Does anyone actually think we will stay up?

[LoughboroBlade]

So we can't say we are a bottom 3 side because it's early, but we can say we've had a tough start because the teams who've beaten us are currently in the top 10.

That smacks of doublethink to me.

Jay does speak in absolutes too often though in my experience.

I think what he’s getting at is that we, compared to the others you’d expect to be bottom half, have had a rather large proportion of top half teams that we’ve face (something I said earlier is a reason why I’m likely less down on the season than a lot of other views I’m seeing). And I think he’s probably right to put Leeds in that bracket too.

We saw how tough the games were against the top teams last season with everyone fit, the team settled, and the players brimming with confidence. Given the current situation, for me the key thing in this Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea stretch has been less about the results and more about trying to find the lineup we want to stick with in the fixtures that follow, not to lose any more players, and given goal difference could be key not to be destroyed by these teams.

 

[RedandWhite]

Theres a chance but I can't see it myself. I've already accepted we are down, so it can't hurt me later on. We arent good enough, and our biggest problem last year was not scoring enough and we didn't solve that problem.

 

[scouseblade]

Well it is not going to be easy but still feel that there are teams worse than us. Think Fulham showed that fitness wise we are not at it. They were able to bring on fresh quick midfielders who overran us. First 45 we were very good. Against Liverpool (who are frail in terms of defence) we played well and I didnt think we played bad against city. Yes Ramsdale made several safes - safes I would expect him to make. What concerns me is the speed of our build up and our inability to cross the bloody ball at the right time and with quality. The runs Brewster and McBurnie were making would have caused issues had the delivery come in and with better quality. Dont forget City had 400m worth of defenders and the CDM got man of the match.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

The performances haven't been far off.
We're solid but not as solid.
We're trying to play, it just isn't clicking.
We've just played the top two, albeit were more at it and gave more reason for hope against Liverpool.

Now is the time for the management team to earn their income and manage their men. That, and we need to practise crossing/taking chances

 

[SelbyBlade]

I have not doubted Chris Wilder since before he came. I'm not going to start doubting him now.

 

[Whiston Blade]

I have not doubted Chris Wilder since before he came. I'm not going to start doubting him now.

Fair enough and I agree but if things continue in the same vain of form, at what point do you start to question him and his decisions?

 

[I should coco]

Fair enough and I agree but if things continue in the same vain of form, at what point do you start to question him and his decisions?

When he puts his pants on his head, pencils up his nose and starts saying 'wibble'.

 

[Houston_Blade]

despite this start we are still only 2 wins behind Manchester United, are they in danger

No they're not. It's completely different to our situation though.

 

[Houston_Blade]

So we can't say we are a bottom 3 side because it's early, but we can say we've had a tough start because the teams who've beaten us are currently in the top 10.

That smacks of doublethink to me.

Jay does speak in absolutes too often though in my experience.

What we need is someone to put up that table of the 'other 14' or whatever bollocks it was last season that makes all the shit teams feel better about themselves.

We are in a relegation scrap regardless of what those with Blades tinted spectacles would like to believe. We will hover around the bottom 3 all season, we will be rooted if we don't put a run of results together after the Chelsea game.

If we could just go back to playing like we all know we can and not how all the pundits predicted we'd play at the start of last season.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I have not doubted Chris Wilder since before he came. I'm not going to start doubting him now.

I love the man unconditionally. But by God, get your team at it again!

Crisper, quicker passing, taking pot shots, fizzing balls into the box quickly every so often. Wing backs higher up, have a go. We lose at the moment, we might as well do so whilst having a go.

 

[Blade56]

I honestly think it depends on Wilder. If he just keeps flogging the slow build up on the wings to facilitate overlapping CB’s and overload performances won’t change. If he goes to a more attacking formation to give Brewster, McB, Moose etc mixed up with the ‘usual’ tactics we might start getting results. Even with JOC out our defence and in particular Rammers have been outstanding. But you win games by scoring goals.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I love the man unconditionally. But by God, get your team at it again!

Crisper, quicker passing, taking pot shots, fizzing balls into the box quickly every so often. Wing backs higher up, have a go. We lose at the moment, we might as well do so whilst having a go.

As I was told in shoutbox on the City game, you can't possibly try and beat a good team. We're not allowed. It's much better just to let them have 80% of the ball for the first 20 mins and go a goal down before we decide to play ourselves.

Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea have never lost a match to anyone ever so what's the point in trying to compete with them?!

 

[Silent Blade]

A lot of white flag wavers in here! It is far too early making predictions on whether we will stay up. Wouldnt surprise me if 30 points would be enough to stay up

 

[Revolution]

After Chelsea we have got:

West Ham
WBA
Leicester
Southampton
Man U

the last 3 beat us easily a few months ago. All of these sides - even WBA - are better going forward than we are.

It’s not going to get that much easier.

 

[Silent Blade]

After Chelsea we have got:

West Ham
WBA
Leicester
Southampton
Man U

the last 3 beat us easily a few months ago. All of these sides - even WBA - are better going forward than we are.

It’s not going to get that much easier.

Carry on waving the white flag!

 

[Snowflake]

When he puts his pants on his head, pencils up his nose and starts saying 'wibble'.

How do you know this is not already happening ?

 

[Revolution]

Carry on waving the white flag!

I’m so sorry I have an opinion you don’t agree with.

 

[Silent Blade]

I’m so sorry I have an opinion you don’t agree with.

Am not disagreeing with you. It is far too early making predictions like that, we will have a better idea in March. It wouldnt surprise me if 30 points will be enough for us

 

[Houston_Blade]

A lot of white flag wavers in here! It is far too early making predictions on whether we will stay up. Wouldnt surprise me if 30 points would be enough to stay up

I'm waiting for the "we'll need 75 points to stay up" brigade to start up again like last season.

 

[JackSUFC]

I believe we’ll most likely go down. Obviously a long way to go, but I can’t see where the next win comes from. Confidence looks shot.

The lack of quality in the squad looks like it’s been exposed without the fans backing. Players like Basham, Baldock, Stevens aren’t performing to the levels they did last season. No O’Connell all season. Players don’t look as fit as they used to.

Wilder refusing to change a system that hasn’t worked for a while now.

Oh well, it is what it is. Football isn’t the same without fans anyway.

 

[5tannington Blade]

It's all doom and gloom when you've not had a win for a while. Ultimately we won a lot of games last season by a single goal, if you take out some worldie saves by Deano, the crowd at home, J'OC & Mousset injured, those fine margins start to swing the other way.

The positives though, we've played some tough teams this season or we've tripped ourselves up with red cards/early goals. The other games like Fulham, Leeds etc. we did create good chances and the core of the team is still the same which nearly got to Europe last season. Plus I have every confidence in Wilder, faith I've not had a in a manager in my lifetime. If we just get two wins the mood will change and we can start to get the faith back

 

[LondonBlade89]

I suppose I do, yeah. I still think we're in with a decent chance of staying up. Fulham, West Brom, Burnley, Brighton and Palace are all teams I'd back us to beat. Then you've got teams like Newcastle, Leeds, Villa and Southampton who I don't think are write-offs as matches at all.

I do admit that the Fulham match was a bit of a game-changer for me. For various reasons we couldn't be overly judgemental about the early games against Wolves, Leeds, Villa and Arsenal. But I felt like Fulham was going to be a real test of our credentials. The fact that we were so poor in the second half and barely managed to hold on, confirming suspicions over our inability to score in the process, told me that we were definitely in for a difficult year.

This all feels a bit knee-jerk still. It's a long season.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

I've just looked on the Sky Sports website for our entry into the October Goal of the Month.........

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Even if we do get relegated we should stick with Wilder he is the best manager we have had in a very long time.

 

[Yogi]

West Brom currently getting dismantled by Fulham

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Once Jack O'Connell was confirmed as out for the season & we lost to Leeds in the predictable manner that we did - that pretty much confirmed to me that we were going to be in a relegation battle.

What's happened since has made me think we'll be relegated. Maybe even finishing bottom...
I'm not seeing the answers from within the current group.

I'm not totally convinced by our signings (yet) & we still don't look like scoring from open play. The overloads aren't happening regularly enough & when we do try it we fail. We've then got no Plan B.

The worst part is that there seems to be an inevitability about it all now & the confidence seems to have gone... not just in the players, but in Wilder too. His interviews seem downbeat & he seems to have lost his edge a little bit, the winners mentality we have grown to love him for.

Maybe we can change shape & pack the midfield & go with 1 up top.
Maybe we can lose a defender & play with a 10 (which I think would be suicide). These things might help us get more of a foothold in games, but is the quality in the group to score the necessary goals? I don't think it is.


I'm not convinced we've been "found out."
The bigger factor is that we've lost Dean Henderson & Jack O'Connell, players who I think could slot comfortably into any side in the division.
Along with Mousset - on his day unplayable - & John Fleck, our main creative hub in midfield & perhaps our only players that can carry the ball....

Add into this the removal of Norwood (whether you agree with that decision or not) & the form of Stevens (& to a lesser extent Baldock) & you're almost looking at a completely different side to the one that tore it up last season.

This year you're seeing lots of young lads finding their feet, lots of Championship players doing their best & coming up short.

John Lundstram blasting over after Berge laid him on summed things up for me.
A little bit of composure and he side foots that into the far corner. He's cost us dearly this season with his misses. But he's the only one getting on the end of things. We have no better options to go to.

I hope, whatever happens, the board sticks with Wilder. I don't think there's anyone better out there for us. We're in games. We're not the whipping boys that the league table has us looking like. I think Wilder has enough credit in the bank to deserve a crack at promotion if we drop.

 

[Freethinker]

There is a path for us staying up for sure.

we’ve played 6 out of 7 teams who looklike they will probably be in the top 10/12 in the league by the seasons end.

we will be ok if some of the below happen,

- we can get a midfield or Norwood/ ampadu, Berge and Fleck settled and playing well it looks better.

- Brewster settles in

- we find a forward line that works.

- Mousset comes back and provides a similar level of output to 2019/20.

- we find a couple of players in January to shore up LCB and provide some midfield creativity

- bogle comes in and provides some end product from the full back areas

However, If it’s more of the same then I fear for us. Wilder needs to do something /anything to increase the SPARK and CREATIVITY of the side though. We don’t have many players on the squad that can do that, so he’s gonna have to work it out fast.

Wilder has already said he ain't changing anything anytime soon so unless five or six player's all improve a lot at once I fear by the time the quality is back ie fleck and moose we will be looking one of the favorites to go down

 

[Drunk blade]

The only saving grace for us is I think the current bottom four (including us) are way below the rest and will all struggle to get 30 points... Although I suspect Burnley will go on a run at some point..

 

[Freethinker]

At the moment, it's 50/50 for me.

We are still very early in the season however, woefully short of confidence, seemingly disproportionately affected by the lack of crowds, hampered by injuries and last years better players severely lacking form.

Based on where we are at the moment if we stay up, it will be because 3 teams have been worse than us - not because we're playing like a top flight team.

As we limp on at the moment, the pressure is only going to crank up. The next 3 games are so crucial, and think we need 4 points at the absolute minimum with a first win VITAL, with West Brom being must win.

That being said Reasons to believe...

We aren't adrift, Fulham, West Brom and Burnley are looking equally bad
Fleck & Mousset hopefully back before Christmas.
Some really tough fixtures out of the way.
Defensive record still pretty good for a team on 1 point after 7 games.
Transfer window only 8 weeks away!
Can't really get any worse!

Very sensible post mate agree

 

[robbiez666]

West Brom currently getting dismantled by Fulham

Fulham look good going forward and they've got some very good attacking players. West Brom look like a team who will rip the Championship a good one next season.

Both teams have defenders who think they're playing for Barcelona and yet they have the touch and passing or Barrow. If I were Scott Parker I would be getting in a big nasty defensive coach who will scare the living daylights out of them. They'll struggle because their defence is so 'training pitch'.