Going with what weve got

[alcoblade]

"We go with what we've got" = mid table mediocrity for me................we need a spark, some pace, some flair, some game changers

Meanwhile, let’s hold out for £35m for Berge, until 2050.

 

[Jan Age]

I'd like to see enda either moved on or replaced with RND. Think he's definitely ready now for the first team.

That’s a point actually … I hadn’t considered the potential for 3 or so of the young ones to be able to ale the step up

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Norwich did it quite cannily, they sold Lewis and Godfrey for a combined £40m and then went and loaned Gibson and Giannoulis with clauses to make those transfers permanent (£10.5m and £7.25m respectively, including loan fees) if they were promoted. They also signed decent Championship players at relatively small fees (Hugill £3m, Dowell £2m).

Not sure about that. West Brom were as inept: better going forward, worse at the back. Take away that blue moon 5-2 win at Chelsea (who fell apart after Thiago Silva's 28th minute red card) and reverse the 1-0 win at the Hawthorns to a justified three points to us and they'd have finished bottom. Don't get me wrong, we were deservedly relegated but the Baggies were just as bad as us.

Exactly the same transfer policy I would adopt. However, I don't believe we have enough interest in our squad to lose anyone and it seems like we're holding out for £60-£70m combined for the two players that teams are interested in. For me, two quality loan signings for CB & CM (I'm happy with Hourihane) then a permanent centre half (young that will develop) is all we need.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Which is also what I think in terms of 4/5 in and top 6… but for me (and it is only an opinion of course) certain players are not up to it and we are risking it expecting the same level of performance/fitness from others that we’ve had previously.

Risking it with:

Stevens - whom for whatever reason sulked for the whole of last season and looked a stone over weight.

Didzy - first name on the sheet for me but another year older is it reasonable to expect in to go a whole season without injury.

Basham - as with Didzy re age and injury but 2nd name on team sheet for me.

not up to it:

Moussett - Who I believe has some mental health issues and I really hope he focuses on getting the help with that rather than football.

Burke - should have tried to be an Olympic runner.

Robinson - not good enough to be automatic first choice.

That’s my 6 and some of them I really rate so as we both said 4/5 in should cover us and shake things up a bit. From that 4/5 I would expect 3 to challenging for a place in the starting 11 and 2 to improve the overLl

Jan Age - Making it up as he goes along

 

[Charlieblade]

Clapper

As good as the Prince has been during his time with United, I have concerns that a man of his limited means, is throwing money at United World acquisitions, when it could be used to support our new manager?
On the whole I’m delighted with the choice of Slav as manager, but there is no golden goose to help him with ‘quality’ buys. What if he decides it would be prudent to spend his budget on one player, and the board disagrees?
What if the budget he was given, was based on sales of current assets, that Slav wants to keep, and he persuades those assets to stay?

 

[Keen Blade]

As good as the Prince has been during his time with United, I have concerns that a man of his limited means, is throwing money at United World acquisitions, when it could be used to support our new manager?
On the whole I’m delighted with the choice of Slav as manager, but there is no golden goose to help him with ‘quality’ buys. What if he decides it would be prudent to spend his budget on one player, and the board disagrees?
What if the budget he was given, was based on sales of current assets, that Slav wants to keep, and he persuades those assets to stay?

Well , goodness gracious me , I am the last person to know the answers to these questions !
Btw , I am VERY heartened by the tight-lipped stance of everyone at the Lane - it's exactly how it should be done - the usual (media) suspects are chewing off their own arms trying to get even a mouthful of inside info - they are stuck with boring speculation + I hope we bring in some players who no-one's ever even heard of , who turn out to be wise buys.
We can't afford to GWWWG , especially if Aaron & Sander go.
No point dreaming of JoC in his brick-heading days or Norwood in his tackling & pinging days or Billy in his 33 goals a season days , which are just memories.
Boris the Blade needs to 'Snatch' the opportunity of making some new memories for the club.
Wilder said "you can't stand still in football" and he lived up to his mantra - once his golden years / golden team began to fade , he fecked off up the road + give a new Slav a chance.
Things move on. We narrowly missed Europe in 1975 (I was at St Andrews on a memorable night when I should have been revising for my A Levels. We got relegated the following season.
If you don't refresh the squad , you're inviting disaster.
Imho , we need 2 CBs + 2 MF to rebalance the squad + provide competition.
The Prince/Bettis & Boris both know this and will be working like mad to make it happen.
The Prince knows he has an incredible investment at the Lane , which could make a mockery of his £5m investment.
He isn't about to let it just slide away , which is why he recruited the best available replacement for Wilder.

 

[bertieblade]

Totally agree with the above comments, incidentally was also at St. Andrews when I should have been revising for a levels. Interesting night being chased around on the side terrace by members of their Zulu head the balls, then to have the coach window put through on our return journey.
them were the days

 

[ancientblade]

Well , goodness gracious me , I am the last person to know the answers to these questions !
Btw , I am VERY heartened by the tight-lipped stance of everyone at the Lane - it's exactly how it should be done - the usual (media) suspects are chewing off their own arms trying to get even a mouthful of inside info - they are stuck with boring speculation + I hope we bring in some players who no-one's ever even heard of , who turn out to be wise buys.
We can't afford to GWWWG , especially if Aaron & Sander go.
No point dreaming of JoC in his brick-heading days or Norwood in his tackling & pinging days or Billy in his 33 goals a season days , which are just memories.
Boris the Blade needs to 'Snatch' the opportunity of making some new memories for the club.
Wilder said "you can't stand still in football" and he lived up to his mantra - once his golden years / golden team began to fade , he fecked off up the road + give a new Slav a chance.
Things move on. We narrowly missed Europe in 1975 (I was at St Andrews on a memorable night when I should have been revising for my A Levels. We got relegated the following season.
If you don't refresh the squad , you're inviting disaster.
Imho , we need 2 CBs + 2 MF to rebalance the squad + provide competition.
The Prince/Bettis & Boris both know this and will be working like mad to make it happen.
The Prince knows he has an incredible investment at the Lane , which could make a mockery of his £5m investment.
He isn't about to let it just slide away , which is why he recruited the best available replacement for Wilder.

good post

 

[Kop sufferer]

Mmmmmmmmm, all very interesting however you choose to read the current situation.
I think it's fair to say the Prince and his management team's future plans that included CW/AK along with the likes of you, me and the rest of the world got stuffed by Covid.
Time to reset/restart, Slavs appointment looks sensible, HRH, for me is playing the big picture, long term investment game especially with this United World, note the title, venture which long term can certainly benefit the Blades.
Trouble with us lot, we want it now !!
We've got to give it time to develop, unfortunately, time is a commodity you cannot buy.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Going with what we've got = Groundhog Day

There needs to be new quality blood in midfield and defence,one in each is a minimum.

Almost every relegated club sell off their best players. So it’s quite impressive if we keep everyone.
Going with what we’ve got ensures we are amongst the strongest squads in the league.
However it’s usually advantageous to change some players….just to freshen it up and maintain enthusiasm.

 

[Champagneblade]

It would certainly be an odd move to get their first pick manager and then with one of their first significant decisions totally undermine him.

Berge I can understand because the club are powerless to prevent him moving if the magic 35m is hit.

With Rammers it's different. Unless Slav is keen on Verrips though he's hardly seen him, the only thing he's caught while the new manager has been around is COVID!

 

[Keen Blade]

The transfer window is open until August 31.

Why do they make it so ? Why not start the season with everyone's squad finalised ? Clubs would have to hurry up + do deals earlier , but surely that's better than staring a season not knowing if you can keep eg Rammers , Berge Baldock etc ?

 

[Booker4]

Not having a dog, it's a combination of a few factors, but I think this must be the latest in a pre-season/closest to the start of the next season I can recall where we've not made a signing. These factors are: A) We're looking mainly at loans and these are generally completed late in the pre-season as the PL clubs assess who they are to retain and who they are to let out on loan and this requires a look in pre-season. B) the Euro's has delayed the above. C) back to point A, we are in a position where as a top Championship level squad improving the team is harder than it is if you're a midtable team and free agents released from other Champ teams could well improve your squad. Players released from the Prem are mostly youngsters, the better ones will stay in the Prem or are not better than what we have already. Previously we've bought the better players from the Champ, but obviously now as another Champ club we're less of a pull and have less money, hence loans from the PL is often the best option.

D) Where we're after permanent signings these always seem to take United ages, there's pros and cons to the fact that I think we drive a hard bargain with clubs and agents, which is obviously generally good but means transfers take longer both ins and outs.

 

[Keen Blade]

I do think we need some additions, but we’re being made out to be a team that’s gonna be scrapping for points, when we won 3/6 games at the end of the season… purely because we had a slightly change of approach, with slightly more attacking threat.

We have a squad full of players that have done it in the championship, and in some cases multiple times.

But can they be arsed to do it again when their wages have just been chopped ?

 

[Jan Age]

Jan Age - Making it up as he goes along

Fake it until you make it….

 

[Keen Blade]

Read your own post you put 50. It was the 50th league game. Clearly you were not including the cup in your statement as we actually deserved to win some of those games.

Wow ! Didn't we do well ?

 

[Keen Blade]

Which Championship squads would you consider superior?

The ones with an aerially dominant defence & a midfield that can tear open something more than a wet paper bag

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

The ones with an aerially dominant defence & a midfield that can tear open something more than a wet paper bag

List them please, so I can laugh at you later.

 

[Keen Blade]

i would like a quality centre back, maybe sean morrison or dael fry. because basham isnt getting any younger & Jack o'connell is out again

but outside of that this team is good enough as is & doesnt need much tweaking. i know its hardly controversial to say we underachieved last season but we chucked away at least 15 pts in 1st half of season because of a bit of bad fortune but mostly because we couldnt hit a cows arse with banjo, it was like kevin de bryune in the build up & mr blobby as soon as we got in front of goal. that 1st win v newcastle shouldve been our 6th

That cow's arse remained untouched by our broken banjo for the entire season

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Almost every relegated club sell off their best players. So it’s quite impressive if we keep everyone.
Going with what we’ve got ensures we are amongst the strongest squads in the league.
However it’s usually advantageous to change some players….just to freshen it up and maintain enthusiasm.

The proof of that pudding will only come to light over the coming weeks,you could be completely right,half right,or half baked

 

[Keen Blade]

List them please, so I can laugh at you later.

So no Championship team created more chances than us last season ? Anyway , at least you're not suggesting that we actually were capable of tearing open anything tougher than a wet paper bag

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

So no Championship team created more chances than us last season ? Anyway , at least you're not suggesting that we actually were capable of tearing open anything tougher than a wet paper bag

I'll try again - Can you please list the Championship squads that you are claiming are superior to us?

 

[Keen Blade]

So you’re saying a spine of Ramsdale/Egan/Berge/Mcburnie/Mcgioldrick

Is on a par with milwall/Bristol city

How many chances did that lot create & convert last season ? Did we have them in the 'half-baked' setting ? All we have to do is flick a switch ? Really ? And will that same switch spark-up Fleck & Norwood ?
That's some feckin switch you've got there !

 

[Keen Blade]

I'll try again - Can you please list the Championship squads that you are claiming are superior to us?

I couldn't give a fuck about other Championship squads - I want ours to perform better than they did last season when they fell into a kind of zombie stupour - I don't believe they can simply be woken up - I think we need some fresh blood in midfield + a LCB to compete with Robinson , a RCB to compete with Bash + a CCB to cover for Egan

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I couldn't give a fuck about other Championship squads - I want ours to perform better than they did last season when they fell into a kind of zombie stupour - I don't believe they can simply be woken up - I think we need some fresh blood in midfield + a LCB to compete with Robinson , a RCB to compete with Bash + a CCB to cover for Egan

Clearly a man with the courage of his convictions. I actually agree about where the improvement would come, I just think the squad is capable of starting the season and picking up regular points until they arrive.

 

[Keen Blade]

Totally agree with the above comments, incidentally was also at St. Andrews when I should have been revising for a levels. Interesting night being chased around on the side terrace by members of their Zulu head the balls, then to have the coach window put through on our return journey.
them were the days

Indeed ! Anyway we got Bob Hatton in 1981 and together with Edwards they scored the goals in a season which culminated in Darlington - such joy !

 

[ancientblade]

when do premier league clubs have to declare their squads ?

 

[Balham]

when do premier league clubs have to declare their squads ?

End of August, after the transfer window closes. I think they have to declare the preliminary squads ahead of the first games but they can make unlimited changes until the end of the month.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

How many chances did that lot create & convert last season ? Did we have them in the 'half-baked' setting ? All we have to do is flick a switch ? Really ? And will that same switch spark-up Fleck & Norwood ?
That's some feckin switch you've got there !

Yeah you know we will be playing in a different league this season right

Championship not premiership

 

[ancientblade]

End of August, after the transfer window closes. I think they have to declare the preliminary squads ahead of the first games but they can make unlimited changes until the end of the month.

End of August, after the transfer window closes. I think they have to declare the preliminary squads ahead of the first games but they can make unlimited changes until the end of the month.

right cheers balham im sure we will be looking for at least 2 premier league loans ben davies being the obvious one