Thoughts about the season

[him behind you]

Thought I'd log my thoughts about the coming season so that I can look back in 9 or 10 months to see how little I knew.

Got to say that I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a season starting as much as I am now. Not because I think we'll charge through the division, but because I want more of that wonderful entertainment we had last year. I think we will have some great results along with some awful ones but we'll do enough to consolidate. I think we'll prove strong enough in most areas of the pitch but my only minor concern, based on last year and the pre-season games I've seen, is how our defence copes with better attacking players and more pace. I think we could be a little shaky at the back but we'll see soon enough.

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Win, draw and lose.

Ups and downs.

Plenty of beer.

What would we do without it ??

Happy days !

 

[Grizzly blade]

Agree with the OP

Of course, we won't take the league by storm like last year. I suspect we will start ok, nothing spectacular with 4 wins and 3 draws from first 10. But I think we will get better as the season goes on.
I also think we might have a couple of heavy defeats on the way, after all we don't just try to contain sides we go for goals. So I think we might get caught out a few times, and probably on a bad day when everything just goes in be on the end of a 4/5 defeat.

But as long as the fans stick with them, we will be fine. Those players need to have confidence in each other and themselves to knock it about so well.

 

[Slim Man]

Agree with the OP barring the last line. I don't think we'll struggle defensively I think we'll struggle up top.

The defences are better in this division and we haven't strengthened at all up top, where only Billy got into double figures. We need a striker.

 

[BigBed]

6 points from the piglets!!

 

[tomtheblade]

I agree with the point about confidence.
The Champ is a much tougher division than league. Not too tough, mind, but still overall more difficult, and we'll have our fair share of struggles no doubt.

We'll need Wilder and leaders on the pitch to pick the boys up after defeat, which will inevitably happen more often this coming season. It will be a dual challenge of both keeping the faith high, as well as adressing any problems which may crop up at the same time- injuries, suspensions, loss of form etc

As long as we don't let our heads drop and keep the faith in our ability both as a team and as individual players we'll be fine

 

[Sheffsteel]

Agree, it's probably the most I've ever (watching the Blades 40 years) looked forward to a new season. I expect us to play excellent entertaining football on a regular basis with some big wins and big defeats. Expect us to finish just above mid table but we do have an outside chance of playoffs, it's not impossible.

The thing I love about this team is how all the midfield are so comfortable receiving the ball with good passing. When you have several players who are comfortable receiving the ball it makes passing options much easier because you can pass to a player even when he's semi marked up.

I suspect that if our midfielders went to other clubs other fans would wonder what the fuss was about because they wouldn't seem as good. Lundstrum was very good at Oxford but I suspect when he's surrounded with so many similar minded midfielders around him he now has so many options and I suspect he appear a much better player with us.

Don't under estimate how players playing as a unit are better than the sum of their individual parts.

That's part of Wilders strength, he's buying players that buy into his philosophy and slot into his framework.

I remember an interview with an ex Liverpool midfielder and was asked about the secret of their success in the 80's. He said "simplicity" and "pass and move" making the game easier with loads of options.

 

[Sheffsteel]

By the way the Liverpool midfielder was Ray Houghton and was asked many years ago what made Liverpool such a great team in the 80's when he played for them.

He replied simplicity and hard work playing a pass and move game.

 

[Boxer Blade]

I agree with the point about confidence.
The Champ is a much tougher division than league. Not too tough, mind, but still overall more difficult, and we'll have our fair share of struggles no doubt.

We'll need Wilder and leaders on the pitch to pick the boys up after defeat, which will inevitably happen more often this coming season. It will be a dual challenge of both keeping the faith high, as well as adressing any problems which may crop up at the same time- injuries, suspensions, loss of form etc

As long as we don't let our heads drop and keep the faith in our ability both as a team and as individual players we'll be fine

So when we lose you are saying Wilder and his leaders go out and pick boys up, and that it happened last season and is likely to happen more this? Fookin ell where you erd dis den.:-SS

 

[LenTednTony]

I believe we will finish top 6 and possibly automatic promotion. Why? Because after last season it would do a disservice not to, due to the excellent work put in by everyone. If we don't, I will be disappointed but won't turn on the team or manager. I'm excited, full of trepidation and yet, still I believe.

In Wilder/Knill I trust. COYRAWW's

 

[I should coco]

I believe we will finish top 6 and possibly automatic promotion. Why? Because after last season it would do a disservice not to, due to the excellent work put in by everyone

"Nurse!"

 

[Bladezz]

Thought I'd log my thoughts about the coming season so that I can look back in 9 or 10 months to see how little I knew.

Got to say that I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a season starting as much as I am now. Not because I think we'll charge through the division, but because I want more of that wonderful entertainment we had last year. I think we will have some great results along with some awful ones but we'll do enough to consolidate. I think we'll prove strong enough in most areas of the pitch but my only minor concern, based on last year and the pre-season games I've seen, is how our defence copes with better attacking players and more pace. I think we could be a little shaky at the back but we'll see soon enough.

We played Malaga and Stoke and have conceded 1 goal from a counter attack.

We haven't conceded more than 1 goal in a match. Our goalkeeper has hardly done anything of note in pre season.

 

[him behind you]

We played Malaga and Stoke and have conceded 1 goal from a counter attack.

We haven't conceded more than 1 goal in a match. Our goalkeeper has hardly done anything of note in pre season.

Agreed but I'm not sure how much real effort they were putting in. I thought we looked shaky against stoke at times (at the back) in terms of defenders in the right position and working as a unit etc which could certainly catch us out in competitive games but hopefully we are working on that and it'll all be sorted by next weekend.

 

[Bladezz]

Agreed but I'm not sure how much real effort they were putting in. I thought we looked shaky against stoke at times (at the back) in terms of defenders in the right position and working as a unit etc which could certainly catch us out in competitive games but hopefully we are working on that and it'll all be sorted by next weekend.

I don't remember Eastwood making anything other than a routine save?

Well we play good teams and we say they aren't putting effort in. Which means you can get absolutely nothing from Pre-season. So cannot comment either way.

Defensively I always think we look solid even last year, we just gave a lot of silly goals away at the start of the season which made our goals against look poor. After we rectified it we were very solid defensively throughout.

 

[wesleysnipesmen]

The perfect season for me would involve Norwich beating the pigs on the last day to leapfrog them into 2nd, with us mauling Bristol City 6-0 to nick us 5th on GD. Pigs sneak through their play-off semi against an injury plagued Fulham, and we take care of Wolves in the other. JOC to head us level on 83 mins in the final, and Sharp to score one off his arse in injury time. I think we can all say that anything less than that would be a disappointing season and would lead me to question Wilder's ability.

 

[Esablade]

Stardate 27071.7

 

[him behind you]

I thought last year we got away with quite a few. A couple of examples spring to mind. We gave Bradford a couple of clear chances to equalise at 1-0 and Charlton at the lane could have been out of sight early in the game.

Don't get me wrong, I thought we were generally very good last season but we did have the odd wobble. Mainly, as said earlier, probably because we are constantly going for other teams which I hope we continue to do, we just need to be ready for better teams to punish us at the back now and again if we do.

 

[sufcboy95]

As long as we stay up, play entertaining football and take at least 3 points off the pigs I'll be happy

 

[RealMcCoy]

I don't remember Eastwood making anything other than a routine save?

Well we play good teams and we say they aren't putting effort in. Which means you can get absolutely nothing from Pre-season. So cannot comment either way.

Defensively I always think we look solid even last year, we just gave a lot of silly goals away at the start of the season which made our goals against look poor. After we rectified it we were very solid defensively throughout.

I think his stop of their free kick was more than a routine save.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Agree with it OP! Bring on the entertainment of the championship. Its been too long.

Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Fuck the pigs and their tuna lolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Don we now our red and white
Fa la la, la la la, la la la
Troll we now the porcine shite
Fa la la la la, la la la la

See the blazing Blades before us
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Stun this league and join our chorus
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Follow us in merry measure
Fa la la la la, la la la la
While we sing of our league one treasure
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Home and away, we'll go barmy
Fa la la la la, la la la la
We're on the march with Wilder's army
Fa la la la la, la la la la!

 

[gavtheblade]

I'm looking forward to"turning a few heads".

 

[Pinchy]

Sadly, I can see us losing three of the first four. After that, there's no way back.

 

[robbiez666]

Not sure what will happen. If we continue the form of last season, the new signings all impress and we have a lot of luck with injuries, I think we have an outside chance of top half. A very outside chance of play-offs. Whilst several of the big clubs may have 'big' players, there is a good chance that they might not be that consistent. Especially those with a lot of new faces.

I think there's a good chance of a consistent settled team breaking into the play-offs, like Huddersfield did. My money would be on Brentford.

I think we're probably likely to finish somewhere around 14th place, which is good for me. If we don't come out negative overall in terms of points against Wednesday, I'll consider it a good season.

There's a small chance that we'll be drawn into a relegation fight. If we get off to a bad start or get some key injuries, we could be in trouble.

I think we need another CB, CM and ST at least to give me confidence in the squad depth.

As someone said earlier, I think the key issue for us will be scoring. Our current forward line may struggle against better defenders. I also think we may have a few defensive issues. We lack pace. We're going to be more on the back foot this season. It's essential that we're able to break at pace and capitalise on it. I don't currently think we have the players to do that effectively.

 

[TTMeysh]

I'm confident we will stay out of trouble but I have to admit that I'm disappointed by the transfer activity so far and what is seems to imply about the business plan. Patience being in short supply in the modern world, I'm not sure pootling around in the lower reaches of the Championship for a few years whilst we wait for something to turn up constitutes a particularly good plan. The reality is we have the best core of players for some time and the best management team for 25 years. This is the time to go for it and try and maintain some momentum from that fabulous season.

 

[Harry's Game]

Total honesty I think we will finish somewhere between 10th and 15th. I belive the club see the way Preston and Huddersfield approached things after League one promotions is the way they want to go. I don't think we will be in any danger of relegation but I can't see us toubling the play offs for two or three years either.

Steady progress.

 

[RammyBlade]

Agree with it OP! Bring on the entertainment of the championship. Its been too long.

Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Fuck the pigs and their tuna lolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Don we now our red and white
Fa la la, la la la, la la la
Troll we now the porcine shite
Fa la la la la, la la la la

See the blazing Blades before us
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Stun this league and join our chorus
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Follow us in merry measure
Fa la la la la, la la la la
While we sing of our league one treasure
Fa la la la la, la la la la

Home and away, we'll go barmy
Fa la la la la, la la la la
We're on the march with Wilder's army
Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Like the last verse -if changed to this below might catch on ?.........................
We're on the march with Wilder's army
La la la la la, la la la la
Home and away, we'll go barmy
La la la la la, la la la la!

 

[10-0 win]

pre-season counts for nothing, but feel confident we've got a good team in progress, we've got decent cover. The amounts spent by other clubs is staggering, but with a few exceptions most of these players are vastly overpriced and hardly worldbeaters. Hopefully we'll again establish Bramall Lane as the feared place to travel, so welcome portugese, spaniards and others to our fortress on a windy tuesday night in november.

prediction 5-9 th