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Really enjoyed that pod! My ranking is below (most valuable at the top). I feel quite harsh about some of those at the bottom - there are some that I have really loved but feel are now holding us back. I've been very inconsistent with my sentimentality (i.e. I have lots for Billy and Bash, but none for Fleck, Enda or McGoldrick). Some of those that I've got at the top will almost certainly be at the bottom of other people's lists, but I think they'd work with a proper new style.

Billy Sharp - Strange one to lead with, but he is worth more than his own performance - he gives us identity. Losing him now would push us a step closer to the wilderness.
Sander Berge - Many people will disagree with this, but I think he's one that we could build a successful team around.
Iliman Ndiaye - I'm not overly convinced yet, but it would still be devastating to lose him at this stage.
Chris Basham - Similar to Billy.
Lys Mousset - With the huge caveat about him being fit. If that looks unlikely again, he drops fifteen places.
Rhian Brewster - Similar to Berge. I think he's going to do well somewhere. It clearly isn't with us yet, but I think it will click.
Daniel Jebbison - Similar to Ndiaye.
Jack O'Connell - I don't know what the wage situation is (or will be).
Oli Norwood - He desperately needs a tough midfielder alongside him. Without that, I'd drop him ten places.
George Baldock - Good player for he most part, but we have adequate back up.
Ben Osborn - I don't see him as a first team player, but he's a very useful squad member.
Max Lowe - Good in the Championship, but no higher (not that we need to worry about that).
Jayden Bogle - Good in the Championship, but no higher (not that we need to worry about that).
Luke Freeman - Good in the Championship, but no higher (not that we need to worry about that).
Rhys Norrington-Davies - Haven't seen anything to make me worried about losing him.
Adlene Guedioura - Might be the answer to bringing out better use of Norwood. But might not - who knows?
Ben Davies - Haven't seen anything to make me worried about losing him.
John Egan - Really disappointed with him this season. We could get a similar player for half the price now.
Michael Verrips - Easily replaceable.
Wes Foderingham - Easily replaceable.
Conor Hourihane - Haven't seen anything to make me worried about losing him.
John Fleck - Sadly, has started to really hold us back.
Oli Burke - I'd hoped that he would shine at this level, but has looked out of his depth.
Oli McBurnie - Same as Burke. I really thought he'd come good at this level but his playing style seems to have got even more frustrating.
Jack Robinson - If he was on low wages, he would be acceptable as a squad player.
David McGoldrick - Same as Fleck. Sadly, I think we get worse when he's playing.
Enda Stevens - Has looked poor for two years. Costs goals regularly and gives away stupid freekicks.
 

Really enjoyed the pod and was a really cathartic listen
Don't listen to criticism of your positivity ,I don't think you or beans come across as anything other than level headed and able to unpick games or situations without sounding like 2 depressed mental patients whose medication ran out the day before like deadbats pod
 
Hemmers has a different slant on our set of complete rankers.

Where every Sheffield United player ranks in the Championship based on their performances so far.

1 in the top 100
Salad Fingers at rock bottom

 
Really enjoyed the pod and was a really cathartic listen
Don't listen to criticism of your positivity ,I don't think you or beans come across as anything other than level headed and able to unpick games or situations without sounding like 2 depressed mental patients whose medication ran out the day before like deadbats pod


I love the Tufty Club pod myself. Deadbats day in Blackburn should be turned into a Morrissey song
 
Hemmers has a different slant on our set of complete rankers.

Where every Sheffield United player ranks in the Championship based on their performances so far.

1 in the top 100
Salad Fingers at rock bottom



Verrips is the worst player at the club but the reason I didn't have him top of people I want to leave is I don't think him going changes anything. His wages off the books isn't going to mean we can bring in anyone decent whereas Burke, Stevens, Fleck etc will be on the sort of wages that could make a huge difference if we can get rid.
 
Verrips is the worst player at the club but the reason I didn't have him top of people I want to leave is I don't think him going changes anything. His wages off the books isn't going to mean we can bring in anyone decent whereas Burke, Stevens, Fleck etc will be on the sort of wages that could make a huge difference if we can get rid.
I know :) - I listened to you and Ben going through it all, yesterday evening. Can't fault your logic around Mr salad.
Can't help but imagine the only saleable asset SJ will have to play with is Ndiaye.
Berge's injury looks to be a real problem for anyone to take a risk
Anyone else is a negative equity millstone
The only thing I can see happening in January is a smouldering Serbian, spitting sweary somethings towards a Saudi sovereign's spawn.
 
I think United will lose most games but I do try to take the emotion away for the pod and try to look at it as balanced as I can. I think Ben is the same. It's just that right now all the logic suggests it's going to be a frustrating season and the only real hope is we suddenly click into gear which after the last 18 months is pretty fanciful.
Still waiting for the click. :)
 
Afternoon all, well it looks like I dodged a bullet in missing the Blackburn game, but Roygbiv gives his quick thoughts on that, plus we're feeling very conflicted about Wilder being back in football. The meat of this week's episode, however, is our attempt to rank the entire first-team squad, in terms of:

  • players we'd keep and build around
  • players we'd listen to offers for
  • players we should get rid of ASAP

We did this draft style, starting with the build-around players and descending - quite rapidly, it happens - from there. Find out who we had number 1 and who's in the basement propping up the rest, right here:



Thanks for listening, much appreciated. We left out players who are on loan but we deemed unrealistic signings (MGW, Olsen), youth players who've barely featured in the league for us (Hackford, Slater, Lopata, Brunt) but included Jebbison who has played more, and Ben Davies and Conor Hourihane who are both on loan but don't feel unrealistic in terms of potential future signings.


Really enjoyed this, thanks fellas.

I started to do my own list, but it's too depressing an exercise.

The big surprise for me was that Burke wasn't in last place. Of course he is in last place in terms of players who aren't loanees.

Speaking of last place I don't know what annoys me more: how bad Hourihane is, or the fact that he has in spite of this managed 2 assists, which Norwood hasn't done in - what - years?
 
One observation/tangent: when it’s said that “player x doesn’t fit into the current team”, I’m not yet sure who actually does fit, or what it is they’re supposed to fit into…

The only players who’ve dovetailed are MGW and Ndiaye. And I think that’s because they’ve been given licence to roam and they’re natural talents. I could add Sharp to that list for different reasons.
One issue re Sharp that is, I think, quite telling: at the start of the season I would have said that he did not have the right skill set to fit into the formation we use now: however, whilst his finishing leaves something to be desired, his output overall - 4 goals (2 from pens) and 6 assists in 12 starts and 5 sub appearances is really good. He has adopted his game and worked damn hard to achieve that. He is as fit as he's ever been IMHO.

Rather than let them off by saying things like "Stevens can't play in a 4" or "Egan can't play in a 4" or "McBurnie can't play in this formation" it would be nice to see some of the other players pull their fingers out and try to adapt rather than put their heads in their hands as another soft goal goes in.
 
Afternoon all, well it looks like I dodged a bullet in missing the Blackburn game, but Roygbiv gives his quick thoughts on that, plus we're feeling very conflicted about Wilder being back in football. The meat of this week's episode, however, is our attempt to rank the entire first-team squad, in terms of:

  • players we'd keep and build around
  • players we'd listen to offers for
  • players we should get rid of ASAP

We did this draft style, starting with the build-around players and descending - quite rapidly, it happens - from there. Find out who we had number 1 and who's in the basement propping up the rest, right here:



Thanks for listening, much appreciated. We left out players who are on loan but we deemed unrealistic signings (MGW, Olsen), youth players who've barely featured in the league for us (Hackford, Slater, Lopata, Brunt) but included Jebbison who has played more, and Ben Davies and Conor Hourihane who are both on loan but don't feel unrealistic in terms of potential future signings.

Really enjoyed that, thanks. But my god, how have we managed to get so many players either underperforming or being past their peak at the same time? So, so depressing. Pretty much agree with your ranking and where you'd draw the line between 'disappointed to leave' and 'Fine with leaving'. The fact it's as high as #3 shows what a big job Slav has on his hands over the next few seasons provided he's still around for that time. It will certainly take some time to evolve this squad. I think the Blackburn game was the final acceptance for me that none of these players will ever get back to their best, at least with us.
 
Rather than let them off by saying things like "Stevens can't play in a 4" or "Egan can't play in a 4" or "McBurnie can't play in this formation" it would be nice to see some of the other players pull their fingers out and try to adapt rather than put their heads in their hands as another soft goal goes in.

Yeah I'm with you on this. There needs to be a distinction between "Player X plays better in Specific Role Y" and "Player X absolutely falls apart when we ask them to play in a way slightly different to how they've been used before".

Really enjoyed that, thanks. But my god, how have we managed to get so many players either underperforming or being past their peak at the same time? So, so depressing. Pretty much agree with your ranking and where you'd draw the line between 'disappointed to leave' and 'Fine with leaving'. The fact it's as high as #3 shows what a big job Slav has on his hands over the next few seasons provided he's still around for that time. It will certainly take some time to evolve this squad. I think the Blackburn game was the final acceptance for me that none of these players will ever get back to their best, at least with us.

Not breaking any news here but our lack of squad turnover in the last 3 year is unusual. Signings like McBurnie, Berge, Bogle, Brewster etc should have displaced the players that got us promoted by now, and it's just not happened. For a while I thought it was a unique, Wilder-led strength we were trying to lean into as a club - keeping the core together, performances over reputation etc - but it's turned out to be unsustainable.

On the one hand you can lump some blame on Wilder as he signed those players, but on the other hand it's honestly remarkable that barely anyone we've signed in the last 3 years has made any kind of impact apart from Mousset, Ramsdale (ish) and arguably McBurnie's first season. Even then neither of the outfield players became automatic starters. And I think most people, myself included, were pretty excited / happy with a lot of the players I've listed there. For virtually none of them to have worked out - under three different managers, now! - is kind of astonishing, really.
 
I love the Tufty Club pod myself. Deadbats day in Blackburn should be turned into a Morrissey song

Part Morrissey...part poet laureate Roygbiv

Comes out on Monday. Called 'Every game is the same.' B side is a quirky number titled 'Mediocrity is my Midfield'

Every game is the same

Oh lord, I started the day with much hope
Goodbye to my wife 'Don't wait up, my darling!'
Packed carriages. Kids on coke
Drinking cans of ever so warm Carling

Manchester. So much to answer for
United v City. Tourists around
Stop off. Bacon sarnie. Meat galore
Train delay. Finally onward bound

Blackburn. On the Clitheroe shuttle
To the pub we go and Blades are in town
Wetherspoon and the men doth scuffle
Quick exit. The rain lashes down

What a long walk! Where is the ground?
Finally we find Shearers way. We need to dry

Ahoy Ewood Park. Alas we are drowned
Teams are in. Heads shaking. No Ndiaye.

The game begins. Goal! Brewdog
Fans go wild. The stand is quaking
A wee is needed. Off to the bog
Soon in our net. Heads are shaking

The second 45 is a complete mess
Walking through us like traffic conrd
Goalie awful. Bring back Wes?
Fans are bickering. Constant moans


Stevens continually shaking
Fleck continually flaking
Shots and goals we are not making

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

Off we go. We can get the train
Delayed again. Tree on the track
Raining still. Its nothing but pain
Please Sir, I just want to get back

Finally home, my head is a blur
Wife looks unhappy. Says I'm drunk
I've barely had any I say with a slur
Climb to bed. I'm in a funk

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same
 
Part Morrissey...part poet laureate Roygbiv

Comes out on Monday. Called 'Every game is the same.' B side is a quirky number titled 'Mediocrity is my Midfield'

Every game is the same

Oh lord, I started the day with much hope
Goodbye to my wife 'Don't wait up, my darling!'
Packed carriages. Kids on coke
Drinking cans of ever so warm Carling

Manchester. So much to answer for
United v City. Tourists around
Stop off. Bacon sarnie. Meat galore
Train delay. Finally onward bound

Blackburn. On the Clitheroe shuttle
To the pub we go and Blades are in town
Wetherspoon and the men doth scuffle
Quick exit. The rain lashes down

What a long walk! Where is the ground?
Finally we find Shearers way. We need to dry

Ahoy Ewood Park. Alas we are drowned
Teams are in. Heads shaking. No Ndiaye.

The game begins. Goal! Brewdog
Fans go wild. The stand is quaking
A wee is needed. Off to the bog
Soon in our net. Heads are shaking

The second 45 is a complete mess
Walking through us like traffic conrd
Goalie awful. Bring back Wes?
Fans are bickering. Constant moans


Stevens continually shaking
Fleck continually flaking
Shots and goals we are not making

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

Off we go. We can get the train
Delayed again. Tree on the track
Raining still. Its nothing but pain
Please Sir, I just want to get back

Finally home, my head is a blur
Wife looks unhappy. Says I'm drunk
I've barely had any I say with a slur
Climb to bed. I'm in a funk

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

giphy.gif
 
I know :) - I listened to you and Ben going through it all, yesterday evening. Can't fault your logic around Mr salad.
Can't help but imagine the only saleable asset SJ will have to play with is Ndiaye.
Berge's injury looks to be a real problem for anyone to take a risk
Anyone else is a negative equity millstone
The only thing I can see happening in January is a smouldering Serbian, spitting sweary somethings towards a Saudi sovereign's spawn.
Olise, a player with loads more experience and 3 years younger only brought in £8m. I don't see Ndiaye commanding a fee that makes him worth selling
 

Part Morrissey...part poet laureate Roygbiv

Comes out on Monday. Called 'Every game is the same.' B side is a quirky number titled 'Mediocrity is my Midfield'

Every game is the same

Oh lord, I started the day with much hope
Goodbye to my wife 'Don't wait up, my darling!'
Packed carriages. Kids on coke
Drinking cans of ever so warm Carling

Manchester. So much to answer for
United v City. Tourists around
Stop off. Bacon sarnie. Meat galore
Train delay. Finally onward bound

Blackburn. On the Clitheroe shuttle
To the pub we go and Blades are in town
Wetherspoon and the men doth scuffle
Quick exit. The rain lashes down

What a long walk! Where is the ground?
Finally we find Shearers way. We need to dry

Ahoy Ewood Park. Alas we are drowned
Teams are in. Heads shaking. No Ndiaye.

The game begins. Goal! Brewdog
Fans go wild. The stand is quaking
A wee is needed. Off to the bog
Soon in our net. Heads are shaking

The second 45 is a complete mess
Walking through us like traffic conrd
Goalie awful. Bring back Wes?
Fans are bickering. Constant moans


Stevens continually shaking
Fleck continually flaking
Shots and goals we are not making

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

Off we go. We can get the train
Delayed again. Tree on the track
Raining still. Its nothing but pain
Please Sir, I just want to get back

Finally home, my head is a blur
Wife looks unhappy. Says I'm drunk
I've barely had any I say with a slur
Climb to bed. I'm in a funk

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

After the first couple of lines I couldn't help but read it in John Cooper Clarke's voice 😁
 
Really enjoyed the pod and was a really cathartic listen
Don't listen to criticism of your positivity ,I don't think you or beans come across as anything other than level headed and able to unpick games or situations without sounding like 2 depressed mental patients whose medication ran out the day before like deadbats pod

Superb. I’m adding this to the list of reviews.

Part Morrissey...part poet laureate Roygbiv

Comes out on Monday. Called 'Every game is the same.' B side is a quirky number titled 'Mediocrity is my Midfield'

Every game is the same

Oh lord, I started the day with much hope
Goodbye to my wife 'Don't wait up, my darling!'
Packed carriages. Kids on coke
Drinking cans of ever so warm Carling

Manchester. So much to answer for
United v City. Tourists around
Stop off. Bacon sarnie. Meat galore
Train delay. Finally onward bound

Blackburn. On the Clitheroe shuttle
To the pub we go and Blades are in town
Wetherspoon and the men doth scuffle
Quick exit. The rain lashes down

What a long walk! Where is the ground?
Finally we find Shearers way. We need to dry

Ahoy Ewood Park. Alas we are drowned
Teams are in. Heads shaking. No Ndiaye.

The game begins. Goal! Brewdog
Fans go wild. The stand is quaking
A wee is needed. Off to the bog
Soon in our net. Heads are shaking

The second 45 is a complete mess
Walking through us like traffic conrd
Goalie awful. Bring back Wes?
Fans are bickering. Constant moans


Stevens continually shaking
Fleck continually flaking
Shots and goals we are not making

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

Off we go. We can get the train
Delayed again. Tree on the track
Raining still. Its nothing but pain
Please Sir, I just want to get back

Finally home, my head is a blur
Wife looks unhappy. Says I'm drunk
I've barely had any I say with a slur
Climb to bed. I'm in a funk

Every game is the same
Every game is the same
Every game is the same

Blimey. This sort of thing is the reason I don’t let you on our Twitter much.
 
Olise, a player with loads more experience and 3 years younger only brought in £8m. I don't see Ndiaye commanding a fee that makes him worth selling
You’re probably right with Ndiaye anyway but worth bearing in mind Olise was entering the last year of his contract and the £8m was a release clause.
 
Afternoon all, latest episode is out with Roygbiv and I previewing both the Coventry and Reading games (that's from 49:44 if you're reading this on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday and just want to skip to the preview of Reading), as well as the return of Simon Moore to Bramall Lane, Aaron Ramsdale making his England debut, Terry Kennedy winning the lottery, and other recent Blades news. No managers were walked in the making of this podcast.

 
Thanks for alerting me to the 3/1 odds for a Coventry win. I don’t bet very often but this seems very generous.
The bookies have lost it with us. I bet on us not to win any of the last 3 and ended up over 200 quid up.

Blackpool were 6 to 1 which is mental.
 
Afternoon all, apologies to anyone who we inadvertently caused to lose money by alerting you to the very generous odds on Coventry City to win on Saturday, if it's any consolation then Roygbiv and I are also in the financial hole after that one...

Recap pod here, with some positive (ish) words for Big Wes and a bit of defensive solidity, but not a lot else. A Hourihane horrorshow for 65 minutes until Coventry's subs let us get into the game and almost nick a win... hope you enjoy the pod more than the game. At least it's shorter. See you at the Select Car Leasing Stadium tomorrow.

 
Afternoon all, apologies to anyone who we inadvertently caused to lose money by alerting you to the very generous odds on Coventry City to win on Saturday, if it's any consolation then Roygbiv and I are also in the financial hole after that one...

Recap pod here, with some positive (ish) words for Big Wes and a bit of defensive solidity, but not a lot else. A Hourihane horrorshow for 65 minutes until Coventry's subs let us get into the game and almost nick a win... hope you enjoy the pod more than the game. At least it's shorter. See you at the Select Car Leasing Stadium tomorrow.


There’s a stadium name to strike fear into the hearts of visiting players and fans...

‘Fortress Select Car Leasing’
 

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