Chris Porter - always seemed to be on his way out of the club but always seemed to be like the cat that had 9 lives! With strikers leaving, getting imprisoned or being sold; he often (unfortunately some may say) seemed the one constant. In an ideal world he would have left some time ago but circumstances have contrived to keep him here. Sometimes he gets some unfair criticism (like Doyle) but unlike Doyle his performances have been mostly not quite at the level needed. He scores few goals, his hold up play is not the best and is quite weak in the air (looped headers) for someone of his size/build. His overall touch and football awareness is inept at times but he does give a decent shift and I can’t really fault his effort. He has had some decent games for United but not many. The fact he was still one of our main options up front says as much about the rest. He eventually settled down and ended up being a bit of a super (!) sub and made an impact in some games particularly v Forest. You never got the sense he would ever be a first choice though and his United days may now be over.
With Cresswell and Kitson moving on and him having a year option of his contract he remained and started against Notts County. He was rotated between him and Taylor to start the opening weeks but then kind of drifted out as Baxter, King and even Ironside were preferred. He went on loan to Chesterfield but even he struggled to convince there and was not even a regular starter. He came back and got a few goals in the cup run and was the subject or ironic chants in comparison to the more illustrious Villa striker Benteke as we notched a surprise win. In this game he still looked a weak link but then some cool penalties including the one against Forest and another neat finish against Peterborough sensed he had a bit of a renaissance. Clough had signed him before and felt he could do a job in the right circumstances. He has been in and out the team (some may say for a reason) in three years but has scored some vital goals in play off and cup games. He had a great end to the season although mostly off the bench scoring some goals to bring points late in away games but again Clough stated he did not do it enough from the start when he had played.
I don’t think he is totally disliked by United fans and sadly became more a figure of fun for most. The reality is with his contract up and us needing new blood up there he is not even worth retaining as a squad player for me. Certainly not the worst centre forward we have ever had but will be remembered as a mainstay in quite a poor few seasons at the Lane. I am sure he will find a club at League Two or even League One level and if ever he comes back will get a decent reception. He was involved in some memorable games and moments and always did his best. Sadly he was just not good enough.
Grade D-
Jose Baxter is a player that had so much promise when he was a kid at Everton making his debut at 16, he got into a few off the field scrapes and ultimately left Goodison Park. He nearly signed for Palace but that did not work out and ended up signing a short term deal at Oldham to try and resurrect his career. He did well here and at a lower league his technical ability and skills stood out. He signed a longer deal and was part of the good cup run when they played both Merseyside teams. He scored 13 goals in 39 games which was not bad for someone who was not an out and out striker.
He started the new season and scored twice against Stevenage but word was he was unsettled and United became linked with him before the board changes. He seemed the right sort of player to go for. Still young, still needing to prove himself and with some ability to open up defence and get goals. I was pleased we signed him and seemed like the sign of better things to come. He began by showing his ability on the ball albeit it in a struggling side but also showed he was not exactly slim line in physique and was definitely carrying a bit of top timber.
He was one of few that stood out in a poor side and at least showed some invention and creativity. He got on the ball and showed he could pass short and long. He also got into good areas and scored a few early goals (such as at Rotherham). Questions started to arise over his best position. Was it as a striker, a midfielder or even a wide man (lacked pace to do this well). Most felt just behind a striker or strikers would suit his talents. You feared when Clough came in with others leaving he may not be his cup of tea. Not exactly a worker you wondered whether he would him in a relegation battle. However Clough recognised his talents and got him in the right position. He was not a regular to start under Clough but eventually got in and scored some crucial goals in home games v Swindon, Oldham and Tranmere as we started to win some games. He still divided opinion with some feeling he did not do enough citing his weight and lack of mobility and others feeling he was not appreciated for his talents when he did get on the ball (ironically I felt he could be quite wasteful in this too!).
However no one can doubt that in the games we won and did well he was often heavily involved in the goals/chances we had. The ball to set up the goal for Flynn against Charlton was a beauty and he got in the right area to score at Wembley. He played in this so called false number 9 position and whilst it was not easy, he at least manfully competed when balls came his way.
Still only 22, there is definitely a player there but he has work to do for me and don’t see him necessarily as this key player everyone makes out. I am not sure he is mobile, fit or active enough to play as a striker up top or as part of a 2 and we probably have to play a 3 in the middle with him just in front to get him in the side. Although if we play as a 4-4-2 he could maybe play as a secondary striker and maybe profit from a proper hold up player or someone who can score goals and get on the end of his undoubted good passing and vision he possesses. I see him being part of things moving forward but would leave him with clear instructions for next season that if he wants to be part of a team going for promotion and being successful then he needs to work harder, lose some weight and get much fitter. 8 goals in 32 games is still not enough for me with his talent. If he does those things he can be an asset as he has showed in glimpses. If he doesn’t he will always find a side in the lower league due to technical ability but will waste some of his talent he does have.
Grade C+
Lyle Taylor was signed from Scottish football after a prolific season for Falkirk. He had bounced around non-league and had a less than impressive spell at Bournemouth but United saw something they liked as did local rivals Rotherham who nearly signed him before contract talks broke down. He was another of the right age and someone United felt could develop. Worryingly with no other experienced or proven strikers coming in, he became seen as one of the main men expected to get us goals. This was probably too much pressure for him who had never done it at a decent level or in England.
He did ok in pre season scoring a few and looking enthusiastic with ability to run across the back line. However as the season started it quickly emerged that for all the effort he put in; he was simply not good enough. His shooting whilst had power (recall one shot hit the woodwork at Peterborough) was often wayward and he seemed to have no understanding how to play the centre forward role. He did not link with others and looked a bit headless chicken. His touch was not great and he was not fast as he seemed. It stood out for a fairly sizeable guy (6 footer) he was poor in the air but very weak and got brushed off the ball too easily.
He played 20 games but was never an automatic choice under Weir and was in and out of the side. He did not score a goal with poor service not helping. He looked out of his depth and someone you felt was just not good enough with no real positive features to his game other than ‘running around a lot.’ He did finally score (two) when Morgan was briefly in charge in the comeback against Coventry but when Clough took charge he was only used on the bench a few times before he was allowed to leave in late December going back to Scotland to join Partick Thistle. The fact we had little striking options but Clough had seen enough to move him on in such a short space of time probably confirmed what most of us were thinking. Still some reasoned if he did well up there and got some goals he could come back and still have a future at the Lane with another year on his contract. I was not sure what moving there would achieve though as even if he did score up there; it is not a great level and does not convince me he could do it at even League One level. I would have preferred to have seen him going down to League Two even.
He started ok there and got a few goals but has ended the season being on the bench for quite a few games and the goals have dried up. Some still feel we should give him another shot but I think Clough is of the same opinion of me. He is not good enough. Will be surprised if he is not allowed to just leave in the summer (mutual agreement) and may stay up in Scotland where at least he knows he can be a relative success.
Grade E-
Shaun Miller has been a bit of a low risk signing with a small fee and still having time on his sign after showing some promise at Crewe but losing his place and way as they got promoted with Clayton Donaldson and Nick Powell leading the line. He began on the bench but had a few decent substitute appearances and then eventually after an impressive two goals at Notts County in the JPT, got into the side. He had a good run alongside Porter and we went to the top of the league as he showed good finishing, excellent movement and some clever play all round. A bad injury against Scunthorpe as we were flying did not help United’s season at all and soon after it was announced he would be done for the season and well into the next. Many said his loss was worse than Blackman’s which I could see to a degree but did not entirely agree with.
When he finally came back, we were a struggling side but it was good to see as he came back just around the time Weir left and played against Port Vale from the bench. He had a few appearances but never really looked quite the same and missed a few chances when he had them. He was mainly a sub and never really convinced Clough either although he came on and scored a memorable winner against Fulham with a sharp finish. Despite the lack of striking options; the fact he did not look quite the same meant he was allowed out on loan as he chose a relegation battle over being part of the cup run. He scored on his debut with an overhead kick to win the game against Bradford and got another at Preston and in the final game but his loan side went down.
A few fellow fans said to me he would need longer to get fit but he has now been out 16 months and if he never gets to the level he showed in that brief flurry then not sure he ever will. Maybe the injury has knocked him back or probably more so maybe he was never the player we all thought. Most of his career he has been a squad player in the lower leagues and only scored 1 in 4 at this low level. Perhaps the brief decent spell at Crewe and the even briefer one at the Lane were more out of the norm and the rest of his career has been less than spectacular. It is a shame as he did show something albeit briefly but there is no room for sentiment and he will almost certainly be released this summer. I am sure he will pick up a League Two side, maybe he may even stay at Shrewsbury now they are down.
Grade D-
Marlon King Another decision that summed up the first part of the season. King was a free agent and had not found a club. He had an incredible 14 convictions and was one of those players you did not really want your club associated with. In recent times, King was arrested and in April 2013 after a car crash which left one man seriously injured, and in July of the same year, he was again arrested in connection with a hit-and-run incident which had left a second man injured. However, he had always been a handful as a footballer too and scored 14 goals in a poor Birmingham side in 2012/13. If it had not been for the above maybe he would have been fixed up at a similar level.
With United struggling for goals and no strikers of any real quality, Weir took a punt and signed King to a short term deal. It drew quite a reaction on local phone ins and forums and definitely split opinion with probably a lot more against than for due to what he had done outside the game. Still some felt his hold up play, knack for scoring goals and experience would be an asset in a struggling side and even I thought he may improve things on the field. Thus whilst the signing did not sit comfortably I would have been more than happy as most would if he started banging in the goals. He got a mixed reaction with many of the cheers in defiance to the boos when he made his debut against Preston. He looked woefully unfit and struggled but at least did hold the ball up a bit. Subsequent games he never really convinced but did score a goal against Crawley that kept David Weir in a job for a bit longer. He had a few injuries and never held down a regular spot and a particularly woeful display against Coventry saw Morgan haul him off. After Clough came in; he was not involved at all and was finally released around Christmas time. A signing that did not pay off and caused more unwelcome controversy for the club who were already at a low ebb
Seems to have been around forever but is only 33. However unsure what his future holds considering everything that has happened added to the fact he looks like he was running on empty. Shame as for all the indiscretions he was a decent striker who played most of his career at a fairly high level.
Grade F+
Joe Ironside had shown some real hunger as a substitute in games at the back end of the season and was quite influential in some games (Doncaster away). Seemed a real trier who put himself about. Ended up with a start v Preston and did ok in the final game and then got another appearance from the off in the big second leg at Yeovil but was poor and looked out of his depth against two big centre backs. I watched him in pre season and was not convinced despite his effort that he had any real qualities. Quite slow, not very strong and not big enough to win headers, he seemed to lack a lot of qualities needed to make it and I was surprised we had given him another contract based on a few bustling, nuisance type games from the bench (have him contracted till 2016). He was in the bench early on but then started at Scunthorpe in the JPT and then played at Carlisle. I saw him in the latter and he was embarrassingly bad, barely touching the ball albeit with no service. He was last on the bench when we lost at Coventry and ended up on loan at Halifax but did little of note there and failed to really even establish himself scoring 2 in 10. He then ended up even lower at Harrogate Town and could not even score in the 6th tier of English football. He did play some games back with the u21’s and scored against Leeds. He is clearly not good enough for league football as brunt as that sounds and has even struggled at non league level. I would be best for all parties if he was allowed to move on but with a contract for 2 years that may be harder than we think but he is not going to ever make it here so they need to mutually agree for him to be released.
Grade F
Billy Paynter was the only real Clough signing that simply did not really work. He was an odd signing as seemed not too dissimilar to Porter who was already at the club. He came on at Notts County and looked woefully unfit. He seemed to be carrying quite a bit of weight too and the ball never stuck. He got a start against Bradford and did not too bad showing some decent hold up play and seemed like he would be ok but that was as good as it got really. He played in some of the away games at Crewe and Gillingham and was less than impressive from the report and always seemed a bit part player. Indeed due to the cup run where he could not play he was in and out a lot. Mostly he was on the bench but did start against Brentford but he was abysmal. To be fair he came back and did better against Rotherham when he helped a really young side to a win. Overall though he was not very good and made little impact. The fact Porter was preferred to him says it all. He was a bit of a waste of a loan signing and meant we were kind of stuck due to restrictions on how many we could play. Will return to Doncaster and be promptly released and do well to find a League Two side to pick him up so unimpressive was his audition for a new contract (anywhere) at the Lane.
Grade F
The rest
Harry Bunn - Son of former striker, Frankie, Bunn was brought in on one of these odd ‘youth loans’ from Manchester City. He had been loaned out previously to several clubs but he never really made much of an impression only ever scoring 1 goal. He made 2 substitute appearances in wide striking positions in two desperate defeats at Rotherham and Carlisle but then disappeared again playing mainly for the u21’s. He went back to City but was straight back on loan; maybe surprisingly to a higher placed side than United in Huddersfield. He was eventually released by the Premier League club and Huddersfield signed him permanently albeit on a short term deal till the end of the season. He has not featured other than a few sub appearances and feel he will be back down in the lower leagues trying to establish himself.
Diego De Girolamo De Girolamo became the Cherno Samba or Freddy Adu (Championship Manager!) of the Blades in that he was seen as the next big star via all the message boards etc without ever playing for the first team. Of course he had been seen as a really good prospect and scored a lot at youth level and was impressing watching scouts. He even then had a so called tug of war between England and Italy (so they say!) for his services. He plumped for Italy and did well for the youth side over there but it was whilst he played for them he got a bad cruciate injury and was done for the rest of last season just when he seemed to be on the cusp of breaking into the first team (made a goal in a game for Dave Kitson when he came on). The excitement died but then of course came back when he was fit and it was clear Clough was aware of him. He was back on the bench quite quickly and was involved in the cup tie v Forest and two other league games. After this he never got back on the bench.
It was said he had picked up a few injuries and certainly that did seem to hold him back and maybe like Miller before him, you sensed he was still not quite fully fit after a bad injury. You felt next season would be more realistic for him to come through but you also heard rumours (unsubstantiated) of him having a less than impressive attitude and that is why Clough had not involved him. Whatever the reason it was clear he had not done as well as Dimaio, Reed, Khan etc who were all more involved when they seemed behind him in the pecking order of the young talent coming through. Still oddly rumours of interest from Juventus and Arsenal came to the fore but it seemed daft for a player that was not even a regular for the reserves or even the u18’s (often taken off – maybe as a precaution in some instances). It seems the hype took over somewhat with him. To be honest he has proved nothing at United so far and never even started a game; only getting on the bench a handful of times and only on the pitch a few times.
I am not sure any of these big sides will sign him until he shows a bit on the pitch and the summer/pre season is really big for him. I think he has some ability but has to knuckle down and show he deserves to be involved. As with all players Clough wants to see work ethic to match ability (see Brandy etc) so De Girolamo needs to really get his head down, prove he is completely recovered and be flying come late June/early July.
Jake Eyre Eyre came from Everton’s academy a couple of years ago; he has done quite well but injuries have curtailed his progress. He was scoring a lot of goals earlier in the season for the Academy and then was surprisingly put on the bench for the game against Colchester. He was back on the bench in the JPT Trophy but then went back to the Academy/u21’s and others seemed to bypass him to be involved in the first team squad although he had some injuries. He was released at the end of the season.
Jahmal Smith was another Weir seemed to like and he played in a few of the pre season games and was a regular in the u21 games doing quite well. He seemed to fall off a bit around Weir’s departure/Clough coming in and then was not really involved at any level and ended up on loan at Harrogate. Another who has seen other go past him and may move on now as he has not continued his development but is still only 19 so has time if he does move into non league football as I expect.
Next season
With only two senior players under contract in Taylor and Baxter (and Baxter is not really a striker;) this is the area of the team that needs most work. Cannot see Porter or Miller returning and Taylor too may not return I feel. De Girolamo and Eyre are still young players with the latter a way off and the former still to get back to his best or fully convince Clough after his injury. So in affect we have really with Baxter more a withdrawn player; no strikers going into the season. We need 2 for definite and maybe 3 really with the squads now and injuries etc. Clear we need everything then. Goals, hold up play, height and pace. If we play the same formation then we need to ensure we get it right as whoever is the main striker will have to be strong and mobile for me. Goals are important of course but with the midfielders we have I am not sure they have to be a 30 goal a season man (that would be nice of course). We need a big, strong physical player and one with pace and probably a goal getter too. Not sure you can get all that in one (Brian Deane!) but if we can get 2 that covers such qualities than great. A lot of talk has been about Evans and whilst personally I would rather the club move on (not sure the club needs all the negative media attention after the positivity of last season – cup run etc and no guarantee he would be fit or even ready until the new year at least) you could argue a fully fit and firing Evans fits the bill of many of the above qualities. Strong, quick and a goalscorer. So many if’s with him though as we have said. In an ideal world he would be cleared (if he is innocent) and we sign him and he is like the player of old. That is all unlikely and we need to have players in place for the start of the season.
Billy Sharp has been mentioned but not sure we could afford his wages not would he be quite right in this formation (also he has hardly set the world on fire the last few seasons even at Champ level). Callum Wilson is the right type of player but will probably command an over inflated fee and will move higher up with Wolves apparently interested. I hope we can bring in the players we need as if we make the right moves in this area it will make all the difference. This is the area they may have to spend a bit (not daft money – eg if Coventry asked for a couple of million for Wilson) but do it properly on a player that is young enough to develop too. I can see Baxter and Scougall rotating just behind a main striker (again if we sign 2 they may rotate or could both play in certain games) but I cannot state how badly we need someone up there, a striking talisman who works hard and allows us to defend from the front but can put the ball in the net too.
Player / Position Years remaining (contract expires)
Forwards
Chris Porter Out of contract (2014)
Shaun Miller Out of contract (2014)
Jahmal Smith Out of contract (2014)
Lyle Taylor 1 year (2015)
Joe Ironside 2 years (2016)
Jose Baxter 2 years (2016)
Diego De Girolamo 2 years (2016)
Billy Paynter Loan signing – returns to parent club Doncaster
The Supporters
I think the fans support considering we are now down at this level coming into our fourth successive season has been incredible. Yes, the crowds dipped again (to be expected) from an average of nearly 19,000 average to 17,500 but other than Wolves we still comfortably beat every other teams home support with only Bradford and Bristol hitting 5 figures for averages.
Again away from home many will have done a lot of the grounds so again it was inevitable there would be a bit of a drop but despite the awful start to the season, the fans still travelled in number more in hope than expectation I suspect. I recall going to places like Bristol and still seeing over 1,000 fans there. The game at Villa saw incredible support with over 6,000 Blades packing into Villa Park to noisily inspire the side onto victory. The following week another big 3,000+ following went to Notts County and saw the other side of the coin.
We still averaged around 1,200 away from home (a drop of nearly 700 on average) but 3rd still with only Wolves (2,500 approx) and Coventry (1,500 approx – mainly due to not wanting to go at home!) bettering us. Both were helped by some massive crowds at places such as MK Dons (we had done the same a few years ago when we first went). The lowest following was 322 at Colchester for a midweek match with 3,321 going to Meadow Lane. We had other sizeable followers at Bradford (2,569) and also Rotherham (2,536) but took over 1,000 to most away venues. I only got to a handful this year with family, finances and also the rotten form contributing but a lot of midweek games at places did not help. For instance I may have done Port Vale or Oldham but due to work this made it nigh on impossible.
The support remained good even through some real dark days. The game against Hartlepool when those hardy souls who went was a low ebb for the club. Finally, Morgan at least galvanised the fans somewhat and then when Clough came the fans had something to really shout about with the cup run and the move away from the bottom.
The cup games against Forest and Charlton reminded me of the season in 02/03. Yes at times the intimidation maybe went too far off the pitch but it made the Lane a horrible place for teams to come and we need more of that. It really was a special atmosphere in those cup games and the noise was deafening when we scored the goals in such games. At Wembley once again we sold nearly all of our tickets (a lot more than Hull) and all went down there and boosted by the side turning up put in a great performance off the field with noise, colour and tremendous overall backing. I have been to new and old Wembley and we keep losing but I still oddly love the place as it is one of the few times so many Blades (yes, some part time) can get to puff their chests out and be proud of their team. The walk down Wembley way and the drinking/banter before the semi was the highlight of my season in many ways and I loved the fact my son saw his first ever game (and goal) at Wembley despite the loss.
The only negatives are from the stupid incidents at games with flares and smoke bombs causing issues for many fans who had medical issues and some stupid behaviour when we beat Forest. Thankfully the Charlton game was fine and it was brilliant to see the players stay on the pitch and salute the fans and vice versa with Que Sera, Sera and Annie’s Song blaring out. Maybe some of the infighting at Wembley needs a mention too although I was not in that section. It is disappointing that fans feel need to have a go at fellow fans. Some did seem worse for wear in this game and of course you get the usual big game charlies.
For the most part though the fans have been great. Incredibly loyal, I felt even dignified when it was so bad under Weir (not quite the same vitriol we have seen under other managers at the end of their tenure) and been very supportive of the side as they moved up the league. We have to hope season ticket sales go well (understandably late with all the semi final business etc) and we can get similar or even better crowds next year; especially if we are near the top of the league. United’s crowd and loyal fans are what makes the club. Yes, we have some morons but so does all clubs. The fact that I stood amongst 32,000+ Blades who stood and clapped when we let a goal in and had lost the biggest game for years, sums us all up. It may seem lacking in ambition but most Blades will appreciate if the team gives their all and leaves it all out on the field. They have done that in the second part of the season and did that at Wembley. Of course we want more talent and to aspire to better and not just be seen as hard workers or muck and nettles types but at the moment we have to accept where we are. Considering the disappointment and the fact we are still the biggest club (comfortably) outside the top two divisions the fact everyone keeps coming back for more and are fairly positive (ok maybe realistic is a better word) is quite significant. The new owners will have seen the potential in the cup run and the full houses and now must push the club on and give supporters some success even as biased as I am, that the United supporters really do for their loyalty (sometimes unquestioned) and support through thick and thicker mostly.