The Boy Brookes

[Scooter_mcgavin]

He's had a great summer with England and interest from Prem clubs which has swayed Wilder into giving him 1st team action. That's his prerogative.

That's how I see it too Pete.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

It's clear that our U23 setup is pretty strong despite many of the players playing being u19s, they have proven they can mix it with teams containing first teamers (Beating the pigs is testament to this).

However what I find bizarre is the whole situation surrounding his loan. Did Wilder and the coaching staff not understand what a player we had? Did it take the Toulon tournament to convince them we had a potential first teamer on our hands? Surely they knew of his ability before this.

Makes you wonder, if he'd not been selected for England (and lets be honest, a player with zero first team appearances in the third tier of English football is lucky to even be considered), would he be in and around the first team?

Somehow, I think he'd still be at Chesterfield.

Thankyou Toulon.

My thoughts entirely. I posted something similar on another thread. Something doesn't add up here. Wilder's had Brooks training with the first team all last season. He knows exactly what he's about. If it took the tournament in Toulon to make him realise that this is a lad with a hell of a lot of talent who is ready to be in the first team then that's a glaring error of judgement in my opinion. But no, I don't think it's that. I think it's something far more sinister than that.
McCabe spoke the other day about "When the big dog comes knocking". Quite where he's got that saying from I really don't know. But it's the stuff of nightmares isn't it? A big dog knocking on your door! Sounds scary!

I've an awful feeling that the big dog is going to come knocking anytime soon - and McCabe will rush to answer the door.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

That's how I see it too Pete.

I wish I could think like that.

Unfortunately I can't think that way.

Something happened to me in June 1976 that changed my belief in Sheffield United Football Club. We sold the best player we've ever had to Leeds United. That was like losing your wife to the bloke next door. Up until then I felt very differently about my club. It was like a big family - we knew, or at least, we felt we knew, every player personally. The team was the same, week in, week out. Hodgkinson, Badger, Hemsley, Flynn, Colquhon, Hockey, Woodward, Salmons, Dearden, Currie, Reece, (give or take the odd change due to injuries/suspensions). Players notched up hundreds of appearances for their clubs back in those days - there was a sense of "loyalty" from player to club, and from club to player. Same with managers. Managers spent decades at one club. It was a different world.

When Currie was sold to Leeds there was uproar, to put it mildly. I remember being driven past the ground and seeing it daubed in graffiti cursing the Board for the sale of Currie. I remember hearing of fans nailing their season ticket books to the gates of the club. And I remember the supporters club bus which took fans from our village to the match, being half empty in the weeks that followed his sale. "That's it - I'm finished with them" - was a phrase I heard from long-standing supporters. "Always been a bloody selling club - always will!".

Sheffield United FC broke "The psychological contract" with its fans when they did that. That was the thin end of the wedge of course, since then we've sold other outstanding players (though none of TC's quality) to Leeds, such as Gary Hamson, Alex Sabella, Keith Edwards. For some, this breach of trust between Sheffield United FC and the fans started even earlier than this, with the sale of Mick Jones to Leeds (but that was just before my time).

This is why I don't get attached to any players - not at all. I don't worship or adore them. I don't make songs up about them. I don't go seeking their autographs or having my photo taken with them. I appreciate them for what they are - providers of entertainment on a football field. And the admiration stops there. I fully expect that any player who is any good at all will not play for Sheffield United for very long. We'll snap someone's hand off the first time a decent sum of money is offered. So, my attitude is, enjoy them whilst they are here - because they won't be here for long if they are any good.

I think this is exactly the situation with Brooks and quite possibly the main motive behind cancelling his season long loan to Chesterfield. I hope I am wrong, because I've no doubt that Brooks will be worth an awful lot more to United in a few years time than he is now. Don't sell your stock when the price is low - if you are going to sell, then sell high, and holding onto Brooks for another couple of seasons will make a massive difference both on the field and later in the bank account.