Is this the best we can do as fans?!

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BettingBlade said:
I think if we were playing this badly with fans in the stadium, I reckon there'd be fights breaking out all over the place between people getting on their backs and people encouraging others to get behind them. Seen it happen before under Robson, Weir and others as well.
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That's the crux of the matter for me. Does anyone seriously think with fans in the ground we'd have ended last season like we did and be sat on 1 point this season?

We just aren't a team full of premier league quality players. CW has said on multiple occasions that the whole team needs to be 8/9 out of 10's for us to get something from this league. With our amazing backing it drags performances up a couple of levels so we get towards those sort of stats. Without fans there it's just not happening unfortunately.
 
Just be thankful we’re not allowed fans in to boo and heckle when we miss/lose. Attendances would be 26k average this season. All the bollocks about us needing additional capacity can go away for a few years.
 
steve26272 said:
I agree the criticism won’t spur on the players
Had we started like this last season I don’t think there would have been much criticism, as we seem to be playing ok.

But having given us the energy, intensity, passion and ballsyness of last year, they drew their own marker in the sand I’m afraid.

They will know themselves they aren’t at the same level

Add to that the criticism and conversations that would normally be defused over a post match pint, drive home etc are now taking place rawly on here

I hope the lads are intelligent enough to realise looking on a fans forum when bottom of the league isn’t a great idea

But to be honest if they do then that’s fine, as
A) they looked
B) telling them they’re great is misleading
C) every coin has 2 sides, you can’t take the plaudits on the town hall steps when it’s good, and tell those same fans to be silent when it’s going shite
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I'm not saying lets give them 8/10 every week and just say they're great. But some of the criticism, if not most of it is very harsh, and even if its accurate in what way does it help, other than for fans to vent an for them to feel like they've got it off their chest, which granted is part of the purpose of a fans forum, don't get me wrong. But I just don't see how saying so and so isn't a good signing, he's been crap most weeks this season, what does he bring? Well last season said player was bringing a lot more, but this team isn't playing with confidence and in my view they need support, not criticism, and that's different to blowing smoke up their arses as some would phrase it as.
 
Davalon said:
Honestly don't think it would be that bad currently but no doubt there would be a small minority getting shirty
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I take it you weren't at Wembley for the FA Cup Semi-Final vs Hull City?

Near me there was blood, literally pouring down the terrace steps after a fight
 
sitwell said:
Port fucking Vale ? Unless youve got a knock off in Leek ,you live in Burslem ,love oatcakes or Robbie Williams I cant get that.
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I’m weird like that. I love the ground, I love the local pubs, and I love that fact that the local Neanderthals defend their patch to the hilt. :)
 
BornOnShorehamStreet said:
I take it you weren't at Wembley for the FA Cup Semi-Final vs Hull City?

Near me there was blood, literally pouring down the terrace steps after a fight
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Not sure what relevance that has.

I was in the middle of fans windmilling each other at Molineux over whether it was time for Bassett to go.

The OP was on about today and how fans would be reacting if we were allowed at the Lane. I don't for one minute believe there would be arguments and fights breaking out at this stage over whether Wilder should go.

1 point from 10 games (or 13) is always going to spark criticism and debate.

The big Blade posts and North Korea type requests for zero negativity are as nonsensical as the Wilder out posts imho.

I'd want to see everyone getting behind the team at the matches but I don't want or expect everyone on here to be faux positive.

The idea that being a supporter means you're never critical or negative is utter nonsense.

There's no bigger supporter of my own son than me but I'll still criticise him when I think it's justified.

Most people think it's great when Wilder tells it like it is and has a go at the players when they think it's justified. Some seem to get very annoyed though if a fan does it.
 
FMBlade1 said:
Do players really read this forum?
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Even if they decide to, I doubt they would be so delicate as to let a few posters slagging them off have much impact.

You don't become a professional footballer, let alone a PL player by allowing yourself to be bowed by criticism from a small minority on a message board.

Comments on somewhere like here aren't comparable to a few hundred fans getting on your back at the Lane.

It goes to show how little actual mens football some have experienced. A few nasty comments on here will be nothing compared to the blasts they'll get from team mates and Wilder at times.
 
knowsnowt said:
No no no, we must slag them at every opportunity, because its quite obvious they haven't got a clue how bad they're performing right now. How could they when they don't even post on here?
If I knew where they lived I'd pop round and leave little notes on their windscreens saying "you're performances are outright spastic", "You've got divvy legs", "get that Blades shirt off you pancake faced fathead" etc.
Get em. told!
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Have a like for dusting off 'spastic' from a shelf in 1978.
 

I consider myself a supporter of my team, Sheffield United, whether they win, lose or draw. If we're winning, it's great and the last 4 years have probably been the best years I've had (in 40 years) supporting the team. I've been on here pre Wilder and criticised the team, many times during that horrific Adkins season. My frustration was borne out of frankly baffling team selection, a baffling recruitment policy and a feeling that most of the players didn't want to be there or cared.

This is different. Wilder cares, the players care. Despite the games we've lost, I don't think I could accuse them of not trying and I'm certain that Wilder wouldn't condone it.

Back in 1990 when we were having that awful run, we were losing 3-0 at Norwich, another defeat and yet our fans were still cheering the team. Bassett wrote about it in his book and how moved he was by our fantastic support. I don't recall the fans ever turning on the team that season and perhaps that's one reason why they turned it round.

One of my proudest moments as a fan was when we lost to Hull at Wembley. The support and acknowledgement of our team efforts after they'd killed the game off at 5-3 was truly emotional, I'll never forget that.

We need some more of that.
 
1 point in 10 games, rock bottom of the league and we have supporters concerned about how players are feeling about getting critism?! SMH. The players should be more apologetic to the fans rather than feeling sorry for themselves because of the occassional Twitter troll. They have collectively put in shite after shite performances this season...we're not going to pat them on the back for that. They don't look like they're hurting about the shite performances either, I'm not seeing them be more aggressive in their pressing/brave/bust a lung trying to get a result for the football club. All I'm seeing is a group of players going through the motions and picking up their paycheck after getting easily beaten. They deserve critism.

Makes me think the fans should be on the payroll if we're the difference between performance levels this season and last.
 
Davalon said:
Even if they decide to, I doubt they would be so delicate as to let a few posters slagging them off have much impact.

You don't become a professional footballer, let alone a PL player by allowing yourself to be bowed by criticism from a small minority on a message board.

Comments on somewhere like here aren't comparable to a few hundred fans getting on your back at the Lane.

It goes to show how little actual mens football some have experienced. A few nasty comments on here will be nothing compared to the blasts they'll get from team mates and Wilder at times.
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This is what gets me.

The way some precious types on here actually believe that professional footballers, normally used to playing in a stadium full of supporters will have their fragile egos and confidence knocked by know nowts (such as me) when down on the pitch during a game and even when by the touchline especially, you get every single comment chucked at you from the stands. And listening to some supporters and exactly what they yell and scream at players, especially as oppositions take corners for example by the TCS/Kop/JSS interfaces, you'd wonder if these supposed 'fans' were right in the head.

Yet you come on here - a fans forum - and we lose - and keep losing, and unless you're fixing the players some Horlicks and giving them a rub down and offering platitudes, you're a fucking pig fan, you're a child, you're unworthy, or you're a cunt. Even if you have spoken about one subject - the game and the team as a construct, the matter soon gets personal, like that will in any way right the wrongs.

Really wish people would look at what this board is all about and why we are here. We're all Blades.

pommpey
 
coaxingstar71 said:
Have a like for dusting off 'spastic' from a shelf in 1978.
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Didn it offend you?
I hope it did. :)
It made me feel gay writing it.. Though not gay in as being receptive to penises in my anus, you understand. Let's not be confused what we're saying here, or misrepresent anything or anyone. One wouldn't want to be a language nazi.
 
coaxingstar71 said:
I consider myself a supporter of my team, Sheffield United, whether they win, lose or draw. If we're winning, it's great and the last 4 years have probably been the best years I've had (in 40 years) supporting the team. I've been on here pre Wilder and criticised the team, many times during that horrific Adkins season. My frustration was borne out of frankly baffling team selection, a baffling recruitment policy and a feeling that most of the players didn't want to be there or cared.

This is different. Wilder cares, the players care. Despite the games we've lost, I don't think I could accuse them of not trying and I'm certain that Wilder wouldn't condone it.

Back in 1990 when we were having that awful run, we were losing 3-0 at Norwich, another defeat and yet our fans were still cheering the team. Bassett wrote about it in his book and how moved he was by our fantastic support. I don't recall the fans ever turning on the team that season and perhaps that's one reason why they turned it round.

One of my proudest moments as a fan was when we lost to Hull at Wembley. The support and acknowledgement of our team efforts after they'd killed the game off at 5-3 was truly emotional, I'll never forget that.

We need some more of that.
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The team, and Beesley in particular, got booed like billio against Sunderland at the Lane.

I agree the support stuck by them largely but if social media was around then do you really think there would have been no criticism.
 
I dont think calling fans out for being negative at the moment is fair:

-We are rock bottom of the league
-We are mow holders of an embarrassingly poor record
-Most frustratingly (for me) we did the hard work of staying up in the first season, only to have (likely) squandered a golden oppertunity to establish ourselves as a top level side this season
-We've waited years for PL football and by the time we get to see any game again, we are likely going to be back in the Championship.

This is the same time as being denied the chance to go and watch or team or talk about things in the pub with our family/mates. I actually think the players are getting off lightly - if the ground was full and McBurnie was missing the chances he has failed to put away, he would be really feeling the heat. This is not to say I condone having a go at players directly on their social media, but that's the risk/trade off for being in the limelight and a PL footballer.

For me, being able to discuss things on here is a lifeline. I dont see any of my colleagues or friends due to lockdown measures, my match buddy lives out of Sheffield so I can't talk to him about it. So, If it wasnt for this board I would be having no football chat at all. Long may discussions continue on here.
 
Kevincarterversion2.0 said:
I dont think calling fans out for being negative at the moment is fair:

-We are rock bottom of the league
-We are mow holders of an embarrassingly poor record
-Most frustratingly (for me) we did the hard work of staying up in the first season, only to have (likely) squandered a golden oppertunity to establish ourselves as a top level side this season
-We've waited years for PL football and by the time we get to see any game again, we are likely going to be back in the Championship.

This is the same time as being denied the chance to go and watch or team or talk about things in the pub with our family/mates. I actually think the players are getting off lightly - if the ground was full and McBurnie was missing the chances he has failed to put away, he would be really feeling the heat. This is not to say I condone having a go at players directly on their social media, but that's the risk/trade off for being in the limelight and a PL footballer.

For me, being able to discuss things on here is a lifeline. I dont see any of my colleagues or friends due to lockdown measures, my match buddy lives out of Sheffield so I can't talk to him about it. So, If it wasnt for this board I would be having no football chat at all. Long may discussions continue on here.
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It's a free world Kev, or at least it is here. I'm not saying that everyone's comments are out of order, but some are very critical, especially when you consider that we have the smallest wage bill in the league, or second smallest. We can't easily recruit players that are better than what we have on the budget we have. Fulham for example have spent big this summer, much bigger than us wages wise and they already had a big wages from the last time they spent loads. That's what brings in good players, far more than big transfer fees. We've had more than out fair share of bad luck too. As a comparison, Fulham's pen last night, how was that a pen?! Leicester also missed as easy a chance as easy as what Baldock missed v Brom. Had they scored first it could have been a very different match, but some have said lets do what Fulham are doing last night. They spent £45,000 a week wages on Robinson! If we'd signed him, he'd have played every week for us I'm sure, as he is for them, and he'd be a better player than Lowe I'm sure. But we missed out. Many criticise Wilder for poor signings, such as Ramsdale and McBurnie cost a lot in fees, but that's the going rate if you want to sign younger players who are doing well in the Championship, or in Ramsdale's case the Prem.

We've also had injuries to key plays, obviously JOC stands out. Then there's the lack of fans, that certainly has affected us more than others in my view, because we can't make the Lane intimidating like many players, past and present have said about coming to the Lane. I watch McBurnie like we all do and many seem to go with very harsh reviews, are they watching the same game as me? He is involved in most of our good play, such s his flick on for Burke who lost his footing but had he not, I think he buries that after 3 minutes. He misses a chance where the keeper saves, he should put it to the side of the keeper, he'll know that.

We know it's not good enough, the table doesn't lie. I just feel some of the comments on here are toxic, but that's my view and not shared by many, as well as supported by some. I don't see myself as any bigger than any other Blade or anything like that either, not that you've said that.
 
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Booker4 said:
It's a free world Kev, or at least it is here. I'm not saying that everyone's comments are out of order, but some are very critical, especially when you consider that we have the smallest wage bill in the league, or second smallest. We can't easily recruit players that are better than what we have on the budget we have. Fulham for example have spent big this summer, much bigger than us wages wise and they already had a big wages from the last time they spent loads. That's what brings in good players, far more than big transfer fees. We've had more than out fair share of bad luck too. As a comparison, Fulham's pen last night, how was that a pen?! Leicester also missed as easy a chance as easy as what Baldock missed v Brom. Had they scored first it could have been a very different match, but some have said lets do what Fulham are doing last night. They spent £45,000 a week wages on Robinson! If we'd signed him, he'd have played every week for us I'm sure, as he is for them, and he'd be a better player than Lowe I'm sure. But we missed out. Many criticise Wilder for poor signings, such as Ramsdale and McBurnie cost a lot in fees, but that's the going rate if you want to sign younger players who are doing well in the Championship, or in Ramsdale's case the Prem.

We've also had injuries to key plays, obviously JOC stands out. Then there's the lack of fans, that certainly has affected us more than others in my view, because we can't make the Lane intimidating like many players, past and present have said about coming to the Lane. I watch McBurnie like we all do and many seem to go with very harsh reviews, are they watching the same game as me? He is involved in most of our good play, such s his flick on for Burke who lost his footing but had he not, I think he buries that after 3 minutes. He misses a chance where the keeper saves, he should put it to the side of the keeper, he'll know that.

We know it's not good enough, the table doesn't lie. I just feel some of the comments on here are toxic, but that's my view and not shared by many, as well as supported by some. I don't see myself as any bigger than any other Blade or anything like that either, not that you've said that.
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For me it’s a case of a lot of our fans making excuses. While I’m not going to lay into the club, we were in a pretty good position as of this March, we’re now looking at setting records for the wrong reasons. While there are outside factors, other clubs have coped infinitely better than us.

That’s why I’ll criticise the club.

Individual players not pulling their weight will also get criticised by me (only 2 or 3 as it stands).

Wilder will also get criticism for bizarre selection choices, he’s making a few at the moment.

Doesn't mean I don’t like the club or support them.
 
knowsnowt said:
Didn it offend you?
I hope it did. :)
It made me feel gay writing it.. Though not gay in as being receptive to penises in my anus, you understand. Let's not be confused what we're saying here, or misrepresent anything or anyone. One wouldn't want to be a language nazi.
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Sorry to disappoint but it would take faaaarrrrrrrrr more than that to offend me.

So just gay as in having a jolly or sunny disposition?

I can't remember what I was watching recently but there was something about words that originally had a technical medical meaning but now would be offensive. Specifically the words, idiot, imbecile and moron were medical classifications relating to a persons IQ, which then became known as mental retardation, which itself has ceased to be used due to it's offensive connotations.
 
derekacorah said:
For me it’s a case of a lot of our fans making excuses. While I’m not going to lay into the club, we were in a pretty good position as of this March, we’re now looking at setting records for the wrong reasons. While there are outside factors, other clubs have coped infinitely better than us.

That’s why I’ll criticise the club.

Individual players not pulling their weight will also get criticised by me (only 2 or 3 as it stands).

Wilder will also get criticism for bizarre selection choices, he’s making a few at the moment.

Doesn't mean I don’t like the club or support them.
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Without wishing to repeat myself Derek, and I appreciate much of what you say, other clubs are coping better for all of the factors I mentioned earlier and also many of the teamss we finished above this season have improved vastly since last season due to large transfer spending - i.e Everton, Villa and Fulham; obviously Fulham are so much better as you'd expect from the Championship but they've spent big on wages, far beyond what Wilder has at his disposal.

We are also victims of our success from last season. Not many thought we'd better last season, but I think last seasons performance has raised expectations, and to an extent rightly so, but we got off to a good start last season. In hindsight playing Bournemouth and Palace was a good start of fixtures. Playing Wolves, Villa away and newly promoted Leeds didn't seem the toughest but was much tougher than those two in my view and we had the new promoted momentum from last season, never say die. In that regard, we are suffering from second season syndrome. Saying that, we could have easily got draws at the very least v Villa and Leeds but we didn't take our chances which is becoming the theme of the season. Wilder and the players know this, but it's very difficult to fix because it's about composure and playing under pressure, which you can't replicate in training.

Finally, I've never said that fans who are critical of how we are are not supporting the team or don't love the club etc, I've just said I don't think its productive in terms of the atmosphere created on here, on Twitter by our fans, on facebook or whatever medium we chose. But please don't misunderstand me; I'm no bigger Blade because I see things differently, but neither am I a happy clapper because of it. I am far more likely to be critical away from here when I speak to a mate on the phone because that's not in the public arena, however minor my contribution is to this forum, or anyone else's it all adds up as a social media outlook a fans - in my view. Saying that I think we're playing well overall, I think McBurnie especially gets far too much criticism as an example, I see many good things in his play but he just needs that goal.
 
Booker4 said:
Without wishing to repeat myself Derek, and I appreciate much of what you say, other clubs are coping better for all of the factors I mentioned earlier and also many of the teamss we finished above this season have improved vastly since last season due to large transfer spending - i.e Everton, Villa and Fulham; obviously Fulham are so much better as you'd expect from the Championship but they've spent big on wages, far beyond what Wilder has at his disposal.

We are also victims of our success from last season. Not many thought we'd better last season, but I think last seasons performance has raised expectations, and to an extent rightly so, but we got off to a good start last season. In hindsight playing Bournemouth and Palace was a good start of fixtures. Playing Wolves, Villa away and newly promoted Leeds didn't seem the toughest but was much tougher than those two in my view and we had the new promoted momentum from last season, never say die. In that regard, we are suffering from second season syndrome. Saying that, we could have easily got draws at the very least v Villa and Leeds but we didn't take our chances which is becoming the theme of the season. Wilder and the players know this, but it's very difficult to fix because it's about composure and playing under pressure, which you can't replicate in training.

Finally, I've never said that fans who are critical of how we are are not supporting the team or don't love the club etc, I've just said I don't think its productive in terms of the atmosphere created on here, on Twitter by our fans, on facebook or whatever medium we chose. But please don't misunderstand me; I'm no bigger Blade because I see things differently, but neither am I a happy clapper because of it. I am far more likely to be critical away from here when I speak to a mate on the phone because that's not in the public arena, however minor my contribution is to this forum, or anyone else's it all adds up as a social media outlook a fans - in my view. Saying that I think we're playing well overall, I think McBurnie especially gets far too much criticism as an example, I see many good things in his play but he just needs that goal.
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I don’t go on Twitter or Facebook and I think the majority of what is said in here is constructive.

The players likely do read message boards, I wouldn’t be surprised if McBurnie doesn’t get called ‘McShitty’ at training and Lundstram is ‘Lunwank’. Footballers take the piss out of fans and think we’re all just weird busy bastards with nothing better to talk about than them. They are probably right.

The other bits you’ve written above are consistent with the other excuses I’ve seen. I expected 15th this season and we’ll be a long way short of that if the first 10 games are anything to go by. Fixtures aren’t getting easier and our wage budget is going nowhere so it’s better just to get used to it.
 
Booker4 said:
We're all down, we're all pissed off and angry, shocked. I know myself included I said I can't see where the next point is coming from etc. It's been 48 hours now and I've had time to reflect. I'm not going to go into details about the merits of the performance on Saturday. But I just wonder if our fans realise how it comes across on here, social media, whatever platform we choose to express our opinion is huge. Is it just me, or am I the only one who thinks that it just comes across that our fans have thrown the towel in, most believe we're already down, even if we don't believe that, most have taken to posts like Ramsdale 3/10, Baldock 4/10 just not good enough, McBurnie is he even a footballer etc?!

Do people realise that collectively we come across as a negative set of fans that are just bemused, at our wits end and our main contribution to our cause right now now is criticism?! Ask yourself is that really helping? We can't go to the games to cheer on, this is literally all we have - forums etc. We know that Ramsdale and Norwood have commented on the effects of negativity, if you disagree maybe I'm wrong, but I sure know that we can't do any harm by positivity but we can by constant criticism. I don't often post on here as a topic, but I decided to do so because quite frankly its toxic, and I want our players to know that we do still believe - I know I bleeding do anyway and I've seen is get out of worse situations than this back in 1991. I'm just a single fan, obviously, but I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that we can do so much more than this. We have to change this now in my opinion.

We need to get behind them now, put aside our frustrations and start the positivity and support. Why not write a letter to a player in support, the manager giving our support, ring football heaven if that's your thing, write a positive post on a facebook group, if we change the mood from negativity we can make a real difference. I hope this post is taken well, I'm trying not to be critical of anyone on here, collectively or individually.
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Well said.
 

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