One match at a time, and the bigger picture

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

In view of reactions to yesterday's game, I would like to offer some thoughts intended to be gentle avuncular advice on the basis of following the Blades for over 60 years. We all know that it can be tough, so I hope what follows gives some food for thought.
Football, and probably professional support in general, has become increasingly defined by success and failure. The problem with the Championship is that by that definition, the vast majority of clubs inevitably fail. How many Clubs' fans will feel that this season has been good?The 2 who go up automatically (could still include Utd). The team that goes up via the play-offs, which could still be us. If it is Villa, they will have been seen to finished well, but their fans were moaning for most of the season. Bristol City will presumably feel they have done well just to reach the playoffs. Rotherham would feel it was a good season if they avoid relegation. And that's about it. Everyone else will feel that they have failed or had a poor season. So whether or not United are serious under-achievers (we are), successful seasons inevitably come around infrequently. And if you judge everything by that success or failure, the negativity will grind you down.
The mantra of 'one match at a time' offers a much more positive reason for loving football and the Blades. If we fail to gain promotion, this will in my eyes still have been a good season, given the number of good games we have been involved in. My personal highlight was WBA away, with son and first away match with grandson, a wonderful experience where the team and fans gave everything. Enjoy football by getting absorbed in the 90 minutes with your fellow Blades - those are the moments which really count. Of course we all want to win and achieve success, but defining your attachment to the Blades only by trophies and promotions is inevitably going to lead to frustration. I would love to see us in the Premier League next season; but I will be looking forward to the first match next season whichever league we are in, and hoping that the progress of the last 3 seasons continues. UTB

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Do gooder.

 

[Paisley Blade]

In view of reactions to yesterday's game, I would like to offer some thoughts intended to be gentle avuncular advice on the basis of following the Blades for over 60 years. We all know that it can be tough, so I hope what follows gives some food for thought.
Football, and probably professional support in general, has become increasingly defined by success and failure. The problem with the Championship is that by that definition, the vast majority of clubs inevitably fail. How many Clubs' fans will feel that this season has been good?The 2 who go up automatically (could still include Utd). The team that goes up via the play-offs, which could still be us. If it is Villa, they will have been seen to finished well, but their fans were moaning for most of the season. Bristol City will presumably feel they have done well just to reach the playoffs. Rotherham would feel it was a good season if they avoid relegation. And that's about it. Everyone else will feel that they have failed or had a poor season. So whether or not United are serious under-achievers (we are), successful seasons inevitably come around infrequently. And if you judge everything by that success or failure, the negativity will grind you down.
The mantra of 'one match at a time' offers a much more positive reason for loving football and the Blades. If we fail to gain promotion, this will in my eyes still have been a good season, given the number of good games we have been involved in. My personal highlight was WBA away, with son and first away match with grandson, a wonderful experience where the team and fans gave everything. Enjoy football by getting absorbed in the 90 minutes with your fellow Blades - those are the moments which really count. Of course we all want to win and achieve success, but defining your attachment to the Blades only by trophies and promotions is inevitably going to lead to frustration. I would love to see us in the Premier League next season; but I will be looking forward to the first match next season whichever league we are in, and hoping that the progress of the last 3 seasons continues. UTB

Amen brother. Well said.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Do gooder.

I have always regarded that as a compliment...

 

[LoughboroBlade]

If we fail to gain promotion, this will in my eyes still have been a good season, given the number of good games we have been involved in.

I think this is part of the reason I’ve been disappointed by the reaction to the result yesterday. There is an undercurrent implying finishing 3rd with a squad that shouldn’t really be finishing top 6 isn’t a good achievement. It really is. It would be a great achievement with promotion on top of that, but if that doesn’t happen this should still be viewed as a good season. We’re all disappointed by yesterday’s result – we shouldn’t let that cloud the view of the season as a whole.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I think this is part of the reason I’ve been disappointed by the reaction to the result yesterday. There is an undercurrent implying finishing 3rd with a squad that shouldn’t really be finishing top 6 isn’t a good achievement. It really is. It would be a great achievement with promotion on top of that, but if that doesn’t happen this should still be viewed as a good season. We’re all disappointed by yesterday’s result – we shouldn’t let that cloud the view of the season as a whole.

It’s not as simple as people being disappointed about finishing 3rd. It’s the fact that we (and specifically Wilder and the players) appear to be allowing a fantastic opportunity to slip away.

We were in a great position after the win at Leeds. We should have gone out all guns blazing in the games that followed. Instead we have seen a series of negative and inept performances - no tempo, drive or quality. Throw in some bizarre tactics and substitutions and it’s hardly surprising that so many fans are p!ssed off with it.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I completely agree HodgysBrokenThumb , however it was the manner of the performance v Millwall that was just so frustrating and annoying. If we'd continued to play as we did in the 15 minutes leading to us scoring and got sucker punched on the break, I could accept that as just being unlucky, but basically we got punished for ceding territory and allowing them to get back into it.

As CW has said many times, we need to play like 'us'.

 

[Speedracer]

Another one nodding in agreement here HBT, before the season started if we had managed to scramble into the playoffs we would have taken it as fantastic progress. The fact is we have overachieved all season & find ourselves in a fantastic position, but older supporters amongst us have a seemingly endless list of failures stored in the memory banks to call upon when we look like faltering, we remember those moments of despair & feel it is inevitable we will fail again, "football gods" & "the Sheffield United way" are just two examples of this train of thought.
But the facts are that this is a new Sheffield United, with new players & a manager with no connections to past failures, what happened before has nothing to do with this group, if we do not achieve promotion this year it will not be because of the past, but it will NOT be a failure. We have made tremendous strides in the last three seasons & to my mind are well ahead of the curve of expectation started by winning the League One title. I have not given up on my team, nor will I ever, & I believe we can go up in the auto's, & if we don't then I will believe we can win the playoff semi, & then the final. We have proven we are at worse the third best team in this league, maybe even the second best, just think about that & compare it with how it felt just four seasons ago finishing eleventh in League One!
There are no dark clouds above Bramall Lane, the future is bright. The future is Red & White.

 

[Sean Thornton]

It’s not as simple as people being disappointed about finishing 3rd. It’s the fact that we (and specifically Wilder and the players) appear to be allowing a fantastic opportunity to slip away.

We were in a great position after the win at Leeds. We should have gone out all guns blazing in the games that followed. Instead we have seen a series of negative and inept performances - no tempo, drive or quality. Throw in some bizarre tactics and substitutions and it’s hardly surprising that so many fans are p!ssed off with it.

I agree with LoughboroBlade above but you're correct about letting the opportunity slip away. Kevin McCabe said "we're all frustrated" after the match. At the time, the disappointment runs deep and the actual achievement at being up there is a poor second.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I completely agree HodgysBrokenThumb , however it was the manner of the performance v Millwall that was just so frustrating and annoying. If we'd continued to play as we did in the 15 minutes leading to us scoring and got sucker punched on the break, I could accept that as just being unlucky, but basically we got punished for ceding territory and allowing them to get back into it.








As CW has said many times, we need to play like 'us'.

He has yes. However yesterday - being close to the dugout - "us" was "get it forward". Repeatedly.

 

[derfblade.3]

The table doesn't lie. Come the seasons end, a lot of clubs will be saying they missed a great opportunity. WBA faded badly as did Derby, Villa and Boro. Whoever finishes top 2 will have deserved it and with 4 left to play we are right in the mix. If we fall short then it is as it is. No excuses, just accept the final outcome and applaud Chris and the team on a fantastic effort.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I completely agree HodgysBrokenThumb , however it was the manner of the performance v Millwall that was just so frustrating and annoying. If we'd continued to play as we did in the 15 minutes leading to us scoring and got sucker punched on the break, I could accept that as just being unlucky, but basically we got punished for ceding territory and allowing them to get back into it.

As CW has said many times, we need to play like 'us'.

The problem I have with that is , how does he expect us to play like 'us' when players who are key to the way we play such as Sharp and Duffy have been taken off and been replaced by defenders ?

Since these kind of adjustments have clearly worked against us on at least four occasions this season , one would have hoped that by now , a different strategy in respect of substitutions would have emerged.

Apparently not , and the longer this approach continues the more flawed it will be shown to be , to our great cost .

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I completely agree HodgysBrokenThumb , however it was the manner of the performance v Millwall that was just so frustrating and annoying. If we'd continued to play as we did in the 15 minutes leading to us scoring and got sucker punched on the break, I could accept that as just being unlucky, but basically we got punished for ceding territory and allowing them to get back into it.

As CW has said many times, we need to play like 'us'.

Believe me, I was totally pissed off at the end of Saturday's match. All I am trying to do is to suggest that people think of the bigger picture in order to preserve their sanity, and keep their love of the game and United. We are all armchair critics, without having access to much information, and I am sure everyone at the club is working out how to get that little bit extra out of the players. High on my priority would be getting better crosses in, sometimes earlier; managing a one goal lead better; and (very bizarre) starting better after a break - the points dropped at the beginning of the season and after international breaks could have cost us the league title. But at the same time, this has been a really good season, and enjoyment of the experience of the individual matches is ultimately what makes us keep coming back for more. We can dream of winning the Champions League, but it would not be a sensible investment of time or money going to the Lane in order to witness it.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I would like to offer some thoughts intended to be gentle avuncular

If you're going to give me avuncular anything you'd better be gentle mate

 

[Valleyblade]

The end of the game on Saturday was gut wrenching.

What 95th minute equaliser against us, in our most important game for more than 10 years, with your centre back trudging off, before having pulled off a Suarez type swindle on 89 mins, wouldn't be.

Would I rather be spending my Saturday watching compelling, nerve wracking, ecstasy inducing, gut wrenching entertainment? Or being nearly every other club in this division.....

 

[spongebobblade]

In view of reactions to yesterday's game, I would like to offer some thoughts intended to be gentle avuncular advice on the basis of following the Blades for over 60 years. We all know that it can be tough, so I hope what follows gives some food for thought.
Football, and probably professional support in general, has become increasingly defined by success and failure. The problem with the Championship is that by that definition, the vast majority of clubs inevitably fail. How many Clubs' fans will feel that this season has been good?The 2 who go up automatically (could still include Utd). The team that goes up via the play-offs, which could still be us. If it is Villa, they will have been seen to finished well, but their fans were moaning for most of the season. Bristol City will presumably feel they have done well just to reach the playoffs. Rotherham would feel it was a good season if they avoid relegation. And that's about it. Everyone else will feel that they have failed or had a poor season. So whether or not United are serious under-achievers (we are), successful seasons inevitably come around infrequently. And if you judge everything by that success or failure, the negativity will grind you down.
The mantra of 'one match at a time' offers a much more positive reason for loving football and the Blades. If we fail to gain promotion, this will in my eyes still have been a good season, given the number of good games we have been involved in. My personal highlight was WBA away, with son and first away match with grandson, a wonderful experience where the team and fans gave everything. Enjoy football by getting absorbed in the 90 minutes with your fellow Blades - those are the moments which really count. Of course we all want to win and achieve success, but defining your attachment to the Blades only by trophies and promotions is inevitably going to lead to frustration. I would love to see us in the Premier League next season; but I will be looking forward to the first match next season whichever league we are in, and hoping that the progress of the last 3 seasons continues. UTB

After 48 hours of doom and gloom, wrist slashing and people losing the will to live this is the perfect post in response to all of that. Well said HBT. I couldn’t have put it any better

 

[Keen Blade]

I agree with LoughboroBlade above but you're correct about letting the opportunity slip away. Kevin McCabe said "we're all frustrated" after the match. At the time, the disappointment runs deep and the actual achievement at being up there is a poor second.

Did KMc phone you or d'you sit next to him ?
Or was he ont' wireless ? (The radio or the social media).

 

[chesblade]

Did KMc phone you or d'you sit next to him ?
Or was he ont' wireless ? (The radio or the social media).

He said it at the supporters presentation evening

 

[lakedistblade]

the loss of form is hard to cope with. until very recently it really looked on so it is the reversal of genuine , not deluded, hope that has me gnashing my teeth. in future whatever the outcome this will be seen as a very good season , in view of the financial factors against us. but we are not in the future we are here now an it feels like a tantalising prize is slipping out of reach. That said OP is a timely reminder of putting football support into perspective.And please please renew my hope football gods this week. UTB

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

In view of reactions to yesterday's game, I would like to offer some thoughts intended to be gentle avuncular advice on the basis of following the Blades for over 60 years. We all know that it can be tough, so I hope what follows gives some food for thought.
Football, and probably professional support in general, has become increasingly defined by success and failure. The problem with the Championship is that by that definition, the vast majority of clubs inevitably fail. How many Clubs' fans will feel that this season has been good?The 2 who go up automatically (could still include Utd). The team that goes up via the play-offs, which could still be us. If it is Villa, they will have been seen to finished well, but their fans were moaning for most of the season. Bristol City will presumably feel they have done well just to reach the playoffs. Rotherham would feel it was a good season if they avoid relegation. And that's about it. Everyone else will feel that they have failed or had a poor season. So whether or not United are serious under-achievers (we are), successful seasons inevitably come around infrequently. And if you judge everything by that success or failure, the negativity will grind you down.
The mantra of 'one match at a time' offers a much more positive reason for loving football and the Blades. If we fail to gain promotion, this will in my eyes still have been a good season, given the number of good games we have been involved in. My personal highlight was WBA away, with son and first away match with grandson, a wonderful experience where the team and fans gave everything. Enjoy football by getting absorbed in the 90 minutes with your fellow Blades - those are the moments which really count. Of course we all want to win and achieve success, but defining your attachment to the Blades only by trophies and promotions is inevitably going to lead to frustration. I would love to see us in the Premier League next season; but I will be looking forward to the first match next season whichever league we are in, and hoping that the progress of the last 3 seasons continues. UTB

I agree with what you're saying but I think there's a bigger picture here which has been discussed elsewhere. Yes, this has been a brilliant season, one of the best for football in my lifetime but what comes with that is/was a real opportunity for the club to get promoted and have a real go at staying there this time round given the unity of the club/fans/players etc, not to mention the great football. If we don't, whilst it's still a fantastic achievement, I fear for what may happen in the Summer.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Did KMc phone you or d'you sit next to him ?
Or was he ont' wireless ? (The radio or the social media).

I sit under his seat in the Directors box...

 

[Sean Thornton]

He said it at the supporters presentation evening

This time it was in the Copthorne Bar. Where incidentally, He's very popular.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I sit under his seat in the Directors box...

.....and I imagine he strokes you like Blofeld strokes his cat (included in attendance figures, natch)

 

[Trigger Blade]

I agree with what you're saying but I think there's a bigger picture here which has been discussed elsewhere. Yes, this has been a brilliant season, one of the best for football in my lifetime but what comes with that is/was a real opportunity for the club to get promoted and have a real go at staying there this time round given the unity of the club/fans/players etc, not to mention the great football. If we don't, whilst it's still a fantastic achievement, I fear for what may happen in the Summer.

That’s exactly my worry. We’ve built over three seasons and under normal circumstances, that might continue, but both owners in the High Court is not normal and we have no idea what that outcome might be or it’s consequences.

How very SUFC it would be to get to this point only for it to fall apart in unique circumstances.

 

[forever_blade]

Amen Bladesman HodgysBrokenThumb

“What is a Blade my son once asked, is it a hero from days gone past?

No I replied a Blade's what I am, a football supporter a real die hard fan.

The team is United, their home Bramall Lane,
The original United no one else has that claim.

1889 the year United was born,
A new era in Sheffield, a new football dawn.

Years of despair and no major feats,
Of just missed promotions and semi-final defeats...

Whatever the weather, regardless of score,
We always support them and will evermore.

And you must continue on praying for promotions and wins,
Sup a gallon of magnet before t’match begins.

And keep coming back to the beautiful Lane,
Hoping deep down we'll triumph again.

And if you believe in your heart..
That your faith will not fade,
Then from now and forever son,
You’ll be a Blade”

To some of the garbage spouted on here, Twitter, social media since Saturday...

Get a grip man you been brought up a Blade or brought up a wimp?

Blades don’t chuck their toys out the pram, Blades don’t suffer a sense of ‘entitlement’, Blades grit their teeth through the blows, battle back and come out the otherside smiling and smelling of roses.

We don’t lay down and die after yet another blow, we don’t lay down and die and ‘give up’ - Blades don’t give up its not in our DNA

Some might say ‘it’s just a football club’ but if there’s one thing this ‘football club’ teaches you it’s how to live your life - life’s tough, you’ve gotta be tougher. If you embrace life it’ll reward you, if you embrace this football club in the long run they will reward you

We go again against Forest,
We go again at Hull,
We go again at home to Ipswich,
And we go again at Stoke

We’re three points off an automatic promotion spot.

If we suffer another blow and don’t quite make it - we go again in them play-offs

And if we don’t get the outcome we desire this season - we go again next season and we stick with this football club

Write Sheffield United off at your peril

Keep the faith we ain’t finished yet

 

[Harrisblade]

I completely agree HodgysBrokenThumb , however it was the manner of the performance v Millwall that was just so frustrating and annoying. If we'd continued to play as we did in the 15 minutes leading to us scoring and got sucker punched on the break, I could accept that as just being unlucky, but basically we got punished for ceding territory and allowing them to get back into it.

As CW has said many times, we need to play like 'us'.

And for every one like you that would have suffered 'the sucker punch' just as many would have said 'we should have closed the game out and guarded against the sucker punch'
Footballers at all levels alter their thinking depending on circumstances on the pitch, even more so when there's something important to lose

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Footballers at all levels alter their thinking depending on circumstances on the pitch, even more so when there's something important to lose

Spot on, and I don't think you'll mind me adding that that makes them human, not bottlers worthy of contempt. In the geriatric doubles tennis of no significance that I still play, if I get to set point I inevitably serve a double fault. Totally illogical, and in most areas of my life I don't regard myself as a bottler. Sport is very emotional and illogical.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Amen Bladesman HodgysBrokenThumb

“What is a Blade my son once asked, is it a hero from days gone past?

No I replied a Blade's what I am, a football supporter a real die hard fan.

The team is United, their home Bramall Lane,
The original United no one else has that claim.

1889 the year United was born,
A new era in Sheffield, a new football dawn.

Years of despair and no major feats,
Of just missed promotions and semi-final defeats...

Whatever the weather, regardless of score,
We always support them and will evermore.

And you must continue on praying for promotions and wins,
Sup a gallon of magnet before t’match begins.

And keep coming back to the beautiful Lane,
Hoping deep down we'll triumph again.

And if you believe in your heart..
That your faith will not fade,
Then from now and forever son,
You’ll be a Blade”

To some of the garbage spouted on here, Twitter, social media since Saturday...

Get a grip man you been brought up a Blade or brought up a wimp?

Blades don’t chuck their toys out the pram, Blades don’t suffer a sense of ‘entitlement’, Blades grit their teeth through the blows, battle back and come out the otherside smiling and smelling of roses.

We don’t lay down and die after yet another blow, we don’t lay down and die and ‘give up’ - Blades don’t give up its not in our DNA

Some might say ‘it’s just a football club’ but if there’s one thing this ‘football club’ teaches you it’s how to live your life - life’s tough, you’ve gotta be tougher. If you embrace life it’ll reward you, if you embrace this football club in the long run they will reward you

We go again against Forest,
We go again at Hull,
We go again at home to Ipswich,
And we go again at Stoke

We’re three points off an automatic promotion spot.

If we suffer another blow and don’t quite make it - we go again in them play-offs

And if we don’t get the outcome we desire this season - we go again next season and we stick with this football club

Write Sheffield United off at your peril

Keep the faith we ain’t finished yet

With you all the way, except the early part of the poem that ignores the Blades glory years. But none of us were lucky enough to witness them...

 

[coaxingstar71]

And for every one like you that would have suffered 'the sucker punch' just as many would have said 'we should have closed the game out and guarded against the sucker punch'
Footballers at all levels alter their thinking depending on circumstances on the pitch, even more so when there's something important to lose

Trying to defend a one goal lead for well over half an hour is a very dangerous game to play as we found to our cost. In the recent 1-0 win at Preston, even though we scored after 30 odd minutes, we continued to play our 'normal' game.

 

[Harrisblade]

Trying to defend a one goal lead for well over half an hour is a very dangerous game to play as we found to our cost. In the recent 1-0 win at Preston, even though we scored after 30 odd minutes, we continued to play our 'normal' game.

If you can manage to put the theory into practice in every game situation you will be a wealthy sports psychologist!
But which, by the way, was pretty much exactly CW's criticism of the players after Millwall