blader
Well-Known Member
Right, so the season is beginning to come to its conclusion and it is very hard to get a grasp of our chances and the chances of the chasing pack, just thought I'd take a few lines to take an objective view on the situation:
1. Charlton - The best team, without doubt. They are professional, have no particular superstars but Chris Powell has got them working terrifically together. I don't think anyone who has watched Charlton this season will begrudge them of the title. They play good football, keep it on the floor, and as an extra positive for Charlton fans, they have a young side as well. Charlton may well have a bright future after this season. Decent crowd sizes (certainly for League 1) and are a good benchmark for other teams in this division.
2. Blades - According to the form book since christmas, we are the most consistent team, which has seen us rocket up into the auto spots, with a small cushion as well. Also famed for playing a good style of football, the Blades have passed their way into 2nd place. However, unlike Charlton, Sheff Utd seem to 'rely' on certain players more than others. I'm not saying that we are 'carrying' any players (as that would not be an objective view), but it's true that we have individuals that are capable of winning games alone, and others that cannot. The Blades remaining fixtures should yield optimism with only 1 of the current top 5 left to play.Taking away my heart, Sheffield United do look the comfortable favourites for automatic promotion, but then emotions and experience show that this may not be the case!
3. Sheffield Wednesday - Looked almost dead and buried before Sunday. I think defeat for them would have ended any hope they had of reaching 2nd spot, but they won, which puts a whole new context into the promotion race. Wednesday are a classic Gary Megson team, (I won't go into too much depth, everyone knows how they play etc), but they are certainly effective. Despite a poor run of form, they are certainly contenders for the 2nd spot and the derby win may just step them up a gear. Considering their (comparatively) dismal away record, it is fortunate that the majority of their remaining games are at home. A vital game against Huddersfield is still to come, other than that, they have played all of the other top sides twice.
4. Huddersfield Town - A very peculiar one. To look at 'objectively' may not tell the whole story for them. Early season pace-setters and, with the form of Jordan Rhodes, looked very well set for promotion. Yet since the loss of their impressive unbeaten record, Huddersfield have wavered slightly, which has seen them drop many needless points and slip to 4th place. Alongside this, the very strange sacking of their manager and replaced by a similar manager (who's also a Leeds fan, massive negative for them) has caused some real confusion at their club. Last night's result is another example of why they seem to be throwing it away. We have seen a huge decline from the team we saw at Bramall Lane to the team we beat at the Galpharm, would probably see them as my outsiders of the 4 teams now.
5. MK Dons - What have they done wrong? Everyone ALWAYS seems to discount them form the automatic race, yet I possibly see them as our largest threat. Similar to us, their record against the top 6 is very poor, but are efficient at beating the teams below them. MK Dons play a relatively good brand of football, and if they do sign Bentley from Tottenham (as rumours suggest) they could be a real handful in the run in. I actually don't think they will catch us, but it is very unfair for people to completely discount them, as they are only 4 points behind us and are there on merit.
To conclude:
Head over heart - Sheffield United are clear favourites for the second spot. With our remaining fixtures and our ability to grind out results, we should be good enough to get over the line considering our current league standing.
Heart over Head - It definitely isn't over until it's over with the blades. we could easily throw this away, as we have seen before, and there are 3 teams poised to take our place if we cock it right up. Let's just hope, for once, we can see a job through!!!
UTB
1. Charlton - The best team, without doubt. They are professional, have no particular superstars but Chris Powell has got them working terrifically together. I don't think anyone who has watched Charlton this season will begrudge them of the title. They play good football, keep it on the floor, and as an extra positive for Charlton fans, they have a young side as well. Charlton may well have a bright future after this season. Decent crowd sizes (certainly for League 1) and are a good benchmark for other teams in this division.
2. Blades - According to the form book since christmas, we are the most consistent team, which has seen us rocket up into the auto spots, with a small cushion as well. Also famed for playing a good style of football, the Blades have passed their way into 2nd place. However, unlike Charlton, Sheff Utd seem to 'rely' on certain players more than others. I'm not saying that we are 'carrying' any players (as that would not be an objective view), but it's true that we have individuals that are capable of winning games alone, and others that cannot. The Blades remaining fixtures should yield optimism with only 1 of the current top 5 left to play.Taking away my heart, Sheffield United do look the comfortable favourites for automatic promotion, but then emotions and experience show that this may not be the case!
3. Sheffield Wednesday - Looked almost dead and buried before Sunday. I think defeat for them would have ended any hope they had of reaching 2nd spot, but they won, which puts a whole new context into the promotion race. Wednesday are a classic Gary Megson team, (I won't go into too much depth, everyone knows how they play etc), but they are certainly effective. Despite a poor run of form, they are certainly contenders for the 2nd spot and the derby win may just step them up a gear. Considering their (comparatively) dismal away record, it is fortunate that the majority of their remaining games are at home. A vital game against Huddersfield is still to come, other than that, they have played all of the other top sides twice.
4. Huddersfield Town - A very peculiar one. To look at 'objectively' may not tell the whole story for them. Early season pace-setters and, with the form of Jordan Rhodes, looked very well set for promotion. Yet since the loss of their impressive unbeaten record, Huddersfield have wavered slightly, which has seen them drop many needless points and slip to 4th place. Alongside this, the very strange sacking of their manager and replaced by a similar manager (who's also a Leeds fan, massive negative for them) has caused some real confusion at their club. Last night's result is another example of why they seem to be throwing it away. We have seen a huge decline from the team we saw at Bramall Lane to the team we beat at the Galpharm, would probably see them as my outsiders of the 4 teams now.
5. MK Dons - What have they done wrong? Everyone ALWAYS seems to discount them form the automatic race, yet I possibly see them as our largest threat. Similar to us, their record against the top 6 is very poor, but are efficient at beating the teams below them. MK Dons play a relatively good brand of football, and if they do sign Bentley from Tottenham (as rumours suggest) they could be a real handful in the run in. I actually don't think they will catch us, but it is very unfair for people to completely discount them, as they are only 4 points behind us and are there on merit.
To conclude:
Head over heart - Sheffield United are clear favourites for the second spot. With our remaining fixtures and our ability to grind out results, we should be good enough to get over the line considering our current league standing.
Heart over Head - It definitely isn't over until it's over with the blades. we could easily throw this away, as we have seen before, and there are 3 teams poised to take our place if we cock it right up. Let's just hope, for once, we can see a job through!!!
UTB
