Okay. Here's the reality.
In a week or so we will confirm someone like McDermott is our new manager, straight outta fucking nowhere. McCabe will do a press conference with him, declaring it to be a 'new era for Sheffield United' and 'our aim continues to be the fight for automatic promotion to the Championship and Premiership status by 2020'. Murphy will be sold for an undiscosed sum of £250,000 (paid in instalments, only fully paid if we beat Barcelona in the Champions League final by five clear goals from open play in the second half of extra time (on a Wednesday)) and we will sign two Barry Oddnobs (one carrying a long term injury), one from Milwall and one from Torquay United. The pre-season will be uninspiring and pallid with one draw and two losses. First real game will be against Peterborough on Sky and United will field practically the same team as in the second playoff game against Swindon in a modified 4-5-1 with Coutts trying his best to emulate Murphy. We'll end up pegged back in our own half for long stretches but will still endure and emerge with a pleasing 2-1 defeat to which posters on here will laud the new manager and slag anyone off with the age-old 'give him time' hackneyed old bollocks.
Six games in and we will have four points, with one solitary win. We'll be out of the League Cup and 17th. The transfer period will be long shut and most rational minds will be asking 'what has changed?' and 'what was the point in sacking Clough?' There may even be a panic loanee brought in who turns out to be absolutely sloppy-shit and is dropped to disappear without trace. All sorts of midfield shenanighans will be tried which will leave people even looking back with fondness at Alex Notman and Nick Montgomery.
By Christmas we will be two points (but four places) behind the equal-but-behind-on-goal-difference) fourth playoff spot and the 'Sack McDermott' calls will begin. The big hope will be the JTW where all sorts of half arsed promises will be made by the board, resulting in Basham sold and Done wanting out. Brayford will get injured two matches after returning to spend the rest of the season on the physio's table.
JTW will see two more Barry Oddnobs come in. One of them used to be on the books at City, fourteen years ago. There will be rumours of Michael Brown coming back to the Lane. Yes, the 39 year old midfield dynamo will come back to his beloved Bramall Lane to prop up a dismal midfield. He comes back. On loan with an option to buy. He is sent off in his first game, a 3-2 defeat in the FA Cup at Rotherham.
The rest of the season sees us crawl by our fingernails and teeth into the final playoff spot by virtue of Bradford doing their usual end-of-season kamikaze act. In the playoffs (vs Walsall) we will capitulate at the Bescott 2-0 and draw at the Lane 0-0. Chesterfield will beat them in the final.
McDermott sacked on completion
Happy days
pommpey