Stevie May

[ryangordon86]

Just noticed Beatson's post

[blueheaven]

An interesting comparison the SPL and the English Football League.  The decline of our national team is because of the amount of imported players, meaning that many talented players now need to ply their trade lower down the league ladder. 

 

Last year in League Two, we had Kari Arnason signing for us after turning his back on Aberdeen with a £5k per week wage demand (allegedly).  And one of our first games in our new stadium was against a full strength Hearts side who we narrowly lost out to 1-0 with a newly assembled squad.

 

We have just offloaded Lionel Ainsworth to Motherwell, and another ex-Miller from our League Two days, Nicky Law, had success in the SPL.  Michael Tidser came with rave reviews from Greenock last year, but he can't force his way into the team just yet, and I would hazard a guess, he would have been one of the first names on the team sheet for them in the Scottish Championship this time around.

 

Peterborough in the same league as us, paid £1.5M for a striker recently.  And Wolves who are in top spot have a number of players reputed to be on £30k - £40k per week.  So I would suggest that in terms of stature and squad ability, there is certainly a comparison to League One and the SPL.

 

I live in London and go to quite a lot of matches up and down the various leagues in England - and it's a tough comparison to make, but in my opinion Stevie May is a good enough player to be at a lower-end Premier League club (bearing in mind that two of our other strikers from recent years, Jason Scotland and Stephen Dobbie, have both gone on to reach that level at a considerably older age).

 

May's the best striker I've seen at Saints in a long, long time. Sure, Sandaza was probably a better player technically, but he didn't have May's power or direct approach. May is strong, direct, can pick out a pass, runs all day long, shoots from any range/angle and absolutely terrorises defenders. Given his young age and lack of experience, his progression over the last couple of years is nothing short of flabbergasting. I've never seen any other Saints youngster get so good so quickly (to be honest, before his loan spells I didn't think he was up to much).

 

Without meaning any disrespect to Rotherham, I'll be amazed if he sees his future there, especially at this stage. I think it'll take an incredible offer (i.e. a Premier League or top end Championship club) to tempt him away from Saints this season. Going by his recent comments, he's made it fairly clear that he wants to stay here for a little while longer and then move on once he's seen what this Saints team can do (i.e. reach a cup final or Europe). The fact that he's a local lad probably has a lot to to with that too.

[Broon]

I find the whole English overestimation of the quality of their leagues hilarious. We know Scottish football is very limited but we are now in the position that our clubs are starting to find their level without being propped up by TV money. Years of clubs breeding their own players is paying dividends and we are not paying millions of pounds for utter dross.

The general entertainment in the SPL has been good the last couple of seasons with lots of goals around and plenty of good young players.

We are seeing many of our players going south now and doing well. Saints examples of Stephen Dobbie, Jason Scotland and Felipe Morias have gone down and did particularly well, so did Croft.

As mentioned before we've also seen a fair number of supposedly good league 1 players come to us who have been utterly honking. Sam Parkin, Myrie-Williams, Cleveland Taylor, Scott Dobie etc and in all likelihood Rory Fallon will end up on that list of shockers.

There are league 1 standard players in the SPL for sure, the bottom half of the league are quite poor but the top 6 would hold their own in the Championship in my opinion. Celtic a clear cut above that level too.

[MiguelSimao]

Rare post.

There is NO WAY Stevie May will go to Rotherham for 160k, 200k, 300k or 500k. The idea is ridiculous beyond words.

He'll go nowhere in January unless someone bids seven figures. Seriously.

I really can't believe people are taking this even remotely seriously.

Rotherham?

Jesus.

[Center Half]

Mid November and the bids have started, By The last day in January transfer deadline our Stevie could be worth Big bucks now he is on a wee bit longer deal. Nothing below 1.5Million i reckon.

 

[Broon]

And as for May. I had my doubts that he was anything more than a direct, energetic striker who loves a pot shot. However, the number of goals he has created has been terrific. He's involved in everything and defenders are terrified of him. There are no definites in football but May has built a physique suitable for the English game and in my opinion would score lots of goals down there. Rotherham, no disrespect, would unlikely appeal to him.

[TheYellowBox]

I find the whole English overestimation of the quality of their leagues hilarious. We know Scottish football is very limited but we are now in the position that our clubs are starting to find their level without being propped up by TV money. Years of clubs breeding their own players is paying dividends and we are not paying millions of pounds for utter dross.

The general entertainment in the SPL has been good the last couple of seasons with lots of goals around and plenty of good young players.

We are seeing many of our players going south now and doing well. Saints examples of Stephen Dobbie, Jason Scotland and Felipe Morias have gone down and did particularly well, so did Croft.

As mentioned before we've also seen a fair number of supposedly good league 1 players come to us who have been utterly honking. Sam Parkin, Myrie-Williams, Cleveland Taylor, Scott Dobie etc and in all likelihood Rory Fallon will end up on that list of shockers.

There are league 1 standard players in the SPL for sure, the bottom half of the league are quite poor but the top 6 would hold their own in the Championship in my opinion. Celtic a clear cut above that level too.

Agree with every word.

It is very difficult to compare the spl to any English league. The reality is that our top flight has players that are of premiership, championship, league 1 and league 2 standard. The same could be said of most leagues in Europe.

That said, never in a million years are the likes of Swansea, Wigan or burnley bigger clubs than hearts, hibs or aberdeen. It is amazing how much money has inflated the English leagues in recent years. What will be interesting is how is plays out when the inevitable financial crash hits the English leagues.

If may went to Rotherham (unlikely) then fair play to them for getting a fantastic player. Proper club and dedicated fans for staying with them through the years at the Dom valley.

Edited November 21, 2013 by TheYellowBox

[millerman]

Seriously, an interesting debate.  I obviously can only comment based on things viewed from the outside.  There are some good sides and players in the SPL, and the Scottish national team.  I was trying to say that the league in England is changing rapidly.  No longer are young British players able to spend years developing their game at the top level.  Premier League clubs are simply too rich, and the prospect of relegation and losing millions prompts big money imports of international players from all over the World where the game is rapidly advancing.

 

Clubs like Rotherham are benefitting from a single man's desire and vision (and deep pockets), and are upwardly mobile.  Given the fact that he has spent many millions already, and has stated his ambition is Championship football sooner rather than later, I think for any young British player would find our club alluring and the ideal 'shop window' to progress their careers to their up most potential.

 

Of course, it is all about money.  If the offer is acceptable to the club, and the contract is acceptable to the player himself, I would imagine his loyalty would be tested.  There are far worse clubs he could go to, and his continual development could serve him, Saints and us very well in the future.

[MrBored]

I suspect saints are now looking at May in a similar way to Callum Davidson some years back. These boys come around once in a blue moon and realistically their transfer fee is going to towards the losses we will be making each year for quite a few years to come.

We have been reducing the cash pile we had on the books for several seasons now and this is the only way we have of building that back up a bit.

So I'd expect us to be looking for high six figures at least with a sizeable percentage of any sell on fee.

[TheYellowBox]

With the greatest of respect to Rotherham, a player of mays ability should be aiming higher. They may well be on the up and could be in championship next year, but that is of no guarantee. In a year if he continues to develop as he is he would be at least championship level if not higher. If he was going to go to any league 1 club it should be a Sheffield utd, wolves or Coventry. All arguably premiership clubs who he could get promoted right up to the top.

I think May is a different breed to Scott Allan etc, should stay and continue his education.

[blueheaven]

I suspect saints are now looking at May in a similar way to Callum Davidson some years back. These boys come around once in a blue moon and realistically their transfer fee is going to towards the losses we will be making each year for quite a few years to come.

 

Or he could turn out to be another Danny Griffin (turned down one big money in favour of biding his time, and the chance never came along again). How much was it Derby County offered - seem to remember it was £1.5 million?

[Saintdunc]

With the greatest of respect to Rotherham, a player of mays ability should be aiming higher. They may well be on the up and could be in championship next year, but that is of no guarantee. In a year if he continues to develop as he is he would be at least championship level if not higher. If he was going to go to any league 1 club it should be a Sheffield utd, wolves or Coventry. All arguably premiership clubs who he could get promoted right up to the top.

I think May is a different breed to Scott Allan etc, should stay and continue his education.

 

Sheffield United are going the way Donny Rovers went a few seasons ago. That is relegation followed by another and out of the Football League.  May will not end up there even when their new middle east owner splashes the cash in January. 

[dave mc]

Or he could turn out to be another Danny Griffin (turned down one big money in favour of biding his time, and the chance never came along again). How much was it Derby County offered - seem to remember it was £1.5 million?

-------------------

£600,000 iirc,but still big money at the time

[millerman]

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens to the lad now.  After reading your board, I'm convinced he is the type of player who would fit into our squad and style of play.  I agree with some comments, disagree with others, but that's the debate.  If we do get him, I hope you'll follow his progress, and Rotherham's progress, and hopefully we could agree on a pre-season friendly as part of any deal.

[ryangordon86]

Or he could turn out to be another Danny Griffin (turned down one big money in favour of biding his time, and the chance never came along again). How much was it Derby County offered - seem to remember it was £1.5 million?

That's always possible but I see him as our own James McCarthy. We need to sort a deal that suits us. May should be aiming for a Championship team with Play-off ambitions at the very least. I wouldn't be surprised to see OC's Wigan having a look at him given how much of a success the two James' kids have had down there. I can't think of a Scottish youngster in the past 20 years with a similar scoring record

Edited November 21, 2013 by ryangordon86

[slf]

 Rotherham's progress, and hopefully we could agree on a pre-season friendly as part of any deal.

 

 

never.yer just a small town in sheffield.get it right up ye .

[ryangordon86]

Don't think a friendly with Rotherham would draw a crowd. We usually have a pre-season game against an English team but I pretty much guarantee it'll be Wigan next term.

[ex-montrosesaintee]

What I think is slightly different about Stevie May from others mentioned is (and I believe Tommy Wright's man management skills shouldn't be underestimated) is that he believes he could be brilliant, but accepts entirely that he isn't the finished article and needs to work hard to make the big time.

Many players have chanced the big bucks and the very fact that they were given that chance makes them believe they have made it. Keigan Parker, David Goodwillie, Connor Samon to name just three examples - all with differing levels of success.

Stevie could do that tomorrow, but I think he believes than another year or two of the work and effort he has put in over the last two could take him to this very top of the game. In 18 months he could be world class, and still 22 years old!

Edited November 21, 2013 by montrosesaintee

[Widge]

Ohhh now some of your comments have filtered on to the Rotherham boards. Seems they're yet another set of English fans who've been sold the 'Scottish football is crap' media party line. Posh were the same, now the millers. It's remarkable that they even think they'll get him for 300k, considering he's said he doesn't want to leave, signed a new deal and is worth a lot more.

It seems the lad Arneson is a star player for them, plus the Myrie-Williams debate is always amusing. Once again they fail to see average Premiership players up here are more than flourishing down there, yet our top division is clearly at a non-league level in thier heads. Take away the money, the support, the infrastructure, I bet they're team wouldn't beat ours in the way they'd be expecting. You know what I reckon we'd beat them and beat them the majority of the times to be perfectly honest. They're not as special as they think.

Now go an post that on your forum Rotherham fans.

Ps - that wasn't aimed at the one good guy who's posted on here, you seem a reasonable and intelligent chap willing to have a goo debate about it. It was for you others who haven't posted, but I know have read this thread.

Peace out,

Widge

[RandomGuy]

Its always amusing when the utter dross of English football try and act the billy big baws, Peterborough was bad enough but at least they're relatively well known up here and have buckets of cash to throw around. Rotherham are literally no marks though, why on Earth he would swap European football to play for them I have no idea. And why we'd sell one of the most talented players in the country to them for £200k I have no idea. 

 

There was talk around their club in the Summer 2012 about "breaking their transfer record" which seems to have come to nothing, so a year later it gets trotted out again, its purely a PR exercise to try and convince the fans they can compete with the bigger boys in their division. Its quite cute they actually believe they could afford him though

Edited November 21, 2013 by RandomGuy

[RandomGuy]

Don't think a friendly with Rotherham would draw a crowd. We usually have a pre-season game against an English team but I pretty much guarantee it'll be Wigan next term.

 

We struggled to get a crowd against a Bristol City side managed by McInnes and playing Morris. I doubt Rotherham would be a bigger attraction  

[The Inspiration]

There's no way any English League 1 side could beat Rosenborg over two legs, debate over

[The Real Saints]

St Johnstone could compete against a fair amount of Championship sides. I truly believe that.

[R.B.B:- Adz]

May's the best striker I've seen at Saints in a long, long time. Sure, Sandaza was probably a better player technically, but he didn't have May's power or direct approach. May is strong, direct, can pick out a pass, runs all day long, shoots from any range/angle and absolutely terrorises defenders.

Im sorry Blueheaven but Stevie May is a better striker than Sandaza. If you have seen him in action this season you would be blown away. His touch and awareness for one so young is frightening. People watching think he just hits pot shots at goal and some go in the net as the law of averages would dictate. Rubbish, he can see things others cant, he can see a goalkeeper who is 6 inches further to the right or left at the angle they should be.

To our new Millers guests, I genuinely (obviously with a certain degree of bias) see Stevie May play football the way Wayne Rooney did just before his move to Man Utd. He is burly, brave, quick, clever and he just has a sixth sense for his positional play and knowing when and where to shoot.

Class little player who it is insulting to offer some of the figures being banded around by Peterborough and Rotherham. If Stevie May doesnt play Premiership football in the next 3/4 years then it will be a travesty.

[RandomGuy]

 I think you're getting a bit carried away here to be honest. The "see things others can't" bit is pure speculation on your part and genuinely sounds like a heap of shite