Rose tinted spectacles?

[puppet]

we had spirit under warnock, class under spackman, a bit of both under john harris but this team has spirit and class in spades. that they can be mentioned in thee same sentence as those three teams is one thing. is it better? let's see at the end of the season.

 

[terrier]

Noticed you'd won AGAIN so I thought i'd pop my head in. You seem to be flying, created a lot of energy with the fans. It all feels similar to us last year where everybody almost fell in love with football again after some drab years (granted you had a good year last year...). Great to see you do well to be honest, we could do with some more local games in this league

Spirit accounts for so much. We beat Man Utd today on spirit, passion and desire...they've said as much themselves! Happy days

 

[DifferentClass]

I nearly let out a little sex wee at the ground.

Glad you didn't or you'd be facing quite a long ban...

Noticed you'd won AGAIN so I thought i'd pop my head in. You seem to be flying, created a lot of energy with the fans. It all feels similar to us last year where everybody almost fell in love with football again after some drab years (granted you had a good year last year...). Great to see you do well to be honest, we could do with some more local games in this league

Spirit accounts for so much. We beat Man Utd today on spirit, passion and desire...they've said as much themselves! Happy days

Had a bet on you lot today. Thanks for the moneh and keep up the good teamwork!

 

[Barney]

You're not looking through red and white glasses mate, don't worry.

I'm not at my most sober but nobody can deny this team is simply spectacular.

I love the team, I love the manager, I love McCabe, I love Alan Knill

I am enjoying every minute of this brilliance we are experiencing

 

[diode_blade]

I've watched them from a couple of seasons before TC signed in 1968 and seen a lot of exciting and attacking play, although many were the seasons when an away draw anywhere was seen as a triumph .
Even during the run we had 1971/2 (ended by a certain G.Best) the football played was nowhere near the quality of the present entertainment.
This lot ARE the best we've had and I'm sure that even TC and Brian Deane would agree with that - if anyone asked them

Enjoy it!

Get the Tardis out, go back in time kidnap those two, bring em back to the present, wrap em up in some nice xmas paper and leave em on tufty's door step, on xmas eve with a note, "found, two waif and strays looking for sommat to do..."
Put those two in this team....

 

[The Crab]

I am yet to see any evidence that these rose coloured spectacles exist, ebay & amazon don't have em.

Crab Optical supplies. Just saying.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Noticed you'd won AGAIN so I thought i'd pop my head in. You seem to be flying, created a lot of energy with the fans. It all feels similar to us last year where everybody almost fell in love with football again after some drab years (granted you had a good year last year...). Great to see you do well to be honest, we could do with some more local games in this league

Spirit accounts for so much. We beat Man Utd today on spirit, passion and desire...they've said as much themselves! Happy days

Do you think you'll be hanging around in the Prem to play us next season? I hope you do mate, but it's a big ask isn't it?

 

[Old Clegg]

I was lucky enough to be in the Town Hall waiting for the team to arrive from their parade after last season. I plucked up courage to talk to my hero Tony Currie, I’ve been a ST holder since 1970 and I suggested this was the best team since those days. He told me that he felt this team was even better and he loved watching them play. He felt that they could keep the ball all day if they wanted, in his day the poor pitches and dirty opposition meant that he’d have to take more risks to get the ball forward. He clearly thought the world of this team and great to see someone not stuck in the “ah but it was better in my day” mentality.

 

[Edinblade]

been going since 87 , this is the best team to watch 100% , not the most successful.......................yet !

But we’ve not won anything since 1925 so how are you measuring success. For me, what we are seeing just now is hugely successful.

 

[Pinchy]

I am yet to see any evidence that these rose coloured spectacles exist, ebay & amazon don't have em.

They’re in all good supermarkets on the same aisle as potential banana skins.

 

[Edinblade]

After 45 years loyal service. I can't ever remember myself giggling out loud with some of the wonderful interplay from my wonderful team.
What's equally wonderful is that the fans can't find a whipping boy amongst the lot of em.

I’d not thought about this, but it’s a big factor. Every team I can remember has always had a whipping boy. You’re right this team or even squad doesn’t have one anywhere.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

When I got on the train home today the chap across the aisle from me said "I've been watching United since 1972 and this is the best team I've ever seen"

I said " I've been watching them a few years longer and I completely agree with you"

Are we wearing rose tinted spectacles?

I'm of a similar vintage and I posted elsewhere a few weeks ago now that I thought this was the most "consistent" I've ever seen from a Sheffield United team and the best passing football. I think John Harris's team of the early 1970's had two or three better individual players -Currie, Woodward, Reece, for example. But they didn't do it week in, week out, like this lot do. You just know when you go to the match that you are going to enjoy it - every single time. I've not known that before - ever!

The only danger I see is that when things are going well, people don't stop to inspect things closely, to look how to improve things even further. It's the opposite of what happens when things go bad. When things go bad there is a huge post-mortem to find fault. We've seen it before haven't we? Anyone and everyone is fair game for criticism, the manager, the players, the fans, the coaching staff, even the groundsman and catering staff. They all risk getting it in the neck when things aren't going well, but when things are going well no one looks for any faults, or how to improve things and make them even better. And anyone who dare to suggest that things could be better in some ways gets absolutely pilloried for it.

I've spent a career working in big commercial organisations and this is what I do for a living now, only I'm self employed. But there are some interesting parallels to draw with what happens in football and what happens in business. Because football is a business at the end of the day. Nothing breeds failure, more than success. Because when businesses are being successful they quickly get complacent and ignore small things that need attention. They keep doing what they've always done - because it's worked for them so far (hence my dislike of the phrase, "if it aint broke don't fix it"). Eventually what happens is those small things that need attention become bigger things and the environment they are operating in changes - but they don't change because they are stuck with repeating things that have made them successful so far. And the result is...failure.

I'd like to think that even though we are doing fantastically well at the moment, we are looking for ways of doing even better. Ways to improve the team further. Casting a critical eye over our performances as a team and as individuals and not just thinking everything and everyone is great. I'd like to think if there are small things that aren't quite where they should be, we will act to rectify them and not wait until it becomes a big problem. If we can do that then we can keep improving and get to where we need to be - and that's the Premiership.

 

[Sheffsteel]

I’ve been watching since 1975.

We’ve been saying the same, it’s the best TEAM i’ve seen us have.

The really weird thing is we’ve got no star players.
However EVERY player in Wilders team is of high quality
And they know each other’s game inside out.

The other weird thing that I’ve never seen before is that
This team is incredibly consistent, we play well and give 100% every match.

 

[Edinblade]

I'm confused....... we ain't achieved nothing... help.......

How can you say that. We’ve come a long way in a very short space of time. If you think Wilder hasn’t achieved anything, then you’ve got your head in the sands. From being a rubbish league 1 team with no hope, we have one of the best squads in decades, the most potential in decades, playing the best football in decades, the most enthusiastic support in decades etc etc. Don’t measure achievement just by trophies. Sit back and enjoy the Wilder era whilst we have it.

 

[Pinchy]

I've been watching them since mid 70s (so really post Woodward and Currie) and in that time they've had spells where they've played very good football 02/03 inspired by McCall and Brown, back end of 95/96 under Kendall, 11/12 under Wilson, back end of 13/14 under Clough. The current team is right up with all of them but it seems like we've sustained this level of good football for a longer period than any of the other eras.

In my lifetime I still say our best strongest all round team was Spackman's at the start of 97/98. If Green and McDonald would have held their nerve and not meddled, just left it to Spackers (and we'd have been a bit luckier with the injuries to Whitehouse and McGrath, or pragmatically brought in proper replacements) I still reckon we'd have won the title that year and got to the FA Cup final.

‘Spackers’ was a useless article. Left to him, we would never have signed Borbokis or Dellas. He’d never seen nor heard of them until they walked through the door. He wouldn’t have signed Deano either.

Spackman was Charles Green’s puppet. He didn’t complete a full season at any of the three clubs he managed.

An S2 myth, I’m afraid. He hadn’t a clue.

 

[Pinchy]

We play great football,some say the best in 40 years,worth crowing about me thinks

Absolutely. Promotion, or not, they are a joy to watch. That matters.

 

[Rusty view]

Absolutely. Promotion, or not, they are a joy to watch. That matters.

Bang on. I'm going to matches now and just sit back and admire the football. It's a joy to watch.

 

[Pinchy]

I’d not thought about this, but it’s a big factor. Every team I can remember has always had a whipping boy. You’re right this team or even squad doesn’t have one anywhere.

Oh, some of them have Blackman, Lundstram and Stearman lined up, in their sights and ready to go at the first opportunity. Don’t worry about that...

 

[Sheffsteel]

Some of the best football I’ve seen from united in a long time
Can’t possibly be best team until they’ve achieved what previous teams have - promotion and then maintaining top flight.
Few steps to go yet kids!!

I know what you’re tying to say but it’s NOT just purely about winning.

Easily one of the best and most entertaining international teams I’ve ever seen was Brazil in the 82 World Cup.
Even the Brazilians rate that team with Zico, Socrates, Junior, Eder as truly outstanding
But that team got knocked out by Italy.

If we finish in the play-offs and fail to get promotion, so technically achieving nothing.
I’ll still rate this team as very very special and won’t forgot them.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Oh, some of them have Blackman, Lundstram and Stearman lined up, in their sights and ready to go at the first opportunity. Don’t worry about that...

Bloke behind me on the BLUT starting slagging Lundstram after they scored.

 

[Pinchy]

Bloke behind me on the BLUT starting slagging Lundstram after they scored.

Happily a minority, but we have some grade one tossers amongst us at BDTBL.

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

But we’ve not won anything since 1925 so how are you measuring success. For me, what we are seeing just now is hugely successful.

Very true, I suppose was merely going on promotion to the top league and staying there , although that certainly isn't everything esp with the premiership as the rich greedy corrupt league it is !

A fa cup win would be nice !

 

[Wapping Blade]

It’s like us conceding a goal is a personal affront to them.

 

[Steve Mackan]

I know what you’re tying to say but it’s NOT just purely about winning.
If we finish in the play-offs and fail to get promotion, so technically achieving nothing.
I’ll still rate this team as very very special and won’t forgot them.

It's not purely about winning, but the two go hand in hand. We'll finish in the top two because we play good football and I'll love this team whether we get promoted or not.

Oh, some of them have Blackman, Lundstram and Stearman lined up, in their sights and ready to go at the first opportunity. Don’t worry about that...

I'm sick of the Blackman criticism. Where I sit and most people I speak to seem to say "he's got a mistake in him." Really winds me up. All keepers have a mistake in them, maybe not Alan Kelly, but Blackman hasn't done anything to suggest a big error.

His kicking out of hands could improve, but it's a great way to see if the opposition has done their homework. If the striker stands on the edge of the box to force him to kick out of his hands, then they have.

 

[Blade56]

nope just pissed

PS I agree with you

Pissd with success, it tastes looovvely

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

How can you say that. We’ve come a long way in a very short space of time. If you think Wilder hasn’t achieved anything, then you’ve got your head in the sands. From being a rubbish league 1 team with no hope, we have one of the best squads in decades, the most potential in decades, playing the best football in decades, the most enthusiastic support in decades etc etc. Don’t measure achievement just by trophies. Sit back and enjoy the Wilder era whilst we have it.

I think you missed my pedantic point

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

It’s like us conceding a goal is a personal affront to them.

... and like they've forgotten that scoring goals is the main point of a game in which two teams (not one) are playing.

I had a mate who used to sit behind us, but who gave up during the Hoof years under Blackwell. Every time we conceded he'd shout, "How the fuck did THAT happen ?!". I used to shout back, "It's what they're trying to do !"

Funnily enough, it always seemed to my turn to get a pint in, and all

 

[8lade]

The only danger I see is that when things are going well, people don't stop to inspect things closely, to look how to improve things even further.

Agreed. And your point is proven on this forum, for every person who's said anything negative about the second half 3 have told them to 'shut up'. It was very different football between the halves whether from the 'reducers' dished out early on, the weather conditions, people tiring or dare I say the first half was so good a little complacency slipped in. United are a good team but we aren't going to walk away with this league so if we are going to get promoted we can't afford to drop points and if goal difference is to play a role let it be in our favour.
Having said all that I'm sure the management team behind closed doors will be looking at what happened at the weekend as they would with all the games.

 

[Steve Mackan]

Having said all that I'm sure the management team behind closed doors will be looking at what happened at the weekend as they would with all the games.

To be honest, I thought Wilder's substitutions were poor. Brooks should never come on for Duffy, who is our linchpin. Should be Carruthers (or Lundstram, but I want to see more of Carruthers) for Duffy, Brooks should come on for a striker. It seems weird to say it, but Duffy is our hold up player, not any of the strikers. Brooks doesn't do that.

 

[Maidenhead]

Been watching since 1969 and agree this is the best it’s been. Tony Currie and Alan Woodward are true legends but there’s a big difference just now.
The set up from top to bottom is the best it’s ever been by a mile. The potential to improve and have a good run at the top is better than its ever been.
In the past promotions to the top flight have always been short lived. The potential was never there to stay at the top, but it is now.
Chris Wilder is doing the most amazing job ever. For me it feels more real, with more potential than it did with Bassett, Warnock or even John Harris.

That's exactly how I feel, after having been watching for the same time