Is Promotion a Reality this season

[Fiery Blade]

With all the differing views aired on this site it is extremely hard to guage the feelings of the supporters:
We ought to conduct a poll to get a true feeling of where everyone thinks the Blades will finish up come May next year:
1.Top 2 = Automatic Promotion
2.Top 6 - Play Offs - Win Final in style = Promoted
3.Top 6 - Play Offs - Screw Up as usual = Another CCC season
4.Top Half - Failue
5.Bottom Half - Disaster

I cannot see a top six finish this year and regard anything elsa as failure!

 

[DuncDisorderly]

I'm sure the club values your support...

 

[Robbie]

I think it is more than plausible to get a top 6 finish, however I don't see a promotion on the cards.

 

[GoldCoast Blade]

7th or 8th. I hope i'm wrong but the way we are leaking goals is worrying.

 

[jodman]

I think that a top 6 finish is an sensible goal taking all things into account and i fully expect us to achieve that goal.

I would also hope that our recent experience in a play-off final game at wembley would give us a better chance of success this time round.

My current philosophy is to enjoy the ride and see where is takes me.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

So Fiery we are currently 6th having at least 3 or 4 first teamers out for most of the games and up to 6 of the first team for certain recent matches.
With this level of injuries and suspensions we are punching our weight in 6th having already played two of the top three.

Given these facts you think we will get worse when these players start to return.

Not a dig just interested in your logic.

To answer the original question I can't see us finished outside the playoffs and then getting to the final.
What happens then is anyones guess but I'm more confident in these group of players winning a one off match than the team that walked out at Wembley last season.

 

[TonyAgana]

So Fiery we are currently 6th having at least 3 or 4 first teamers out for most of the games and up to 6 of the first team for certain recent matches.
With this level of injuries and suspensions we are punching our weight in 6th having already played two of the top three.

Given these facts you think we will get worse when these players start to return.

Not a dig just interested in your logic.

To answer the original question I can't see us finished outside the playoffs and then getting to the final.
What happens then is anyones guess but I'm more confident in these group of players winning a one off match than the team that walked out at Wembley last season.

I dunno, prior to some of the key injuries we were in a very healthy and secure play-off position. On our current form we'll carry on dropping points and dropping down the table.

If we can overcome the injury crises then I think we'll finish comfortably within the play-offs. If we can't then I can see us missing out by some margin.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I dunno, prior to some of the key injuries we were in a very healthy and secure play-off position. On our current form we'll carry on dropping points and dropping down the table.

If we can overcome the injury crises then I think we'll finish comfortably within the play-offs. If we can't then I can see us missing out by some margin.

Naysmith nearly back, Ward out for a few weeks and isn't Willo just starting back light running and the like? Treacey is back, Monty isn't as bad as first thought and Harper back soon.

With those additions in before Christmas I think we will be fine with deals done for some of them in January.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

I was really confident at the beginning of the season that we would manage automatic promotion, but I'm now not so sure. We've had a dreadful run of injuries and it's how we recover generally from this run and will we have time to blend a winning team when the injured players come back. I think we'll make the play-offs now but I expect it to be a close call - it will all depend on the number of points we drop that perhaps we shouldn't have (e.g., draw when we could have won or lose when we could have drawn).

Wembley again? Maybe

 

[TonyAgana]

Naysmith nearly back, Ward out for a few weeks and isn't Willo just starting back light running and the like? Treacey is back, Monty isn't as bad as first thought and Harper back soon.

With those additions in before Christmas I think we will be fine with deals done for some of them in January.

Hope so! It's down to Blackwell now to pick em!!

 

[Coily]

2.Top 6 - Play Offs - Win Final in style = PromotedQUOTE]

If we do happen to get to another sodding play-off final, shouldn't we perhaps just try and score a goal as a start off point?

Do be sure to let us know your findings to this important research.

 

[beightonblade]

Mid table finish at best is my opinion unless BIG changes happen.

 

[Darren]

Maybe its just me, but I see this seasons squad as significantly worse than than of the last 2 seasons. It reminds me of the situation in 96-98 when we had a big expensive push for promotion that failed and then we had 4 years of rebuilding and retrenchment - in 98-99 we just failed to get in the play offs, in 99-00 we flirted with relegation and in 00-02 were pretty much a mid table team, before 02-03 when we started to be one of the better 2nd tier teams again.

I think we will do very well this season to sneak a play off place, but my head tells me a finish in upper mid table is most likely.

 

[Kenilworth]

Reading this thread makes me come over all Len-like.

Option 3 it is then

 

[Ollessendro]

Maybe its just me, but I see this seasons squad as significantly worse than than of the last 2 seasons. It reminds me of the situation in 96-98 when we had a big expensive push for promotion that failed and then we had 4 years of rebuilding and retrenchment - in 98-99 we just failed to get in the play offs, in 99-00 we flirted with relegation and in 00-02 were pretty much a mid table team, before 02-03 when we started to be one of the better 2nd tier teams again.

I think we will do very well this season to sneak a play off place, but my head tells me a finish in upper mid table is most likely.

Have to disagree with you Darren. I seem to remember us disagreeing on this point before? (think you posted last seasons squad and this seasons and compared - I then when onto state why I thought we were better this year).

Fiery my answer to this question is probably no. I started off the season saying that we would finish top 4. I am not starting to question that. I disagree with many ands think the squad IS good enough for promotion. It's thin, but it has quality throughout. I believe that with someone better at the heml then we would be pushing for automatic promotion. We should be pushing for automatic promotion. The divison is not great again this year. Of course Newcastle and West Brom look strong, but nobody else impresses me. Teams like Cardiff, Preston and Leicester are ok. Simply ok. I expect Southgate to go before the end of the season annd Boro to underachieve. I think because of Blackwells tenacity, the quality in the squad and the rubbishness of the championship we will finish top 6. I still fully expect us to get a play off position. Then it is a lottery. Our, and KB's, track record in the play offs is not good (understatement). Additionally Blackwell seems to fall short in the big games and when the pressure is on.

Summary: my prediction is top 6, not promoted, i.e. option 3, KB quits.

 

[Kenilworth]

Not sure I could stomach another POF disappointment
Nor the cost of taking the tribe to it only to be let down so badly for a fourth time.

'kin 'ell Len where are those rasors?

 

[Revolution]

3 or 4. I tend to agree with Darren about the strength of the squad, but even if I'm wrong and we're a playoff team, I have no faith whatsoever that we would win a playoff tournament.

Automatic promotion is out of the question.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Not sure I could stomach another POF disappointment
Nor the cost of taking the tribe to it only to be let down so badly for a fourth time.

Naah Kenilworth - Practice makes perfect! - we'll sail through at Wembley this time!!

 

[Darren]

3 or 4. I tend to agree with Darren about the strength of the squad, but even if I'm wrong and we're a playoff team, I have no faith whatsoever that we would win a playoff tournament.

Automatic promotion is out of the question.

I was thinking back the other day to our squad at the start of 07-08. When everyone was fit we could have fielded two teams both of which looked pretty good:

First team:

Kenny
Geary
Morgan
Kilgallon
Naysmith

Gilliespie
Montgomery
Leighterwood
Tonge

Beattie
Hulse

Second Team

Bennett

Naughton (though he hadn't made the first team brakthrough then).
Lucketti
Bromby
Armstrong

Webber
A. Quinn
S. Quinn
Hendrie

Stead
Sharp


We also had Shelton, Carney, Fathi, Gerrard, Nade, Horsfield, Li Tie and Law.

We just don't have that strength now.

 

[Guesty]

We can't make a full second team, for a start!

 

[Ollessendro]

I was thinking back the other day to our squad at the start of 07-08. When everyone was fit we could have fielded two teams both of which looked pretty good:

First team:

Kenny -
Geary
Morgan
Kilgallon
Naysmith

all above still at Blades (Bunn has replaced Kenny)

Gilliespie - deadwood
Montgomery - Blade
Leighterwood
Tonge - deadwood

Beattie - Evans replacement
Hulse - Hendo replacement

Second Team

Bennett

Naughton - would have been 18 then
Lucketti - did he ever play for Blades? Deadwood
Bromby - Deadwood
Armstrong - we have Stewart and Taylor now

Webber - deadwood (and not a midfielder)
A. Quinn - not very good
S. Quinn - Blade
Hendrie - deadwood

Stead - out of favour
Sharp - couldn't hit a barn door

We also had Shelton, Carney, Fathi, Gerrard, Nade, Horsfield, Li Tie and Law.

We just don't have that strength now.

That second team doies not look pretty good to me.

From your 2 teams (and subs) I reckon there are 16 players who are good enough. Compare that to know and you are pretty equal. With our first choice eleven:

Bunn

Walker Killa Morgs Naysmith

Cotts Monty Harper Treacy

Evans Henderson

we also have Davies, Taylor/Stewart (and Geary) for defensive cover. Little, Williamson, Quinn and France for midfield and War up front.

Personally I think there is little difference between squad strength now and from 07/08.

 

[Guesty]

Only nine players not in the first eleven is not enough though (I assume you meant Henderson in that first choice XI).

What would we do if, for instance, Kilgallon, Treacy, Ward, Evans, Geary, Naysmith and Williamson were all injured at once?

 

[Ted Danson]

Automatic promotion is out of the question.

Think its far too early to say that, anything can happen in the championship and as pointed out in another thread we're actually 1 point better off than this time last year even with shed loads of injuries.

When we get back to full strength we'll go on a good run and finish on 88 points I recon. I think that'll put us either second or third

 

[Ollessendro]

Only nine players not in the first eleven is not enough though (I assume you meant Henderson in that first choice XI).

What would we do if, for instance, Kilgallon, Treacy, Ward, Evans, Geary, Naysmith and Williamson were all injured at once?

Yes it was supposed to be Henderson. And I'd replace them (respectively) with Davies, S Quinn, France, Stewart and Taylor. It would of course mean playing 4-5-1.

 

[Mary Christmas]

Absofrigginglutely we can get promotion and without that shit trip to Wembley! And that's coming from one who thinks we would be better off managed by Mr and Mrs Miggins who coach the cheerleaders at Accrington Stanley Ladies FC.

Our opinions on the players swings like Linford Christie's lunch box but I am of the humble opinion that we are - today - able to turn out a side capable of beating just about any team in this division and will have a team, sooner rather than later, more talented than any of them. Nearly all of the threads lead to us debating our perceived failings but very rarely do we analise the opposition; and I have to say that I do believe that there is as much shite to play this season as there was in the last two. If the likes of Stoke, Hull and Burnley can get themselves promoted we cannot doubt our chances. Hull City for God's sake they were terrible on each occasion we last played them in the Championship; they were perhaps worse when we played them in the Cup and I reckon there is every chance that we will take their place in the Premier next season.

 

[Latters]

I agree with Darren here. I don't think we have a strong enough squad to go up. I think due to the poor division before you start to mention the top two we'll finish somewhere between 6th and 9th.

I wasn't confident at the start of the season when we'd finished with our permanent signings. I'd never heard of any of them apart from Little who was always going to be a squad player.

I mentioned to SBSP at a recent game, if you look through our squad now, with the exception of Ward and probably Morgs, I wouldn't be disappointed to see any them sold in the transfer window because we don't have any outstanding players.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Whilst I applaud your enthusiasm Christmas I hate to remind you that we have drawn four of our six home games to date Leicester, WBA, Ipswich and Donny - only WBA should have been a difficult match and lost the last two matches against Swansea and Coventry both who we expected to struggle to halfway in the league this season.
Because it is only an ordinary standard league this season we appear to have had a good start - the league is very tight and we could drop several places after the next match if we do not get a result.
I honestly think we are too thin a squad to mount a serious challenge and very vulnerable to injuries and suspensions and also I cannot see where all the optimism is from, given the level of performance over the last five matches. We are shipping goals for fun and losing players at a weekly rate!

 

[dingledog]

there is still a lot of football to paly before anything is decided this season.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Unfortunately, the current Blades side doesn't paly much football !

 

[Bladesman]

In a word no.

We have no depth to the squad.