Anyone else feel embarrassed?

[Big Mart]

I agree with that. If it was not for the McCabes of this world, Sheffield United and many other football league clubs would have ceased trading years ago.

I agree, I can't begin to count the number of clubs who've fallen by the wayside because McCabe (God) like figures didn't save them

They say there's no ffol like an old fool and well, it's not for me to state the obvious :nana::dj::nana:

:gallop:

 

[alcoblade]

Shorehamview, I think your post and others like it which point out that the frustration at United is some kind of modern culture affliction are missing the point.
When you have a club that's spectacularly underachieved for generations, the frustration's reasonable.
The list of teams who've achieved more has been repeated many times and if the mantra is look at Leeds, look at Watford, look at Charlton, Forest, Wednesday etc, etc you're actually contributing to the culture of mediocrity that permeates the club.
You're saying things could be worse as of today, which obviously they could. But actually that's the short term view and that's the defeatist view. The reality is that all those clubs have achieved more in the last generation.
Saying things could and should be better is not only the inescapable truth but it's actually the positive view - a view that believes United could and should be better than mediocre.

the problem with your standpoint is that it burdens the current regime with the failures of the past. We can all agree we're under achievers. What we disagree on is the point of wallowing in the pity of it, rather than allowing a clean slate for each new attempt to progress.

UTB

 

[oldblade]

I agree, I can't begin to count the number of clubs who've fallen by the wayside because McCabe (God) like figures didn't save them

They say there's no ffol like an old fool and well, it's not for me to state the obvious :nana::dj::nana:

:gallop:

Well, hello there Marty baby! Please accept my most humble appologies for having written something that didn't fit in with your view of the world. Glad to see that some things never change and you employ the same tactics on this board as you did on the Blades United board.

By the way. What's a ffol?

 

[oldblade]

Shorehamview, I think your post and others like it which point out that the frustration at United is some kind of modern culture affliction are missing the point.
When you have a club that's spectacularly underachieved for generations, the frustration's reasonable.
The list of teams who've achieved more has been repeated many times and if the mantra is look at Leeds, look at Watford, look at Charlton, Forest, Wednesday etc, etc you're actually contributing to the culture of mediocrity that permeates the club.
You're saying things could be worse as of today, which obviously they could. But actually that's the short term view and that's the defeatist view. The reality is that all those clubs have achieved more in the last generation.
Saying things could and should be better is not only the inescapable truth but it's actually the positive view - a view that believes United could and should be better than mediocre.

I agree that the fact that things could be worse is not a very strong argument in support of the way things are at present


Things can always be worse. If your in the conferernce, you could go down to the conference north. And if your in the conference north you could go down further and so on.

However, I do think that as compared to various things that have happened to us in my football club supporting lifetime, we probably are in much healthier shape than we have been for much of that time. That doesn't mean that I'm satisfied with where we are.

Like you, I also would like to see us established as a premier league club and I don't think that is an unrealistic expectation. There are clubs of lower stature and potential than ourselves who have done that, or at least done it for far longer periods than we have!

But, I still recognise that compared to where we were 20 or 30 years ago we have come on considerably. It's that final push that we can't seem to get to grips with.

 

[lenners]

the problem with your standpoint is that it burdens the current regime with the failures of the past. We can all agree we're under achievers. What we disagree on is the point of wallowing in the pity of it, rather than allowing a clean slate for each new attempt to progress.

UTB

Wanting and expecting better isn't wallowing in pity.
We aren't particularly progressing - if we were we would have beaten a WBA team who were there to be beaten yesterday.
The match was a microcosm of SUFC - huff and puff, bits of skill, threatening to overrun the opponents but ultimately always undermined by a lack of conviction, a lack of belief in the final third.
Like the club itself - and some of the fans - the players don't really believe it. There's no killer instinct, no overwhelming desire that they can and will do it.
But when things could be worse, I guess it's not so bad. Except things will always be like this and those clubs where things were worse will probably slip past us as we congratulate ourselves on our cosy mediocrity, an apparently steady bank balance and plans for ground improvements that won't ever happen because we won't ever need them.

 

[oldblade]

Wanting and expecting better isn't wallowing in pity.
We aren't particularly progressing - if we were we would have beaten a WBA team who were there to be beaten yesterday.
The match was a microcosm of SUFC - huff and puff, bits of skill, threatening to overrun the opponents but ultimately always undermined by a lack of conviction, a lack of belief in the final third.
Like the club itself - and some of the fans - the players don't really believe it. There's no killer instinct, no overwhelming desire that they can and will do it.
But when things could be worse, I guess it's not so bad. Except things will always be like this and those clubs where things were worse will probably slip past us as we congratulate ourselves on our cosy mediocrity, an apparently steady bank balance and plans for ground improvements that won't ever happen because we won't ever need them.

There are also clubs who have slipped past us but in a backwards direction as well.

In May 1981 I could never envisage us being even where we are now, let alone in the premier league. And yet against Walsall, we probably played prettier football than we do most of the time now! But it was totally ineffective - just a load of pretty passing movements between our goal area and their's with never any threat to actually get into a position where we might actually score. And for most of that season (and several others around that time) there weren't words to describe how feeble and dire we were.

Things have progressed enourmously since those days.

I agree that we should aspire to better things, but that doesn't mean the garden only contains weeds and slugs.

 

[Big Mart]

Ey up Oldie, you must have a belting memory to remember me from BU thank-you very much, it's a long timesince I was forced into Webbo's walk of shame, chuff me, a VERY long time :thumbup::thumbdown::thumbup:

You don't know what a "ffol" is? It's a Norwegian word for "cretin".........or is it, I guess we'll just have to check it with Bully???? :hello::easy::wave:

:gallop:

 

[bricktop]

I think half of the problem is that our supporters are usually a lot more divided than we could be.

It's been there for years, there was always a pro and anti Porterfield brigade, under the Bassett the kop almost battled with each other during the latter stages of his reign. Warnock polarised opinion and Blackwell does the same.

The one thing i have noticed more over the years is that i tend to analyse what goes off at the Lane a little bit more, and try and understand the reasons and the thinking that goes with a lot of stuff that happens, and it helps me see the bigger picture.

I'm not saying life under Blackwell is a bed or roses because it isn't, but the results aren't too bad at the start of this season, he has sold more than he has brought in since he has been here and i don't think he is doing too bad a job. But others see him as cheap as chips, a yes man for the board and a footballing neanderthal, and they like posting stuff that stirs up trouble as it suits their own agenda.

 

[Fiery Blade]

I think half of the problem is that our supporters are usually a lot more divided than we could be.

It's been there for years, there was always a pro and anti Porterfield brigade, under the Bassett the kop almost battled with each other during the latter stages of his reign. Warnock polarised opinion and Blackwell does the same.

The one thing i have noticed more over the years is that i tend to analyse what goes off at the Lane a little bit more, and try and understand the reasons and the thinking that goes with a lot of stuff that happens, and it helps me see the bigger picture.

I'm not saying life under Blackwell is a bed or roses because it isn't, but the results aren't too bad at the start of this season, he has sold more than he has brought in since he has been here and i don't think he is doing too bad a job. But others see him as cheap as chips, a yes man for the board and a footballing neanderthal, and they like posting stuff that stirs up trouble as it suits their own agenda.

I believe the crux of most of the problems is the lack of communication from the Lane:
Whilst selling the cover for our centre back position two days before transfer deadline appears worrying we have had no official reason behind the sale eg Blackwell stating that we have adequate cover in that department or I am due to complete a signing to strengthen that position. What do we get nothing - the fact that Bromby was on the bench on Saturday sold on Sunday just adds to the mystery!
Last season we had the same up front just before the deadline and then panicked and signed Craig Beattie and Lupoli - Enough said!

 

[Linz]

I think half of the problem is that our supporters are usually a lot more divided than we could be.

Aye... and I think it's a case that never the twain shall meet.

It's pointless trying to get someone who cannot see the good about United to lighten up a bit, just like it's pointless trying to see someone who cannot see the bad to understand some situations.

What irritates me is that many people lie in between these two polar opposites yet people try to invalidate their opinion by applying labels to them.

Apparently you can't be positive about something at the Lane yet see there are problems elsewhere because this doesn't align with certain peoples' views of the world... it's much easier to write them off as a "clapper" or a "knocker" than it is to actually read what they're saying... which is usually a mixture of both.

I don't understand this idea of over or under achieving though. Surely we deserve to be where we are because that's where we are? You can hope for better, yeah. But isn't expecting it a bit folly?

There are 92 teams in the league who could argue that they expect to finish Champions of the Premiership... but just because they say it, doesn't mean that 91 of those teams aren't going to be disappointed come May.

Some people will find satisfaction in watching United, whether that's for the good reasons because we've achieved something or for the bad reasons because they have confirmed their dim view of the world. Others will never be satisfied... but each to their own.

All we can do is sing as we go.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Spot on Linz, BU used to be criticized for being 'cliquey' but part of the reason was people being presumed to be in one camp or another as if everything was black and white and their views were often judged accordingly. A difference of opinion doesn't make either viewpoint right or wrong and neither should people be criticized because they have different reasons for supporting SUFC and different ways of measuring success and ambition.

 

[raul]

Ebohneeeeeeee and Ivorrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :thumbup: