What are/were your expectations?

[Jon Slinn]

Quality experienced striker, goal scorer call it what you will. Stated it before Clarke is shite until after Christmas, at the minute couldn't score in a brothel. loves kids though so that's ok ( Mansfield away). Fleck to move into the middle of Midfield as Evans is a lazy twat. And somebody with pace, please. Pity Bolt has gone to Australia. Not panicking just yet. as long as we don't do a Barnsley.

 

[Chali 2na]

Quality experienced striker, goal scorer call it what you will. Stated it before Clarke is shite until after Christmas, at the minute couldn't score in a brothel. loves kids though so that's ok ( Mansfield away). Fleck to move into the middle of Midfield as Evans is a lazy twat. And somebody with pace, please. Pity Bolt has gone to Australia. Not panicking just yet. as long as we don't do a Barnsley.

Which striker would solve the problem?

 

[super_pig]

Not so.

We're the fans, we're responsible for feedback to the players during the game. Social media is an extension of that.

If we talk ourselves into believing that our players are shitcunts, then eventually, it will be reflected in the live support.

I just worry that we spent a long time during our league 1 spell with an appalling atmosphere, which (I feel) often had a detrimental effect on the players, especially those with fragile confidence. I would hate to see us fall back into that trap.

I agree that (of the players you mentioned) the initial signs aren't good, and that there's a chance that they'll never reach the required level. I don't think anything can be gained by making personal attacks on their character though.

this forum means nothing to the players. i would wager most of them don't even know it exists. (sorry Foxy)

 

[super_pig]

The problem is Wilder hasn't played anything like our best 11.

this is what is causing the meltdown. he's cute though is our Chris. maybe he's up to something

 

[Esablade]

Challenging for a play off spot is mine, and I believe Wilder’s expectation....

 

[Champagneblade]

Can’t help but feel our best hope is to build the season around an 18 year opd maverik, a guy coming back from a year out and a clever attacking midfielder whose legs we don’t go.

With the above variable we could be talking anywhere between 5th and 19th.

I don’t think we will be relegated (as of today).

 

[Eric Cartman]

I suppose the real question is “have we strengthened compared to last year”?
The answer is yes and we still intend to strengthen further.

Have we really?

Woodburn = Brooks
Henderson = Blackman
Egan seems to be about Stearman's level if I'm being very kind
McGoldrick slightly better than Donaldson

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

Not so.

We're the fans, we're responsible for feedback to the players during the game. Social media is an extension of that.

If we talk ourselves into believing that our players are shitcunts, then eventually, it will be reflected in the live support.

I just worry that we spent a long time during our league 1 spell with an appalling atmosphere, which (I feel) often had a detrimental effect on the players, especially those with fragile confidence. I would hate to see us fall back into that trap.

I agree that (of the players you mentioned) the initial signs aren't good, and that there's a chance that they'll never reach the required level. I don't think anything can be gained by making personal attacks on their character though.

Not so.

We're the fans, we're responsible for feedback to the players during the game. Social media is an extension of that.

If we talk ourselves into believing that our players are shitcunts, then eventually, it will be reflected in the live support.

I just worry that we spent a long time during our league 1 spell with an appalling atmosphere, which (I feel) often had a detrimental effect on the players, especially those with fragile confidence. I would hate to see us fall back into that trap.

I agree that (of the players you mentioned) the initial signs aren't good, and that there's a chance that they'll never reach the required level. I don't think anything can be gained by making personal attacks on their character though.

I think you overestimate the significance of our input. There is little correlation between what's expressed on here and what reaches the players. If there was, then Bramall Lane would be an absolute bear pit week on week.

If anything, these forums are a cathartic exercise in which people can opine and vent, making it less likely to transfer on to the terraces.
Contrast the volatile nature of these boards under the Clough/Adkins era with the complete apathy in real life and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

My expectations before season start were to be challenging for a play-off spot, with optimistic hopes that we would punch above our weight and challenge for an automatic spot, and a worse case scenario of mid-table "consolidation".
I see no reason to adjust any of that yet.

 

[Bookers Mullet]

My expectation at the start of the season, was between 6th and 10th, but that was before the pantomime that is the boardroom, the ongoing inability to identify realistic targets in the transfer market, Wilder's problem in seeing that Evans, Lundstrum and Stevens are average players at best and the fact that our senior players seem to have aged about 30 years in the spell of 8 weeks

I still think we'll have enough to stay up, but it will be tight. I'm plumping for 18th

 

[Barmyblade]

Good thread. Objective trends analysis explained (before the season started) that we would finish between 16th and 22nd, with 20th the most likely final position.

If you add in any subjectivity (always more contentious) then it could be suggested that we relied heavily on Clarke and Duffy (and Sharp to a lesser extent) last season - and both are at an age when you would expect performance to dip. I would also suggest squad depth has reduced (we certainly have fewer players). So those two factors would lower our position further.

To (possibly) balance that, have our signings over the summer strengthened the first 11. I had hoped so (especially Egan & Henderson) but to be frank, I now fear they haven't (but let's give them time....)

But I was surprised how optimistic most fans were before the season started (including the Uptheblades analysts) seemingly ignoring the issues we faced since December - and I fear we genuinely have a relegation scrap on our hands. And if O'Connell decides he has had enough and fancies a pay rise and a shot at the Premiership, the picture only gets bleaker....

On a positive note, at least our near neighbours aren't any better!!

 

[Roygbiv]

I went 14th before the season started and was quite surprised with some predictions of challenging for the play offs. We are worse than last season due to players getting older, players that have peaked and of course Coutts being out.

We will have done very well to be mid table this season .

 

[snootyfenooty]

The next two games will shape this season. If Wilder digs his heels in and perseveres with that team and formation my expectation is we will be bottom by Christmas, the atmosphere at the Lane will be toxic and we will be back to where we started pre-Wilder. If Wilder acknowledges the current issues and acts on them, i.e. simply by playing the quality we have in the squad (Woodburn, Duffy) and leaving out the dross (Lundstram, Evans) and tweaking the formation (playing with fullbacks), then I don't see any reason we can't progress and be there or thereabouts. All I've seen for the past 8 months is Wilder being bullheaded and getting the narks on if anyone asks him a pointed question.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I’m currently having flashbacks of the ‘87/88 season.

 

[bornablade]

At the start of this season like all seasons my expectations are to finish top.

I cannot understand the point of it all if you don't push yourself to be the very best.

Niw after two games I have had to listen to my manager telling me about how good the opposition players are having played in the World Cup, Premiership etc and realise that he doesn't seem to share my ambitions for the club.

 

[Barmyblade]

The other concerning factors are (1) the confidence and momentum of promotion has gone; and (2) our tactical approach which worked so well, has now been nullified by canny Championship managers, and our tactics haven't yet evolved.

 

[Rusty view]

I truly thought we would be in a relegation scrap this season. With the teams coming down and the teams not going up last season e,g Villa. Coupled with teams seemingly going "S**t or bust" e.g Leeds, Boro, Forrest, I felt coming across points would be much harder than last year.

The Championship has become awash with money, and we just can't/won't compete with these (another discussion point whether we should /shouldn't follow the likes of Forrest).

I'm worried by the start, naturally, but it's not unexpected in my eyes. We'll come good (enough to avoid the drop) but it'll be a season of struggle.

 

[sheff_blade90]

I thought top 10, because I thought we had strengthen & thinking of the 20+ pts we had dropped from winning positions would counteract. any dip in form. but I had hope that Clarke wouldn't still be 1st choice this season because you could see the drop off from February a mile off

 

[JackSUFC]

I expect a mid-table finish. Anywhere from 10th-16th. Ambitious, I know, but that's where we're at.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I went 14th before the season started and was quite surprised with some predictions of challenging for the play offs. We are worse than last season due to players getting older, players that have peaked and of course Coutts being out.

We will have done very well to be mid table this season .

Surely being a year older is a positive for any player under about 29 though (more than 50% of the squad)? And presumably Coutts will play more games this year than last. I'd argue that your points could be an argument for us being stronger.

 

[SteveBlade]

Before the season started, mid table.

Now, relegation scrap.

This could all change over the next few games, and I fucking hope it does.

 

[ekke287]

A Wendy mate and me have a little bet on for who is closest with their predictions for a tenner in.

I've gone 14th for us, a relatively comfortable mid-table finish and 19th for them, again flirting with relegation.

He's gone 20th for us, 2nd for them*.

Really.


* He doesn't think they have enough to be champions this season.

 

[Speedracer]

Before the start of the season I thought we would be challenging for the play offs. But our poor start has seen me modify that to mid-table. I do think with a little tweaking of the team I could revert back to my original thought but at this point it could go either way.

 

[Roygbiv]

Surely being a year older is a positive for any player under about 29 though (more than 50% of the squad)? And presumably Coutts will play more games this year than last. I'd argue that your points could be an argument for us being stronger.

I agree with under 29 thing but 3 of our main players from last season are over 30. Two of them got 32 goals for us and the other is our only creative outlet. I think it was naive to expect the same again from these players.

 

[nopigfansintown]

If we kept Brooks and added Duffy competition, a centre back, a Coutts replacement, a goalkeeper and a minimum of two attackers a play off push with an outside chance of automatic. These player had to be proven high end championship players. If Brooks had to go for mega money to fund it (circa 20 million) I was comfortable with that. We have only added a goalkeeper, one centre back and a few punts.If that stays the same relegation battle.I never judge before the end of a transfer window, nor am I influenced by early results.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I agree with under 29 thing but 3 of our main players from last season are over 30. Two of them got 32 goals for us and the other is our only creative outlet. I think it was naive to expect the same again from these players.

Completely agree that theoretically means we'll be weaker up front, but other areas should be no worse off, or better. I think we all expected a younger striker to come in though (or Brooks to kick on, or both) so people didn't really factor an ancient strike force in to their expectations. Hopefully Woodburn can be that man.

 

[Bladesman]

I think you overestimate the significance of our input. There is little correlation between what's expressed on here and what reaches the players. If there was, then Bramall Lane would be an absolute bear pit week on week.

If anything, these forums are a cathartic exercise in which people can opine and vent, making it less likely to transfer on to the terraces.
Contrast the volatile nature of these boards under the Clough/Adkins era with the complete apathy in real life and you'll see what I mean.

Damn! I was going to get a banner made saying "Sort it out you shitcunts!"

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Must say. I think Blackman has left a big void at the back. After a slow start, we made him into a very good keeper....... then let him go to fucking Leeds!
Just like the old days eh?

 

[Chali 2na]

At the start of this season like all seasons my expectations are to finish top.

I cannot understand the point of it all if you don't push yourself to be the very best.

Niw after two games I have had to listen to my manager telling me about how good the opposition players are having played in the World Cup, Premiership etc and realise that he doesn't seem to share my ambitions for the club.

What are you going to do when your children don't grow up to be astronauts?

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

I am reluctant to write off the season too soon. Sat there at 0-3 after 25mins in the Boro end was starting to make me question lots of things, my sanity amongst them,but I actually think we have played two of the stronger teams. Hopefully we can move away from the 352 back to a flat back four which immediately improved us defensively last night and start to press forward quicker. Some midfield changes needed I think and hopefully the manager sees that too.
QPR is a big one confidence wise. Almost feels like a cup tie which is crazy in August. Win and things start to look slightly better lose and it’s tin hat time on here