Kevin McCabe: Another big, big opportunity

[Pinchy]

Sorry 257, you can settle for honest but limited triers if you want; I'll go for proper players.
The best midfielders attack and defend, maybe they favour one discipline but they can do both and the best teams have an attacking midfielder who also puts his foot in complemented by a more defensive player who can play a bit as well. Some Blades have written a special job description which exempts Monty from all but the most basic requirements of a decent midfielder. A few of us are not so easily pleased [or fooled].

 

[Micalijo]

Sorry 257, you can settle for honest but limited triers if you want; I'll go for proper players.
The best midfielders attack and defend, maybe they favour one discipline but they can do both and the best teams have an attacking midfielder who also puts his foot in complemented by a more defensive player who can play a bit as well. Some Blades have written a special job description which exempts Monty from all but the most basic requirements of a decent midfielder. A few of us are not so easily pleased [or fooled].

Great stuff Pinchy - very eloquent description of the situation regarding Monty

It seems to me that people assume there are no other players out there who can make sensible defensive decisions (which I don't think Monty does all that much anyway), get around the pitch and also make simple/effective/constructive passes.

 

[Guesty]

Aye, it's not like any of Monty's team mates, who are better placed than any of us to judge, rate.

Oh, wait.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Why was he voted players player of the year Guesty?

Otherwise how do you backup that comment? They are hardly going to come out and say they think he's poop are they?

 

[Willie Carlin]

More than anything it's about organisation and getting a team and squad in place in the next few weeks.
We really do not want any more of that bollocks about not knowing until the end of August or waiting til contracts run out or let's see what we can do in the loan window.
Get down to it now. We know we need a lot of players so let's nail them down.
We also know that a small degree of investment/risk might pay major dividends. Not massive but given the state of the league it's really worth a go.
The season after next, who knows who's coming down (another WBA and Newcastle scenario?) or if they might have the luxury of four years' parachute payments in the bank.
Next season is likely to present the best opportunity for some time.

Blackwell's got a meeting with the full squad today so I think the players not being retained will be on their way. At the forums they said they had a list of players they would be targeting so we will have to wait and see.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Blackwell's got a meeting with the full squad today so I think the players not being retained will be on their way. At the forums they said they had a list of players they would be targeting so we will have to wait and see.

Hopefully it won't be the players saying their goodbyes..............

 

[GoldCoast Blade]

One thing i agree on is the fact we need to sign players early. With so many needed it will be impossible for them to all to click if signed too late.

 

[super_pig]

>Funny how Monty always finds himself back in the team
yeah that's our problem imo.. btw the list i gave wasn't exclusively centre mids.. it was to point out that there are quality midfield players at this level.. you 'can' find them if you look hard enough

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I've not been around here for a couple of months but nice to see the Monty debate never changes ! For me it's quite simple;

Does Monty do a decent job - yes
Do his fellow professionals appreciate him - yes
Is he the best man for the job he does currently at the club (the old excuse also used for Tongy) - quite possibly

given the above, he gets his place in the team, and rarely lets us down.

BUT - is there someone out there who could do the job better - of course there is.

Wanting to replace Monty is not necessarily 'Monty-knocking'.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I've not been around here for a couple of months but nice to see the Monty debate never changes ! For me it's quite simple;

Does Monty do a decent job - yes
Do his fellow professionals appreciate him - yes
Is he the best man for the job he does currently at the club (the old excuse also used for Tongy) - quite possibly

given the above, he gets his place in the team, and rarely lets us down.

BUT - is there someone out there who could do the job better - of course there is.

Wanting to replace Monty is not necessarily 'Monty-knocking'.

You see I would say this over the majority of this season he hasn't done a decent job. For me he gets found out against the better midfielders in the division as he did against Swansea.
I suppose the important question is where are we building a team for, if it is for promotion I think he's a squad player and I don't think we should break our wage budget for him.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

You see I would say this over the majority of this season he hasn't done a decent job. For me he gets found out against the better midfielders in the division as he did against Swansea.
I suppose the important question is where are we building a team for, if it is for promotion I think he's a squad player and I don't think we should break our wage budget for him.

It will certainly be interesting to see how far we go to keep him.

No doubt KB would like him as a central part of his plans but to me it's a very similar situation to that with Tongy, he kept getting picked because he was the best player we had for that position, rather than looking at what he actually brought to the game week in week out.

 

[lenners]

Blackwell's got a meeting with the full squad today so I think the players not being retained will be on their way. At the forums they said they had a list of players they would be targeting so we will have to wait and see.

Can't see we've got that many left to wave goodbye to.
Once all the loanees and short-term contract players have gone we haven't got much more than a single first 11.

 

[Foxy]

It will certainly be interesting to see how far we go to keep him.

He's already got at least one offer on more money than the Blades offering, so we shall see

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Can't see we've got that many left to wave goodbye to.
Once all the loanees and short-term contract players have gone we haven't got much more than a single first 11.

A month or so ago, there was talk of 9 contracted players remaining, I think Birch said it was 14 t'other week.

Given there's a few 'kids' in there, injury doubts over the likes of Willo, France etc, you'd have to presume that we're going to be looking at bringing in 8 to 10 and we may need to sell one or two of the contracted players to fund it. Major re-shuffle again although you could easily see 5 or 6 of the team who started on Sunday doing the same next season.

 

[JohnDenver]

...it's a very similar situation to that with Tongy, he kept getting picked because he was the best player we had for that position, rather than looking at what he actually brought to the game week in week out.

Tongey brought us his splay-footed genius. What more could we ask for?

Bring back Tongey!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Tongey brought us his splay-footed genius. What more could we ask for?

Bring back Tongey!

and would I be at all surprised to see him back with us next season, not at all.

 

[JohnDenver]

and would I be at all surprised to see him back with us next season, not at all.

We can't afford his wages these days. Unless Stoke pay him off he'll end up at a wealthier club than ours.

I'd say we might eventually get him back when his legs have gone, but that happened to him aged 19.

The bring back Tongey campaign starts here.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We can't afford his wages these days. Unless Stoke pay him off he'll end up at a wealthier club than ours.

I'd say we might eventually get him back when his legs have gone, but that happened to him aged 19.

The bring back Tongey campaign starts here.

Must be time for the Browny rumours surely.

Mind you, what with his goal fest towards the end of the season, he'll probably be able to eek another season in the Prem somewhere.

 

[raul]

Kozzy out of contract, and where's Benty these days?

 

[Maidenhead]

I've not been around here for a couple of months but nice to see the Monty debate never changes ! For me it's quite simple;

Does Monty do a decent job - yes
Do his fellow professionals appreciate him - yes
Is he the best man for the job he does currently at the club (the old excuse also used for Tongy) - quite possibly

given the above, he gets his place in the team, and rarely lets us down.

BUT - is there someone out there who could do the job better - of course there is.

Wanting to replace Monty is not necessarily 'Monty-knocking'.

Steven Gerrard could probably do that job for us.

Whoops, hang on, he said Monty was his most difficult opponent the season we were in the prem so he can't be that good either ;-)

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

It was Fat Frank wasn't it ;-)

 

[Maidenhead]

It was Fat Frank wasn't it ;-)

Whoops, Frank as well?

Another crap premiership midfielder rates him. It just gets worse ;-)

 

[Revolution]

Steven Gerrard could probably do that job for us.

Whoops, hang on, he said Monty was his most difficult opponent the season we were in the prem so he can't be that good either ;-)

I remember that game. We lost 4-0, and difficult opponent Monty gave away a penalty by fouling Gerrard. Gerrard then completed the scoring with a goal from outside the box. Yeh, he really bottled him up that day.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Yeah I find top class premiership player only make patronising comments about the real cream of the crop.

Funny that Gerrard seems to rate Monty higher than Essien. I wonder if Chelsea are up for a swap?

 

[Kev Gee]

Unfortunatley i think we will end up with 4 or 5 permanent signings & then around another 3 or 4 long term loans. with the rest being short term loans throughout the season.

We will then have that old chesnut - We Tried to sign 'X' but his demands were too high......

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Unfortunatley i think we will end up with 4 or 5 permanent signings & then around another 3 or 4 long term loans. with the rest being short term loans throughout the season.

We will then have that old chesnut - We Tried to sign 'X' but his demands were too high......

I'd sign Kyle B up for the season, he seems to be gaining confidence and is what Morgs needs alongside him IMO. He pretty much put himself in the frame over the weekend as well.

Back to your point, don't forget Blackie will be asking his scouts to draw up a list of potential targets around the middle of August

 

[Micalijo]

I'd sign Kyle B up for the season, he seems to be gaining confidence and is what Morgs needs alongside him IMO. He pretty much put himself in the frame over the weekend as well.

Back to your point, don't forget Blackie will be asking his scouts to draw up a list of potential targets around the middle of August

Call me a miserable sod, as plenty do obviously, but I just cannot see the funny side to your last point, which will undoubtedly be the case. The only possible humour will be in listening to Blackwell's pathetic excuses about clubs not doing business and everything lined up but we couldn't agree terms with his agent etc etc.

 

[Kev Gee]

Call me a miserable sod, as plenty do obviously, but I just cannot see the funny side to your last point, which will undoubtedly be the case. The only possible humour will be in listening to Blackwell's pathetic excuses about clubs not doing business and everything lined up but we couldn't agree terms with his agent etc etc.

I think we see plenty of that TBH. Mainly as the Playing Staff budget is being slashed.

 

[Foxy]

Of course, there are no legitimate "excuses" for not signing 'X' because all players are on a shelf waiting to simply be purchased like a trip round Tescos

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Of course, there are no legitimate "excuses" for not signing 'X' because all players are on a shelf waiting to simply be purchased like a trip round Tescos

But that was Blackwells excuse for last season, and his reasoning for the loan situation. So he can't really try playing the same card again, if he is indeed in charge next season.