Deja vu all over again

[metalblade]

No. But then I'm not the one acting like a spoilt child over something I don't know the full facts about.

Too true you have never needed to act the part

 

[TarquinDelouche]

Too true you have never needed to act the part

Nice one.

 

[sheffielder]

It should be pointed out that those other teams youngsters were from two divisions above us...

Who failed at clubs lower than us when on loan this season

 

[metalblade]

The lower leagues are littered with players who have filtered down from the top clubs, doesn't make them any good.

 

[mpjacko]

Tell me one good reason why you feel that you need to know the fee. If you bought an expensive car would you drive around with the price on the bonnet just to brag.

If we got 1 million for him and then KM brags that we have no money to buy / bring any one in, then you know KM is telling porkies. Just like the your car theory. You can go around driving a really expensive car and then tell your makes you have no money.

Plus it stops fans making up figures i.e that we got £1milion plus and expect that we are going to get new players when he fact we didn't and we all know that no-one will be coming in.

 

[raul]

Wotherspoon? If you think Flynn is lightweight....

 

[sheffielder]

Wotherspoon? If you think Flynn is lightweight....

I never said it was a good thing, would he be better than nothing?

What's the McGinn fella like?

 

[Marco Van Barsteward]

It should be pointed out that those other teams youngsters were from two divisions above us...

My personal view is that we have plenty of "big strikers" for this division in Kitson, Cresswell and Porter, they all need a kick up the backside though. Blackman was the most mobile and most capable of the 5 big strikers (Including Cofie)we had, so when we tried to fit players in, Blackman got shoved out to the wing allowing Porter and Miller to form a brief partnership

Personally I thought he played better on the wing though.

So the possible replacements already at the club could be
Kitson - Striker
Murphy - Winger

I thought Nick Blackman was better on the wing but more importantly he was our best goal scorer. Like you say, we have plenty of good big 'uns that can win it in the air and hold it up etc, but we only had Nick Blackman left in terms of mobility and goal scoring ability. I know Kitson and Cressy have been good goalscorers in their careers but they're different players now they're getting older. They play different roles. Very effective roles might i add, but they aint going to fire us to glory. Blackman was that man, and from somewhere, DW needs to find a similar sort of player for peanuts. Somewhere probably over the rainbow. It's an almost impossible task given the time scales as well. Blackman was a great signing and find for his ability, potential and transfer fee. He was a steal and we were very lucky to have him, but those players are few and far between. We're definitely not going to get like for like that's for sure, and the likelihood is as the transfer deadline looms, we're going to have to find someone to fill his boots from within the camp. What a shame Shaun Miller is injured. He could have been the answer. Let's also hope that the clubs fax machine has been serviced.

 

[raul]

I never said it was a good thing, would he be better than nothing?

What's the McGinn fella like?

Whilst he has some good skills on the ball and can dribble, he'd really only be another member of our axis of adequacy in the wide areas.

I like McGinn, but if I was determined to sign a Scottish centre forward to lead the line I'd go for Johnny Russell or Cillian Sheridan.

 

[Revolution]

It should be pointed out that those other teams youngsters were from two divisions above us...

Oh, they must be great. Like John Cofie. Oh...

On the subject of undisclosed fees, I hate United doing it because I often suspect it is a fig leaf to cover incompetence. As a wider point, if it were up to me I'd make clubs (i) reveal all transfer fees (ii) reveal what the agents got from the club and (iii) reveal wages, like in the US sports. This is something the sport needs to combat corruption.

 

[Grecian2000]

I thought Nick Blackman was better on the wing but more importantly he was our best goal scorer. Like you say, we have plenty of good big 'uns that can win it in the air and hold it up etc, but we only had Nick Blackman left in terms of mobility and goal scoring ability.

I've mentioned on another thread that I don't actually agree with the point above.

I would have rather kept him but as a CF I don't think he was a great "goal scorer". He was a scorer of great goals but not a "fox in the box", "johnny on the spot" or any of those fucking awful cliche names. The six yard tap ins never seemed to materialise for him.
Doncaster, at home, was a good example. Had a great chance toward the kop, could have got his right foot, right knee, thigh or bell end on it but he went awkwardly with his left foot and it ended in the first row. Keith Edwards, Billy Dearden and others of that ilk (Adam Le Fondre at the moment) would have put the bit of their body on it that propelled it into the net. Blackman hasn't got that instinct.
We need to replace him with someone like that (Miller is one).

 

[Marco Van Barsteward]

I've mentioned on another thread that I don't actually agree with the point above.

Keith Edwards, Billy Dearden and others of that ilk (Adam Le Fondre at the moment) would have put the bit of their body on it that propelled it into the net. Blackman hasn't got that instinct.

Regardless, he was 'OUR' leading goalscorer. He put the ball away more than anybody else at the club and is in the top 5 goalscorers in the division. Forget Keith Edwards and f*cking Billy Dearden, they were from a different era, not to mention in this day and age we wouldn't either have them at the lane as a 'bigger' club would have snapped 'em up, or we wouldn't have been able to afford 'em. In the hear and now, Nick Blackman was THE best striker at the club as he'd scored most goals. He was also learning his trade and would have got better. The chances you mention, he may well be sticking those away in the not too distant future, obviously for Reading. Maybe him missing those chances is a reflection of our coaches at the club? Positional sense can be taught, but before you say it, i agree, he doesn't have that natural goal scoring instinct which you mention. Hence my point he was more effective on the wing.

 

[Grecian2000]

Regardless, he was 'OUR' leading goalscorer. He put the ball away more than anybody else at the club and is in the top 5 goalscorers in the division. Forget Keith Edwards and f*cking Billy Dearden, they were from a different era, not to mention in this day and age we wouldn't either have them at the lane as a 'bigger' club would have snapped 'em up, or we wouldn't have been able to afford 'em. In the hear and now, Nick Blackman was THE best striker at the club as he'd scored most goals. He was also learning his trade and would have got better. The chances you mention, he may well be sticking those away in the not too distant future, obviously for Reading. Maybe him missing those chances is a reflection of our coaches at the club? Positional sense can be taught, but before you say it, i agree, he doesn't have that natural goal scoring instinct which you mention. Hence my point he was more effective on the wing.

Ahh, apologies. I thought we were having a grown up discussion. Carry on.

PS. f*cking Billy Dearden? Really?

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

Absolutely spot on Sheffielder, rather than worry about a fee, we need to look at these players coming in that McCabe promised us at the start of the week. Remember these signings were irrespective of Blackman leaving.

they were irrespective of blackman leaving, because mccabe knew blackman was leaving. he's a snake like that.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

All the usual JTW elements are falling into place!

- sold a good player - check
- for an undisclosed fee - check
- sold before anyone came in - check
- it's the last day of the window - check

All we need now is:

- no/disappointing recruitment today
- an announcement that (a) Blackman's replacement is already at the club and/or (b) we tried to get a replacement but there was no one better than what we already had
- the usual 3 to 4 place slide by the end of the season, (see also 1998, 1999 (deadline day sales there) 2004, 2010 and 2011, with 2009 being an honourable exception)

I predicted facetiously in the close season that in 2 years' time we would end up being out-manouevered by Southend or someone similar in the League 2 playoff final. Barring genuine improvements today, I am concerned that this prediction will come true.

i'm sorry but you're being totally bloody ridiculous. are you on crack? as if we've got a good enough team to reach the league two play-offs! dreamer!

 

[Jon Bon]

 

[ScoobBlade]

I understand everybody's frustration with Blackman going but I think some people are making more of this because its a good excuse to gripe about how our club is going to the crapper. £1m + for Blackman, I'd have snatched their bloody hand off !

 

[StarBlade]

I understand everybody's frustration with Blackman going but I think some people are making more of this because its a good excuse to gripe about how our club is going to the crapper. £1m + for Blackman, I'd have snatched their bloody hand off !

May I ask why as I genuinely don't understand, it's not a dig. What are we going to do with the £1m? Would you prefer to have betters players to watch on Saturdays? Do you feel that you as a fan benefits from the sale of a good player?

 

[sheffielder]

I understand everybody's frustration with Blackman going but I think some people are making more of this because its a good excuse to gripe about how our club is going to the crapper. £1m + for Blackman, I'd have snatched their bloody hand off !

I think it's the lack of replacements which is the problem

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Ahh, apologies. I thought we were having a grown up discussion. Carry on.

PS. f*cking Billy Dearden? Really?

Got to agree, I've never heard a United legend described like that.

 

[ScoobBlade]

I see that and at the mo I know we're looking a bit thin up front but there's still time and I don't think Blackman would've been much good for us after having his head turned from a premiership club

 

[stannyblade]

Nick Blackman was THE best striker at the club as he'd scored most goals. .

So if Collins was the penalty taker and had scored them all that Blackman had took then would he be our best striker?
Hasnt Kitson got the same amount of goals without counting penalties?

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

and if you only count goals scored by players whilst wearing their lucky pants, he's actually statistically our worst striker in the history of the club. glad we got rid of him now.

he may have got a few more, if he hadnt been stuck out on the wing most of the season though.

 

[SwissBlade]

If we got 1 million for him and then KM brags that we have no money to buy / bring any one in, then you know KM is telling porkies. Just like the your car theory. You can go around driving a really expensive car and then tell your makes you have no money.

Plus it stops fans making up figures i.e that we got £1milion plus and expect that we are going to get new players when he fact we didn't and we all know that no-one will be coming in.

But what does it really matter? I'll answer for you. It doesn't

 

[stannyblade]

he may have got a few more, if he hadnt been stuck out on the wing most of the season though.

Doubt it the problem has been supply not finishing on the whole that has cost us. Yeovil at home was prime example I can only remember one shot at goal.

If you dont shoot you dont score.

 

[SwissBlade]

I thought Nick Blackman was better on the wing but more importantly he was our best goal scorer. Like you say, we have plenty of good big 'uns that can win it in the air and hold it up etc, but we only had Nick Blackman left in terms of mobility and goal scoring ability. I know Kitson and Cressy have been good goalscorers in their careers but they're different players now they're getting older. They play different roles. Very effective roles might i add, but they aint going to fire us to glory. Blackman was that man, and from somewhere, DW needs to find a similar sort of player for peanuts. Somewhere probably over the rainbow. It's an almost impossible task given the time scales as well. Blackman was a great signing and find for his ability, potential and transfer fee. He was a steal and we were very lucky to have him, but those players are few and far between. We're definitely not going to get like for like that's for sure, and the likelihood is as the transfer deadline looms, we're going to have to find someone to fill his boots from within the camp. What a shame Shaun Miller is injured. He could have been the answer. Let's also hope that the clubs fax machine has been serviced.

I don't disagree, I will state that. But I think what we need is the ability to bring in a decent Shaun Miller type. Its a risk to sell Blackman, but I don't think its the worst move we've made this season... So long as we fill the Miller gap.

I think Kitson, Porter and Cresswell are all able to play up top alone or alongside a strike partner better than Blackman could. So even if we don't replace Blackman like for like I still think we have his two positions covered.

We can also look at it as a potential higher earner being moved off the wage bill, which may allow us to pay a better wage to a new player coming in...

 

[secretchief]

We can also look at it as a potential higher earner being moved off the wage bill, which may allow us to pay a better wage to a new player coming in...

Who we have 11 hours to find.

 

[SwissBlade]

Who we have 11 hours to find.

I would imagine that we have found the players, just need to do the deals...

 

[stannyblade]

I would imagine that we have found the players, just need to do the deals...

You would hope so or there will definately be no one coming in

 

[grafikhaus]

On the subject of undisclosed fees, I hate United doing it because I often suspect it is a fig leaf to cover incompetence. As a wider point, if it were up to me I'd make clubs (i) reveal all transfer fees (ii) reveal what the agents got from the club and (iii) reveal wages, like in the US sports. This is something the sport needs to combat corruption.

Never happen, Rev. It would stop the PL being the vast money-laundering operation it is.

Back on topic, people seem to be obsessed that, post-Blackman, who is going to play up front. Names such as Kitson, Porter, Miller, Cressie etc are being bandied about.

Doesn't it occur to anyone who has seen United this season, we could have Walcott, Suarez, ALF, you name 'em, up front and there is practically no system, tactics or personnel in our team to provide service?

Still, we now play 'nice' stuff and it's better than hoof.