Reflecting on Wembley

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HeCanDoMagic

HeCanDoMagic

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I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
 

I just wanted for once ti stick the middle finger up with a smile on my face at everyone that has that .. you knew it was coming look.on thier face. Would be lovely to just win one game at Wembley.One positive I saw a great goal almost 2 thanks VAR I suppose you can call that progress.
 
The Fox said:
Imagine pinning all your hopes of being accepted to join a club where the current members don't really want you other than to humiliate you , you can't really afford it , and your unceremoniously chucked out of 12 months later .
Weird eh.
Click to expand...
It's like being a poor football manager and being well to be poor and then being paid more to be sacked. Only football eh 😏
 
71Blade said:
I just wanted for once ti stick the middle finger up with a smile on my face at everyone that has that .. you knew it was coming look.on thier face. Would be lovely to just win one game at Wembley.One positive I saw a great goal almost 2 thanks VAR I suppose you can call that progress.
Click to expand...
No never, I'm with you!
 
HeCanDoMagic said:
I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
Click to expand...
I agree with every word of this. I am gutted about yesterday, but not because it's anything to do with playing in the Premier League. I just want to be able to celebrate winning a massive one-off game, just for once. After 30 years as a fan, that shouldn't be too much to ask.

Having said that, I think part of me is also gutted at the realisation that it's another year where my club don't really progress. I don't care about being in the Championship, I've seen it a million times. Seeing us survive in the Premier League might be unlikely, but at least there's a a chance, and it would be a new experience and feel like we're getting somewhere. If you dare to dream, maybe we'd even experience a cup final or European football one day, but we know that's even further away now.
 
Biggest let down from yesterday for me… not singing Starman at full time during the trophy celebrations. Greek flags waving, players holding the GB2 shirt, not a dry eye amongst any blades with even half a heart.

That was the thing l most hoped for on Friday night, not the clubs income, keeping our best players or the premier league.

I was numb after the game, not instantly heartbroken like after previous attempts. But as the dust settles it’s that missed celebration for GB that hurts.
 
My main reflections are the fine margins the game was won and lost on. I’ve brought myself to watch the highlights back and Anthony Patterson makes two 10/10 saves. In the ground I thought the Moore header in the first minute was a pretty regulation save but having watched it back, it’s a match winner. As is the save from Brookes. Wilder, rightly or wrongly has taken a lot of flack following the game but if either of these go in it’s a very different game and Wilder can do very little about these moments and Patterson’s contributions I don’t think have been mentioned.

Obviously the atmosphere was very nervy too. You’ve got being 1-0 up in play-off final with 30 minutes to go nervous and then there’s being 1-0 in a play-off final with 30 minutes to go after 10 failed attempts and your best player going off injured nervous. We had everything to lose and Sunderland, backed brilliantly, everything to gain.
 
The media hype it up as the biggest game of the year due to the money involved, but they fail to mention the cost involved in building a squad to compete in the Premier League. 100 million would get you maybe four half decent Premier league players these days and that's before the wages.
 
HeCanDoMagic said:
I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
Click to expand...
You have expressed my feelings perfectly
 
One thing I’ve not seen mentioned is how our effeminate midfielder Tom Davies slides and then takes his leg away allowing the curling pass/shot to go in. Fkin unbelievable 😡😡😡
 
Working Class Hero said:
I agree with every word of this. I am gutted about yesterday, but not because it's anything to do with playing in the Premier League. I just want to be able to celebrate winning a massive one-off game, just for once. After 30 years as a fan, that shouldn't be too much to ask.

Having said that, I think part of me is also gutted at the realisation that it's another year where my club don't really progress. I don't care about being in the Championship, I've seen it a million times. Seeing us survive in the Premier League might be unlikely, but at least there's a a chance, and it would be a new experience and feel like we're getting somewhere. If you dare to dream, maybe we'd even experience a cup final or European football one day, but we know that's even further away now.
Click to expand...
Exactly, I couldn’t care less about the ‘prize’ of the premier league, it’s been wank for us the last couple of times.

I just wanted to win a final at Wembley, ok not a cup final but just winning here and being able to celebrate after the game and not the usual sloping off in depression.

When burrows shot went in and then was disallowed it killed us, the euphoria of going 2-0 up to then the disappointment of it being chalked off absolutely flattened the fans and gave Sunderland a huge (and at that time underserved) boost.
 

HeCanDoMagic said:
I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
Click to expand...
Nailed it
 
Wolves - I was angry, really angry.
Burnley - Disappointed.

Sunderland - Again, disappointed, but I went in to it with low expectations and gave my son some context behind our history and be prepared basically.

But I left with a smile on my face and singing on the way out with my son on his first trip to Wembley. I cannot fully explain why, but as others have said when that 2nd goal was ruled out I did get that feeling of "here we go again".

When they equalised, just prior to the goal in the build up when their player got the ball I said to my son "On no!... that's gonna be a goal" 2 seconds later he's rifled it into the net. It was just that obvious.

But as I said I left smiling, I went in thinking it's a win-win situation really this time round. If we lose, no VAR, the derby match and a great competitive league with more games than PL next season. If we win, it was mainly a "Yay, we won something and at Wembley too!" Then the prestige of the Premier League was secondary for me personally.

Yeah it sucks that we now have to wait more than 100 years now. But it's the hope that keeps me supporting this club.

P.s. play-offs suck, money spinning lottery and not a true test of a team... that's why we have a league played over many months to determine in order the best teams.
 
My main feeling is of disappointment that no matter who manages, plays for and owns the club we are still proven bottlers and losers on the big stage.

The PL would have been painful, but we need the promotion to keep us sustainable financially, so we need to take a season of drubbings in every 2 or 3 before we become WBA, Norwich or even worse Preston, Derby etc.

Genuinely feel for those attending the game yesterday, at least this time I could just switch the tv off, grab a beer and get in the pool with the kids and have a good afternoon. I’d have been fuming if I’d made the effort to go to the game for the same old shit to be served up on a different plate.
 
HeCanDoMagic said:
I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
Click to expand...

No need to apologise. Just echoing what many of us feel. And anyway, sometimes we just need to get things off our chest and if you can't do that amongst people who should be your friends, where can you do it?
 
HeCanDoMagic said:
I've waited for some of the dust to settle before trying yo put into words how I feel/felt about yesterday.

In play-off defeats gone by I've felt awful, truly awful, after the game.

This time I'd different. Only a small part of me does feel truly awful, but not for the same reasons.

Past defeats hurt because of the desperation to reach the Premier League, what it meant from a football perspective, the match itself and what we served up.

Yesterday - whilst we got a few things wrong, we turned up - failed to capitalise n a dominant first half and we lost grip of a game for 15 minutes which cost us. Talking to many neutrals they couldn't believe we'd lost after looking so in control.

The Premier League? The desperation to reach that dies more each season. I think a lot of us are scarred by last time. Watching football with VAR, for me, is awful. It is slowly killing English football.

The motivation to reach the Premier League is purely financially driven - how can that be right? Football should be about more. You get promoted and have two distinct paths - invest £200m in players to try and survive, risk the future of the club or light investment and pretty much a season of struggle. What choices hey?

So, to explain, the sole reason I feel awful today is my kids (and families all across our fan base) - and selfishly just wanting one special day to experience with them.

I feel like Rory McIlroy before he got his grand slam. Once I've seen us win at Wembley I'll be content.

So, it's very much "win, lose or draw...."

Sorry for the self indulgent long post - read, ignore, roll eyes. Just wanted to know if this was similar to others.
Click to expand...
Very well put. Particularly the VAR part, as someone says above too, I'm looking forward to next season and wouldn't be if we had won. Does this make me a loser? Maybe, but I don't really care.
 
Yeah, the disappointment for me was nowt to do with not getting to the Premier League (although unlike others I do actually want to get there, whatever we think about it, it is the purpose of competing in leagues, to try to do the best you can and progress), rather it was that overwhelming feeling of "not again, surely?" A feeling made even worse by allowing myself to have thought the impossible after going 2-0 up and rightly or wrongly having that snatched away. I felt so sad for everyone who was down there (well all us Blades really), but we'll dust ourselves down and dare I say it "go again" in a few weeks time.
 
I've probably already said this but I'm not mad at losing, I'm just disappointed in the way we lost. It didn't help with VAR knocking us for six, that changed the game, the momentum flipped and we held out for longer than I thought we would.
 
Similarly mixed feelings for me. Never felt less bothered about the Premier League and in many ways didn't want us to go up.

On Saturday, I went with my Dad who is nearly 70 (and been going week in week out since 1967), my uncle, in his mid 60s, and my son who is 6. Call me a hopeless romantic, but what I would have given for the opportunity to have been dancing, singing and hugging our way back down Wembley Way together.

Will we ever get that chance or in 30 years time will my son be dragging me down Wembley Way telling me to stop going on about how each and everyone one of them, from 93 onwards, hurt differently?
 
Don’t usually write on here, but here’s my reflections…
I’d tried to not get too confident before the game after previous finals dating back to Palace, but I was more excited to be able to take my wife and boys to Wembley. Seeing their unbridled joy at going 1 up was worth the money we spent, however the 2nd goal my wife took a picture of us - me in tears at the thoughts of what might be about to happen, and hugging my eldest… VAR took the goal away, but they can’t take that picture away of what it meant at the time.
I wanted to be the ones that stayed behind after the game, to sing about George, and to cap off an amazing season… but didn’t get the chance.
I’ve accepted the result, although it hurts still, but I think that’s because I wanted it more for my wife n boys (as their first time at Wembley).
Win, lose or draw… UTB
 
On the up side, after all those previous frankly poor attempts at Wembley, how good was it to celebrate those big match goals. No idea who the lad sat on my left was but those moments jumping up and down hugging a random can’t be beat.

Probably last felt that pure emotion back at the forest play off under Warnock all those years ago. They’re the moments that we do it for.
 
Rochdaleblade said:
The media hype it up as the biggest game of the year due to the money involved, but they fail to mention the cost involved in building a squad to compete in the Premier League. 100 million would get you maybe four half decent Premier league players these days and that's before the wages.
Click to expand...
Convenient that you forgot to mention the parachute payments when you get relegated.
 

Lot of people saying what they really wanted was a good night out celebrating a Wembley win in London not bothered about promotion. Was out with my brother and our lads and off bakers street surrounded by Sunderland. Banter, chanting win lose or draw, waving away commiserations and at one point a Sunderland fan bought our table of six a round and told us we were class. Sunderland fans so much better than likes of Leeds Man U etc. Home after midnight in Ealing roaring drunk. But for the result we had a great night.. onwards
 
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