Oli McBurnie

[Nick Jansky]

Bamford has scored 11 goals in 28 games from the service he's received from United so I think it's fair to assume that McBurnie would have got a similar amount to what he did at Hull.

Bamford is a far superior player to McBurnie. His career stats tell us that.

 

[LBA_Blade]

View attachment 237717

One player doesn’t make a team, although quite possibly true and not trying to put a dampener on things but Hull didn’t win a game in the whole of April but made it count when it was needed. Hull managed to get more out of McBurnie than we ever did mainly as he wasn’t been used as a 4th CB for corners then expected to run 100 yards to be a ST. Since Bamford has arrived here he has had a similar return to McBurnie with goals but a few of them have been in vein so to speak and not turned matches into points such as the 2 away at Wrexham. Be interesting to see how Hull adapt that squad as they have 2 options go down the Sunderland/Leeds route of having 15-20 ins and outs and a complete new squad or doing what we normally do and replace a couple and not be strong enough to compete but come back down with parachute payments

 

[lazyfecklessblade]

Enjoy the idea of a Bamford, McBurnie front 2.

Forget big man little man, I want daft lad, clever lad.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Where there is Bamford, there is Hope.
See what I did there?

 

[ATL Recs]

One player doesn’t make a team, although quite possibly true and not trying to put a dampener on things but Hull didn’t win a game in the whole of April but made it count when it was needed. Hull managed to get more out of McBurnie than we ever did mainly as he wasn’t been used as a 4th CB for corners then expected to run 100 yards to be a ST. Since Bamford has arrived here he has had a similar return to McBurnie with goals but a few of them have been in vein so to speak and not turned matches into points such as the 2 away at Wrexham. Be interesting to see how Hull adapt that squad as they have 2 options go down the Sunderland/Leeds route of having 15-20 ins and outs and a complete new squad or doing what we normally do and replace a couple and not be strong enough to compete but come back down with parachute payments

Wrong about using him at set pieces and defending corners I think upto Christmas and injury his aerial duels won defensively were up there

 

[LBA_Blade]

Wrong about using him at set pieces and defending corners I think upto Christmas and injury his aerial duels won defensively were up there

He did make for a good defender the problem was the formation we played if we cleared it and it was picked up by us on half way, our ST was in our penalty area about 50 yards behind play, not his fault but we should have had a plan otherwise we just brought pressure back on ourselves time and time again. Similar to the “Bash arriving” playbook

 

[Chimpan-A]

For what it’s worth, the game that made me realise how good he could be was against Man City at the Lane last time we were up. He came on towards the end and (I thought) played like a captain, gave their defence something to think about and lifted the whole place. Had it not been for a Larouci masterclass of inept defending, we would’ve had a point that day.

 

[Tom Bott]

Or our poor analysis of a player’s character.

Though everyone loved Leon Clarke's character when he scored 29 goals for us, including 4 goals in one game against Hull City, seen as a masterstroke by Wilder - at the time.

Or misguided loyalty to players who are on a downward trajectory.

Wilder said that Leon had earned a new contract for his work in the previous seasons.
If you look at his career, he always had hot and cold scoring streaks, though his best goal to game ratio was with us.

Leon Clarke - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Who can forsee when the upward or downward trajectory is due with these journeymen type characters.
Harry Cane or Erling Haaland are not within our means so we have to take calculated risks on the likes of Clarke,Brewster, McBurnie and Cannon.

What is the current trajectory of Tyrese Campbell and Patrick Bamford? what will they achieve next season.

Answers on a postcard.

 

[Beans]

Though everyone loved Leon Clarke's character when he scored 29 goals for us, including 4 goals in one game against Hull City, seen as a masterstroke by Wilder - at the time.


Wilder said that Leon had earned a new contract for his work in the previous seasons.
If you look at his career, he always had hot and cold scoring streaks, though his best goal to game ratio was with us.

Leon Clarke - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Who can forsee when the upward or downward trajectory is due with these journeymen type characters.
Harry Cane or Erling Haaland are not within our means so we have to take calculated risks on the likes of Clarke,Brewster, McBurnie and Cannon.

What is the current trajectory of Tyrese Campbell and Patrick Bamford? what will they achieve next season.

Answers on a postcard.

It was a strange one, that - Clarke's contract still had another year to run (joined on a three-year deal in 2016) and he was 32 years old. As you say it was likely to be a big outlier of a season, and you could make the case that a smarter club would've looked to flip him for some cash at the absolute peak of his value - but we were still in the playoff mix until the last few weeks.

It was part of a pattern where we rewarded past performance (recall Stevens and Fleck getting new deals along those lines), which really did feel justified / earned at the time but looked less smart a few years down the line. I still don't really know how I feel about this; at the time it really felt like United were doing things "differently" and being a genuine disruptor of the Premier League order - like "no egos here, and we will reward you if you do the business" - but I guess there's a reason it's not really normal in 2026.

Unfortunately it seems like we then took a complete 180 on this strategy and allowed players to get into non-favourable contract situations (Jebbison, Ndiaye, Berge) where the players had most of the leverage. We did a good job of tying Osula to a new deal in 2023, ditto Peck 2024, although it's a bit ominous that Seriki and Brooks are now entering that final year.

 

[Revolution]

I have always said you can split Leon Clarke's career with us into 3 phases:

August 2016 to March 2017: 20 league games, 1 goal. Not very good and injured a lot.
April 2017 to 1 January 2018: 29 league games, 21 goals. Brilliant.
2 January 2018 to July 2020: 42 league games, 7 goals. patchy.

What is often not remembered is that as good as Clarke's numbers look from 2017-8, and he did have a great season, his performance actually dipped mid-season. After he scored against Derby on New Years Day the goals dried up.

Set against that, the new deal for him in Summer 2018 was a daft decision. Fleck was also dumb as Beans says as he was already into his injured a lot phase.

Try not to pay for past performance when a player is over 30.

 

[Beans]

I have always said you can split Leon Clarke's career with us into 3 phases:

August 2016 to March 2017: 20 league games, 1 goal. Not very good and injured a lot.
April 2017 to 1 January 2018: 29 league games, 21 goals. Brilliant.
2 January 2018 to July 2020: 42 league games, 7 goals. patchy.

What is often not remembered is that as good as Clarke's numbers look from 2017-8, and he did have a great season, his performance actually dipped mid-season. After he scored against Derby on New Years Day the goals dried up.

Set against that, the new deal for him in Summer 2018 was a daft decision. Fleck was also dumb as Beans says as he was already into his injured a lot phase.

Try not to pay for past performance when a player is over 30.

Clarke's new deal was at the end of December 2017 (just before that Derby game) which is why there's a false narrative that he stopped scoring immediately after we gave him the contract. So a slightly more-defensible move by the club at the time.

Even with the goals drying up in the second half of the season I still think that was a (freakishly) brilliant season from him. The team as a whole stopped scoring - we got just 23 in the last 21 games. The goals he did score in the back half of that campaign could have got us into the playoffs had we been able to hold onto the leads he gave us:

Cardiff (H) - he put us ahead and we conceded a boneheaded injury time equaliser, 2 points dropped
Barnsley (A) - he put us ahead on 65 minutes, we conceded twice in the last 15 mins - 2-3 points dropped
Millwall (H) - he put us ahead on 74; they immediately went down the other end and equalised - 2 points dropped
(Bristol City away was a dead rubber where he also gave us the lead, although wouldn't have been if we'd not buggered up all of the above and others)

 

[Yoonitedite]

This site, thankfully, is only a small representation of Blades fans. The vast majority of normal fans were desperate for us to sign him.

Being on here for a lot of folk is like being in the Moonies and thinking the rest of the outside world thinks like them and behaves like them.

You've nailed irony right there
We can all decide for ourselves what's "normal".
Thanks anyway

 

[Blade In Flame]

You've nailed irony right there
We can all decide for ourselves what's "normal".
Thanks anyway

You're welcome. Sorry to have triggered you.

 

[Blade In Flame]

Where there is Bamford, there is Hope.
See what I did there?

Don't go getting ideas above your station.

 

[Yoonitedite]

You're welcome. Sorry to have triggered you.

Triggered.
I don't do guns,but I do share opinions on here.

 

[Bladedog]

I have always said you can split Leon Clarke's career with us into 3 phases:

August 2016 to March 2017: 20 league games, 1 goal. Not very good and injured a lot.
April 2017 to 1 January 2018: 29 league games, 21 goals. Brilliant.
2 January 2018 to July 2020: 42 league games, 7 goals. patchy.

What is often not remembered is that as good as Clarke's numbers look from 2017-8, and he did have a great season, his performance actually dipped mid-season. After he scored against Derby on New Years Day the goals dried up.

Set against that, the new deal for him in Summer 2018 was a daft decision. Fleck was also dumb as Beans says as he was already into his injured a lot phase.

Try not to pay for past performance when a player is over 30.

This is the issue with wilder..handing out contracts to players that done well for him rather than being ruthless...the reason Sunderland done so well cos they dint show any sentiment.

 

[Tom Bott]

This is the issue with wilder..handing out contracts to players that done well for him rather than being ruthless...the reason Sunderland done so well cos they dint show any sentiment.

Though this was helped by having owners who were prepared to risk spending £150 million on new players.
They also have had an average attendance of 46,000.

You can't blame Wilder for everything, though he is an easy target, for those who look for one.

 

[The Crab]

Triggered.
I don't do guns,but I do share opinions on here.

Patronising cunt isn’t he?

 

[Blade In Flame]

Patronising cunt isn’t he?

And here comes the forum's resident comedian with a new avatar but still the same rapier wit. What days are you on at the Edinburgh Fringe this year Crabstick?

 

[Yoonitedite]

Patronising cunt isn’t he?

That's the phrase I wanted to use Crab but chose diplomatic sarcasm instead

 

[Yoonitedite]

And here comes the forum's resident comedian with a new avatar but still the same rapier wit. What days are you on at the Edinburgh Fringe this year Crabstick?

He's on straight after you It's called a comedy festival for good reason

 

[The Crab]

And here comes the forum's resident comedian with a new avatar but still the same rapier wit. What days are you on at the Edinburgh Fringe this year Crabstick?

To be fair my opinion of you deserved that equally witty comeback so fair play.

As for me being witty (a matter of opinion of course) I’m sorry it’s not your brand of whisky. I can’t say your passive aggressive, condescending style suits me either. But it’s no more my board than yours so let’s leave it at that.

Not sure what issue you have with my avatar? It’s a programme I enjoy, nothing more than that.

I’ve given you more time than you deserve in writing this. But I would like to apologise for the “cunt” bit. Quite unnecessary on my part.

 

[The Crab]

That's the phrase I wanted to use Crab but chose diplomatic sarcasm instead

I probably shouldn’t have gone that far. Not my best moment

 

[Blade In Flame]

Not sure what issue you have with my avatar? It’s a programme I enjoy, nothing more than that.

Absolutely no issue at all old chap. I love The Day Today also.

 

[Blade In Flame]

That's the phrase I wanted to use Crab but chose diplomatic sarcasm instead

Go on, you can say it. I won't be offended. If anything, I'll probably agree with you.

 

[Yoonitedite]

Go on, you can say it. I won't be offended. If anything, I'll probably agree with you.

Sorry Noddy,I can't chat at the mo.
Too busy organising my sojourn on the 4th of August to watch us play the mighty Halifax.
What a thrill that'll be.

Is there no limit to this club's ambition I wonder

 

[Yoonitedite]

I probably shouldn’t have gone that far. Not my best moment

We all have em mate.
Less harmful than feytin

 

[Kenilworth]

Hull have got the best out of him by doing whatever it took to get the best out of him,and that's what it's all about with your players,getting the best out of them to produce where it matters,on the pitch,and now they have been handsomely rewarded.
Their game management yesterday was a masterclass in how to get through a massive game and come out on top,it might not have been pretty,but for all of Middlesbroughs much hyped so called big players,the ones that ran the show against us s few months ago,they were rendered as paper tigers,while the real tigers in name and players got on with their jobs,held their nerve and took their chance when it came.

Their game plan was to sit in as two banks of four and deny the space out wide, then catch them on the break. It’s nothing mind blowing. The most admirable bit is that they executed the plan really effectively. It was the same as they did vs Millwall. Fair play but it’s just a simple plan well executed.