he surely realised that signing for that lot is going to lose him a lot of the Reds fans that would have otherwise backed him and wished him well. There's speculation (fuelled by a family member with the sounds of it) that the club have been economical with the truth in their statement and that Howard was badly done by. There may be some truth in that, who knows? But what we do know is that: a. He clearly didn't want to be at the club and his performances since the end of last season have showed that. b. He was club captain but didn't seem bothered (or able) to inspire the team's performances. c. He has walked away from the club for next to nothing and will have profited financially from it. d. He cannot seriously say that the side he has gone to was an opportunity too good to miss out on. It's not like he has signed for a team in the Premiership or with a realistic expectation to establish themselves in the Premiership over the next few years. Jeysus, there's every chance they won't get promoted anyway. e. He has chosen to sign for a loathed local rival. These are not opinion or hearsay (okay, you could say the first two points are opinion, but I challenge anyone to disagree with me, having seen the matches) and I must point out that point c in itself is not necessarily the worst crime, because many of us may have done the same in similar circumstances. He was a decent player during his time here, scored a memorable winner at Anfield and played a part in the great cup run and the side that secured safety in the Championship. However, saying he single handedly kept us up for two years is rubbish. He's no Neil Redfearn for starters. And if anyone kept us up last year it's the points that Muller saved us before Christmas. I think Anderson, Foster and JCR, among others, may also have a claim in helping us secure safety last season too. On this season's performances we won't miss him and at least now we can move on. But if he is wanting us to blame the club and feel sorry for him he needs to consider the above 5 points, particularly the last one. If he'd have shown a more professional attitude whilst he was here and then gone to a different club the feeling towards him may be more supportive. I realise that there may be more to the story and that Mr Davey might have been horrid to him and the club might have been mean to him, etc, etc, but at the same time he was being paid a lot of money to play football for a team that we all love and who we pay a lot of money to watch, so some level of commitment would have been appreciated. Or if he couldn't be bothered to do his job to the best of his abilities for a few weeks, at least don't rub our noses in it by signing for a team 10 miles down the road.
I was gutted when Pat Howard left. Then Stewart Barraclough. Eric Winstanley. Anton Whatsisname. Bobby Doyle. Ian Banks. David Hirst. Larry May. Mick McCarthy. John Beresford. Neil Redfearn. Ashley Ward. Craig Hignett. Stephen McPhail (oh yes). Bruce Dyer (perhaps not). Most of all when Ronnie left. But I survived. The club survived (just). He's simply a professional footballer. He doesn't actually care about the club he plays for. He doesn't care about Sheffield United any more than most people care about their employer. It's about money.
Fully Agree If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them. We should've got shut as soon as he wouldn't sign early summer. He's been decent for us but by no means a Glavin, Redfearn or Hignett. He doesn't owe us anything but I can't wish him well going down there.
Good post that Very well thought out and reasoned.</p> I think you're pretty much spot on with everything you said</p>
I can appreciate your points....He tried his hardest but if youv ever played football you cant always play well!! He was disappointed with some of his performances yeah. But you cant say he wasnt trying. Its not in his nature
"If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" Naive rubbish. It's a business. I'd go and work for SKY if they offered me double money - it doesn't mean I'd think any less of the company & colleagues I'd left behind. Do you really think he's the first player to switch clubs between rivals?? Did Denis Law get this puerile ***** when he switched between United and City?? He relegated his old club, for ****'s sake, and they still love him at Old Trafford!! You really do need to grow up.
**** me are you and bri fecking telepathic because you must be since you are so acutely aware of his feelings. I've certainly seen games wher he's not put in any reasonable effort
RE: "If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" Following a football club's a passion not a business. The players and agents will fill their pockets while they can but it's the fans commitment, loyalty & passion that pays them and those fans have a "Naive and Peurile" right to be well fecked off with em when they kiss the badge one minute and sign for their bitterest rivals the next.
RE: "If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" It has never ceased to amaze me how someone who is a hero to one set of fans one minute, can kick them in the teeth and sign for the enemy the next. There's 92 clubs in the League. He also had another offer from a club more likely to go up than the Blunts. Why them of all clubs? As in Alan Smith going from Leeds to Man U - you just don't do it!
RE: "If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" And by the way Utd gave Denis Law a free transfer before he signed for City so it's not quite the same.
RE: "If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" That example doesn't quite work. We'd all change employers for more money, the difference being that in a normal job you haven't got supporters who give a toss.
RE: "If he thought anything of the club & fans he wouldn'tve signed for them" Exactly, for me it shows no respect to our fans. You can see why we never win local Derby's any more cos there's no players with any real heart in the club.