RND Experiment

[coolasanidiot]

Never ever again please. 85th Minute maybe - but starter please to God No!

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

He relied heavily on athleticism but has lost too much of it. As a result he doesn't look comfortable at championship level

 

[Gin&Juice]

Agreed. Sadly injuries have ruined him. What a great player, but he’s no where near how good he was a couple years back.

 

[NateDogg]

Yet have we not given him a new contract?

 

[nopigfansintown]

Looks way off it. One of my favourite players too

 

[CaptainMorgans]

It's gutting to see.
He looked like he had a great career ahead of him pre-injury but it isn't looking great for the lad.

He's trying his best, but tonight showed we can't expose him to 90 minutes at this level again.

Hopefully he can get back to his best but it's probably not going to be this season.
Lucky not to be hooked much sooner than HT.

A Blades academy graduate.
Probably needs an arm around him tonight.

 

[jono_t2000]

Didn't rate him all that much before injury, but now he's not even close to Championship level nevermind Prem level if we go up.

Needs to be loaned/sold in summer regardless if go up or not.

 

[Bladesman]

Agreed. Sadly injuries have ruined him. What a great player, but he’s no where near how good he was a couple years back.

Plus we play a different system now and he isn't in a back 3.

 

[FriethBlade]

Didn't rate him all that much before injury, but now he's not even close to Championship level nevermind Prem level if we go up.

Needs to be loaned/sold in summer regardless if go up or not.

Hrs going nowhere, didn't we renew his contract to 2027 and it will be on wages way above what anyone else will pay him now

 

[More Bladier than thou]

Get rid asap. No room for passengers where we are going ….

 

[ATL Recs]

Didn't rate him all that much before injury, but now he's not even close to Championship level nevermind Prem level if we go up.

Needs to be loaned/sold in summer regardless if go up or not.

Agree with all that

 

[bakeblade]

Yet have we not given him a new contract?

3 years

 

[Harry's Game]

If we can arrange a League 2 loan for him before the end of the month it is now probably his level.. he’s lost two yards of pace and his whole game was built around getting up and down the left side at wing back.

I do feel sorry for him with the awful Injuries but we aren’t a charity. He’s done at Championship level.

 

[Bladeloyal]

Lad needs a run of games league b1 loan he needs 10 consecutive games under his belt.dont write him off

 

[Bergen Blade]

Swansea's right winger was a tall, fast and athletic guy, the type who Burrows struggled badly against vs Watford. I think the management sees RND as the defensively strongest, quickest and most aggressive of our left backs when he's in form. Problem is that he is not in form. The yellow card didn't help.

 

[Houston_Blade]

He’s like post Covid Fleck. Needs a run of games to get fit but not fit enough to get a run of games. Shame because he was good.

 

[Wards]

and it will be on wages way above what anyone else will pay him now

I very much doubt that, we'll have offered him relative peanuts given his injury problems.

I'm not writing him off totally but he's a long way being a starter for us. I'd be tempted to try and fix him up with a loan so he can go and play 20+ games somewhere and see where he's at. Assuming we can get cover in of course but we're already pretty stacked down the left.

 

[Lightsoot]

It’s a bit of a lazy narrative to say RND has lost pace because of his injuries. Didn’t stop him ghosting past a Swansea player and whipping a cross in. He got booked and on another day may have conceded a pen, although I’d argue he showed enough battling qualities to do just enough to put their forward off.

His biggest issue is that he’s poor in possession and poor as an attacking threat. His yellow card made him an easy option to bring off.

Overall, the lad lacks match sharpness. I don’t think he’s become terrible overnight, however the decision to show pity and award him another contract looks ill-judged.

 

[Sean Thornton]

He relied heavily on athleticism but has lost too much of it. As a result he doesn't look comfortable at championship level

He looked knackered after ten minutes as well.

 

[knowsnowt]

Jesus fucking christ. He's coming back from a long term injury. Maybe offer him some support?
Threads like this really make me detest some of our so called fans.

 

[Grappler]

Shame, because he used to have pace and aggression in abundance, plus could whip in a cross. A couple of very bad injuries has knocked him back. Hope he can get back to some of his old level of fitness.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Not that much of an experiment playing an experienced left back at left back. He had a poor game and isn't match fit.

He was far from the only one, several players put in shocking performances tonight.

 

[Thrice]

It's always a shame when an athlete gets betrayed by his own body. I agree with people saying he probably needs a loan move. Probably a League One side to regain some confidence.
It's not too late for him, but the clock is ticking.

 

[BerksBlade]

He showed a decent turn of pace on the couple of occasions he got forward

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

He enjoyed a good run under Hecky in 2023 where he was consistently good as a LCB, but as a LWB he was ordinary on his best day.

He's done amazingly well to get back playing football after such a long spell out and perhaps, had we got a big enough squad, he could've continued his rehabilitation with a loan at a local, top half L1 side to get his match sharpness back.

 

[Wards]

It must be incredibly difficult to get back up to the speed of a Championship game after so long out. Way too early to write him off but the major problem is that he isn't likely to get that run of games with us that he desperately needs.

 

[Harry's Game]

He’s like post Covid Fleck. Needs a run of games to get fit but not fit enough to get a run of games. Shame because he was good.

I think the analogy is more post leg break Coutts.

 

[Addison]

Swansea's right winger was a tall, fast and athletic guy, the type who Burrows struggled badly against vs Watford. I think the management sees RND as the defensively strongest, quickest and most aggressive of our left backs when he's in form. Problem is that he is not in form. The yellow card didn't help.

Very astute summary BB. Both McCallum and Burrows have struggled against pacy wingers Doak at Middlesbrough springs to mind as do Weeds wingers. I agree on the logic of CW and his staff looking at RND as an option but he looks a shadow of his former self now. McCallum left side midfield in front of Burrows whilst Hamer is out has to be the option but we really have to get at least one new midfield recruit through the door asap. If Souza is going to struggle with fitness then 2 may be needed because we can't rely on getting 18 more games out of Tom Davis with his injury record.