Usually positive but.......

[GrayBlade]

Hey come on guys. You know that United’s owner’s and board would never piss all over us.

If we don’t bring anybody in now, we’ll absolutely smash the market in the January window...or if not the summer window for the 2019-20 season. There IS a master plan in place, just you wait and see, we should trust King Kev and his former mate to come up with the goods.

There’s no bigger Blades than them.

 

[robbiez666]

First game of the season given the documented outgoings and injuries currently looks like this:

Henderson
Basham Stearman O’Connell
Freeman Evans Fleck Stevens
Duffy
Sharp Clarke

Subs: Eastwood, Baldock, Lafferty, Leonard, Lundstram, Holmes, Lavery

Out: Moore, Long (transferred) Wright (inj), Coutts (recovering), Norrington-Davies, Slater, Evans (loaned)

Quite a familiar XI. Wouldn’t let us down. Couple of strikers in the squad over Lavery and a fullback would make the difference in league placings. An upgrade in the defence perhaps and maybe some young pressure for Holmes and Duffy.

No scope to cope with injuries though at the current rate of deck clearing.

That's my main concern right now. I fully expect us to bring 3/4 in but we're letting the kids go out and if we pick up a few injuries/suspension, we're very threadbare. I assume/hope that there are recall clauses on our loans but then it's no good for their development if they have to come back for 2 games in October and can't go out again until January.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Can't say I'm optimistic.

Poor second half to last season, owners arguing with each other, the trouble between the players at POTY, trouble between the players in Portugal, Brooks gone, JOC apparently saying the Brighton rumours "aren't bullshit". Things don't seem great at the minute

 

[Grappler]

Basically the same team that ran out of steam for the last 4 months of last season. The front three average age 33, brilliant. Stevens found out at WB and a shaky back three. That team will get us relegated.

Unless they play like they played on the final day............

 

[WoodMillBlade]

It will be a very interesting last few weeks of July.

I think we are not done selling and the boardroom battle will cut off Wilders spending plans.

I really hope I’m wrong as I was really looking forward to next season

 

[BushBlade]

That's my main concern right now. I fully expect us to bring 3/4 in but we're letting the kids go out and if we pick up a few injuries/suspension, we're very threadbare. I assume/hope that there are recall clauses on our loans but then it's no good for their development if they have to come back for 2 games in October and can't go out again until January.

I thought that under the new loan rules you can only recall during a transfer window? Like last season.

 

[Clarkey87]

........ trouble between the players in Portugal........

Unless I have missed something...? What’s supposedly happened in Portugal?

 

[robbiez666]

I thought that under the new loan rules you can only recall during a transfer window? Like last season.

I believe the clubs can mutually agree to terminate. Happened with some youth players last season. I think you're right in terms of the top 4 divisions but I'm not sure how the recall option works with players loaned to Scotland or Non-league.

 

[S5Blade]

Unless I have missed something...? What’s supposedly happened in Portugal?

Drunken fisticuffs apparently, edna took a swing at jock, coutts wouldnt get in a taxi and was arguing with basham who was trying to bundle him into a cab and sharp had a shouting match with someone, was all in the shoutbox / on twitter

 

[BushBlade]

I believe the clubs can mutually agree to terminate. Happened with some youth players last season. I think you're right in terms of the top 4 divisions but I'm not sure how the recall option works with players loaned to Scotland or Non-league.

Yeah, non league has definitely got different rules.

 

[BushBlade]

Drunken fisticuffs apparently, edna took a swing at jock, coutts wouldnt get in a taxi and was arguing with basham who was trying to bundle him into a cab and sharp had a shouting match with someone, was all in the shoutbox / on twitter

So, a typical night out then? I’ve lost count how many times some of my mates have nearly come to blows after too much drinking. Then we laugh about it the next day.

 

[robbiez666]

So, a typical night out then? I’ve lost count how many times some of my mates have nearly come to blows after too much drinking. Then we laugh about it the next day.

On a work night out?

 

[Ricky]

Obviously, I'm not party to ongoing transfer dealings, and a lot can change in a short space of time, but I'm currently concerned about our direction of travel. We seem to be repeating mistakes that we've made on and off for the last 40 yrs, and especially those that recently got us relegated into L1 in the first place. I don' t know whether we take the view that lightning doesn't strike twice or whether we've got collective amnesia as a club, but somebody needs to quickly remember the strategic/operational decisions that we were making between 2009 and 2011, and stop repeating the. I'm not saying that we've suddenly become relegation candidates, but we're tempting fate with what we appear to be doing, and we all know that fate likes to fuck us over given half a chance.

This is a worry.

With the owners' ongoing distraction, now would seem like a typical time to start compromising ideals and strategy - with such classics as too many loans and not reinvesting.

I was optimistic a couple of weeks ago. But fuck knows what's going to happen next season. Nothing would surprise me.

 

[BushBlade]

On a work night out?

I’d have to think about that. Football isn’t a typical job though and most work nights out don’t involve going to somewhere like Portugal so it’s not a straight comparison. Unless you work with a bunch of highly talented and highly paid young blokes in a job where team spirit is as important as talent.

 

[Grappler]

Drunken fisticuffs apparently, edna took a swing at jock, coutts wouldnt get in a taxi and was arguing with basham who was trying to bundle him into a cab and sharp had a shouting match with someone, was all in the shoutbox / on twitter

As the old saying went, when I was a lad, "boys will be boys".....

 

[Ricky]

You know what, the closure of the loan window might help us this season.

In times like these which I've referred to above, we might usually give it the good old 'there's always the loan window' and head into the season unprepared.

Now we won't have until January to make further additions, it should minimise the risk of that happening and ensure we at least go into the season fairly prepared. Hopefully not just with loan signings though.

 

[robbiez666]

I’d have to think about that. Football isn’t a typical job though and most work nights out don’t involve going to somewhere like Portugal so it’s not a straight comparison. Unless you work with a bunch of highly talented and highly paid young blokes in a job where team spirit is as important as talent.

I work in the public sector so a night out in Barnsley would be pushing the envelope!

I have friends who work for big companies who pay for foreign away days (read as , tax right offs). Pretty sure any fighting during that would result in disciplinary action. It certainly does on any works night outs I've been on. Teamwork and team spirit is important in most jobs. I'm not sure punching your teammates is good team building!

Football may not be a typical job but this time of year is vital for fitness. I got drunk last night. It won't effect me doing my job on Monday. It would do if I was a professional athlete.

 

[BushBlade]

I work in the public sector so a night out in Barnsley would be pushing the envelope!

I have friends who work for big companies who pay for foreign away days (read as , tax right offs). Pretty sure any fighting during that would result in disciplinary action. It certainly does on any works night outs I've been on. Teamwork and team spirit is important in most jobs. I'm not sure punching your teammates is good team building!

Football may not be a typical job but this time of year is vital for fitness. I got drunk last night. It won't effect me doing my job on Monday. It would do if I was a professional athlete.

It’s a good job we haven’t got a game on Monday then.

No one actually got punched did they? From my experience, the more talented someone is, and the more difficult they are to replace, the more leeway they get. It’s not really unusual for footballers to get a bit physical with each other.

Personally, I’m more concerned about the fighting at boardroom level than a bit of pissed up fuckwittery from the players.

 

[Stretch]

I work in the public sector so a night out in Barnsley would be pushing the envelope!

I have friends who work for big companies who pay for foreign away days (read as , tax right offs). Pretty sure any fighting during that would result in disciplinary action. It certainly does on any works night outs I've been on. Teamwork and team spirit is important in most jobs. I'm not sure punching your teammates is good team building!

Football may not be a typical job but this time of year is vital for fitness. I got drunk last night. It won't effect me doing my job on Monday. It would do if I was a professional athlete.

For all we know Robbie there might have been disciplinary action, if it was actually warranted. I wasn't there but based on the description there is only Enda taking a swing at JOC that would appear serious enough. A shouty drunken exchange of words (Sharp) doesn't and Bash might just have been dragging Coutts away from one last beer too many?
Obviously I defer to those who witnessed it though.

 

[Oldun]

Glad the lads are getting a decent pre season piss up under their belts. I’m sure the hard graft now will pay off during the season.

 

[Addison]

This is a worry.

With the owners' ongoing distraction, now would seem like a typical time to start compromising ideals and strategy - with such classics as too many loans and not reinvesting.

I was optimistic a couple of weeks ago. But fuck knows what's going to happen next season. Nothing would surprise me.

The way SUFC has been run off the field has always been a shambles in terms of forward thinking and direction. Add an ownership dispute to it and the Club is in limbo and likely to be for the duration of this coming season. Not only will there be problems in getting players across the line as they consider whether they want to come to a Club where the owners are at war with each other but normal day to day dealings on contract extensions may be affected.

Bettis and CW have a thankless task in trying to wrangle with two owners over how much of the future they can finance with the limited amounts now available to them to keep the Club ticking over. Decisions on changing strategy and reinvesting will not be on the agenda until there is an outright winner. That is some time away. For the moment we have to hope we can get loans in and keep current players happy in the knowledge there will be contract extensions agreed shortly. I am thinking of the likes of Coutts, Basham, Sharp and others in their last year.

We are in the Championship because of CW and his team and no-one else. The only time the 2 owners recently have shown any solidarity is when there was a risk that CW would leave as alluded to at Court. He can not keep pulling rabbits out of the hat where players are concerned and the added financial restrictions are problems he should not have to deal with when he should be focusing on getting the team up and running for the new season.

We have to start the season well to lift the gloom but CW is working with one arm tied behind his back. If we don't then the blame for this lies at the door of KM and the Prince. The concern is that by December if we are struggling and there is another public airing in Court of how little money we have then CW may feel its just not worth the hassle.

 

[Clarkey87]

Drunken fisticuffs apparently, edna took a swing at jock, coutts wouldnt get in a taxi and was arguing with basham who was trying to bundle him into a cab and sharp had a shouting match with someone, was all in the shoutbox / on twitter

Christ. First I’ve heard about all of that. There’s me thinking all went well.

 

[Gimli]

Think talk of relegation is overly pessimistic. The last time we were relegated we have Nyron Nosworthy at CB, need I say anymore!

 

[Eric Cartman]

Honestly it wasn’t good viewing

The fans were miles better behaved than the players, not a peep of trouble over the past few days

 

[Harry's Game]

You know what, the closure of the loan window might help us this season.

In times like these which I've referred to above, we might usually give it the good old 'there's always the loan window' and head into the season unprepared.

Now we won't have until January to make further additions, it should minimise the risk of that happening and ensure we at least go into the season fairly prepared. Hopefully not just with loan signings though.

That’s if the owners are that bothered, I think they are hoping the majority current squad and Wilder are enough to keep us out of trouble until the ownership is resolved.

Looking at the post Xmas form I’m not so sure. I think we may be relying on the likes of Rotherham, Bolton and one or two others being utterly shit.

 

[8lade]

Drunken fisticuffs apparently, edna took a swing at jock, coutts wouldnt get in a taxi and was arguing with basham who was trying to bundle him into a cab and sharp had a shouting match with someone, was all in the shoutbox / on twitter

Add to that Ched Evans scored in a game of football and it's armageddon for 75% of the posters on here.

 

[robbiez666]

It’s a good job we haven’t got a game on Monday then.

No one actually got punched did they? From my experience, the more talented someone is, and the more difficult they are to replace, the more leeway they get. It’s not really unusual for footballers to get a bit physical with each other.

Personally, I’m more concerned about the fighting at boardroom level than a bit of pissed up fuckwittery from the players.

The way things are going, we're going to have a tough season as it is. If the players aren't getting on as a unit, I fear we're more likely to see the second half of the season form than the first half.

 

[BushBlade]

The way things are going, we're going to have a tough season as it is. If the players aren't getting on as a unit, I fear we're more likely to see the second half of the season form than the first half.

Which goes back to my original point about mates fighting when they’re pissed. It seems you’re desperate to portray this in as negative a light as possible though.

 

[bromtom]

The way things are going, we're going to have a tough season as it is. If the players aren't getting on as a unit, I fear we're more likely to see the second half of the season form than the first half.

Second half of the season form would still put us mid/ lower mid table depending on everyone else. Is that enough for Wilder? Who knows but why don't we see what we're like when the season starts before writing it off altogether.

 

[robbiez666]

Which goes back to my original point about mates fighting when they’re pissed. It seems you’re desperate to portray this in as negative a light as possible though.

I don't know how you can think it's anything other than negative? They're not a bunch of friends, albeit some will be. They're a bunch of footballer who make up a squad.

It's not the end of the world by any means, and it may not even have any negative effect on the team, but 'kicking-off'/having a spat in public is hardly great news.On top of the general sense of bad news which has been growing this pre-season.

I hope it's nothing. I hope the owners sort out their squabbles quickly. I hope we bring in 5/6 great players. I hope we get promoted. It's just not looking to bright at the moment. Things can change though.