Will we give it a go ?

[Bell4]

Out walking the dog and bumped into 2/3 Blades along the way .Stopped for chats , expected some anticipation and excitement but only got worry and frustration. All really concerned that we won’t even give it a go in the prem . Really , really concerning mindsets taking into account that we have got promoted and all the hard work that has gone into doing so .

So - will we give it a go or will we make do and mend …?

 

[bongleblade]

I want to avoid sounding like a slasher... but i think we might be aiming at rebuild and relegation... then looking to yo-yo up again next time.

The context of this promotion feels so different this time, our owner has been burnt once before and wants to sell up, it feels like we're prioritising securing the future of the club, rather than spending 40m on a few (relative) big names and staying up

It's not great for us fans this season, but if it means longevity and aiming at becoming a yo-yo club while not going bust, it's probably worth it

 

[ThatJa]

No the players will just lay on their backs and lose week in week out from the first game.

Look at AFC Bournemouth, very little spent, squad looks crap on paper, finished closer to the top half than the bottom 3.

 

[Keen Blade]

Recruitment needs to be very clever this summer - don't be signing anyone with a history of injuries or dependence on fast-food. Check their hamstrings.
Get players who are on the rise in their personal trajectory like Henderson , Doyle , McAtee , Anel , MGW & Ndiaye were/are - players who are about to burst through and become unaffordable by the likes of us , but we catch them just before they get known.
Players with ambition & mental strength , determined to be serious athletes and have good careers.
That's our only way , if we don't get investment from a new owner.
Don't be paying daft fees or wages for older PL players on their way down.
We need a younger squad.
Players who will see that playing in the PL with the "unfancied, unfashionable" Blades will be a real chance to contribute and show their true worth.
All they have to do is look at how the careers of the players I've mentioned have literally "taken off" after a relatively short time at the Lane.
We ain't got a barrel of money ... but we can show younger players real evidence of how we have been fertile ground for career development.
We don't want journeymen who consider themselves already to be a marketable commodity.
I hope to goodness our scouting goes further than it did in 2019 when so much money was wasted - it says a lot to me that carcrash Moose was signed after we shared a preseason training camp with Bournemouth - it's like Wilder never lifted his sights beyond what fell into his path - we must cast a wider net.
If I can see we are building a squad to win the Championship in 24/25 , I will consider that to be the ultimate in "giving it a go".
I tend to look at player development & performances rather than results , which will help bring balance to what I see going on next season.
We've been there , we know how hard it is , we know about VAR & favouritism to the big clubs , we know we can't buy oven-ready PL journeymen.
So we have to cut our cloth accordingly.

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

All three promoted teams have stayed up this season. Bournemouth didn’t look even remotely spectacular when they finished 2nd.

Loads of ordinary/shit teams we could finish above next season - Leeds/Everton, Cov/Luton, West Ham (who’ll lose Declan Rice), Palace, Forest, Bournemouth and Wolves.

No reason we can’t finish above Burnley either, we’re likely to sign more players than them and we’d have been much closer than the 10 points if it wasn’t for the ludicrous injuries in the first half of the season. I expect them to stay up, but destroying the championship doesn’t automatically mean you’ll cruise it in the Prem as Norwich have proven twice.

 

[SwissBlade]

We have to be realistic. In comparison to last time we have grown as a squad and a club

Positives
We have a few premier league quality players
We have more depth to the squad
Bags of experience
Young players coming through

Negatives
We have an ageing squad
We don’t have the funds for a big spend

We might not do as badly as some expect. But we won’t set the division alight like last time as we’re not as innovative as previously, we’re a solid unit. Perhaps predictable but hard to beat

We can perhaps bring in a few signings but I think without big investment we’ll be in that bottom quarter.

I’m ok with that though.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Providing we keep certain key players and enhance the squad with 3 or 4 shrewd signings / loans , I see no reason why we shouldn’t .

It should be remembered that we won’t be playing Citeh every week and that , apart from them and 4 or 5 others , there are plenty more who are no great shakes particularly in defence and I am quietly confident that we can get results against many of them .

It should not be forgotten that when glamour club Spurs came to the Lane in the FA cup , we made them look very ordinary and ran out deserved winners .

I’m greatly looking forward to next season and can well see us surprising a few including some of our own supporters .

UTB .

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

Every team other than City is beatable, it’s not like the unstoppable big four of the 2000s. The money through the whole league and the trickling down the pyramid has raised the distribution of quality, including the promoted teams

 

[Stretch]

We didn't look out of place against one of the best teams in the history of club football for 45 mins not that long ago. Obviously you can only read so much into a 1 off match, and we pretty much folded in the 2nd half, but there was still encouragement to be taken. Especially when you consider that it was without Doyle & McAtee, and NDiaye was having a quiet one by his standards.

We have some hard work to do in the transfer market, and not a lot to work with, but ask whether our current team is much worse than the likes of Forest, Bournemouth, Palace and West Ham this season, who are all safe? I genuinely don't think we are, and with half a dozen or so smart additions I think we will hold our own against half of the division on most given days.

Having enough to win games will come down to being solid, having moments quality and a bit of luck. I think we have enough about us to pull off a few surprises too.

 

[jono_t2000]

As others have said, don't mind if we get relegated this coming season as long as can show we are already planning for the season after to be in a strong position to come back up again.

 

[Stegosaurus]

Hi Stegosaurus here,

We'll go down. The bulk of our squad were in the Premier League last time and are now older and shittier. The team needs a rebuild, but the Potless Prince doesn't have the cash to do so.

 

[nopigfansintown]

The ballpark financial figure for a chance of survival is wages circa 120 million, fees 70 million. The football world has changed, even during the past two seasons. I'm not really contemplating survival as it'd be a bit of a miracle if rumours about our lack of financial power are true. I dont mind having low wage expectations tbh. The most important thing is getting contracts extended and the recruitment we do correct, so that if we don't pull off the miracle we have the chance to bounce straight back with the club in a good place financially.

If a takeover happens everything can change very quickly. Then I'll reassess.

 

[Charlieblade]

PH will not get much money for upgrading players.

He will do decent job, with a good defence, plus well vetted loan players.

Don’t be underwhelmed by this. Hecky will keep the blades in the PL.

The owner will not want to be financially embarrassed again, and neither do the fans.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Unless we get taken over, no.

Serious investment is needed both on and off the field, which will not be forthcoming.

We currently do not possess sufficient goalscoring/goal creating threat, general quality or squad depth to be remotely competitive over a 38 game season in the PL.

When I say ‘competitive’ I mean capable of winning games, and staying in games for the full 90. What will happen will be similar to matches in 20/21 and also v. Man City recently, we’ll defend and stay solid for 60 mins and then tire and get picked off. This will happen week in, week out, with a few tonkings thrown in. It eventually saps you mentally and physically.

If HRH remains in charge, then I suspect our transfer/recruitment business in the summer will be flabbergasting/frustrating to the majority of United fans.

And posters are name checking Bournemouth as a comparison, it’s worth noting that they’ve spent over £80m in the last 12 months.

 

[Champagneblade]

All three promoted teams have stayed up this season. Bournemouth didn’t look even remotely spectacular when they finished 2nd.

Loads of ordinary/shit teams we could finish above next season - Leeds/Everton, Cov/Luton, West Ham (who’ll lose Declan Rice), Palace, Forest, Bournemouth and Wolves.

No reason we can’t finish above Burnley either, we’re likely to sign more players than them and we’d have been much closer than the 10 points if it wasn’t for the ludicrous injuries in the first half of the season. I expect them to stay up, but destroying the championship doesn’t automatically mean you’ll cruise it in the Prem as Norwich have proven twice.

And none of those promoted team have a player as good as Ndiaye.

 

[robbiez666]

I expect to get relegated next season, which is fine as long as we're looking towards the long-term future of the club

We're in a shocking position with so many at the end of contracts or just have one year left. Terrible planning from the top.

We need to be in a position where we have a good chance of coming back up.

 

[Gimli]

Winning promotion was crucial, allows us to hopefully start sorting the finances out and laying plans for medium to long term of hopefully getting into the Premier league again and staying there consistently.

As for this season, clearly we will be amongst the favourites to drop, and it doesn’t look like we’ll have much money to add to the squad, but if we keep Ndiaye and sign one or two (probably midfield and attack most needed) then we’ll have a chance.

Reasons to be positive:

1. We have an excellent defence (those players aren’t going anywhere + RND could be back)
2. For all the talk of ‘best league in the world’, there are some pretty average teams in there.
3. We don’t need to win all that many games - Forest will stay up having won 9 games. That’s 1 in every 4. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
4. If Ndiaye stays, we have a match winner.

I’m sure there’s loads of ‘reasons to worry’ but I’ll let someone else worry about that.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

We'll certainly not be Have A Go FC. We'll play defensively and avoid too many spankings

Whether that gets us above 30 points or not depends on the budget

If we prioritise spending on other worthy things, I'm fine with us spending little on players. But if we are to do this, we must properly build and refresh the squad to be competitive at the top of the championship next year and beyond

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Unless the ownership gets sorted we have no money to spend so like Norwich when we went up last time.

 

[jim2007]

We won’t roll over like the second season last time.

This time, unlike 75% of our last stay in the Premier League, we’ll have fans in the ground.

The contrast between the first half of the first season and the rest is stark. BDTBL is worth x points a season.

Just think back to that late afternoon in November 2019 against Manchester where the crowd dragged the equaliser out of the team. That’s the difference.

 

[Bladeloyal]

12 th placed finish ,new owner investing in the team January ,ground improvements start end of next season .
My round utb

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

And none of those promoted team have a player as good as Ndiaye.

It's posts like this that worry me. It's as if there's a wilful ignorance/blindness of what actually happens in football.

As mentioned above, Bournemouth spent the best part of £80m since getting promoted. They also have Solanke, who scored 29 times in 46 championship games, and who has scored 6 in 32 PL games.

Fulham have Mitrovic. An international quality centre forward. He scored 43 goals in 44 championship games the season before last and he's scored 14 goals in 23 PL games this season. They've spent £70m since promotion and had a better team than us to start with.

Forest have spent about £160m and now have MGW (12 in 37 last season & 5 in 34 this) and Johnson (18 in 49 last season and 8 in 37 this).

All the promoted teams have players as good/effective as Ndiaye, and they have all spent heavily since promotion.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I’m not worried about the spirit and togetherness of the team itself. But I fear this may start to get eroded if Hecky has to work with one hand tied behind his back. The league is hard enough as it is without being disadvantaged by the shenanigans in boardroom.

 

[blade67]

Hi Stegosaurus here,

The bulk of our squad were in the Premier League last time and are now older and shittier.

Not quite true

Of the 15 players who played the most minutes this season, only 5 appeared in the same list for 20/21

Norwood, Egan, Baldock, Basham and Mcburnie, so we are very much a different team/squad.

 

[Bladedog]

If we can score close to 40 goals we have a chance... unlike the 20 we scored in the relegation season.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I think we’ll be defensively ok, it’s the cost of scoring goals that we need to worry about.

I think the phrase “once bitten, twice shy” will be the overriding one regarding transfer spend, Abdullah won’t spend lots on possibly average to shit players so we’ll be taking a punt on lower cost options. Very reliant on good recruitment and selection.

We just need a billionaire with an open cheque book and no requirement for any future payback and we’ll be fine!

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

If we can score close to 40 goals we have a chance... unlike the 20 we scored in the relegation season.

38 points. No less than 40 goals scored. No more than 60 goals conceded.

 

[Champagneblade]

It's posts like this that worry me. It's as if there's a wilful ignorance/blindness of what actually happens in football.

As mentioned above, Bournemouth spent the best part of £80m since getting promoted. They also have Solanke, who scored 29 times in 46 championship games, and who has scored 6 in 32 PL games.

Fulham have Mitrovic. An international quality centre forward. He scored 43 goals in 44 championship games the season before last and he's scored 14 goals in 23 PL games this season. They've spent £70m since promotion and had a better team than us to start with.

Forest have spent about £160m and now have MGW (12 in 37 last season & 5 in 34 this) and Johnson (18 in 49 last season and 8 in 37 this).

All the promoted teams have players as good/effective as Ndiaye, and they have all spent heavily since promotion.

Ndiaye is a Champions League player in waiting. Not convinced the others are. As much as I thought Gibbs-White was good, he gives the ball away far too much and at the top level you get punished. Ndiaye is the opposite.

I'm not for one minute suggesting we don't improve the team, sit back and just watch him do it all on his own.

He will need help, but he could be a big differentiator just like Zaha has been for Palace.

That's just opinions but of all those players you list and Ndiaye, I'd pick Ndiaye first.

 

[Captain2]

One thing I do know is Hecky has done a fantastic job in unusual and demanding circumstances and if things do go tits up next season( not saying they will) he deserves full support of the owner and our fans , some of whom have been rather derogatory of him and his tactics during let’s face it has been a very successful campaign.

 

[Edinblade]

I don’t get the mentality of worrying about what might happen next season before the dust has even settled on this one.
How can anyone ever enjoy football if all they think about is what might go wrong in future.
The only way to enjoy football is to celebrate the successes, think positively about the future and stop thinking about what might go wrong.
By all means think about what we should do to improve our chances, but for goodness sake stop worrying, it’s pointless and destructive to your mental health.