Our unluckiest season?

[Ted Danson]

In a way it makes more sense for us to spend 100mil on fees for players rather than spending the 100mil on wages. Unless they were only going ot be one year contracts which would then limit the players your able to sign anyway.

With the lower wage model it makes it much easier to get rid of players if we go down as other clubs will easily be able to improve on what we're offering and so there will be a desire from the player to leave. I think its also easier for us to say to the next club that we paid x amount for the player so looking to get that back.

If we'd gone down the high wages route from the off and gone down we could easily be stuck with players on 3-4 year contracts on wages we cant afford and no club comes in for them as they cant match the high wages we were paying.

 

[Ted Danson]

Just found this from a Google search that took a few seconds. It's from December and It shows we were 9th at the time in clubs with the players who have missed the most games due to injury.

Ranking PL clubs by the no. of games missed by injured players in 20-21 - Planet Football

The extra-condensed nature of this Premier League season means injuries are a hot topic in the media, especially when it comes to Liverpool and Manchester United. But do the stats fit with the narrative - is it the biggest clubs that play in Europe that have been the worst affected?

www.planetfootball.com

We can't blame injuries and haven't been particularly unlucky. We've got what we fucking deserve.

All depends which players though doesnt it? and your squad depth.

O'Connel is key to the way we attack and defend so losing him was catastrophic and like losing more than one player. Aguero missing from city doesnt fuck the entire team and they have decent replacements.

I dont think we've got we deserve at all its just a freak season

 

[SteveBlade]

All depends which players though doesnt it? and your squad depth.

O'Connel is key to the way we attack and defend so losing him was catastrophic and like losing more than one player. Aguero missing from city doesnt fuck the entire team and they have decent replacements.

I dont think we've got we deserve at all its just a freak season

If our squad is so weak that we go from a solid mid table side to dead last and certain for relegation due to a specific player getting injured, then it's entirely our own fault for not recruiting competent cover and very much deserved.

 

[pommpey]

How many people have had issues with silent blade since hes been on the forum? How many have had petty arguments and felt the need to call him a miserable shit?

I'm not an s24 pro like you but you have to ask yourself what it is about your online persona, presuming it's just that, only an online thing, people find consistently provocative. It's too ott, reign it in ffs!!

Only my two penneth obviously, will leave you to battle it out with all and sundry as you deem necessary

I'll find myself humbly chastised, of course. Even after your last sentence, which simply stirs the pot. Thanks for that.

FYI, I never had issues with Silent in the past, ever. And that's possibly since the days of SUISA and BUVP, nearly a quarter of a century ago. Not sure if he was around then, but it feels like it.

As this is a forum about football, I'll take Silent on about it, as I did in this thread. Seems that my recent 'My takes ... ' have raised his dander and where we previously bumped along nicely, now we don't. I doubt that breaks his heart, but 'that's football'. I will add however, there aren't many on here who can quickly answer questions on historic Sheffield United events, so he has his uses. In the past it was always delivered with enthusiasm and politeness. It was good to have him around. Now I feel he's not himself.

Not sure what your use is cc1, apart from being 'consistently provocative'. Maybe it's you who needs to 'reign it in'?

pommpey

 

[Bashamed]

I'll find myself humbly chastised, of course. Even after your last sentence, which simply stirs the pot. Thanks for that.

FYI, I never had issues with Silent in the past, ever. And that's possibly since the days of SUISA and BUVP, nearly a quarter of a century ago. Not sure if he was around then, but it feels like it.

As this is a forum about football, I'll take Silent on about it, as I did in this thread. Seems that my recent 'My takes ... ' have raised his dander and where we previously bumped along nicely, now we don't. I doubt that breaks his heart, but 'that's football'. I will add however, there aren't many on here who can quickly answer questions on historic Sheffield United events, so he has his uses. In the past it was always delivered with enthusiasm and politeness. It was good to have him around. Now I feel he's not himself.

Not sure what your use is cc1, apart from being 'consistently provocative'. Maybe it's you who needs to 'reign it in'?

pommpey

I enjoyed it when you called him downbeat and miserable.....the irony

 

[Ted Danson]

If our squad is so weak that we go from a solid mid table side to dead last and certain for relegation due to a specific player getting injured, then it's entirely our own fault for not recruiting competent cover and very much deserved.

Not really, we just dont have the money to have quality players in all positions and backup for all positions, thats not our fault.

How much do you think an adequate replacement for O'Connel would cost and how long for him to learn how we play as well as Jack does?

Plus it wasnt just him that we lost was it? Last season we played pretty much a settled back 5, not sure if we've played the same back 5 2 games in a row this season. Having consistency in your defence is vital

 

[SteveBlade]

Not really, we just dont have the money to have quality players in all positions and backup for all positions, thats not our fault.

How much do you think an adequate replacement for O'Connel would cost and how long for him to learn how we play as well as Jack does?

Plus it wasnt just him that we lost was it? Last season we played pretty much a settled back 5, not sure if we've played the same back 5 2 games in a row this season. Having consistency in your defence is vital

A proper JOC replacement would be incredibly difficult to come upon. However spending 20 mil on Brewster and 20 on Berge despite not really needing either player suggests that we did have a bit to play with.

Unlucky that he got injured, definitely, but the poor recruitment and lack of a plan B to compensate is entirely on us.

 

[pommpey]

I enjoyed it when you called him downbeat and miserable.....the irony

Oooh. Pile on.

Not really ironic. Just observational. It might appear downbeat and miserable when I have to deal with trolls ... like you ... who have nowt else to contribute but slavver and bullshit. But it's a job. It's doable.

Take care. Keep tuning in.

pommpey

 

[The Crab]

A proper JOC replacement would be incredibly difficult to come upon. However spending 20 mil on Brewster and 20 on Berge despite not really needing either player suggests that we did have a bit to play with.

Unlucky that he got injured, definitely, but the poor recruitment and lack of a plan B to compensate is entirely on us.

Berge I'm inclined to agree with, but maybe with Brewster it was in the hope he was better than what we already had? Couple of Liverpool fans I speak to both thought he'd do fine with us.

 

[bypassblade]

I wouldnt disagree with this, we took the PL by surprise last season and we were lucky that we didnt have too many injuries. Since I started supporting the Blades, finishing 6th in 1974-75 was the highest we had finished and it surprised me a lot too because we had sold a key player in Geoff Salmons and Ken Furphy broght in "third division" players.

Well said Silent I remember 74/75 and the memories like yourself, as you say last season was a "perfect storm" we hit ground running, little injuries and caught the PL with their pants down. This season has been a total reversal if a player can can injured he does, really unlucky but also bad finishing and poor attitudes by some (I won't name).

 

[Ted Danson]

A proper JOC replacement would be incredibly difficult to come upon. However spending 20 mil on Brewster and 20 on Berge despite not really needing either player suggests that we did have a bit to play with.

Unlucky that he got injured, definitely, but the poor recruitment and lack of a plan B to compensate is entirely on us.

Dont agree, we were crying out for a striker last season so needed to sign someone, yes you can argue Brewster wasnt the right one but then who was for our budget? Id agree Berge wasnt a necessity but we were looking at a European campaign when we signed him and he should hold his value so not much of a gamble.

To sign a proper replacement for O'Connel would have cost way more than 20mil and their wage demands would be well out of our price range too. I think its naive to suggest we could have got adequate replacements to cover our entire team or even just the key members of our team with the budget we have.

The problem we have is that our players have been performing above and beyond their level and ours so when it comes to replacing any of them with players of an equal ability we're going to end up paying more than we can afford

 

[Bashamed]

Oooh. Pile on.

Not really ironic. Just observational. It might appear downbeat and miserable when I have to deal with trolls ... like you ... who have nowt else to contribute but slavver and bullshit. But it's a job. It's doable.

Take care. Keep tuning in.

pommpey

Haha no it's the unbelievably downbeat and miserable match reports. Nowt to do with "trolls".

 

[bypassblade]

How many people have had issues with silent blade since hes been on the forum? How many have had petty arguments and felt the need to call him a miserable shit?

I'm not an s24 pro like you but you have to ask yourself what it is about your online persona, presuming it's just that, only an online thing, people find consistently provocative. It's too ott, reign it in ffs!!

Only my two penneth obviously, will leave you to battle it out with all and sundry as you deem necessary

I could never have an issue with Silent I imagine he's near my age but, he helps when my brain goes walkabout the man is a Blades encyclopaedia. I don't like being judgemental but pommpey perhaps take a step back mate, and try not to be so confrontational in your posts, you're probably a reight nice bloke I'm thrown by your age that I cannot guess, would would say not a nipper.

 

[The Crab]

Well said Silent I remember 74/75 and the memories like yourself, as you say last season was a "perfect storm" we hit ground running, little injuries and caught the PL with their pants down. This season has been a total reversal if a player can can injured he does, really unlucky but also bad finishing and poor attitudes by some (I won't name).

The only pants down this season have been ours.............

 

[bypassblade]

The only pants down this season have been ours.............

But are they Crab Industry pants, Crab I'm lost for words this season when I watch us we seem to be okay then concede, and it's like ah well we've lost.

 

[The Crab]

But are they Crab Industry pants, Crab I'm lost for words this season when I watch us we seem to be okay then concede, and it's like ah well we've lost.

I dunno mate, I finding it like something I buy from Ikea. I know how it should look, but based on what I see I have fuck all idea............

 

[SteveBlade]

Dont agree, we were crying out for a striker last season so needed to sign someone, yes you can argue Brewster wasnt the right one but then who was for our budget? Id agree Berge wasnt a necessity but we were looking at a European campaign when we signed him and he should hold his value so not much of a gamble.

To sign a proper replacement for O'Connel would have cost way more than 20mil and their wage demands would be well out of our price range too. I think its naive to suggest we could have got adequate replacements to cover our entire team or even just the key members of our team with the budget we have.

The problem we have is that our players have been performing above and beyond their level and ours so when it comes to replacing any of them with players of an equal ability we're going to end up paying more than we can afford

Fair views, I'm just tired of that sort of mentality. We don't have the resources that other teams have, but we've done poorly with what we did have.

 

[BanderSerge]

A proper JOC replacement would be incredibly difficult to come upon. However spending 20 mil on Brewster and 20 on Berge despite not really needing either player suggests that we did have a bit to play with.

Unlucky that he got injured, definitely, but the poor recruitment and lack of a plan B to compensate is entirely on us.

We didn’t need to strengthen midfield?

 

[SteveBlade]

We didn’t need to strengthen midfield?

Big time, but we didn't need a holding midfielder.

 

[BanderSerge]

But he’s not an holding midfielder, is he?

 

[SteveBlade]

But he’s not an holding midfielder, is he?

He's certainly not a RCM or LCM either in our team, he doesn't fit our system at all. If we were going to persist with the 3-5-2 then we should have brought players in for that system.

 

[Revolution]

Right, let me look at seasons 1991-92, 1996-97 and 1997-98 as they are the ones I remember the best out of your list.

This season up to game 24 (and after the summer signings) I would say that Wilder's first choice line up as he thought pre-season would be

Ramsdale, Baldock, Stevens, Basham, Egan, O'Connell, Berge, Norwood, Fleck, McGoldrick, McBurnie. Only Ramsdale, Basham, Norwood and McGoldrick didnt have injuries that sidelined them for a month at least (it looks like Egan will be out for a long time)

1991-92. Bassett always liked to have a big squad with options and he is a "horses for courses" type of manager when it comes to selecting the line ups. Wilder prefers a smaller squad and having the same players playing the same system for years.

Let's look at Bassett's preferred line up for the first 26 league games of the season (as we played 42 games that season so I have added two to the 24 games when comparing injuries for the 1991-92 and for this seasons). Not an easy task because it is complicated by the departures of Booker, Jones, Agana and Wood with Gayle and Gage coming in Sept, Oct and Nov

Tracey, Pemberton, Cowan, Gannon, Gayle, Beesley, Bryson, Hoyland, Agana, Deane, Whitehouse. Based on the highest number of appearances for the first 26 league matches, this was our "usual" line up. Only Tracey, Cowan, Hoyland and Deane had injuries/illness which sidelined them for at least a month. Who else? Am quite sure Gage was preferred to Pemberton soon after he signed (dont remember if Pembo was injured at the time?).

With 14 games to go this season we had more injuries than we had after 26 games in 1991-92.

Based on appearances for the first 28 league games of the 1996/97 season our "usual" line up was Kelly, Short, Sandford, Hutchison, Vonk, Holdsworth (signed in October), White, Patterson, Taylor, Walker, Whitehouse. Only Short, Vonk and Whitehouse had injuries that sidelined them for at least a month. Who else?

Based on appearances for the first 28 league games of the 1997/98 season our "usual" line up was Tracey, Borbokis, Quinn, McGrath, Tiler (left us in November), Holdsworth, Patterson (left us in December), Marker, Fjortoft, Deane, Whitehouse. Tracey was dropped for Kelly in December, McGrath and Whitehouse had career ending injuries (so we can count them two) so there was only Borbokis who was injured for more than a month to make it three.

I have a feeling that you have been just looking at the number of players we had used during the seasons in your list and used guesswork in thinking we had more injuries in these seasons than this season (remember we have 14 league games left and we probably will have further injuries). I have done the hard work on researching for injuries during the 1991-92, 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons and I am confident that the injury list this season has been worse so I am not going to do the research on the other seasons you have listed. You do it if you want to prove me wrong!

In the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons we had more spending power than most of the clubs in the same division. We cannot say the same about this season and I wonder how many clubs in the PL have relegation clauses in the players' contracts (which is why it is harder for Wilder to bring in the players he wanted)

I haven’t just decided we had injuries because of the large number of players. I said we had injuries because I was there and I remembered.

your analysis is partly useful but in confining yourself to checking against the starting lineup you are wilfully ignoring other injuries. Sone of your data is also incomplete. To use 1997-8 as an example, in addition to the players you mentioned (Borbokis, McGrath, Whitehouse):

• Chris Short was injured most of the season
• John Ebbrell didn’t play at all and had to retire
• David White, a regular the season before, played once and had to retire
• Michael Vonk was only fit enough to play 3 times (he likely would have stayed in the team as Tilers replacement but he got injured again)
• Fjortoft missed 8 of the 25 games played before he was sold, mainly with minor niggles
• Nick Henry was injured virtually all season and played only once
• Roger Nilsen had 2 spells on the sidelines with injuries
• Wayne Quinn didn’t play for 3 months - I vaguely recall he was injured
• Lee Sandford got injured on loan at Reading in October and couldn’t play until February

And that’s just the big ones. There were loads of little niggles as well. We were far worse off that season than you say. You can do the same exercise for the other seasons I mentioned.

 

[Ted Danson]

Fair views, I'm just tired of that sort of mentality. We don't have the resources that other teams have, but we've done poorly with what we did have.

Thats fair enough, each to their own and all that, I see it as we've done badly with what we've got compared to last season but not compared to the decade before that.

 

[pommpey]

Haha no it's the unbelievably downbeat and miserable match reports. Nowt to do with "trolls".

Clearly the amount of readers who see it as a humorous aside with some observations made was lost on you.

Okay. I see.

Don't read it then.

pommpey

 

[Begley]

In a way it makes more sense for us to spend 100mil on fees for players rather than spending the 100mil on wages. Unless they were only going ot be one year contracts which would then limit the players your able to sign anyway.

With the lower wage model it makes it much easier to get rid of players if we go down as other clubs will easily be able to improve on what we're offering and so there will be a desire from the player to leave. I think its also easier for us to say to the next club that we paid x amount for the player so looking to get that back.

If we'd gone down the high wages route from the off and gone down we could easily be stuck with players on 3-4 year contracts on wages we cant afford and no club comes in for them as they cant match the high wages we were paying.

Clubs build in pay cuts to mitigate that risk. Also, there are 3 years of parachute payments.

 

[Bashamed]

Clearly the amount of readers who see it as a humorous aside with some observations made was lost on you.

Okay. I see.

Don't read it then.

pommpey

No I get its not really about the actual game its for humour but I'd still say you're very downbeat and miserable as shown in almost all your replies.

You don't need to reply to me by the way. You could take your own advice and just scroll past.

 

[pommpey]

No I get its not really about the actual game its for humour but I'd still say you're very downbeat and miserable as shown in almost all your replies.

You don't need to reply to me by the way. You could take your own advice and just scroll past.

I'll respond, being as this is directed 'at me'. 'My take ... ' is about 'Sheffield United and the last game', so take-it-or-leave-it. Many do.

Given the current situation, do you expect my addressing of 'My take ... ' to be anything else but downbeat, and/or miserable? As said to Silent, what do you want? Acrobats, laser-light-shows, dancing circus animals, drag queens and a Town Hall jamboree when we get trunked by West Ham three nowt and play like Sheffield and Hallamshire Sunday League mid tablers with ringers out of the local primary school?

pommpey

 

[Bashamed]

I'll respond, being as this is directed 'at me'. 'My take ... ' is about 'Sheffield United and the last game', so take-it-or-leave-it. Many do.

Given the current situation, do you expect my addressing of 'My take ... ' to be anything else but downbeat, and/or miserable? As said to Silent, what do you want? Acrobats, laser-light-shows, dancing circus animals, drag queens and a Town Hall jamboree when we get trunked by West Ham three nowt and play like Sheffield and Hallamshire Sunday League mid tablers with ringers out of the local primary school?

pommpey

It doesn't matter how we play really though does it? Bristol City game prime example. It's fine that's your thing. OTT criticism meant in a humorous way. Just found funny you calling someone else miserable and downbeat that's all.

 

[cc1]

I'll find myself humbly chastised, of course. Even after your last sentence, which simply stirs the pot. Thanks for that.

FYI, I never had issues with Silent in the past, ever. And that's possibly since the days of SUISA and BUVP, nearly a quarter of a century ago. Not sure if he was around then, but it feels like it.

As this is a forum about football, I'll take Silent on about it, as I did in this thread. Seems that my recent 'My takes ... ' have raised his dander and where we previously bumped along nicely, now we don't. I doubt that breaks his heart, but 'that's football'. I will add however, there aren't many on here who can quickly answer questions on historic Sheffield United events, so he has his uses. In the past it was always delivered with enthusiasm and politeness. It was good to have him around. Now I feel he's not himself.

Not sure what your use is cc1, apart from being 'consistently provocative'. Maybe it's you who needs to 'reign it in'?

pommpey

My use? I just pay the mortgage and keep my head down!

 

[Ted Danson]

Clubs build in pay cuts to mitigate that risk. Also, there are 3 years of parachute payments.

Yes, but theres a couple of problems with that.

1. If your putting in salary cuts for relegation (big enough to actually make a difference) your probably ruling out the top quality players in the first place
2. Id imagine these pay cuts would still make them top earners in the champ so they may stay but their using up far too much of our budget and may not be the right kind of player for a promotion push, so in effect we're still stuck with them. Would be better to get rid and start a fresh with someone who fits the budget and is aware of the job in hand when signing.