where should we be?

[blade.i.am]

In the time that I have supported the Blades we have probably spent most of our time in t h e 2nd tier. However, I have seen them play in all 4 divisions.
Where do we think we should b e and why?

 

[wizadry]

The top end of the Championship please,i don't ask for too much

 

[Bladesman]

Championship.

It's bad decisions that have sent us to League 1 and are keeping us in League 1.

 

[ThatJa]

5th in League one.

 

[Bladesway]

Top 10 of Championship is our natural place. If we are there I know we are batting our average. Above is great, below is not.

 

[Mad Mick]

We are a premier club and always have been. One of the biggest clubs in the UK, with an excellent stadium. Look at some of the teams in the Premiership. Our rightful place is in the Premier League.
Feck I sound like a pig.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

The law of averages and history would say Championship (division 2 in my money).

Players and Managers
We went there in the Seventies having sold our best player, by recruiting good youth that was a little too young at the time, some journeymen who had odd days of form but weren't up for it and strikers that were injured (who recalls Steve Finnieston?). Does that seem familiar to anyone?

Our only times in the Top division were when we had managers in Bassett and Warnock who inspired players to play above their level and developed teams that had a tenacity and team ethic about them. We simply didn't make the right changes to keep us there once the initial impetus had gone.

Our only time in the basement was when we didn't arrest the obvious decline as above and got unlucky over two penalties. As a young man I stood on the kop and watched Don Givens do what he did. However, It should never have gone to the wire like that but we just didn't wake up for months as to what was happening to us. Again does that seem familiar?

We also fail to hold onto players that would take us up. Players such as Maguire, Naughton, Walker and Jagielka realised we were not Premiership level and as professionals wanted to play at the highest level with the associated rewards. They realised we didn't match their ambition and talent and so they left. I didn't like it but this was understandable.

Approach to risk by the Board
The fact is we are a club who don't take risks, who had a rich history up to 40 years ago, but who for many years have lacked the ambition and finance to move to the next level. The clubs like ourselves, in the main, that have done that have invested heavily and gambled, some winning (Sunderland, Stoke spring to mind) and some losing badly. We are a club that doesn't do that. I'm not saying we should, I'm saying its my opinion. I still laugh merrily when I consider how the pigs invested in Vim Jonk and Gilles de Bilde and at Leeds having to pay for years the salaries of players long gone, selling their ground and both realistically flirting with bankruptcy. To my recollection, we don't do that and our record transfer fee reflects our approach to risk. Again, I'm not saying that's bad as I consider compared to many we are a reasonably well run club but we just don't take risks.

So, our level is as a reasonably well run club at Championship level with odd forays into the Divisions either side when things go well or don't.

My concern right now is that if we don't get out of this Division this year, when it is at its easiest and when we realistically should with the resources at our disposal then we will either have to gamble and take risks to achieve promotion or accept our new level is where we have been these last few years.

 

[Silent Blade]

Started being a committed Blade in January 1970, we were around the top of div 2 (also beating league champions to be Everton in the FA Cup) until that 4 consecutive defeats in March before finishing in 6th place. My first full season was that marvellous 1970-71 promotion season. Five out of my first six full seasons were at the top tier but in the next 38 seasons only 5 of them were in the top tier

 

[shorehamview]

I'd quite like us to be in the top half of the Premier League, pushing for a European qualifying spot. I'd quite like to win the lottery too. I've more luck with the 1:14,000,000 odds of lotto success than United have of success though.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

We are a premier club and always have been. One of the biggest clubs in the UK, with an excellent stadium. Look at some of the teams in the Premiership. Our rightful place is in the Premier League.
Feck I sound like a pig.

Yer sound mad Mick

 

[robbiez666]

To be honest, the way things are at the moment probably about in roughly the same position as Wednesday.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

We are a top 15 side - based on crowd, stadium and history. We spent most of our first 70 years in the top division. We should be in the Premiership or top half of the Championship.

I can't think of a single club that has under performed as much as we have in the last 40 years. Unfortunately money counts more than ever and we have had decades of unambitious Boards.

 

[FTPE]

Team-wise we are exactly where we deserve to be?
Owners, chairmen and sponsors come and go so you've got to go on your fan-base, facilities and city size haven't you?

 

[MiserableBlader]

We are a premier club and always have been. One of the biggest clubs in the UK, with an excellent stadium. Look at some of the teams in the Premiership. Our rightful place is in the Premier League.
Feck I sound like a pig.

Look at the players we have developed let alone have or could have bought and that is correct.
That is the level of judas' disasters at the club
ignoring his asset stripping which goes on at Manure but without the on field disasters.

Disagree about the stadium - its too small and restricted by Judas' buildings - but then with the money coming in we have had more than enough to utilize on a bigger stadium (ie the planning permissions we paid who? for!)

or would we?

 

[MiserableBlader]

Started being a committed Blade in January 1970, we were around the top of div 2 (also beating league champions to be Everton in the FA Cup) until that 4 consecutive defeats in March before finishing in 6th place. My first full season was that marvellous 1970-71 promotion season. Five out of my first six full seasons were at the top tier but in the next 38 seasons only 5 of them were in the top tier

When I started supporting United our lowest ever position was 10th in the second division.
I didn't think we would ever be in the second division again (although looking at the records we could have been in the second when I first went as an infant in the late 50's!)

We were a well respected footballing team who never won anything famous for always playing the game the right way.

The whole city of Sheffield is now an embarrassment - but the biggest is SUFC

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

5th in League one.

Snap

 

[Trickymicky]

Started being a committed Blade in January 1970, we were around the top of div 2 (also beating league champions to be Everton in the FA Cup) until that 4 consecutive defeats in March before finishing in 6th place. My first full season was that marvellous 1970-71 promotion season. Five out of my first six full seasons were at the top tier but in the next 38 seasons only 5 of them were in the top tier

I think all of us who follow the Blades are committed.............. oh wait a minute, I meant we all need committing!!

 

[Darthblade]

We are a premier club and always have been. One of the biggest clubs in the UK, with an excellent stadium. Look at some of the teams in the Premiership. Our rightful place is in the Premier League.
Feck I sound like a pig.

In terms of the size and potential of the Club I agree, however, to get into and remain in the Premiership you have to invest in quality players and invest wisely. By this I don't mean spending money the Club can't afford. You have to structure contracts so that if relegated, the players get paid Championship wages not Premiership.
We aren't sensible enough nor do we have the leadership and ambition at the top of the Club to compete in the Premiership IMHO.
UTB & FTP

 

[blade.i.am]

Earlier in the year I made a list of all the club's currently in the league who had achieved more than us in my lifetime (55 yrs).
The criteria used was: any team that had reached a cup final, finished in top two in the top flight, top of second tier or won a play off final. From memory I think there were 49 clubs which means at highest we would be 50th in the achievement stakes. The equivalent of sixth in League 1. So pretty close to where we should be be at the moment.
Of course our history and our fan base would suggest a higher position. Unfortunately, it's what you achieve that counts and that's been precious little in the last 55 yrs.

 

[wizadry]

Earlier in the year I made a list of all the club's currently in the league who had achieved more than us in my lifetime (55 yrs).
The criteria used was: any team that had reached a cup final, finished in top two in the top flight, top of second tier or won a play off final. From memory I think there were 49 clubs which means at highest we would be 50th in the achievement stakes. The equivalent of sixth in League 1. So pretty close to where we should be be at the moment.
Of course our history and our fan base would suggest a higher position. Unfortunately, it's what you achieve that counts and that's been precious little in the last 55 yrs.

It's a good job our club were born before you then pal