Chris Wilder - “The season must finish how ever long it takes”

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Premier League could resume before virus restrictions are lifted – Southampton chief
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51990101

Disclaimer:- I know there are bigger things to worry about but also plenty of threads / sites to discuss those on and this is a football forum

Let’s just assume for a thread that this is true and the season can be safely completed behind closed doors.

Imagine this great Blades team being beamed into the nation’s front rooms once or twice a week. Whole families of parent’s and children huddled around the TV together to watch the daily match because there’s nothing else to do.

Imagine who the neutrals are going to support when we go up against the all-powerful big six (and Wolves) in the battle for a Champion’s League place.

Imagine them warming to our great manager’s honesty and good humour. Imagine them appreciating how our players don’t dive around, screech when they’re tackled or pretend to be injured.

Imagine the likes of Fleck and Sharp and Henderson becoming household names. Even in households who normally ignore football unless there is a World Cup on.

Ok, it might all be a pipe dream but why not dream a little when reality is so bleak?
 
Sothall_Blade said:
Premier League could resume before virus restrictions are lifted – Southampton chief
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51990101

Disclaimer:- I know there are bigger things to worry about but also plenty of threads / sites to discuss those on and this is a football forum

Let’s just assume for a thread that this is true and the season can be safely completed behind closed doors.

Imagine this great Blades team being beamed into the nation’s front rooms once or twice a week. Whole families of parent’s and children huddled around the TV together to watch the daily match because there’s nothing else to do.

Imagine who the neutrals are going to support when we go up against the all-powerful big six (and Wolves) in the battle for a Champion’s League place.

Imagine them warming to our great manager’s honesty and good humour. Imagine them appreciating how our players don’t dive around, screech when they’re tackled or pretend to be injured.

Imagine the likes of Fleck and Sharp and Henderson becoming household names. Even in households who normally ignore football unless there is a World Cup on.

Ok, it might all be a pipe dream but why not dream a little when reality is so bleak?
Click to expand...

I think there is definitely some mileage in exploring this further. We could run the last 9/10 games of the premier league similar to a world cup format, where there is football every day. Each team would play behind closed doors every 3 or 4 days over a 4 week period. Every game would be televised and hyped up to the max. It would give the nation a tremendous boost and end all the obvious issues around not finishing the season and the many knock on effects this would have.

Players and essential staff would need to isolate for 14 days before the games started and be checked for the virus. In between games they would need to be together in a fully quarantined environment - hotel/spa etc. Transport to/from games would need to be managed correctly.

Think of the major tournaments years ago before the wags and hangeroners etc got involved ..... players went off to some far part of the world and basically lived together in more or less isolation for 4 weeks or so..... think back to world cups years ago and watching interviews with the players sat by the pool talking about the games etc. It was fantastic and I'm sure would be a massive moral booster. We could do this here in this country with the premier league. Whether the other divisions could do the same is debatable ... but even just finishing the premier league would be a massive start and put to bed many of the longer term implications of not playing.

Obviously the benefits of this would have to be measured against the logistics of doing it (not least a mini pre-season type training program) and the risk to how it would effect our efforts to fight and manage this horrible virus we have. Unless the Championship was brought to some sort of end too, it wouldn't fully solve the relegation/promotion questions......But just imagine - football on tv every day for 1 month - seeing the season out with all the excitement and emotion that goes with it. I'm sure this would go a long way towards our collective effort to get the country up off it's arse.
 
its only logical to finish the season first.
next season can be adapted before it starts
they could add 9 clubs from the conference , have 5 leagues of 20 clubs so less efl fixtures and have prem 1 and 2 and then re name 3 more leagues as it suits
scrap international breaks which loses 5 weeks and the league cup they would not be a need to start till october
 
Great article, that:

Chris Wilder is standing by the side of one of the pitches at the Sheffield United training ground.

He is staring out at his players as they get ready for the practice match he has arranged.

‘I’ve told them to go out and enjoy it,’ says Wilder. ‘It might be the last time they play for a while.’ He laughs but he knows it is gallows humour.

The game begins. There are three or four of us on the touchline, the only crowd. Maybe it is because our leagues have been shut down, maybe it is because most other Premier League clubs have asked their players to train from home, but it feels like a privilege to watch footballers of this quality close up.

They say later they were playing at about 80 per cent but the standard is still often breathtaking.

It is easy to see why they lie seventh in our suspended league and how they surpassed the 40 points total, traditionally seen as signifying safety from relegation, with 11 games to spare.

John Fleck’s technical ability is even more mesmerising than it appears when you are watching from the stands at Bramall Lane. Billy Sharp explodes into action to turn a defender in the area and win a penalty.

Jack Rodwell, a player now half-forgotten by football but valued highly here, oozes class as he glides around the pitch. And David McGoldrick runs the show.

McGoldrick may not have scored in the Premier League but watching him on Thursday afternoon is a reminder of how good he is. He scores one goal with a chip from the halfway line and sets up two more. He is generally untouchable. :)
 
Sothall_Blade said:
www.dailymail.co.uk

OLIVER HOLT: Wilder insists season must finish 'no matter what'

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Chris Wilder is standing by the side of one of the pitches at the Sheffield United training ground. He is staring out at his players as they get ready for the practice match.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
Click to expand...

Perhaps, when the game returns, it will make us savour the joy of watching it more. Perhaps it will take some of the anger and tribalism away and leave us with the pleasure of watching superb footballers.

This occurred to me in the last few days. Thinking to some of the last few games, the atmospheres against Bournemouth, Reading, Norwich felt for large stretches quieter and less involved than I expected it to be – perhaps a bit complacent in parts. A gap in the season may be a reminder to everyone just how precious a great football atmosphere live at a ground really is. This has all happened at a point when the football and success is not just surpassing expectations, but is easily the best in the nearly 30 years I’ve been going. We can maybe do some tweaks in the future with the Kop to try and maximise the atmosphere, but it would be great if we can come out of this with a renewed sense of what people really value about a trip to BDTBL.
 
It’s the only logical way this plays out.

Wether it’s next week, next month or next year, this season must pick up where it left off and to a conclusion.

Null and void merchants have truly been found out for the self interested scallies they are !!!

UTB
 
I foresee a 12 month postponement, resuming the season in March 2021 with the current positions.. FIFPRO and FIFA would have to agree to extend every player contract by 1 year.

We are in for the long haul.. many EFL clubs are not going to survive it, we could be left with 50 professional clubs still going in England when this is over.
 
I’d back Wilder and our squad during these tough times if football was played behind closed doors. Within new conditions with a prize to achieve... Europe.

Hate to not attend but as said above what a moral boost for Blades and football fans for something to watch and talk about in these times!
 
100% has to be finished and will also stop half the clubs lining up their legal teams to .
Choice one for me is finish season with attended games even if that’s in Autumn , then next drop FA & League Cup or play with no replays , revert Champs League & Europa League to 2 leg ties .
 
Sothall_Blade said:
Premier League could resume before virus restrictions are lifted – Southampton chief
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51990101

Disclaimer:- I know there are bigger things to worry about but also plenty of threads / sites to discuss those on and this is a football forum

Let’s just assume for a thread that this is true and the season can be safely completed behind closed doors.

Imagine this great Blades team being beamed into the nation’s front rooms once or twice a week. Whole families of parent’s and children huddled around the TV together to watch the daily match because there’s nothing else to do.

Imagine who the neutrals are going to support when we go up against the all-powerful big six (and Wolves) in the battle for a Champion’s League place.

Imagine them warming to our great manager’s honesty and good humour. Imagine them appreciating how our players don’t dive around, screech when they’re tackled or pretend to be injured.

Imagine the likes of Fleck and Sharp and Henderson becoming household names. Even in households who normally ignore football unless there is a World Cup on.

Ok, it might all be a pipe dream but why not dream a little when reality is so bleak?
Click to expand...

Think I’d prefer to just go to the match tbh.
 
Playin the games behind closed doors wont go ahead, until we can guarantee no resources are taken away from the NHS

None
 
The Blades are back in for training next week according to SSN. 😲😬
 
Harry's Game said:
I foresee a 12 month postponement, resuming the season in March 2021 with the current positions.. FIFPRO and FIFA would have to agree to extend every player contract by 1 year.

We are in for the long haul.. many EFL clubs are not going to survive it, we could be left with 50 professional clubs still going in England when this is over.
Click to expand...

That's how I see it. Think 12 months before another ball is kicked. Then finish the current season behind closed doors. Then start 2021-22 season with fans again. That is the best cased scenario. Even that could be a push. There is no way they can waste essential man power / services on something like football (even one ambulance would be needed for every game and police to stop people gathering).

I would not be shocked though as annoying as it would be if they just cancelled the current season...if it gets to June/July and things get worse as we expect....with the contract situations etc then not sure how viable it would be to roll over everyone's contract by a year.

Not important in the grand scheme of things but how annoying is it that we wont be able to watch the Blades in person for probably 17 months.

I am surprised Wilder has them training together. Bit daft when country is supposed to be doing the opposite. Surely they should be social distancing and training at home?
 

Interesting to think that Wilder can’t do down time and will still be thinking about football and how to drive the club forward, and Knill will have as much time as he wants to watch videos and devise the next great tactical innovation.

This could be the making of us.
 
He's 100% correct. The season has to finish.

I'd rather the season be completed and we finish 10th than any other bizarre situation.

The integrity and fairness has to endure.

Not to mention the inevitable legal challenges that will be forthcoming.
 
Punk Blade said:
Interesting to think that Wilder can’t do down time and will still be thinking about football and how to drive the club forward, and Knill will have as much time as he wants to watch videos and devise the next great tactical innovation.

This could be the making of us.
Click to expand...

Hopefully come up some new ideas that might get our centre backs scoring more goals.
 
Worksop II said:
Playin the games behind closed doors wont go ahead, until we can guarantee no resources are taken away from the NHS

None
Click to expand...
I agree, but have you considered the fact that it might be highly beneficial to the NHS? Don't underestimate the number of mental health issues during this crisis - anything that lifts the mood and is a distraction from this awful illness may well reduce NHS resources needing to be used on non-coronavirus issues.
 
Last edited:
Deadbat said:
That's how I see it. Think 12 months before another ball is kicked. Then finish the current season behind closed doors. Then start 2021-22 season with fans again. That is the best cased scenario. Even that could be a push. There is no way they can waste essential man power / services on something like football (even one ambulance would be needed for every game and police to stop people gathering).

I would not be shocked though as annoying as it would be if they just cancelled the current season...if it gets to June/July and things get worse as we expect....with the contract situations etc then not sure how viable it would be to roll over everyone's contract by a year.

Not important in the grand scheme of things but how annoying is it that we wont be able to watch the Blades in person for probably 17 months.

I am surprised Wilder has them training together. Bit daft when country is supposed to be doing the opposite. Surely they should be social distancing and training at home?
Click to expand...

Surely a lot of fitness work can be done 2m apart. Just not match play type training.

Also will help with their morale to hit the ground running when games recommence.
 
Davalon said:
He's 100% correct. The season has to finish.

I'd rather the season be completed and we finish 10th than any other bizarre situation.

The integrity and fairness has to endure.

Not to mention the inevitable legal challenges that will be forthcoming.
Click to expand...
That's right - but to be honest 'integrity and fairness' isn't really a problem for us as even 10th should be a win-win.
The real losers if anything other than completing the season is devised will be the 3 teams relegated.
The season has to be completed for their sakes.
 
Snake said:
I agree, but have you considered the fact that it might be highly beneficial to the NHS? Don't underestimate the number of mental health issues during this crisis - anything that lifts the mood and is a distraction from this awful illness may well reduce NHS resources needing to be used on non-coronavirus issues.
Click to expand...
Seems fair, there are "indirect" consquences of the Virus, and not just footy related

be a fucker though if a Footballer turns up at Hospital A&E with a break .......... in the middle of all this

We are back training, Brighton arn't anywhere close .........
 
Worksop II said:
Seems fair, there are "indirect" consquences of the Virus, and not just footy related

be a fucker though if a Footballer turns up at Hospital A&E with a break .......... in the middle of all this

We are back training, Brighton arn't anywhere close .........
Click to expand...
 
Double posted
 
Worksop II said:
Seems fair, there are "indirect" consquences of the Virus, and not just footy related

be a fucker though if a Footballer turns up at Hospital A&E with a break .......... in the middle of all this

We are back training, Brighton arn't anywhere close .........
Click to expand...
 
Snake said:
Think of the major tournaments years ago before the wags and hangeroners etc got involved ..... players went off to some far part of the world and basically lived together in more or less isolation for 4 weeks or so..... think back to world cups years ago and watching interviews with the players sat by the pool talking about the games etc. It was fantastic and I'm sure would be a massive moral booster. We could do this here in this country with the premier league. Whether the other divisions could do the same is debatable ... but even just finishing the premier league would be a massive start and put to bed many of the longer term implications of not playing.
Click to expand...


I get what you're saying about the players just staying together like the old world cups of bygone days, etc...but just think about what you are saying in the latter half of the paragraph I've quoted...then take yourself back a year, or two, or six, or however many you like and I'm willing to bet you'd be reading that as a Championship/Lge 1 Blades fan and calling the writer a selfish Premier League whatever who only sees the Premier League and doesn't give a fuck about the rest of the league etc etc...I'm not having a pop at you personally, but just asking if you really really think that "even just finishing the Premier League" would be such a positive thing? Cos I think it would only serve to highlight the distance between "us and them" even further and would mean nothing unless all divisions could successfully conclude their seasons. If this Corona virus thing can do one thing for us, surely it should be that we all concentrate less on the ME and think a lot more about the WE.
 
sportinguista said:
I get what you're saying about the players just staying together like the old world cups of bygone days, etc...but just think about what you are saying in the latter half of the paragraph I've quoted...then take yourself back a year, or two, or six, or however many you like and I'm willing to bet you'd be reading that as a Championship/Lge 1 Blades fan and calling the writer a selfish Premier League whatever who only sees the Premier League and doesn't give a fuck about the rest of the league etc etc...I'm not having a pop at you personally, but just asking if you really really think that "even just finishing the Premier League" would be such a positive thing? Cos I think it would only serve to highlight the distance between "us and them" even further and would mean nothing unless all divisions could successfully conclude their seasons. If this Corona virus thing can do one thing for us, surely it should be that we all concentrate less on the ME and think a lot more about the WE.
Click to expand...

I completely accept what you are saying. I am not looking at this from a ME ME point of view, I'm looking at it as a moral booster to the whole country and solving a whole raft of issues to do with contracts, broadcasting, sponsorship, legalities etc etc. Like it or not, I would guess that 90% of armchair football fans don't give a hoot about anything football outside of the premier league - that certainly holds true for all most of the foreign broadcasters who would be looking to also show the games in their countries.

I fully agree, utopia would be for all the teams to complete their games as planned. But we are not in a normal situation. So what do we do?.... not play any games because its not fair on the rest? or do what is realistically achievable with the timescales and resources that we have.
 

Davalon said:
He's 100% correct. The season has to finish.

I'd rather the season be completed and we finish 10th than any other bizarre situation.

The integrity and fairness has to endure.

Not to mention the inevitable legal challenges that will be forthcoming.
Click to expand...

In my opinion the integrity of the season has already gone it won't be a real season any longer or a true reflection of how things would have been without interruption. A "real" season includes end of season fatigue, the same squad being together etc. By the time matches are viable again on health and safety grounds the circumstances of squads and staff may have altered significantly. As to fairness well we aren't dealing with a fair situation at all and that includes all aspects of life right now.

If the season completes however long the hiatus it will merely be for the ease of administrative purposes and not really a case of who was better than who over all. I would agree that seeing matches would be great for the morale of so many people and I'm concerned about the general mental state of folks out there footy related or not.
 
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