91 points finish

[Yewsman]

I am sure Boro got closer to us than that during the match at Norwich. I am sure they were only like 1 or 2 points behind us while it was 0-0 and they were winning. The game against Norwich and their game against Huddersfield was where we saw them off.

Luton looked a threat but they had a habit of drawing lots of games which is what eventually slowed them down catching us. They have only lost 8 games all season but they drew 17 games.

We’ll that day we played Norwich if we had lost and Boro had beaten Huddersfield Boro would have gone above us equal on points but with better goal difference. As it turned out we won, Boro lost so we were 6 points clear at the end of the afternoon. Big turning point I think.

Carrick then got Manager of the season award I think. Bit premature bearing in mind at the end of the season they were 16 points behind us!

 

[Bladesman]

We’ll that day we played Norwich if we had lost and Boro had beaten Huddersfield Boro would have gone above us equal on points but with better goal difference. As it turned out we won, Boro lost so we were 6 points clear at the end of the afternoon. Big turning point I think.

Carrick then got Manager of the season award I think. Bit premature bearing in mind at the end of the season they were 16 points behind us!

Yep, we still had a game in hand as well though.

 

[Kizmet]

We’ll that day we played Norwich if we had lost and Boro had beaten Huddersfield Boro would have gone above us equal on points but with better goal difference. As it turned out we won, Boro lost so we were 6 points clear at the end of the afternoon. Big turning point I think.

Carrick then got Manager of the season award I think. Bit premature bearing in mind at the end of the season they were 16 points behind us!

Kompany.got manager of the season.

 

[Oreyt]

Well done blades and well done Hecky. Everyone else can go suck Don Goodmans hymen

That escalated quickly!

 

[blade67]

91 points is big for a runner up. It's more than last season's champions, Fulham, who seemed to dominate the league.
We've been utterly exceptional at getting results this season, even when missing big players through injury.
Hopefully our ability to grind out results and defend, will help massively next season.

Our defence is good, but we need to strengthen the midfield to have a chance

 

[Weasel]

We’ll that day we played Norwich if we had lost and Boro had beaten Huddersfield Boro would have gone above us equal on points but with better goal difference. As it turned out we won, Boro lost so we were 6 points clear at the end of the afternoon. Big turning point I think.

Carrick then got Manager of the season award I think. Bit premature bearing in mind at the end of the season they were 16 points behind us!

Yes this was a big day for us. Another one and a more important one was actually the midweek matches when Boro who were flying drew at home 1-1 with Stoke whilst the following night we won at Sunderland after PH finally saw the light and started with Doyle and McAtee in the same starting 11. The Norwich weekend was big and definitely swung it out way to the point that I genuinely thought we would do it then, but the Sunderland win and team selection was the deciding point imo.

 

[10-0 win]

Better squad than last promotion, but we're in for a stiff challenge to stay up. Impressive run in though, great times.

 

[Tarqs]

I am sure Boro got closer to us than that during the match at Norwich. I am sure they were only like 1 or 2 points behind us while it was 0-0 and they were winning. The game against Norwich and their game against Huddersfield was where we saw them off.

Luton looked a threat but they had a habit of drawing lots of games which is what eventually slowed them down catching us. They have only lost 8 games all season but they drew 17 games.

At half time, the gap was down to 1 point.

At full time it was 6 lol

 

[Bladesman]

At half time, the gap was down to 1 point.

At full time it was 6 lol

I was shitting the bed before that match but once I saw the results afterwards I thought "Yeah, thats probably us promoted"

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Some said Boro would leave us for behind in their wake

MMMWWAAHHAHAAAHAA IDIOTS

I think Cov will turn Boro over in the play offs which will be the icing on the cake for me … my prediction Cov -Sunderland final

 

[JayGreen17]

On the whole it was an impressive season. Apart from a worrying wobble in spring, we were comfortably second for the majority. The disappointing bit for me (and why it probably doesn’t feel like promotion should do) is that we showed that we have the quality to dismantle most teams however for the second half of the season we seemed to grind out results against teams that we should have beaten comfortably and had we played like we did after hecky took over last season - for all of this season, i am certain we would have run Burnley a lot closer.

Maybe Hecky was able to play with the handbrake off last year and was more cautious this time round. Maybe the take over / finance situation played a part. Fair play to him though, he got us up in his first full season and for that he should be lauded.

We played like Middlesbrough did last as they did this, steameollering up the league then went caution later on when the playoffs were in sight, Hecky pretty much played the more steady approach this knowing that its a helluva long season,I totally think if we didn’t have that really bad injury crisis and spell in Oct we’d have finished top.
The way we currently play and manage games will definitely stand us in good stand for next season. I’d definitely back us to finish above Burnley next year.

 

[SouthStandGBlock]

Fantastic achievement for Hecky and the players, 91 points and in the automatics for most of the season. Considering what was going on behind the scenes and no JTW makes it even more impressive.

Bigger budget next season - it might even stretch to paint and fertilizer.........

 

[Bladesman]

We played like Middlesbrough did last as they did this, steameollering up the league then went caution later on when the playoffs were in sight, Hecky pretty much played the more steady approach this knowing that its a helluva long season,I totally think if we didn’t have that really bad injury crisis and spell in Oct we’d have finished top.
The way we currently play and manage games will definitely stand us in good stand for next season. I’d definitely back us to finish above Burnley next year.

Interesting to see Kompany sign a new deal, I thought he might be looking elsewhere already.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Interesting to see Kompany sign a new deal, I thought he might be looking elsewhere already.

He will be, all about the compo.

 

[Blade56]

"Coventry City booked the other slot thanks to a 1-1 draw away against already promoted Middlesbrough"

BBC website. No wonder Carrick is good if he can get them already promoted from 4th place

That’s what happens when you let so many women get involved and take over the men’s game!





what? I’m 71 so I can say owt I want

 

[Blade56]

Please take note, all you cry babies, who were predicting our downfall.
Next season will be tough of course, so try and stop the moaning, early doors.It’s a long season.Many on here we’re writing us off this season,after losing one game at Watford.

I’m a cry baby, bedwetter, doom sayer Et Al.

it’s a defence mechanism that has been a natural evolution for fans of a certain age. You young uns have never felt to disappointment and despair let alone the ribbing from S6 after going from top tier finishing 7th under Furphey to D4 so cut us some slack. Imagine travelling to all those D2, D3 and D4 games and grounds, it was a living hell seeing us lose until we eventually turned it round, but we stuck with them then so we are wobbley bummed now.

As for next season, it will be determined by events off the pitch. HJSMc have done a great job given the sh!t they’ve had to put up with but doing it int best, richest league in the world will be so much harder, nay, impossible.

Would be nice going up with the prospect of financial and owner stability so our football fate would be in our own hands. But I don’t think it will so just going to enjoy the ride and watching us play 38 games against the top clubs.

 

[SLB]

I was shitting the bed before that match but once I saw the results afterwards I thought "Yeah, thats probably us promoted"

I felt exactly the same. Although not as dramatic as "Basham arriving" or even Dowell at WBA, it was that Norwich game where something changed for me.

 

[Flumps]

I think a lot of the over reactions were relatively justified given our history of doing that sort of thing.

Things got a slight bit squiffy for a moment and it's easy to understand why fans were having PTSD, I'm not going to lie I got a little tense for a moment. What is interesting is all the other fan bases. My mate who's Spurs was constantly saying "ah who cares, you're 11 points clear you're up" and he was saying the same even when we dropped to 5 points. Even listening to the Wednesday nutcases and the Boro fans that were so confident they'd done the job before it had been done, why can't we be that optimistic!

It may not have been very pretty but when things were becoming tough for the squad Hecky and the lads dug in and held firm, ground out some scrappy results and got their rewards. Somehow a high points tally, promoted with 4 games left, a low conceded goal figure and a Wembley semi has been overshadowed.

 

[Snowflake]

Magnificent achievement, against a complete shit show in the background. But,don’t worry,there will be plenty of idle hands and minds waiting to tap on their keyboards how wank some of our players are. Sell em all !

Just wait until we sign someone and then see the negative comments ! What will happen should we lose a match in the PL I shudder to think.

 

[Snowflake]

Our defence is good, but we need to strengthen the midfield to have a chance

What about the left side of the defence ? I think we need a couple in there.

 

[MJM]

Note also, for all their supposed dominance and hype this season, we won just one fewer game than Burnley.

I've been saying this for bloody ages!

 

[brownblade]

If it wasn't for the spell where we had a injury list in the double figures I think we could have got 100 points. A special squad

Absolutely. We might have challenged for, or won, the title without the insane injury pile up.

Burnley had a pressure free cruise to the title really, though obviously recruited very well in the summer. If being chased they might well have lost more matches.

Absolutely fantastic season for Blades; Underrated squad and management I feel.

 

[Headshrinker]

Huddersfield finished as far off playoffs as Boro did to us in the end.

The funniest part is that so many thought Boro would actually never lose another match.

 

[Silent Blade]

Our best ever points total in the second tier I believe
89 in 18-19 and 90 in 05-06
Great season, fair play to Hecky and the lads

We got 60 points (2 points for a win) from 42 games in 1952/53 season and we finished champions. 85 points if it was 3 points for a win so 85 divided by 42 times 46 equals 93 points

 

[blade67]

What about the left side of the defence ? I think we need a couple in there.

We'll need to replace Clark with someone, but the truth is that our left side of defence has been fine. Only 39 goals conceded over 46 games tells the story, especially when our possesion stats are mid table. We spent most of the season conceding lots of possesion, but because we were tight at the back we got away with it. Doyle and McAtee changed that a bit late on but with them gone, midfield is the major priority to sort out over the next couple of months

Asuming Berge stays, he's currently our only senior profesiional with a contract for next season. I'd expect Norwood and Osborn to be offered something, which they will consider alongside any other offers, leaving between 3 and 6 incoming required

 

[Norwood's 6 iron]

Our left side is dire, apart from RND,we need a total rebuild down that side.
JLT is worth keeping on the bench, but he lacks the pace to cope with some of the speedy wide players that we will come up against.
Yes we only conceded 39 goals, but premiership strikers are different gravy and we will be torn apart down that side if we don't strengthen.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Absolutely. We might have challenged for, or won, the title without the insane injury pile up.

Burnley had a pressure free cruise to the title really, though obviously recruited very well in the summer. If being chased they might well have lost more matches.

Absolutely fantastic season for Blades; Underrated squad and management I feel.

To be fair, when you really put the pressure on after the World Cup (7 wins and 2 draws) Burnley responded by pulling away, not faltering (9 wins). Burnley only lost their way a little when the pressure fell away a little.

 

[BladesOnToast]

Huddersfield finished as far off playoffs as Boro did to us in the end.

Great stat.

Another interesting one: after 17games - more than a third of the way through the season - 3 of the bottom 4 were Middlesbrough, Coventry (qualified for playoffs) and West Brom (narrowly missed out)

 

[mattbianco1]

To be fair, when you really put the pressure on after the World Cup (7 wins and 2 draws) Burnley responded by pulling away, not faltering (9 wins). Burnley only lost their way a little when the pressure fell away a little.

Yeah it's OK saying you only won 1 more game, but it's the L column too. You were able to draw the games that we ended up losing. you drew 14 to our 7.