McGinn In

In a burst of excitement on Tuesday, the Blades announced the arrival of four new signings, immediately leading the more suspicious Blades fans to wonder, "Who is on their way out?"

 

Looking at it more positively,  the signings meet the criteria set by the Blades and David Weir in recent press interviews. Young players, building foundations with one eye for the future. They also will fall firmly within the much tighter budgetary controls within which Weir is working.

 

Over the next four posts,I will offer a few thoughts on each signing, with input from fans of their previous clubs, and also a few thoughts on the new manager and the influence I think he will have in building a squad for next season.

 

 

 

Stephen McGinn

 

 

 

This is the signing that actually fills me with most excitement, more due to the reaction of others, than anything I have seen myself. McGinn started his career at St Mirren and was capped by Scotland at Under 19 and Under 21 level before a move to Watford. Matt Rowson of Watford site BHaPPY http://bhappy.wordpress.com/

 

"Stephen McGinn arrived at Vicarage Road in January 2010. He had just turned 21, and was very much of the mould of signings at the time... what little money we spent, we spent on potential.  He was used sparingly for the rest of the season, and passed a little under the radar looking a little lightweight, often fielded in what looked a slightly unnatural wide position."

 

"Come the following season however and Stephen began to spread his wings. More frequently involved now he began to impose himself upon a central midfield position.  When Jordon Mutch returned to Birmingham after an impressive six month loan in the January McGinn stepped into the apex of the diamond, sometimes even playing an advanced role behind lone striker Danny Graham. He looked terrific... deft, clever, efficient with possession and yet effective too, slide rule always handy for a vicious through ball and adept at timing his runs into the box.  He might not quite have been the finished article, but he was progressing at an exciting rate."

 

"And then, suddenly, he wasn't.  The injury he picked up at Doncaster came from an innocuous tackle by all accounts but was evidently a bad injury.  He didn't play for Watford again, and didn't play for anyone until Shrewsbury took him on loan almost two years later."

 

"If Stephen has overcome his injury - and I note he's got two years at Bramall Lane, not just the twelve months - then you've got a smashing little player on a free.  He'll be 25 in December however, and New Skool Watford were never likely to offer him a new contract on the off chance."

 

This was a view endorsed in an unprompted tweet I received from Mike (of the From the Rookery End podcast); "You've got yourself a cracking player. Been out injured, but if fit will be a great addition." And also from David Cameron-Walker of the Football League podcast "We  Are Going Up; "Before McGinn got injured he was just hitting his stride. He'll be a real asset to you if he's fit and ready to go."

 

So while the long term injury is clearly a risk for United, his reasonably impressive spell at Shrewsbury on loan last season, coupled with a full pre-season training behind him, could give United a creative lift much needed in the middle of the park and a player pushing for a place in the starting eleven.

 

At present we don't know who will be in the United squad come August, or the way Weir will set up his side. He has promised attractive football, but recognised a trade-off may be required to ensure that the club is successful with it.

 

The lack of competition for places in central midfield last season was a big problem for me. Whilst Kevin MacDonald suffered from both a lack of movement and quality from the players around him, both he and Michael Doyle seemed to be too comfortable in their positions, with little threat to their place in the starting eleven. Our midfield was pedestrian and off the pace much of the time and that set the tempo for the rest of the team.

 

One man who could have threatened this comfortable position was Elliot Whitehouse, but a problematic injury in pre-season meant that he was out of the picture for much of the season. It was a huge shame, when early pre-season showings offered much. With Whitehouse offering attacking thrust and McGinn seemingly better in central position higher up the pitch, it will give Weir more options than Danny Wilson had for much of last season. It will be interesting to see what his preference is and whether a five man midfield might be the answer?

Weir Blades

Reasons to be Cheerful - Part 2

 

 

 

 

It took just shy of nine weeks to get here, five weeks to the day since the Blades fell in the play-offs at Huish Park. But at last I think Blades fans have reasons for optimism. Reasons, dare I say it, to be cheerful.

When the season drew to a close with a limp and lifeless performance in Yeovil, thoughts firmly focused on who would be named Danny Wilson's permanent successor. Writing at the time I said;

"Too often as a club we look to the past. We think a manager has to know about United, as if we are something special  show passion for the club in order to impress the fans. Let's move away from this thinking. Let's have a manger who can look at the playing squad with fresh eyes and free of the constraints of saying the right thing to please the supporters."

On paper we seem to have that man. At times over the last few weeks many have commented on the dearth of quality candidates listed by the bookmakers. We have had several names surge to be favourite on the back of a bit of money put their way, often based on the "in the know" of internet forum rumours. Many of those listed have had that Blades link somewhere in there. Of those that hadn't, few ticked the box. (Okay - the pedantic could argue that Weir has a Blades past, although a pre-season trial the season before last hardly constitutes a substantial history with the club)

The disparity of opinions on all candidates demonstrated that the fan-base had a broad range of opinions on who should be manager and the qualities and experience required. For every supporter of a candidate you could find a detractor and in a lot of cases each made valid arguments to support their case.

The relative silence emanating from Bramall Lane in the period could be viewed positively, after all the club has kept its counsel and left the media playing the same guessing game, latching on to the same rumours and sources as the fans. They could validly claim that they took their time to find the man who fits their profile. Yet, it would be interesting to know if weir was one of the 20+ quality applicants, or one of the original shortlist of seven.

Whatever you think of Graham Arnold and his comments on the process, I can't help feeling that there are some concerns for Blades fans within his comments. He had no need to run to the press, in fact doing so would surely create bigger problems for him; both with McCabe family links to Central Coast Mariners and as a word of warning to other potential suitors. To then do so in such vehemently ferocious terms suggests more than just minor issues at play. There is no smoke without fire.

 

Even with the bits of the process that did reach the press, such as Stuart McCall's involvement and withdrawal, you can't help feeling United have stumbled through the recruitment process, but in the end have dropped on with a candidate becoming available, perhaps after rejection at Goodison Park?

So after the long wait, have we got the right man?

Well Weir does seem to have United the fans onside straight away. Whether there is an element of that being relative happiness when he is compared with other candidates and relief that names recently bandied around by the press are not the preferred choice, who knows? It is possible. At one point earlier in the process, two names in the frame led me to tweet that expressing a preference was similar to being asked which STD would you prefer to have?

However, I think that there is a genuine warmth and optimism about Weir's arrival, and one that I share. He lacks experience of management, in our current situation that might have been preferable, but has all his coaching qualifications and a wealth of playing experience in both top level club football and at international level.

 

To be fair to our board it is also worth remembering that Julian Winter appointed Brendan Rogers and Malky Mackay at Watford; both being given their first jobs in management by United's returning Chief Executive. It is fair to say that is a decent track record when it comes to identifying young managerial talent and giving them a chance. The fact that Winter steered the then troubled Hornets through a treacherous financial period - including brushes with administration - should also be considered, especially given the financial down-sizing being undertaken at Bramall Lane.

Weir is well-respected by both those who he has played for and those he has played with. Comments on twitter from fellow pros and fans of Everton, Rangers and Hearts talk of a focused leader, a hard-working role model, a player who led by example. A man who, since finishing his playing career, has sought to expand his coaching knowledge and capabilities, spending time with clubs overseas.

A Rangers fan I know was reminiscing over email with me today and told me of the time the Rangers fan group the Blue Order held up 11 cardboard cut outs of the torso of their favourite defender and burst into a rendition of "We all dream of a team of Davie Weirs". There are times recently when United could have done far worse than that themselves. If Weir can build a squad in his image, with his work-rate, commitment and quality we won't go far wrong.

Many will now say that the club's patience has been rewarded, that the lengthy process was worthwhile. No-one will truly know what has happened behind the scenes over the last nine weeks. I had a tongue in cheek guess at it here. But the fact remains that after such a long selection process whoever became manager will start the season with a difficult task, now made slightly harder. I am sure he would have wanted more input into pre-season preparation, I am sure he would have wanted the opportunity to think longer about which players he wants to keep and not, to allow as much time as possible to move players on, allowing him more freedom to bring on the players he wants to be part of a United future.

Yet Weir knows all this and he has decided that this will be his first managerial challenge. He has been given a three year contract for a reason and the patience I have referred to previously will be important. I don't see a quick fix promotion for United next season and in the short term it could well be a bumpy ride. Weir will struggle to make significant changes to a squad, with only a small transfer kitty and with some players - who many fans consider "deadwood" - remaining under contract; reasonably lucrative contracts for League One as well.

Blades fans have been looking for signs of positivity for some time now. This is a small one, but in time it could be so much more. And that is the key, it just might need that time.