Deadbat
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- Aug 6, 2009
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Strikers
Michael Higdon was linked with moves to Barnsley and Chesterfield but after United could not land Chris O’Grady and other targets fell through; Higdon signed the week before the season started. He had been a bit of a journeyman playing at Crewe and then in the Scottish League for Falkirk, St Mirren and Motherwell. He ended up at NEC in Holland and scored 14 goals in a side that got relegated. Seen as a target man who could get goals; Higdon was straight in the side as captain against Bristol City and was quite impressive on his debut. He scored, led the line and looked a focal point we had been missing. Sadly that was about as good as it got and after this he struggled, looking slow, overweight and poor in his touch. He got sent off for a stupid challenge at Chesterfield and was in and out of the side. He scored a few cup goals including a vital brace at MK Dons but generally was really disappointing. He picked up a few injuries but did ok when he came on v Spurs, a rare start v Swindon followed and he nearly get sent off before he was taken off. After this he made a sub appearance v Preston in the cup and then we never saw him again. He made only 12 starts with 8 sub appearances and scored just 5 goals. A signing that simply did not work out. The best we could hope was him coming on as a nuisance sub but even then that did not always work out. Has another year left on his contract but it would be best for all parties if he was moved on. He was woefully out of shape and looked what he has been most of this career, an average striker whose only success has been in the lower reaches of Scottish League and for a relegated side in Holland.
Grade E
Chris Porter Porter was brought back on a one year deal and seemed to be the bad penny you could never lose! However he had scored some important goals and maybe another year as a back up was not the worst move but in reality he was never quite good enough and probably could also be seen as a further waste of funds. He never played in the league and had a few cup games (remember him being really poor v Mansfield and v Walsall in the JPT. That was his last game for the club and he was allowed to join Colchester early 2015. He signed an 18 month deal and did well scoring some vital goals in their fight for survival that alas ended in failure. He will probably be quite prolific at the even lower level. He was a trier and seemed a likeable sort of bloke but ability wise he was quite lacking really. The fact he stayed at the club so long (yes a few crucial goals I admit) says as much about the poor state of SUFC in recent years as his ability.
Grade E-
Jose Baxter Probably no player divides opinion like Baxter. Like Marmite, some like him, some don’t and that is being kind to both sides. A good ball player who can score goals, he impressed in the previous season but did show elements of frustration in that he could be a little economical with effort, maybe carried too much weight (don’t agree with this idea that is his natural body weight/shape to be honest!) but also seemed to be caught between two positions, not being an out and out striker or a midfielder but often never played in that off the striker role people felt was his best area. This season he has played as a striker less so, more so off the striker, in central midfield, wide right and even as a holding midfielder. He has moved about a bit but has scored 13 goals in 37 starts which is a decent record (granted many 7 were spot kicks). He does take good penalty incidentally (only missing one at Crewe) hitting them hard and often high which makes them hard to save. He scored a few other decent strikes including long rangers v Crawley, Preston and also at Walsall. For all his critics he does get goals and can hit a ball from range. He has still shown he is one of our better technical players and has good range of passing; both short and long. However, he is as equally careless on the ball and I can recall quite a few chances and goals due to his telegraphed passes and/or his inability to shift himself. He continued to be quite lazy in most games, jogging about and his ability has not really translated to him really stamping himself on games. Too often he has been very average at best mixing some good long balls with some giveaways and some games where he has barely done anything positive. Many have said he slows things down for us and he does but equally to defend him he relies on some movement, as is a passer and so called playmaker (truth probably far off this) and with such a stagnant team he struggles to pick any balls out. I still don’t know his best position (did well in the holding role oddly despite his lack of pace and mobility). The reality is he is probably never going to be any better than a League One average player unless he gets serious about the game and I don’t just mind his fitness and shape but his consistency. He is quite often happy to go through the motions and seems to be quite content with very average performances despite having some decent levels of skill and technique (some of his goals show that as despite many criticising him, how many others could have scored some of long range efforts like I have described – the goal v Oldham last year was superb). I am unsure what his future is. I do not see him as a first team regular unless there is a massive turnaround in application and standards of performance but you could say the same about many others. He has remained in and around the team as much due to the average clutter of other midfielders/strikers we have as down to his own ability. In an ideal world we would improve the squad and he would be a sub at best and have to really improve to make the side week in, week out. At the moment he knows even if he is poor/average he will still play more than he won’t. Did not feature v Swindon but not sure he would have made much difference with pace and mobility of the players he would have been up against. I do not think he deserves the damning that he gets off some but I do agree that I am not sure his qualities outweigh his limitations to ensure he is a regular. With just a year left on his contract be interesting to see what he does this summer and into starting next year.
Grade C-
Marc McNulty McNulty was signed from Livingston; where his ex team mate Stefan Scougall has arrived. He had scored quite a bit in Scotland but the level of course was less than impressive. He seemed to score a variety of goals from a quick look on the internet but it was a concern whether he could make the step up. Scored a few goals in pre season but began on the bench. He scored against Mansfield with a poachers finish before he got his first start at Peterborough. He was in and out of the side showing some flashes of promise but equally at other times looked out of his depth. He scored a great headed goal v Orient and then scored in the next two games v Bradford and Yeovil and seemed to have settled down at this level. He scored 12 goals in total but made 23 appearances off the bench versus 18 games as a starter. At times he looked good, showing great appetite and strong running and showed he could find the net. The game against Southampton he was superb and led a Premier League defence ragged. He then scored at QPR too. At other times he struggled with poor touch, looked as if he was carrying a bit of weight and played as a long striker was deprived of the ball. Overall I think he knows he is another that although Clough may have been on at him a lot and his toughest critic, that he has to be more consistent if he wants to be a regular, regardless of formations. He did play in games with two up occasionally and did not do great in those games. At times people cried out for him to be given more of a chance but when he did he never really took it particularly post Xmas and with Davies and Done coming in became a bit part player or mostly a substitute. He was awful in the 2nd leg v Swindon (did Clough need to say this so publically though – again hanging him out to dry). A big season for him next year if he wants to make it in English football as needs to build on some promise and be much more consistent.
Grade C-
Steven Davies Like O’Grady, Coutts and a few others, he was a Clough favourite whom he chased and chased. He was out of a poor Blackpool team which did not fill you with confidence. He got back in their side and scored quite a few goals. He was a regular for them but he continued to be linked with United. Eventually he signed on loan and was put straight in for the defeat v Fleetwood. He did ok and held the ball up well and looked strong. Decent in the air and quite mobile seemed to give us something different and the player we had missed since O’Grady had left (and Higdon had been such a let down). He did not look a goa; threat though and it took him a while to register before two excellent goals (bullet header and curled winner) in the two South Yorkshire derby wins. He picked up a few knocks and was in and out in the run it. I felt his best game v Doncaster saw him and Done start to form a partnership but Clough seemingly never wanted to play two up and so it was either one or the other. I thought Davies was good in the game he played. He gave defenders something to think about; covered ground and linked up well. Not sure he will get many goals though (missed a really good chance v Swindon at the Lane but scored in the 2nd leg) and if we play just one up, then it means we need goals from elsewhere and not sure we have shown our other players can do that.
Grade C
Matty Done
As we entered the closing stages of the January transfer window; it was a late surprise when Clough swooped to sign Done from play off rivals Rochdale. Done had been converted into a striker pre season and scored 10 goals for a Dale side that had done better than many had envisaged. Barnsley fans I spoke to said he was quite an ordinary player but they remembered him as a midfielder He came to the Lane and made an instant impact scoring on his debut with a smart goal v Colchester and then scored twice at leaders Bristol City and the winner at Notts County. It had been a dream start and Done’s strong running, incredible work ethic and ability to be in the right place at the right time impressed Blades fans. He sadly picked up a few injuries and it seemed he needed injections before he played and only started 2 of the final 10 league games but he was very impressive v Doncaster. It was a shame that after this he did not play much as he was the sort of player we badly missed in the playoffs at least from the start; changed the game when he was introduced v Swindon at the Lane. He poached another in the 2nd leg too. Hope he can get fully fit and show the qualities we saw when he played this season.
Grade B-
Chris O’Grady A player Clough had chased last season and someone he seemed obsessed with in the summer but alas he went to Brighton despite us seemingly putting in bids. He was not a hit at the Amex Stadium and Clough saw his chance and got him in on loan. Did well holding the ball up and scoring once in four starts and we seemed to have the strong, willing runner who also was an aerial threat. Then in came Chris Hughton after Hyppia was sacked and O’’Grady was recalled. He ended up as a regular for the most part and seemed back in the plans at Brighton. I still think Clough will revisit the situation in the summer but he also may stay at Brighton after doing reasonably well and he will go for Davies instead.
Grade C+
Diego De Girolamo De Girolamo has received so much hype due to his exotic name, Italian links and his international call ups to the Azzuri as much for anything he had actually done on the field. He had a few bad injuries but it also seemed there were question marks over his attitude as others moved ahead of him from the Academy. Clough gave him a few chances this year and he scored at Preston but in games I saw he played wide and looked nothing special. He did seem to think he was better than he was from his comments on social media and ended up at York doing well and then Northampton where he was in and out of the team. Supposedly linked with Juventus and Arsenal amongst others; his agent is doing his best to secure a decent deal but the fact he is not even a regular at League Two level suggests he is a long way off the player some United fans believe he is. The reality that attitude problems or not (whatever is right) he would have been involved a lot more if he was good enough. He is hardly tearing up League Two and I feel United were right to offer him a reasonable contract but not go silly. His agent is obviously in his ears but in reality he should have been thankful United have offered him something; anything really. We will wait and see if this one bites us on the bum but on the evidence so far he is not someone that I think United fans should be that concerned about that he is leaving.
Grade D+
Michael Higdon was linked with moves to Barnsley and Chesterfield but after United could not land Chris O’Grady and other targets fell through; Higdon signed the week before the season started. He had been a bit of a journeyman playing at Crewe and then in the Scottish League for Falkirk, St Mirren and Motherwell. He ended up at NEC in Holland and scored 14 goals in a side that got relegated. Seen as a target man who could get goals; Higdon was straight in the side as captain against Bristol City and was quite impressive on his debut. He scored, led the line and looked a focal point we had been missing. Sadly that was about as good as it got and after this he struggled, looking slow, overweight and poor in his touch. He got sent off for a stupid challenge at Chesterfield and was in and out of the side. He scored a few cup goals including a vital brace at MK Dons but generally was really disappointing. He picked up a few injuries but did ok when he came on v Spurs, a rare start v Swindon followed and he nearly get sent off before he was taken off. After this he made a sub appearance v Preston in the cup and then we never saw him again. He made only 12 starts with 8 sub appearances and scored just 5 goals. A signing that simply did not work out. The best we could hope was him coming on as a nuisance sub but even then that did not always work out. Has another year left on his contract but it would be best for all parties if he was moved on. He was woefully out of shape and looked what he has been most of this career, an average striker whose only success has been in the lower reaches of Scottish League and for a relegated side in Holland.
Grade E
Chris Porter Porter was brought back on a one year deal and seemed to be the bad penny you could never lose! However he had scored some important goals and maybe another year as a back up was not the worst move but in reality he was never quite good enough and probably could also be seen as a further waste of funds. He never played in the league and had a few cup games (remember him being really poor v Mansfield and v Walsall in the JPT. That was his last game for the club and he was allowed to join Colchester early 2015. He signed an 18 month deal and did well scoring some vital goals in their fight for survival that alas ended in failure. He will probably be quite prolific at the even lower level. He was a trier and seemed a likeable sort of bloke but ability wise he was quite lacking really. The fact he stayed at the club so long (yes a few crucial goals I admit) says as much about the poor state of SUFC in recent years as his ability.
Grade E-
Jose Baxter Probably no player divides opinion like Baxter. Like Marmite, some like him, some don’t and that is being kind to both sides. A good ball player who can score goals, he impressed in the previous season but did show elements of frustration in that he could be a little economical with effort, maybe carried too much weight (don’t agree with this idea that is his natural body weight/shape to be honest!) but also seemed to be caught between two positions, not being an out and out striker or a midfielder but often never played in that off the striker role people felt was his best area. This season he has played as a striker less so, more so off the striker, in central midfield, wide right and even as a holding midfielder. He has moved about a bit but has scored 13 goals in 37 starts which is a decent record (granted many 7 were spot kicks). He does take good penalty incidentally (only missing one at Crewe) hitting them hard and often high which makes them hard to save. He scored a few other decent strikes including long rangers v Crawley, Preston and also at Walsall. For all his critics he does get goals and can hit a ball from range. He has still shown he is one of our better technical players and has good range of passing; both short and long. However, he is as equally careless on the ball and I can recall quite a few chances and goals due to his telegraphed passes and/or his inability to shift himself. He continued to be quite lazy in most games, jogging about and his ability has not really translated to him really stamping himself on games. Too often he has been very average at best mixing some good long balls with some giveaways and some games where he has barely done anything positive. Many have said he slows things down for us and he does but equally to defend him he relies on some movement, as is a passer and so called playmaker (truth probably far off this) and with such a stagnant team he struggles to pick any balls out. I still don’t know his best position (did well in the holding role oddly despite his lack of pace and mobility). The reality is he is probably never going to be any better than a League One average player unless he gets serious about the game and I don’t just mind his fitness and shape but his consistency. He is quite often happy to go through the motions and seems to be quite content with very average performances despite having some decent levels of skill and technique (some of his goals show that as despite many criticising him, how many others could have scored some of long range efforts like I have described – the goal v Oldham last year was superb). I am unsure what his future is. I do not see him as a first team regular unless there is a massive turnaround in application and standards of performance but you could say the same about many others. He has remained in and around the team as much due to the average clutter of other midfielders/strikers we have as down to his own ability. In an ideal world we would improve the squad and he would be a sub at best and have to really improve to make the side week in, week out. At the moment he knows even if he is poor/average he will still play more than he won’t. Did not feature v Swindon but not sure he would have made much difference with pace and mobility of the players he would have been up against. I do not think he deserves the damning that he gets off some but I do agree that I am not sure his qualities outweigh his limitations to ensure he is a regular. With just a year left on his contract be interesting to see what he does this summer and into starting next year.
Grade C-
Marc McNulty McNulty was signed from Livingston; where his ex team mate Stefan Scougall has arrived. He had scored quite a bit in Scotland but the level of course was less than impressive. He seemed to score a variety of goals from a quick look on the internet but it was a concern whether he could make the step up. Scored a few goals in pre season but began on the bench. He scored against Mansfield with a poachers finish before he got his first start at Peterborough. He was in and out of the side showing some flashes of promise but equally at other times looked out of his depth. He scored a great headed goal v Orient and then scored in the next two games v Bradford and Yeovil and seemed to have settled down at this level. He scored 12 goals in total but made 23 appearances off the bench versus 18 games as a starter. At times he looked good, showing great appetite and strong running and showed he could find the net. The game against Southampton he was superb and led a Premier League defence ragged. He then scored at QPR too. At other times he struggled with poor touch, looked as if he was carrying a bit of weight and played as a long striker was deprived of the ball. Overall I think he knows he is another that although Clough may have been on at him a lot and his toughest critic, that he has to be more consistent if he wants to be a regular, regardless of formations. He did play in games with two up occasionally and did not do great in those games. At times people cried out for him to be given more of a chance but when he did he never really took it particularly post Xmas and with Davies and Done coming in became a bit part player or mostly a substitute. He was awful in the 2nd leg v Swindon (did Clough need to say this so publically though – again hanging him out to dry). A big season for him next year if he wants to make it in English football as needs to build on some promise and be much more consistent.
Grade C-
Steven Davies Like O’Grady, Coutts and a few others, he was a Clough favourite whom he chased and chased. He was out of a poor Blackpool team which did not fill you with confidence. He got back in their side and scored quite a few goals. He was a regular for them but he continued to be linked with United. Eventually he signed on loan and was put straight in for the defeat v Fleetwood. He did ok and held the ball up well and looked strong. Decent in the air and quite mobile seemed to give us something different and the player we had missed since O’Grady had left (and Higdon had been such a let down). He did not look a goa; threat though and it took him a while to register before two excellent goals (bullet header and curled winner) in the two South Yorkshire derby wins. He picked up a few knocks and was in and out in the run it. I felt his best game v Doncaster saw him and Done start to form a partnership but Clough seemingly never wanted to play two up and so it was either one or the other. I thought Davies was good in the game he played. He gave defenders something to think about; covered ground and linked up well. Not sure he will get many goals though (missed a really good chance v Swindon at the Lane but scored in the 2nd leg) and if we play just one up, then it means we need goals from elsewhere and not sure we have shown our other players can do that.
Grade C
Matty Done
As we entered the closing stages of the January transfer window; it was a late surprise when Clough swooped to sign Done from play off rivals Rochdale. Done had been converted into a striker pre season and scored 10 goals for a Dale side that had done better than many had envisaged. Barnsley fans I spoke to said he was quite an ordinary player but they remembered him as a midfielder He came to the Lane and made an instant impact scoring on his debut with a smart goal v Colchester and then scored twice at leaders Bristol City and the winner at Notts County. It had been a dream start and Done’s strong running, incredible work ethic and ability to be in the right place at the right time impressed Blades fans. He sadly picked up a few injuries and it seemed he needed injections before he played and only started 2 of the final 10 league games but he was very impressive v Doncaster. It was a shame that after this he did not play much as he was the sort of player we badly missed in the playoffs at least from the start; changed the game when he was introduced v Swindon at the Lane. He poached another in the 2nd leg too. Hope he can get fully fit and show the qualities we saw when he played this season.
Grade B-
Chris O’Grady A player Clough had chased last season and someone he seemed obsessed with in the summer but alas he went to Brighton despite us seemingly putting in bids. He was not a hit at the Amex Stadium and Clough saw his chance and got him in on loan. Did well holding the ball up and scoring once in four starts and we seemed to have the strong, willing runner who also was an aerial threat. Then in came Chris Hughton after Hyppia was sacked and O’’Grady was recalled. He ended up as a regular for the most part and seemed back in the plans at Brighton. I still think Clough will revisit the situation in the summer but he also may stay at Brighton after doing reasonably well and he will go for Davies instead.
Grade C+
Diego De Girolamo De Girolamo has received so much hype due to his exotic name, Italian links and his international call ups to the Azzuri as much for anything he had actually done on the field. He had a few bad injuries but it also seemed there were question marks over his attitude as others moved ahead of him from the Academy. Clough gave him a few chances this year and he scored at Preston but in games I saw he played wide and looked nothing special. He did seem to think he was better than he was from his comments on social media and ended up at York doing well and then Northampton where he was in and out of the team. Supposedly linked with Juventus and Arsenal amongst others; his agent is doing his best to secure a decent deal but the fact he is not even a regular at League Two level suggests he is a long way off the player some United fans believe he is. The reality that attitude problems or not (whatever is right) he would have been involved a lot more if he was good enough. He is hardly tearing up League Two and I feel United were right to offer him a reasonable contract but not go silly. His agent is obviously in his ears but in reality he should have been thankful United have offered him something; anything really. We will wait and see if this one bites us on the bum but on the evidence so far he is not someone that I think United fans should be that concerned about that he is leaving.
Grade D+
