Sander Berge Haters

[Brownieblade]

So following that through, if we spend £200m on a midfielder, we still shouldn't expect him to dominate that position?

If you signed Makelele or Kroos for 40 million and you played either of them further up in positions that maybe were not natural for them etc, and you signed either of them following a long injury etc etc

Yes you could maybe expect more probing passes from them, at least with Kroos, but that would be expected given both are better players despite the price tags

What you wouldn’t expect is if either of them struggled with the British pace and game, yes I know Claude wouldn’t but that doesn’t mean he would automatically be creating 20 chances per game either

So what you wouldn’t expect, though you would get it, would be thousands of oh he is shit that Kroos because he doesn’t break a leg or he won’t run a half marathon etc etc

Basically if Makelele/Kroos came in, just sat in front of back 3 and played it around it wouldn’t mean they were shit because Browny or Coutts didn’t do that

 

[CaptainMorgans]

There are a lot of mitigating circumstances with Berge as to why things haven't gone great for him since he moved.

There was the lockdown in a foreign country that he was new to, followed by the club he joined turning into one of the Premier Leagues worst ever teams. Then a tough injury that kept him out for almost a year. He's struggled to play consistent football ever since, so it's harsh to judge him for only performing in patches.

I rate Berge as a player and I like watching him play when he's on it. He just needs to believe in himself a bit more and get aggressive.

 

[ancientblade]

There are a lot of mitigating circumstances with Berge as to why things haven't gone great for him since he moved.

There was the lockdown in a foreign country that he was new to, followed by the club he joined turning into one of the Premier Leagues worst ever teams. Then a tough injury that kept him out for almost a year. He's struggled to play consistent football ever since, so it's harsh to judge him for only performing in patches.

I rate Berge as a player and I like watching him play when he's on it. He just needs to believe in himself a bit more and get aggressive.

i agree hes showing signs of improvement but hes capable of so much more imo and i think hecky and mcall are just the guys to get it out of him

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

I don't reckon he was a Wilder pick. I think he was the owner's pick and the deal was done by someone on the board

Not sure if that’s right or not mate but that notwithstanding no one seems to have worked out where to play him

 

[alcoblade]

If you signed Makelele or Kroos for 40 million and you played either of them further up in positions that maybe were not natural for them etc, and you signed either of them following a long injury etc etc

Yes you could maybe expect more probing passes from them, at least with Kroos, but that would be expected given both are better players despite the price tags

What you wouldn’t expect is if either of them struggled with the British pace and game, yes I know Claude wouldn’t but that doesn’t mean he would automatically be creating 20 chances per game either

So what you wouldn’t expect, though you would get it, would be thousands of oh he is shit that Kroos because he doesn’t break a leg or he won’t run a half marathon etc etc

Basically if Makelele/Kroos came in, just sat in front of back 3 and played it around it wouldn’t mean they were shit because Browny or Coutts didn’t do that

Brown tackled, chased, passed, scored. Coutts sprayed the ball about and was always available (once on song). .

Berge occasionally runs with the ball and looks unstoppable. But he can’t tackle, struggles to keep up with the pace of the English game, rarely pulls off a killer pass, can’t head and rarely scores. His remaining fanboys (most have got to excuse 100 and stopped adding to it) cling on to the dream that his one key attribute might one day be multiplied up tenfold, and repeated game after game. Even I still hope this happens.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Brown tackled, chased, passed, scored. Coutts sprayed the ball about and was always available (once on song). .

Berge occasionally runs with the ball and looks unstoppable. But he can’t tackle, struggles to keep up with the pace of the English game, rarely pulls off a killer pass, can’t head and rarely scores. His remaining fanboys (most have got to excuse 100 and stopped adding to it) cling on to the dream that his one key attribute might one day be multiplied up tenfold, and repeated game after game. Even I still hope this happens.

A year out isn't a plausible excuse?

 

[alcoblade]

A year out isn't a plausible excuse?

What about the year before it?

 

[Brownieblade]

Brown tackled, chased, passed, scored. Coutts sprayed the ball about and was always available (once on song). .

Berge occasionally runs with the ball and looks unstoppable. But he can’t tackle, struggles to keep up with the pace of the English game, rarely pulls off a killer pass, can’t head and rarely scores. His remaining fanboys (most have got to excuse 100 and stopped adding to it) cling on to the dream that his one key attribute might one day be multiplied up tenfold, and repeated game after game. Even I still hope this happens.

Berge is an international, a player tracked by many teams, some top teams, over the years, they didn’t do this just for fun and they don’t rate players based on some shitty league where physicality is valued more than technique

If you don’t rate him then fair enough, you like me no doubt will continue watching our sub standard productions for the next decades whilst no doubt, wherever Berge ends up, it likely will be somewhere where technical ability weighs more than how hard you are

 

[alcoblade]

Berge is an international, a player tracked by many teams, some top teams, over the years, they didn’t do this just for fun and they don’t rate players based on some shitty league where physicality is valued more than technique

If you don’t rate him then fair enough, you like me no doubt will continue watching our sub standard productions for the next decades whilst no doubt, wherever Berge ends up, it likely will be somewhere where technical ability weighs more than how hard you are

So at last excuse number 101 is trotted out - he’s not been very good because we’re too sub standard for him.

When will it end?

 

[Brownieblade]

So at last excuse number 101 is trotted out - he’s not been very good because we’re too sub standard for him.

When will it end?

I’m not sure why his detractors keep on with the excuse narrative, if you don’t rate him because he doesn’t play the English way then lucky him

 

[alcoblade]

I’m not sure why his detractors keep on with the excuse narrative, if you don’t rate him because he doesn’t play the English way then lucky him

I don’t rate him because he’s not very good when he plays for us, it’s that simple.

I can almost still (it’s in all our interests to) go along with the narrative that there’s a good player in there that’s lost his way and will one day prove it. It’s the constant nonsense that he’s got “obvious class”, and the repeated excuses for him not performing now, that drives an increasing number mad. His fanboys are gradually melting away, presumably embarrassed at their closed season exclamations that we shouldn’t deal for under £35m.

If you actually think he has been performing, then let’s leave it there. One of us then clearly knows little about football and I’m happy with my conclusion, as presumably you are with yours.

 

[Brownieblade]

I don’t rate him because he’s not very good when he plays for us, it’s that simple.

I can almost still (it’s in all our interests to) go along with the narrative that there’s a good player in there that’s lost his way and will one day prove it. It’s the constant nonsense that he’s got “obvious class”, and the repeated excuses for him not performing now, that drives an increasing number mad. His fanboys are gradually melting away, presumably embarrassed at their closed season exclamations that we shouldn’t deal for under £35m.

If you actually think he has been performing, then let’s leave it there. One of us then clearly knows little about football and I’m happy with my conclusion, as presumably you are with yours.

I think your opinion on what performing is is the problem, if you think that means you know more about football then ok mate, I’m glad I’m not on your wavelength and don’t watch reruns of Blackwells finest moments

 

[ancientblade]

I don’t rate him because he’s not very good when he plays for us, it’s that simple.

I can almost still (it’s in all our interests to) go along with the narrative that there’s a good player in there that’s lost his way and will one day prove it. It’s the constant nonsense that he’s got “obvious class”, and the repeated excuses for him not performing now, that drives an increasing number mad. His fanboys are gradually melting away, presumably embarrassed at their closed season exclamations that we shouldn’t deal for under £35m.

If you actually think he has been performing, then let’s leave it there. One of us then clearly knows little about football and I’m happy with my conclusion, as presumably you are with yours.

no he hasnt been performing but hes had a serious injury lets not forget and he is showing signs of the player we payed 22m for i think we really needed that big physical defensive midfielder to give him more of a licence to drive on and take players on further up the pitch i havent given up on him just yet think hecky and mcall will get more out of him

 

[alcoblade]

I think your opinion on what performing is is the problem, if you think that means you know more about football then ok mate, I’m glad I’m not on your wavelength and don’t watch reruns of Blackwells finest moments

I just agree with three managers, none of which are in the Blackwell mould, who didn’t really seem to rate him that highly either.

He was wedged into the team when he arrived, the only time he’s been an automatic pick. When it became obvious he wasn’t really performing, he’s never really been a regular. And it hasn’t been very controversial for most, because he really hasn’t being very good. That simple.

You don’t have to be a football expert to witness that. However, given that he’s clearly for sale, it’s very telling that the actual footballing experts elsewhere aren’t coming to harness his supposed brilliance.

 

[alcoblade]

no he hasnt been performing but hes had a serious injury lets not forget and he is showing signs of the player we payed 22m for i think we really needed that big physical defensive midfielder to give him more of a licence to drive on and take players on further up the pitch i havent given up on him just yet think hecky and mcall will get more out of him

What’s laughable is the notion that he has been performing and has obvious class, if only you were educated enough to see it.

We all hope there’s a player in there. When he performs, I’ll happily say so.

Paul Couuts was shite for 2 years. He ended up being a fantastic footballer for us. It might still be the case with Berge. It will not alter his lack of performance thus far.

 

[Brownieblade]

I just agree with three managers, none of which are in the Blackwell mould, who didn’t really seem to rate him that highly either.

He was wedged into the team when he arrived, the only time he’s been an automatic pick. When it became obvious he wasn’t really performing, he’s never really been a regular. And it hasn’t been very controversial for most, because he really hasn’t being very good. That simple.

You don’t have to be a football expert to witness that. However, given that he’s clearly for sale, it’s very telling that the actual footballing experts elsewhere aren’t coming to harness his supposed brilliance.

I haven’t spoken to the 3 of them unlike yourself and I’m not on the board so don’t know how cheap he is

what I can tell you is that plenty of clubs have rated him, and they didn’t base that on what can he do on a rainy night in Luton

you seem to possibly be thinking of your FM game because you seem to think he has been available the entire time for availability

Has he been good, for a fan base who possibly don’t rate simple technical ability then fair enough, he clearly isn’t a British style player and you don’t need to be an expert to appreciate that

the lad clearly has ability, maybe he is just better off in a more technical league, wrong place and wrong time

 

[alcoblade]

I haven’t spoken to the 3 of them unlike yourself and I’m not on the board so don’t know how cheap he is

what I can tell you is that plenty of clubs have rated him, and they didn’t base that on what can he do on a rainy night in Luton

you seem to possibly be thinking of your FM game because you seem to think he has been available the entire time for availability

Has he been good, for a fan base who possibly don’t rate simple technical ability then fair enough, he clearly isn’t a British style player and you don’t need to be an expert to appreciate that

the lad clearly has ability, maybe he is just better off in a more technical league, wrong place and wrong time

And so it continues - “he’s really good, if only you’re one of those clever enough to see it”.

He didn’t perform in the world’s top league, presumably because….it was the worlds top league? He doesn’t perform a division below……because it’s unfair to expect so against cloggers like Luton.

Absolute fucking nonsense. Let’s leave it there.

 

[Brownieblade]

And so it continues - “he’s really good, if only you’re one of those clever enough to see it”.

He didn’t perform in the world’s top league, presumably because….it was the worlds top league? He doesn’t perform a division below……because it’s unfair to expect so against cloggers like Luton.

Absolute fucking nonsense. Let’s leave it there.

Lol, only one of us on here claiming to be educated enough to see he is shit, do me a favour, wherever you received your football education from, please let the authorities know so they can close it down

Top league?? Fuck me, ratings over ability eh

Yes you do talk nonsense Kev but that’s ok, world would be boring if everyone knew what they were talking about

 

[alcoblade]

Lol, only one of us on here claiming to be educated enough to see he is shit, do me a favour, wherever you received your football education from, please let the authorities know so they can close it down

Top league?? Fuck me, ratings over ability eh

Yes you do talk nonsense Kev but that’s ok, world would be boring if everyone knew what they were talking about

^^^

 

[PageHallBlade]

i like him
i think he just needs the confidence you could see that in the second half V brum
when he runs with the ball no one can touch him.

 

[Greenblades]

I find it interesting that we couldn’t sign Watkins, Cash and numerous others because we could not compete and yet the most tracked young superstar from Europe is one we can get. Seriously it’s laughable. I would just love to see his stats on ground covered. Regardless of talent, ball ability etc etc fucking working hard is a given. Yes now and again he looks good but that is never enough. Anyone who says it is, is deluded. Every pundit on TV will say you have to earn the right to play. Berge in my opinion let’s others earn him the right. First half at Birmingham was a disgrace from him. Letting a striker track your man is not acceptable. Watch the game and justify it please ! 20 mins great. If we play him again on Wednesday, and he starts like he did last Friday night we will be 3-0 down. I would love to see him do it for 90 mins I really would but he has given no evidence he can.

 

[Brownieblade]

I find it interesting that we couldn’t sign Watkins, Cash and numerous others because we could not compete and yet the most tracked young superstar from Europe is one we can get. Seriously it’s laughable. I would just love to see his stats on ground covered. Regardless of talent, ball ability etc etc fucking working hard is a given. Yes now and again he looks good but that is never enough. Anyone who says it is, is deluded. Every pundit on TV will say you have to earn the right to play. Berge in my opinion let’s others earn him the right. First half at Birmingham was a disgrace from him. Letting a striker track your man is not acceptable. Watch the game and justify it please ! 20 mins great. If we play him again on Wednesday, and he starts like he did last Friday night we will be 3-0 down. I would love to see him do it for 90 mins I really would but he has given no evidence he can.

The reason we signed him against other teams is we offered him the chance to come in and play, it’s not rocket science. Other clubs if they had signed him and not started him straight away wouldn’t have meant he was shite or not good enough, he still would have had a good enough level of ability, he just might needed more time, again that’s not rocket science

It’s likely he signed with us to get that experience and see if he could adapt to playing in this league

As for suggested work rate and earning the right to play, ok erm, the lad has played international football, not just because he was the only one they had, he has also played champions league and Europa, he has done that because the English way of work hard and be tough isn’t thankfully a requirement anywhere else

 

[Brownieblade]

And just to clarify the above because some still won’t get it, by playing so much elsewhere and for his country time and again he clearly has worked hard enough at those levels

If he isn’t working hard enough for the Warnock and Blackwell on here then fair enough, just means he is suited for a different style of play

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Another Berge thread and here come to usual detractors.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

I see Berge didn’t get his typical blades fan starter kit, unfortunately it hasn’t been updated since 2008 but I’ve sent him the following guidelines anyway:

1. Run reyt fucking fast and lots.
1a. Location and purpose not required.
2. Boot it reyt fucking hard and far.
2a. See point 1a.
3. Slap the badge continually. No set minimum, but if chest isn’t hurting you’re not doing it enough.
3a. Kissing also allowed, so long as eye contact is maintained with fans.
4. Screaming “c’mon” and shaking fists aggressively can be accepted as a suitable replacement for the following:
i) Talent; and/or
ii) Ability; and/or
iii) Basic footballing technique
5. Judgement on your worth as a player shall be determined solely on points 1-4.

 

[Tarqs]

In a nutshell.

Weak as piss off the ball, rarely tracks back, rarely tackles, rarely wins a 50/50 for a free ball.....

On the ball strong as an ox, one of our few players that can actually go past a player, has scored a few goals when he's played and got a few assists. More than Norwood for example who's played about 10x more.

What I hate though and it's in the British DNA is that we want hard work and graft. Nick Montgomery over David Ginola, Matty Done over Laurent Robert.

I see a quote above 'i'd love to see his stats on ground covered' as though this is the benchmark for deciding a quality player or not lol

 

[BLADES1988]

Are the people who constantly put our players down, the ones who stay quiet the whole game? Support the team or Fu(k off

 

[Nagima]

The reason we signed him against other teams is we offered him the chance to come in and play, it’s not rocket science. Other clubs if they had signed him and not started him straight away wouldn’t have meant he was shite or not good enough, he still would have had a good enough level of ability, he just might needed more time, again that’s not rocket science

It’s likely he signed with us to get that experience and see if he could adapt to playing in this league

As for suggested work rate and earning the right to play, ok erm, the lad has played international football, not just because he was the only one they had, he has also played champions league and Europa, he has done that because the English way of work hard and be tough isn’t thankfully a requirement anywhere else

Conor Sammon. Played International football too.

 

[broomhillblade]

Many of the greatest footballers always seemed to have time on the ball.
Nowadays this asset seems to be regarded as "off the pace".

 

[Mojo]

First it was Brewster and now it's Berge. Why do we have to slag our own off? It wasn't either of their faults that they both cost big fees nor that they were both signed without a clear plan to integrate them into the team. The injuries have just made it all even worse but again it's not the players fault.

At the time they were both extremely highly rated and it was a bit of a coup they joined us.

Brewster started to come good, Berge is only slightly older, can't we just get behind the lad instead of slating him every time. His potential is obvious, the team appear to be pulling together, why don't we as fans do the same and get behind all of them