Who's joining the Blades?

[Mojo]

Harper and Watson would be dream signings but lets face it, can anyone see us signing either of those?

 

[Bladesman]

Watson looked sharp for Wigan against Blackpool even if the rest of the team were playing shite.

 

[RedKite]

Watson and Harper....blimey that would be too good to be true. It'll never happen.

If Bromby's off to Weeds we surely need some more defenders around the place. Sonko? Shittu? Any other suggestions?

 

[beightonblade]

Ryan Bennet from Grimsby ?

 

[Pinchy]

NN6, La Blade, Mojo and Red Kite. I detect an appreciation of stylish, aesthetical midfield play.

May I take the liberty of enrolling you in my Campaign for Real Football?

I've just refused an application; fellow named Blackwell.

 

[Fiery Blade]

When is everyone going to realise that no ones coming in!
Usual Blackwell claptrap about worrying whose going to pinch our players, they don't have to we advertise them on E Bay!
Anyway if we are such a big club why don't we show our muscles and bully clubs into selling?
We'll wait until the deadline closes and perhaps then loan a couple if we get injuries
Everyone on here saying get so and so, etc,etc I will repeat:
NO ONE IS GOING TO BE SIGNED !

 

[La_Blade]

NN6, La Blade, Mojo and Red Kite. I detect an appreciation of stylish, aesthetical midfield play.

May I take the liberty of enrolling you in my Campaign for Real Football?

I've just refused an application; fellow named Blackwell.

Not for me thanks pinchy, theres a time and place for real football, and you've got to cut your cloth accordingly. The main reason we don't pass the ball through the midfield area in an attractive fluid manner is straightforward for me. 1) Monty is solid and a terrier etc. but isn't normally the best with the ball, and his vision can be limited. 2) SQuinny and Howard are more creative and a bit lightweight and can be muscled off the ball more easily, or if they get closed down too quickly don't have time to pick a pass.
The solution would be either, 1) Clone a hybrid of Squinny / Howard / Monty to create the perfect central midfielder, or. 2) Sign someone like Harper or Watson as they are athletic, combative, and creative. In other words a "midfield general" type player who can run the game. Once we have the assets to play proper football, thats when we should be doing it.
If you try and "play the right way" without the players to do it, you end up getting beaten week in week out then morale drops, and you spiral down and down (like we were doing under Robson). Its a results business and I'm happy to be getting those results BY ANY MEANS NECESARY.

 

[S64 Blade]

Watson and Harper....blimey that would be too good to be true. It'll never happen.

If Bromby's off to Weeds we surely need some more defenders around the place. Sonko? Shittu? Any other suggestions?

True, we'll be very thin at the back if Bromby goes. We're already cutting it a bit fine.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Please watch my lips: We will not be making any signings only last minute loans when the sh!t hits the fan !
When will you guys comprehend the Bramall lane mentality?

 

[shorehamview]

May I take the liberty of enrolling you in my Campaign for Real Football?

Is this like the Campaign For Real Ale? As a former publican I remember the twats from CAMRA, usually looking rather like geography teachers, in old jumpers with suede patches on the sleeves, corduroy trousers and clunky moccasins, spending twenty minutes looking at their half of Old Snicklewort's, measuring the head to ensure it wasn't too big and bringing it back for another two millilitres of beer. They all had beards, broken specs held together with tape, and would willingly travel for days just to sample a new brew, then moan like fuck about it as they made notes in their little notebooks.

So will it be like that? Harking back to the Goode Olde Dayse, when the goalies wore the same strip as the rest of the team, in a 1-1-8 or 1-2-7 formation?

Or would it be more like Ron Manager? Travelling the length and breadth of the country in search of the perfect 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, wearing an old Johan Cruyff shirt and a pair of Pele pants? Making notes in a battered notebook, then moaning it wasn't as good as that seventeen pass goal at Anfield in 1984, or the flick on at Highbury in 1963.

Or will the teams have to strictly adhere to the Sheffield Rules? Will it be like the mass punch-up football like they play in Ashbourne?

Which one is the Real Football? And do we get a badge?

 

[Pinchy]

Not for me thanks pinchy, theres a time and place for real football, and you've got to cut your cloth accordingly. The main reason we don't pass the ball through the midfield area in an attractive fluid manner is straightforward for me. 1) Monty is solid and a terrier etc. but isn't normally the best with the ball, and his vision can be limited. 2) SQuinny and Howard are more creative and a bit lightweight and can be muscled off the ball more easily, or if they get closed down too quickly don't have time to pick a pass.
The solution would be either, 1) Clone a hybrid of Squinny / Howard / Monty to create the perfect central midfielder, or. 2) Sign someone like Harper or Watson as they are athletic, combative, and creative. In other words a "midfield general" type player who can run the game. Once we have the assets to play proper football, thats when we should be doing it.
If you try and "play the right way" without the players to do it, you end up getting beaten week in week out then morale drops, and you spiral down and down (like we were doing under Robson). Its a results business and I'm happy to be getting those results BY ANY MEANS NECESARY.

LA Blade. I agree with almost everything you say but I stop short of 'any means necessary'. Many of us look back on the Bassett era with huge affection but no-one should overlook the pitifully low attendances. The style of play drove many away. We don't want history to repeat itself.

The simple answer to your conundrum: Move on, replace the Monties, Quinns et al and bring in proper footballers. There is no immutable law of football that says Sheffield United must be hard-to-beat battlers devoid of style.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Michael Brown - FACT

U a portsmouth fan?

 

[lenners]

LA Blade. I agree with almost everything you say but I stop short of 'any means necessary'. Many of us look back on the Bassett era with huge affection but no-one should overlook the pitifully low attendances. The style of play drove many away. We don't want history to repeat itself.

The simple answer to your conundrum: Move on, replace the Monties, Quinns et al and bring in proper footballers. There is no immutable law of football that says Sheffield United must be hard-to-beat battlers devoid of style.

United were roundabouts the 9th best supported club in the country when we were in the Prem under Bassett.

 

[RedKite]

Is this like the Campaign For Real Ale? As a former publican I remember the twats from CAMRA,

Would that be the CAMRA that is universally recognised as the most successful consumer campaign ever?

The CAMRA that forced the big brewers to provide real beer not the sterile, watered down pi$$ they were trying to foist on to us?

The CAMRA that wanted us to be served proper measures; not three quarters of a pint when we asked for a pint?

Yeah...CAMRA's rubbish innit?

 

[La_Blade]

LA Blade. I agree with almost everything you say but I stop short of 'any means necessary'. Many of us look back on the Bassett era with huge affection but no-one should overlook the pitifully low attendances. The style of play drove many away. We don't want history to repeat itself.

The simple answer to your conundrum: Move on, replace the Monties, Quinns et al and bring in proper footballers. There is no immutable law of football that says Sheffield United must be hard-to-beat battlers devoid of style.

The any means neccessary part of my post was meant only to highlight the point that if you don't have th players that can command the midfield area, and knock it around, then you are going to lose a lot of posession of the ball in that area. That then starves the front men, and puts pressure on the back 4. Eventually you capitulate and concede. Robson wanted to play the game in the right way imo, but didn't have the players that could so results suffered. It didn't help that Robson also seemed unable to motivate and lift the team, and was too stubborn to see it wasn't working. As I've said I would love us to mix it up a bit more, but until we sign the type of players who can do it we're going to have to play to a style that suits us.

 

[chipsncake]

LA Blade. I agree with almost everything you say but I stop short of 'any means necessary'. Many of us look back on the Bassett era with huge affection but no-one should overlook the pitifully low attendances. The style of play drove many away. We don't want history to repeat itself.

The simple answer to your conundrum: Move on, replace the Monties, Quinns et al and bring in proper footballers. There is no immutable law of football that says Sheffield United must be hard-to-beat battlers devoid of style.

Agree with every single word Pinchy. We will never progress as a football club until we replace the likes of Monty and Quinny(who I thought did OK at times yesterday) and bring in players with more to their game than hard work and endeavour. Unfortunately Blackwell has shown this pre season that he is unable to recognise or attract the quality players he keeps harping on about and he too will have to go before we can make any real progress.

 

[shorehamview]

bring in players with more to their game than hard work and endeavour. Unfortunately Blackwell has shown this pre season that he is unable to recognise or attract the quality players

What if these players are too expensive, or don't want to come? I agree with signing players that are "creative", but it's not as if we can simply shout out of the door and they will turn up in droves. We have to play the side that we have, not the one we'd like.

 

[chipsncake]

What if these players are too expensive, or don't want to come? I agree with signing players that are "creative", but it's not as if we can simply shout out of the door and they will turn up in droves. We have to play the side that we have, not the one we'd like.

Yep, you're right, but a better manager than ours WOULD be able to attract the right players. Unfortunately Blackwell's reputation in the game goes before him and I suspect there are many who don't want to come and play for him.

 

[Foxy]

Unfortunately Blackwell's reputation in the game goes before him and I suspect there are many who don't want to come and play for him.

Out of interest, what do you know of Blackwell's reputation within the game?

 

[raul]

Players, as we see constantly, will play anywhere and for anyone if the money is right. The bloke clearly hasn't got as much as the last few seasons as we "re-profile". I think this will have more of an impact on his ability to bring in quality players than any perceived image problem.