Incoming? INCOMINGS

[A Storm of Blades]

Also, does bringing a load in at once risk squad disharmony? An ‘us’ and ‘them’ scenario??

 

[Weasel]

Some understandable points of debate etc. But it's just not true to claim it's all been left to the last eight days. You're throwing a lot of weight behind a false statement there, based on zero background knowledge.

Plans may have changed and the whys and the why nots come into play such as medicals being failed, or selling clubs changing minds or targets going elsewhere or agents angling for more money...

However....it has all now been left to the last 8 days (with the exception of one loan signing). That is beyond dispute. The new manager has been in place now since 1 July so a month and half and has been clear in that time that he wanted players in. He gave the club a list of names when he came in. Since then we've signed Davies, that's it.

 

[LondonBlade89]

Careful. Some who can't admit the club ever does things badly, will be along soon to tell you to pipe down and that we've just been unlucky to only bring in 1 player over the last 12 months despite it being fucking obvious where we needed to be strengthened all that time.

Some might even tell you it's the most difficult thing in the world to bring in a player and it's on a par with quantum physics (it's not, where theres a determination and a will there's a way). Strange then that other clubs manage it all easily enough. Clue, other clubs decide a budget, where the squad needs reinforcements and scout out realistically attainable targets. They don't all leave it to 8 days before the end of the latest transfer window and then try to bring in up to 5 players in that short period of time. Admittedly it's been a slow burn this window for various reasons but it is still now starting to border on penny pinching and incompetence from the club.

Time for the owner / recruitment team to step up to the plate and start backing the new manager.

I'm generally fairly pragmatic. I know there are things that go on behind closed doors that make transfers difficult. I don't want us to rush into making signings and paying over the odds. I know the market is slow this time around. I know we've got a new manager in who's still getting to know the players. I know that Covid-19 meant it was harder than usual for a new manager to get to know the players. I know it's easy to over-react. I know an awful start to the season has probably changed perceptions of what we need.

But all that considered, our recruitment has been amateur-ish. We're three games into the season and we've made one signing. Even before our shocking start, we all knew we'd need more than that. Even if we were to play the same system as last season, we all knew this side needed strengthening. We understood it would be "loans only", but we didn't know it was "loans only and even then only in the last 10 days of the window".

Many, many things clearly went off with Wilder that resulted in his departure. But his supposed stubbornness over transfers was obviously at the very least a point of awkward-ness and at most one of the deciding factors. Where is this supposed "better way" of doing things? I was under the impression Wilder was turning down other options who went on to do great things - Tomas Soucek, Coufal at West Ham. Where are these players this time around? At the moment we're just scrabbling around with Huddersfield and Hartlepool for Matty fucking Longstaff. Embarrassing.

 

[gaffablade]

Alan Nixon is like a shit fortune cookie

 

[Weasel]

Surely leaving it to the last minute implies we haven't even started. I guess it could be taken differently.

They could have a million and one potential targets (I'm sure we've probably got 4 or 5 players for each position as a potential option) but until its signed, sealed and delivered, we have delivered nothing. Its not about bites on the line now its about fishes in the keepnet.

 

[247Blade]

We have signed no-one when the manager said we needed half a dozen a good few weeks ago (Davies apart) so the statement we have left it to the last 8 days is a true statement whatever arguments there are about why or what we might now do or what is going on in the background?

I am not sure any football manager or club thinks or wants to replace half a team in a week and normally it is better if done over a period of time so we can phase the changes in and not overpay as happens at the end of the window.

I think some fans are incredibly naieve if they think this is a delibrate plan?

I think the recruitment team thought this squad would be ok with one or two additions. So it has badly mismanaged the situation looking at the results and performances so far.

Hope recruitment team are being paid on performance.... look at all the money they are saving the club .... grrrrr

 

[BLADES1988]

We go with what we've got.

 

[Stretch]

Alan Nixon is like a shit fortune cookie

I genuinely don't get the criticism for Nixon. He gets far, far more right than he ever does wrong, from what I have seen over the years.

 

[georgebernardshaw]

They could have a million and one potential targets (I'm sure we've probably got 4 or 5 players for each position as a potential option) but until its signed, sealed and delivered, we have delivered nothing. Its not about bites on the line now its about fishes in the keepnet.

 

[Davalon]

On the plus side, just imagine how exciting watching deadline day on Sky will be this year

 

[Grizzly blade]

That’s leaves us with this (433 because this is what slav wants to play i think)
Olsen
Baldock Egan. Davies. Sessegnon
Longstaff. Berge. Fleck?
Elanga. Brewster/mcburnie Bolasie?

i still feel that needs a bit more creativity in midfield but surely good enough for the play offs. Some very technically gifted players in there and the only players who will have experience the pain and losing mentality of last season would be egan (brick wall) baldock (consistent but fuck me can’t cross), berge (injured most of season) fleck (needs a kick up arse) and strikers but mcburnie and Brewster would thrive with wingers. This is what brought them so much succes at swansea. Practically a new team

This has to be a joke surely?

Absolute pipe dream.

 

[Grizzly blade]

I genuinely don't get the criticism for Nixon. He gets far, far more right than he ever does wrong, from what I have seen over the years.

I tell thi why, because he never fucking says owt. Just regurgitates the same shit from others.
He’s vague…and I could have said…so much to do, so little time! He’s not putting any names together or telling anything.

Blokes a bell end

 

[Stretch]

I tell thi why, because he never fucking says owt. Just regurgitates the same shit from others.
He’s vague…and I could have said…so much to do, so little time! He’s not putting any names together or telling anything.

Blokes a bell end

He must get hundreds of messages a day asking for gossip, and he isn't obliged to answer them with concrete info, and is probably restricted on what he can say anyway.
All journos and ITKers just rehash other peoples shit to some extent, no one person can know everything, so they swap bits around.
When he does give us names, he is generally on the money. I couldn't care less whether he got the info somewhere else.

 

[Teofilo Cubillas]

the statement we have left it to the last 8 days is a true statement whatever arguments there are about why or what we might now do or what is going on in the background?

Deadbat, I find your scenario to be too simplistic.

Are you suggesting that up until the start of this week, no-one in the "recruitment team" has so far been bothered, or told, to pick up the phone, read The Sun, or even make a search on Twitter for some news? Wasn't Messi available for about 15hrs?

Is it not the case that in a globalised world everything now works to a constant flow of deadlines called "just in time".

Is it not the case that when we read your excellent reports, you are recommending - at a minimum - half the team be replaced for the next match?

 

[ShropsBlade]

the way things are going 15m might be a good deal for berge

Why .So we can buy a couple of new 3rd tier clubs in Europe with the money for United world ?

 

[hull-Blade]

 

[S17 Blade 1889]

I just don't think we will know if it's been a disaster until after 31/08/21. Better players take longer to sort further down the league as they will consider options and as always we usually are waiting on other clubs and deals similar to buying a house in a chain. Let's be fair until the end of the month? UTB

 

[JJBlade]

To be honest,would rather see us show some ambition and make a move for Dembele at Peterborough.

Darragh MacAnthony would tie our mob of street hustlers up in knots, all we'd succeed in doing is getting him a transfer elsewhere. By the way Celtic are interested in Dembele

 

[Large Mendonca]

....and try landing them with a gallon of magnet for bait!

 

[georgebernardshaw]

....and try landing them with a gallon of magnet for bait!

 

[ancientblade]

We have signed no-one when the manager said we needed half a dozen a good few weeks ago (Davies apart) so the statement we have left it to the last 8 days is a true statement whatever arguments there are about why or what we might now do or what is going on in the background?

I am not sure any football manager or club thinks or wants to replace half a team in a week and normally it is better if done over a period of time so we can phase the changes in and not overpay as happens at the end of the window.

I think some fans are incredibly naieve if they think this is a delibrate plan?

I think the recruitment team thought this squad would be ok with one or two additions. So it has badly mismanaged the situation looking at the results and performances so far.

said exactly same on another thread i honestly thought the same a couple of good signings in midfield and we would be good for a top 6 position but these players are either badly underperforming or are just not playing for this new manager

 

[SouthportBlade]

said exactly same on another thread i honestly thought the same a couple of good signings in midfield and we would be good for a top 6 position but these players are either badly underperforming or are just not playing for this new manager

We've done a lot of looking backwards, with the first season in the Premier League being our downfall.

A number of players performed significantly above their ceiling, albeit for a fair length of time - in a team much greater than the sum of its parts.

Feel like recruitment strategy is based on the assumption, that the last 18 months post-covid have been the exception rather than the 6 prior to Covid. The soundbite of "Evolution, not Revolution" was damaging beyond belief.

Maybe we've been unwilling to accept or acknowledge, near enough the entire team (barring 3 or 4) have peaked and are on a downward trajectory, or not good enough. Without sentiment: Foderingham, Stevens, Egan, Basham, Baldock, Robinson, Norwood, Fleck, Mcgoldrick, Sharp, Freeman have all peaked and will only get worse and will not play Premier League football again. After contracts expire, some may not even play Championship football again

The fact we are likely to be playing 5 or 6, midfielders or forwards and Jokanovic seemingly wants 4 new faces says it all.

I'll reserve judgement until end of the month, but feels like this season had to be revolution, not evolution. I am however pleased that Jokanovic has realised he's got a pile of deadwood that needs disposing of, and hopefully will be ruthless in the rebuild.

 

[Yogi]

Now not to call Alan our on his nonsense but he said last week the celi deal was done and we just had to pull the trigger. This week he’s putting out cryptic tweets insinuating nothing is close. I know many know that he chats a serious amount of the brown stuff but I feel it needs pointing out all the same so he doesn’t take in others.

 

[Deadbat]

Also, does bringing a load in at once risk squad disharmony? An ‘us’ and ‘them’ scenario??

Cos everything is going hunky dory?

I am all for a shake up. Some of these losers need it. If it creates an us and them that might be good if it means one group emerges that might actually start you know...winning football games and slowly the other group will just be phased out. Roygbiv said we have won 11 games in 18 months - so one win like every 6 weeks is it?!

These players have forgotten or unable to score goals and win football matches. We need to bring some in that might.

Just everything feels rushed and late - there seems no plan. We have had since Xmas when it was pretty certain what league we would be in to plan the changes we needed but have just gone 'we will be in a lower division, we will be alrite' type mentality. Now we see these players are mostly done, it's all a bit of a scramble.

 

[billyblademan]

Cos everything is going hunky dory?

I am all for a shake up. Some of these losers need it. If it creates an us and them that might be good if it means one group emerges that might actually start you know...winning football games and slowly the other group will just be phased out. Roygbiv said we have won 11 games in 18 months - so one win like every 6 weeks is it?!

These players have forgotten or unable to score goals and win football matches. We need to bring some in that might.

Just everything feels rushed and late - there seems no plan. We have had since Xmas when it was pretty certain what league we would be in to plan the changes we needed but have just gone 'we will be in a lower division, we will be alrite' type mentality. Now we see these players are mostly done, it's all a bit of a scramble.

For all that we were unlucky last season that Stevens, Fleck, Norwood all turned shite without prior notice, we probably should have figured it was unlikely all 3 would return to their former championship promotion selves. I was staggered we didn't sign a midfielder last summer, and here we are a year later still without adding to that area! It's killing us, not least because no matter how bad Norwood and Fleck do, they're pretty much guaranteed a place the next match.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Now not to call Alan our on his nonsense but he said last week the celi deal was done and we just had to pull the trigger. This week he’s putting out cryptic tweets insinuating nothing is close. I know many know that he chats a serious amount of the brown stuff but I feel it needs pointing out all the same so he doesn’t take in others.

It's almost like he talks a colossal amount of shit

 

[ATL Recs]

Also, does bringing a load in at once risk squad disharmony? An ‘us’ and ‘them’ scenario??

There's one already isn't it obvious to you?

 

[Wards]

Don't think worrying about squad harmony is top of the list at the moment. Sooner a few of them got fucked off, might get a performance out of some of the cunts that way. Genuinely no issue if we bring 6 in, plus Davies, and fuck half of them off on cut price deals/freebies.

 

[Addison]

Cos everything is going hunky dory?

I am all for a shake up. Some of these losers need it. If it creates an us and them that might be good if it means one group emerges that might actually start you know...winning football games and slowly the other group will just be phased out. Roygbiv said we have won 11 games in 18 months - so one win like every 6 weeks is it?!

These players have forgotten or unable to score goals and win football matches. We need to bring some in that might.

Just everything feels rushed and late - there seems no plan. We have had since Xmas when it was pretty certain what league we would be in to plan the changes we needed but have just gone 'we will be in a lower division, we will be alrite' type mentality. Now we see these players are mostly done, it's all a bit of a scramble.

Paul Heckingbottom - Resolution of thanks

The place to get all your Sheffield United news on the first team, academy and Sheffield United Women. Download the app via the App Store and Google Play Store

www.sufc.co.uk

The mentality of the Board seems to be encapsulated in the bizarre "Resolution of Thanks" statement.

They actually put on record thanks to an interim manager for losing 8 of his 11 games in charge!!

Did they honestly believe that was a good record when many of the games, Palace at Home springs to mind, stank the place out. Did they sell to SJ that he had a group of players who were capable of getting back at the first attempt with only a few additions when all the evidence of the last 12 months painted a different picture?

It just confirms in my mind the lack of football knowledge on the Board and the snail pace approach to transfers is a direct consequence. I suspect they were hoping SJ would wave his magic wand and after 4 games we would be flying high at the top of the league leading to just a few new faces through the door.

It seems we are now approaching panic mode as the limitations and poor track record of our negotiating team become evident once again. When a respected journalist like Sutcliffe at the Athletic refers to Board dithering you know we are in trouble.

 

[blade67]

Seems to me that we need to bring in players that allow Slav to play the system he wants, which means we need two wingers to play off a central forward. McBurnie would be my choice to play down the middle as he did with Mitrovic. Problem is that leaves 6 strikers on the bench! I wouldn't be surprised to see two of the existing forwards leave also.

Alternatively, we could play two up top and then sign an attacking mid and play with a Duffy role and whilst some will say that's Wilderball it will be more possession based than had under Wilder and not including overlapping centre halves so much but driving from the midfield. To do that we need a new attacking mid and if Fleck can't rediscover form a new left mid although hoping that Freeman will be given a run out to prove his worth. We'd also need a right sided midfielder if Berge leaves. I think Berge will leave after this start to be honest.

In summary, we'll be signing a new keeper now I would imagine, one attacking mid and two wingers, it could be two midfielders if Berge leaves. Should be a busy window and at least that will provide some excitement and hopefully transform this current shambles!

Given that Slav has already picked about 5 formations, in 4 games, I get the impression he's pretty flexible about "the system he wants" and we see it evolve over the weeks ahead.

What he absolutely needs to do is bring in some players who can lift the group and also give him some options to drop players out of form. At the moment he doesn't seem to have enough players he trusts in the squad