Countdown to Kick Off - Are we ready?

[SwissBlade]

As I've not seen us play this summer, just kept up a little on how things are going I can't comment on the playing style, but I get the distinct impression that we're not really ready to get started because of the preparations.

I don't think its just United, its just the way that the summer goes nowadays, its all commercial positioning and not the football that matters. Fine for clubs like Man U, but do we really need to be promoting ourselves in Malta? Is it a hinderence?

Looking at our situation, trying to remain as impartial as I can about the manager himself, but just looking at our summer as a whole, here are my concerns.

- Appointing the Management team - This was too slow for me. McCabe et al, should've done this straight away and started the appointment process imediately. It gave Wilson a big task initially to get his back room staff in. They won't have had much chance to assess the squad from Videos etc.
- Release/ sale of players - Again too slow, too much under the radar. Did I miss something or didn't we publicly put a transfer list together and distribute to League 1, 2 and Championship?
- Transfer policy - On one hand I have to have sympathy with Wilson, he's entirely hamstrung by the players we need to move on, not getting moved on. But he would've known this when he took the job, so he can't complain on this.
- Preseason fixtures - Very disjointed, rather than being a well planned exercise in getting the team prepared, its all been commercial and publicity related. Having a week tour to Malta is something we need to look beyond next summer, less glad handing, more chance to get the fitness sorted, get the tactics right. It'll never happen of course.

So am I being too harsh but for me we haven't go the players in to replace the dead wood and at the same time haven't cleared out the deadwood - like Collins.

 

[DP8789]

You admit you havent seen them, which is fair enough, but i would say you're being a little harsh swiss.

we played some decent stuff against blackpool and were unlucky against donny - 2 good passing sides.

Wilson's appointment was too slow, but its done now, and its ultimately at the door of the players to make up for last seasons mistakes, some of them have a point to prove!

the release/sale of the players cannot be dictated by SUFC - its all done by agents and the players themselves, if they wanna get a move they have to be willing to take a drop in wages or vie for a position at a club were they wouldnt potentially be a 1st teamer - hard pill to swallow for anyone.

the pre-season in malta consisted of morning and evening sessions almost every day they were there and by all accounts the new fitness coach has a passion for inflicting pain.

Wilson seems to be saying all the right things and has signed players who know this division (porter scored at this level before - francois the same - mcdonald and kruk not signed yet but look like champ players. hes got slew to stay, has signed a young prospect in philiskirk.

collins needs to be given a chance, he's staying and morgs is out till xmas.

UTB

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Who knows? At this stage I honestly couldnt predict whether we will be good or crap.

We have a lot of unknown entities in the squad and we dont know a great deal about our opposition.

Until we have concluded our transfer activity things will continue to be even more uncertain. Its been an odd summer on that front.

 

[MunXy]

on some points i agree swiss, alot not done fast enough to give us a little head start but saying that there does seem to be quite a few plus points too.
as less than an advocate of dannys appointment, he does seem to be making moves in the right direction and making the right noises, a couple of decent young(ish) signings, some with a point to prove, a couple of good academy players that hopefully will step up and make an impact and of course the "veterans" that not only have a point to prove but also a lot to do to appologise for the crap they, the players served up last term, if those that dont move on also step up and lead by example to bring on the new and young players.
if most of these come to pass, we should have the players to do well in this league and even beyond league 1, rose coloured glasses, maybe but after last season i am somewhat enocouraged and dare i say confident for the coming season.

MunXy

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I'm sure the team we'll have out on Saturday won't be the same team we have in a month or so but that doesn't mean it'll necessarily be a weakened team. Willo will probably start for example but may be one who could still be off by the end of the month.

I've only seen the Blackpool game but it was clear from Sunday that we'll be passing it around which is the main plus point to be had at this stage. Personnel will change but DW will only bring players in to suit the style of play he wants so I don't think we need to be overly worried although it would have been ideal to have his squad pretty much sorted by now. The only concern is the inevitable chopping and changing that may occur if players come and go and we won't really have a settled side for a few weeks yet.

 

[Pinchy]

One of the many good things about DW is that he hasn't complained - at all; just got on with the job with commitment and dignity and converted many initial doubters to his cause.

I pray Monty will not be 'leading by example' this season. We can manage without Harriott giving away stupid free-kicks and penalties; Willo misplacing passes and D-Mac forgetting how to shoot.

 

[Linz]

I'm not getting too excited about what I've seen pre-season. I've seen us have good games over the summer and end up falling apart in the league.

That said, the way we seem to be approaching games gives me cause for hope. There's much more "get the ball down and play it down the wings" from both the first team and the reserves. I still think we lack a proven goalscorer as some of the finishing has been less than clinical but goalscorers cost money which might not be forthcoming.

I still think we're a work-in-progress, but I don't think we're too far off.

 

[broomhillblade]

If we're all confused - at least the opposition will be.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Since around April this year, the following players have been sold or released and therefore taken off the wage bill:-
Henderson, Yeates, Ward, France, Jordan, Nosworthy, Bent, Calve, Lowry, Mattock, Riise, Vokes, Wright, Parrino and Kozluk.
That’s 15 players. Some of whom we received “undisclosed” fees for and some of whom were on extremely high wages.

Added to the wage bill since then are just Jean-Francois, Porter and Flynn with an increase in wages for Lowton and Slew. Only Flynn cost a fee.
So whichever way you look at it, we’ve already made a large profit on transfers this Summer and the wage bill has already been reduced dramatically.

And yet, according to The Star today:- “The possibility that Montgomery, Quinn and their fellow midfielder Lee Williamson could be poached before Bury visit South Yorkshire on September 3rd represents one of the greatest threats to Wilson’s hopes of transforming United’s ‘route one’ image. Should his starting eleven be picked apart at the eleventh hour, Wilson could be faced with the unenviable prospect of trying to deliver both performances and results with a hastily assembled squad”.

Do we really still need to sell all three of them? Even if it leaves Wilson no time left to rebuild the squad?
Can we really not add the likes of Kruk and McDonald to the squad without selling someone first?
Judging by the comments coming out of Bramall Lane, you’d think that we’re still currently stuck with last year’s wage bill. But we’re not, nowhere near.

Surely Wilson has to be allowed to add a couple more of his own players and then move on some of the higher earners if and when it suits him to.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Since around April this year, the following players have been sold or released and therefore taken off the wage bill:-
Henderson, Yeates, Ward, France, Jordan, Nosworthy, Bent, Calve, Lowry, Mattock, Riise, Vokes, Wright, Parrino and Kozluk.
That’s 15 players. Some of whom we received “undisclosed” fees for and some of whom were on extremely high wages.

Added to the wage bill since then are just Jean-Francois, Porter and Flynn with an increase in wages for Lowton and Slew. Only Flynn cost a fee.
So whichever way you look at it, we’ve already made a large profit on transfers this Summer and the wage bill has already been reduced dramatically.

And yet, according to The Star today:- “The possibility that Montgomery, Quinn and their fellow midfielder Lee Williamson could be poached before Bury visit South Yorkshire on September 3rd represents one of the greatest threats to Wilson’s hopes of transforming United’s ‘route one’ image. Should his starting eleven be picked apart at the eleventh hour, Wilson could be faced with the unenviable prospect of trying to deliver both performances and results with a hastily assembled squad”.

Do we really still need to sell all three of them? Even if it leaves Wilson no time left to rebuild the squad?
Can we really not add the likes of Kruk and McDonald to the squad without selling someone first?
Judging by the comments coming out of Bramall Lane, you’d think that we’re still currently stuck with last year’s wage bill. But we’re not, nowhere near.

Surely Wilson has to be allowed to add a couple more of his own players and then move on some of the higher earners if and when it suits him to.

Spot on. Unfortunately it sounds like McCabe is still only bothered about making himself even richer.

 

[Revolution]

Do we really still need to sell all three of them?

Of course not. We have a much lower wage bill, no external debt, and we are well resourced compared to our peers in this division. Most importantly, the person who controls all the shares in the club is a very wealthy man.

Can we really not add the likes of Kruk and McDonald to the squad without selling someone first?

We could do this if we wanted to. See above.

Judging by the comments coming out of Bramall Lane, you’d think that we’re still currently stuck with last year’s wage bill. But we’re not, nowhere near.

That's right, we're not.

Surely Wilson has to be allowed to add a couple more of his own players and then move on some of the higher earners if and when it suits him to.

If we were actually trying to do anything other than proceed in as cheap a way as possible, that would be allowed.

But sadly, the people who control the funding have given up. That is why we were relegated and that is why we will probably be relegated again before there is any improvement.

 

[raul]

But, hey, free shares.....


Are we ready? Probably not, but fans of all 92 clubs probably feel the same way, so let's just roll up our sleeves and crack on. All I know is that if average gates of (gussing here) 18k can only sustain a squad as we have now minus the three stooges then it really is time to jack it in. The sport as a whole needs to hit the wall.

 

[Ollessendro]

Are we ready? It is difficult to say. I think we have had more than enough time, so we should be. But Swiss, do you really care if we are ready or is this just another way of you voicing your disproval at a 'shocking appointment' and 'very slow summer'?

I presonally am slightly disappointed by the summer, but I think Wilson has shaped the team/sqaud to some extent. I would like to have seen more big earners leave and more transfers comng in. But I think of the transfers done (in and out) they have been good one's. I still believe we are 3 or 4 players away from challenging. In that sense (i.e. the team being good enough to win the league) then I think we are not ready. But Wilson has until the end of the month and a couple of additions (CB, winger and striker) could put us in a position to make the top 2.

Wilson has had a long time to prepare for this season and I can only presume he thinks he has seen enough in current players to do the job. His hands are obviously tied somewhat, but he is speaking positively and seems to think that the mix of players we already have and a few of his own additions can achieve success.

I will be able to give you a clearer answer at round 5pm on Saturday evening Smithy .......

 

[Pinchy]

How on earth is the prospect of Montgomery leaving a threat to our transformation into a proper football team?

On the contrary, it is a sine qua non!

More nonsense from The Scar.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Thanks a lot Sothall. This list brought back all the horrors of last year. Just when I was starting to get over it.

Henderson, Yeates, Ward, France, Jordan, Nosworthy, Bent, Calve, Lowry, Mattock, Riise, Vokes, Wright, Parrino and Kozluk

 

[Revolution]

Henderson, Yeates, Ward, France, Jordan, Nosworthy, Bent, Calve, Lowry, Mattock, Riise, Vokes, Wright, Parrino and Kozluk.

Wow, you're right Pittsburg, that's an ugly list. Categorising it:

Wouldn't want them now due to likelihood of serious injuries

France (and he's crap)
Hendo (and he's good for missing 5+ games for suspensions)
Jordan
Ward (and he's "difficult")
Wright
Parrino (maybe)

Wouldn't want them now as they showed last year they are not good enough

Nosworthy
Bent
Calve
Mattock (and he got a serious injury)
Kozluk (puts head in hands)

Allegedly "difficult" players

Yeates (I would still rather have him, but we need 200 grand to pay Kozluk for 2 starts, a three to six month layoff and to play practical jokes)

that leaves Lowry (who I think no one would dispute is better than Collins) Riise (who is bound for greater things) and Vokes (ditto) as the only players who would improve the team and don't carry injury or political baggage. And they were all loan players who we only had briefly anyhow. So 15 players go and the strength of the squad hardly changes.

Wow, we were carrying a lot of dead wood, and some of our loan signings were dismal. The signing of frequently injured players, a United habit dating back to carrying the likes of Alan Young and Steve Finneston, is particularly dumb for a team with limited resources/whose owners won't put in any real money. The signing of Wright, Jordan and France was just throwing money away. No lessons learned though - stand by for Chris Porter's upcoming 15 game season

 

[Bladesway]

Lots and lots of unknowns, but one constant. McCabe is still in charge and as such we are hampered more than having eleven Montys playing.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Are we Ready ? Of course we're not!
McCabe is still in charge of the purse strings
Second Rate manager failed everywhere he's been, but was cheap, bleating on about not being able to move high earners on - mainly because 90% of the high earners are very poor footballers - why should any championship side want the likes of Cresswell, Monty, Evans, Simonsen et al on last years performance.
If we are looking around for a goalscorer what the hell is Boggy, Porter, Cresswell, Slew, Evans, Philliskirk supposed to be doing - if we sign a proven goalscorer why are we paying those numpties? (Yes I will allow Slew and Philliskirk as in development)
We have had Quinn and Montgomery at the 'heart' of our midfield for years yet the call has always been we need a midfield - they are still there taking money out of the club yet not an ounce of creativity between them!
Are we ready Swiss - No Way
McCabe made the right decision for once - Appoint a No Hoper to manage a bunch of No Hopers
United are a long long way from moving forward - Dead Wood we have a forest full!!

 

[stannyblade]

we need to be ready or there could be trouble and unrest on saturday.
We need a performance on saturday to help DW start to win over the doubters of which I am one of them.

 

[blade too long]

Are we Ready ? Of course we're not!
McCabe is still in charge of the purse strings
Second Rate manager failed everywhere he's been, but was cheap, bleating on about not being able to move high earners on - mainly because 90% of the high earners are very poor footballers - why should any championship side want the likes of Cresswell, Monty, Evans, Simonsen et al on last years performance.
If we are looking around for a goalscorer what the hell is Boggy, Porter, Cresswell, Slew, Evans, Philliskirk supposed to be doing - if we sign a proven goalscorer why are we paying those numpties? (Yes I will allow Slew and Philliskirk as in development)
We have had Quinn and Montgomery at the 'heart' of our midfield for years yet the call has always been we need a midfield - they are still there taking money out of the club yet not an ounce of creativity between them!
Are we ready Swiss - No Way
McCabe made the right decision for once - Appoint a No Hoper to manage a bunch of No Hopers
United are a long long way from moving forward - Dead Wood we have a forest full!!

do you give motivational lectures ?
I do admire a positive outlook

We are in a league where most teams would go wild for some of the "dead wood" we have

 

[Fiery Blade]

do you give motivational lectures ?
I do admire a positive outlook

We are in a league where most teams would go wild for some of the "dead wood" we have

But, unfortunately for us they would not/ could not pay them at the levels they are currently getting!
They are overpaid undertalented no-hopers and I would question your assumption Go Wild !!!!
As for a positive outlook - I am a realist - They will not turn into world beaters just because they have dropped a league
They are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS - there was nothing PROFESSIONAL about last years performances
Monty, Quinny, Cresswell, Evans, Simonson et al owe the fans big time - but they will not stay about to repay them!

 

[broomhillblade]

we need to be ready or there could be trouble and unrest on saturday.
We need a performance on saturday to help DW start to win over the doubters of which I am one of them.

If there's "trouble and unrest" on Saturday it will show just how low our fans have sunk.

Of course we need to pick up a few points in the coming weeks but the league will not be won or lost in August.

 

[Tidzablade]

There's no need to panic, we're going to walk this league!! UTB

 

[Oreyt]

If there's "trouble and unrest" on Saturday it will show just how low our fans have sunk.

Spot on.

Are we ready? No, probably not, but not many teams who come down from the Championship are. Are we more ready than we might have been? Yes, I think we are. We need a few more, but I think Wilson's made a good start.

I'm sick of hearing that he's got to prove himself early on or there'll be 'trouble'. What, he gets less time than another manager because he once played for Wednesday? Grow up.

 

[Fiery Blade]

There's no need to panic, we're going to walk this league!! UTB

On what do you base that assumption ?

Our powder puff strike force that couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo ?
Our Central Defence consisting of Collins + one who lack pace and judgement
Our Goalkeeper than has kept less clean sheets than any other keeper in United history (apart from Bunn methinks)
Our midfield that cannot pass to the same colour shirt, has no pace or guile, can't score any goals and totally lack creativity
Or our Manager who apart from one season (when he had a ready made team) has proved a constant failure
Add to that a chairman (owner) who has lost all interest in the club

Perhaps I am missing something!
They are a bunch of losers!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

we need to be ready or there could be trouble and unrest on saturday.
We need a performance on saturday to help DW start to win over the doubters of which I am one of them.

I've no doubt the XI that turn out on Saturday will be ready and with what looks like being a backing of 3,000 it could also be a great day

 

[blade too long]

But, unfortunately for us they would not/ could not pay them at the levels they are currently getting!
They are overpaid undertalented no-hopers and I would question your assumption Go Wild !!!!
As for a positive outlook - I am a realist - They will not turn into world beaters just because they have dropped a league
They are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS - there was nothing PROFESSIONAL about last years performances
Monty, Quinny, Cresswell, Evans, Simonson et al owe the fans big time - but they will not stay about to repay them!

again , thats your downbeat opinion
we suffered enormously with injuries and most players were unable to be in the squad and its the continuity we desperately missed
even if Morgan had stayed available we would have stayed up in my opinion
We were victims of circumstances, in many ways, 23 players played in the back 4 through the season , QPR used 7

If we can get our consistancy back we will be fine

 

[Fiery Blade]

again , thats your downbeat opinion
we suffered enormously with injuries and most players were unable to be in the squad and its the continuity we desperately missed
even if Morgan had stayed available we would have stayed up in my opinion
We were victims of circumstances, in many ways, 23 players played in the back 4 through the season , QPR used 7

If we can get our consistancy back we will be fine

Not downbeat - Realistic
We knew from the season before that you couldn't rely on loan signings
At the forums before the season McCabe and Birch both stated that there would be permanent signings and the club would not rely on borrowing players
Inconsistancy was bourne out of four managers, lack of direction, poor choice of loan signings, quality of players and injuries - yes Injuries are a part of football - ask Donny Rovers last year they were down to 13 fit players for one game
You make your own luck in football - United had neither the nouse or the effort to change it!

 

[Pinchy]

again , thats your downbeat opinion
we suffered enormously with injuries and most players were unable to be in the squad and its the continuity we desperately missed
even if Morgan had stayed available we would have stayed up in my opinion
We were victims of circumstances, in many ways, 23 players played in the back 4 through the season , QPR used 7

If we can get our consistancy back we will be fine

Consistent aimless hoofing from plodding mediocrities on criminally high salaries? Have we not just plummeted from the Premiership to Division Three in no time at all? Has this happened in spite of our inept local heroes or have they been right at the heart if it - Shadow chasing; aimless flicks; giving away penalties and free-kicks as a matter of routine?

The case for change is unanswerable but some of you cling to mediocrity like barnacles.

Incredibly, sadly, shamefully, against all the evidence but unquestionably:

We still :heart: Hoofing.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

The club and its hierarchy have been their own worst enemy over the past 2 to 3 years and it has led to where we are.

Being the kind of fan who is not the negative, downbeat type I also accept that we have had some bad luck along the way.

A series of mistakes have been made though. The first of which was trying to "go big time" after relegation from the prem.

What we should have done was be sensible and pragmatic, rebuilding a new squad under a proven manager.

Its like playing poker. If you have a good hand and plenty of chips, you dont need to go all in!