Healey, O'Connor and no-one

[Flatulent_Bob]

I think it's pretty clear who's on track Alien.
But if you wish to believe money is not the reason why Nozza's playing left back, we can't strengthen up front and we've barely got a full team this season, knock thi' sen out.

---------- Post added at 07:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------



One of the championship's highest paid players. Let's see, probably around £20,000 a week, been with us for nearly 18 months, transfer fee paid so far around £2.5m but mebbes nearer to the £3m now.
I'm sure you can do the maths.

I bet he isn't in the Championship's top 10 paid players and I see his fee is now upto £2.5 Million. I thought it was £3 Million upfront Len, or are you just making it up?

 

[Pollingtonblade]

if we've paid £3 for evans we've been conned.

 

[lenners]

I bet he isn't in the Championship's top 10 paid players and I see his fee is now upto £2.5 Million. I thought it was £3 Million upfront Len, or are you just making it up?

I do believe Kevin McCabe, chairman of Sheffield United, informed supporters that Chedwyn Evans was one of the best players in the Championship Bob.
After his back pass to the keeper in the last minute, should we presume you've now woken up to reality?

 

[lenners]

Anyone any idea how O'Connor got on for Barnsley tonight?

 

[Northyorksblade]

Predictable if a tad boring.

 

[lenners]

Predictable if a tad boring.

Aye, sign strikers to score goals and predictably they go and do it. How did Healy get on the other day?
Be nice for us to be so predictably boring.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I asked for you opinions on the player before they played and you decided not to comment. Funny how you decide to come back once you have the benefit of hindsight.
Neither of those players could play our lone striker role IMHO, which one would you suggest?
I'd still rather have Reid if he stays fit, and think he is a better player. I think he is still going to need games come the end of the month and hopefully the staff will be able to get him into good enough shape to play a part in the majority of matches. If so I think there is a great chance of keeping him after this month.

As for Ched, if I suddenly decide he isn't good enough because of that effort do I have to do the same for Ward who missed a sitter the week earlier?

Just for the record where are you currently on Ward? Do you still think it would have been typical of our club if we'd of taken the £2-3 Million offered by WBA?

 

[lenners]

Bob,
I've lost track of the number of times you've been advised to avoid picking up that shovel when already in a hole.
Ward's been poor this season but we know he has played well for us and should be able to do so again.
Unlike Chedwyn.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

You see Len I don't see myself as a hole, as that would denote that I need to get out of it.

I have an opinion on Ched, it may be proven correct it may not. Your problem is that you are frightened to death of having an opinion and it not been proven correct, which is why you change sides when it suits as with Wardy. It's like trying to have a debate over the past 30 years with a Protestant about evolution or gay sex.

I've never said Evans' goal scoring record is good enough in fact I think I said at the beginning of the season that he has to now prove himself this season and again he has struggled.
I still think he gave us more against Ipswich when he came on than our previous forwards had all game and we looked more dangerous. Would I want to be banking on him firing us to safety? Obviously not on current form but I think he has ability that we are not making the most of. That is opinion and we'll have to wait until the end of his career to see if he had more than we are seeing.
Did he miss a sitter? Yes
Was he expensive? Yes.
Has he been worth the money? No
Could he have been? I believe so.
Did he cost £3 Million upfront? No
Is he on a high wage? Yes.

On the point of these two strikers I think overall we signed the better player in Reid but he has to be fit and I wouldn't of been excited by either of them to be honest as I don't think they fit the requirement of what we need. We have 3 forwards who have scored goals at this level previously but are all struggling plus another who struggled now playing elsewhere. Now you can right them all off as shit beyond comparison or look at what the underlying problem might be and I think it is lack of service.

 

[lenners]

"not on current form"
Love it. His current form has now lasted 16 months.
I have never changed sides with Ward. Liked his signing, liked his performances, he hasn't played anything like since he got injured and has been poor this season.
As for Healy and O'Connor, I wonder if either of them would have passed the ball to the keeper Ched-style on Saturday.
I guess the service was the problem.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

"not on current form"
Love it. His current form has now lasted 16 months.
I have never changed sides with Ward. Liked his signing, liked his performances, he hasn't played anything like since he got injured and has been poor this season.
As for Healy and O'Connor, I wonder if either of them would have passed the ball to the keeper Ched-style on Saturday.
I guess the service was the problem.

No he missed a chance, one of the few created all game, and not as good a chance as Ward missed the week before when he didn't even work the keeper. Ched should of scored, no qualms about that. But he did more when he came on than any of the others had done upto that point.

No point flogging the dead horse about you and Ward, I think there are a few on here who remember you original comments.
Personally I'm somewhere in-between but definitely think we should of snapped off WBA hand if the offer really was close to £3 Million.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Straight from the horses mouth....

I think it's pretty clear who's on track Alien.
But if you wish to believe money is not the reason why Nozza's playing left back, we can't strengthen up front and we've barely got a full team this season, knock thi' sen out.

And you don't think maybe the new manager is waiting to see if the current squad can adapt to new ways before rushing out and spending do you.
You know you take over a new business give it and the staff a few months to see what they can do before you tear it apart.

According to Speed on the official site he hasn't asked the board for money to loan a player yet because he hasn't been able to identify anyone to bring in:-

http://www.sufc.co.uk/page/Gaffersnotes/0,,10418~2214038,00.html

This is TEN whole weeks after stating on the official site that he "would like to add a pacy player to his attacking options":-

http://www.sufc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~2140958,00.html

What conclusions should we draw from this?

1) Speed knows there are no funds available really and is lying to cover up for the board?

or

2) Despite being given the job partly due to his wide of range of contacts within the game, Speed hasn't identified a single pacy attacking player who is better than those we already have. Bearing in mind that the only pacy attacking player we have is Ward who has been played on the wing, then been suspended and is now injured. How is it possible that he can't find anyone to improve on what we already have?

We have only scored 10 goals in 15 matches. Everybody, including Speed, can see that we urgently need a new different option up front but he's only signed one goalie, three defenders and a midfielder. None of whom even started the game on Saturday. Should he not be "asking the board for help" NOW? Find out how much funding he has available and then fill the slot with an appropriate loan player? I would have thought that's how it works but apparently not!

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Should he not be "asking the board for help" NOW? Find out how much funding he has available and then fill the slot with an appropriate loan player? I would have thought that's how it works but apparently not!

Speed doesn't have the option to bring in too many player now because of the loan quota and system whereby he could only bring someone in for a month.
We also have the balance the wage bill. If, as per the rumours, there will be ins and outs in January this might free up funds for these loans.
Could it be that Speed knows who he wants upfront but can only get them on a end of season loan in January when our loan/finance options will be different?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Speed doesn't have the option to bring in too many player now because of the loan quota and system whereby he could only bring someone in for a month.
Could it be that Speed knows who he wants upfront but can only get them on a end of season loan in January when our loan options will be different?

If that's the case, why is he "still actively looking at the loan market" according to the official site? Why did he say on Radio Sheffield that he "needs to bring in a few to freshen up the squad"? I would respectfully suggest that if he waits around until January while we continue to score less than a goal a game, it could well be too late for both him and United.

 

[SteelCity Blade]

Speed doesn't have the option to bring in too many player now because of the loan quota and system whereby he could only bring someone in for a month.
We also have the balance the wage bill. If, as per the rumours, there will be ins and outs in January this might free up funds for these loans.
Could it be that Speed knows who he wants upfront but can only get them on a end of season loan in January when our loan/finance options will be different?

If that's the case, why is he "still actively looking at the loan market" according to the official site? Why did he say on Radio Sheffield that he "needs to bring in a few to freshen up the squad"? I would respectfully suggest that if he waits around until January while we continue to score less than a goal a game, it could well be too late for both him and United.

Either way they need to make massive changes in January. I dont have any expectation that it will happen but the gaffer knows it needs to be done. You can hear it in his voice even though he's not saying it and its written all over his face. I'm confident that he knows what we need.....getting it is the problem.

My prediction is that without a minimum of 3 or 4 additions to the squad, this team WILL go down. Its stamped all over them! I've spent most of my life watching second tier football and like most Blades who study the game closely I can see what is coming a mile off. Football is at times not as unpredictable as people like to make out. This team is in big, big trouble and action is needed or we will be seeing Chesterfield at Bramall Lane next season.

 

[lenners]

No he missed a chance, one of the few created all game, and not as good a chance as Ward missed the week before when he didn't even work the keeper. Ched should of scored, no qualms about that. But he did more when he came on than any of the others had done upto that point.

No point flogging the dead horse about you and Ward, I think there are a few on here who remember you original comments.
Personally I'm somewhere in-between but definitely think we should of snapped off WBA hand if the offer really was close to £3 Million.

Bob, I know what I thought, felt and said about Ward's signing.
Though I do admire your imagination along with your blind faith about Chedwyn.
And if the offer had been £3m, he would have been sold.

---------- Post added at 02:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:13 PM ----------

Sadly, Speed is already beginning to resemble a dead man walking.
His mumbled waffling about loans in interviews coupled with his latest guff reeks of paralysed management.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Either way they need to make massive changes in January. I dont have any expectation that it will happen but the gaffer knows it needs to be done. You can hear it in his voice even though he's not saying it and its written all over his face. I'm confident that he knows what we need.....getting it is the problem.

My prediction is that without a minimum of 3 or 4 additions to the squad, this team WILL go down. Its stamped all over them! I've spent most of my life watching second tier football and like most Blades who study the game closely I can see what is coming a mile off. Football is at times not as unpredictable as people like to make out. This team is in big, big trouble and action is needed or we will be seeing Chesterfield at Bramall Lane next season.

I agree but to pose a serious question, would you trust Steve Thompson, Billy McEwan, Harry Haslam or Adrian Heath to rebuild the squad in January?
Well Speed's current record with United is worse than any of them. If we lose the next two matches (distinctly possible) he will surpass Martin Peters as having the worst points per game record of any United manager.

That comparison with Peters is actually an appropriate one. A footballing legend, a nice bloke, promoted from player to manager without any prior experience, struggled, couldn't avoid relegation...?

Rank Manager P W D PTS AVG Win %
17 Thompson 17 5 6 21 1.24 29%
18 Mcewan 86 27 25 106 1.23 31%
19 Haslam 158 50 40 190 1.20 32%
20 Heath 22 7 5 26 1.18 32%
21 Speed 13 4 2 14 1.08 31%
22 Sirrell 81 20 23 83 1.02 25%
23 Peters 16 3 6 15 0.94 19%

 

[raul]

3 year contract and probably still paying off Blackie. He's going nowhere even if he takes us down.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Sadly, Speed is already beginning to resemble a dead man walking.
His mumbled waffling about loans in interviews coupled with his latest guff reeks of paralysed management.]

what latest guff