Berge to man city for 38m

[A Storm of Blades]

Obviously Berge is better than those two but the situations are comparable. He obviously has talent, but at the moment it is unfulfilled. He has played maybe two games where he looked like a genuine talent. He may develop into a world beater but it is by no means guaranteed and is coming off a serious injury. Personally I would snap someone's hand off if they offered over 30 million.

You’ve contradicted yourself slightly here. If his talent is obvious, then it’s unlikely he’s only shown it in 2 games. I would argue the lad’s talent and ability has been on show fairly consistently, but concede it’s not translated into results for the team. I do think however, that the position he plays, makes it harder to demonstrate bombastic influence. I do agree though, a £30M+ offer becomes hard to refute.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Forgive me fella, but even you agree he;

Doesn’t change games
Doesn’t assist
Doesnt score goals

Add to that doesn't tackle well at all, isn’t strong in the air, isn’t fast and doesn’t cover lots of ground.


To be fair, he’s strong on the ball and carries it well when in possession. He’s got a decent pass on him.

But £38m? Taxi!

You’ve just described Declan Rice. For which the bidding would start at £50m (rightly or wrongly).

 

[bladesmanluke]

So so so many our fans are stuck in 2004 when it comes to player valuations.

 

[alcoblade]

You’ve just described Declan Rice. For which the bidding would start at £50m (rightly or wrongly).

....who’s instrumental in a team challenging for Europe.

Berge was part of a team that picked up one single point. And it definitely wasn’t in spite of him, as evidenced by the uptick in performances after he was injured.

 

[Snowflake]

You don't pay in full for anyone its spread over the length of their contracts

Pretty standard practice

Not always, but I guess it is in this case

 

[FatPaul]

Don’t sell for less than an undred billion

Stop being so negative, he's going for a bajillion monies!

 

[Keen Blade]

Wow! We could really be in the money next season.
We need to get as much as possible for any player we sell - bleeding obvious, I know.
Hopefully we now have people who can, for once, ensure the “best” possible price.
If it is £38 million so be it, although more would be much better. If all those wealthy clubs are in for him who knows how much?
Then:
McBurnie - maybe at least £18m to Wolves;
Rams dale - at least the same to Leeds; and
Egan - £20/22 million, at the very least, to Everton.
That’s well over £90 million.
Then either we can squeeze just that bit more out of them or get an additional 5million or more from moving others on. Perhaps Robinson, Rodwell ? maybe another goalkeeper or two any others?
All that - untold wealth!
Bring Verrips back that’s goalie sorted - a few incredibly judicious purchases, say five or six, and we will be on our way!
What is there not to be positive about?

The last time we had £90m to spend we wasted the feckin lot - why do people think that having loadsa money to spend is the answer ? It certainly wasn't in our case.

 

[Keen Blade]

It will 100% not be that high a price. Almost £40m for a player that’s had next to no positive impact?

And hasn't even proved his fitness since a big injury ? I can't see offers of that size coming in.

 

[Keen Blade]

Trying to remember the last time we got a good fee when selling .... I've got as far back as Mick Jones to Leeds and still searching ....

 

[Nah den]

Since joining us he's been played out of position on the right, in a team conceding about 70% possession on average (I've guessed that). I can absolutely see why a possession heavy team would consider him a real potential benefit. Size, technique, carrying ability, he's got all of that, just never got to exhibit it for us.

 

[Revolution]

This proves the old adage about most Blades not knowing football if they tripped over over one. Had the same arguments over Brooks, Ramsdale, DCL Maguire, Walker etc etc. This kid is top drawer and has the highest technical ceiling of a United player since the 70s. He see passes that others don't; has brilliant balance and control and is a brilliant ball carrier. He's also strong as an ox and completely press resistant. He's a bit nesh, and not as good in the air as he should be, but blocks passing lanes very well. The stuff he needs to develop is physical, not technical.
I'd be delighted if he's here next year but can't see it. 40 million would be a bargain at current prices. Bournemouth paid that for Lermar a few years back.

You are describing what you want Berge to be, not what he actually is.

Alcoblade commented on your bit about the other players: he was 100 per cent right.

 

[Revolution]

Trying to remember the last time we got a good fee when selling .... I've got as far back as Mick Jones to Leeds and still searching ....

3 million for a permanently injured Lee Morris was an absolute steal.

I also think the Brooks fee was ok in retrospect.

 

[nopigfansintown]

But the same arguments weren’t had over those players.

it was (almost?) unanimously accepted that Walker, Brooks and Maguire were top drawer.

DCL confused a few to be fair, including me.

People thought Ramsdale was shit for 6 months because......he was shit for 6 months.

I think most people accept that there’s probably a decent player in Berge, if played in a formation that suits him, for a team that maintains lots of possession.

What (for me) isn’t debatable is that he just hasn’t been very good for us, so far.

I'm talking about his first spell. DCL was almost unanimously celebrated as United having Everton's pants down . Maguire, a player I called the "English Pique" wasn't Championship standard.

You are describing what you want Berge to be, not what he actually is.

Alcoblade commented on your bit about the other players: he was 100 per cent right.

That's what Berge is; you either see it or you don't. Called the others a long time before they reached superstardom Check the old threads for some hilarity. DCL will have you sticking your sides up...

 

[A Storm of Blades]

....who’s instrumental in a team challenging for Europe.

Berge was part of a team that picked up one single point. And it definitely wasn’t in spite of him, as evidenced by the uptick in performances after he was injured.

Rice hasn’t played in the Champions League. And has less international caps - works both ways.

 

[blade67]

This proves the old adage about most Blades not knowing football if they tripped over over one. Had the same arguments over Brooks, Ramsdale, DCL Maguire, Walker etc etc. This kid is top drawer and has the highest technical ceiling of a United player since the 70s. He see passes that others don't; has brilliant balance and control and is a brilliant ball carrier. He's also strong as an ox and completely press resistant. He's a bit nesh, and not as good in the air as he should be, but blocks passing lanes very well. The stuff he needs to develop is physical, not technical.
I'd be delighted if he's here next year but can't see it. 40 million would be a bargain at current prices. Bournemouth paid that for Lermar a few years back.

It's a strong case you make for Berge and my comments on this thread aren't really doubting his potential, more whether he's really been that good for us to double his value.

I can absolutely see the ball carrier element that you mention, that certainly is a strength and something we've needed in CM, and I'd agree that he looks very balanced and strong on the ball. I think his distribution has been Ok so far and I can't say I've seen any evidence that he makes passes others can't see on a regular basis. You also make the case that he takes up strong defensive positions and as I've only seen him play live twice I can't really argue with that, TV's habit of cutting 2/3 of the pitch out makes it harder to judge that in my opinion. I recognise that he's still young, and like the others in your post may well go on to make a top career, but we have seen 27 games from him , without him really shining whereas with Maguire and Walker they were already star players running games and Brooks had already been a serial matchwinner by the time he left.

Perhaps the top sides are prepared to punt £40m on a 23 year old with good technical skills and potential. Like you, I'd rather he stayed and smashed the championship to pieces next season but I'd suspect he has a clause and will be off to somewhere else. A real shame.

 

[blade67]

Well, it’s a statistical fact. And as it seems acceptable for people to refer to being “top drawer” and “seeing things others don’t”, and other such meaningless phrases, let’s get a few facts into the debate.

Take a team that finished 9th. Add one “top drawer” footballer. Deliver 1 point in the following half a season.

Forgive me for being sceptical.

It's a good debate this and much preferable to the covid vaccine passport thread .

I think most of us agree that the lad looks talented and you can see why many clubs with big budgets are looking at him, but I'd agree with your general points that he hasn't really influenced more than a couple of games for us and hasn't made us more competitive or better to watch. £38m might be worth a punt for a CL side to see what comes off but I'd agree that for us at the moment, if someone offers that money we take it and use it to help shore up what we have for next season and wish him well.

DCL has been mentioned in previous posts and whilst he looked very raw (he was 19 at the time, not 23 like Berge is now), he was clearly a good athelete. The cash we got for him partially funded the defence that took us to the premier league, when at the time he couldn't get past Leon Clarke for a 1st team shirt. In the context of the time it was the right thing for Sheffield United.

 

[BobblesBlade]

It's a good debate this and much preferable to the covid vaccine passport thread .

I think most of us agree that the lad looks talented and you can see why many clubs with big budgets are looking at him, but I'd agree with your general points that he hasn't really influenced more than a couple of games for us and hasn't made us more competitive or better to watch. £38m might be worth a punt for a CL side to see what comes off but I'd agree that for us at the moment, if someone offers that money we take it and use it to help shore up what we have for next season and wish him well.

DCL has been mentioned in previous posts and whilst he looked very raw (he was 19 at the time, not 23 like Berge is now), he was clearly a good athelete. The cash we got for him partially funded the defence that took us to the premier league, when at the time he couldn't get past Leon Clarke for a 1st team shirt. In the context of the time it was the right thing for Sheffield United.

In a good team he will do well. Berge was asked to play a different role so not to shunt out the great Oli Norwood. Speaks volumes

 

[BigBed]

He's an odd one Berge. He's really only had 2 influential games so far in 20 odd games against Chelsea and Spurs last summer. He's been decent in a few more, although he seems to tire early in many games and in a few games he's looked decidedly average. How his worth has gone from £22m to £38m on the basis of those games is a bit of a mystery to me.

On that basis, Jaden Bogle's worth must have quadrupled this season.

Let's skirt round Brewsters worth if we're playing this game, cos I'm sure you'd have to take a zero off what it was!

 

[Silent Blade]

3 million for a permanently injured Lee Morris was an absolute steal.

I also think the Brooks fee was ok in retrospect.

Ian Benjamin, Oliver Tebily and Wayne Quinn too

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Hard to judge berge when everyone else was playing at a 4/5 out of 10 basically since he arrived. I suspect if we had signed him when we went up and everyone was playing well we’d have seen a different player and a more representative view of his ability. Obviously he’s flashed and you’ve seen the physical traits that would attract big sides.

he’s 100% not going to stay so if we can get anything like the fee being bandied around here for him - it will go along way to funding the next few seasons wages etc - we are going to take it.

 

[Kev Gee]

Ian Benjamin, Oliver Tebily and Wayne Quinn too

Exhibit A
Jordan Slew.

 

[Yogi]

Hard to judge berge when everyone else was playing at a 4/5 out of 10 basically since he arrived. I suspect if we had signed him when we went up and everyone was playing well we’d have seen a different player and a more representative view of his ability. Obviously he’s flashed and you’ve seen the physical traits that would attract big sides.

he’s 100% not going to stay so if we can get anything like the fee being bandied around here for him - it will go along way to funding the next few seasons wages etc - we are going to take it.

If the Berge fee goes to secure the future of the club for decades to come by funding the much needed modernisation of uniteds facilities then it would be ok I think

 

[alcoblade]

I'm talking about his first spell. DCL was almost unanimously celebrated as United having Everton's pants down . Maguire, a player I called the "English Pique" wasn't Championship standard.


That's what Berge is; you either see it or you don't. Called the others a long time before they reached superstardom Check the old threads for some hilarity. DCL will have you sticking your sides up...

I’d accepted DCL as a good example. I didn’t see it in him.
I’m surprised Maguire got to where he’s at, but everyone could see he was a good player. The same goes for most of your list.

Your point was it was typical of Blades fans to not spot good players when in front of them, then you went on to list a bunch that just about everyone I know thought were good, with an exception.

Not many, if anyone, thinks Berge is shit. I think;

He doesn’t suit our style and has contributed little.
Wasn’t worth £25m
If we get out money back, we’ve done okay.

 

[alcoblade]

Hard to judge berge when everyone else was playing at a 4/5 out of 10 basically since he arrived. I suspect if we had signed him when we went up and everyone was playing well we’d have seen a different player and a more representative view of his ability. Obviously he’s flashed and you’ve seen the physical traits that would attract big sides.

he’s 100% not going to stay so if we can get anything like the fee being bandied around here for him - it will go along way to funding the next few seasons wages etc - we are going to take it.

Hang on - the team were absolutely flying when he arrived. He looked off it from the moment we forced him in to the team at Palace.

 

[Revolution]

I'm talking about his first spell. DCL was almost unanimously celebrated as United having Everton's pants down . Maguire, a player I called the "English Pique" wasn't Championship standard.


That's what Berge is; you either see it or you don't. Called the others a long time before they reached superstardom Check the old threads for some hilarity. DCL will have you sticking your sides up...

I never thought DCL would amount to much and you did - I remember that and you were right.

But you were hardly in a minority about the others you mentioned. I bemoaned the sake of them all save Ramsdale.

Berge might come good - I accept that. But he’s nowhere near at the moment.

 

[alcoblade]

Rice hasn’t played in the Champions League. And has less international caps - works both ways.

I think Revolution covered the champions league debacle further up.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Sounds like a minority of blades just don't like the big Norwegian fella for some reason

 

[A Storm of Blades]

I think Revolution covered the champions league debacle further up.

Fair enough but if one of the reasons Rice is worth £50m is because he plays in a team pushing for Europe, then Berge playing in the Champions League holds equal weight in my view

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Sounds like a minority of blades just don't like the big Norwegian fella for some reason

It genuinely confuses me. With Brewster I understand the concerns, but hope he comes good. The results haven’t improved with Berge but I don’t understand how you don’t watch him for a decent amount of time and think, he’s some player. Mind you, I hate group think so more power to folks making their own mind up.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

It genuinely confuses me. With Brewster I understand the concerns, but hope he comes good. The results haven’t improved with Berge but I don’t understand how you don’t watch him for a decent amount of time and think, he’s some player. Mind you, I hate group think so more power to folks making their own mind up.

Its a debate that's really divided opinions
That's for sure
Suppose we will only know what his worth is when he moves in but for me the lad has the kind of potential I've not seen in a blades shirt since kyle walker