They STILL do not get it!

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There was an article in The Sunday Times a couple of weekends ago by the Chief Sports Writer, David Walsh, in which he talked about "Premium Mediocrity".

"Premium Mediocrity" is a term of art coined in the US to refer to something that is, "intrinsically average but has been imbued, for no apparent reason, with the gloss of quality that in turn leads to delusions of grandeur". For instance you can have the 'Signature' menu at McDonalds which has a 'high-end' name and is more expensive but is, at the end of the day, still just a burger from McDonalds.

Walsh used the term in the context of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being transferred for £30m to Liverpool. A player who seems to have established himself in many minds as being a top player and who has now moved for a huge fee, but who in reality has been a very average perfomer for years and hasn't ever noticeably done anything of note.

In fact, Walsh submits that "Premium Mediocrity" applies perfectly to much of what is going on in modern English football. When you look at some of the ridiculous fees that have been thrown about this Summer, he is absolutely right.

It strikes me that nowhere is "Premium Mediocrity" more apparent than in the Championship, and in few places more so than at SWFC. They (and they are not alone) are paying ludicrous fees and wages to very average players who, by virtue of playing a few years in the most televised league in the world, have 'a name' but who have very little in the way of actual achievement on their CV.

Fletcher, Wallace, Reach, Rhodes, Hooper, Abdi, Forestieri amongst others are prime examples of "Premium Mediocrity". Solid players at second tier level but certainly not worth the millions lavished to get them in and to pay them, and completely lacking in the stardust that truly premium players have and which wins promotions.

Fortunately, the Pigs can't see it. How many times since Sunday have I heard them still trotting out the, "on paper our team is better than their team"? Countless.

Anyway, let them wallow in their deluded ignorance. I saw a decent number of their games on TV last season and that's why I've been saying for many months that, save for the keeper, there is nobody in their expensively assembled squad that would get near our team.

And now, even the keeper seems to have gone a bit flaky...

SWFC = Premium Mediocrity
 
Sheffsteel said:
We were outplayed in the 1st home game against Brentford too
But they were hopeless up front and scared to shoot meaning although we were like the away side we just about deserved the win.

Basically it’s the early matches where we’ve been at our least impressive but we were new to the division.

Now we know what to expect and realise it’s not La Liga we’ve started consistently dominating play again.
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I disagree that we were outplayed. I thought it was a really good back and forth game where either side could have won it. Let’s not forget we hit the post twice, had a goal incorrectly disallowed as well as another legitimately disallowed.



We had to hang on a bit at the end but certainly wouldn’t class that as being outplayed.



As for whether the team is more than the sum of it’s parts, I maintain that it is. Many of the players are better than their previous reputations suggested (JOC being given opportunities at this level to show what he’s about etc.) but what makes them so good is the perfect balance of the team. The fact that as a wingback, Freeman’s defensive fragilities are minimized whilst his attacking qualities are emphasized. As part of a midfield 3, Coutts and Fleck are able to impose their playmaker ways on a game as they always have a pass on and compliment each other perfectly, as a number 10, Duffy has more license to influence a game and his fading pace isn’t as much of a problem as it would be on the wing. As a wingback, we get the full benefit of Stevens’ relentless engine. Sharp is far better in a 2 than on his own. Wright would probably struggle in a back 4 at this level but is perfectly suited to the sweeper role and JOC and Bash are then given that bit of freedom to go forward which they do very well. The motivation of Wilder, the tactical masterclass of Knill and a squad assembled with such beautiful balance all contribute to excellent team performances.
 
When I looked at their team before the game last Sunday only 3 outfield players bothered me - Hooper, Wallace and Bannon. Rhodes worried me but he was on the bench. I'd heard their keeper was excellent but on the day he was dreadful.

Hooper and Bannon did ok. Wallace was poor but all 3 were the only ones who seemed to play with any urgency.

Centre backs were a laughing stock. Their full backs were visibly scared of Brooks.

Jones was anonymous, so was Lee. Fletcher looked ill.

How can anybody say that team is better individually or collectively. I wouldn't swap one of ours for any one of them.

Then there's the contrast in the managers and their positivity.
 
Wendies policy appears to be very Bolton-esque in their approach.

Get it wide, get it into the box, hope Fletcher wins something.
 
metalblade said:
On paper we have only had two games we were expecting to win Bolton and Barnsley, the dingles to be fair were not bad considering how many of their better players have been sold. I think we have played a good selection of La Liga so far.
These grunters will never get it all they think about is price tags and attendances.
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In relation to the latter, our home average was higher than theirs prior to Sunday, which of course distorts matters for a while. We'll be ahead again before long. Just ask the incomparable Sam 'Blademan' Cooke:

 
Grizzly blade said:
I’ve just bothered to look up a few of their places to see what they can justify their claims of having superior players.....has anyone else done this?

Having done so, it doesn’t make for spectacular reading by any stretch.
Kieran Lee....released by Man U having played a couple of games in the cup, and signed on a free from Oldham.
Tom Lees....ex aleeds....hardly fantastic.
Bannan....crap Villa side, not a regular....then in the Champ.
Hooper, 2seasons in the premier, 8 goals for Norwich. Then Celtic...FFS....HARDLY A SUPERSTAR.
Wallace....championship player at best. Released by Burnley.
Jones....another released and picked up with nothing to speak of.
Hunt.....nowt.
Rhodes...all bar one season out of the top flight. Even then, hardly played for Boro. Scored a few for Udders in lower league one, and a fair few for Blackburn to be fair. But not sure it warranted that kind of fee.
The Dutch lad....played in a vastly inferior league, and was all over the place.

The only real quality player they have, the Ione with the ability to play higher....Forestieri. He has the shall we say “Brooks star quality”

So, any pig who tries to sell this story, just make them look at what they have. It’s nothing great. It’s an average squad at best with Forestieri and Rhodes as decent strikers, with Bannan as useful. The rest won’t play premier league football. I certainly doubt they will have ANY pre ire league clubs interested in a single one of their players.
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The useless fuckers could walk onto my land now and I wouldn't have a clue who a single one of them was.

So I'd fucking shoot them.
 
itsinyerblood said:
Impeccable taste young man.
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Not too different to your own mate, in many ways...

Sam Cooke, Aaron Neville, Levi Stubbs, Smokey and Marvin to name but a few: Pure emotion. It goes to your very soul. It's just like watching the Blades really...
 
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I for one thought all the Wednesday players were magnificent on Sunday,special praise to the centre halfs,the right back and the sub,who at a cost of £10 million managed to touch the ball 3 times,
 
Scooter_mcgavin said:
"Wilder gets the best out of such average players, look at his side for Christ sake. Edna Stevens, Baldock, O'Connell, Basham, Coutts, Fleck, Clarke, Duffy, not being funny because ive given them all the praise in the world about sunday but they are nothing players, especially for the championship."

What fucking evidence do they need?!

THEY ARE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYERS AND CURRENTLY 4th having only been outplayed for an hour vs Middlesboro.

In fact, now the fitness levels are up, we've practically dominated the opposition in our last 6 matches!
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We got schooled by Cardiff and their pace.

Although we are where we are on merit regardless of what Wednesday fans think.
 
Woodwardfan said:
When I looked at their team before the game last Sunday only 3 outfield players bothered me - Hooper, Wallace and Bannon. Rhodes worried me but he was on the bench. I'd heard their keeper was excellent but on the day he was dreadful.

Hooper and Bannon did ok. Wallace was poor but all 3 were the only ones who seemed to play with any urgency.

Centre backs were a laughing stock. Their full backs were visibly scared of Brooks.

Jones was anonymous, so was Lee. Fletcher looked ill.

How can anybody say that team is better individually or collectively. I wouldn't swap one of ours for any one of them.

Then there's the contrast in the managers and their positivity.
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Big strong centre-forward Fletcher had one encounter with a slab of granite with CCV written on it. Once he finally got up from the ground, he didn't come back again...
 
Pinchy said:
Not too different to your own mate, in many ways...
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Think you need to be of a certain age group to recognise and appreciate the genuinely great vocalists that were making superb music in the 50s'/60s and beyond.

I'd include Solomon Burke, Aretha (including her pre-Atlantic period), Gladys Knight (another whose pre-Motown period is overlooked), Howlin' Wolf, Little Milton, Marvin Junior (lead singer with The Dells) and so many more. Still many good singers about, although not so many who I'd classify as great. It's all personal of course, and if an artist does it for you that's all that matters.
 
Why would you expect any sense from a cub that plays Steven fucking Fletcher in place of Jordan Rhodes?

They're thick.
 
Scooter_mcgavin said:
In fairness, pundits on Sky and C5 have tipped us as a decent bet for the playoffs since the opening day. One thing that some pundits seem fascinated with, is how we attack down the wings with our Fullbacks with the CENTRE HALVES overlapping!
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Bonky madness as a certain poster would say
 



1danewhitehouse said:
The motivation of Wilder, the tactical masterclass of Knill and a squad assembled with such beautiful balance all contribute to excellent team performances.
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Blend and Balance..... beautiful

I have to concede....... after all these years........ John Harris (bless his memory for ever) has finally been laid to rest.
God save the King!
 
Bladesman said:
We got schooled by Cardiff and their pace.

Although we are where we are on merit regardless of what Wednesday fans think.
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Exactly! We have lost games to quality opposition, we have hammered at least one team (humiliated them, and their bouncing porcine fans, in fact) and had some tighter games against half decent sides. We are establishing ourselves in the Championship in our first season after promotion. Do we believe we should be in the Premiership? Yes, nut only if we earn it. Do we have some delusionary expectation? No.

Grown up Men and Women, against ignorant and immature grunters.
 
they are just unbelievable
footballs always full of ups and downs so they were higher for 5 years unfortunately all its got them is a superiority complex
we to my knowledge never ever called them massive , why the fuck would we
I dont know what goes on inside their heads but reason and logic have the left the building

when is this owls storming run to be 5 points in front of us by the return game
its going to be some run as we dont look like losing that many
 
If I spend ten grand on a second hand Ferrari Enzo, and someone else spends ten million on a fucked Ford Fiesta, who has the better car? The cheap Ferrari, or the expensive Fiesta that won’t run and is destined for the scrap man? Is the other bloke a genius for buying such an expensive car, or an idiot for spunking ten million quid away on something that will never be worth what he paid for it in a month of Sundays?
 
Roygbiv said:
Never ever learn

https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/260038-ammunition-from-the-dark-side/
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In reality, yeah, there will be a time in the future when they beat us again and roles will be reversed, that football. But its astounding how they just don't get the context of this win.

- the reason we're making references to it being the "bouncing day massacre" etc. is due to the unbelievable timing of the third goal in stopping them silly twats from bouncing. You really couldn't have written it any better. How do they not get that?

- We've been below them for 5 years, they banged on about battering us in this game, how superior they would be, we are just a team of triers - we then go and put 4 past them and it could have been 5.

- We scored 4 goals against them at Hillsborough for the first time, and its the first time either team have put 4 past each other since boxing day in 1979. AND - its the first time the away team in the derby have scored 4 away from home. The first time ever since 1893.

- Yeah a 4-0 is different than a 4-2, but ours was away from home, and given the context of the above, and their pure arrogance before the game, it was a historic derby win.

All the response from United fans since the win is a result of their deluded nature, everything from the build up to the game to that silly bed sheet they hung over the bridge. They have to be the most pathetic, deluded set of fans in the country.
 
JJBlade said:
Even the most magnanimous post still has a shade of arrogance.
Couldn't resist using the term "small teams"
Still a deluded twat even though not stark raving bonkersley deluded
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To be fair the word small has been put in quotes so think the condescending delusionOWL mentality is being alluded to here as well. But also fair to say almost all snortbeasts are raving bonkerley deluded twats :)
 
Don't understand why some of our fans get upset by pig fans nonsense, I for one love it when they underestimate, belittle and taunt us, or are otherwise arrogant or deluded.

This simply makes it all the sweeter when we trounce them. If they were actually sensible it would be boring.
 
Someone actually described it as a "Smash & Grab"!

Obviously sat at the back of the stand, doing something unmentionable with a close family member for 95 mins.
 
JJBlade said:
Let's cast our minds back to July, before a ball was kicked

Middlesboro are favourites for the title, we've played them away

Cardiff were strongly fancied for the play offs, we've played them away

Sunderland strongly fancied for automatic promotion, or play offs at least, we've played them away

Derby County, strongly fancied for play offs, we've played them at home

Norwich, strongly fancied for play offs, we've played them at home

Sheffield Wendy ha ha ha, fancied by themselves to piss the League, we've played them away

Even Brentford were an outside play off bet when the season started

The season might not end up with all of those clubs being in the top half of the table, but at the time of playing them they were amongst the most difficult looking fixtures we could have had thrown at us. We've played those teams and now sit in fourth place, two points behind the leaders.
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My Wendy mate said to before the match on Sunday that we hadn't played anybody who was any good . After the match on Sunday I said he was correct .
 



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