Michael Tonge

[blader]

Did anyone else see/walk past Tongey last Sunday? just as I was approaching the turnstiles on Shoreham Street, I walked past him and his Mrs going the other way. Is it a sign, or was he just there to spectate?

 

[blade too long]

hes a good spectator now, dont know about on the pitch now

 

[stannyblade]

He may be ok at league 1 level but cant see him coming back (hope not anyway)

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Dont read too much into it.

From what I've heard he still has a strong affection for United and attends when he can.

We cant afford him anyway.

 

[pommpey]

Still loves Sheffield and the Blades and has a flat in the city. He has to. His Mrs (my niece, Laura) won't move to Manchester.

Although he's been out of the game for a while, I reckon if United could come in with an attractive offer, he'd be pulling the right red and white stripes in a blink of an eye. My nephew (his mate) works on him doing that every week. But would you take a drop in PL wages warming the bench for Stoke? Me neither.

pommpey

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Still loves Sheffield and the Blades and has a flat in the city. He has to. His Mrs (my niece, Laura) won't move to Manchester.

Although he's been out of the game for a while, I reckon if United could come in with an attractive offer, he'd be pulling the right red and white stripes in a blink of an eye. My nephew (his mate) works on him doing that every week. But would you take a drop in PL wages warming the bench for Stoke? Me neither.

pommpey

He's not even warming the bench though. He's not in the 25 man squad for the league, and not in their european squad either.

 

[Darren]

He's not even warming the bench though. He's not in the 25 man squad for the league, and not in their european squad either.

I suppose Stoke might be prepared to pay a portion of his wages, if they could off load him on a team like us - would seem to make financial sense to them.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Not that i would want him back anyway though.....

 

[raul]

Doesn't do everything McDonald doesn't do, but used to be able to do everything he does, only better.

 

[pommpey]

Doesn't do everything McDonald doesn't do, but used to be able to do everything he does, only better.

He's still hungry for the game, mind. I do think if you have an option like him - and he does have a good eye for the wing game - we could bang quinny out wide on the left and open out our midfield. What is, of course missing, is a box-to-boxer/playmaker/goalscorer like Brown, which if you remember, when he went our whole pattern of play collapsed. If you have the centre of the park tied up, it leaves so much more for the wingers to go at. One of our successes back in the 70s with Gil and Woody was that the middle was blocked in with Hockey, Currie and Salmons doing the dominating. its something we have failed to do and for much of the ime have allowedoppositions to overrun because we don't really have a player who can put his foot on the ball and lay it wide to feet.

Anyway, twenty quid a week and Tongy would come to the Lane. Who's in for it, eh?

pommpey

 

[sitwell]

I think hes a completely different player to Macdonald ,I would have him back in a shot to play on the left of midfield. Swap Quinn for Clarke and Phillips ,promotion automatically beckons.

 

[pommpey]

I think hes a completely different player to Macdonald ,I would have him back in a shot to play on the left of midfield. Swap Quinn for Clarke and Phillips ,promotion automatically beckons.

I think that apart from one or two defensive shortcomings, the obvious current keeper fun and our inability to stick the ball in the bag, the roots of most of it is midfield dominance. How often do we hear the game descend into hoofball which serves no one unless you have someone as fast as Walcott and put the ball on his feet every time. Seem to recall back in 2003 we were playing fairly attractive passing football, albeit with Nuddy disappearing up his own arse on occasion.

pommpey

 

[Tuns]

Be great sigining and more importantly a realistic one. I don't see him wanting a fortune to come back and we are probably a decent option for him given he may not have many better ones.

He will give his all, he'll be hungry to play first team every week and he has quality.

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Still loves Sheffield and the Blades and has a flat in the city. He has to. His Mrs (my niece, Laura) won't move to Manchester.

Although he's been out of the game for a while, I reckon if United could come in with an attractive offer, he'd be pulling the right red and white stripes in a blink of an eye. My nephew (his mate) works on him doing that every week. But would you take a drop in PL wages warming the bench for Stoke? Me neither.

pommpey

If I'm reading that correctly Pommpey, I used to play footy with your nephew at Dronfield Town. Is his name Oliver?

 

[oldblade]

If Tonge and Montgomery can comprehensively dominate the midfield against a team like Tottenham (which they did when we played them in the premier league) just imagine what they could do to third division midfields!

 

[pommpey]

If I'm reading that correctly Pommpey, I used to play footy with your nephew at Dronfield Town. Is his name Oliver?

The very same! Top lad. Lives, eats, breathes and shits football. Love him to bits.

pommpey

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 PM ----------

If Tonge and Montgomery can comprehensively dominate the midfield against a team like Tottenham (which they did when we played them in the premier league) just imagine what they could do to third division midfields!

That's just it though. Many say 'we don't want him back', based upon the games where he - even admittedly - didn't play well. Don't forget, when we came back after the great season we'd had, and failed to win jack-shit, the team had changed and Warnock had to alter the approach to suit. In essence, the bite had gone. Had we gone up that season, I feel we'd still be there, and people like Jags, Paddy and Tongy would still be with us. You could kee Ashley Ward though, useless twat.

pommpey

 

[oldblade]

The very same! Top lad. Lives, eats, breathes and shits football. Love him to bits.

pommpey

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 PM ----------



That's just it though. Many say 'we don't want him back', based upon the games where he - even admittedly - didn't play well. Don't forget, when we came back after the great season we'd had, and failed to win jack-shit, the team had changed and Warnock had to alter the approach to suit. In essence, the bite had gone. Had we gone up that season, I feel we'd still be there, and people like Jags, Paddy and Tongy would still be with us. You could kee Ashley Ward though, useless twat.

pommpey

I thought he played pretty well for most of the 2003-4 season and had a huge number of assists during that season. the only season where I thought he was disappointing throughout was 2004-5 (the one with the horrible red shorted kit!). He played well for the second half of the promotion season and did very well when he played in the premier league. Montgomery also put in some excellent performances during that premier league season - against all expectations.

To me it's a no brainer. If there is a chance of him returning (finances allowing, of course) we should have him back. An unfairly maligned player for a lot of the time here, but I do not see that anyone we've had since has even reached his standard.

 

[sitwell]

He could also relive the pressure on Simmo ,Collins , Monty ,Quinn ,Porter ,Evans and all the other poor buggers who have been scapegoated by the wankers who sit behind me. It all started with Tongey he was the first and the closest I have come to an altercation with said nobheads.

 

[pommpey]

Montgomery also put in some excellent performances during that premier league season - against all expectations.

Lampard said that the most difficult player he has ever faced was Nicky Montgomery of Sheffield United, because he wouldn't leave him alone for one minute and chased him all over the park. I believe him, because even now, I think Monty is a great prospect, if you discount the fact that he can't pass a decent piss without it ending up on the deck. If there was some wa you could make Monty collect, look up, pass, run, recieve, jink, dodge, space, shoot ... we'd have sold him yonks ago and he'd be playing PL footy like Jags. But his groundplay will always be his downfall.

Mind you, he plays like hot shit on FIFA12 on my PS3. Banged in a thirty yarder last night on the turn. Somehow you think ... 'nah!'

pommpey

 

[bricktop]

I'd completely forgotten about Michael Tonge.

I thought he would be a top, top player at the start of his career, shame it has stalled the extent of being lucky to warm the bench at a middling Premiership side.

 

[Kev Gee]

I would welcome him back. But only at a wage that suited us.
There is also the old adage that you should never 'go back'.

 

[tyneblade]

He has a heart of lettuce. That’s why Man U let him go and it's why he'll always be inconsistent.

I first remember thinking it when I read about his socks being too tight. Then so many times in a game; something goes wrong, his head goes down and the nerves consume his performance.

League 1 isn't the place for temperaments like that, its what's killing Steve Simonsen too.

 

[Pinchy]

Lampard said that the most difficult player he has ever faced was Nicky Montgomery of Sheffield United, because he wouldn't leave him alone for one minute and chased him all over the park. I believe him, because even now, I think Monty is a great prospect, if you discount the fact that he can't pass a decent piss without it ending up on the deck. If there was some wa you could make Monty collect, look up, pass, run, recieve, jink, dodge, space, shoot ... we'd have sold him yonks ago and he'd be playing PL footy like Jags. But his groundplay will always be his downfall.

Mind you, he plays like hot shit on FIFA12 on my PS3. Banged in a thirty yarder last night on the turn. Somehow you think ... 'nah!'

pommpey

All the cliches at once, including the mythical (and ludicrous) Frank Lampard nonsense. He never said it. It's a complete fabrication. Patrick Vieira next? No, he didn't either. No-one has. Good players love playing against our resident ball-losing shadow-chaser. In fact, bad ones are pretty happy too.

 

[Bladesway]

He could also relive the pressure on Simmo ,Collins , Monty ,Quinn ,Porter ,Evans and all the other poor buggers who have been scapegoated by the wankers who sit behind me. It all started with Tongey he was the first and the closest I have come to an altercation with said nobheads.

My sympathy wanes for such "poor buggers" when they get paid 20k per week in some cases not to show up. Agreed we like a scapegoat but its nowt new and often theres a reason such as Tongeys complete lack of form for christ knows how long and his head in his chest when something goes wrong attitude. He was a great prospect but now in his late 20's hes a bit of a spent firework isn't he?

 

[stannyblade]

My sympathy wanes for such "poor buggers" when they get paid 20k per week in some cases not to show up. Agreed we like a scapegoat but its nowt new and often theres a reason such as Tongeys complete lack of form for christ knows how long and his head in his chest when something goes wrong attitude. He was a great prospect but now in his late 20's hes a bit of a spent firework isn't he?

Pretty much last chance saloon then. I was happy to get rid of him but at the level we currently find ourselves and on the right wage he could do a job for us. Dont think DW would allow him to under perform like others let him. He would drop him instead of being first or second name on team sheet

 

[SESKU Blade]

All the cliches at once, including the mythical (and ludicrous) Frank Lampard nonsense. He never said it. It's a complete fabrication. Patrick Vieira next? No, he didn't either. No-one has. Good players love playing against our resident ball-losing shadow-chaser. In fact, bad ones are pretty happy too.

I think it was Merson that actually said Monty was one of the most difficult opponents whilst giving an update on our game v Chelsea. I think Lampard got subbed and Merson commented that it was probably because Monty hadn't left his side all game and he knew how that felt.

 

[FleaPitBlade]

I would take Tongey back in a flash in normal circumstances. Even at 50% of his capability he'd be a stand out performer in Lg 1.

However, putting myself in Wilsons shoes for a minute: I'd probably be looking at the midfielders we already have and thinking they are quite plentiful and varied in style and therfor i'd be more interested in saving what tiny bit of money I had available to increase our options on wingers, centre halfs, full backs and goalkeepers - all of which are an injury or suspension away from forcing us into square peg territory.

 

[raul]

Agreed Tickler - unless one or more of the options left in the JTW.

 

[alcoblade]

Good players love playing against our resident ball-losing shadow-chaser

Do good managers like picking him? Should he aspire the be like McDonald, or wouldn't you prefer that one of our midfielders at least put a challenge in when the opposition run through us?

UTB

 

[Muttley]

Sitwell...it started WAAAAAAAY before Tonge. Remember Gannon, Hamilton, murphy etc?