Memory Lane Podcast

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Bladepicker said:
There were a few times we had nothing but Connor Washington still the bar with an overhead kick. I'll die on that hill that got him through against Jordan Slew 😂
Click to expand...
Slew scored on the opening day of the 2011-12 season against Brentford and I remember thinking he was going to be absolutely class.

Now he’s (deservedly) losing a head to head against Conor Washington…
 



Gimli said:
Slew scored on the opening day of the 2011-12 season against Brentford and I remember thinking he was going to be absolutely class.

Now he’s (deservedly) losing a head to head against Conor Washington…
Click to expand...

Best to pretend it never happened.

Find a darkened room and lie down.

Maybe try to picture Billy Sharp ar Didzy, jumping fences
 
New episode where Sam and myself go through 5 pre season signings of the past we thought would be shite but ended up being great and 5 we thought would be great but ended up shite.

Some quite timely talk given the reaction to the Doherty signing


www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #15 | Signing in the Rain - 10 transfers that made fools of us all...

The signings we were certain would be brilliant, the ones we wrote off too quickly, and the Sheffield United careers that proved none of us really knows anything.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
 
Enjoyed a triple header of the two parts of World Cup of defenders and the transfers podcasts.
I remember when we were after Waghorn and we played Ipswich at the Lane in autumn 2017 (we won 1-0 with a Basham header) and Didzy played alongside Waghorn that day and I could see he was a far better player so I was probably one of the few who knew we'd signed a really good footballer. I think it was the injury issues that were more of a concern.
Note : I've learnt my lesson from last time 🤣
 
Roygbiv said:
New episode where Sam and myself go through 5 pre season signings of the past we thought would be shite but ended up being great and 5 we thought would be great but ended up shite.

Some quite timely talk given the reaction to the Doherty signing


www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #15 | Signing in the Rain - 10 transfers that made fools of us all...

The signings we were certain would be brilliant, the ones we wrote off too quickly, and the Sheffield United careers that proved none of us really knows anything.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
Click to expand...
Great listen but you are very, very generous to Leon Britton, possibly the most overrated player of the PL era.
 
Roygbiv said:
New podcast out where we rank our best ever transfer windows. Available wherever you get your podcasts

www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #16 | Window shopper - ranking the best transfer windows in Sheffield United history

From promotion-winning rebuilds to summers when almost every arrival worked, we rank the five finest transfer windows in Sheffield United history.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
Click to expand...
I don't claim to be a technology wiz... I get podcasts on my phone. Will your podcast be on my phone? And by what sorcery?
 
brownblade said:
I don't claim to be a technology wiz... I get podcasts on my phone. Will your podcast be on my phone? And by what sorcery?
Click to expand...

What do you usually listen through? Apple, Spotify or one of the cooler ones?
 
Roygbiv said:
New podcast out where we rank our best ever transfer windows. Available wherever you get your podcasts

www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #16 | Window shopper - ranking the best transfer windows in Sheffield United history

From promotion-winning rebuilds to summers when almost every arrival worked, we rank the five finest transfer windows in Sheffield United history.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
Click to expand...

This was an enjoyable listen and an interesting exercise. And inspired me to do some maths on the 5 windows you selcted.

There are many different ways of looking at the success of a window, but I will comfine myself to one that is easy to check. What did the players do after we signed them? You can look at this short and long term.

Impact that season

All of these windows were followed by successful seasons. In 3 of the seasons we were promoted, and we reached the playoffs in the other two. We also reached FA cup semi-finals in 2 of these seasons.

I added up the league appearances and goals contributed by these players in the season they were signed. Doing it from earliest to most recent, including sub appearances and rounding up or down to full numbers:

1997-8: 143 games, 21 goals (Marker 42 apps + 2 goals, Borbokis 35+3, Deane 24+10, Marcelo 21+6, McGrath 12, Dellas 9). Average season: 24 games, 4 goals

2005-6: 200 games, 34 goals (Shipperley 39+11, Ifill 39+9, Webber 35+10, Unsworth 34+4, Gillespie 30, Short 23). Average 33 games, 6 goals

2008-9: 120 games, 15 goals (Halford 41+4, Cotterill 24+4, Henderson 32+6, Sun 12, Spring 11+1). Average 24 games, 3 goals.

2016-7: 263 games, 26 goals (Fleck 44+4, O’Connell 44+4, Moore 43, Duffy 39+6, Wright 29, Clarke 23+7, Lavery 27+4, Wilson 7+1, Hussey 7). Average 29 games, 3 goals.

2022-3: 129 games, 21 goals (McAtee 37+9, Anel 34+6, Doyle 33+3, Clarke 10+2, Khadra 15+1). Average 26 games, 4 goals

The highest average appearances and goals both came from 2005-6. As you said on the pod, a lot of solid signings who made big contributions. Everyone played over 30 games except for Craig Short who still played half. All of those players played well. That’s superb work by Warnock and the club.

(The one asterisk is that Gary Mulligan and Kyle Nix were (a) also signed in this window and were in the first team squad and (b) didn’t play, so if you are a pedant and add them it drags the averages down).

2016-7 is second in average appearances. It is similar in that out of 9 players we have two who were discarded quickly but also four virtual ever presents and three other big contributors (although Clarke’s season was a bit odd). As you said, Wilder had a bit of blank slate, but that’s a superb window too, and higher than you rank it I think. The goals average is depressed by having a goalkeeper with 43 appearances in there.

2022-3 is third in appearances and joint second in goals. That window is a masterclass of using the loan market. One (excellent) permanent signing only, but two loan midfielders made excellent contributions (McAtee’s value that season is, I think, underrated by many) and two more had useful cameos.

The excellent contributions of Marker, Borbokis and Halford aside, the other two seasons, which lag on appearance average, look weaker on closer examination. 1997-8 suffers from injuries (McGrath) Charles Green (Deano) the amount of chopping and changing we did (I think that season still holds the record for number of different players used). Plus all memories of Dellas being shite in his first year were wiped out by his goal v Pompey the year after. 2008-9 has injuries (Sun, Henderson), Cotterill being messed about by Blackwell, and Spring being crap.

For one season Impact I would rank them 2005-6, 2016-7, 2022-3, 1997-8 and 2008-9 at the rear.

Impact that season and onwards

Another way to measure a transfer window is how the players fared overall. This requires adding up the total goals and appearances for each player from signing until they left the club. Hence I have not counted, say, McAtee’s second loan spell, or Webber’s earlier loan spell. Then you can work out an average career for a player:

1997-8: 222 games, 51 goals (Marcelo 67+26, Marker 63+5, Borbokis 56+7, Dellas 27+3, Deane 24+10, McGrath 12). Average Blades career: 37 games, 9 goals

2005-6: 347 games, 48 goals (Webber 107+20, Gillespie 97+4, Ifill 42+9, Shipperley 39+11, Unsworth 39+4, Short 23). Average 58 games, 8 goals

2008-9: 174 games, 31 goals (Henderson 72+20, Halford 41+4, Cotterill 38+6, Sun 12, Spring 11+1). Average 35 games, 6 goals.

2016-7: 771 games, 71 goals (Fleck 256+15, O’Connell 166+7, Duffy 111+15, Clarke 88+29, Moore 63, Wright 46, Lavery 27+4, Wilson 7+1, Hussey 7). Average 86 games, 8 goals.

2022-3: 198 games, 26 goals (Anel 103+11, McAtee 37+9, Doyle 33+3, Clarke 10+2, Khadra 15+1). Average 40 games, 5 goals

Here Wilder’s work in 2016-7 blows everyone else out of the water. Fleck is seventh in the list of league appearances for people who have played this century. He and O’Connell were good PL players for a time. Duffy was integral in another promotion, and Moore and Clarke did good things following their first year and made token PL appearances. The average of 86 games and 8 goals is essentially two seasons’ worth of what Fleck or O’Connell (or Greg Halford) did in their first years. That’s a good player.

Contrast that with 2022-3, where we only had one permanent signing so the impact of the window was hardly felt after that season. Still, the window more than served its purpose.

The only thing that rescues 2008-9 from ignomy on this front is Darius Henderson’s purple patch in the middle of 2009-10. 2005-6, so good a window from a one season perspective, is lifted in the long term by Webber’s relative longevity (sadly only for 10 more goals in 72 appearances) and the surprising but pleasing renaissance of Keith Gillespie, with the rest falling by the wayside. Everyone from 1997-8 had gone by the end of the following season or wanted to leave.

So which is the best window overall?

Answer: none of them. It’s summer 1988. Brian Deane, Simon Tracey, Ian Bryson, Alan Roberts, Francis Joseph, John Francis. 776 appearances, 131 goals. Average 129 appearances, 22 goals. So there.
 
Revolution said:
This was an enjoyable listen and an interesting exercise. And inspired me to do some maths on the 5 windows you selcted.

There are many different ways of looking at the success of a window, but I will comfine myself to one that is easy to check. What did the players do after we signed them? You can look at this short and long term.

Impact that season

All of these windows were followed by successful seasons. In 3 of the seasons we were promoted, and we reached the playoffs in the other two. We also reached FA cup semi-finals in 2 of these seasons.

I added up the league appearances and goals contributed by these players in the season they were signed. Doing it from earliest to most recent, including sub appearances and rounding up or down to full numbers:

1997-8: 143 games, 21 goals (Marker 42 apps + 2 goals, Borbokis 35+3, Deane 24+10, Marcelo 21+6, McGrath 12, Dellas 9). Average season: 24 games, 4 goals

2005-6: 200 games, 34 goals (Shipperley 39+11, Ifill 39+9, Webber 35+10, Unsworth 34+4, Gillespie 30, Short 23). Average 33 games, 6 goals

2008-9: 120 games, 15 goals (Halford 41+4, Cotterill 24+4, Henderson 32+6, Sun 12, Spring 11+1). Average 24 games, 3 goals.

2016-7: 263 games, 26 goals (Fleck 44+4, O’Connell 44+4, Moore 43, Duffy 39+6, Wright 29, Clarke 23+7, Lavery 27+4, Wilson 7+1, Hussey 7). Average 29 games, 3 goals.

2022-3: 129 games, 21 goals (McAtee 37+9, Anel 34+6, Doyle 33+3, Clarke 10+2, Khadra 15+1). Average 26 games, 4 goals

The highest average appearances and goals both came from 2005-6. As you said on the pod, a lot of solid signings who made big contributions. Everyone played over 30 games except for Craig Short who still played half. All of those players played well. That’s superb work by Warnock and the club.

(The one asterisk is that Gary Mulligan and Kyle Nix were (a) also signed in this window and were in the first team squad and (b) didn’t play, so if you are a pedant and add them it drags the averages down).

2016-7 is second in average appearances. It is similar in that out of 9 players we have two who were discarded quickly but also four virtual ever presents and three other big contributors (although Clarke’s season was a bit odd). As you said, Wilder had a bit of blank slate, but that’s a superb window too, and higher than you rank it I think. The goals average is depressed by having a goalkeeper with 43 appearances in there.

2022-3 is third in appearances and joint second in goals. That window is a masterclass of using the loan market. One (excellent) permanent signing only, but two loan midfielders made excellent contributions (McAtee’s value that season is, I think, underrated by many) and two more had useful cameos.

The excellent contributions of Marker, Borbokis and Halford aside, the other two seasons, which lag on appearance average, look weaker on closer examination. 1997-8 suffers from injuries (McGrath) Charles Green (Deano) the amount of chopping and changing we did (I think that season still holds the record for number of different players used). Plus all memories of Dellas being shite in his first year were wiped out by his goal v Pompey the year after. 2008-9 has injuries (Sun, Henderson), Cotterill being messed about by Blackwell, and Spring being crap.

For one season Impact I would rank them 2005-6, 2016-7, 2022-3, 1997-8 and 2008-9 at the rear.

Impact that season and onwards

Another way to measure a transfer window is how the players fared overall. This requires adding up the total goals and appearances for each player from signing until they left the club. Hence I have not counted, say, McAtee’s second loan spell, or Webber’s earlier loan spell. Then you can work out an average career for a player:

1997-8: 222 games, 51 goals (Marcelo 67+26, Marker 63+5, Borbokis 56+7, Dellas 27+3, Deane 24+10, McGrath 12). Average Blades career: 37 games, 9 goals

2005-6: 347 games, 48 goals (Webber 107+20, Gillespie 97+4, Ifill 42+9, Shipperley 39+11, Unsworth 39+4, Short 23). Average 58 games, 8 goals

2008-9: 174 games, 31 goals (Henderson 72+20, Halford 41+4, Cotterill 38+6, Sun 12, Spring 11+1). Average 35 games, 6 goals.

2016-7: 771 games, 71 goals (Fleck 256+15, O’Connell 166+7, Duffy 111+15, Clarke 88+29, Moore 63, Wright 46, Lavery 27+4, Wilson 7+1, Hussey 7). Average 86 games, 8 goals.

2022-3: 198 games, 26 goals (Anel 103+11, McAtee 37+9, Doyle 33+3, Clarke 10+2, Khadra 15+1). Average 40 games, 5 goals

Here Wilder’s work in 2016-7 blows everyone else out of the water. Fleck is seventh in the list of league appearances for people who have played this century. He and O’Connell were good PL players for a time. Duffy was integral in another promotion, and Moore and Clarke did good things following their first year and made token PL appearances. The average of 86 games and 8 goals is essentially two seasons’ worth of what Fleck or O’Connell (or Greg Halford) did in their first years. That’s a good player.

Contrast that with 2022-3, where we only had one permanent signing so the impact of the window was hardly felt after that season. Still, the window more than served its purpose.

The only thing that rescues 2008-9 from ignomy on this front is Darius Henderson’s purple patch in the middle of 2009-10. 2005-6, so good a window from a one season perspective, is lifted in the long term by Webber’s relative longevity (sadly only for 10 more goals in 72 appearances) and the surprising but pleasing renaissance of Keith Gillespie, with the rest falling by the wayside. Everyone from 1997-8 had gone by the end of the following season or wanted to leave.

So which is the best window overall?

Answer: none of them. It’s summer 1988. Brian Deane, Simon Tracey, Ian Bryson, Alan Roberts, Francis Joseph, John Francis. 776 appearances, 131 goals. Average 129 appearances, 22 goals. So there.
Click to expand...

Incredible post. Excellent research. We'll have to do a listeners special where we read all these sort of messages out
 
Roygbiv said:
New episode out NOW where we do a 1-11 of players we were always linked with but never signed. Let us know who we missed out

www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #17 | The Ones That Got Away - Building an XI of the biggest transfer rumours in Blades history

Andrew Hague, Sam Parry and Tyrone James build an XI from the biggest, loudest and most enduring Sheffield United transfer rumours of all time.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
Click to expand...
Not listened and no spoilers please, but if Jean Pierre Papin isn't the No9 I may riot...
 



Roygbiv said:
New episode out where try to compile the most forgotten United 11 of all time. Be interesting to hear other people's "shit, I forgot all about them" teams

www.thepinch.uk

Memory Lane #006 | "LET'S (FOR)GET IT STARTED, IN HEEEEEERE" – Creating a Blades-You'd-Forgotten-Played-For-Us XI

An ocean of Sheffield United players you may have forgotten ever played for the club. Come on in, the water is lovely.
www.thepinch.uk www.thepinch.uk
Click to expand...
I don’t know why, but months later the name Simon Walton popped into my head (what a life eh?).

I genuinely had to check he had been at the club and I’d not made it up. It turns out we did sign him in the summer of 2010 on loan, but he got injured in pre season and never played a competitive games for us.
 
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