Posh Blade
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- Joined
- Sep 14, 2016
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Haven’t posted on here in a long while, largely because Posh and united are no longer in the same league but a link between the two clubs has meant this was always coming.
I was very intrigued when I read on social media that Washington was making his way up the M1 to BDBL and impressed that Wilder had sought to get him on a free. I probably shouldn’t be surprised as there have been periods of his career where on reflection, he looked a very ‘wilder-ish’ signing. I thought I’d give you all an overview of his time with us, even if only to help pass the 2 week time gap before United’s next game.
Whilst he probably wasn’t worth what Posh sold him for (and I don’t think that was a big factor as to why that promotion bid failed so spectacularly), he did enough in the end to ‘win me over.’ This was after a period (from circa November 2014 to November 2015) where I didn’t rate him and was of the mindset that he wasn’t good enough to be the Mclean/Mackail-smith, Assomablonga, Gayle (and latterly Marriott) 20+ goal a season merchant that we had been accustomed to having a building around/to some point relying on.
He signed for Posh in January 2014 in the same window as Tomlin left, he was playing the support striker role to Assombalonga at the end of that season where we lost to Orient in the play offs, making an appearance in the Tuesday night fixture at Bramall lane where Posh were dire, had 15 corners and still contributed next to nothing going forward- was right before the Charlton victory that took United to Wembley. Washington scored 4/5 goals, his first coming a few days after that aforementioned Blades vs Posh encounter.
In hindsight, he wasn’t helped by the sudden Sale of Assombalonga to Forest in august 2014 (for £5 million)just 4 days before the start of the season. This meant he came the main hope for goals once Kyle Vassell’s injury cut short his brief decent run, which was never replicated. Washington struggled that season to impose himself and despite a tally of 14 goals, 4/5 of them came within 1 month and he regularly went 8-10 games without scoring, not helped by Maddison’s injury nor the fact that Jon Taylor’s injury issues meant he only played 20-25 games. Moreover, Assombalona’s replacement Luke James was, put simply, the worst of the gambles we’ve taken that hast worked out, he had virtually his only decent game against Blades on a Tuesday night in March 2015.
Washington’s finishing was poor, like Mackail-smith levels (yes that was a thing!), he never looked confident in a 1 on 1 situation, hence why I was amazed when he buried that late winner on his next visit to Bramall lane. He had no ability to hold the ball up and despite his workrate he was often isolated, nowhere near ‘streetwise’ enough and not great in the air, his pace was his main weapon and games rarely got stretched enough for that to really matter, especially after Fergie was sacked.
After the managerial gamble that was Sgt Dave Robertson came a very unlikely figure who turned him into the football league hitman he is, believe it or not, Graham Westley. Allegedly, Macathony, Fry and Westley between them seemingly agreed some sort of ultimatum that it was ‘shit or bust’ for him and he had to start scoring. Quite what Westley did I don’t know but he seemingly inspired that prolific scoring run which took Posh into the top 6, said run including that opener at Bramall lane before Samuelsen turned the Blades’ back line inside out to win the game.
He was always a bit of a confidence player but he was all of a sudden more confident, his link up play improved, his work rate was as good as ever and he was actually clinical and a little bit more of a physical presence- he never got nullified during that run before QPR came calling.
In sum, I can see him being a very shrewd singing by Wilder who has a great track record of ensuring things ‘work out’ for signings at Bramall lane- I mean if he can do THAT with Leon Clarke then, given time, he can turn Washington potentially into a Sharp replacement………..That may even be the intention.
Washington will be very useful in the latter stages of games where it gets stretched ad he is against tired legs, he always reminded Posh fans of mackail-smith just for his work rate and that will definitely endear him to the BDBL. He and this version of Leon Clarke would be a nightmare to play against, same if he was with Sharp.
I really hope he works out for him, especially given he really proved me wrong in the end, always thought one day I’d see a former-Posh player making a name for himself in the red and white half of Sheffield, of all the striker I listed above earlier, I’d say only Marriott may have suited United better- which is a big statement really.
I look forward to seeing Conor hopefully get his debut goal against Preston at the end of this month!
COYRAWW
I was very intrigued when I read on social media that Washington was making his way up the M1 to BDBL and impressed that Wilder had sought to get him on a free. I probably shouldn’t be surprised as there have been periods of his career where on reflection, he looked a very ‘wilder-ish’ signing. I thought I’d give you all an overview of his time with us, even if only to help pass the 2 week time gap before United’s next game.
Whilst he probably wasn’t worth what Posh sold him for (and I don’t think that was a big factor as to why that promotion bid failed so spectacularly), he did enough in the end to ‘win me over.’ This was after a period (from circa November 2014 to November 2015) where I didn’t rate him and was of the mindset that he wasn’t good enough to be the Mclean/Mackail-smith, Assomablonga, Gayle (and latterly Marriott) 20+ goal a season merchant that we had been accustomed to having a building around/to some point relying on.
He signed for Posh in January 2014 in the same window as Tomlin left, he was playing the support striker role to Assombalonga at the end of that season where we lost to Orient in the play offs, making an appearance in the Tuesday night fixture at Bramall lane where Posh were dire, had 15 corners and still contributed next to nothing going forward- was right before the Charlton victory that took United to Wembley. Washington scored 4/5 goals, his first coming a few days after that aforementioned Blades vs Posh encounter.
In hindsight, he wasn’t helped by the sudden Sale of Assombalonga to Forest in august 2014 (for £5 million)just 4 days before the start of the season. This meant he came the main hope for goals once Kyle Vassell’s injury cut short his brief decent run, which was never replicated. Washington struggled that season to impose himself and despite a tally of 14 goals, 4/5 of them came within 1 month and he regularly went 8-10 games without scoring, not helped by Maddison’s injury nor the fact that Jon Taylor’s injury issues meant he only played 20-25 games. Moreover, Assombalona’s replacement Luke James was, put simply, the worst of the gambles we’ve taken that hast worked out, he had virtually his only decent game against Blades on a Tuesday night in March 2015.
Washington’s finishing was poor, like Mackail-smith levels (yes that was a thing!), he never looked confident in a 1 on 1 situation, hence why I was amazed when he buried that late winner on his next visit to Bramall lane. He had no ability to hold the ball up and despite his workrate he was often isolated, nowhere near ‘streetwise’ enough and not great in the air, his pace was his main weapon and games rarely got stretched enough for that to really matter, especially after Fergie was sacked.
After the managerial gamble that was Sgt Dave Robertson came a very unlikely figure who turned him into the football league hitman he is, believe it or not, Graham Westley. Allegedly, Macathony, Fry and Westley between them seemingly agreed some sort of ultimatum that it was ‘shit or bust’ for him and he had to start scoring. Quite what Westley did I don’t know but he seemingly inspired that prolific scoring run which took Posh into the top 6, said run including that opener at Bramall lane before Samuelsen turned the Blades’ back line inside out to win the game.
He was always a bit of a confidence player but he was all of a sudden more confident, his link up play improved, his work rate was as good as ever and he was actually clinical and a little bit more of a physical presence- he never got nullified during that run before QPR came calling.
In sum, I can see him being a very shrewd singing by Wilder who has a great track record of ensuring things ‘work out’ for signings at Bramall lane- I mean if he can do THAT with Leon Clarke then, given time, he can turn Washington potentially into a Sharp replacement………..That may even be the intention.
Washington will be very useful in the latter stages of games where it gets stretched ad he is against tired legs, he always reminded Posh fans of mackail-smith just for his work rate and that will definitely endear him to the BDBL. He and this version of Leon Clarke would be a nightmare to play against, same if he was with Sharp.
I really hope he works out for him, especially given he really proved me wrong in the end, always thought one day I’d see a former-Posh player making a name for himself in the red and white half of Sheffield, of all the striker I listed above earlier, I’d say only Marriott may have suited United better- which is a big statement really.
I look forward to seeing Conor hopefully get his debut goal against Preston at the end of this month!
COYRAWW
) but he did everything right and showed that he’s got a bit of pace, a good work ethic and a decent first touch. 
