Sheffield United and the Cult of Brayford

[Woodwardfan]

I keep seeing mentioned on Twitter that we are "stepping up interest" in Eoin Doyle. Could Clough be spending that much cash this window? He's already mentioned he wants 4, or do you think if a deal for O'Grady falls through, Doyle's his back up?

There's a case to say we need both, and maybe there would be a balancing outgoing player - the only saleable players may be: Reed, Reed and Reed.

 

[Bart the Blade]

Surely not? Heard before chez could be interested in Higgo. Theres enough rumour to suggest that there could be some truth in it. Selling Reed would be a no no. Too young and too much of a prospect in my view.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

clough got hammered in the summer for signing a shit load of cheap players most of which have turned out to be less than sparkling. I would prefer 1 decent player over 3-4 shite ones who are no better than what we already have

Sparkled on Wednesday night.

Why they are dull in the league is the £1.5M question.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Disagree with this so much

Without our academy graduates (Jagielka, Naughton, Lowton, Maguire etc), we would probably have finished a couple of places lower in every one of our last ten seasons. Many of our favourite footballing memories would not have taken place.

The academy helps not just the Sheffield United team but also the England team!

Besides one day (now under the Prince?) we might not have to sell the graduates and hold on to our future Premier League players.

Obviously this figure ignores the money our academy brings in through transfer fees. It also ignores the amount of money the academy saves us - for example if we didn't have Louis Reed this season we would need to sign an extra midfielder - an extra transfer fee and undoubtedly they'd be on higher wages than a 17-year-old.

On paper the academy is a great idea. We are in the wrong league to make the best of it.

As a Premiershiip club I'm sure we could keep a 'Blades' team together and not have to sell.

Hull are one of the richest 40 clubs in the world now with more money than the likes of Lazio.

At the moment Reed will be sold at some point, simple finances will dictate that but Premership football would give him the opportunity to be the next Badger/Woodward.

 

[judge]

Thought the academy was supposed to be self sustaining
that was the whole point of opening it
Plus McCabe and the holding company own it so why would the prince have to pump 8m in to keep it running along with the stadium he doesn't own

Something doesn't add up
McCabe had a lot of stick for transferring the hotel ,academy and stadium to his holding company where he supposedly charges rent and fleeces the club

If he is doing this while making the new owners pay the running costs he should be up for business man of the year

So let's have a sit down with phippsy and let him explain to us how this works

Should be interesting

 

[Rossb123]

Lets give the board a chance, if they bring in four players all of top level championship quality that not only take us up this season but help us push for a mid table to play offs next season I certainly won't be complaining about the amount.

Football is changing and in order to get the best players you have to spend money, we could go out and spend £250k on an average right back that could do a job in this league or we could spend big money on a right back who is arguably the best in the championship. This is a massive signing for the future not just for the present.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

If we stopped worring about youth coming through, we'd be making more game changing signings....

Seriously, Phippsy's been on again lately about how we can;t sustain ourselves in the third division, even with 20,000 gates, cup runs and player sales. He sighted the academy as a reason why.

A club of our size and income can't sustain itself in the third division, FFS!

It's bleeding us dry and it's time it was closed / mothballed.

UTB

I need linked you directly with my comment as I was expecting you to reply.
We aren't going to agree but I think there is a real value to the academy and bringing local kids through, it might not always be financially profitable but it's important as a club to have it and to be bringing through our own.

I know you won't agree but I think as you go up the leagues its value grows but it isn't something you can close and start up again as it take time.
If we're going to stay at league one then I would agree it's not worth it, but we're hoping and aiming for higher than that.

 

[alcoblade]

Disagree with this so much

Without our academy graduates (Jagielka, Naughton, Lowton, Maguire etc), we would probably have finished a couple of places lower in every one of our last ten seasons. Many of our favourite footballing memories would not have taken place.

The academy helps not just the Sheffield United team but also the England team!

Besides one day (now under the Prince?) we might not have to sell the graduates and hold on to our future Premier League players.

Obviously this figure ignores the money our academy brings in through transfer fees. It also ignores the amount of money the academy saves us - for example if we didn't have Louis Reed this season we would need to sign an extra midfielder - an extra transfer fee and undoubtedly they'd be on higher wages than a 17-year-old.

Jagielka came in pre academy.

All the players listed have been sold to finance the very costs that the academy creates. The only real output is lots of pissed off fans, and a bit more money to find on top.

UTB

 

[HoodedClaw]

Thought the academy was supposed to be self sustaining
that was the whole point of opening it
Plus McCabe and the holding company own it so why would the prince have to pump 8m in to keep it running along with the stadium he doesn't own

Something doesn't add up
McCabe had a lot of stick for transferring the hotel ,academy and stadium to his holding company where he supposedly charges rent and fleeces the club

If he is doing this while making the new owners pay the running costs he should be up for business man of the year

So let's have a sit down with phippsy and let him explain to us how this works

Should be interesting

I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that thought this. Isn't he already using £800000 of the clubs money from last year to pay for the new pitch we're getting, am I being stupid but how does that work?? Isn't the money coming into the club effectively the princes and he pays rent etc to McCabe to use the facilities??

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Whoever you are, wherever you are, if your marquee signing is a right back there's something wrong.

 

[Silent Blade]

Disagree with this so much

Without our academy graduates (Jagielka, Naughton, Lowton, Maguire etc), we would probably have finished a couple of places lower in every one of our last ten seasons. Many of our favourite footballing memories would not have taken place.

The academy helps not just the Sheffield United team but also the England team!

Besides one day (now under the Prince?) we might not have to sell the graduates and hold on to our future Premier League players.

Obviously this figure ignores the money our academy brings in through transfer fees. It also ignores the amount of money the academy saves us - for example if we didn't have Louis Reed this season we would need to sign an extra midfielder - an extra transfer fee and undoubtedly they'd be on higher wages than a 17-year-old.

Our Academy now isnt as good as it was because the PL clubs now have more power on any of our Academy players than they used to and they can snatch any of our promising players who have not yet signed professional forms for very little compensation. I have posted the below link many times and it looks like you have not read it yet. If we are in the PL then we have more power on our Academy players

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_Player_Performance_Plan

 

[Tezza1889]

Well, let's let the club worry about how to pay for stuff...

We sign a player, we know he's quality, it costs big money, we pay it because we can afford it.

Why anybody is unsure about this signing I just don't know!

Let's have another 1,5m player next week, I'm all for it me...