- Admin
- #1
Played 10
Won 2
Drawn 3
Lost 5
Scored 16
Conceded 19
Points 9
Position 20th
That should say it all really but I'm at a loss as to how things are going to turn around. Is it the players? Is it the manager? Or did we fans come into this season expecting too much?
It's been an extremely long time that I've seen such a lacklustre, weak, clueless and dispassionate display by a team in Sheffield United colours. What do they do in training every week because at the moment, they are playing like strangers? Players who we know are never going to be world beaters simply look as though they've never kicked a ball before. Two examples are easy to find.
Chris Morgan, up against players like Fabregas and Rooney last season seems content just to get a foot in somewhere whether it's the player or the ball... bollocks to position or in the rare occasion he does make contact with the ball, where it's going to end up.
Michael Tonge... where is the player who tormented Liverpool on that January night in 2003 - A player who was tipped to leave the Lane for a fee of £3+ million? All I see now is a 24 year old who runs around in circles, tackling himself in the process and often sparking an opposition attack. He looks to have had all the fight knocked out of him as time after time he is eased off the ball and hasn't the strength or ability to win it back. At times, he looks like a kid playing against men.
Yesterday, the opening stages promised passing and classy football but the players hadn't the heart or commitment to turn a good opening 10 minutes into a good 90 minutes, and then turn that into a victory.
The never say die spirit has well and truly left Bramall Lane.
While it's fair that the players take some blame, as it always goes when a team is playing badly, the fault is often attributed to the manager. Bryan Robson, what can I say? Nobody wanted him to take the job, a few were willing to give him time and almost everyone is now united in their view that he simply isn't up to the job. His managerial record reads much like our form at the moment:
Played 435 Won 158 Drawn 113 Lost 164
While NW would shout at the players, Robson will voice his concerns during the match to Kidd. What good does that do? If they aren't doing what you tell them to do Robbo, it is your job to tell them... not bitch to your assistant.
We were saying last Saturday, while the players might not have been up to scratch last season, at least Tony Daley had them looking fit. Now the players don't look at though they can run for 90 minutes, never mind concentrate for that long. We haven't half had some injuries... strains and sprains. Like I said before, are the players not being prepared in the week for the rigours of a football match?
And hard work the matches have been this season for the army of loyal, if extremely disgruntled Blades fans. Week after week it's the same old faces and week after week those faces are showing expressions of torment, despair and hopelessness. It wasn't unfair to think we would be challenging for promotion this season, as much as a part of me has always thought it would be too much of an ask considering the change in personnel over the summer. We had the core of a squad that almost stayed in the Premiership last season with the additions of one of the country's most prolific strikers in Billy Sharp, a capped forward in £4 million James Beattie and a player whose signature many had called for last season - Lee Hendrie.
As big a blow relegation was, we were surely well within our rights to think we could be near the top of the table at this stage of the year? We left this division as the second best team with a points total that would have seen us promoted as champions almost any other year. As it stands we're now the fifth worst team and the fans are getting restless.
Should we be patient, continue to pay our money week-in, week-out and hope for the best?
Should we return to the days of old - booing and car park demonstrations?
For the moment, they have me doing the former but my patience with shit poor performances and a team that look like they don't give a toss running out quickly.
Come on Blades, we fans deserve better than what we're getting.
Won 2
Drawn 3
Lost 5
Scored 16
Conceded 19
Points 9
Position 20th
That should say it all really but I'm at a loss as to how things are going to turn around. Is it the players? Is it the manager? Or did we fans come into this season expecting too much?
It's been an extremely long time that I've seen such a lacklustre, weak, clueless and dispassionate display by a team in Sheffield United colours. What do they do in training every week because at the moment, they are playing like strangers? Players who we know are never going to be world beaters simply look as though they've never kicked a ball before. Two examples are easy to find.
Chris Morgan, up against players like Fabregas and Rooney last season seems content just to get a foot in somewhere whether it's the player or the ball... bollocks to position or in the rare occasion he does make contact with the ball, where it's going to end up.
Michael Tonge... where is the player who tormented Liverpool on that January night in 2003 - A player who was tipped to leave the Lane for a fee of £3+ million? All I see now is a 24 year old who runs around in circles, tackling himself in the process and often sparking an opposition attack. He looks to have had all the fight knocked out of him as time after time he is eased off the ball and hasn't the strength or ability to win it back. At times, he looks like a kid playing against men.
Yesterday, the opening stages promised passing and classy football but the players hadn't the heart or commitment to turn a good opening 10 minutes into a good 90 minutes, and then turn that into a victory.
The never say die spirit has well and truly left Bramall Lane.
While it's fair that the players take some blame, as it always goes when a team is playing badly, the fault is often attributed to the manager. Bryan Robson, what can I say? Nobody wanted him to take the job, a few were willing to give him time and almost everyone is now united in their view that he simply isn't up to the job. His managerial record reads much like our form at the moment:
Played 435 Won 158 Drawn 113 Lost 164
While NW would shout at the players, Robson will voice his concerns during the match to Kidd. What good does that do? If they aren't doing what you tell them to do Robbo, it is your job to tell them... not bitch to your assistant.
We were saying last Saturday, while the players might not have been up to scratch last season, at least Tony Daley had them looking fit. Now the players don't look at though they can run for 90 minutes, never mind concentrate for that long. We haven't half had some injuries... strains and sprains. Like I said before, are the players not being prepared in the week for the rigours of a football match?
And hard work the matches have been this season for the army of loyal, if extremely disgruntled Blades fans. Week after week it's the same old faces and week after week those faces are showing expressions of torment, despair and hopelessness. It wasn't unfair to think we would be challenging for promotion this season, as much as a part of me has always thought it would be too much of an ask considering the change in personnel over the summer. We had the core of a squad that almost stayed in the Premiership last season with the additions of one of the country's most prolific strikers in Billy Sharp, a capped forward in £4 million James Beattie and a player whose signature many had called for last season - Lee Hendrie.
As big a blow relegation was, we were surely well within our rights to think we could be near the top of the table at this stage of the year? We left this division as the second best team with a points total that would have seen us promoted as champions almost any other year. As it stands we're now the fifth worst team and the fans are getting restless.
Should we be patient, continue to pay our money week-in, week-out and hope for the best?
Should we return to the days of old - booing and car park demonstrations?
For the moment, they have me doing the former but my patience with shit poor performances and a team that look like they don't give a toss running out quickly.
Come on Blades, we fans deserve better than what we're getting.
