Looking promising

[ChipButtyBlade]

Will we all be back down to earth on Friday nite ? do we ever get anything at Birmingham.

 

[Bladesthorpe]

Freeman loan confirmed

United can confirm the departure of Luke Freeman to fellow Championship side Millwall on loan until the end of the season.

www.sufc.co.uk

Cheers for that I missed it, more good news another also ran off the books for this season.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Looking at some of the signings other clubs have made it’s not a great transfer window for us especially as the most exciting transfer is moose leaving.

Blades way though.

Let’s get to them play offs!

On the face of it (depending how the new guys settle in) i think we've had a terrific window.

We've got shut of two goalkeepers who weren't good enough and replaced them with one who is hopefully competent enough and can compete with Fodringham for the number 1 spot.

They've got shot of another two, Mousett and Burke, who I think have attitude problems and we're well rid of them. It's just a shame we couldn't have got shut of Burge at the same time, then we'd have purged the squad of lazyitis.

Top bit of business, hopefully, is the signing of Goode. We've been crying out for the dominant centre half, who'll give the rest of them a bollocking when required and if he does what it says on the can, then that position's sorted.

For me, he comes in to play alongside Bash and Egan. I think some fans need to get away from this left foot-right foot balance in the defence. It's nice if you can get it but no way is it essential (another right footed centre back who plays on the left, Harry Maguire). At the end of the day the barometer is how many clean sheets the defence keeps not what foot they kick with. Throw Davies into the mix for centre half (although he could play LWB) and it's one of those nice problems managers like to have. I remember Wilder's first season in charge and he had to perm 3 from Bash, JOC, EEL and Wright, and that seemed to work well. Better to have too many to choose from than not enough.

It's also good to see Jebbison recalled.

SUFC have had some f***ing horrendous windows in the past (especially JTW), this one I think has been one of the better ones.

 

[bakeblade]

Don't think it has been a bad transfer window myself we have made a start on clearing out some of the crap and made a significant cut to the wage bill while bringing in decent options for keeper and centre back. Shame we couldn't have moved a couple more on Stevens and Freeman spring to mind as they are not going to get any better. Glad we still have Sander Berge I still think alongside MGW and Ndiaye he could be part of a very good midfield for this level.

Yes a decent window although with a cost cutting slant, we've certainly trimmed the squad with Freeman and Guedioura also leaving.
I just think we've left ourselves too light up front with Brewster injured, personally I'd have left Jebbo at Burton and brought in Forss from Brentford.

 

[Stu_Blade]

Pretty sure you can only exercise recall options in January of a season long loan. And junior one month loans. I don’t think 6 month loans carry that option

Fair one off the wage bill. Definitely a good option with Freeman least we will be saving near on 5 months.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Will we all be back down to earth on Friday nite ? do we ever get anything at Birmingham.

My thoughts exactly. I think I've been to St Andrews 7 or 8 times over the years, lost them all apart from when Kendall was in charge. Easter 1996, 1-0 win, Andy Walker goal, if I remember correctly.

 

[Blacksea]

The business we have done is all about cost cutting,we needed players shipping out and this was priority,what we brought in was the bare minimum needed to not be short.There is no evidence we are in a position to push the boat out like plenty of our rivals have done,and who knows if we will.

 

[Old Programme seller]

As most of you know I am no clapper but in all reality I don't see how we could have done better this window.
Olsen , Verrips , Guediora , Burke , Freeman , MooseFat out.
GK Davies , Goode , Jebbo in.
MGW , Ndiaye retained
We couldn't let McKnob go due to Brewster's injury.
We've strengthened the spine + cleared some spineless ones out.
Hecky has done well here , there's no doubt.
Just need CB Davies , MGW & Brewster back fit + I reckon the mood will pick up quite well.
No idea about winning games + getting into POs , but my swingometer is on the turn , back to some positivity towards a more balanced squad and a manager who's following the hopes & fears of most on here with regard to which players to ship out + which to retain.

I totally agree it’s a good transition we’ve moved out some of the chaff and hopefully retained some wheat it’s been needing to be done but for many reasons it’s taken longer than we’d hoped for but there’s a clearer vision hopefully it helps us financially but we have quite a few loan players so not too sure about the exact deals but for me it’s a positive.

 

[Eric_Brooks]

Not many teams are going to be better off with paying less wages coming out of a transfer window yet also look alot stronger.

 

[Silent Blade]

My thoughts exactly. I think I've been to St Andrews 7 or 8 times over the years, lost them all apart from when Kendall was in charge. Easter 1996, 1-0 win, Andy Walker goal, if I remember correctly.

My first visit to St Andrews.



My second visit in Aug 1972 Won 2-1 with goals from Hockey and Woody

 

[Old Programme seller]

Apart from a few teams everyone will be trying to cut costs some players will still be on contracts from before the pandemic, for me I’m glad that we’re cutting costs for players that aren’t playing well for us and moving them on, I can’t turn back time on last season but if we haven’t got money we are doing the right thing by looking to change things now.

 

[Carlton Blade]

I'm still expecting a lot from Berge

Why?

 

[Boxer Blade]

Because he's a very talented footballer who cost a lot of money and apparently a
few clubs around Europe fancied hiim, a player of his ability playing in the championship, we should be building our team around such a talent, you obviously don't see it, opinions I suppose.

 

[Aston max]

My first visit to St Andrews.



My second visit in Aug 1972 Won 2-1 with goals from Hockey and Woody

View attachment 129315

What we wouldn't give to have a hockey in the side now

 

[BrisBlade]

Most of the squad we're left with seem to want to be here and fight for a shirt. I'm hoping that rubs off on Berge and McBurnie. I may be deluded, but if Hecky can get them playing to their potential the back half of the season will be a good watch.

 

[Champagneblade]

Because he's a very talented footballer who cost a lot of money and apparently a
few clubs around Europe fancied hiim, a player of his ability playing in the championship, we should be building our team around such a talent, you obviously don't see it, opinions I suppose.

Unfortunately not many fancied him at 22m and they still don't or he wouldn't still be here!

I think a lot of us like the idea of Berge being good without having that much evidence! It's almost like the whole so far has been less than the sum of its parts rather than the opposite.

He'll probably look back on his career and think if he'd gone elsewhere to another country he could have enjoyed a totally different outcome.

For him to leave he needs to play well so we can get a good return on him. But if he is playing well, then it will likely decrease our desire to see him leave. Likewise if he's playing poorly, we'd probably like to offload him but we'll be reluctant to sell as offers will reflect his level of performance so he'll stay which leaves us still hoping his performances improve.

How would you term this? Like some paradoxical viscious circle?!

I'm also not sure where he fits in when everyone is fit.

I think on Sheff United Way, york blade was waxing lyrical how great it would be to imagine Jebbo, Brewster and N'Diaye together with Gibbs-White in behind. But you run out of slots. If we stick with 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3, whatever it is right now, you can have 3 from 4 of Jebbo, Brewster, N'Diaye and Gibbs-White but you can't have all 4. Unless you shoehorn Gibbs-White into the midfield two. You have one midfield spot free. Can that go to Berge?

Foderingham
Basham Egan Davies
Bogle MGW Berge Stevens
N'Diaye
Brewster Jebbison

That would require Norwood, Hourihane and Sharp, all mainstays of late, all dropping out. It's quite plausible that Jebbo starts as Brewster is out so him and Sharp. But we aren't dropping Norwood. I'm not convinced we are dropping Hourihane either and if we do it will more likely be for Fleck.

We might end up with Gibbs-White on the no 10 and N'Diaye just off Sharp with Jebbo off the bench realistically.

So where does Berge get minutes once fit?

 

[bongleblade]

Unfortunately not many fancied him at 22m and they still don't or he wouldn't still be here!

I think a lot of us like the idea of Berge being good without having that much evidence! It's almost like the whole so far has been less than the sum of its parts rather than the opposite.

He'll probably look back on his career and think if he'd gone elsewhere to another country he could have enjoyed a totally different outcome.

For him to leave he needs to play well so we can get a good return on him. But if he is playing well, then it will likely decrease our desire to see him leave. Likewise if he's playing poorly, we'd probably like to offload him but we'll be reluctant to sell as offers will reflect his level of performance so he'll stay which leaves us still hoping his performances improve.

How would you term this? Like some paradoxical viscious circle?!

I'm also not sure where he fits in when everyone is fit.

I think on Sheff United Way, york blade was waxing lyrical how great it would be to imagine Jebbo, Brewster and N'Diaye together with Gibbs-White in behind. But you run out of slots. If we stick with 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-3, whatever it is right now, you can have 3 from 4 of Jebbo, Brewster, N'Diaye and Gibbs-White but you can't have all 4. Unless you shoehorn Gibbs-White into the midfield two. You have one midfield spot free. Can that go to Berge?

Foderingham
Basham Egan Davies
Bogle MGW Berge Stevens
N'Diaye
Brewster Jebbison

That would require Norwood, Hourihane and Sharp, all mainstays of late, all dropping out. It's quite plausible that Jebbo starts as Brewster is out so him and Sharp. But we aren't dropping Norwood. I'm not convinced we are dropping Hourihane either and if we do it will more likely be for Fleck.

We might end up with Gibbs-White on the no 10 and N'Diaye just off Sharp with Jebbo off the bench realistically.

So where does Berge get minutes once fit?

Easy… just rotate between Ndiaye / Jebbison / MGW / Brewster … we won’t have all 4 on but also the fixtures are piling up due to our long winter covid lay off, plus injuries and form. Very unlikely all forwards will be available at any one time regardless and we will need options

IMO Sharp and Jebbo should probably be the bench warmers once all attackers are fit, hopefully only 2-3 weeks away!

 

[Booker4]

My thoughts exactly. I think I've been to St Andrews 7 or 8 times over the years, lost them all apart from when Kendall was in charge. Easter 1996, 1-0 win, Andy Walker goal, if I remember correctly.

We won there in about 1998 boxing day I recall Devlin scored for us, it was either 1 nil or 2 nil, can't remember now? We drew there in the promotion season under Wilder.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

We won there in about 1998 boxing day I recall Devlin scored for us, it was either 1 nil or 2 nil, can't remember now? We drew there in the promotion season under Wilder.

Remember thinking it was a good point in the promotion season under CW, given our atrocious record at Brum. I went the season before when we lost 2-1, missed Duffy's early goal, then sat through an abject 80 mins, when we had to win to have any chance of the play offs.

I'd forgotten all about the Devlin win there. That'll be about two wins there in my lifetime.

 

[corner_flag]

cherry on the cake would’ve been Coulibaly returning to bolster the midfield options, but yep pretty much a 10/10 window

Returning? Don't think he's ever even been to Sheffield.
Also not sure how a player making minimal impact in a minor European League would bolster our midfield in the English Championship