January transfer window - a review

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Blackheath Blade

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Well folks, that's yer lot for this season.
The freak show that is the January transfer window draws its curtains and takes a bow to a spellbound audience. We also tip our hats to the people whose christmas arrives every January, the football agents, who tomorrow, will be flicking through brochures containing properties in the stockbroker belts of London and Manchester while at the same time, ordering yet another supercar to put on their driveway.

Let's face it, unless some Arab sheikh or Russian oligarch takes pity on the Blades, we'll never be able to seriously compete or get involved in this free for all, and after observing some events that have happened over the last 24 hours, i'm quite relieved.

A few highlights: Peter Odemwinge (or whatever the fuck he's called). Only a person with shit for brains would ignore the advice from his club that he's not allowed to talk to another club, drive down to London and practically hammer on the door at Loftus Road, begging to be signed by them. To their credit, QPR told him to do one, upon which, he jumped back in his car and sped off. I've got visions of him now, driving round London all night seeking redemption with any club that will save him from going back to the Albion. His next game at the Hawthorns should be interesting.

If QPR get relegated from the Premier League, they will go out of business. Fact. A club that can pay twelve and a half million quid for a decent centre half whose best days, let's face it, were at Blackburn for fucks sake, then stick him on hundred grand a week, are taking a massive gamble and deserve what they get. The fans are already turning on the Chairman Tony Whatsisname, the Asian answer to the bloke up the road at Chelsea. Great businessmen, shit Chairmen the both of em.

Last but not least, I take my hat off to David Beckham for a couple of things he's done today. Obviously, the statement that he will donate his salary from PSG to local charities is both unsurprising and speaks volumes about the man. We all know he doesnt need the money but what a gesture. He also always maintained that the only Premier team he would play for would be Man Utd and despite interest from a number of clubs here, he's stuck to that promise. Good on him. Paris should be good for him and his family, however, I will watch with interest to see if it will bring at least a smile to the face of his wife, the miserable cow.

Up The Blades, Fuck The Pigs - Goodnight from Blackheath, South East London.
 



End of the day, we've lost one first team regular who granted was our top scorer and a squad player, and gained a vastly experienced defender, a decent talent from Scotland, another midfielder who will add much needed competition and has played at a higher level who granted is 34 but saying that McCall was getting on when we got him ( I'm not saying he's in the same league as McCall) and some much needed pace in Forte. It could have been a lot worse...
 
scrap all transfers and make everybody play for the teams in the town or city they were born in
 
The last day of the JTW will be the day that will go down in Blades history as the day KM officially gave up on promotion for the 2012/2013 season.
 
For me, we've added 4 players that will likely start in the XI for the rest of the season, and got rid of three players - two of whom were very unlikely to feature for the rest of the season. The third is a big loss. I'm not convinced the quality we've brought in will mean we've had a net gain for the squad in this transfer window.

Blackman is not the world-beater his rapidly-amended biography this past week would suggest, but there is no getting away from the fact that he's scored plenty and is one of the only players we had with the ability to run at the opposition. Potentially, Robson (who I do rate) might give us a bit more out wide that Blackman has been able to give us. But at the minute the big question is who is actually going to replace the goals he brought. Forte is essentially a slightly poorer all-round version of Blackman - not quite a winger, not quite a striker, with a worse scoring record. I wouldn't also be overly dismissive of his penalty-taking contribution, which has been excellent. We've seen plenty of examples where crap penalty takers have cost us points before. This should be easily replaceable - but if someone misses one tonight we'll be instantly bemoaning the move further.

On paper, I don't think we look as poor off as the wrist-slitting brigade on here would suggest. But without a doubt we're taking an enormous gamble - banking on Forte scoring enough, Robson contributing enough, the likes of McDonald and Kitson stepping up a gear, and us quickly restoring the confidence that's disappeared the last few weeks. With the bizarre reasoning behind not going for BWP, I can't see anyone of note arriving on loan. It's not the end of the world, it's not even the end of the season, but the question marks around all the key pieces in place in the team for us to be successful creates too many uncertainties to be particularly optimistic.
 
The Blackman scenario is one that the club simply could not avoid. The lads head would have been turned by the lure of a better level of football with a 3 or 4 fold increase in his wages. No brainer really.

What is encouraging is that we have not given the lad away, as has been the case previously. As I understand it, we signed him for about £200k, had 6 good months out of him and turned a £1m profit. Very good business in that regard.

Now, if we don't plough that profit and the other available funds straight back in to the squad, so be it. Its (more than) a bit disappointing for the fans but in a world that is on the brink of financial collapse, the chairmans prudence HAS to be admired.

The western world has lived beyond its means for about 20 years and the reality is that the politicians refuse to deal head on with the issues as this would be political suicide. The countries involved must take their medicine and soon. The NHS and the public sector pensions "fund" being the biggest drain on resources. Again, both politically sensitive to deal with. But if we don't, I fear that there will be worse to come. We need a leader in this country who has got the bollocks to put his head on the block, for the greater good of our children's future. Or else what future do they have, saddled with the debt caused by the fuck ups of their predecessors.

Football, at least in this country, is one of the best (or worst) examples of this living beyond its means gone mad.

The clubs that grasp this principle earliest will be the ones that will ultimately flourish.

What a dilema for McCabe. To stick or to twist, knowing full well that the price of busting could well mean game over.
 
Dunno what everyones moaning about. McCabe/ Wilson promised signings before the end of the JTW and we got them!

Ok one is a 34 year old "has been" and the other is a "never was" but hey we got the signings.

Onwards to the play offs.

We just need a penalty taker now and we'll be fine
 
Football, at least in this country, is one of the best (or worst) examples of this living beyond its means gone mad.

The clubs that grasp this principle earliest will be the ones that will ultimately flourish.

Wow, just wow. A pinata of a post from Dronnie. No time now, but this is surely the money quote, as it is of course the line that Dunc Disorderly and the rest of clapper central were pedalling when the Beattie sale happened and re-profiling reared its head. Ah yes, they said, very wise, they said, we won't end up belly up like Southampton/Charlton/Leeds/Wednesday/a dozen other team s above us. We are ahead of the game!

So why are we in the 3rd tier with no ground, no money and no good players, Dronnie?

And when will the flourishing be? this decade? this century?
 
In the cold light of the following day is Higginbottom/Murphy/Forte/Robson in exchange for Blackman/Philliskirk/Macallister such a disaster ?
 



Dunno what everyones moaning about. McCabe/ Wilson promised signings before the end of the JTW and we got them!

Ok one is a 34 year old "has been" and the other is a "never was" but hey we got the signings.

Onwards to the play offs.

We just need a penalty taker now and we'll be fine
Not patch Swiss on Matt Bianco's clapping ....you must try harder and start talking about how these signings will secure us as Champions by mid April;)
 
I'm surprised by all the negative responses. Almost everyone wanted defensive strengthening, a pacy forward, a tough midfielder and we got them all. at the expense of a ball greedy, sometimes idle player who only scored 4 goals in open play. We got them all , £1M and 2 pacy strikers at that.

What do people expect of a club in our position, Gareth Bale Frank Lampard and Phil Jagielka.

Get real!
 
Dunno what everyones moaning about. McCabe/ Wilson promised signings before the end of the JTW and we got them!

Ok one is a 34 year old "has been" and the other is a "never was" but hey we got the signings.

Onwards to the play offs.

We just need 5 penalty takers now and we'll be fine

Fixed it for you ;)
 
In the cold light of the following day is Higginbottom/Murphy/Forte/Robson in exchange for Blackman/Philliskirk/Macallister such a disaster ?

It wouldn't have been too bad if McCabe hadn't opened his fucking trap on Saturday. There is the problem in my eyes. Wish someone would just be honest with us
 
So to people who think this is a good transfer window, or could have been worse do you think the signings have balanced our squad? Who is playing right wing? Where are the goalscorers Danny has been speaking about?
 
So to people who think this is a good transfer window, or could have been worse do you think the signings have balanced our squad? Who is playing right wing? Where are the goalscorers Danny has been speaking about?

I don't think it's been a good window and I do think the squad is still unbalanced. Robson will play on the right though I'm almost certain. More as a right sided midfielder than a winger. Any width we have will be on the left.
 
It wouldn't have been too bad if McCabe hadn't opened his fucking trap on Saturday. There is the problem in my eyes. Wish someone would just be honest with us
nail on head mate..
btw unlike the original poster i think signing Samba is a masterstroke.. QPR won't go down. they might be almost bankrupt but they won't go down and to think they get smaller attendances than us.. how does that work then??
 
Wow, just wow. A pinata of a post from Dronnie. No time now, but this is surely the money quote, as it is of course the line that Dunc Disorderly and the rest of clapper central were pedalling when the Beattie sale happened and re-profiling reared its head. Ah yes, they said, very wise, they said, we won't end up belly up like Southampton/Charlton/Leeds/Wednesday/a dozen other team s above us. We are ahead of the game!

So why are we in the 3rd tier with no ground, no money and no good players, Dronnie?

And when will the flourishing be? this decade? this century?


Rev.

I share your frustrations. As fans its shit. No doubt.

Also read my post back and, with hindsight, should have chosen the word survive rather than flourish. Cos thats what it amounts to.

But we are where we are. And the reasons are by now well documented.

Most clubs that do not have P L status and many of them that do are committing financial suicide on a regular basis.

As a result, I will give it 10 years before the 92 professional clubs that make up the four leagues is decimated. Perhaps halved, especially if the top clubs break off as has been muted in the past in to some sort of super P L or super Euro League.

Do I / You want SUFC to be one of the clubs that survives ? Of course we do.

So the question is this (And side stepping F F P rules just for a moment).

Should we go berserk and get the very best players we can, spend the most we can on transfer fees and wages and hope this gets us up the leagues but ultimately risk the future of the club if it all goes wrong ?

Or bolt down the hatches cos there are choppy waters ahead, in the hope that some of the competition wither and die. Survival of the fittest. True capitalism ?

Football is a BUSINESS. First and foremost.

All that said, as a fan of the club, I do hope I manage to see some success of sorts before I pop off, so I do feel and share your angst. Would make a nice change from the norm wouldn't it !
 
Rev.

I share your frustrations. As fans its shit. No doubt.

Also read my post back and, with hindsight, should have chosen the word survive rather than flourish. Cos thats what it amounts to.

But we are where we are. And the reasons are by now well documented.

Most clubs that do not have P L status and many of them that do are committing financial suicide on a regular basis.

As a result, I will give it 10 years before the 92 professional clubs that make up the four leagues is decimated. Perhaps halved, especially if the top clubs break off as has been muted in the past in to some sort of super P L or super Euro League.

Do I / You want SUFC to be one of the clubs that survives ? Of course we do.

So the question is this (And side stepping F F P rules just for a moment).

Should we go berserk and get the very best players we can, spend the most we can on transfer fees and wages and hope this gets us up the leagues but ultimately risk the future of the club if it all goes wrong ?

Or bolt down the hatches cos there are choppy waters ahead, in the hope that some of the competition wither and die. Survival of the fittest. True capitalism ?

Football is a BUSINESS. First and foremost.

All that said, as a fan of the club, I do hope I manage to see some success of sorts before I pop off, so I do feel and share your angst. Would make a nice change from the norm wouldn't it !

How long is it going to pay back the £30/40M we owe whilst we are in the third division?

Just need to know how long those hatches are going to be closed to the good times?
 
In the cold light of the following day is Higginbottom/Murphy/Forte/Robson in exchange for Blackman/Philliskirk/Macallister such a disaster ?

But thats not the case Sitters, Higginbotham was bought in following the injuries to Collins and Hill and surely Murphy covered the loss for the rest of the season of Miller?
 



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