Potential PL Recruitment Strategies

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

I'd rather Holding than Souttar given the likely cost

I'd take Brereton but not for the 10m option. 6-7m tops

Not bothered about Choudhury

Would break the bank for Harry Clarke. He's been absolutely fantastic

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I'd happily take BBD as we know he can perform at Premier League level. He might not be a stand out in performance overall so far since his return, but he's had 3 goals 3 assists in 12 games from the wing. It's a no brainer for me.

There are question marks around why Leicester didn't want Souttar in the Premier League, but I'd be willing to take that gamble, if he can be fit for next season.

Depends on what fee they want. At £3-4m sure, if they’re wanting £8-10m then I’m not quite so sure.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Leicester are apparently entitled to get back every penny they spend on a player, no matter how much of a dud they are. So expect 17m for Souttar

 

[Champagneblade]

Call me Bladey McBlade Blade (actually don’t!) but maybe Wilder can push on some of the Blades heartstrings this summer IF we go up.

If you are happy just to yo-yo then by all means go Best of the Rest in the Championship.

If you want to have a greater chance of remaining up then you need to bring in some Premier League quality.

Let’s see how ambitious the new owners are.

I’d imagine high wages but modest fees could be proposed for Walker and Maguire.

A back 5 of Cooper; Walker, Ahmedhodzic, Maguire and Burrows is definitely workable.

Kyle keeps talking about playing for us again. When? By the time he’s 38 or 40? Maguire will leave Man U. Maybe a West Ham will fancy him or an Everton but may as well throw the hat in the ring, especially if you get Walker first, it might open the way, just like when Robinho joined City.

Whilst his injury record is lamentable, Calvert-Lewin is perfect for a 4-2-3-1 set up. On a free so no 30-40m transfer fee at least.

That would be some serious experience.

Just got to build around it. I can envisage a move to 4-3-3 at some point to get an extra body there. Maybe Souza, Peck and Arblaster can be a thing?

BBD and Hamer in there further forward and maybe Bladeyness again but David Brooks with just a year left on his deal
May be attainable.

You could be looking at a half decent XI.

 

[Bladezz]

I’m very conservative with signings. I would prefer to sign the best championship players. We know what we are getting and pay a premium for that.

The foreign lads can be anything. People say you can get value for money shopping abroad. In the premier league you don’t. The premier league players we need to keep us up will still cost £20m per player. Their potential ceiling is higher and also much lower.

If we sign someone for £5m from the continent the chances are they aren’t going to be Premier League standard.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Call me Bladey McBlade Blade (actually don’t!) but maybe Wilder can push on some of the Blades heartstrings this summer IF we go up.

If you are happy just to yo-yo then by all means go Best of the Rest in the Championship.

If you want to have a greater chance of remaining up then you need to bring in some Premier League quality.

Let’s see how ambitious the new owners are.

I’d imagine high wages but modest fees could be proposed for Walker and Maguire.

A back 5 of Cooper; Walker, Ahmedhodzic, Maguire and Burrows is definitely workable.

Kyle keeps talking about playing for us again. When? By the time he’s 38 or 40? Maguire will leave Man U. Maybe a West Ham will fancy him or an Everton but may as well throw the hat in the ring, especially if you get Walker first, it might open the way, just like when Robinho joined City.

Whilst his injury record is lamentable, Calvert-Lewin is perfect for a 4-2-3-1 set up. On a free so no 30-40m transfer fee at least.

That would be some serious experience.

Just got to build around it. I can envisage a move to 4-3-3 at some point to get an extra body there. Maybe Souza, Peck and Arblaster can be a thing?

BBD and Hamer in there further forward and maybe Bladeyness again but David Brooks with just a year left on his deal
May be attainable.

You could be looking at a half decent XI.

GERREMBACK! GERREMALLBACK!

Seriously though, I would be well up for watching that side and it does seem like it would be the Peak Wilder way to approach it

 

[PaddysMad]

We need to add Premier League experienced players from Premier League 9/10 filling it up with the better Championship players doesn’t work.

 

[tincan]

Any room for the next Peck from the Academies , Blacker, Beattie or Baptiste?

 

[Pintor75]

Wouldn't pay £17m for Souttar, don't know if he'll be the same after injury. I'd take Choudhury if Souza should leave, likewise Diaz if the price is right. I think the squad is stronger that last time we went up imo as long as we hang on to the bulk of the squad

 

[ATL Recs]

Best recruitment is getting both the foreign and the domestic markets right as much as possible.

Last time we went up we had a mixed bag with both markets, with success and failure in both.

Foreign: Slimane, Larouci, Traore, BBD, Souza, Grbic (Souza and BBD still here)

Domestic: Hamer, Archer, Trusty, McAtee, T Davies, L Thomas, Holgate (Hamer and T Davies still here)

The best possible recruitment is to get the best possible deals out of both of these markets, regardless of what league they are in.

Can’t class BBD as foreign really tho

 

[loyalblade95]

Can’t class BBD as foreign really tho

True, I only put him in foreign because it was a foreign loan rather than a domestic one.

 

[jt64]

Alex Scott, for example, should be a potential loan target if Bournemouth bring in more midfielders. Jack Harrison if Everton don't sign him and he doesn't want to be at Leeds.

You probably don't want to hear the opinions of Everton fans in the pub last night re: Harrison

 

[Charlieblade]

I've been considering hypothetical recruitment options, were we to be promoted back to the Premier League. And I simply cannot see any logical reason for us making domestic signings a bigger priority then looking for players further afield.

The expense involved in signing players from English clubs has become absurdly prohibitive as a Premier League club. Teams are fully aware of how much money you get from simply existing in that competition, and take every opportunity to squeeze as much value as possible from a buying club. Meanwhile, signings made from players overseas, are often a significant amount cheaper than a domestic counterpart would be.

I can only see there being valid reason for pursuing domestic deals if they are an absolute guarantee to improve the existing squad. And I'm not sure there's anyone around at the moment that would do that for us, that is a realistic option for us to pursue as an outright purchase (as opposed to a loan).

There are players dotted all over the place, particularly across mainland Europe, who would be a major boost to our squad. There are often bargain signings to be made from places like Germany (2. Bundesliga - as we came close to doing with Jonjoe Kenny), Belgium and Portugal. We've made signings in the past from Scandinavian leagues to minimal fanfare, but I think it's fair to say that even though the likes of Slimane and Traore were wholly ineffective in their Blades careers, signing English players to achieve the same end, would have cost us drastically more than those 2 deals did. Not a chance we would make a profit like we did on those 2 in any case.

An additional justification for looking further afield, is the outrageous success rate we have in developing young talent ourselves. There is a consistent stream of youth players coming through the academy, who either become good enough to play for the first team (e.g Peck, Arblaster, Seriki), or are sold on for a modest profit (e.g Regan Slater). Considering the squad registration rules in the Premier League, and the increased necessity to include "homegrown" players, having options that not only can fill squad places, but can compete at PL level, frees us up greatly to be able to go abroad and look for options capable of enhancing the starting XI.

We might even be able to kill 2 birds with one stone, and sign English/British players, who are plying their trade abroad. Max Dean is a prime example of this. 21-year old English striker playing for Gent in Belgium's top division. 6 goals in 17 appearances, coming out at 0.56 goals per 90 mins. Only his first season at that level, but having moved there from League 2 MK Dons, it's fair to say he's doing very well considering the increase in quality. He perhaps would have been a better option than Cannon as a major transfer for the new ownership to pursue.

I imagine that, if we do secure Premier League football next season, we will have a more handy transfer budget for the summer than Hecky had to play with last season. And considering the very obvious gulf in quality that has formed between the Championship and PL in recent years, shrewd business in the transfer market will be essential for us to have a fighting chance of survival (or at least, not being battered on a weekly basis).

I agree with you in principle. COH and Chris may have different ideas, but a combination of both is essential. COH as owners have more clout, and Wilder will get some of what he wants.
The Academy is a great source of developing talent, as we have seen this season. It would make sense for COH and Wilder to work together, and to improve the already successful academy. Buy quality from anywhere, and keep this squad mostly together for any chance of staying in the prem.
It makes best use of our proven resources, and keeps CW on side too.
Invest in the Academy and buy the quality that is available from whatever sources. If Wilder wants to stay, he will need to fit in.

It would make sense if COH want stability in the Prem, and Wilder wants to stay and move with the times a bit. Most spent on the squad, alongside some investment in youth.

 

[Aston max]

Dont want Holding BBD Hamza - Souttar maybe if fit the first three completely underwhelming

Holding I'd take he's shown in the few minutes he's had he's calm and does the job quietly and efficiently.
Jlt isn't up to the premier league apart from being a solid back up. ( please don't take that as I don't like him I think he's done a cracking job whilst he's been here )
We need to be looking further afield for players there's some really solid mobile defenders across Europe plus we seem to have got a starting foothold in south America
I think we all know " if" We go up we're going to struggle ( hopefully we'll make a better fist of it ) so signings have to be good younger players that'll help build a squad ready to compete to achieve promotion " again "
But we all know nothing of the new owners plans for squad investment " if" We go up , even to the point does Chris feature in it ?

 

[Cappy]

 

[Aston max]

I love my sons logic , he reckons KDB is waiting for us to get promoted then coming here
Mind you it was very tongue firmly in cheek !!!

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

The main strategy for me is quality over quantity. I could take a summer signing only 6 players if they are all better than what we have, are Premier League quality and will go straight into the first team and not warm the bench. Why spend £20mil on 3 average players on £20k per week each, when you could buy one on £60k per week. No guarantees but you give yourself a better chance.

We've bought too many "squad players" in the past and failed to improve the first team leaving us desperately short of what we needed to stay up. That and Wilder's loyalty to those who got us up. Football is a ruthless and sometimes unfair business, but so be it. Loyalty gets you nowhere.

 

[Frank the tank]

The main strategy for me is quality over quantity. I could take a summer signing only 6 players if they are all better than what we have, are Premier League quality and will go straight into the first team and not warm the bench. Why spend £20mil on 3 average players on £20k per week each, when you could buy one on £60k per week. No guarantees but you give yourself a better chance.

We've bought too many "squad players" in the past and failed to improve the first team leaving us desperately short of what we needed to stay up. That and Wilder's loyalty to those who got us up. Football is a ruthless and sometimes unfair business, but so be it. Loyalty gets you

They have meetings and discuss in greet detail what they need and where they need it
Work out the budget and then do the best they can with what's available

If it was as simplistic as just buying six higher quality players rather than 12 lesser quality players I'm sure they would do that but it isn't

 

[utd4ever]

3 quality players for the spine of the team
CD, CM and ST


I’d like to see Doyle and McAtee back.

 

[Gin&Juice]

AI overlords with a mix of Wilders love for a rogue will see us reyt.

 

[Groucho Blade]

3 quality players for the spine of the team
CD, CM and ST


I’d like to see Doyle and McAtee back.

Doyle and McAtee AND 3 quality players for the spine?

 

[utd4ever]

Doyle and McAtee AND 3 quality players for the spine?

No the Doyle and McAtee was just players I’d like to see back but we also need a high quality spine to the team.

 

[Groucho Blade]

No the Doyle and McAtee was just players I’d like to see back but we also need a high quality spine to the team.

We need bigger, fitter, faster, stronger…those two won’t help keep us up imho…IF we go up.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Other strategy, get players on early so we're not still waiting for them to be match fit in November!

 

[Pintor75]

We need to get a couple of players in that can help attract better players to follow, we might have to go for a Kyle Walker type who's in the latter stages of his career, but can put the word around that we are going places etc, look at Southampton (older fans) when Keegan signed he helped bring in others who may never have gone there

 

[loyalblade95]

Let's say for example we sign 8 new players this summer, split them up into 3 categories on what sort of signings they are.

Older experienced PL players: x 2, the Jags 2019 type.

Good Championship players who should be able to step up: x 4, there's quite a few players in the Championship that can step up with good players around them.

Younger unknown signings: x 2

 

[Nick Jansky]

Let's say for example we sign 8 new players this summer, split them up into 3 categories on what sort of signings they are.

Older experienced PL players: x 2, the Jags 2019 type.

Good Championship players who should be able to step up: x 4, there's quite a few players in the Championship that can step up with good players around them.

Younger unknown signings: x 2

I would expect at least 2 signings from overseas and hopefully no more than 2 from the championship.

 

[Balham]

I would expect at least 2 signings from overseas and hopefully no more than 2 from the championship.

More from the Peruvian second tier?? Or maybe we’ll extend the search to the Bolivian top flight..the cardio capacity of the boys who play in La Paz might come in handy.

 

[Nick Jansky]

More from the Peruvian second tier?? Or maybe we’ll extend the search to the Bolivian top flight..the cardio capacity of the boys who play in La Paz might come in handy.

Who knows? Talented players exist in all countries, identifying them is the issue. But I wouldn’t mind us occasionally making the sort of signing that the likes of Brighton & Brentford routinely make.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

AC Milan aren't interested in signing Kyle Walker after his loan spell elapses. If he's available on a free, he is a player that I would go for on a 1yr + 1yr deal, should be go up.

He would make an excellent Captain, be a culture carrier and would offer exceptional PL experience at either RWB/RFB and/or RCB. His signing would also show intent and act as an earlier indication of how we are now going about our business.

He turns 35 at the end of this month, and it's now or never really if he wants to play again for us. A year with us in the PL doesn't damage his career, and if we stay up, he'll get another PL season. I would suspect that his opportunities have now dwindled to the extent that should we go up, we would represent an option worthy of consideration.