Expectations of Sheffield United

[Bladebri]

We all have our own expectations of SU, some say we are a bigger club than any of the other teams in our division, do we still think this after our 5th year in Div1 are we not now on a par with the rest, or is it that the bigger budget gives us that right, because we have had the bigger budget for the last five years and we are still in the same position, is it our big squad, is it the name Sheffield United or Bramall Lane that gives us the right.
My expectations have always been the same to be the best we can be, I don't expect us to beat every team in our division, our expectations are not always fulfilled. What are your thoughts?

 

[Selly]

You have to earn the right to be in any division. Bournemouth have earned the right to be in the PL. Rotherham to be in the Championship.

We haven't earned the right to be any higher than we are.

However, given the "size" of the club, the level of support, and the resources at our disposal we should be earning the right to be comfortable in the top half of the Championship with the occasional foray into the PL.

If you want to call that an "expectation" then fine, but after 30+ years the only expectation I have for Utd is to offer just enough hope to get me excited and then let me down, occasionally interspersed with a pleasent surprise when we don't cock it up.

 

[super_pig]

what always interests me on roys (excellent) posts is that opposing fans say on the one hand 'sheff utd billy big bollocks think they're too good for this division blah blah' yet in the same sentence say 'with their level of support and budget blah blah'. you can't have it both ways.

 

[Bladebri]

what always interests me on roys (excellent) posts is that opposing fans say on the one hand 'sheff utd billy big bollocks think they're too good for this division blah blah' yet in the same sentence say 'with their level of support and budget blah blah'. you can't have it both ways.

But on occasion don't we say that ourselves.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

what always interests me on roys (excellent) posts is that opposing fans say on the one hand 'sheff utd billy big bollocks think they're too good for this division blah blah' yet in the same sentence say 'with their level of support and budget blah blah'. you can't have it both ways.

Unlike this forum, I guess our rivals allow themselves to indulge in hyperbole. The Bladey Big Bollox is an easy one to throw around, much in the same way that it's lazy to use "little old" Bury, Fleetwood, Crewe. It's patronising nonsense from both perspectives and to a greater extent ignores the very essence of football.

I do expect the Blades to get promoted, and allow myself to indulge in my own hyperbole. The Blades were a top division team when I first watched them. I always feel in my heart that's what we are (an emotion reinforced by the magnificent fans, great stadium, history, respect of other fans). My head, based on years of footballing experience, tells me there is a way to go, but of course, the pendulum will swing back in our favour.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Lots of clubs have overtaken us, clubs which have been on the verge of going bust 10-15 years ago. Clubs which weren't even in the league 10-15 years ago.

Why? They had ambition, they could build and be undistracted by history or expectation.

We are burdened by history and expectation. You have far less time to get it right at this club.

We have to reset the clock to zero again. Forget where we think we should be and realise who and where we are: A 3rd division team with a big ground. Then we can move forward.

Ambition= Good
Expectation= Bad

Leave the delusions of grandeur to that lot up the road.

 

[Bladebri]

Unlike this forum, I guess our rivals allow themselves to indulge in hyperbole. The Bladey Big Bollox is an easy one to throw around, much in the same way that it's lazy to use "little old" Bury, Fleetwood, Crewe. It's patronising nonsense from both perspectives and to a greater extent ignores the very essence of football.

I do expect the Blades to get promoted, and allow myself to indulge in my own hyperbole. The Blades were a top division team when I first watched them. I always feel in my heart that's what we are (an emotion reinforced by the magnificent fans, great stadium, history, respect of other fans). My head, based on years of footballing experience, tells me there is a way to go, but of course, the pendulum will swing back in our favour.

I do think we need to go into games not thinking we are the bigger club We can't win games on reputation, the last five years have been a torment for all fans, I my self agree with your expectations on promotion.

 

[super_pig]

Leave the delusions of grandeur to that lot up the road.

good points mate . i don't think many here have delusions of grandeur but i think people would like to get back to where we were once before
i do feel that we should take opposition teams more seriously.. it's 'only' fucking bury.. it's only fleetwood. they only have ten fans, they've never won anything.. blah blah. and i can talk. i do it myself.. we have no right to beat these teams

 

[Bladebri]

Lots of clubs have overtaken us, clubs which have been on the verge of going bust 10-15 years ago. Clubs which weren't even in the league 10-15 years ago.

Why? They had ambition, they could build and be undistracted by history or expectation.

We are burdened by history and expectation. You have far less time to get it right at this club.

We have to reset the clock to zero again. Forget where we think we should be and realise who and where we are: A 3rd division team with a big ground. Then we can move forward.

Ambition= Good
Expectation= Bad

Leave the delusions of grandeur to that lot up the road.

Great reply, while we can never forget our history or fans personal highs, we have to realise where we are now.

 

[super_pig]

you've got me thinking about this actually.. it's odd that we can give premier outfits a proper game and then flop against our divisional opponents. it would suggest this attitude runs through the entire club including the players. we need to approach games like Bury and Fleetwood like we do against cup games against the likes of Villa and Spurs
and that includes the fans. this is NA's biggest challenge IMO

 

[Bladebri]

good points mate . i don't think many here have delusions of grandeur but i think people would like to get back to where we were once before
i do feel that we should take opposition teams more seriously.. it's 'only' fucking bury.. it's only fleetwood. they only have ten fans, they've never won anything.. blah blah. and i can talk. i do it myself.. we have no right to beat these teams

We all will think we should beat as we normally say lesser clubs, done it myself, I agree after 5 years in this decision I think we have lost that right.

 

[Whiston Blade]

We are burdened by history and expectation. You have far less time to get it right at this club

You make it sound like we have a rich history of multiple titles and cup's in our trophy room...

We are burdened by expectation but if, and it's a very big if, we don't get promoted this season, people need to realise that we probably deserve to be where we are. History or no history, we're an average team who were once a big-ish name.

 

[Bladebri]

you've got me thinking about this actually.. it's odd that we can give premier outfits a proper game and then flop against our divisional opponents. it would suggest this attitude runs through the entire club including the players. we need to approach games like Bury and Fleetwood like we do against cup games against the likes of Villa and Spurs
and that includes the fans. this is NA's biggest challenge IMO

And because of our history and budget that is how teams view us, they raise there game and we fold.

 

[PeteBlade]

It's definitely not unreasonable to expect us to be an established club in the league above.

A club that will put together runs at promotion to the top league but certainly not expect promotion to the top flight.

To be an established league one club instead means we are hugely underachieving.

It's not arrogance, it's not over the top expectation.

It's just how it is.

 

[super_pig]

You make it sound like we have a rich history of multiple titles and cup's in our trophy room...

We are burdened by expectation but if, and it's a very big if, we don't get promoted this season, people need to realise that we probably deserve to be where we are. History or no history, we're an average team who were once a big-ish name.

we were man city in around 1900

 

[grafikhaus]

Lots of clubs have overtaken us, clubs which have been on the verge of going bust 10-15 years ago. Clubs which weren't even in the league 10-15 years ago.

Why? They had ambition, they could build and be undistracted by history or expectation.

Don't forget that teams like Rotherham - who, not long ago couldn't afford to pay the milkman and had the begging bowl out - have been 'gifted' a brand new stadium. I presume it's in exchange for naming rights, how else could they have afforded it? Same with Chezzie and Donnie. Higher up, Derby, Brighton, Bolton, Leicester etc. have benefitted in a similar way. It's a helluva leg-up, not having the expense of paying for a new stadium. Also Leicester found that the 'powers that be' smiled on them when they went into admin. Us in 2007? We got shit on from a great height.

Infamy, infamy...