A chilling vision of the future? Or not us at all...

[Aganarama]

For those with a subscription to the Athletic, there's an article about the lasting scars of being record-breakingly bad in the Premier League. Grim reading (Paul Jewell questions whether Derby has ever recovered?!), though at least Stephen Bywater thinks we'll definitely get more than 11 points.

'My career never recovered' - how a woeful season scars

Sheffield United are in danger of beating the record low points total of 11. This is what the stigma of a season like that feels...

theathletic.co.uk

It offers a tick list of things that have been discussed on here about what has gone wrong:

• Loss of confidence and getting stuck in a rut
• Acceptance of fate and worries about the following year - "will I be around"
• Big hangover for following season - mental scars
• Manager 'mojo' loss
• Dressing room splits

Although we aren't getting drummed week in week out like Derby were, I was struck by what Matt Oakley says: Oakley pauses for a moment as a memory that he would rather forget comes back to him. “The worst thing as a player is you’re looking at the opposition and they know. That’s the worst,” he says. “You stand in the tunnel, you walk out there and as captain, you go to shake their hand to choose ends. You’re looking at him and he’s thinking, ‘This could be four or five today’. That ain’t a nice place to be.”

 

[Whiston Blade]

All valid points but some people seem to use the "in Wilder we trust" a bit too often. Some seem to think this season will be instantly forgotten and we'll be ok in the Championship, there's no guarantee how we'll perform, I hope we can bounce back right away but you never know.

 

[Davalon]

All common sense really.

I'm firmly in the Wilder in camp and on paper we should still have the nucleus of a good Championship squad.

I can't align myself though with those who seem to think it will just be a formality that we'll come roaring back next season.

It's vital IMHO that we find some form and results in the second half of the season to at least finish the season with some renewed confidence and belief.

Currently too many of our players look shot to me.

 

[Aganarama]

S12 Blade & Davalon
I agree - I don't see, if results carry on, how we could just turn up next season and all will be well again. (Sounds worryingly like the thinking of that lot!)

 

[diplomat]

positives - Derby were getting swept aside every week and suffered several drubbings. We aren’t.

negatives - the rut/habit of losing can become engrained. We were great at grinding results out and managing games when we got promoted. That skill can be long forgotten.

 

[Balham]

That "they know" bit about the opposition rings true for me at the moment. Last season, most sides we played had to do well to get something. This season minimal targeted pressure is gaining disproportionate rewards: either pressure the midfield three, force a turnover, long ball over the top, goal or set piece, isolate Egan, attacker targets Basham/LCB, goal.

 

[kop blade]

utb,,,,,,,yes in great boss and loyal sufc fan chris wilder we trust ,,,utb ,,,,forza blades,,,utb....

 

[Dkc]

Hopefully the opposition will 'know' that we aren't getting hammered every week and have been unlucky in many games - which means we are due to win one soon

 

[Aganarama]

Hopefully the opposition will 'know' that we aren't getting hammered every week and have been unlucky in many games - which means we are due to win one soon

Hope you are right...starting tonight

 

[originaltrueblade]

Hey folks we aren’t down yet

as Greavsie said “It’s A Funny Old Game”

 

[Booker4]

Am I the only one that thinks that there's still 20 plus games to go and although I think we're probably going to get relegated, I can see us going on a decent run at some point this season and therefore you can't class us as another Derby County just yet, because there's still so much football to come?

Why not speculate on how we are going to do next season when we get nearer the end of the season because we'll know much more than we do now!

 

[bypassblade]

We aren't down yet but, we need to start putting wins on the board, tonight it's Newcastle and they love to park the bus & hit on counter attack. I'm hoping the win at Brizzle has improved confidence and we can go forwards tonight, we need 12 wins to stay up it could be less but they need to start soon. Will he go Didzy, Burke and A N Other not convinced on Moose's fitness especially for his age but a win tonight is a must.