Fleck

[djbaldken]

John Fleck's been on the pop over summer I see

My son saw him in benidorm about 4 years ago in the summer break. He was off his tits then. And not just on pop!

 

[Working Class Hero]

To be fair I'm sure the club and probably Fleck himself know that he's not been good enough for a long time. Tommy Doyle has obviously been brought in to play his position, but it's just unfortunate that he got injured. Sander Berge was probably signed with taking some of the central midfield burden off Fleck as well, but that hasn't particularly worked out either.

It's just one of those things, he should probably be a bit part player now, but circumstances have dictated that he starts.

 

[Weasel]

I think Stevens and Fleck are out of contract next summer. We should be having discussions with them later this year re trying to move them on in January or they can sit tight on their contracts and play the game with hundreds of other out of contract footballers next summer. Baffling that they are still both considered first team starters after all this time though. Ridiculous actually. They've been brilliant for us but are both yesterday's men and there is no to for sentiment in football.

 

[LewishamBlade]

I wonder if our intrepid reporters of SUFC ever put these Qs to Hecky re why do certain players who have been consistently slow starters each season continue to be picked / still here? Probably not as they will have been burnt from when some hack asked Wilder why Lundwank was continually picked and was given the cold shoulder after that by an openly hostile Wilder. First time I started to lose respect for CW and thought he was starting to slide from his pedestal.

Chance for Shield to gain some brownie points with the fanbase, ask real trying questions

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

Fleck is still a decent championship midfielder for me. We need someone else though, we can't keep relying on two ageing central midfielders with obvious weaknesses against the more physical teams, to play week in week out.

Stevens needs Jack O'Connell back. That's not going to happen though so we need to find yet another LWB.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

He’s not a starter though.

 

[sufc323]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

Thing is though with Fleck, it's 1 good game in 10 whereas before he'd be at least a 7/10 every single game.

Ever since the post Covid return he's not looked the same, Enda too.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

Sad really, Fleck was one of my favourite player from the wilder era, just not the same player anymore. When you see he’s starting it’s a big sigh!!

 

[Bladesman]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

The odd game isn't enough in the Championship. He needs to be performing regularly at this level. If he is going to have 3 or 4 decent games a season then he needs to be playing at a lower level. We can't wait til after Christmas for Fleck to have a few good games.

 

[blades14]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

I really don’t understand why you can’t accept he’s “done”. He is there’s no ifs and buts about it. He’s not good enough anymore. We’re not playing under wilder for the promotion season or first season in the prem. it’s been 2-3 years. Players have an expiry date and his and Stevens are well overdue. He’s done mate

 

[JackSUFC]

Sad really, Fleck was one of my favourite player from the wilder era, just not the same player anymore. When you see he’s starting it’s a big sigh!!

The fact that he was playing for us in League One in 2016 and started yesterday shows how bad our midfield recruitment has been.

He was fantastic up until lockdown came. Abysmal since then. One or two good games towards the end of last season doesn’t change that.

 

[FinBlade]

Fleck is still a decent championship midfielder for me. We need someone else though, we can't keep relying on two ageing central midfielders with obvious weaknesses against the more physical teams, to play week in week out.

We all know Fleck has been more than great player for us in the past, but now he seems to be remembered more from mistakes than success. I've always liked him, but I can't see him getting to same level of impact he was before, even tho we all hope he would. Watford midfield kept him away from the ball and jumping by one hand and bit later Fleck was holding same guy (with both hands?) and Watford player just played the ball like nothing. He got us a free kick on 2nd half tho.

Btw, has Fleck always been aggressive guy or is it a thing he has "developed" in previous season? He gives me bit of bulldog vibes.

Stevens needs Jack O'Connell back. That's not going to happen though so we need to find yet another LWB.

One of the problems seems to be that too many of our players need someone to be something. We need more players who are making the difference on their own and players who make others better.

 

[Working Class Hero]

One of the problems seems to be that too many of our players need someone to be something. We need more players who are making the difference on their own and players who make others better.

Correct, but it's just a fact that when Stevens has a top class defender backing him up, linking up with him and even overlapping him, it makes life a lot easier for him.

Top class players themselves don't need that, they look good anyway because that's what they are. Which is why it baffles me how some use it as an excuse for Berge.

 

[metalblade]

It used to be rare that Fleck had a bad game but over the last few seasons it is the good games that have become a rarity, time to move him on I'm afraid one or two decent games per season is no good to us.

 

[robbiez666]

I think Stevens and Fleck are out of contract next summer. We should be having discussions with them later this year re trying to move them on in January or they can sit tight on their contracts and play the game with hundreds of other out of contract footballers next summer. Baffling that they are still both considered first team starters after all this time though. Ridiculous actually. They've been brilliant for us but are both yesterday's men and there is no to for sentiment in football.

We're not moving either on given they'll be on top championship wages and there's a reason we're moving them on. subsidised loan, maybe.

 

[S64 Blade]

I don't think Fleck is "done."
Just going through his usual slow start period.

Have you all forgotten how good he was in the play-offs against Forest, against Fulham at home? These games weren't that long ago and he was excellent.
He'll come good again this season. He needs a rocket, perhaps even dropping if / when we have a better alternative. But I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

Stevens is different. He's shown nothing in 2 seasons and played plenty of games.

To be fair, they were Fleck's only two good games last season, that I can think of... Possibly Peterborough at home too?

Though I do agree with the sentiment that we should not be writing him of. He may be more impactful going forwards being used as an impact player. He looks unfit so the 20 minute bursts at the end of the game, along side a possible feeling of having a point to prove, may work in our favour, over starting him.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

The fact that he was playing for us in League One in 2016 and started yesterday shows how bad our midfield recruitment has been.

He was fantastic up until lockdown came. Abysmal since then. One or two good games towards the end of last season doesn’t change that.

The midfield has needed refreshing for the last two seasons, although no manager seems to be able to see this!!

 

[Mouth of the South]

I don't think many/any would argue that last night wasn't Fleck best performance. Everyone has bad games and I really hope he proves all the doubters wrong, starting on Saturday (if selected) - the most worrying thing though was that for the last 20 mins he obviously didn't want the ball and was hiding. Not a good sign especially when there's more competition for his place than he's ever experienced while at Utd. Personally, I don't rate Osborn as a CM, but once Doyle is fit, Fleck will really have to go some to keep his place in the side.

 

[Rodley]

Looked like he’s slimmed down a bit but he’s physically regressed which inevitably comes with his comparative lack of athleticism. Remains to be seen whether it’s just his usual slow start to the season.

 

[Bladesince59]

The midfield has been and remains dire

 

[Gin&Juice]

I'd be tempted to go 4 at the back when Doyle comes back.

Baldock
RND
Anel
Clarke

Doyle Norwood
Berge

McAtee
Iliman
Khadra

When Bogle comes back go back to wing backs.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

The midfield has been and remains dire

100% agree.
Needs totally refreshing, there’s just no urgency, no pace, no desire to get forward and create something.
Anything has to better than those two last night,

 

[Lane Ender]

I'd be tempted to go 4 at the back when Doyle comes back.

Baldock
RND
Anel
Clarke

Doyle Norwood
Berge

McAtee
Iliman
Khadra

When Bogle comes back go back to wing backs.

Clark for Egan you having a laugh

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

The whole midfield needs a reshuffle. As stated above Fleck has been 1 good game every 10 games for two and a half seasons. Norwood is good one game, invisible the next where he coincidentally cheaply loses possession when he gets it in these games. Sadly Berge doesn't do enough to get himself into matches and relies too much on service from Norwood unless Baldock passes backwards when he should have crossed the ball, so he tends to play well when Norwood plays well.

The sad reality is that even if we do sign McAtee then Hecky is likely to still keep playing Norwood and Berge with Doyle, Khadra and McAtee all fighting for the other shirt. Can anyone seriously see Hecky dropping Norwood, because I can't? He has his favourite players who get picked every game no matter how crap they've performed in matches.

He's too nice as a manager when he needs to having a go at players and having the balls to be a nasty bastard when it's needed. As much as I hate comparing him to Wilder, Wilder wasn't afraid of bollocking the team or players publicly or privately and it saw an upturn in performances. Hecky's post match interview are always positive. He tried to claim that our game plan was working last night, which is worrying as we didn't seem to have one. Moaning about lack of shots falls on him. He picked the players and he told them how to play and didn't change it when it wasn't working. He just made subs and stuck with the same approach.

Unless he grows a pair of balls and is prepared to drop players then his limitations as a manager are going to be found out. Development wise and coaching players he's good, but he's tactically naive and one dimensional on match days. It might only be one match but we saw way too many of these wretched performances under him last season, even when we won.

 

[FinBlade]

If I remember correct Slav did also pick Fleck and Norwood game after game and now Hecky does the same.
What kind of magic/voodoo are these guys into?

 

[biggiesablade]

If I remember correct Slav did also pick Fleck and Norwood game after game and now Hecky does the same.
What kind of magic/voodoo are these guys into?

They don't mind maintaining eye contact during a nosh. Or so I heard

 

[Bladesthorpe]

100% agree.
Needs totally refreshing, there’s just no urgency, no pace, no desire to get forward and create something.
Anything has to better than those two last night,

Thought there were 3 in midfield or is Berge exempt from criticism.

 

[spongebobblade]

So 1 game in. Is Fleck this seasons McBurnie? Who will the biggest waste of space when McBurnie is fit? Will Stevens/Norwood be a challengers? Tune in Saturday evening for the next instalment

 

[Mario1889]

It was only a few seasons ago when Fleck was one of the best British midfielders in the Premier League.

I wouldn’t write him off just yet.