Sound fact-based assessment, footballing gods in overdrive, or just getting old?

[GreasyChipBeattie]

This isn't 'just another thread' to try and guess what the outcome will be at the end of the season.
I'm approaching that time of life where nothing much excites anymore, apart perhaps from subsidised match day ticket prices from next season for me!, but I'd be interested to know how others feel in their heart about the mood around our chances of promotion this year (why do I feel like we're an unwanted guest who's trying to gatecrash a party typing that?)
Maybe it's past failures from a similar position, the recent form, hit and miss performances, or maybe it's just a gut feeling, but there doesn't seem to be an air of expectation or even hope around our chances.
So much so, I can't get excited at the thought that we might be playing Prem football next season. I almost have to remind myself that we are still in with a good chance to be able to achieve that.
So why the apathy?
This time 3 years ago and for a few weeks before hand we were 'On the march with Wilder's army' bellowing it from the stands.
Now, it seems we daren't even think about singing about promotion, bar the odd rendition or two of the old 'barrel of money' song which isn't sung with a great deal of conviction anyway.
Mostly I feel I've already written off the chance of us going up, almost like we don't even deserve to, and that saddens me.
It seems weird that if we did do it, we're not likely to be singing about our chances of going up in a promotion season until being 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final!
Maybe it's just me. maybe I am just getting old.

 

[niktheblade]

I'm trying to curb my positivity for this one. I actually think that boro will win their 2 games and we will lose to Fulham, making it all arbitrary to be honest.

 

[SittingontheBall]

I feel pretty much as you described.
I think it’s a combination of still feeling battered by last years experience and some seriously variable performances more recently.

 

[Trigger Blade]

This isn't 'just another thread' to try and guess what the outcome will be at the end of the season.
I'm approaching that time of life where nothing much excites anymore, apart perhaps from subsidised match day ticket prices from next season for me!, but I'd be interested to know how others feel in their heart about the mood around our chances of promotion this year (why do I feel like we're an unwanted guest who's trying to gatecrash a party typing that?)
Maybe it's past failures from a similar position, the recent form, hit and miss performances, or maybe it's just a gut feeling, but there doesn't seem to be an air of expectation or even hope around our chances.
So much so, I can't get excited at the thought that we might be playing Prem football next season. I almost have to remind myself that we are still in with a good chance to be able to achieve that.
So why the apathy?
This time 3 years ago and for a few weeks before hand we were 'On the march with Wilder's army' bellowing it from the stands.
Now, it seems we daren't even think about singing about promotion, bar the odd rendition or two of the old 'barrel of money' song which isn't sung with a great deal of conviction anyway.
Mostly I feel I've already written off the chance of us going up, almost like we don't even deserve to, and that saddens me.
It seems weird that if we did do it, we're not likely to be singing about our chances of going up in a promotion season until being 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final!
Maybe it's just me. maybe I am just getting old.

Maybe you spend too much time on Shoutbox where every spark of positivity is snuffed out instantly and roundly mocked?

I doubt that it’s just an age thing, I’m older than you and I am hopeful of a positive outcome, expect less than that and will accept both imposters just the same.

My worry, both football and in life, is that I’m running out of time, so I have to concentrate on not wasting time. To that end, Homes Under The Hammer’s on soon, I need to be ready for that

 

[JJBlade]

The play offs are a success for some clubs and a failure for others, so the frame of mind a team arrives in them is dependent on expectations at the start of the season.

The play offs are not so much a failure, but if we were going to end up in the play offs you'd have hoped we'd have been a bit more dominating in that position rather than just hanging on and limping into them, (if we get there). There was a time, not long ago, when we were four points behind Huddersfield with three games in hand, and several points clear of Forest having played the same amount of games.

When Forest equalised in the 96th minute against us when we were on a good run, I said that one single event will be costly. Forest haven't looked back since, and we have barely got out of first gear since.

I can see thousands of tickets remaining unsold for a Wembley play off final if we get there, and the clubs stupid loyalty points system where they'll still be trying to get rid of tickets to 50,000 points holders four or five days before the game will only add to supporters frustrations.

There are times when fans will wait in line for tickets no matter what, but this isn't one of those times, the general feeling that this team can win a play off competition is not there.

 

[Davalon]

I think whilst we're all different in our general outlooks in life, I think many long term Unitedites often easily fall into the negative standpoint.

That's purely based on multiple disappointments in play offs and big games in our lifetimes.

We've had great days and fleeting successes like recently but all too often it's either very brief or ends in huge disappointment.

We've watched every club of a similar stature to us, and many smaller, achieve more in the last 30 or 40 years in terms of top flight years, European football, Cup wins etc.

I'm nearly 50 and whilst part of me has always thought we would get that one truly special day, a large part of me thinks it simply won't happen. Not in any of our lifetimes anyway.

Even if we were going into the play offs in great form many wouldn't feel that confident due to the play off hoodoo and the fact we don't get those days

As it stands we have two tough games that would be hard enough without our injuries and recent form.

Logic tells me we could well miss out on the play offs looking at all the fixtures despite our points on the board. And if we did get there I'm not overly confident either but certainly wouldn't rule us out.

Away from logic you have to think that like every other club with the worst play off record, it has to get broken eventually.

However, we are Sheffield United. No Wembley win since 1925 is it? Maybe we'll break our play off duck on the centenary.

 

[BettingBlade]

Its the performances this season for me. Theres not much about this season that screams promotion. The amount of late goals we concede, the lack of potency up front, its been a constant theme.

We’ve done well to get results but there have been a number of performances this season that have been incredibly underwhelming. I know good teams win when they arent playing well but promotion teams do actually play well a lot more than they dont.

A lot of our poor performances, particularly away from home, are actually the norm. Bristol City away was better but when you compare it to most of our away games since the turn of the year then it was hard not to be.

We seem to lack that desire to go and take games by the scruff of the neck that a promotion team would do. The daft thing is, if our away form since christmas was any good, we’d be looking at automatic promotion.

 

[bladesmanluke]

I think the lack of excitement surrounding possible promotion stems from recently being relegated with 20 points. It was the most humiliating season in our history in my opinion. You can take your finishing 11th in league one, which is obviously worse objectively, but nobody really gave a fuck about that outside of South Yorkshire, but last season played out in front of a global audience and it was awful. The thought that it could happen again dampens any excitement about promotion for me.

Still we have to go for it because the club needs the money. That's football in 2022

 

[Blade.com]

This isn't 'just another thread' to try and guess what the outcome will be at the end of the season.
I'm approaching that time of life where nothing much excites anymore, apart perhaps from subsidised match day ticket prices from next season for me!, but I'd be interested to know how others feel in their heart about the mood around our chances of promotion this year (why do I feel like we're an unwanted guest who's trying to gatecrash a party typing that?)
Maybe it's past failures from a similar position, the recent form, hit and miss performances, or maybe it's just a gut feeling, but there doesn't seem to be an air of expectation or even hope around our chances.
So much so, I can't get excited at the thought that we might be playing Prem football next season. I almost have to remind myself that we are still in with a good chance to be able to achieve that.
So why the apathy?
This time 3 years ago and for a few weeks before hand we were 'On the march with Wilder's army' bellowing it from the stands.
Now, it seems we daren't even think about singing about promotion, bar the odd rendition or two of the old 'barrel of money' song which isn't sung with a great deal of conviction anyway.
Mostly I feel I've already written off the chance of us going up, almost like we don't even deserve to, and that saddens me.
It seems weird that if we did do it, we're not likely to be singing about our chances of going up in a promotion season until being 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final!
Maybe it's just me. maybe I am just getting old.

Bit like you , hope we go up but heart of hearts don't think we are anywhere near good enough.
No one knows who's at the helm , a management team put together on the cheap with very little experience or quality, a squad that needs a FULL clear out, a injury list as long as Erroll Flynn's todger and a very inconsistent season. Do we deserve to go up , no, can we go up, why not, but thinking all this , I've been nervous and excited about today's game all week.
To be fair it's like waiting to be hung and wanting it to be over, UTB.

 

[Tezza1889]

It's people with winning mentalities who see it the same way, we've only turned up once at Wembley in the cup, every playoff final we've been dissapointing and I fear for the away leg, yes we've had a few results away, but some teams have been there for the taking and we've waltzed around the pitch without a care, you can't get away with that in the play offs..

I can only talk about how I feel really, and if we get there I will go, I will clap them off whatever the outcome, should we lose I'll bemoan the journey home, you see, I'm not one of those fans that will be happy with the day at Wembley whatever the outcome, that joviality is for more optimistic people who can put a brave face on and still seem to enjoy themselves after defeat, not me, I'm a bad loser..

Should we get there, I wouldn't want to miss it in case a miracle happens, as for the Premier league I couldn't give a shit, spend nothing and come down with a wedge of cash for me..

(I see it as a miracle - wow) I just re read what I've wrote before posting..

 

[west_yorks_blade]

I actually feel a bit chirpier than I have for a while and consider this late run at promotion as a bit of a free hit.

When Wilder left it was a real, huge punch in the guts that left me winded and despondent for a long time.
Consequently the interim appointment of Hecky felt very underwhelming.
I never warmed to Slav and the results and performances were awful, felt even more disillusioned about things.
Re-appointment of Hecky .....the absolute rock bottom. Effects of previous punch in the guts supplemented by a kick in the balls.
Meanwhile the board were letting it be known that there was no money and no ambition. We seemed screwed on and off the pitch and destined for another one of those slides down the divisions - in short - free fall beckoned.

But then Hecky somehow took a demotivated and seemingly hopeless group of players and we went on a tremendous run. Yes the performances were often still lacklustre or even poor. But we got results and surged up the table.

Now we are faltering a bit again, but somehow after really looking like going down, we have a chance of going up.

So I am really looking forward to the opportunity the next couple of games will bring. And if somehow we get to Wembley I will be there because we will have audaciously snuck in when it looked impossible not too long ago. And given that, it is a free hit and you just never know.

 

[Swannyblade]

Due to our experience of getting our ass handed to us every week last season, the glittering prize of the Premier League doesn't shine as bright as it did 3yrs ago. I would go as far as to say that a large chunk of the fanbase now see promotion as an opportunity to refill the coffers and balance the books, rather than a realistic opportunity to establish ourselves at the top tier.

 

[CPB]

I'm up for us going up, but if it doesn't happen the positive I would take is that hopefully we can build a core that are more ready than the one is now. At least that's how it feels/seems to me.

This team has done pretty well all considered. The core of it who are currently here in Basham, Sharp, Baldock, Fleck, Stevens, Norwood and Egan are players who helped us finish 2nd and also finish 9th and put in some good performances first season up.

I think the difference this time round is that 3 years ago we were more positive, we were on a great run and we were excited to see how our way of playing and players would adapt to the league above.
There was optimism around and we were very much connected to the manager and squad. We were right to be optimistic too because we took to the PL very well for several months. The pandemic buggered us for more reasons than one. The team that came out the other side just weren't firing on the same cylinders as before and they had no crowd to lift them either.

This season we have seen some mixed performances even under Hecky but we've also had a torrid injury list. Last v.good performance was vs. Boro where we essentially destroyed them. We then managed to be destroyed under Coventry. I would say that this team is capable of promotion even now, but it's not as solid consistency as our promotion 3 years ago. That run we went on from Christmas till the end of the season was frankly ridiculous.

At this minute I'd say get behind these lads and if we pulled off the unthinkable and went up we don't know how it will pan out. Enjoy the moment, think about the what ifs being positive not negative.
Yes the likelihood is a relegation as it it for so many but what if we were promoted and we made some decent signings to improve the squad to stay up?
It's not entirely inconceivable, especially if a takeover does happen. And then this could be a good basis again for building on and improving the facilities, maybe even going on a proper cup run to the final.

 

[Guesty]

Our past form with the play-offs aside, we simply won't be the best side in there, should we make it (we won't).

On our day we can beat anyone but our day was months ago, we've got too many injuries and they've really started to bite. Once again we limp towards the end of the season without a recognised forward. Maybe with that precedent we actually will reach Wembley and play this year's equivalents of Craig Beattie and Michael O'Halloran up top.

 

[Aston max]

This isn't 'just another thread' to try and guess what the outcome will be at the end of the season.
I'm approaching that time of life where nothing much excites anymore, apart perhaps from subsidised match day ticket prices from next season for me!, but I'd be interested to know how others feel in their heart about the mood around our chances of promotion this year (why do I feel like we're an unwanted guest who's trying to gatecrash a party typing that?)
Maybe it's past failures from a similar position, the recent form, hit and miss performances, or maybe it's just a gut feeling, but there doesn't seem to be an air of expectation or even hope around our chances.
So much so, I can't get excited at the thought that we might be playing Prem football next season. I almost have to remind myself that we are still in with a good chance to be able to achieve that.
So why the apathy?
This time 3 years ago and for a few weeks before hand we were 'On the march with Wilder's army' bellowing it from the stands.
Now, it seems we daren't even think about singing about promotion, bar the odd rendition or two of the old 'barrel of money' song which isn't sung with a great deal of conviction anyway.
Mostly I feel I've already written off the chance of us going up, almost like we don't even deserve to, and that saddens me.
It seems weird that if we did do it, we're not likely to be singing about our chances of going up in a promotion season until being 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final!
Maybe it's just me. maybe I am just getting old.

You aren't mate I suffer the same thing bladey bladeness and a grumpy old twat ,what a combination

 

[Maidenhead]

I'm about to set off to QPR with no expectations but some hope.

Which ever division we're in next season I'll be having regular days out with mates including some quality away days.

When I was younger the football was the reason for my days out, now it's the excuse for them so I no longer get wound up about performances or results.

I'd still love to see us win at Wembley though, and what better time than a play off final to do it?

UTB

 

[bongleblade]

Probably not quantifiable so unsure if this is answerable. But has a team's fans who have felt as negative as ours going into the play offs ever actually gone up?

 

[raul]

Good thread this.

West Brom away, promotion season. 1-0 win, packed an raucous away end. The squad all came down to celebrate with us at then end and my overriding thought was "I think we've too much to do for promotion, but it's not important what I think, look at them, they all think they can"

I've not got any sense of that from this squad.

Equally, I can remember many of the games that season as if they were yesterday, home and away. This season only Boro at home and nothing away has had me coming out of the ground overflowing with adrenalin.

There's also the hangover from the puncturing of the dream seasons, where it seemed possibilities were endless. Knowing you've already achieved what it turns out is actually possible to achieve is also something difficult to overcome. It may well take years and years of mediocrity ( at best) before we can discard these feelings.

Won't be at Wembley due to Holiday. Having curtailed one to come home for Derby away, I've maybe got a sense of a severing of some of the bonds.

Fingers and bits remain crossed , but for me I can't pretend I'll have anything like the sheer euphoria of last time. If you asked fans of yo-yo clubs, suspect they'd say the same.

 

[dc_blade]

It has been a weird season. I was pretty optimistic for most of it. I thought our performances were better than our results suggested under Slav (although there were some obvious major weaknesses) and even at our lowest ebb in the autumn I thought we could turn it around and move up the table. When Hecky came in and we started flying I thought we'd make the play offs pretty comfortably.

The enforced break due to the covid cancellations and the subsequent injury crisis have turned this last third of the season into a right slog, though. The freedom that we played with in those first weeks under the new manager have gone. We're grinding out results at best, away from home we look cagy or even timid. I think a big part of the squad is running on fumes. If we do make the play offs we will have dragged ourselves over the line.

With a fully-fit squad I think we'd be comfortably top four, but you're always going to struggle when you have to play multiple games with no fit strikers, an untested kid or a left-sided midfielder at RWB, another kid at RCB, and so on.

I'm ready for something new. I've nothing against our current owner except that he doesn't have enough money to take the club where it needs to be. I hope a serious bidder (not Mauriss) comes in for this summer and gives a manager (whether Hecky or someone else) a chance to really refresh the squad and possibly move to a new style of play. Players like Norwood and Fleck can now leave with their heads held high--they've shown that they're better than the travesty of last season. But it would be nice to see some new faces about the place.

 

[TopBoy]

I agree, this core of players has served us well on the whole but whatever division we're in next season I think that we're long overdue a changing of the (old) guard.

 

[Inter_blade83]

If we somehow win tonight, 30k v Fulham, followed by potentially three huge playoff games, it'll be exciting to say the least.

I think when it comes to it, this squad has some big game players, played against many worldwide stars just a couple of years ago etc.

I think they'll bring it, if we make it. Other teams will get nervy, I don't think our lot will.

 

[Snowflake]

The play offs are a success for some clubs and a failure for others, so the frame of mind a team arrives in them is dependent on expectations at the start of the season.

The play offs are not so much a failure, but if we were going to end up in the play offs you'd have hoped we'd have been a bit more dominating in that position rather than just hanging on and limping into them, (if we get there). There was a time, not long ago, when we were four points behind Huddersfield with three games in hand, and several points clear of Forest having played the same amount of games.

When Forest equalised in the 96th minute against us when we were on a good run, I said that one single event will be costly. Forest haven't looked back since, and we have barely got out of first gear since.

I can see thousands of tickets remaining unsold for a Wembley play off final if we get there, and the clubs stupid loyalty points system where they'll still be trying to get rid of tickets to 50,000 points holders four or five days before the game will only add to supporters frustrations.

There are times when fans will wait in line for tickets no matter what, but this isn't one of those times, the general feeling that this team can win a play off competition is not there.

I don’t see why a team that has come from nowhere in November, had to put up with a month or more of cancellations and yet still sits in the top 6 with two games to go cannot go up.
Yes, Forest are on a good run, but have lost their main strikers, so are not invincible.
One day we will score in a play off final and maybe that will be enough to win it. Why not next month ?!!!

 

[Dkc]

We'll either fuck up in the next couple of games, or lose in the play offs. Even if, by some gigantic fluke, we manage to get promoted, we'll finish rock bottom in the PL next season. As soon as we accept this fact, we can start to enjoy the games.

 

[ATL Recs]

I'm up for us going up, but if it doesn't happen the positive I would take is that hopefully we can build a core that are more ready than the one is now. At least that's how it feels/seems to me.

This team has done pretty well all considered. The core of it who are currently here in Basham, Sharp, Baldock, Fleck, Stevens, Norwood and Egan are players who helped us finish 2nd and also finish 9th and put in some good performances first season up.

I think the difference this time round is that 3 years ago we were more positive, we were on a great run and we were excited to see how our way of playing and players would adapt to the league above.
There was optimism around and we were very much connected to the manager and squad. We were right to be optimistic too because we took to the PL very well for several months. The pandemic buggered us for more reasons than one. The team that came out the other side just weren't firing on the same cylinders as before and they had no crowd to lift them either.

This season we have seen some mixed performances even under Hecky but we've also had a torrid injury list. Last v.good performance was vs. Boro where we essentially destroyed them. We then managed to be destroyed under Coventry. I would say that this team is capable of promotion even now, but it's not as solid consistency as our promotion 3 years ago. That run we went on from Christmas till the end of the season was frankly ridiculous.

At this minute I'd say get behind these lads and if we pulled off the unthinkable and went up we don't know how it will pan out. Enjoy the moment, think about the what ifs being positive not negative.
Yes the likelihood is a relegation as it it for so many but what if we were promoted and we made some decent signings to improve the squad to stay up?
It's not entirely inconceivable, especially if a takeover does happen. And then this could be a good basis again for building on and improving the facilities, maybe even going on a proper cup run to the final.

Pandemic or not we had started to flatline before
Yes we were scrapping for and getting results but the levels of performance started to wain and you could see it plainly
The players who week in week out had played at 8/9 out of 10 were now 5/6 the peak had gone after the Livrrpool game in early January

 

[AWetFlannel]

I think it's the loss of what we had, and getting used to being a normal club again.

Under Wilder we were special and we knew it, on a real journey with a proper, once in a generation team. We could've made Europe, we hit heady hights. We don't have that any more.

 

[Deepcar Blade]

This isn't 'just another thread' to try and guess what the outcome will be at the end of the season.
I'm approaching that time of life where nothing much excites anymore, apart perhaps from subsidised match day ticket prices from next season for me!, but I'd be interested to know how others feel in their heart about the mood around our chances of promotion this year (why do I feel like we're an unwanted guest who's trying to gatecrash a party typing that?)
Maybe it's past failures from a similar position, the recent form, hit and miss performances, or maybe it's just a gut feeling, but there doesn't seem to be an air of expectation or even hope around our chances.
So much so, I can't get excited at the thought that we might be playing Prem football next season. I almost have to remind myself that we are still in with a good chance to be able to achieve that.
So why the apathy?
This time 3 years ago and for a few weeks before hand we were 'On the march with Wilder's army' bellowing it from the stands.
Now, it seems we daren't even think about singing about promotion, bar the odd rendition or two of the old 'barrel of money' song which isn't sung with a great deal of conviction anyway.
Mostly I feel I've already written off the chance of us going up, almost like we don't even deserve to, and that saddens me.
It seems weird that if we did do it, we're not likely to be singing about our chances of going up in a promotion season until being 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final!
Maybe it's just me. maybe I am just getting old.

Even if the Blades were 3-0 up with about 5 minutes to go in the play off final, I wouldn't relax!!

 

[Bladesman]

Probably not quantifiable so unsure if this is answerable. But has a team's fans who have felt as negative as ours going into the play offs ever actually gone up?

With the news today about Sharp. If we go up it will be by pure luck especially when you factor in our awful play-off record.

 

[Snowflake]

We'll either fuck up in the next couple of games, or lose in the play offs. Even if, by some gigantic fluke, we manage to get promoted, we'll finish rock bottom in the PL next season. As soon as we accept this fact, we can start to enjoy the games.

If we go up it depends on who joins us

 

[Constantly Optimistic...]

I feel very much the same as the OP. But! We seem to expect failure, and maybe, just maybe, we can utilise our bigger game experience this time to make something happen in the playoffs. No one wants to come to the Lane. That is obvious. Tonight we actually showed ambition and it paid off. We eventually bullied their defence in their own box and it paid off. The host of new young talent are being blooded. Nights like tonight are immense for their confidence. If we do make the PL, these youngsters, along with some new additions, may bloom. So what if we come back down, I for one would rather be playing Liverpool than Rotherham next season at the Lane.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

Not sure what they were thinking with that QPR chance that hit the bar? Prime opportunity that - probably just biding their time like usual...