Incoming? Jack Clarke

[bladesmanluke]

Just a thought how many were first team players or played in it not many

A good bunch of them were intended to be first team players though. We just don't have the depth or capability to spot a good player overseas. It's nothing to do with Wilder. If the ability was there and reliable he'd surely use it more often.

 

[The Crab]

You anyone in mind? Or go you just assume they're all as good and as tested as Clarke?

From the list above I’m not certain they’re as good as me…

 

[AdamSufc1997]

Berge
Zivkovic
Retsos
Grbic
Coulibaly
Cacares
Nwachukwu
McGree
Hoppe

Can list double number of players who are from here. what's your point

 

[TJ blade]

A good bunch of them were intended to be first team players though. We just don't have the depth or capability to spot a good player overseas. It's nothing to do with Wilder. If the ability was there and reliable he'd surely use it more often.

Were allegedly a professional football club! We should be able to ffs!

 

[Sithblade]

A good bunch of them were intended to be first team players though. We just don't have the depth or capability to spot a good player overseas. It's nothing to do with Wilder. If the ability was there and reliable he'd surely use it more often.

Benjamin Bloom did a video about Ipswich and their quick rise from League One to Premier League.
The main problem is after been in League One for numerous seasons, and a decade or more out of the PL, you don't have the infrastructure and overseas scouting networks required to compete in the PL.
Not sure how Wilder and the club were expected to be plucking unknown gems from abroad who are ready to play in the PL.
Although Sunderland have shown it can be done, although have Le Bris as manager will be a big factor.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Can list double number of players who are from here. what's your point

My point was you claimed Wilder would never use the foreign market.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

Just got promoted to prem no chance he’s going to a mid table champ club

 

[Bell4]

Couldn’t afford us. Frank the tank and I have had far more attractive offers.

I had heard tbh

The Rotherham and District over 65`s, mixed teams , 8th division - is a good standard all in all . Enjoy

 

[mattbianco1]

As long as he cuts his fucking hair.

And stops diving

 

[Balham]

My point was you claimed Wilder would never use the foreign market.

Wilder doesn't use the foreign market. The only one of those he wanted was Berge.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

It was reported Grbic was signed by Wilder on Matt Duke's recommendation.
He used the foreign market to sign McGree and Hoppe. Have you any evidence that Wilder didn't want them?

Balham

 

[Yogi]

It was reported Grbic was signed by Wilder on Matt Duke's recommendation.
He used the foreign market to sign McGree and Hoppe. Have you any evidence that Wilder didn't want them?

Balham

I think that’s a good example actually Wilder will use the foreign market but he does seem to want a trusted contact in the game to vouch for them.

What he’s shown himself completely opposed to under various regimes is foreign players signed without that personal recommendation.

Ideally there is probably a balance to be struck where we’d like to be as informed as possible on a players background and if recommendations from trusted sources can be gathered then great but if Wilder doesn’t know anyone who can voucher for the player that also shouldn’t be a dealbreaker either. If however trusted sources do know a potential signing and are saying there are character issues then fair enough walkaway

 

[Balham]

It was reported Grbic was signed by Wilder on Matt Duke's recommendation.
He used the foreign market to sign McGree and Hoppe. Have you any evidence that Wilder didn't want them?

Balham

McGree is Australian and Hoppe American. They're about as close to British as it's possible to get from the "foreign market".

No other side with aspirations of promotion from the Championship actively limits its recruitment radius like we do. I don't know why that's a controversial opinion? Wilder made 6 signings last season: Bamford (English), Riedewald (7 years at Palace), Hoever (6 years and counting at Wolves), Phillips (English), Hjelde (6 years and counting in the UK) and Rothwell (English).

To back up my point: we could have got far better value for our TEN MILLION POUNDS in January 2025 by going outside the UK but, oh no, only Tom Cannon will do.

 

[ben1987]

McGree is Australian and Hoppe American. They're about as close to British as it's possible to get from the "foreign market".

No other side with aspirations of promotion from the Championship actively limits its recruitment radius like we do. I don't know why that's a controversial opinion? Wilder made 6 signings last season: Bamford (English), Riedewald (7 years at Palace), Hoever (6 years and counting at Wolves), Phillips (English), Hjelde (6 years and counting in the UK) and Rothwell (English).

To back up my point: we could have got far better value for our TEN MILLION POUNDS in January 2025 by going outside the UK but, oh no, only Tom Cannon will do.

Sunderland got both Isidor and Mayender for less than what we paid for Cannon.

 

[Tony Currie]

Sunderland got both Isidor and Mayender for less than what we paid for Cannon.

Yes canon has't lived up to expectations (yet). However

McGree is Australian and Hoppe American. They're about as close to British as it's possible to get from the "foreign market".

No other side with aspirations of promotion from the Championship actively limits its recruitment radius like we do. I don't know why that's a controversial opinion? Wilder made 6 signings last season: Bamford (English), Riedewald (7 years at Palace), Hoever (6 years and counting at Wolves), Phillips (English), Hjelde (6 years and counting in the UK) and Rothwell (English).

To back up my point: we could have got far better value for our TEN MILLION POUNDS in January 2025 by going outside the UK but, oh no, only Tom Cannon will do.

Yes Canon hasn't lived up to expectations(yet!) but the others you mentioned all contributed to us getting to mid table safety. No manager hits the bullseye every time but you have to admit Wilder gets at least 80% of signings right.

 

[ben1987]

Yes canon has't lived up to expectations (yet). However

Yes Canon hasn't lived up to expectations(yet!) but the others you mentioned all contributed to us getting to mid table safety. No manager hits the bullseye every time but you have to admit Wilder gets at least 80% of signings right.

No manager in world football gets 80% of their signings correct.

Wilders hit rate is well below 80% probably 50% at best.

Even in his early years for every John Fleck and Mark Duffy there was a Samir Carruthers, Ricky Holmes and a Ryan Leonard.

They just didn’t matter as much back then because they cost 0- a few hundred thousand and he would ruthlessly get shut of them very quickly if they weren’t up to it. Chris Hussy was done before they’d finished printing his shirt

More recently Wilders hit rate has been pretty low and the clubs management of a few has been awful.

I would say he exceeded expectations with building the team that finished 3rd during that summer window of transition but then followed it up by one of the most baffling January windows. Souttar and Arblaster get season ending injuries. Signs cannon for £10m, BBD and plays him out of position, signs Holding and refuses to use him while Jack Robinson gets skinned at Wembley for the equaliser.

This January window was equally as strange. We’d been playing well in that period before Christmas but particularly in midfield we desperately needed reinforcements. He correctly identifies this but then brings in two very expensive midfielders who haven’t kicked a ball all season who were both realistically weeks away from being impactful to the first team.

Pep probably only had a 60% success rate at Man City, I’m not just bashing wilder here but now the parachute money has dried up we need to find new / improved methods of extracting more value out of our transfer dealings. Whether that’s on young players we can profit on or players who come in and add more athleticism and availability.

We’ve probably let 100-150m worth of players walk out the building for nothing or a fraction of their worth over the past few years. Partly down to shit signings and partly down to miss managing contracts it cannot continue at a club level.

 

[Balham]

Yes canon has't lived up to expectations (yet). However

Yes Canon hasn't lived up to expectations(yet!) but the others you mentioned all contributed to us getting to mid table safety. No manager hits the bullseye every time but you have to admit Wilder gets at least 80% of signings right.

It's nowhere near 80%. I've judged these based on United expecting to be a top 4 Championship side.

2024/25
Permanents
Cooper: qualified yes
Burrows: qualified yes
Moore: no (for us)
McCallum: yes
Shackleton: no
O'Hare: yes
Campbell: qualified yes (fitness)
Cannon: no

Loans
Clarke: no
Gilchrist: no
Brereton Diaz: no
Souttar: yes
Choudhury: no
Holding: no
Rak-Sakyi: yes

2025/26
Permanents
Bamford: yes
Riedewald: qualified yes (fitness)
Rothwell: no

Loans
Phillips: no (fitness)
Hoever: no
Hjelde: no

Four successes (O'Hare, McCallum, Souttar & Rak-Sakyi), four qualified successes (Cooper (for 24/25; last season was poor), Burrows, Campbell, Riedewald), twelve failures (Moore, Shackleton (3 years!!!), Cannon, Clarke, Gilchrist, Brereton Diaz, Choudhury, Holding, Rothwell, Phillips, Hoever & Hjelde). Not great but I suppose at least they all got the club and understood what it means to be a Sheffield United player.

 

[Pedro Verde]

I would say he exceeded expectations with building the team that finished 3rd during that summer window of transition but then followed it up by one of the most baffling January windows. Souttar and Arblaster get season ending injuries. Signs cannon for £10m, BBD and plays him out of position, signs Holding and refuses to use him while Jack Robinson gets skinned at Wembley for the equaliser.

Totally agree with all that and it was all on Wilder

We’ve probably let 100-150m worth of players walk out the building for nothing or a fraction of their worth over the past few years. Partly down to shit signings and partly down to miss managing contracts it cannot continue at a club level.

Who has left the club that we didnt get a decent fee for ?
The Berge and N'daye situations were really out of the clubs control. You cannot force players to sign contracts

 

[ben1987]

Totally agree with all that and it was all on Wilder

Who has left the club that we didnt get a decent fee for ?
The Berge and N'daye situations were really out of the clubs control. You cannot force players to sign contracts

Berge and Ndiaye we got a lot less than we should due to contract situations. Which as you say is partly down to player power. We are definitely not at the forefront of organisation and future planning though. We are always very reactive rather than proactive and seem to think about contracts about 15 minutes before they expire.

So much money has left the club since that first promotion. Brewster, McBurnie, Mousett, Freeman, Robinson, Egan, Lundstram

I’m not expecting every signing to be a success and leave the club for more than what we paid for them but we’ve got a terrible record.

Hamer is probably the next one to go for a fraction of what we paid.

 

[Pedro Verde]

Berge and Ndiaye we got a lot less than we should due to contract situations. Which as you say is partly down to player power.

You cannot force players to sign contracts
Ndiaye had committed to signing a contract only to change his mind at the last minute after being blackmailed by Marseille. Berge was never going to sign another contract. Both were offered contracts
Both not the clubs fault

We are definitely not at the forefront of organisation and future planning though. We are always very reactive rather than proactive and seem to think about contracts about 15 minutes before they expire.

Thats very inaccurate

So much money has left the club since that first promotion. Brewster, McBurnie, Mousett, Freeman, Robinson, Egan, Lundstram

Brewster injury prone poor signing offered a contract turned it down we would have been unable to sell him
McBurnie average signing (he has grown up since)
Mousett again poor signing no residual value regarding receiving a transfer fee
Freeman again poor signing We didnt play him has done nothing since leaving the club
Robinson again poor signing but he got the club only paid £500k no loss to the club
Cant remember what happened with Egan I was disappointed when he left the club
Lundstram couldnt wait for him to leave the club. Wilders decision to play him when he refused to sign another contract so that was all on Wilder

All of the above are down to the Manager and his team poor decisions
Mostly players we paid well over the odds for and had no resale value even if they had time on their contracts

I’m not expecting every signing to be a success and leave the club for more than what we paid for them but we’ve got a terrible record.

Totally agree we have a terrible record. The only way we make a profit on transfers is by bringing players through the Academy

Hamer is probably the next one to go for a fraction of what we paid.

We have had some value out of Hamer and if he leaves it will because he wont sign another contract which the club has offered him. The only way you would have got a half decent fee for him is if we had sold him last Summer or in January

 

[ben1987]

You cannot force players to sign contracts
Ndiaye had committed to signing a contract only to change his mind at the last minute after being blackmailed by Marseille. Berge was never going to sign another contract. Both were offered contracts
Both not the clubs fault

Thats very inaccurate

Brewster injury prone poor signing offered a contract turned it down we would have been unable to sell him
McBurnie average signing (he has grown up since)
Mousett again poor signing no residual value regarding receiving a transfer fee
Freeman again poor signing We didnt play him has done nothing since leaving the club
Robinson again poor signing but he got the club only paid £500k no loss to the club
Cant remember what happened with Egan I was disappointed when he left the club
Lundstram couldnt wait for him to leave the club. Wilders decision to play him when he refused to sign another contract so that was all on Wilder

All of the above are down to the Manager and his team poor decisions
Mostly players we paid well over the odds for and had no resale value even if they had time on their contracts


Totally agree we have a terrible record. The only way we make a profit on transfers is by bringing players through the Academy

We have had some value out of Hamer and if he leaves it will because he wont sign another contract which the club has offered him. The only way you would have got a half decent fee for him is if we had sold him last Summer or in January

* I fully understand that you cannot force players to sign new contracts and I also fully understand that not every player will be a massive success sold for great profit. But look at what we have signed. The fees paid and then what they’ve left for, it’s pretty grim reading and unsustainable. You could argue that we should have negotiated new deals sooner or sold them earlier to extract better value though. They are just two examples of us not generating maximum returns. The prince had offers for both Berge and Ndiaye but gambled on getting promotion and thankfully it paid off. It’s just a such shame to see us get about 25m for the pair of them and not double that.

* I’m not sure it is that inaccurate. We obviously don’t think about it 15 minutes before as I was deliberately being a cock but the best run clubs have a manager and then a shortlist of replacements for when that manager leaves. They have a squad of players where each player has a deputy at the club and shortlist and shortlists of readily scouted replacements. We are always too reactive and not proactive enough. It’s always let’s wait and see what happens with X before Y happens. Everything always takes way too long. I wish we occasionally saw some future planning.

* the money that has left the club over the last 10 years is a combination of either poor signings, unfortunate contact situations (poor management at board level?) and a few exceptions.
You could argue that Hecky had the best hit rate as he was absolutely chucked under the bus but somehow managed to produce a set of players we managed to get our money back on / profit.

* the academy and Sky money from the PL has propped us up nicely but it’s drying up now and we need to get better value in and out. Only way I can see us doing that is by modernising a bit and casting the net wider.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

McGree is Australian and Hoppe American. They're about as close to British as it's possible to get from the "foreign market".

No other side with aspirations of promotion from the Championship actively limits its recruitment radius like we do. I don't know why that's a controversial opinion? Wilder made 6 signings last season: Bamford (English), Riedewald (7 years at Palace), Hoever (6 years and counting at Wolves), Phillips (English), Hjelde (6 years and counting in the UK) and Rothwell (English).

To back up my point: we could have got far better value for our TEN MILLION POUNDS in January 2025 by going outside the UK but, oh no, only Tom Cannon will do.

Has your argument changed from "Wilder doesn't use the foreign market" to the foreigners that Wilder signed weren't foreign enough?

 

[Balham]

Has your argument changed from "Wilder doesn't use the foreign market" to the foreigners that Wilder signed weren't foreign enough?

No? He hasn’t signed a single player from abroad in the last three transfer windows. That’s pretty unusual if you’re being kind, or pretty myopic if you’re being less generous.

 

[Updemblades]

McGree is Australian and Hoppe American. They're about as close to British as it's possible to get from the "foreign market".

No other side with aspirations of promotion from the Championship actively limits its recruitment radius like we do. I don't know why that's a controversial opinion? Wilder made 6 signings last season: Bamford (English), Riedewald (7 years at Palace), Hoever (6 years and counting at Wolves), Phillips (English), Hjelde (6 years and counting in the UK) and Rothwell (English).

To back up my point: we could have got far better value for our TEN MILLION POUNDS in January 2025 by going outside the UK but, oh no, only Tom Cannon will do.

‘Wilder only buys British players……or foreigners that have played in England before’ ….… (not having a dig, Balham, mate, just found it amusing. Probably made me laugh more than it should have tbh )