Reasons to be cheerful....

[Bladepicker]

...now our race is run. And it is run because, despite the mathematical possibilities out there, we aren't winning the last two games before we even get to looking at what others do. Yes there are legitimate concerns about the boardroom struggles and our potential lack of recruitment this summer, however not making the top six is not all bad - and here's why (with WHF style happy clapper bullets):

• It's the highest we've finished for 8 years
• Despite our results tailing off and away performances being hit and miss - we have still played some wonderful football in the second half of the season and played some good teams off the park.
• It's the play offs. We'd have only fucked up in them anyway, especially as 6th will likely lose to Fulham.
• The Prem isn't all that. Lots of London clubs and shitty little clubs with money - crap away days and spending 70 per cent of the matches in a defensive 8 1 1 formation.
• I'm like Colin. I like the Championship me. Lots of Tuesday night games that you don't get in the Prem - less predictability and some proper football clubs at this level. It's a good league to be in.
• Next season, despite the boardroom wrangles, with Coutts back and IF we keep Fleck we will still dominate possession and be a decent side at worst.

So yeah. Chin up and all that.

 

[madeinsheffield]

Hi Kevin

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

We've fucked it.

 

[sitwell]

Don't waste your time BP ,the must have it now spoilt bleeders we have as supporters have all turned Veruca Salt and will all be crying themselves to sleep tonight. 2 years ago next week we were getting slaughtered by SISU , chin up indeed.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

...now our race is run. And it is run because, despite the mathematical possibilities out there, we aren't winning the last two games before we even get to looking at what others do. Yes there are legitimate concerns about the boardroom struggles and our potential lack of recruitment this summer, however not making the top six is not all bad - and here's why (with WHF style happy clapper bullets):

• It's the highest we've finished for 8 years
• Despite our results tailing off and away performances being hit and miss - we have still played some wonderful football in the second half of the season and played some good teams off the park.
• It's the play offs. We'd have only fucked up in them anyway, especially as 6th will likely lose to Fulham.
• The Prem isn't all that. Lots of London clubs and shitty little clubs with money - crap away days and spending 70 per cent of the matches in a defensive 8 1 1 formation.
• I'm like Colin. I like the Championship me. Lots of Tuesday night games that you don't get in the Prem - less predictability and some proper football clubs at this level. It's a good league to be in.
• Next season, despite the boardroom wrangles, with Coutts back and IF we keep Fleck we will still dominate possession and be a decent side at worst.

So yeah. Chin up and all that.

Not a fan of 4 o'clock kick offs on a Sunday then Bladepicker ?

 

[Bladepicker]

Hi Kevin

You missed the legitimate boardroom concerns/recruitment part of my post I assume?

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

The Prem isn't all that.

It's exactly this type of attitude that will ensure this football club is forever a bunch of losers, also-rans and underachievers.

The Premier League is EVERYTHING. If it isn't then what's the point? What the hell are we all doing?

Only in S2.

 

[JohnDenver]

It's exactly this type of attitude that will ensure this football club is forever a bunch of losers, also-rans and underachievers.

The Premier League is EVERYTHING. If it isn't then what's the point? What the hell are we all doing?

Only in S2.

I’d settle for an FA cup.

 

[sitwell]

It's exactly this type of attitude that will ensure this football club is forever a bunch of losers, also-rans and underachievers.

The Premier League is EVERYTHING. If it isn't then what's the point? What the hell are we all doing?

Only in S2.

Then surely you mean the champions league. The championship has been the most exciting competitive league in Europe this season.

 

[oldblade]

I’d settle for an FA cup.

I remember a time when winning the FA Cup was as prestigious as winning the league.

 

[Bladepicker]

It's exactly this type of attitude that will ensure this football club is forever a bunch of losers, also-rans and underachievers.

The Premier League is EVERYTHING. If it isn't then what's the point? What the hell are we all doing?

Only in S2.

Only it isn't. Not living in Sheffield I speak to mainly fans of other clubs and while yes, obviously getting to the top division is great - it's not a thought peculiar to S2 that supporting a club challenging in the championship has its advantages over supporting an also ran in the Prem.

I've listed some above.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I’d settle for an FA cup.

I'd settle for an FA Cup final.

 

[JohnDenver]

I'd settle for an FA Cup final.

Bloody cap doffer!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Only it isn't. Not living in Sheffield I speak to mainly fans of other clubs and while yes, obviously getting to the top division is great - it's not a thought peculiar to S2 that supporting a club challenging in the championship has its advantages over supporting an also ran in the Prem.

I've listed some above.

I'd rather finish 17th in the Premier League every season from now until eternity than see us pissing about in the Championship.

I want my football club to play in the highest division possible and compete against some of the best teams in the world.

I find it quite peculiar that some people don't.

 

[oldblade]

In 1971-2 we were a newly promoted side. Albeit it was to what is now known as the premier league.

We started the season like a runaway train and were top of the league with a quarter of the season gone.

Unfortunately it didn't last. Most of us were grounded enough to realise it probably wouldn't last. Our form became patchy and we finished in 10th position. A top half finish for a newly promoted club. Not bad at all.

Nobody (or at least no one that I met) considered the season a disappointment. Yes , we started well and faded in a not too dissimilar fashion to this season. The league we were in was different , but the parallels are the same.

The big difference is that there wasn't any social media in those days and the season was just enjoyed by all and regarded as progress.

No I want it all and I want it now mentality. Happy days.

 

[fishpie]

I'd rather finish 17th in the Premier League every season from now until eternity than see us pissing about in the Championship.

I want my football club to play in the highest division possible and compete against some of the best teams in the world.

I find it quite peculiar that some people don't.

That would be boring, after a couple of seasons.

I'd rather finish 17th in the Premier League every season from now until eternity than see us pissing about in the Championship.

I want my football club to play in the highest division possible and compete against some of the best teams in the world.

I find it quite peculiar that some people don't.

Loved Peter Ndlovu. But he'd have hung his gloves up years before he did with an attitude like that..

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

That would be boring, after a couple of seasons.

It's boring being in the Championship playing the same shitty teams over and over again.

I'd die a happy man if I never again had to see us play a league match against fucking Preston or Ipswich.

Loved Peter Ndlovu. But he'd have hung his gloves up years before he did with an attitude like that..

How so? Nuddy aimed for the very top and he got there.

First ever African to play in the Premier League. First ever African to score a goal in the Premier League. First ever African to score a hat-trick in the Premier League.

 

[zablade]

We will have finished lower in this league than in Blackwell’s final full season, we will also have won less games since Xmas than in Blackwell’s final full season.

However...

Wilder is a much much better manager than Blackwell, to avoid what happened last time the club just need to give him the appropriate support in the summer transfer window.

It’s not rocket science.

 

[Bladesman]

It's exactly this type of attitude that will ensure this football club is forever a bunch of losers, also-rans and underachievers.

The Premier League is EVERYTHING. If it isn't then what's the point? What the hell are we all doing?

Only in S2.

Exactly. I don't get why people don't want to aim higher.

The PL has ALOT of flaws but I still would like to see us there proving our worth among some the best teams in England. Piss around for too long in the Championship then you start staring League 1 in the face after a while.

 

[blade too long]

It's our first season back and we just didn't have the quality to cover 46 very tough games is the simple fact. We have more than held our own but it was too big an ask with the squad we could put out. Owls fans have gone on ad infinitum about how injuries has cost them well it's cost us too. Losing Coutts Freeman ched for most of the season and players like Clarke missing today and others during the season for certain games. Neither Duffy or Fleck have steered clear of knocks and it's just left us a bit light in the quality stakes. But we have moved forward again and will still have a chance but dont have the luck for 5 or 6 results to go our way and gd would kill us. As it turned out 6th will probably be earned with 72 or 73 points so we won't be far away from a play off in the end but Fulham or Villa would probably have been too strong anyway

 

[grafikhaus]

I'd rather finish 17th in the Premier League every season from now until eternity than see us pissing about in the Championship.

But you wouldn't 'finish 17th in the PL from now until eternity'. Teams like United (and many others) spend around four years up there until the inevitable relegation. Then, like waking up after a particularly drunken party, you wonder what all the fuss was about.

I want my football club to play in the highest division possible and compete against some of the best teams in the world.

The key words being those in bold. How can most clubs compete against Man. City? Man. United? Liverpool? Chelsea? Spurs keep trying, but are routinely put back in their box. Everton have given Sam 'Brown Paper Envelopes' Allardyce £239m and they're still shite - and the only club they're trying to compete against is Liverpool. The reality is that most clubs in the PL don't compete. They're just happy to get to 40 points so that they can repeat the tedium of the previous season.

After our first season back in the Championship, I'd hardly say we're 'pissing about'. IMHO the Championship is probably the best division in Britain - a division where any team can beat any other and where bizarre results are thrown up every week - Sunderland 1 Burton 2, Bristol City 5 Hull 5. And what did the (admittedly-reduced) PL offer yesterday? WBA 2 v 2 Liverpool and Watford 0 v 0 Palace. Clubs whose season is done, are treading water and a good cure for insomnia.

I'd die a happy man if I never again had to see us play a league match against fucking Preston or Ipswich.

And I'd be happy if I never had to watch Bournemouth, Brighton, Watford, Palace, Huddersfield, Swansea, West Brom etc. - teams I don't even bother watching on telly, let alone pay £30+ to see 'live'. And I bet Sunderland would love to be playing Preston or Ipswich next season.

I get your points, Pete, but there's a difference between 'ambition' and 'realism'. One of the key drivers in marketing is 'keeping up with the Joneses'. That's why people buy cars they don't need or can't afford. That's why the divorce rate rockets post-Christmas as people realise that all those images of tables groaning with hundreds of pounds of food and happy, non-fractious families are exactly that - an image, an illusion. And an illusion is exactly what the PL is, sold by the clever marketing people at Sky.

So let Fulham join Huddesfield and Leicester next season. Plastic fans with their plastic clackers in a plastic division.

Piss around for too long in the Championship then you start staring League 1 in the face after a while.

...and piss around for too long in the PL and... (you get my drift?)

 

[SwissBlade]

I'd rather finish 17th in the Premier League every season from now until eternity than see us pissing about in the Championship.

I want my football club to play in the highest division possible and compete against some of the best teams in the world.

I find it quite peculiar that some people don't.

I'm with Bladepicker on this.

I have no interest in the Premier League, i've got sky and try to watch the Premier League games but I've not sat through an entire game for years, i find it a completely dull league. Only Man City are really worth watching from an entertainment perspective.

The Premier League isn't that good to watch and to be perfectly honest, not having TV games on at 3pm on a saturday will eventually be its downfall because to be perfectly honest, watching games on a Friday/ Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon is no longer appealing to me, so if we were there then i would lose interest quite quickly in watching the games. My life doesn't revolve around football, it was bad enough the other week that I had to rush around to go to the Millwall game. If it was on at 1700 I wouldn't have gone.

As for the Championship, I've been surprised at the approach of many teams early in the season, many were cautious, but the quality is as good as its ever been and probably since November/ December, the games have been fantastic to watch. Its a physically tough division and I love that aspect of the game when two teams are getting the tackles in.

I'd gladly stay in this division for the next ten years and have some good FA cup runs.

 

[super_pig]

...now our race is run. And it is run because, despite the mathematical possibilities out there, we aren't winning the last two games before we even get to looking at what others do. Yes there are legitimate concerns about the boardroom struggles and our potential lack of recruitment this summer, however not making the top six is not all bad - and here's why (with WHF style happy clapper bullets):

• It's the highest we've finished for 8 years
• Despite our results tailing off and away performances being hit and miss - we have still played some wonderful football in the second half of the season and played some good teams off the park.
• It's the play offs. We'd have only fucked up in them anyway, especially as 6th will likely lose to Fulham.
• The Prem isn't all that. Lots of London clubs and shitty little clubs with money - crap away days and spending 70 per cent of the matches in a defensive 8 1 1 formation.
• I'm like Colin. I like the Championship me. Lots of Tuesday night games that you don't get in the Prem - less predictability and some proper football clubs at this level. It's a good league to be in.
• Next season, despite the boardroom wrangles, with Coutts back and IF we keep Fleck we will still dominate possession and be a decent side at worst.

So yeah. Chin up and all that.

pride is back

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

It's boring being in the Championship playing the same shitty teams over and over again.

I'd die a happy man if I never again had to see us play a league match against fucking Preston or Ipswich.
.

You’re bored already ? Playing the same teams “over and over again” ?? We’ve only been back a year !

 

[super_pig]

You’re bored already ? Playing the same teams “over and over again” ?? We’ve only been back a year !

preston.. Ipswich..?? what’s it really matter villa.. wolves.. leeds.. fulham
they’re all just top 6 cannon fodder having a bit of time out until they join their cannon fodder counterparts like bournemouth brighton and crystal palace in the PL .. our go soon

 

[Bladepicker]

I'm with Bladepicker on this.

I have no interest in the Premier League, i've got sky and try to watch the Premier League games but I've not sat through an entire game for years, i find it a completely dull league. Only Man City are really worth watching from an entertainment perspective.

The Premier League isn't that good to watch and to be perfectly honest, not having TV games on at 3pm on a saturday will eventually be its downfall because to be perfectly honest, watching games on a Friday/ Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon is no longer appealing to me, so if we were there then i would lose interest quite quickly in watching the games. My life doesn't revolve around football, it was bad enough the other week that I had to rush around to go to the Millwall game. If it was on at 1700 I wouldn't have gone.

As for the Championship, I've been surprised at the approach of many teams early in the season, many were cautious, but the quality is as good as its ever been and probably since November/ December, the games have been fantastic to watch. Its a physically tough division and I love that aspect of the game when two teams are getting the tackles in.

I'd gladly stay in this division for the next ten years and have some good FA cup runs.

Agree with all of what you say apart from the last bit - I really, really want us to win something in my lifetime and play in Europe. The best way of achieving that is in the Prem so, as PeterNdlovu081 says we should strive to get there, but for me that's the main and only reason.

For most other aspects I agree with you (and my own OP!) - there are loads of positives about life supporting a team in the most competitive and for me, most entertaining league in the world.

 

[SwissBlade]

Agree with all of what you say apart from the last bit - I really, really want us to win something in my lifetime and play in Europe. The best way of achieving that is in the Prem so, as PeterNdlovu081 says we should strive to get there, but for me that's the main and only reason.

For most other aspects I agree with you (and my own OP!) - there are loads of positives about life supporting a team in the most competitive and for me, most entertaining league in the world.

Is the Premier League the best way to achieve European football?
Premier League season - 38 games
Fa Cup - 6 games (3rd round to Final)

Southampton are 18th in the Premier League but on the verge of the FA Cup Final, they could be in the Championship next season with bags of premier league money and on a European tour...

 

[Bladepicker]

Is the Premier League the best way to achieve European football?
Premier League season - 38 games
Fa Cup - 6 games (3rd round to Final)

Southampton are 18th in the Premier League but on the verge of the FA Cup Final, they could be in the Championship next season with bags of premier league money and on a European tour...

I meant in terms of having the money to put together a squad strong enough to win a cup competition (or get to the final against a CL side) then you probably need to be in the Prem.

 

[SwissBlade]

I meant in terms of having the money to put together a squad strong enough to win a cup competition (or get to the final against a CL side) then you probably need to be in the Prem.

Yeah and on face value, those 6 games aren't exactly easy...

Having said that, we've reached the semi's of the cups from League one, so perhaps its not just about cash...

 

[Liverpool blade]

I'm not too bothered about reaching the premiership for the following reasons!!.
We've only been in the championship for 1 season and wilder is still trying to rebuild and strengthen.
We don't and will never have the financial backing of teams like Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea ect.
I don't want to spend every season hoping we get the magical 40+ points just to survive and then celebrate like we've Won the champions league.
My ultimate hope is that in the next few years we still have wilder in charge and he's built a team ready to take us to the next level and that we have a mega rich owner to help????. I M H O.