Osborn and Fleck Signs

[tincan]

The reason why we went up is the squad and its spirit. Despite the adversity in terms of injuries, bizarre refereeing, embargo's and a board who think 1 fee paid signing is good enough for Hecky, it was an incredible performance to reach 91points. The more of the winning mentality of the squad we can retain the better.
Proof being the attitude of the youngsters, is top level, much can be down to leaders like Flecky, Ozzi and others bringing them through with encouragement, best practice and reputation. I would have kept Billy and Enda as well as they act like additional coaches and epitomise the professional Blades we can be, and in the long term what our youngsters will become. Its a fact of life that we need to plan for age coming into matters, but retaining the winning mentalities will be more valueable then a bunch of never hasbeen loaners.

 

[Teddy]

The negativity on this thread has given me a good chuckle, so cheers.

It’s not tremendously exciting but, for me, it’s pretty sensible business. Two experienced professional players who know the squad ethos the system etc. Gives continuity and PL experience. As long as we’re still looking to bring in two more CMs I’m pretty happy with this.

It now gives us the flexibility to send youth players like Arblaster and Coulibaly out on loan (rather than them sitting unused on the bench). Ideally they kick on somewhere and next year we say a fond farewell to Fleck and Ozzy and integrate Arblaster and Coulibaly in their stead (regardless of division but easier if Champ).

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

The reason why we went up is the squad and its spirit. Despite the adversity in terms of injuries, bizarre refereeing, embargo's and a board who think 1 fee paid signing is good enough for Hecky, it was an incredible performance to reach 91points. The more of the winning mentality of the squad we can retain the better.
Proof being the attitude of the youngsters, is top level, much can be down to leaders like Flecky, Ozzi and others bringing them through with encouragement, best practice and reputation. I would have kept Billy and Enda as well as they act like additional coaches and epitomise the professional Blades we can be, and in the long term what our youngsters will become. Its a fact of life that we need to plan for age coming into matters, but retaining the winning mentalities will be more valueable then a bunch of never hasbeen loaners.

Excellent post .

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Fuck negative posts.

Fleck n Osborn are top lads

 

[nopigfansintown]

It's the legacy of the failure to sign permanents over the last five windows - the exception being Anel. Even with decent backing this season (doesn't look likely) it's simply extremely difficult to stretch any realistic budget that far. Wilder had a similar issue due to our Jan loan recruitment in the promotion season, and the selling off of all our better young talent under him. You need Forestesque investment levels to have a fair crack at overcoming that in one or two windows. Heckingbottom's rationale for wanting to keep Sharp and Stevens is very much applicable here: the more players I need the further the budget has to stretch.

The bigger disappointment for me is the lack of new deals for our best youngsters since we dropped into the Championship. Basic housekeeping imo.

 

[nezimão]

effectively, the players who were twenty-third and twenty-fourth choice in our squad last time we were promoted were jack rodwell and ravel morrison.

if you can think of overall squad building in these terms i believe these two represent an upgrade on what we had at the start of the 20/21 season.

better spend what limited funds we have on improving the first xi.

 

[Revolution]

Funny, if you add up the appearances and goals of Osborn and Fleck last season, you get 46 games played, 2 goals, and one assist.

That's an ever present Championship midfielder who doesn't score much or create many chances. For comparison, Norwood played 46 games for 2 goals and 5 assists.

The last time they were in the PL, Fleck played 31 times and got zero goals and 2 assists (the cross for Didzy v Spurs and the corner for Bryan v Man Utd). Osborn played 24 times and scored in the defeat at Leeds, the only goal from open play scored all season by a Blades midfielder.

I don't think anyone who has seen them would argue that they haven't taken a step back over the last 2 seasons. Fleck in particular cannot be effective for more than 20 to 30 mins now. Osborn was injured for 5 of the 9 months of the season.

This is very much quantity over quality. Just getting bodies in. I like both players, I am very appreciative of what Fleck in particular has done for us, but this doesn't strike me as good transfer business. In particular I don't understand why both have been re-signed.

People keep saying that Fleck could replicate what he did in 2019-20. He could, but that season looks like an outlier for goals. He's scored 2 in 3 seasons since in 74 starts and 18 sub appearances. His assist figures were excellent in his first 3 seasons, but he's only managed 7 in the last 4 seasons. He's clearly on the downslope.

Whilst recognising that someone has to fill the squad, resigning both of these guys is not likely to help to address the most glaring problem we have: we are going into next season with the same midfield that was an offensive black hole 3 seasons ago. We need someone who can create and chip in with goals desperately.

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

The reason why we went up is the squad and its spirit. Despite the adversity in terms of injuries, bizarre refereeing, embargo's and a board who think 1 fee paid signing is good enough for Hecky, it was an incredible performance to reach 91points. The more of the winning mentality of the squad we can retain the better.
Proof being the attitude of the youngsters, is top level, much can be down to leaders like Flecky, Ozzi and others bringing them through with encouragement, best practice and reputation. I would have kept Billy and Enda as well as they act like additional coaches and epitomise the professional Blades we can be, and in the long term what our youngsters will become. Its a fact of life that we need to plan for age coming into matters, but retaining the winning mentalities will be more valueable then a bunch of never hasbeen loaners.

No it wasn't, there were plenty of dud performances that you'd have expected better from the players available on the day. The Wilder promotion to the Prem was a squad with an immense spirit that very rarely dropped its performance and motivation levels.

We got promoted because of the quality of N'Diaye and Anel over the whole season, Norwood and RND in the first half of the season and Doyle n Mcatee in the second half of the season.

Utd didn't remotely overachieve last season, any decent manager should get a squad of that ability in the top 2.

 

[Bell4]

The negativity on this thread has given me a good chuckle, so cheers.

It’s not tremendously exciting but, for me, it’s pretty sensible business. Two experienced professional players who know the squad ethos the system etc. Gives continuity and PL experience. As long as we’re still looking to bring in two more CMs I’m pretty happy with this.

It now gives us the flexibility to send youth players like Arblaster and Coulibaly out on loan (rather than them sitting unused on the bench). Ideally they kick on somewhere and next year we say a fond farewell to Fleck and Ozzy and integrate Arblaster and Coulibaly in their stead (regardless of division but easier if Champ).

Stop this nonsense now please

 

[nopigfansintown]

No it wasn't, there were plenty of dud performances that you'd have expected better from the players available on the day. The Wilder promotion to the Prem was a squad with an immense spirit that very rarely dropped its performance and motivation levels.

We got promoted because of the quality of N'Diaye and Anel over the whole season, Norwood and RND in the first half of the season and Doyle n Mcatee in the second half of the season.

Utd didn't remotely overachieve last season, any decent manager should get a squad of that ability in the top 2.

This was even more the case the season before. The Slav apologias on here were equal parts ludicrous and hilarious. I think we benefitted from our oppositions collapse this year. The likes of Watford and West Brom were hideously bad given the squads at their disposal.

 

[S64 Blade]

Like many I’m not overly excited or pleased by this, but it’s what we’ve been given so I’ll get behind them when and if they play.

 

[Blade56]

not really

View attachment 163363View attachment 163364

Pity

 

[Weasel]

Funny, if you add up the appearances and goals of Osborn and Fleck last season, you get 46 games played, 2 goals, and one assist.

That's an ever present Championship midfielder who doesn't score much or create many chances. For comparison, Norwood played 46 games for 2 goals and 5 assists.

The last time they were in the PL, Fleck played 31 times and got zero goals and 2 assists (the cross for Didzy v Spurs and the corner for Bryan v Man Utd). Osborn played 24 times and scored in the defeat at Leeds, the only goal from open play scored all season by a Blades midfielder.

I don't think anyone who has seen them would argue that they haven't taken a step back over the last 2 seasons. Fleck in particular cannot be effective for more than 20 to 30 mins now. Osborn was injured for 5 of the 9 months of the season.

This is very much quantity over quality. Just getting bodies in. I like both players, I am very appreciative of what Fleck in particular has done for us, but this doesn't strike me as good transfer business. In particular I don't understand why both have been re-signed.

People keep saying that Fleck could replicate what he did in 2019-20. He could, but that season looks like an outlier for goals. He's scored 2 in 3 seasons since in 74 starts and 18 sub appearances. His assist figures were excellent in his first 3 seasons, but he's only managed 7 in the last 4 seasons. He's clearly on the downslope.

Whilst recognising that someone has to fill the squad, resigning both of these guys is not likely to help to address the most glaring problem we have: we are going into next season with the same midfield that was an offensive black hole 3 seasons ago. We need someone who can create and chip in with goals desperately.

You see those stats and you have to wonder why we have given contracts to both (despite the argument for filling out the squad). It should never gave been a case where both got a contract. For me, out of the 3 who did get offered a contract, it should have been Robinson and maybe Osborn with the latter purely because he can play in more positions and at least offers energy (though ideally he would have been replaced too). The goals scored and assists for both over a sustained period is very poor. Chuck in the injury records...and it should have been an easy decision despite any player being a 'great pro in training etc'.

I've loved JF as a player but it was time to move him on as it was Billy. We aren't a charity and it's nothing personal moving players on. It's part of professional football. No matter how good JF has been in the past or how much his new contract may be, it's a poor decision by the club signing up Fleck again for a tilt at the PL. I bet he ( and to a lesser extent Ozzie) can't believe his luck.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Fuck negative posts.

Fleck n Osborn are top lads

I’m a top lad

Where’s my £10k a week contract

 

[jt64]

It now gives us the flexibility to send youth players like Arblaster and Coulibaly out on loan (rather than them sitting unused on the bench).

More accurately, it now requires us to use players like Fleck and Osborn, neither of who I think are better than Arblaster and Coulibaly right now, and pay more money to have a worse team while players we could be using are on loan doing work for someone else

 

[Teddy]

More accurately, it now requires us to use players like Fleck and Osborn, neither of who I think are better than Arblaster and Coulibaly right now, and pay more money to have a worse team while players we could be using are on loan doing work for someone else

Opinions opinions…

The way I see it is the players occupying these spots are not likely to play much. If I have to choose between Fleck/Osborne getting 0 mins and Arblaster/Coulibaly getting 0 minutes I’ll pick the former (as I want the latter to be learning their craft, not spectating).

I also think I rate Fleck and Osborne’s ability a bit more than you. The one thing we can agree on is that if either of them are in the 11 when we kick off in August that’s a real issue.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

The goals scored and assists for both over a sustained period is very poor. Chuck in the injury records...and it should have been an easy decision despite any player being a 'great pro in training etc'.

Presumably, Hecky knows something we don't when it came to appraisal and contract offers.

Seems to me he and us have to finger cross and hope they both suddenly go on an upward trajectory in terms of fitness/assists and goals.

Great professionals though.

 

[Revolution]

Presumably, Hecky knows something we don't when it came to appraisal and contract offers.

Seems to me he and us have to finger cross and hope they both suddenly go on an upward trajectory in terms of fitness/assists and goals.

Great professionals though.

I am unconvinced that Osborn getting a bad injury on his stag weekend during the season was professional behaviour, actually.

 

[adiosmiamigo]

Excellent post .

I'll drink to that excellent post.

 

[Nightsweats]

IMO Ozzy at LWB is fine. Unfortunately for him he got played in every position but the one he's pretty good in. See the game v Spurs.

 

[alcoblade]

I was never aware of our fans giving him stick when he was our player. I liked him and I thought he was popular. The only time I criticised him was when I called him "stupid" when he needlessly got sent off at home to WBA in December 1994 not long after coming on as sub

He's developed this story in his mind over the years - it never happened.

 

[biggiesablade]

.

 

[Jon Bon II]

They just need a decent pre-season under their belts and they'll be fine.

 

[finlaytheblade]

They just need a decent pre-season under their belts and they'll be fine.

Yep and I would hope they have been building up there fitness levels during the close season as they didn't play much last season due to fitness problems , this break gives them the opportunity to get a good preseason in without suddenly going at it hammer and tongs when the rest come back next week.if

 

[buddy]

Looks like they’ve still got the photos of Hecky and the

got to be reyt explicit them !

 

[borbokis]

Keith Edwards is a Blades legend, I wouldn't want him in the starting 11 next season.

 

[Revolution]

Keith Edwards is a Blades legend, I wouldn't want him in the starting 11 next season.

He might be a better option than Brewster from a fitness perspective.

 

[@thelane]

not really

View attachment 163363View attachment 163364

I really hope these are back up signings or….Jesus Christ, it’s going to be a series of massacres next season

 

[Stegosaurus]

Hi Stegosaurus here

Osborne is OK as squad backup. Fleck though, a waste of space at this level. Giving him a contract is pissing good money away. Should have put his wages towards snagging someone decent

 

[Stegosaurus]

Hi Stegosaurus,

Actually, no Osborne isn't OK as a backup. What am I talking about. He's lower championship level. Even Wednesday would turn up their nose at him.