An interesting summer awaits - the squad next season

[sheffielder]

That a fair summation sheffielder, by all means let's have a central midfield pairing who understand their responsibilities and have the necessary discipline to carry them out. A holding midfielder shouldn't be a literal interpretation where the player is glued to the spot. I think Doyle's done ok since being sent off. The obvious improvement in his game still hasn't convinced me that he's the man to perform this role to the level that's necessary if we really want to compete for promotion next season.

As with Evans, this is Nigel's shout. I trust his judgement and I'm happy to be proved wrong. But the most repeated comment about Doyle still holds true, with him as our captain we've seen the club decline each year. Coincidence? Of course it's not as simple as piling on the responsibility for this on his shoulders alone, but Doyle isn't equipped to make the sort of contribution we'll need to show real improvement next season.

I don't think we will decline with Doyle in the team any more as Clough now has him playing how he wants him. We are are a top 6 side next season right now, however are we going to improve enough to go up in the top 2. It's like we are playing with stabilizers and with a few bits here and there we can take them off. Clough likes versatile players to allow for a smaller squad, yet if you have a player like Doyle who is limited in what he can do will it allow other players to do what they are best at. They could be and maybe we need someone better to replace Coady?

We have 2 players like Coady and Scougall who should be getting forward more and getting more goals and we need to get the balance right to make this happen. For me this is the key next season alongside a goalscorer.

 

[Darthblade]

I don't think we will decline with Doyle in the team any more as Clough now has him playing how he wants him. We are are a top 6 side next season right now, however are we going to improve enough to go up in the top 2. It's like we are playing with stabilizers and with a few bits here and there we can take them off. Clough likes versatile players to allow for a smaller squad, yet if you have a player like Doyle who is limited in what he can do will it allow other players to do what they are best at. They could be and maybe we need someone better to replace Coady?

We have 2 players like Coady and Scougall who should be getting forward more and getting more goals and we need to get the balance right to make this happen. For me this is the key next season alongside a goalscorer.

And the key to this is that your other CM players like Coady / Scougal are limited in how much they push forward by the fact that Doyle is so slow and immobile. Put a competitive, box-to-box CM with pace into the team to replace doyle and you will let the more creative players off the leash a bit.

Only with this part of our game addressed are we likely to be a serious automatic challenge. At the moment we are probably looking at 5th to 7th spot with no changes.
UTB & FTP

 

[MBoreman]

Struggling to believe some of this. Surely you notice the loss when he doesn't play? He does so much good work to help the team and constantly cuts out passes. A very crucial player in my (and all recent managers) eyes.

 

[wizadry]

A very crucial player in my (and all recent managers) eyes.

Propably why we are still in league one

Otherwise, if he was as gash as some have suggested, Clough and other managers would have prioritised replacing him. They chose to do this in other areas instead.
.

Goalscorers are priority as we all know and as long as we get atleast 2 goalscorers then i could put up with him for one more season.But a very good point lsf because as you said other managers haven't replaced him but they also haven't sorted the goalscoring situation out either and for me if you don't score goals you will never win ,stating the obvious i know but if we score enough goals we can get away with players like doyle anyway and thats the point im trying to get across

 

[Ashtonsmashton]

Is it just me that remembers Darryl Westlake

 

[LSF]

Put a competitive, box-to-box CM with pace into the team to replace doyle and you will let the more creative players off the leash a bit.


UTB & FTP

Can I ask you why you'd replace a holding midfielder with a 'box to box' player?

 

[sitwell]

Don't know if this has any influence on peoples view of Doyle ,but having had to watch a few games on TV this season as I was away ,Doyle looks a much better player live when you seen him live ,when you can see the whole picture .

 

[JohnDenver]

Don't know if this has any influence on peoples view of Doyle ,but having had to watch a few games on TV this season as I was away ,Doyle looks a much better player live when you seen him live ,when you can see the whole picture .

Yeah, the further away you stand the better he looks….

 

[LSF]

[/QUOTE]
Comedy not your strong point then?

 

[Pinchy]

Yeah, the further away you stand the better he looks….

Yes, I've noticed a distinct improvement in Nick Montgomery over the last couple of years!

 

[wizadry]

Yes, I've noticed a distinct improvement in Nick Montgomery over the last couple of years!

Westlake has been unbelievable the last couple of months

 

[Darthblade]

Can I ask you why you'd replace a holding midfielder with a 'box to box' player?

Because you don't need a holding midfield player who just sits in front of the back 4 if your "workhorse" has the engine to be able to get up and down the pitch. Doyle is a holding CM because his legs have gone.
UTB & FTP

 

[wizadry]

Because you don't need a holding midfield player who just sits in front of the back 4 if your "workhorse" has the engine to be able to get up and down the pitch. Doyle is a holding CM because his legs have gone.
UTB & FTP

To be honest we should only ever need a holding midfielder in this league when we play the stronger sides

 

[JohnDenver]

To be honest we should only ever need a holding midfielder in this league when we play the stronger sides

I think it depends on the formation. Doyle is pivotal to our 4-1-4-1 because the goal threat comes from breaking midfielders. In a bog standard 4-4-2 we'd ideally want both central midfielders to be capable all-rounders, unless we ask the wingers to tuck in a bit.

I'm sure Clough will play to our strengths, so I expect Doyle's future to depend on where those strengths lie after summer recruitment.

 

[EdinburghBlade]

Shaun Miller, Febian Brandy, Daryl Westlake and Lyle Taylor all need to go when the come back from their loan deals. Also younger players such as Whitehouse, McFadzean and Ironside need to leave too. They have shown potential in the last couple of seasons but are not United quality. Other than that, I would be more than happy to see the vast majority of the squad which Clough has assembled stay. John Brayford and Conor Coady would definitely be welcomed back next season with open arms, but the chances of that actually happening are slim.

The squad which we have at the moment is more than capable of winning the league next year so with a few additions chosen by Clough, I am very very excited to see what next season holds! (Mind you I've been saying that for the past few years!!!)

 

[Pedro Verde]

The squad which we have at the moment is more than capable of winning the league next year

Im afraid its not. To have a good chance of automatic we need a goalscorer (or two) that will get us 20 goals
If we go with the squad we have now outside chance of play offs that includes our loan players that we not even be able to keep

 

[Guesty]

Im afraid its not. To have a good chance of automatic we need a goalscorer (or two) that will get us 20 goals
If we go with the squad we have now outside chance of play offs that includes our loan players that we not even be able to keep

Agreed, we have a superb run of form when we were capable of beating just about anyone but aside from that the best in this division have been too good for us, even under Clough. We're nowhere the near the level of Wolves, or even Preston. The signs are very good but the squad still needs a lot of work.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Agreed, we have a superb run of form when we were capable of beating just about anyone but aside from that the best in this division have been too good for us, even under Clough. We're nowhere the near the level of Wolves, or even Preston. The signs are very good but the squad still needs a lot of work.

But when was the last time we thought we had the guy in place to do the work and deliver for us?

When do the pre season friendlies get announced?

 

[Pinchy]

Shaun Miller, Febian Brandy, Daryl Westlake and Lyle Taylor all need to go when the come back from their loan deals. Also younger players such as Whitehouse, McFadzean and Ironside need to leave too. They have shown potential in the last couple of seasons but are not United quality. Other than that, I would be more than happy to see the vast majority of the squad which Clough has assembled stay. John Brayford and Conor Coady would definitely be welcomed back next season with open arms, but the chances of that actually happening are slim.

The squad which we have at the moment is more than capable of winning the league next year so with a few additions chosen by Clough, I am very very excited to see what next season holds! (Mind you I've been saying that for the past few years!!!)

They really aren't, you know!

 

[Pinchy]

But when was the last time we thought we had the guy in place to do the work and deliver for us?

When do the pre season friendlies get announced?

Well......start of this season, in my case!

 

[wizadry]

I think it depends on the formation. Doyle is pivotal to our 4-1-4-1 because the goal threat comes from breaking midfielders. In a bog standard 4-4-2 we'd ideally want both central midfielders to be capable all-rounders, unless we ask the wingers to tuck in a bit.

I'm sure Clough will play to our strengths, so I expect Doyle's future to depend on where those strengths lie after summer recruitment.

I could have put what i put after these comments and it would have said the same as what your saying but i said it in one sentance and you said it in five sentances
We should only need doyle when we need a bit of a defensive performance next season ,thats if hes still here,which funnily enough will be against the stronger teams,where as the weaker sides next season we really need to take the game to them,which will mean,for me,we dont need a doyle like player in there.
Over the last few seasons ,infact longer than a few seasons ,we seem to persist with a holding midfielder and look where we've ended up.We have to have a more quality player in there for me next year someone who can do just that bit more and has someone has said Gleeson of the franchise club would be cheap and perfect

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I think it depends on the formation. Doyle is pivotal to our 4-1-4-1 because the goal threat comes from breaking midfielders. In a bog standard 4-4-2 we'd ideally want both central midfielders to be capable all-rounders, unless we ask the wingers to tuck in a bit.

I'm sure Clough will play to our strengths, so I expect Doyle's future to depend on where those strengths lie after summer recruitment.

Personally I can't see Clough abandoning the 4-1-4-1 formation that has been so successful and switching back to 4-4-2.
From the moment he started playing that way it became obvious that so many key members of our current team are ideally suited to it.
Having the extra protective defensive midfielder allows Murphy, Flynn and Scougall to take up more advanced attacking positions. They can take defenders on and know it won't be a disaster if they lose it.
It also allows our full backs more freedom to get forward, so it brings the best out of Brayford/Freeman and Harris.
It goes without saying that the extra defensive cover has contributed to our numerous recent clean sheets.
If we played all next season like we have finished this one, the likelihood is that we would finish around 4th or 5th with a great defensive record but not many goals scored.

However, there are ways we can improve without throwing away the current blueprint and taking a risk that a totally different way will be better.
Rather than a "false nine" (Baxter), I think Clough will bring in an established goalscoring Centre-Forward to start up front. An all-rounder like Brian Deane would be perfect. Somebody with pace, skill and power who can create their own chances as well as getting on the end of things. Not cheap but that's the priority.
Baxter will still be a useful man to have on the bench as cover for wide and up front or as a "plan B" if we need to change things around.
I also think that we need another player like Murphy with pace and skill on the other wing. This would potentially improve on Flynn's attacking threat with Flynn dropping to the bench to provide cover and competition.
My other addition would be a pacy centre back to complement Maguire's attributes with Collins making way.

Any change in formation and style is potentially risky. We don't need major surgery. Just a nip and tuck.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Surprised no one has mentioned it yet but on RS this morning Clough is quoted as saying all next seasons targets are know and all bids are in.

Two games to go and he's sorted, can this guy do no wrong?

 

[SandyMcBlade]

But how many of those will actually be new faces ?

 

[ZoneManWilf]

Rather than a "false nine" (Baxter), I think Clough will bring in an established goalscoring Centre-Forward to start up front. An all-rounder like Brian Deane would be perfect. Somebody with pace, skill and power who can create their own chances as well as getting on the end of things. Not cheap but that's the priority.

Agree with a lot of your points, the key is going to be finding that striker. Unfortunately Brian Deanes don't grow on trees...

 

[Pedro Verde]

Surprised no one has mentioned it yet but on RS this morning Clough is quoted as saying all next seasons targets are know and all bids are in.

Two games to go and he's sorted, can this guy do no wrong?

Yes I heard that and thought it really refreshing that the manager has a plan and has identified the players he wants to bring in both free agents and those that are contracted to clubs. If only we had been this prepared the last time we were in the Prem
This isnt the Blades Way I have never heard a manager of this club of ours come out and say anything remotely like this before the season ends
It did get me wondering however if this is down to the Prince putting his money in as before we have probably had to wait to find out how many season tickets we sell to dertermine our budget for players

 

[JohnDenver]

It did get me wondering however if this is down to the Prince putting his money in as before we have probably had to wait to find out how many season tickets we sell to dertermine our budget for players

Perhaps Derby County are just having a garage sale.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Yes I heard that and thought it really refreshing that the manager has a plan and has identified the players he wants to bring in both free agents and those that are contracted to clubs. If only we had been this prepared the last time we were in the Prem
This isnt the Blades Way I have never heard a manager of this club of ours come out and say anything remotely like this before the season ends
It did get me wondering however if this is down to the Prince putting his money in as before we have probably had to wait to find out how many season tickets we sell to dertermine our budget for players

HRH has found a fiver down the back of the settee.

 

[Esablade]

Perhaps Derby County are just having a garage sale.

Well...wonder whether Nigel has enquired about Sammon again? ( personally, although not a great goalscoring record I think he'd be great for us/this league if he'd drop down) I think he'll have an offer in for Freeman, either on loan or to buy and Davies is probably a done deal...

...wonder what people think of that Pogba lad at Crewe? Be interesting if they go down because I'm sure there'd be offers....

 

[JOEYDEE]

Shaun Miller, Febian Brandy, Daryl Westlake and Lyle Taylor all need to go when the come back from their loan deals. Also younger players such as Whitehouse, McFadzean and Ironside need to leave too. They have shown potential in the last couple of seasons but are not United quality. Other than that, I would be more than happy to see the vast majority of the squad which Clough has assembled stay. John Brayford and Conor Coady would definitely be welcomed back next season with open arms, but the chances of that actually happening are slim.

The squad which we have at the moment is more than capable of winning the league next year so with a few additions chosen by Clough, I am very very excited to see what next season holds! (Mind you I've been saying that for the past few years!!!)

Don't worry about coady,he's back on a seasons loan next year ..trust me