CONFIRMED Kacper Lopata leaves for Southend

[Aston max]

He should remember with social media these days "throwing your toy's out of the pram " will stay with him for a while,

 

[Rootshallbloke]

Everything was going to plan and the club recalled him as we thought he may be required for the first team. Although he was enjoying his loan spell he should be flattered by that. The injury situation did not become as bad as feared and he didn't get on the pitch. Another loan was the plan, but he seems to have decided he's not going to go along with the club's advice.

If the situation stays the same, surely we'll have to negotiate a low fee transfer with a number of add on clauses.

I'm beginning to wonder whether his loan to us has contributed massively to his current situation. Maybe he should have paid more attention to how Harrison Neal, Harry Boyes, and for that matter, Zac Brunt are conducting themselves. It will be shame if it all goes tits up for him.

 

[Liaminho9]

He’s been at Southampton, Yeovil, Bristol City and Brighton academies before us. You kind of get the impression he’s a bit of a “grass is always greener” type who probably thinks he should be a first team regular and it’s every other fucker’s fault that he isn’t.

I forgot about this; and it does seem like a bit of a red flag.
For a player with obvious talent and potential; why has he jumped around so much?

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

I forgot about this; and it does seem like a bit of a red flag.
For a player with obvious talent and potential; why has he jumped around so much?

He's jumped around so much because he's a player with obvious talent and potential. So, he's moved up the pyramid from Yeovil as a 15 year old to Bristol City as a 17 year old, to Cat 1 Brighton as an 18 year old. He didn't quite make it at that level. We liked the look of him and took him on. How is all that progression a Red Flag?

 

[Flatcap]

He's jumped around so much because he's a player with obvious talent and potential. So, he's moved up the pyramid from Yeovil as a 15 year old to Bristol City as a 17 year old, to Cat 1 Brighton as an 18 year old. He didn't quite make it at that level. We liked the look of him and took him on. How is all that progression a Red Flag?

The kid has travelled. We don't like cultured folk. Red flag.

 

[FriethBlade]

He's jumped around so much because he's a player with obvious talent and potential. So, he's moved up the pyramid from Yeovil as a 15 year old to Bristol City as a 17 year old, to Cat 1 Brighton as an 18 year old. He didn't quite make it at that level. We liked the look of him and took him on. How is all that progression a Red Flag?

Phil that means both Bristol City and Brighton must have paid fees for him....unless he was released which is very unlikely seeing as each club he moved to was a 'better' acadeny

 

[Liaminho9]

He's jumped around so much because he's a player with obvious talent and potential. So, he's moved up the pyramid from Yeovil as a 15 year old to Bristol City as a 17 year old, to Cat 1 Brighton as an 18 year old. He didn't quite make it at that level. We liked the look of him and took him on. How is all that progression a Red Flag?

Fair enough
I’m not going to question you on matters regarding the youth system as you’re far more versed than i am
I didn’t think it was common to move so much during your youth career but i stand corrected.

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

Fair enough
I’m not going to question you on matters regarding the youth system as you’re far more versed than i am
I didn’t think it was common to move so much during your youth career but i stand corrected.

Personally, I can only take a detached, benign view of situations like this. There are a lot of moving parts. It's very difficult for the club & the player to get to the same place at the same time. As a pure, numbers game, Utd have signed two central defenders (Clark & Ahmedhodžić), are in the process of converting a third (RND), and the hope O'Connell may eventually return. Lopata's pathway is increasingly blocked. That's United's choice of course, but comes with consequences.

 

[Keen Blade]

If this lad shows a little patience , it could easily open up for him.
JoC is unrealistic in short term.
Anel could get pinched if he develops.
RND as a CB is a stretch.
Bash is aging.
Clark is aging.
I do like the look of Lopata + hope he stays.

 

[CirenBlade]

Personally, I can only take a detached, benign view of situations like this. There are a lot of moving parts. It's very difficult for the club & the player to get to the same place at the same time. As a pure, numbers game, Utd have signed two central defenders (Clark & Ahmedhodžić), are in the process of converting a third (RND), and the hope O'Connell may eventually return. Lopata's pathway is increasingly blocked. That's United's choice of course, but comes with consequences.

I don't believe his pathway is blocked. He needs at least one, possibly two seasons of development in league 1 or 2. The current first team squad has Clark, Robinson and Basham who may no longer be at SUFC in two years time. That leaves Egan, Anel and RND. To me that is succession planning (hopefully Gordon will succeed Basham).

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Utd have signed two central defenders (Clark & Ahmedhodžić), are in the process of converting a third (RND), and the hope O'Connell may eventually return. Lopata's pathway is increasingly blocked. That's United's choice of course, but comes with consequences.

"Blocked pathway" was an old favourite of yours along with your prediction that you'd never see another of our Academy play in the first team. RND was in the Academy then. Yesterday's Academy lad is today's pathway blocker.

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

"Blocked pathway" was an old favourite of yours along with your prediction that you'd never see another of our Academy play in the first team. RND was in the Academy then. Yesterday's Academy lad is today's pathway blocker.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Maybe he'd rather be contracted long term to the club he's playing for?

Maybe he wants to play in Poland?

Who knows? It's a short career and if a lad who's never played a league minute wants to either let his contract rundown or get a move elsewhere then GLTTL

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

Wouldn't say a blocked pathway.

Basham 34 soon
Robinson a free in summer 23
Clark back to Newcastle in summer 23
RND is a left back at best
Gordon doesn't look nowhere near ready

 

[Champagneblade]

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I’m not inserting myself for awkwardness’ sake, however if you search under Pathway there are plenty of posts where you quite rightly point this out.

It could simply be that it’s just not happening quick enough for Kacper.

Whatever business United have done it has indicated to him ‘not this year’ and maybe a nomadic existence for the next two years isn’t what he’s looking for. If United stay down he may get considered instead of Clark. But even then, he’s not left footed and there is no saying Clark won’t be replaced. He really needs a cash strapped United to sell Egan and to say “it’s yours now” and I’m not sure we’re down to that point financially.

He also seemingly finds himself behind Gordon because Gordon can play a few more mobile roles as well, RCB and even RWB. Given his time at Southend, compared to Gordon’s handful of first team picks due to shortages rather than unstoppable emergence he probably thinks he should be ahead of him.

If United go up, then every chance there will be more reinforcements, so he’s looking at another year on loan and then maybe a chance if United went straight back down.

He could have a Maguire type emergence but he’ll be looking to play. Maybe he wants to find a home? At present, with our formation, he has one slot to go for and that’s a guy who hardly misses any matches and is captain in the absence of Sharp. He faces a prospect of playing League Cup games at best for the next two years.

I can understand United wanting to keep him. But I can also understand that he has a career he wants to forge though it isn’t uncommon to for centre halves to develop later and when you look at Egan, he also had a few loans early on, including us.

You either need him to commit very long term to the project, invest decent wages to show you’re serious or allow him to move. But tagging on a couple of years on Low wages during which he’ll probably be on loan just might not be enough for him.

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

I’m not inserting myself for awkwardness’ sake, however if you search under Pathway there are plenty of posts where you quite rightly point this out.

It could simply be that it’s just not happening quick enough for Kacper.

Whatever business United have done it has indicated to him ‘not this year’ and maybe a nomadic existence for the next two years isn’t what he’s looking for. If United stay down he may get considered instead of Clark. But even then, he’s not left footed and there is no saying Clark won’t be replaced. He really needs a cash strapped United to sell Egan and to say “it’s yours now” and I’m not sure we’re down to that point financially.

He also seemingly finds himself behind Gordon because Gordon can play a few more mobile roles as well, RCB and even RWB. Given his time at Southend, compared to Gordon’s handful of first team picks due to shortages rather than unstoppable emergence he probably thinks he should be ahead of him.

If United go up, then every chance there will be more reinforcements, so he’s looking at another year on loan and then maybe a chance if United went straight back down.

He could have a Maguire type emergence but he’ll be looking to play. Maybe he wants to find a home? At present, with our formation, he has one slot to go for and that’s a guy who hardly misses any matches and is captain in the absence of Sharp. He faces a prospect of playing League Cup games at best for the next two years.

I can understand United wanting to keep him. But I can also understand that he has a career he wants to forge though it isn’t uncommon to for centre halves to develop later and when you look at Egan, he also had a few loans early on, including us.

You either need him to commit very long term to the project, invest decent wages to show you’re serious or allow him to move. But tagging on a couple of years on Low wages during which he’ll probably be on loan just might not be enough for him.

I agree to the extent - it's always going to be a complicated balance. Player & club might not get to the same page at the same time. I get amused by this blocking the pathway stuff. A lot of posters seem to think it is a criticism rather than a simple equation. There are times when you have a chance to sign a player, a good player, a good value player, say Ahmedhodžić. He clearly is now another player on the books who is blocking an Academy graduate.

Why argue? Ahmedhodžić wasn't here, he is now, Lopata's pathway is more blocked than before Ahmedhodžić signed. That's just plus one equals one more. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't have signed Ahmedhodžić, it doesn't mean we mustn't sign anyone in case it blocks a pathway. But, there is now one more player ahead of Lopata, there just is....

 

[BrisBlade]

I’m not inserting myself for awkwardness’ sake, however if you search under Pathway there are plenty of posts where you quite rightly point this out.

It could simply be that it’s just not happening quick enough for Kacper.

Whatever business United have done it has indicated to him ‘not this year’ and maybe a nomadic existence for the next two years isn’t what he’s looking for. If United stay down he may get considered instead of Clark. But even then, he’s not left footed and there is no saying Clark won’t be replaced. He really needs a cash strapped United to sell Egan and to say “it’s yours now” and I’m not sure we’re down to that point financially.

He also seemingly finds himself behind Gordon because Gordon can play a few more mobile roles as well, RCB and even RWB. Given his time at Southend, compared to Gordon’s handful of first team picks due to shortages rather than unstoppable emergence he probably thinks he should be ahead of him.

If United go up, then every chance there will be more reinforcements, so he’s looking at another year on loan and then maybe a chance if United went straight back down.

He could have a Maguire type emergence but he’ll be looking to play. Maybe he wants to find a home? At present, with our formation, he has one slot to go for and that’s a guy who hardly misses any matches and is captain in the absence of Sharp. He faces a prospect of playing League Cup games at best for the next two years.

I can understand United wanting to keep him. But I can also understand that he has a career he wants to forge though it isn’t uncommon to for centre halves to develop later and when you look at Egan, he also had a few loans early on, including us.

You either need him to commit very long term to the project, invest decent wages to show you’re serious or allow him to move. But tagging on a couple of years on Low wages during which he’ll probably be on loan just might not be enough for him.

Completely agree. You raise the valid point that he's mainly competing with Egan (unless I'm mistaken about where he plays). If Egan missed a few games it would be interesting how we'd shuffle the defence and whether Lopata would be in the mix. Anel or Clark could slot in, but I would have loved to see us try Kacper in the cup against WBA.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

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We are an Academy Blocking Club anyway. No Academy player has any chance of making the SUFC First Team in my lifetime. That is because we have become a never contented with our lot club. We are always striving to go upwards to the next level. Or desperately trying to avoid going down a level. To do that we constantly sign player after player after player. Each one we sign goes ahead of an Academy player "in the queue".

Don't buy players, who aren't good enough for the First Team, and who block the pathway for Academy Kids.
I count myself as an "Academy Watcher". Pinchy has excused me in the past from the Bladey Boy Banders. I do have some sympathy with Redhead.

It just feels to me, as a passionate Academy Watcher, that the route to the First Team is blocked by some signings who themselves prove not to be good enough.

Part of the rationale for the Unofficial Roster was to help show when we are Blocked. When the number of players ahead of an Academy prospect is large & full of bit part players. To show when the Pathway to the first team squad is congested.

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

Sorry everyone, I never thought this would turn into Ball_Sup (Phil) The Archives. I'll back off.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Under Wilder I'd have agreed with the 'blocked' line. But it d9es seem to be now tgat there's a true "good enough = old enough" philosophy at the heart of the clubs future plans.

If Lopata was good enough we wouldn't have give Robinson an extension or brought Clark in. If he doesn't agree/doesn't want to wait he'll leave

 

[billyblademan]

Under Wilder I'd have agreed with the 'blocked' line. But it d9es seem to be now tgat there's a true "good enough = old enough" philosophy at the heart of the clubs future plans.

If Lopata was good enough we wouldn't have give Robinson an extension or brought Clark in. If he doesn't agree/doesn't want to wait he'll leave

As good as the reports were from Southend, it's a massive step up to the Championship. I think many of us thought that a loan to a league club, probably even League 1 would be the next step, and he'd be ready to challenge for the shirt next season, if all goes well.

Clearly there's some disagreement to his future. I assume we're wanting to do a Boyes, and extend his contract before loaning him out, so that's where the fallout lies. Maybe he'd rather get a permanent contract with someone than extend with us, and head out on loan again for a year, before coming back to more uncertainty (especially if we go up).

Unless he's desperate to set roots somewhere (no Southend pun intended), I'd have thought extending with us and having a loan would work best, as if it works well and he still wants to get out of Sheffield, he'll be just as able to do so, and get a transfer fee %age as well.

 

[Carlton Blade]

As good as the reports were from Southend, it's a massive step up to the Championship. I think many of us thought that a loan to a league club, probably even League 1 would be the next step, and he'd be ready to challenge for the shirt next season, if all goes well.

Clearly there's some disagreement to his future. I assume we're wanting to do a Boyes, and extend his contract before loaning him out, so that's where the fallout lies. Maybe he'd rather get a permanent contract with someone than extend with us, and head out on loan again for a year, before coming back to more uncertainty (especially if we go up).

Unless he's desperate to set roots somewhere (no Southend pun intended), I'd have thought extending with us and having a loan would work best, as if it works well and he still wants to get out of Sheffield, he'll be just as able to do so, and get a transfer fee %age as well.

It's hard to guess really. But he was called back from a loan he was enjoying only to not see the pitch again for the rest of the season. Might be he just doesn't want to go on loan anywhere

 

[billyblademan]

It's hard to guess really. But he was called back from a loan he was enjoying only to not see the pitch again for the rest of the season. Might be he just doesn't want to go on loan anywhere

Yep was going to add that bit in his defence, but didn't want to ramble too much. Both him and Jebbo clearly got a bit short changed by our injury crisis at the backend of last season - not that I blame United at all for doing so.

It's disappointing if he's happy to sit around on his arse not playing. Maybe we'll find the situation resolves itself before the window shuts, or perhaps there's more to his injury than initially thought.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Yep was going to add that bit in his defence, but didn't want to ramble too much. Both him and Jebbo clearly got a bit short changed by our injury crisis at the backend of last season - not that I blame United at all for doing so.

It's disappointing if he's happy to sit around on his arse not playing. Maybe we'll find the situation resolves itself before the window shuts, or perhaps there's more to his injury than initially thought.

Regardless what happens, I'd say he's as low as 6th or 7th choice for LCB now

 

[BushBlade]

Regardless what happens, I'd say he's as low as 6th or 7th choice for LCB now

Which is why most people expected him to go out on loan, ideally to a L1 club. If he did well, then he’d either be in the squad next season if we don’t go up, or he’d go on loan to the championship if we did. Not dissimilar to RND.
I know 2 years is a long time when you’re that age but I’m surprised he’s not shown a little more patience and trust in the club. We’ve publicly stated we’re looking to develop youth players, we’re actually doing so, with a manager from a youth football background. They’ll definitely be opportunities for him if he signs a new contract, goes on loan and impresses.

 

[bertieblade]

He was brought back from Southend as he was required to provide squad depth, as things turned out he was not required but must realise that he is an employee of the club and at that time it was in the clubs interests to bring him back.
We have to protect our assets if he does not want to sign and extend his contract he must bear the consequences but the club come first.
If I was him I would sign and go out on loan to get more experience and then be in a position to in the long term replace Egan or if not deemed good enough to be moved on.
It could be that the contract offered is considered inadequate in which case he treads water for 12 months and May have problems picking his career back up. We do however seemed to have offered appropriate contracts to others and I can only assume he had a higher opinion of his abilities than we do.
Highest level played is National league

 

[Badger Blade]

A loan is what he needs, he's a big head it, kick it type who would benefit from a long stint playing every week in League 2. It'd also help gauge where he's at regarding whether he's a long term prospect for us or whether that's his level and we let him go.

From his perspective, it's a case of either give me a chance or let me go, when at 21, there are plenty of players elsewhere who have played a decent amount of league football when he hasn't played any. The more he plays, for someone, somewhere, the better for him in the long run. He might be thinking about Harry Maguire's development and why he can't do the same, difference being that we were utter shite at the time he came in and we had nothing to lose by putting him in the team. Not to say that Kacper couldn't but we're not in a no-lose situation like when we were relegated into League One.

Usually some circumstances dictate having to put a youngster into the team through necessity, some sink and others swim but at the moment, it's not a risk we can or need to take.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

 

[Keen Blade]

One more injury at CB and Lopata will be in the squad
Bash looked shaky in the air tonight