Clough knows what he's doing, have some faith.

[Fulwood Blade]

Thinking about Mr Harris . Looking back , it was a great pity he had to move across the city to S6 , for continued employment , and perhaps is still not given the recognition he deserves.

UTB

You are exactly correct - in the same way the pigs were at fault for how they treat Dooley. Sacking on Christmas Eve from memory - heartless TWATS !

UTB

 

[finlaytheblade]

I love Reed,but unfortunately the man that matters doesn't like him as much.I don't buy into this theory of Reed being too young to play every week,if good enough he should be playing,and he's certainly good enough.Get him in every weak starting from now!Good post!

cant understand here wizardry a 17 year old young man is not ready for the hurly burly of league one football every week do you want
to ruin him?.cloughy knows how to bring young players through and over playing reed at this stage of his fledgling career
is not the way he needs time to grow and mature as a man not just as a player.Im sure as the season progressers he will
get plenty of game time and cloughy will know when its time to give him his head in many ways he is still a boy and needs time to mature in many ways.
theyre are seventeen year olds that are ready a good example is wayne rooney but his level of physical maturity was way in front of young reedy at the same age and he was used sparingly to start with. we could have a real player on our hands
lets not kill him in his 1st season. we have other young players coming through dimaio .calvert -lewin.khan,whiteman and a few more but using them properly and bringing them on is not as easy as just throwing them in it takes a special talant on the coaching side to do that and record is very good, only last year we were rated 5th best in the country so lets trust the
experts to make the right judgments.

 

[Silent Blade]

, only last year we were rated 5th best in the country .

Where did you get that from?

 

[finlaytheblade]

Where did you get that from?

i forget where ,but it is something the club is proud of

 

[Silent Blade]

i forget where ,but it is something the club is proud of

I have heard a few Blades fans (who like to talk up our Academy) saying similar to what you say but when I ask them where they found out about this, they couldnt give a good answer. I need to see this in print. The fact is that is our Academy is not in the top level of the EPPP

 

[HoodedClaw]

Silent Blade

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20140707-football-talent-542802.aspx

I'm not sure if it counts or not as it's the Clubs Official site though

 

[Silent Blade]

Silent Blade

http://www.sufc.co.uk/news/article/20140707-football-talent-542802.aspx

I'm not sure if it counts or not as it's the Clubs Official site though

"Eighth most productive Academy" does sound good but we have been in the "3rd division since 2011 also Academy players have a better chance of breaking into the 1st team if their club is playing in the lower leagues rather than in the Premiership

 

[wizadry]

cant understand here wizardry a 17 year old young man is not ready for the hurly burly of league one football every week do you want
to ruin him?.cloughy knows how to bring young players through and over playing reed at this stage of his fledgling career
is not the way he needs time to grow and mature as a man not just as a player.Im sure as the season progressers he will
get plenty of game time and cloughy will know when its time to give him his head in many ways he is still a boy and needs time to mature in many ways.
theyre are seventeen year olds that are ready a good example is wayne rooney but his level of physical maturity was way in front of young reedy at the same age and he was used sparingly to start with. we could have a real player on our hands
lets not kill him in his 1st season. we have other young players coming through dimaio .calvert -lewin.khan,whiteman and a few more but using them properly and bringing them on is not as easy as just throwing them in it takes a special talant on the coaching side to do that and record is very good, only last year we were rated 5th best in the country so lets trust the
experts to make the right judgments.

Good reasons,but like i say in my initial post,i personally don't buy into those theories.If you're good enough you're old enough.

I might not be an expert but i'll still give my opinion if that's ok.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I have heard a few Blades fans (who like to talk up our Academy) saying similar to what you say but when I ask them where they found out about this, they couldnt give a good answer. I need to see this in print. The fact is that is our Academy is not in the top level of the EPPP

i was surprised silent that we were rated that highly but i have definately seen it some where

 

[finlaytheblade]

Good reasons,but like i say in my initial post,i personally don't buy into those theories.If you're good enough you're old enough.

I might not be an expert but i'll still give my opinion if that's ok.

just been corrected by hooded claw it is eighth i was slightly out but still a good show.

 

[Darthblade]

Define 'negative' . We kept 3 consecutive clean sheets in October in the League- is that negative ? We had 3 league wins on the trot in October but only scored 5 goals. Is this negative ?

NC has tried to promote clean sheets and scoring just enough to win. He hasn't changed this philosophy from last season (we don't often score more than 2 in a game) and I can't see him changing that. It worked then so by the end of the season it might work again

What about at the end of the season we do get promoted with these tactics ? Would that be negative ? Admittedly at times we don't go 'gung-ho' to win games but there are matches where we have had dozens of chances and we just need a bit of quality up front to make a win more. Our away form has been good and the performances at Preston, Peterborough, Donny and Crewe were very good. At home we seem to start well then slow the tempo down when we don't score which appears to be the issue.

Three seasons ago we were flat track bullies. But when it came to the crunch games we lost against Oldham and Walsall when we were not 'negative' enough.(granted we had defensive absentees for the Walsall game but we lost a two goal lead at home to Oldham IIRC) Battering teams 4-0 or better does not guarantee promotion as MKD and Swindon have proved in previous seasons.

Recently,the entertainment at BDTBL has been lacking. However, with 27(?) games to go we are in with a realistic chance of automatic promotion.

A lot of fans appear to be in 'panic' mode at the moment seemingly waiting for the manager and team to fail. If you dare to look on Blades Mad their appears to be fans wanting the team and the manager to fail. I suspect by the end of December we will be in a similar position to where we are now . We will grind out wins and slowly haul in the other teams. Bristol City may well stay in the hunt as they have large resources(however they have drawn nearly a third of their games ) but PNE I'm not convinced about especially as Garner is now out. As for MKD, don't they always do OK at the start then slowly fade away ?

You are assuming we will fail to win promotion(if I have misinterpreted this I apologise). We are in close proximity to the top two with over half the season to go. I think the manager has earned a little bit more patience from fans (although I too wish we were a little more entertaining at home)

I just cannot compute your statement of "Recently,the entertainment at BDTBL has been lacking. However, with 27(?) games to go we are in with a realistic chance of automatic promotion".

I have seen absolutely nothing from us this season which would in any tenuous way lead me to link us with automatic promotion. In order to have a chance at automatic promotion, imho, we would need a total squad overhaul in January and that is NOT likely to happen. I wish I could share your optimism, but until I see squad surgery, I am anticipating another season in this shit Division, I'm afraid.
UTB & FTP

 

[Darthblade]

I love Reed,but unfortunately the man that matters doesn't like him as much.I don't buy into this theory of Reed being too young to play every week,if good enough he should be playing,and he's certainly good enough.Get him in every weak starting from now!Good post!

I agree with you that Reed is a great prospect and a smashing little player at 17 years old. The problem is that in this agricultural Division, you just cannot get away with playing as many small players as we do, because referees do not give fouls unless a player is felled with a pickaxe handle !!

IMHO we can only get away with playing 2 out of Reed / Scougal / Baxter / Flynn / Murphy / Doyle / JCR or we get out-muscled eg MK Dons match.

We need Wallace fit to give some strength in CM, but that may be a tall order .....
UTB & FTP

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

"Eighth most productive Academy" does sound good but we have been in the "3rd division since 2011 also Academy players have a better chance of breaking into the 1st team if their club is playing in the lower leagues rather than in the Premiership

I'm sure someone posted that Kennedy is the only player left from the class of 2011.

I've no idea if any were sold at a profit from that year but seems a very poor return if true.

 

[Silent Blade]

just been corrected by hooded claw it is eighth i was slightly out but still a good show.

Being in a lower division in the last few years has boosted our standing in the most productive Academy league table. Doubt we would be in the same position had we been playing in a higher division. Nige is a manager (just like John Harris who were criticised by shareholders in the 1965 AGM for concentrating on Youth policy, rather than go on the transfer market, too much even though we were in the top division) who is strong on youth policy. I am fine with Nige's youth policy but I prefer to be in the Premiership and have an unproductive Academy than being in League One and being in 8th place of the most productive Academy league table.
Out of the managers in the last 50 years I would say that Harris, Sirrel, McEwan, Spackman and Clough were strong on giving youth a chance. Warnock did the same in 2001 and 2002 (because we had to go into the transfer market less after the FL lost money due to ITV Digital pulling out)

 

[Silent Blade]

I'm sure someone posted that Kennedy is the only player left from the class of 2011.

I've no idea if any were sold at a profit from that year but seems a very poor return if true.

Callum McFadzean (on loan to Burton) is still our player too

 

[Balham]

I'm sure someone posted that Kennedy is the only player left from the class of 2011.

I've no idea if any were sold at a profit from that year but seems a very poor return if true.

There were 16 players involved in the Youth Cup final. 9 have subsequently been released and we sold two, Slew and Maguire, for a combined £3.6m. Of the rest, 5 remain at United but two of those are on loan with little prospect of making it at the Lane (Ironside and McFadzean). The three currently at United are Kennedy, Long and Willis.

Those who left have gone various different ways with Carlos Pomares probably playing at the highest level with Levante B in the Spanish third tier. Elliot Whitehouse is on the books at Notts County but has yet to make an appearance for them

I don't know who Wilkinson or Martin are but they're not with us any more.

FA Youth Cup final side:
George Long (SUFC)
Ben Montgomery (released)
Aaron Barry (released, now at Derry City)
Matty Harriott (released, now at Hayes & Yeading (Conference South, 6th tier)
Harry Maguire (£2.5m to Hull City)
Terry Kennedy (SUFC)
Corey Gregory (released, now at Matlock Town (Northern Premier League Premier Division (7th tier)))
Elliot Whitehouse (released, now at Notts County)
Joe Ironside (SUFC, on loan at Hartlepool)
Jordan Slew (£1.1m to Blackburn, on loan at Port Vale)
Callum McFadzean (SUFC, on loan at Burton)

Subs:
George Willis (SUFC)
Carlos Pomares (released, now at Levante B (Spanish Segundo B (3rd tier)))
Poyra Ahmadi (released, now at Droylesden (Northern Premier League Div 1 (8th tier)))
? Wilkinson (?)
? Martin (?)

 

[blade too long]

Its frustrating knowing tweeks are needed to complete Nigels plan , but patience as ever remains the key , only 21 days to the window and the chance to rejig the squad , move out some that arent doing it , and move in fresh blood, Nigel has a plan but the lack of available talent remains the major stumbling block , more than the will to get in said talent .

 

[longinthe toothblade]

Agree with a lot of "Borbockisfreekick's" original post. Some sensible comments / opinions followed.

For me, whether BC is right or wrong for the job at hand only time will tell. Would I change him now - of course not and for those who are proposing we do, who / what would you replace him with?

Do I find the current play / tactics / performances frustrating - absolutely.

A few of my thoughts (in no particular order):

4-5-1 v 4-4-2 = not bothered (we play both any how's but we should avoid 4-6-0)
Does our current position in the league flatter us = yes and no (we are where we are given the poor quality of the opposition)
Are we too predictable = yes (nowhere near enough variation and guile)
Do we 'over pass' = yes (far too much and more often than not without any end product)
Do we need more fire power up front = yes (as we said last summer)
Is O'Grady the answer = no (he hasn't been the answer anywhere else in his career and clubs appear content move him on)
Will Higdon or McNulty bag 20/25 goals a season = no (not at this level / in my lifetime)
Basham v McCarthy to partner McE in CD = Basham (McC is a liability and surprisingly off the pace)
Keep Flynn at right back = yes (good as we've got - impressive)
Pro Doyle v anti Doyle = pro (he has lost some pace but still rate him - as good as most CM's in the league / good leader)
Wallace = he's a sick note! He's not some 'ace' and he will never be fit enough for 10 games on the bounce so lose him.

Let's have it!