So, next season ...

[bonobo]

We need someone who can provide quality delivery. Poor crossing has cost us badly this year. If we look at the amount of times, teams have beaten us with fewer chances, usually down to delivery. Creativity on the left side of the pitch as well.My concern, is that because we have 4 LWB, we won't invest here. I would prefer if we bought Lowe back and let one of Stevens of RND out. An isnside forward who can take up wide positions could be also an option.

 

[1889]

As I have said - there's a player in Oliver McBurnie. Just not in the stripes we wear.

pommpey

When you say there’s a player in Oliver McBurnie I presume you mean like a ‘Russian Doll’

Maybe someone at the club could spend the summer trying to find where he comes apart?

 

[Groucho Blade]

Pace and athleticism. We need pace and athleticism throughout the team.

My take from July 20. I’ve not changed my mind. And I‘m still waiting…

 

[Greenblades]

Kyron Gordon will be developed over the next 2 years to replace bash.

Ndiyae will continue to improve to at least partially fill the flair void.

He will leave if they don’t sort his contract. He refused his last offer. It was poor I believe.

 

[mancunianblade]

Talking of contract these are the ones that expire at the end of next season

 

[bertieblade]

Jebbison needs to sign a new contract or be moved on.

 

[Charlieblade]

It’s fairly clear that the Prince wants/needs to move on. Even with parachute payments reducing each year, the club needs to make an extra 40m per season just to break even. The Prince somehow continues to make the club profitable so he can sell eventually.
Hecky has already made some savings on wages from players released this season, but he will still be under pressure to do more, with less money. He will also want to have a stab at promotion next time out.
For me, the disposition of Berge is the key to next season. Hopefully the Prince will stand firm on low ball offers, and the club get to keep some talent to build the team around him.
Hecky want two players for every position. We are being assured that the first team pitch is being sorted, but even that costs money. Hecky will bring in some free transfers, out of contract players, but he can only use players willing to come on our present wage structure. If we are lucky, we might get 2 decent loans in until the JTW and then reassess.

If we do well and Berge goes, possibly abroad, then we might get some money for Hecky’s preferred option of permanent transfers.

The club has a decent management team, but even they could struggle if it comes to pass that all we are left with is the promise of “jam tomorrow”.

 

[Silent Blade]

Even with parachute payments reducing each year, the club needs to make an extra 40m per season just to break even.

Dont think it is as high as that. I think we are getting over £30M for the 2nd year of the parachute payments. I believe there is a relegation clause on our players contracts and they were activated when we got relegation?

 

[Snowflake]

We were told that we had negotiated a good sell on, which I would expect means more than the standard 10%.
Subsequently expect it to be 15% which would provide us with £6m. worse case scenario is £4m

One promising, young midfielder ?

 

[raul]

Size of transfer fee budget is irrelevant.

There will be a lot of decent players looking for new employers this summer as clubs all over are looking to trim their budgets.

It's far more important that we are competitive on the wages front than we have money to give away to other clubs in return for just a signature.

In my view money paid in fees is just dead money and could have been better utilised

This is the likeliest scenario based on everything we've seen and heard from HRH. Hopefully how we have brought MGW on will encourage a big club to lend us another baller or too.
If both come off , we will be competitive again, but I worry about the blithe confidence everyone has that Brew and Bogle come back from an injury that took half a season out of them (interestingly I think we actually improved without them) and will perform as they had started to do rather than the form shown since signing for us.

 

[coolasanidiot]

Sawyer's not being renewed at WBA

Superb shout-

This guy has played well against us for several clubs- 100% worth a try.

 

[Charlieblade]

Dont think it is as high as that. I think we are getting over £30M for the 2nd year of the parachute payments. I believe there is a relegation clause on our players contracts and they were activated when we got relegation?

I heard similar rumours, but not confirmed.
While we will probably still be making payments on Berge probably, this is balanced by similar reciprocal arrangements for Ramsdale to Arsenal.
With increasing overheads, there isn’t going to be much left after we improve Shirecliffe and make interest payments on loans?
Some fans seem to think money will be available for buying the playing staff Hecky needs to go again next season. I can’t think of any extra income streams, can you?

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Berge was never going to make his career unfortunately at SUFC , it was a good signing by Sir Chris as a balance the books one if we went down ,
We lose Egan , who let’s face it can be immense but also shite in equal amounts to a ball lobbed over the top and we all recognise this
Lowe coming back ( if ) was widely panned by Blades as the worst of the BOGOF , Boogle deal
Two other silver linings surely are the add on’s for both Ramsdale & DCL , he’s way to good for Everton
I think our board acted swiftly in realising that our previous manager and his staff couldn’t get the team to play and cut those costs quickly and rightly
If you look objectively at our squad we do have some excellent young players
Settled at GK unlike last season
May lose Egan but he’s easily covered and could be replaced
Up top 1 more body in for me
Midfield is my concern, when we lose Berge & MGW that’s 2 massive holes to fill but I’m confident with how our management has conducted itself since November that they ( hopefully) have bodies in mind
I’m expecting another playoff push this season at least
I want our club to be well run and not end up like Dum pigs or Derby
All in all after this season I’m more confident looking into next
Let’s hope Hecky gets the bodies out quick but more importantly the bodies he needs in just as quick
UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

I heard similar rumours, but not confirmed.
While we will probably still be making payments on Berge probably, this is balanced by similar reciprocal arrangements for Ramsdale to Arsenal.
With increasing overheads, there isn’t going to be much left after we improve Shirecliffe and make interest payments on loans?
Some fans seem to think money will be available for buying the playing staff Hecky needs to go again next season. I can’t think of any extra income streams, can you?

Am not saying we will have money available to buy players, I was surprised that we made profits in the previous 2 seasons. I dont know how much we need to break even, I think £40M is an exaggeration

 

[Nick Jansky]

He will leave if they don’t sort his contract. He refused his last offer. It was poor I believe.

Who, Ndiaye? The current contract, that he held out for, is far from poor. That isn’t to say that another club won’t offer him a vast improvement on it, of course.

 

[Arcott]

To start we need pace in the midfield to cover for Norwood waving them past. With pace he can then do what he is best at.

 

[bongleblade]

MGW Replacements:

1. James McAtee - Man City - 19yo CAM who is Top scorer in PL 2 this season with 18 goals and 7 Assists - linked with Swansea and Huddersfield. We must get this kid on loan!!!!

2. Sonny Hilton - Fulham - 21yo CAM top for assists (12) in PL 2. Think they might look at a Championship loan 1st rather than trying him out in the PL

3. Chem Campbell - Wolves - 19yo CAM - Could be a little early for a Champ loan for him, but he's done well in youth leagues with 9gls 8 assists. If he's anything like MGW we'd be on to a winner. Watch this space.

 

[Charlieblade]

Am not saying we will have money available to buy players, I was surprised that we made profits in the previous 2 seasons. I dont know how much we need to break even, I think £40M is an exaggeration

I think that the 40m takes into account our losses from relegation to the EFL. It was probably a reasonable business expectation after our first season back in the PL?

I’m only concerned that we do not run at a loss, because that makes the club less attractive to potential buyers. The Prince, as good as he has been for us, needs investment or a wealthy buyer.

 

[Champagneblade]

One area I think we need to give some thought to is central midfield.

In the event Sander stays, I don't see him as part of the midfield duo. I see him as part of an attacking trio, with N'Diaye and Sharp/Brewster be that as a no 10 or the right of the three.

If we are to persist with Norwood's passing from deep as an option then we definitely need some competition box to box for Fleck. His ability to get up and down as we need and also be fit and available on a match day is reducing year on year.

I love a bit of Flecky on form, fit and available but the current version isn't going to be doing that for 46 games next season so we need an alternative.

 

[pommpey]

One area I think we need to give some thought to is central midfield.

In the event Sander stays, I don't see him as part of the midfield duo. I see him as part of an attacking trio, with N'Diaye and Sharp/Brewster be that as a no 10 or the right of the three.

If we are to persist with Norwood's passing from deep as an option then we definitely need some competition box to box for Fleck. His ability to get up and down as we need and also be fit and available on a match day is reducing year on year.

I love a bit of Flecky on form, fit and available but the current version isn't going to be doing that for 46 games next season so we need an alternative.

The midfield needs retooling. All oppositions know that Norwood has two options on the ball:

1. Hollywood
2. Press-and-lose

Fleck is too inconsistent for next year's campaign. One decent half in four matches doesn't cut it for a team chasing promotion.

Said it before, and I'll say it again. To get autos out of this division you need one goalscorer in the high teens/low twenties and a second goalscorer above ten with two or three others hitting seven or thereabouts. With Billy's injury problems (which won't get better) the top scorer slot is difficult to envisage next season without MGW and decent replacements for McPunchup, Sicknote and the Speedboat.

And if we are playing Wilderball v2.01b with 3-5-2/3-4-1-2, we need wingbacks who can actually do 'wingback'. Osborn isn't one of those on either flank. In fact, I'm not exactly sue where he fits in with any of that. Osborn plays like he should be in a 4-4-2 as LW. Playing against AFC Ewok.

And we need autos, for fuck's sake. We need to see the playoffs as a direct, do-not-collect-£200-as-you-pass-Go Community Chest card straight out of the competition.

pommpey

 

[Bladesince59]

We'll be selling Berge and Brewster.

 

[RecordBreakers]

In that we can't do anything with him but sideline him to another club with an option to buy.

As I have said - there's a player in Oliver McBurnie. Just not in the stripes we wear.

pommpey

Hes only got 12 month left so the loan to buy wouldn't be an option.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

One area I think we need to give some thought to is central midfield.

In the event Sander stays, I don't see him as part of the midfield duo. I see him as part of an attacking trio, with N'Diaye and Sharp/Brewster be that as a no 10 or the right of the three.

If we are to persist with Norwood's passing from deep as an option then we definitely need some competition box to box for Fleck. His ability to get up and down as we need and also be fit and available on a match day is reducing year on year.

I love a bit of Flecky on form, fit and available but the current version isn't going to be doing that for 46 games next season so we need an alternative.

We should keep fleck and norwood but replace both as starters. That can be done with free transfers

 

[Greenblades]

Who, Ndiaye? The current contract, that he held out for, is far from poor. That isn’t to say that another club won’t offer him a vast improvement on it, of course.

Hi. No Gordon.

 

[Nelson1889]

I've been told by someone who knows Gordon that he's been offered a new contract but refused it. Not sure why but he's then been told to train with the u18's and not been in first team training for a number of weeks.

Apparently we have an option to extend but only until January, not sure how true that bit was, but potentially so we can get a fee/sell on should he go this summer.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

I do think it’s just a matter of time before JOC retires, god knows how it’s come to this from a training ground injury .

We need:

back up CB/ RCB & LCB
Strengthen midfield (ie bring in better versions of Fleck not just back ups)

New MGW (obviously I don’t expect them to be as good)

Realistically I think we need 6 new bodies which is a lot & I hope the prep is already in place because if it isn’t we’ll be falling behind again

 

[Blade.com]

Some good suggestions on here but when all said and done , Hecky as the job. I know nowt about his time as a manager, all I know is he was in charge of the under 23, so I assume he will know who is ready for the first team , one advantage.
The rest of his managerial career is mystery to me , what signings has he made before? , what's the biggest signings he's made ? whats the most signings he made for one club? and most importantly did they pay dividends for the club ? or what type of player does he like? Anybody any info on Heckys dealings ?
Can we trust the management team to make the signings required? .Going to be a very interesting summer.

 

[Snowflake]

I heard similar rumours, but not confirmed.
While we will probably still be making payments on Berge probably, this is balanced by similar reciprocal arrangements for Ramsdale to Arsenal.
With increasing overheads, there isn’t going to be much left after we improve Shirecliffe and make interest payments on loans?
Some fans seem to think money will be available for buying the playing staff Hecky needs to go again next season. I can’t think of any extra income streams, can you?

DCL sell on %age.

 

[JJBlade]

£15 Million, worst case scenario ?

I think the real scenario will be about £25 million less than that

 

[Addison]

I've been told by someone who knows Gordon that he's been offered a new contract but refused it. Not sure why but he's then been told to train with the u18's and not been in first team training for a number of weeks.

Apparently we have an option to extend but only until January, not sure how true that bit was, but potentially so we can get a fee/sell on should he go this summer.

I really hope we have not reverted back to the ridiculous situation where those with non footballing ability upstairs, one assumes Bettis as there is no one else, are imposing diktats on the footballing side.

The one real plus of SJ's tenure was that he ignored the instruction from above to keep Ndiaye in isolation that had occurred at the end of the previous season. Recognised an exceptional talent. Brought him into the first team squad leading to a contract being signed and a valuable asset retained.

Instances like this if true reinforce the need for the Club to appoint an experienced Sporting Director of Football, capable of negotiating contracts with difficult agents rather than kicking the can down the road hoping a period of isolation on the naughty step will lead to a favourable response. Its amateurish. We should spend the money on this resource rather than run up consultancy fees for outgoings.