Whose fault is it?

[BlairBlade]

Wit is IW.

Who is "Wit"?
I get the impression he is a friend of CW's.
Is that right?

 

[bartman]

the problem for me is/was recruitment. The quality of it, positions covered and a general lack of awareness that the Promotion squad could not with the best will in the world over achieve forever.

I think this is spot on.

In hindsight, I think the transfer window after we got promoted to the top league, we bought players who would help us get promoted again should we get relegated. Players such as Callum Robinson, Freeman, McBurnie and Mousett were upgrades and should have been replacing existing players who in turn would be the back up squad along with Osborn who could cover Stevens and Fleck and Jags who could cover Egan. For me this was the right way to go and could have formed a basis of an excellent Championship squad if relegated.

Unfortunately, Robinson and Freeman were soon cast to one side ( a mistake in my opinion)and the others struggled to adapt. The next transfer brought us Jack Robinson and Berge . Robinson was a strange signing as he is a poor championship player and, like Rodwell, a complete waste of resources. Berge was a strange one. A quality player by all accounts but surely the management/scouting team should have been looking for a replacement for Basham and cover( or a replacement ) for Baldock. Berge , despite flashes , doesn't appear to suit our system. However not all transfers are successful.

The next window again didn't see us sign players who would be an upgrade on many players who got us promoted from the championship. Only Bogle has shown he might challenge Baldock but we have wasted money on Lowe and in particular Brewster as they haven't been deemed good enough to replace existing 1st team players. The swap deal where we got Burke from Robinson was bemusing to say the least. We dot someone with pace but little else( or so it seems)

The last few months has seen 8/9 of the championship squad regularly starting ( Basham, Baldock, Stevens,Bryan,Fleck,Lundstram,Sharp,McGoldrick and Norwood) and if fit, JOC and Egan would also be starting. In effect we have spent over £100 million on players who have either now left the club or are sitting on the bench as they aren't deemed good enough to replace the (ageing)players that got us promoted from the championship.

It is quite clear that funds we provided to improve the first team irrespective of whether or not those players were/are good enough for the top league however we appear to have just back filled the squad and CW mainly kept on trusting the players that got him promoted.The lack of quality is astonishing for the money we have spent and we would be saying that if we were in the Championship. The is a reflection of our scouting, management,coaching or a combination of all three although I suspect whoever has been scouting these players ( Paul Mitchell ?) will have a few questions to answer from the Board

Many fans didn't expect us to stay up last season and the team surprised us. Many expected us to struggle this season but not capitulate the way we have for most of the season. Going down isn't the main concern for me, it is the way we are going down

 

[Kenilworth]

Forged in Steel - Fucked in Riyadh

 

[Snowflake]

View attachment 108182

Why do people always have to find someone at fault ?
Of course the club needs to review and investigate what has gone wrong over the last 12 months or so, but simply pointing the finger and effectively saying it is not me that is to blame is an indictment on modern society that history will probably find hard to explain

 

[Hamburg Blade]

It seems a lot of people think the question "whose fault is it?" is asking about why we are bottom, presumably because they see that as the root cause of the tension and strife that ultimately led to Wilder's departure... and so we get back into the circular and conjecture-based discussions about signings, style, wages, etc.
If you take the question as just whose fault is it that Wilder is no longer at the club, then you can only say the board, because if the board wanted to keep him, they could have, probably quite easily.
I also wonder just how much the board includes the Prince. He's barely there and seems more involved with building his world empire than with United. He made the right noises and several promises, but have the board made different decisions and handled Wilder differently to how it appears when you only listen to the words of the Prince? When I look at a few of the names on the board, it doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[Snowflake]

I think this is spot on.

In hindsight, I think the transfer window after we got promoted to the top league, we bought players who would help us get promoted again should we get relegated. Players such as Callum Robinson, Freeman, McBurnie and Mousett were upgrades and should have been replacing existing players who in turn would be the back up squad along with Osborn who could cover Stevens and Fleck and Jags who could cover Egan. For me this was the right way to go and could have formed a basis of an excellent Championship squad if relegated.

Unfortunately, Robinson and Freeman were soon cast to one side ( a mistake in my opinion)and the others struggled to adapt. The next transfer brought us Jack Robinson and Berge . Robinson was a strange signing as he is a poor championship player and, like Rodwell, a complete waste of resources. Berge was a strange one. A quality player by all accounts but surely the management/scouting team should have been looking for a replacement for Basham and cover( or a replacement ) for Baldock. Berge , despite flashes , doesn't appear to suit our system. However not all transfers are successful.

The next window again didn't see us sign players who would be an upgrade on many players who got us promoted from the championship. Only Bogle has shown he might challenge Baldock but we have wasted money on Lowe and in particular Brewster as they haven't been deemed good enough to replace existing 1st team players. The swap deal where we got Burke from Robinson was bemusing to say the least. We dot someone with pace but little else( or so it seems)

The last few months has seen 8/9 of the championship squad regularly starting ( Basham, Baldock, Stevens,Bryan,Fleck,Lundstram,Sharp,McGoldrick and Norwood) and if fit, JOC and Egan would also be starting. In effect we have spent over £100 million on players who have either now left the club or are sitting on the bench as they aren't deemed good enough to replace the (ageing)players that got us promoted from the championship.

It is quite clear that funds we provided to improve the first team irrespective of whether or not those players were/are good enough for the top league however we appear to have just back filled the squad and CW mainly kept on trusting the players that got him promoted.The lack of quality is astonishing for the money we have spent and we would be saying that if we were in the Championship. The is a reflection of our scouting, management,coaching or a combination of all three although I suspect whoever has been scouting these players ( Paul Mitchell ?) will have a few questions to answer from the Board

Many fans didn't expect us to stay up last season and the team surprised us. Many expected us to struggle this season but not capitulate the way we have for most of the season. Going down isn't the main concern for me, it is the way we are going down

Sense with subdued passion : thank you.

 

[SteveBlade]

Why do people always have to find someone at fault ?
Of course the club needs to review and investigate what has gone wrong over the last 12 months or so, but simply pointing the finger and effectively saying it is not me that is to blame is an indictment on modern society that history will probably find hard to explain

To be fair everything is usually the fault of something or someone or a combination of the two. Things don't generally just happen for absolutely no reason.

 

[Snowflake]

To be fair everything is usually the fault of something or someone or a combination of the two. Things don't generally just happen for absolutely no reason.

They may happen because individuals are not up to their job. That doesn’t necessarily mean that those who appointed them are at fault, as it may have been the correct decision at the time.

 

[SouthportBlade]

I'm not sure how you can digest what's happened over the last few days (and even months) and not conclude there's clearly fault on both sides.

Whilst we don't know the ins and outs and perhaps never will, I'm near enough certain that it all stems from results on the pitch and is the catalyst for all the rumblings behind the scenes.

If we were sat comfortably lower mid table in January with another year beckoning in the top flight, there's no risk in bringing in Lingard, there's no risk on spending money on the training ground, the conversation around summer budget is a lot easier, Wilder isn't under pressure and doesn't need to publicly dig the board etc etc

Results we can blame circumstances, covid, no fans, injuries, recruitment, luck, VAR etc - but ultimately in my mind, the manager and players take responsibility for this aspect. This doesn't mean the situation is their fault in a cause and effect kind of way, but strikes me as root cause.

Neither party have covered themselves in Glory, and its a very sad ends to a fantastic period in blades history.

 

[Snowflake]

To be fair everything is usually the fault of something or someone or a combination of the two. Things don't generally just happen for absolutely no reason.

Circumstances beyond the clubs control play a part. Injuries to key players being just one aspect.

 

[SteveBlade]

They may happen because individuals are not up to their job. That doesn’t necessarily mean that those who appointed them are at fault, as it may have been the correct decision at the time.

Indeed. I just wanted to get an idea of how the more sensible part of the fanbase feels, as if you dare to go onto Facebook at the moment 95% of Blades on the cuntish Bladey groups want to see the Prince strung up.

 

[The Crab]

Indeed. I just wanted to get an idea of how the more sensible part of the fanbase feels, as if you dare to go onto Facebook at the moment 95% of Blades on the cuntish Bladey groups want to see the Prince strung up.

Even at the best of times I'd rather punch myself in the face than go on the Facebook groups

 

[Rochdaleblade]

I'd say both but mostly Wilder. He had been given more money than any Blades manager in history and more than McCabe would have allowed him to have had he been sole owner. Wilder seemed reluctant to change anything but blamed lack of spending during a global pandemic and then spent what money he did get on the wrong areas of the squad.

The board are at fault regarding how they have gone about him going but it was very abrupt. If he was going to be sacked it would have happened months ago. So something happened Thursday evening or Friday morning that broke the camels back.

I agree that wilder has got to carry the can for this shitshow of a season. He was rightly hailed for the incredible job he has done, so by the same token he needs to take some responsibility for this year. None of his signings has significantly improved the team and our first team is largely the same one we went up with. The injury to joc was obviously a massive blow, but the transfer window was still open and we could have signed some sort of replacement.
I was amazed that mousset and lundstram weren't binned off in the summer as their efforts have been shameful. His persistence in playing players who are clearly unfit or out of form also speaks volumes about our recruitment as the midfield three seem to get picked by default every week. What was the point of Rodwell.
I would personally rather see a few youngsters given a chance instead of seasoned pros who seem unable or unwilling to break sweat, although I appreciate that they are just as likely to be the next Jonathan forte rather than Kyle walker. When wilder first arrived, he quickly got rid of all the talented but lazy players but he seems to have persevered with quite a few this season.

 

[blade too long]

We have to go through the usual football grieving process and try and blame someone. Tbh I am surprised fans haven’t turned on fans as much as they did when a few suggested it was time for Wilder to go.

For me it’s done, over finished and I really enjoyed the ride. However, like many have said about Wilder its time to go again. I’m not going to spend until next August bemoaning what’s happened but start looking forward to what’s going to happen.

The past 9 months the focus was on Wilder, his transfers and the terrible results. The next 9 months the spotlight is on the board and what they do about where we are. I’m going to keep my powder dry, sit back and watch with interest. Dust off the Rumours Board.

You never know, it might be another blast and everyone will forget what’s happened and remember One of our Own with lasting affection.

Fot now UTB

hope springs eternal

we never saw Wilder achieving what he did

watch Tindall come in and we win fa cup, suddenly its the best ever season

unlikely maybe
but football is a funny old game

all clubs start afresh every August, we still have some decent players when fit

 

[bartman]

Forged in Steel - Fucked in Riyadh

Stepping back, don't you think that their could be blame on both sides ?

 

[Kenilworth]

Stepping back, don't you think that their could be blame on both sides ?

Nope.

 

[bartman]

Nope.

Really ? Wilder takes no blame for the results since lockdown was lifted and the players recruited (I.e not replacing the Championship players)

The board are by no means perfect but neither is Wilder

 

[PokerBlade]

Personally I find it really hard to contextualise this utter mess of a season. Things have gone so badly wrong and putting in to place who's at fault for what without a lot more detail feels like a fool's errand.

Last season Liverpool were probably the best team in the world. This season they're in 8th place after the loss of Van Dijk. If a team with their resources can drop off by this much then it doesn't seem too surprising we can drop off by even more with our injury crisis. Simple fact is that Bryan and Ampadu aren't players I'd feel confident about in the Championship and yet they've become regulars in our back three.

At this point it doesn't seem like there can be much argument that our recruitment has been poor. All players fit our best starting eleven is probably still the side that got us promoted (maybe with Mousset but the idea of him being ready to play a full season stretches even this hypothetical, possibly Berge but I still think he's one for the future not for now). Now some of that comes down to budget constraints (primarily wages) but we're still left with the fact that I can't think of a single signing that has been a clear improvement on the first team in spite of some decent transfer fees.

The thing that's hard to figure out about the recruitment is whether we've had a bad strategy or a good strategy (meaning as good as we can do with our financial clout) that made bad choices (the actual signings like McBurnie). I don't know the answer to that, I just know as soon as another Prem side shows serious interest then we're unable to compete. If we can't compete financially then I can accept that, wasting money with a bad strategy I can't. Hard to say who's to blame here, but a point against Wilder is that if part of the struggle has been against more oversight on signings then presumably he's had a fair bit of control. And when our signings have been so lacking, it's hard to fault the board for saying they have to address this. That's a few points in their favour I guess.

The things coming out about the training facilities is bizarre. I'm not financially savvy but from my armchair I'd think that the kind of problems there are utterly trivial in footballing terms. We've got £20m for Brewster so fixing up a building and providing decent meals seems like pocket change. This is an arbitrary scoring system, so 20 points against the board.

I guess I can keep going but the point is just that this is all a big mess and it's hard to figure out exactly what went wrong in each department never mind how to apportion blame. It'd be one thing if this stuff had led to relegation but it's record breaking crapness and it still feels like even accounting for everything we should be better than we are.

 

[The Crab]

Personally I find it really hard to contextualise this utter mess of a season. Things have gone so badly wrong and putting in to place who's at fault for what without a lot more detail feels like a fool's errand.

Last season Liverpool were probably the best team in the world. This season they're in 8th place after the loss of Van Dijk. If a team with their resources can drop off by this much then it doesn't seem too surprising we can drop off by even more with our injury crisis. Simple fact is that Bryan and Ampadu aren't players I'd feel confident about in the Championship and yet they've become regulars in our back three.

At this point it doesn't seem like there can be much argument that our recruitment has been poor. All players fit our best starting eleven is probably still the side that got us promoted (maybe with Mousset but the idea of him being ready to play a full season stretches even this hypothetical, possibly Berge but I still think he's one for the future not for now). Now some of that comes down to budget constraints (primarily wages) but we're still left with the fact that I can't think of a single signing that has been a clear improvement on the first team in spite of some decent transfer fees.

The thing that's hard to figure out about the recruitment is whether we've had a bad strategy or a good strategy (meaning as good as we can do with our financial clout) that made bad choices (the actual signings like McBurnie). I don't know the answer to that, I just know as soon as another Prem side shows serious interest then we're unable to compete. If we can't compete financially then I can accept that, wasting money with a bad strategy I can't. Hard to say who's to blame here, but a point against Wilder is that if part of the struggle has been against more oversight on signings then presumably he's had a fair bit of control. And when our signings have been so lacking, it's hard to fault the board for saying they have to address this. That's a few points in their favour I guess.

The things coming out about the training facilities is bizarre. I'm not financially savvy but from my armchair I'd think that the kind of problems there are utterly trivial in footballing terms. We've got £20m for Brewster so fixing up a building and providing decent meals seems like pocket change. This is an arbitrary scoring system, so 20 points against the board.

I guess I can keep going but the point is just that this is all a big mess and it's hard to figure out exactly what went wrong in each department never mind how to apportion blame. It'd be one thing if this stuff had led to relegation but it's record breaking crapness and it still feels like even accounting for everything we should be better than we are.

The situation is like the wires at the back of my telly.

So fucked up I'm not even going to attempt to figure it out

 

[bypassblade]

Indeed. I just wanted to get an idea of how the more sensible part of the fanbase feels, as if you dare to go onto Facebook at the moment 95% of Blades on the cuntish Bladey groups want to see the Prince strung up.

Steve don't do FB but can well imagine a lot are blaming the Prince but, the relationship has soured along the way and broken down due to unreconcilable differences.

I don't think Prince is blameless nor is Wilder but you've got 2 strong egos, what we have to do now is look to the future and the Prince has to show his intent. I think this will be done by whoever gets the manager/head coach job he'll not please everyone but it has to be a good appointment.

I have seen the goals from yesterday on TV and would like to ask why didn't we take a defence with us, we were a shambles in fact the police at Clapham Common ought to have stopped the bus and beat the players up.

On saying that it is gone we have to regroup, train properly we do have a chance of reaching Wembley (slim) I know but don't just lay down and die. Oh and we've got to bin that god awful pink kit it's horrible, I'd sooner they played nude than in that.

 

[Kenilworth]

Really ? Wilder takes no blame for the results since lockdown was lifted and the players recruited (I.e not replacing the Championship players)

The board are by no means perfect but neither is Wilder

It's not the main issue why he has walked and the recruitment is a factor of what he was allowed to bring in under the constraints he was working under.
He got fed up of those constraints and was not prepared to work miracles all over again.

Knowing you, as I do, I dare say, if you or I were in Wilder's position, then we would have the interests of the club at heart and would be wanting to build a legacy for Sheffield United. It's your club, it's my club, it's Wilder's club. It's not a possession - it's a duty of care.
Other than that, the alternative must be that Wilder is a fraud? Is that what you are saying to me?
That these last 4.5 years have been shit and the accolades he received are undeserved?

If you or I had been the one (like Wilder) to bring such amazing success from the depths of despair (Scunny at home and the parade of shame) to 9th in the PL in 4 years - and generated the level of income, purely from footballing success on the field of play, that he did, then you would be pretty pissed off if the owner was not thinking long term, like you were:
a) not investing in the infrastructure, as agreed (we have a League 1 level training facility and do not have a tier 1 academy, which clearly is a barrier to better recruitment)
The likes of Leeds do and both Manchester clubs are very near us - we have to compete in that environment.
b) seems more interested in purchasing other cubs to go into the portfolio of his Championship Manager game - rather than focus on the jewel he has in his hand.
The same mistake that McCabe made with his distraction into his Hungarian and Australian adventures.
c) uses SUFC cash to buy a player for a Belgian club, where the player has no chance of getting a work permit to play in the UK.
d) is unable, or unwilling to compete on wages to bring in the much needed difference in quality to build on what has already achieved.
e) forced to work with the hand that you have or to play in the markets that you can afford (we don't have the scouting infrastructure to do what other clubs do - we needed a stability to get more PL coin before we could invest in that) so you are non-competitive. You have to go for level 2 and 3 targets off your list and see if you can make them into Prem players via coaching (like refitting the battleship when you are at sea and on your way to war)
f) seeing that the owners sole plan was to bring in a DoF above you and take away the management decision making that got him in this amazing position in the first place.

Then you or I may feel exactly the same way.

Now people will go on about the moneh Wilder has spunked. The figure of £130m keeps getting mentioned.
Well - that's fees and not wages - and after 6 years in League 1 we were so far behind the curve that we have needed to catch up as quick as we can.
However, fees and not wages is the pond we are forced to play in. We have to pay a premium because we are (were) in the prem for the targets we can get. They are not the finished article because we cannot afford those. Fees are paid in instalments - it's not up front headline figures that go out the cash-flow. Fees can be recouped if you have to sell those players, so the instalments stop. Wages are committed revenue that you have to pay up if you sell that player. The outlay, to date, is no where near the £130m bandied about and when we go down it won't be the commitment going forward because players will be sold to balance that out.
Others, like Villa, have been able to construct packages with much higher wages to attract their number one targets - those targets being players of premiership quality that can hit the ground running (yes, I know they are still a shadow of the team without Grealish but we don't have a Grealish). The issue for us, with the funds the Prince has to call on compared to those the likes of Villa can harness, is that when you get relegated the wages have to decrease for you to survive (none of Newcastle's players have a relegation clause in their wage structure, for example). Hence, we are competing in a different pond.
Consequently, the list that Wilder would have put forward as his first choices are rejected / unobtainable. The leap in quality required remains unfunded.

Oh, but Wilder stated it was the best transfer window the club has ever had. Party line? Gritted teeth? The alternative is stating it was shit and we got the second choices - goes down great for player confidence.

If you come at this from a perspective of Wilder wanting to build a legacy and wanting to do it whilst we had the momentum to make it happen then you will understand.
If you come at it from the perspective that Wilder is a greedy bastard, a one trick pony, and has reached his limits then you will have a different opinion.

I never saw the reluctance to change the overall shape as an issue. He was correct - it gave us the only realistic opportunity of getting results.
At times, in games, where it made tactical sense, he did change formation and sometimes used a back 4, a front three, etc.
Going 442 against the quality of opposition we faced every week was, in his view, too risky. I respect that given his track record to date and the success his and Knill's tactics had brought.
The loss of key players trough injury meant that the system wasn't as effective this time around, as the balance was the key. JO'C absolutely critical to the system, as is a player of the stamina and speed of Basham. However, the system was still capable of ensuring we were still in the game - able to compete - and that was the system that differentiated us from all the others in previous seasons - A system lauded as technically innovative by Pep, Klopp, Morinhio, Bielsa etc. It was the system Wilder wanted to continue with and was prepared to ride out the storm with because he knew it would still deliver dividends if he could get players back and make the structure optimal, again. We have no Grealish, no Fernandes, no De Bruyne, no Son & Kane. We have to compete as well as we can to stay in the game to improve, over time.

Recruitment and transfers?
Pep never bought a pup?
Klopp never dropped a clanger?
Bielsa never dropped bollock? (not yet playing in the same pond)
When you are spending less the odds are more against a success than when you are competing at the highest level for the best in the World.

Injuries, COVID, shit VAR, no Bramall Lane crowd - all massive influences on the way the season has panned out.
Blaming Wilder means landing all of that on his plate. He can only control the controllable. Those factors are out of anyone's control.

Wilder brought us our club back - that sense of connection with the club was back, in spades. That was key because he gets it. That was totally at the heart of the success and at the centre of the ride we all went on. Now, because of shortsightedness and a lack of ambition and a lack of real financial clout to play with the big boys the owner has chucked all that away. The only financial clout the owner had was what Wilder generated for him (see Mike McCarty's tweet around the time of the court case PA had with McCabe for control). Indeed the assets of the club are being purchase off McCabe through the money Wilder generated for the club and not what the Prince has available. He'd have had no chance to buy anything off McCabe if Wilder hadn't won promotion to the PL.

Finally, if you think Wilder was making unreasonable demands then you will be quite happy to go back to the days of Weir and Adkins, where a great day out was always spoiled by the fucking dire football.

 

[XM657]

Steve don't do FB but can well imagine a lot are blaming the Prince but, the relationship has soured along the way and broken down due to unreconcilable differences.

I don't think Prince is blameless nor is Wilder but you've got 2 strong egos, what we have to do now is look to the future and the Prince has to show his intent. I think this will be done by whoever gets the manager/head coach job he'll not please everyone but it has to be a good appointment.

I have seen the goals from yesterday on TV and would like to ask why didn't we take a defence with us, we were a shambles in fact the police at Clapham Common ought to have stopped the bus and beat the players up.

On saying that it is gone we have to regroup, train properly we do have a chance of reaching Wembley (slim) I know but don't just lay down and die. Oh and we've got to bin that god awful pink kit it's horrible, I'd sooner they played nude than in that.

Jock strap and boots....PLEASE!!!

 

[BladeTillIDie]

The players can't help not being good enough. Let's face it their championship players bar 2 or 3 and last season the buzz and the crowd definitely helped in the good season finish.

 

[BladeTillIDie]

.

 

[bartman]

It's not the main issue why he has walked and the recruitment is a factor of what he was allowed to bring in under the constraints he was working under.
He got fed up of those constraints and was not prepared to work miracles all over again.

Knowing you, as I do, I dare say, if you or I were in Wilder's position, then we would have the interests of the club at heart and would be wanting to build a legacy for Sheffield United. It's your club, it's my club, it's Wilder's club. It's not a possession - it's a duty of care.
Other than that, the alternative must be that Wilder is a fraud? Is that what you are saying to me?
That these last 4.5 years have been shit and the accolades he received are undeserved?

If you or I had been the one (like Wilder) to bring such amazing success from the depths of despair (Scunny at home and the parade of shame) to 9th in the PL in 4 years - and generated the level of income, purely from footballing success on the field of play, that he did, then you would be pretty pissed off if the owner was not thinking long term, like you were:
a) not investing in the infrastructure, as agreed (we have a League 1 level training facility and do not have a tier 1 academy, which clearly is a barrier to better recruitment)
The likes of Leeds do and both Manchester clubs are very near us - we have to compete in that environment.
b) seems more interested in purchasing other cubs to go into the portfolio of his Championship Manager game - rather than focus on the jewel he has in his hand.
The same mistake that McCabe made with his distraction into his Hungarian and Australian adventures.
c) uses SUFC cash to buy a player for a Belgian club, where the player has no chance of getting a work permit to play in the UK.
d) is unable, or unwilling to compete on wages to bring in the much needed difference in quality to build on what has already achieved.
e) forced to work with the hand that you have or to play in the markets that you can afford (we don't have the scouting infrastructure to do what other clubs do - we needed a stability to get more PL coin before we could invest in that) so you are non-competitive. You have to go for level 2 and 3 targets off your list and see if you can make them into Prem players via coaching (like refitting the battleship when you are at sea and on your way to war)
f) seeing that the owners sole plan was to bring in a DoF above you and take away the management decision making that got him in this amazing position in the first place.

Then you or I may feel exactly the same way.

Now people will go on about the moneh Wilder has spunked. The figure of £130m keeps getting mentioned.
Well - that's fees and not wages - and after 6 years in League 1 we were so far behind the curve that we have needed to catch up as quick as we can.
However, fees and not wages is the pond we are forced to play in. We have to pay a premium because we are (were) in the prem for the targets we can get. They are not the finished article because we cannot afford those. Fees are paid in instalments - it's not up front headline figures that go out the cash-flow. Fees can be recouped if you have to sell those players, so the instalments stop. Wages are committed revenue that you have to pay up if you sell that player. The outlay, to date, is no where near the £130m bandied about and when we go down it won't be the commitment going forward because players will be sold to balance that out.
Others, like Villa, have been able to construct packages with much higher wages to attract their number one targets - those targets being players of premiership quality that can hit the ground running (yes, I know they are still a shadow of the team without Grealish but we don't have a Grealish). The issue for us, with the funds the Prince has to call on compared to those the likes of Villa can harness, is that when you get relegated the wages have to decrease for you to survive (none of Newcastle's players have a relegation clause in their wage structure, for example). Hence, we are competing in a different pond.
Consequently, the list that Wilder would have put forward as his first choices are rejected / unobtainable. The leap in quality required remains unfunded.

Oh, but Wilder stated it was the best transfer window the club has ever had. Party line? Gritted teeth? The alternative is stating it was shit and we got the second choices - goes down great for player confidence.

If you come at this from a perspective of Wilder wanting to build a legacy and wanting to do it whilst we had the momentum to make it happen then you will understand.
If you come at it from the perspective that Wilder is a greedy bastard, a one trick pony, and has reached his limits then you will have a different opinion.

I never saw the reluctance to change the overall shape as an issue. He was correct - it gave us the only realistic opportunity of getting results.
At times, in games, where it made tactical sense, he did change formation and sometimes used a back 4, a front three, etc.
Going 442 against the quality of opposition we faced every week was, in his view, too risky. I respect that given his track record to date and the success his and Knill's tactics had brought.
The loss of key players trough injury meant that the system wasn't as effective this time around, as the balance was the key. JO'C absolutely critical to the system, as is a player of the stamina and speed of Basham. However, the system was still capable of ensuring we were still in the game - able to compete - and that was the system that differentiated us from all the others in previous seasons - A system lauded as technically innovative by Pep, Klopp, Morinhio, Bielsa etc. It was the system Wilder wanted to continue with and was prepared to ride out the storm with because he knew it would still deliver dividends if he could get players back and make the structure optimal, again. We have no Grealish, no Fernandes, no De Bruyne, no Son & Kane. We have to compete as well as we can to stay in the game to improve, over time.

Recruitment and transfers?
Pep never bought a pup?
Klopp never dropped a clanger?
Bielsa never dropped bollock?
When you are spending less the odds are more against a success than when you are competing at the highest level for the best in the World.

Injuries, COVID, shit VAR, no Bramall Lane crowd - all massive influences on the way the season has panned out.
Blaming Wilder means landing all of that on his plate. He can only control the controllable. Those factors are out of anyone's control.

Wilder brought us our club back - that sense of connection with the club was back, in spades. That was key because he gets it. That was totally at the heart of the success and at the centre of the ride we all went on. Now, because of shortsightedness and a lack of ambition and a lack of real financial clout to play with the big boys the owner has chucked all that away. The only financial clout the owner had was what Wilder generate for him (see Mike McCarty's tweet around the time of the court case PA had with McCabe for control). Indeed the assets of the club are being purchase off McCabe through the money Wilder generated for the club and not what the Prince has available. He'd have had no chance to buy anything off McCabe if Wilder hadn't won promotion to the PL.

Finally, if you think Wilder was making unreasonable demands then you will be quite happy to go back to the days of Weir and Adkins, where a great day out was always spoiled by the fucking dire football.

Mostly agree. The point I was making was that Wilder has made mistakes. For me the recruitment of players not seemingly good enough to replace the majority of the championship squad was a major one. The football we have witnessed this season has,for me, been just as bad as what we witnessed under Atkins just at a higher level.

None of us have any idea what demands Wilder had made ( reasonable or otherwise) and what the Board's response was. I have no doubt Wilder was thinking of the club first however, given his demeanor and the way the team were playing, did he really believe he could turn it round next season ? Ideally Wilder should have been given personal backing for next season and a reasonable budget. However, based on the recruitment of the last 12 months, I believe the Board has the right to question whether the money made available has been spent wisely.

Yes Wilder has generated money for the club and he has been paid very well for doing so. We have knownfor a while the Prince doesnt have the resources but the majority of fans believed it was important to detach McCabe from the club. Alarm bells rang for me when an agreement couldn't be made to buy the two ransom strips from McCabe. I dont thinking is short sightedness, just the failure to bring on board investors to take us to a higher level. The Prince iis solely to blame for that.

Something obviously happened Thursday as the team had already been picked for the Leicester game. Maybe both sides wouldnt compromise which made the position untenable ?

We all want what is best for the club. Wilder has gone now. I hope the next manager is given a chance by the fans but it will be a challenging job for whoever comes in.

You are right about controlling the controllable which is why I blame the board for not being able to attract investors and Wilder and his team for poor recruitment( I.e not recruiting effectively to replace the Championship squad with better players) and the style of football we have mainly had to endure since lockdown .

I hope you are all well

Ian

 

[Torrix1889]

Whose fault......?

Both, in equal measure

 

[tridellaswasclass]

Hardly needed a crystal ball mate. Lundstram contact situation/dispute ongoing since last season. Osborn only plays on left of a three. Freeman shipped out on loan. Didn't resign Besic or utilise second loan. Norwood's impact on games negated with a high press/more mobile players.
I respect your opinion but I'm not speaking after the event here. Many of us have been saying this about the midfield for 18 months. Not good enough.

 

[Cassius Kray]

The last few months has seen 8/9 of the championship squad regularly starting ( Basham, Baldock, Stevens,Bryan,Fleck,Lundstram,Sharp,McGoldrick and Norwood) and if fit, JOC and Egan would also be starting. In effect we have spent over £100 million on players who have either now left the club or are sitting on the bench as they aren't deemed good enough to replace the (ageing)players that got us promoted from the championship.

I agree with your wider point that recruitment hasn't been as successful as we'd have liked, but I don't think this is entirely fair. Ramsdale and Berge have almost always started when fit, and they're almost half of that £100m.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Who's fault ? take your pick, Covid, lack of the Faithful in the grounds both home and away, injuries, suspensions, loss of form, players like Robinson and Rodwell etc. who've simply disappeared into who knows where, car crashes, 2nd season syndrome, CW & co. and the Board, apologies if I've missed anyone.
Can't really blame todays regime, yet, as today's team would have been close to the one CW would have fielded.
Believe me, there's a shit storm brewing, shoes are being stockpiled as I speak in a garage off London Road,
But, only time will tell, as for me, I'll be forever more, always, on the march with Wilder's Army (or what will be left of it) UTB,

Broadly agree. No one individual or factor to blame. Just a perfect storm of badness.

 

[themaninblack]

Finally, if you think Wilder was making unreasonable demands then you will be quite happy to go back to the days of Weir and Adkins, where a great day out was always spoiled by the fucking dire football.

Great post. I’m gutted that Wilder has been pushed out after giving us the best 4 years that we have had as Blades. I loved the connection that he brought to the club and I thought the whole ‘one of our own’ thing was fantastic. He made mistakes of course but I cannot believe some of the criticism on here of the man that brought our club back to life.

It’s all on the owners now. They have to get the next move right because it won’t be pretty if they fuck this up.