Futile

[Kop Cat]

My emotional investment in the Blades in diminishing all the time, not because of last nights defeat or anything that the squad and manager have done, indeed we are far greater than the sum of our parts.Its the thought of what would be needed to get into and stay in the fucking Premier League.
Many other Championship clubs are spending multiple millions that United can only dream of, look at the costs of squads such as West Brom, Villa,Boro, Leeds etc, even Weds, pay out fees that we cannot come close to matching. Spending millions does not guarantee success, I know that, but you have more chance of success than you do spending a (relative) pittance. Then there is the amount of investment needed when clubs do get there, yes they get the "Sky" money and they need it just to survive or tread water mid table season after season. The dominance of the "top" 6 or 7 will never be broken. Yes Leicester did it as a one off miracle but now they are back in their place. A club like Bournemouth, Bournemouth, are buying our prospects for millions and other players in their team, what are Bournemouth ever going to win ?, Watford, squad costing millions, just hope for mid table or survival and when they do they have to spend millions again the following season just to keep the status quo. Nah, Sky and the Premier League are fucking up football as a National sport, its just for the elite, and I am not a Sky customer. Its like a private tennis club, teams like us can use the courts but can`t enter the clubhouse and use the bar or facilities.Is it worth it?
Rant over, Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Stretch]

When it comes to Sky, the PL and how money has changed the game then I have felt the same for a very long time and suspect many others do. I wish the top 6 PL clubs would fuck off and form their super league with every other European "giant". Give the Chinese and Arabs something to watch every weekend and leave the rest of us to pick up the pieces on a more even playing field.

But my emotional investment in United will never diminish, at least I doubt it will. If anything it is getting more intense the older I get.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Then don’t think about it.

Prevention is always > the cure

UTB

 

[DaleHillBlade]

My emotional investment in the Blades in diminishing all the time, not because of last nights defeat or anything that the squad and manager have done, indeed we are far greater than the sum of our parts.Its the thought of what would be needed to get into and stay in the fucking Premier League.
Many other Championship clubs are spending multiple millions that United can only dream of, look at the costs of squads such as West Brom, Villa,Boro, Leeds etc, even Weds, pay out fees that we cannot come close to matching. Spending millions does not guarantee success, I know that, but you have more chance of success than you do spending a (relative) pittance. Then there is the amount of investment needed when clubs do get there, yes they get the "Sky" money and they need it just to survive or tread water mid table season after season. The dominance of the "top" 6 or 7 will never be broken. Yes Leicester did it as a one off miracle but now they are back in their place. A club like Bournemouth, Bournemouth, are buying our prospects for millions and other players in their team, what are Bournemouth ever going to win ?, Watford, squad costing millions, just hope for mid table or survival and when they do they have to spend millions again the following season just to keep the status quo. Nah, Sky and the Premier League are fucking up football as a National sport, its just for the elite, and I am not a Sky customer. Its like a private tennis club, teams like us can use the courts but can`t enter the clubhouse and use the bar or facilities.Is it worth it?
Rant over, Merry Christmas to all.

Interesting OP, I sort of agree but also disagree..

My emotional tie to the Blades is as strong as ever, but it IS conflicted because my interest in Premier League has diminished totally. It's almost as low as my interest in Champions League. I am sure that would be different if we were in those leagues tho!

I've said elsewhere that I watch far too much non league football. It's such a tonic from the fluff in PL and puts everything in context. Lads (and I've started watching the lasses as well) turning out for some pin money and love of the game. I enjoy the Blades for what it is, I'd be heartbroken to see them turn into a Sky franchise so we could "enjoy" being competitive in some mini league in PL.

Edit. I'd love to see us promoted tho..

 

[haich1889]

My emotional investment in the Blades in diminishing all the time, not because of last nights defeat or anything that the squad and manager have done, indeed we are far greater than the sum of our parts.Its the thought of what would be needed to get into and stay in the fucking Premier League.
Many other Championship clubs are spending multiple millions that United can only dream of, look at the costs of squads such as West Brom, Villa,Boro, Leeds etc, even Weds, pay out fees that we cannot come close to matching. Spending millions does not guarantee success, I know that, but you have more chance of success than you do spending a (relative) pittance. Then there is the amount of investment needed when clubs do get there, yes they get the "Sky" money and they need it just to survive or tread water mid table season after season. The dominance of the "top" 6 or 7 will never be broken. Yes Leicester did it as a one off miracle but now they are back in their place. A club like Bournemouth, Bournemouth, are buying our prospects for millions and other players in their team, what are Bournemouth ever going to win ?, Watford, squad costing millions, just hope for mid table or survival and when they do they have to spend millions again the following season just to keep the status quo. Nah, Sky and the Premier League are fucking up football as a National sport, its just for the elite, and I am not a Sky customer. Its like a private tennis club, teams like us can use the courts but can`t enter the clubhouse and use the bar or facilities.Is it worth it?
Rant over, Merry Christmas to all.

Totally agree with OP with one extra slant.
Clubs like Bournemouth/Brighton/Watford/Burnley will never have something we have: all Re based in small towns/limited catchment areas/surrounded by bigger established clubs. We are the 4th biggest City in England ffs without any larger successful neighbours. The potential of a successful club in Sheffield is huge. I support bladed cos it's in me blood & never had a choice. I have never wished to have been born any different but I have never wavered from my belief that one day we might join the elite & if we ever do I would argue with anyone that we have the City & potential to sustain it.
We just need (&always have needed) an owner with the belief & vision to realise what could be huge.

 

[Keef Chedwyn]

Agree to an extent. As much as I love going to the match, we are pretty much on a modern treadmill where you can set it to simulate peaks and troughs but really we're just going to stay in the same place.

I knew we weren't going to win last night and just accepted it because we are as good as we can be and that's not quite the top few in the league.

Carry on regardless I suppose...

 

[snootyfenooty]

Totally agree with OP with one extra slant.
Clubs like Bournemouth/Brighton/Watford/Burnley will never have something we have: all Re based in small towns/limited catchment areas/surrounded by bigger established clubs. We are the 4th biggest City in England ffs without any larger successful neighbours. The potential of a successful club in Sheffield is huge. I support bladed cos it's in me blood & never had a choice. I have never wished to have been born any different but I have never wavered from my belief that one day we might join the elite & if we ever do I would argue with anyone that we have the City & potential to sustain it.
We just need (&always have needed) an owner with the belief & vision to realise what could be huge.

Good post and based on reality. The pigs recognise the potential of a successful Sheffield club (and get slated for it). We are happy just to muddle along and be grateful for our lot. There's no reason a Sheffield club couldn't kick on if they ever got to the PL, I never get this comparison with Watford, Bournemouth and Burnley

 

[haich1889]

Good post and based on reality. The pigs recognise the potential of a successful Sheffield club (and get slated for it). We are happy just to muddle along and be grateful for our lot. There's no reason a Sheffield club couldn't kick on if they ever got to the PL, I never get this comparison with Watford, Bournemouth and Burnley

You've only got to look at our attendances over the last 8 yrs. Even Stevie Wonder would be able to spot the potential of success.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

My support for United isn’t diminishing (although six years in L1 put some pressure on) but I do feel modern football lacks the excitement I used to have as a kid. Old age maybe.

Let’s not kid ourselves though as long as I can remember there’s been haves and have nots. When I was a kid Liverpool pretty much dominated everything and it was a shock when they didn’t win the league. Yes the difference is greater now than it ever has been but it’s always been there

 

[BushBlade]

We’ve been shit for forty years. It’s about time we got used to it. We’re not the only ones either; Leeds, Pigs, Forest, Derby, etc.

Do supporters of Newcastle enjoy being in the PL? Or Southampton? Fucking West Ham get a 60k stadium given to them, play in the top league and still fucking moan and whinge.

It’s like part of being a football supporter is to feel hard done by, cheated. Even Man U fans, Gooners, Spurs, Chelsea whine like they have a divine right to win the fucking league every season.

I actually don’t mind being in the championship. It’s decent quality and we get more coverage in the media than we’ve ever had. But, I want us to win every game and if we come close to that, we’ll get promoted. Once being promoted becomes the be all and end all though, you can’t enjoy football. If you see promotion as your destination and the journey there the equivalent of a tiresome flight and bus ride to your hotel, you might as well stop following football because you’ll never be statisfied.

 

[BushBlade]

My support for United isn’t diminishing (although six years in L1 put some pressure on) but I do feel modern football lacks the excitement I used to have as a kid. Old age maybe.

Let’s not kid ourselves though as long as I can remember there’s been haves and have nots. When I was a kid Liverpool pretty much dominated everything and it was a shock when they didn’t win the league. Yes the difference is greater now than it ever has been but it’s always been there

When I started watching us there was as much chance of me shagging Joanna Lumley as there was us winning owt.

 

[haich1889]

We’ve been shit for forty years. It’s about time we got used to it. We’re not the only ones either; Leeds, Pigs, Forest, Derby, etc.

Do supporters of Newcastle enjoy being in the PL? Or Southampton? Fucking West Ham get a 60k stadium given to them, play in the top league and still fucking moan and whinge.

It’s like part of being a football supporter is to feel hard done by, cheated. Even Man U fans, Gooners, Spurs, Chelsea whine like they have a divine right to win the fucking league every season.

I actually don’t mind being in the championship. It’s decent quality and we get more coverage in the media than we’ve ever had. But, I want us to win every game and if we come close to that, we’ll get promoted. Once being promoted becomes the be all and end all though, you can’t enjoy football. If you see promotion as your destination and the journey there the equivalent of a tiresome flight and bus ride to your hotel, you might as well stop following football because you’ll never be statisfied.

Your argument falls down as every team you mention above have won something from European Cups to FA Cups in the last 40 years. Therefore their supporters have that memory & will have forever. Ffs My 80yr old dad hasn't but he still believes!!

 

[BushBlade]

Your argument falls down as every team you mention above have won something from European Cups to FA Cups in the last 40 years. Therefore their supporters have that memory & will have forever. Ffs My 80yr old dad hasn't but he still believes!!

Only the ones that were alive in those days. Do you think a 30 year old Forest fan can remember them being good?

And if anything, they’ve got more to moan about because some of their fans that are old enough to remember started supporting the club when they were winning things, none of our supporters have.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Your argument falls down as every team you mention above have won something from European Cups to FA Cups in the last 40 years. Therefore their supporters have that memory & will have forever. Ffs My 80yr old dad hasn't but he still believes!!

FFS even the likes of Wigan and SISU have won a cup in my time.

 

[haich1889]

Only the ones that were alive in those days. Do you think a 30 year old Forest fan can remember them being good?

And if anything, they’ve got more to moan about because some of their fans that are old enough to remember started supporting the club when they were winning things, none of our supporters have.

As far as i'm aware there are people alive that are older than 30 & have a memory.

& i'd love to have their memories to pass on to my future blood, instead of endless tales of losing semi finals & play-off & how good it was 'that season in the 4th division.

 

[Bert]

We just need (&always have needed) an owner with the belief & vision to realise what could be huge.

There's something else that our owner needs which you have conveniently neglected to mention.

 

[haich1889]

There's something else that our owner needs which you have conveniently neglected to mention.

££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

I presume??

Or a huge dick with the body of an athlete & a winning lottery ticket in his back pocket

 

[BushBlade]

As far as i'm aware there are people alive that are older than 30 & have a memory.

& i'd love to have their memories to pass on to my future blood, instead of endless tales of losing semi finals & play-off & how good it was 'that season in the 4th division.

I didn’t say there wasn’t anyone alive over 30. Quite the opposite.

I’m sure it was a great consolation to those teenage Leeds fans when Brooks scored the winner last season to be told by their grandads that ‘it wouldn’t have happened in Revie’s day’.

 

[BushBlade]

There's something else that our owner needs which you have conveniently neglected to mention.

That’s always been the issue. In the 30s, Chapman was considered to have ‘bought the title’ for Arsenal. As I understand it, he was the first manager to really use the transfer market to build a team. Since then, having money has become increasingly important and the more important it has become, the more we’ve struggled.

Why have we never had money? Because Sheffield, relatively speaking, has never been a particularly wealthy city. In comparison to the north west, the densely populated areas between Manchester and Liverpool, with both manufacturing and ports, was far wealthier, at one point on a par with the south east. Richer owners, richer sponsors, advertisers etc, clubs that flexed their financial muscle in the fifties and sixties, built up big fan bases outside their local areas due to the new medium of television and have benefited from it ever since

Whilst we pissed about in a three sided ground as an afterthought of a cricket club.

 

[haich1889]

I didn’t say there wasn’t anyone alive over 30. Quite the opposite.

I’m sure it was a great consolation to those teenage Leeds fans when Brooks scored the winner last season to be told by their grandads that ‘it wouldn’t have happened in Revie’s day’.

As in all walks of life we push ultimately insignificant memories like that to the back of our minds. We do however always remember the massive moments (both good & bad) almost every day at some point. As i've always been totally devoted to the Blades, this means I m constantly remembering trauma!!!!

 

[BushBlade]

As in all walks of life we push ultimately insignificant memories like that to the back of our minds. We do however always remember the massive moments (both good & bad) almost every day at some point. As i've always been totally devoted to the Blades, this means I m constantly remembering trauma!!!!

Gi o’er. You must have seen at least four promotions.

 

[sheepbridge]

This is the issue of being in the Championship for me. I love the football we are playing and want to win every game of course, but I would gladly never visit the Premiership ever again. Being older I just don't see the enjoyment in being in that league, realistically knowing our aim is to survive and not get too many hammerings a long the way. But actually the last time we were there the thing I hated most was the plastic fans who were there to watch the opposition more and not support United. Can't park, can't get a drink, tickets hard to get for genuine fans who don't have a season ticket. No thanks to all of that.

Makes we laugh when you see younger fans crying when there team have been relegated only to discover that the next season can be the most enjoyable they have had for years.
Not always of course, Sunderland etc. I know, but most will be nearer the top than the bottom and at least they have a chance of seeing their team win most weeks.

 

[JohnDenver]

There's something else that our owner needs which you have conveniently neglected to mention.

A damn good paddling.

 

[haich1889]

Gi o’er. You must have seen at least four promotions.

7 I think & 6 relegations 5 semi final defeats & 4 play off final defeats & one divorce Trauma trauma with a smattering of joy.
I still see Mark f###kin Bright rising to head in Pigs winner at least once a day

 

[BushBlade]

7 I think & 6 relegations 5 semi final defeats & 4 play off final defeats & one divorce Trauma trauma with a smattering of joy.
I still see Mark f###kin Bright rising to head in Pigs winner at least once a day

Take the poster off your wall then.

 

[haich1889]

Take the poster off your wall then.

Nice one .. I don't want to imagine that scenario. By the way, divorce was by far the most pleasant of those experiences & unlike Piggy Bright I raint seen her for about 15 yrs