 for most of the season.

It was down to hard work and genuine quality not just good fortune.

I agree with you. That’s 100 per cent true. Wilder and the players earned 9th through damned hard work.

At the same time, the back 6 missed 9 games between them. Nine. That’s not going to happen this year, is it?

the midfield also had little turnover.

we had one of the best goalkeepers in the division.

We were very good at keeping clean sheets and we had a very impressive goals per point ratio.

the defence bailed out our weak forward line, and two of our midfielders scored career high goals.

we have done absolutely nothing to address the weak forward line problem.

All of these things will be different this year, and the cumulative effect of them will be a slide down the table.

 

[Steelcitysenior]

Have been watching the Blades since the lane was a cricket ground and have seen some good and too many bad times. The start of the season seems to have presented us very little fortune and a not much reward for our toil. In all these years this has been the best time to be a Blade, playing the best football and having the best manager for 50 years.
We have had no reason to doubt the manager, we haven't turned into a poor side. We have 4 points less than this time last season, come on Blades we have to trust in our manager. Up the Blades.

 

[petcharlie]

Respectfully, that's a crock of shit.

We don't have any big names which might make you and others feel better, but we were flirting with CL until shutdown and were in with a chance of Europe until the Everton game.

Our fitness team held their hands up and said they overworked our players during lockdown which is why we looked so fucked during the restart, but you don't hang around top 6 with a "good for the Championship" squad.

Our defence in particular is already doing better than half the league despite our results, only 3 teams have conceded fewer.

You are right the defence was great but now we have injury problems and we look as if we are having to carry on without one of our overlapping center backs.We will miss his defence headers to as the goal for Leeds proved.Our main problem though has been with us for the last year and that is goal scoring,I understand that we need a striker but paying over 20mill for an unproven one is in my mind a huge gamble.Brewster has not had a game in the prem yet and to be fair like Watkins at villa he will be a gamble having paid all that brass for him .Having said that I am a huge fan of Wilders and I trust him even though he bought McBernie who as yet to prove himself in the scoring department,just hope he will come good after time.

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

I never felt pride for doing it on the cheap. I was delighted and admired CW and the players for it, but I wouldnt say I was proud of our wage structure. Ultimately, the wage structure needs to increase if we want to stay in this league.

 

[247Blade]

Same group of players apart from Dean Henderson.

They haven't all suddenly turned shit overnight.

Really something wrong?!

 

[Bladezz]

Because in this league money talks.

 

[Eza Blade]

Takes just one leak to sink a ship...

But we don’t won’t to be over the barrel from other clubs or players demands........I believe CWAK know the ropes and will get the squad completed before the end of the transfer window.......I’m not towing the line, I’m just three sheets to the wind

annnnnnd I’m out of nautical puns

 

[Brian Deane]

No one likes losing. We keep losing, people want a solution. It’s as simple as that.

Theres a solution a very simple one.....score more goals than the opposition is the way to go

 

[Bartleby]

Yes, we need someone who can score goals!

 

[haich1889]

We seemed to pride ourselves on our transfer spend and wage bill when we were in the Championship, bottom third for spend and yet we finished in the top 2. We were so smug about this.

Now we are in the Premier League and a few results don't go our way it is always 'THE BOARD AREN'T SPENDING ENOUGH'. It is clear and obvious that our squad is short in certain areas but just throwing huge transfer fees and wages at the problem isn't the sole solution. If we do spend £20m plus on Brewster, and say he is a flop come January, the same fans will have the same excuse in January that we aren't spending enough and will want another £20-30m+ striker in January. It is like an endless problem that fans seem to get fixated by. Never been an issue up to now in Wilder's tenure.

By the way I'm not saying a new signing or two won't give the fans and team a boost it needs, but fixating on this problem constantly is just absurd.

It wasn't an issue when we went up with Bassett or Warnock.

We got relegated.

 

[tyke1889]

But we don’t won’t to be over the barrel from other clubs or players demands........I believe CWAK know the ropes and will get the squad completed before the end of the transfer window.......I’m not towing the line, I’m just three sheets to the wind

annnnnnd I’m out of nautical puns

Watch it or pommpey will have you IN the barrel.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

In answer to the OP, I think the first thing you've got to realise is that when we lose a game, or even worse, a series of games, it unhinges some fans mentally and they look to lash out at anyone or anything because they are upset. Some do it very aggressively, others pose what seem like innocent questions, but are really a disguised dig at how the club is conducting it's business, and it's all because of the recent run of results.

Having said that, I also think that there is some justification in fans having an expectation that we will spend a decent amount of money on new signings to improve the club. And whilst most of us accept, I think, that United aren't going to be one of the big spenders at this level, we do expect that if a very good player becomes available at another club, we'll not be put off by the asking fee, if it's within our affordability and represents good value for money.

If we take the Brewster saga - it depends on how you view this - but by all accounts that young man is a very special talent, playing for the current Champions of English Football. He's not got a lot of senior level experience behind him - which is a bit of a question mark - but my God he looks very sharp in front of goal and his goals to games ratio last season for Swansea was very impressive. What we've been hearing over the past God knows how many weeks, is that we could get him for around £20m. Now, that to me, is absolute peanuts for a player that appears to be capable of scoring a lot of goals. So, I'm one of many Blades fans who've been sitting here reading this stuff and thinking...just go get him! We absolutely need an injection of youth and natural goal-scoring ability up front. And this lad should offer that. If he doesn't...well...we've not exactly forked out stupid money.

Our club was the most successful club in English football last season, based on points gained for pounds spent. I'm expecting us to have a similar record again this season. Because I do think we are are prudent in our approach to transfer fees and wages and I think that's right. But also, in the back of my mind, is a question as to whether we have actually realised what market we are in now for some of these players and what we need to do to compete? You can take an Aldi carrier bag into Harrods, but you won't come out with much unless you are willing to adjust your spending to the new circumstances.

 

[LenTednTony]

Based on our income and affordability I reckon we have to be shopping in these areas. 20mill is a very big deal to SUFC and The Prince. We cannot afford 40mill players that also carry a hefty wage bill.
As for the players brought in, Bogle and Lowe would’ve been classed the same as Stevens and Baldock a year or two ago and look at them. Ampadu is a worthwhile player that can push O’Connell, rand in for Egan and even Bash plus he can move into midfield. These guys are here to play not warm the bench and, in my mind, are part of CWAK building a new team.

 

[cahill]

Same group of players apart from Dean Henderson.

They haven't all suddenly turned shit overnight.

Second match we played with 10 men, missed penalty, third could have gone either way, late goal.