Outgoing? SANDER BERGE ON WAY OUT ?

[Mouth of the South]

I’ve got a mate who claims that is confirmed Sander is going and a deal has been agreed - he doesn’t know anything else. He’s not been in the know before and usually just gets his information from on here

Whether he plays tomorrow will be a good indicator unless the training ground causes yet another "hamstring" injury

 

[Champagneblade]

Not sure if I've read you correctly CB, but I'm not sure why you assume we have to "recover" the remaining £52 million we've spent?

We were awarded the monies as a PL club. We've spent it

Yes, we have liabilities now as a Championship club that means we have to run a much tighter ship and we still need to service those outstanding liabilities, but to assume we have to "recover" the remaining £52m surely is not correct?

We spent £117m of which we paid a proportion of that off in transfer fees and further payments during the time spent in the PL, so having spent £117m we didn't owe £117m when relegated. Neither did we borrow £117m to acquire these players. The money was given to the club as PL member club, TV revenue, sponsorship and PL finishing positions.

The clubs liabilities today in my view, don't amount to the difference in what we've spent on players against what we've brought in on selling players.

I'm pretty sure that are we in such a mess that we are £52m that needs to be recovered, we would be spending the rumoured £3m on Anel rising to £5m?

Nothing anywhere near as deep as that.

More thinking on the lines of if we successfully invest in players then we shouldn't be walking away with a huge trading loss.

40m down the pan on Freeman, Robinson, Burke, Mousset and McBurnie is abject.

If they'd been good we wouldn't have been selling them on at a loss or they'd have been pushing us straight back up. They've done neither. As it is they've been duds apart from a short purple patch in the case of Mousse and McBurnie in the first season but in the grand scheme very little return in terms of goals and assists for what we paid.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Hecky has already said we can't and won't replace Berge so why any blade thinks selling him at any price is in the interests of the club I don't know.

 

[BushBlade]

I think a replacement for Berge answering the wrong question.

If we're playing 5-3-2 then he's a CM and not the greatest ain that position. I suspect Doyle slots in there.
If we're playing 5-2-1-2 or 5-2-2-1 then we already have McAtee, Ndiaye and Khadra for the AMC position

Now, the question should be, can we replace Berge with 1-2 CMs who would replace/push Fleck and Norwood? If we could get x for Berge and then bring in 2 who meet that criteria with the money we get to spend then it's a no brainer

Would not McAtee be the replacement for Berge? I don't see us signing another for Berge if he leaves, you've also got Khadra and Ndiaye who can play the attacking mid role. I wouldn't be surprised to see us sign a left sided centre mid if Berge leaves and thereby have more competition for Fleck. Osborn is injured and is never going to oust Fleck from the midfield.

This is what I’m struggling with at the moment. Where do we fit them in, especially if we’re playing 352 or 3511. Doyle is a CM who can apparently play as a 10, McAtee is supposed to be a 10 and so is Khadra, if we’re playing 5 at the back.
So why are we persisting with a flat midfield three but signing, more or less, three players for a position we don’t use.

Is it that Hecky is trying to play a system that gets the best out of Berge so we get a decent offer and get rid?

I can’t wait for the window to close so we’ve at least got some certainty over who’s in the squad and who’s left.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

If we want a like for like replacement then Onomah from Fulham is an option, he's left out of their squad

A quality LWB may actually be the wisest place to strengthen with the proceeds

A CM on a permanent basis is also surely a must..... but to replace Fkeck or Norwood? Either for me, depends what we could get

 

[BushBlade]

Nothing anywhere near as deep as that.

More thinking on the lines of if we successfully invest in players then we shouldn't be walking away with a huge trading loss.

40m down the pan on Freeman, Robinson, Burke, Mousset and McBurnie is abject.

If they'd been good we wouldn't have been selling them on at a loss or they'd have been pushing us straight back up. They've done neither. As it is they've been duds apart from a short purple patch in the case of Mousse and McBurnie in the first season but in the grand scheme very little return in terms of goals and assists for what we paid.

It’s poor but, as I’ve said before, when Covid struck and the transfer market in the championship collapsed, it cost us. If the same mistakes had been made two seasons earlier, we’d have just offloaded Robinson, Freeman, maybe McB and Moose if we were lucky, to championship clubs desperate to go up. I doubt we’d have gone near Burke if we could have sold Robinson for straight cash.
We’d have lost a bit but nothing like we actually have.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

If we want a like for like replacement then Onomah from Fulham is an option, he's left out of their squad

A quality LWB may actually be the wisest place to strengthen with the proceeds

A CM on a permanent basis is also surely a must..... but to replace Fkeck or Norwood? Either for me, depends what we could get

I would say onomah at Fulham is a great signing even if we don't sell him

 

[MJM]

Whether he plays tomorrow will be a good indicator unless the training ground causes yet another "hamstring" injury

Stinks of rammers last season.

Spot on.

 

[robbiez666]

This is what I’m struggling with at the moment. Where do we fit them in, especially if we’re playing 352 or 3511. Doyle is a CM who can apparently play as a 10, McAtee is supposed to be a 10 and so is Khadra, if we’re playing 5 at the back.
So why are we persisting with a flat midfield three but signing, more or less, three players for a position we don’t use.

Is it that Hecky is trying to play a system that gets the best out of Berge so we get a decent offer and get rid?

I can’t wait for the window to close so we’ve at least got some certainty over who’s in the squad and who’s left.

I guess we could be waiting until everyone is fully match fit to play 5-2-1-2 but We could have just played Ndiaye there and Brewster and Jebbo/Sharp up top.

This is the thing with Sander. He doesn't really fit in with the way we play, never has and I don't think ever will. He's good in a flat 3 going forward, he isn't coming back. Not sure he has the acceleration/speed of thought to play as a AMC where we seem to want small nippy players.

 

[SwindonBladeJnr]

Hecky has already said we can't and won't replace Berge so why any blade thinks selling him at any price is in the interests of the club I don't know.

I accept that if a 'good' bid comes in we will sell, and I wouldn't bear a grudge either with the club or Sander, but what concerns me a little bit is the assumption that after we sell, Hecky automatically gets a healthy chunk of cash and we get a couple of quality players in as a result.

The reality is that buying quality (i.e. better than our current first 11) is easier said than done (at this level), and regardless of whether you think Berge influences games as much or as regularly as his talent suggests he should, we're not signing anything close ability wise on a perm whilst ever we are in the Championship.

Even if we get a decent wedge for him, replacing him and/or strengthening the team afterwards is no foregone conclusion. I'd rather he saw this season out with us.

 

[Luke1993]

I would say onomah at Fulham is a great signing even if we don't sell him

Agreed, good player.

 

[Macfarlane21]

If we sell him, I'd like to think he goes for 22.5-25m minimum. Lets say of that money that Hecky gets half, approx 10m to find a replacement(s). My concern then is with the ever growing value of Championship level players and other clubs aware of our rough budget, who do we sign?

Like many have speculated, I am sure that Hecky already has a list of players he's put together.

 

[Yogi]

Think we already have the replacement (at least in Hecky’s mind) at the club. It’s obvious we have signed McAtee, Khadra and arguably Doyle, not only with competition for places in mind, but also on the possibility of Berge departing.

If he goes, I’d be very surprised if we are suddenly in the market for somebody else. I think the steps have been taken from the club’s perspective for this already.

I’d be disappointed if we aren’t active in the market if he goes. Not saying it should be a Berge replacement or even in the same position but it would be a massive cash influx for the club and some of it should be invested in acquiring assets which can hopefully be developed and later sold for a profit. If we don’t do so we run the risk of becoming very asset poor.

 

[MobileBlade]

I think a replacement for Berge answering the wrong question.

If we're playing 5-3-2 then he's a CM and not the greatest ain that position. I suspect Doyle slots in there.
If we're playing 5-2-1-2 or 5-2-2-1 then we already have McAtee, Ndiaye and Khadra for the AMC position

Now, the question should be, can we replace Berge with 1-2 CMs who would replace/push Fleck and Norwood? If we could get x for Berge and then bring in 2 who meet that criteria with the money we get to spend then it's a no brainer

If we buy two Stefan Scougal's, would this be the equivalent of one Berge? (Not talking ability!!)

 

[Luke1993]

If he goes we need upgrades/replacements/competition for fleck and Norwood and maybe a rwb on loan. Think we should look at players who aren't getting in at forest, Bournemouth and Fulham etc. Onomah is a good example. Unless we look abroad where there is undoubtedly better value for money.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Typical that Bmouth have started playing Pearson. Moore also involved. How about Dembele ?

Wonder if Forest will let Surridge out ? Lyle Taylor surely available

 

[nopigfansintown]

Plus Berge is carrying water for our entire midfield…

People constantly ignore this patently obvious fact. Fleck and Norwood are done after an hour tops. Berge drops back as we get overworked to help them out. His influence going forward then wanes. At home teams often let us have the ball ( to a point) so this happens less as our players are fresher for longer.

 

[247Blade]

If we buy two Stefan Scougal's, would this be the equivalent of one Berge? (Not talking ability!!)

What to sit on their shoulders with an oversized shirt

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

How about Massengo from bristol? Good pedigree and some similarities, probably available

 

[Booker4]

Those saying that if Sander goes we'll hopefully see half of the fee for hecky to spend as he sees fit may be a tad disappointed in my view. Let's say we get £20m. Of that we'll only see maybe half up front, so that leaves us half of that for a new signing at best. You've got wages, signing on fees, agents fees etc as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Sander goes, especially if it's in the last few days of the window, that we don't sign anyone. With Khadra and McAtee just sat on their arses as it stands they'll likely be more involved. I'd love to think we'll sign someone else where hecky sees fit, like I want with competition for Fleck, I'm just not so sure that'll happen although that's me changing my mind from earlier I know!

At least Berge is playing well and justifying his fee, the same can't be said regrettably about others, we need Brewster and Mcburnie to start showing why they were so highly rated when we signed them. If not either is well above Darius Henderson as the biggest waste of transfer fee in my time! I still rate both but it's time both delivered, obviously.

 

[Belvedere Blade]

Exclusive: Brighton among PL clubs to join Sheffield United transfer race as concerns emerge

Interest is growing in Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge – with Brighton and multiple other Premier League clubs facing competition from France and Germany – but any deal will have to reflect the concerns about his long-term fitness, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

footballleagueworld.co.uk

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Exclusive: Brighton among PL clubs to join Sheffield United transfer race as concerns emerge

Interest is growing in Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge – with Brighton and multiple other Premier League clubs facing competition from France and Germany – but any deal will have to reflect the concerns about his long-term fitness, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

footballleagueworld.co.uk

No deal has reflect anything if his release clause isn’t met and we don’t want to sell.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

I would say if any prospective buying club are concerned about his fitnees and future fitness then they should go and look elsewhere.

Cocks always trying to knock you down,pay the asking price or f/off.

 

[Bladesman]

Exclusive: Brighton among PL clubs to join Sheffield United transfer race as concerns emerge

Interest is growing in Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge – with Brighton and multiple other Premier League clubs facing competition from France and Germany – but any deal will have to reflect the concerns about his long-term fitness, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

footballleagueworld.co.uk

If Brighton want him they can pay top dollar for him or a money and player deal that sees Khadra sign permanently.

 

[Frank the tank]

 

[Seth Rollins]

People constantly ignore this patently obvious fact. Fleck and Norwood are done after an hour tops. Berge drops back as we get overworked to help them out. His influence going forward then wanes. At home teams often let us have the ball ( to a point) so this happens less as our players are fresher for longer.

Fleck & Norwood should be done full stop. They are both stealing a wage.

 

[robbiez666]

Those saying that if Sander goes we'll hopefully see half of the fee for hecky to spend as he sees fit may be a tad disappointed in my view. Let's say we get £20m. Of that we'll only see maybe half up front, so that leaves us half of that for a new signing at best. You've got wages, signing on fees, agents fees etc as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Sander goes, especially if it's in the last few days of the window, that we don't sign anyone. With Khadra and McAtee just sat on their arses as it stands they'll likely be more involved. I'd love to think we'll sign someone else where hecky sees fit, like I want with competition for Fleck, I'm just not so sure that'll happen although that's me changing my mind from earlier I know!

At least Berge is playing well and justifying his fee, the same can't be said regrettably about others, we need Brewster and Mcburnie to start showing why they were so highly rated when we signed them. If not either is well above Darius Henderson as the biggest waste of transfer fee in my time! I still rate both but it's time both delivered, obviously.

I can imagine us spending £5 million on players, but not 10 in that scenario. I don't think you need to spend that big in all honesty.

 

[Champagneblade]

I would say if any prospective buying club are concerned about his fitnees and future fitness then they should go and look elsewhere.

Cocks always trying to knock you down,pay the asking price or f/off.

Exactly. He had one injury on the back of one incident. Otherwise he's available all the time. He doesn't disappear for the odd game through minor niggles.

 

[1889]

The more clubs that are interested, the more likely someone will trigger his release clause, which is the only way I can see him leave in this window. Fees that are currently being paid for players are getting ridiculous, so £35m is achievable and at that price he would be good business for all concerned.

 

[Sheff de party]

Fleck & Norwood should be done full stop. They are both stealing a wage.

How on earth is Norwood stealing a wage?

Or are you joking and I’ve missed it…