Are we a L2 side?

[metalblade]

Amazing isn't it how we can bring in talented players and within a few short weeks we have coached any said talent out of them

 

[pommpey]

Keep saying this, but it's the red-and-white kit. For some fucked-up reason, even van Persie would come here, trot out in the stripes and play like a fucking badger with three legs. No idea when, how this started, but it has been like a slowly deflating balloon, hasn't it? And the maddening thing is, when I click on Gillette Soccer Satdi and overplay that with the BBC Scores and S24SU most Saturdays, fuck me don't you see a load of ex-Blades involved in other people's games, ' ... beautiful cross from Lowton onto the head of Benteke ... ', ' ... penalty smashed home by Henderson ... ', ' ... Stead slotted home coolly from just inside the box ... ', ' ... Britton involved in the build-up ... '. ' ... Cotterill ... ', ' ... Dyer ... ' ... who is saying Doyle doesn't get sold and goes on to play for Arsenal? Okay, maybe not. But you know what I mean.

Is it 'the club'? Is it 'Sheffield United', or not the players? It can't be the managers ... we aren't led by Robson any more, or even Blackwell.

Common denominator throughout all our demise?

Don't spend too much time thinking about this, guys and girls. Next May (or even sooner to get relegated) isn't that far away ...

pommpey

 

[Menjo]

There are major problems in the dressing room and the Board were told at the end of last season just who the troublemakers are but have they done anything about it. Of course not. Therein lies the problem. They should just pay them off and get rid of the poison that's killing the Blades.

 

[bladeinspaceandtime]

There are major problems in the dressing room and the Board were told at the end of last season just who the troublemakers are but have they done anything about it. Of course not. Therein lies the problem. They should just pay them off and get rid of the poison that's killing the Blades.

Which makes it more unbelievable that the board brought in a "wet behind the ears" manager in Weir.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

There are major problems in the dressing room and the Board were told at the end of last season just who the troublemakers are but have they done anything about it. Of course not. Therein lies the problem. They should just pay them off and get rid of the poison that's killing the Blades.

Who are they then?

 

[Fiery Blade]

Who are they then?

Whilst I'm not ITK
Stands out to me Doyle, Collins and McMahon !

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Someone told me recently that Academy players are certainly not fond of Collins which surprises me. Unsubstantiated and friend of a friemd stuff, but that's what I heard...

 

[Grecian2000]

If we aren't a League2 side YET, it's only a matter of time surely.

We have, over several seasons, sold our better players and "replaced" them with poorer ones (ah, but it was "good business" at the time, I hear you say OR "everyone is replaceable" is another favourite). This is, was (see our previous blueprint for top flight to bottom flight as patented in 1976), and ALWAYS will be, the way to make you shite.
Plenty of people have suggested this is not the best way forward (usually shouted down for some bizarre reason) but it has continued and appears to be continuing (I appreciate Baxter/Cuvelier are Pele incarnate at the side of waster McDonald but . . .) until we are where we are now. The only question is, will the Prince provide the impetus to change it around or are we still hell bent on our road to ruin?
Something stinks at the very core of the club and it has to be rooted out before the bottom of the valley is even in sight, never mind reached.

On the plus side, we are the sale of George Long away from being unable to sell anymore "best players" as we literally haven't got any, just 50 shades of brown stuff!

 

[pommpey]

Common denominator, guys?

C'mon ...

We finally gain promotion to the top flight ... fail to invest in the team ... get immediately relegated ... sack the manager ... appoint a pisshead ... fail to achieve ... waste money ... fail to achieve ... sack another ... appoint another ... fail to achieve ... end up potless ... sell assets ... fail to achieve ... sackings ... appointments ... relegations ... c'mon Bladesmen ... it's on the tips of your tongues ...

pommpey

 

[sheffielder]

Common denominator, guys?

C'mon ...

We finally gain promotion to the top flight ... fail to invest in the team ... get immediately relegated ... sack the manager ... appoint a pisshead ... fail to achieve ... waste money ... fail to achieve ... sack another ... appoint another ... fail to achieve ... end up potless ... sell assets ... fail to achieve ... sackings ... appointments ... relegations ... c'mon Bladesmen ... it's on the tips of your tongues ...

pommpey

Pommpey?

 

[alcoblade]

Ah sorry, see what you mean now. So what we are both probably saying is we could take it back to when Morgan got injured and never played again?

Youcan take it back to Robson, surely? That set the financial disaster rolling

Common denominator, guys?

C'mon ...

We finally gain promotion to the top flight ... fail to invest in the team ... get immediately relegated ... sack the manager ... appoint a pisshead ... fail to achieve ... waste money ... fail to achieve ... sack another ... appoint another ... fail to achieve ... end up potless ... sell assets ... fail to achieve ... sackings ... appointments ... relegations ... c'mon Bladesmen ... it's on the tips of your tongues ...

pommpey

I stopped at "guys". You've been darn sarf too long.



UTB

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Common denominator, guys?

C'mon ...

We finally gain promotion to the top flight ... fail to invest in the team ... get immediately relegated ... sack the manager ... appoint a pisshead ... fail to achieve ... waste money ... fail to achieve ... sack another ... appoint another ... fail to achieve ... end up potless ... sell assets ... fail to achieve ... sackings ... appointments ... relegations ... c'mon Bladesmen ... it's on the tips of your tongues ...

pommpey

Hoof


We should have passed it round our own half for 5 years and kept the ball, then no fucker would have scored against us and we'd have ruled the world

 

[madeinsheffield]

Common denominator, guys?

C'mon ...

We finally gain promotion to the top flight ... fail to invest in the team ... get immediately relegated ... sack the manager ... appoint a pisshead ... fail to achieve ... waste money ... fail to achieve ... sack another ... appoint another ... fail to achieve ... end up potless ... sell assets ... fail to achieve ... sackings ... appointments ... relegations ... c'mon Bladesmen ... it's on the tips of your tongues ...

pommpey

Are you blaming us lot?

 

[alcoblade]

Are you blaming us lot?

McCabe, I'd imagine. He'd be right too, largely.

UTB

 

[Bladesman]

Not yet but we are working towards it.

Bare with them.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

L2 Players; Howard, Flynn, Murphy, McGinty, Westlake, Williams, Porter, Ironside, King & Taylor.

L1 Players; Long, Hill, McMahon, Maguire, Doyle, Cuvelier, Baxter, McGinn, Brandy, McFadzean, Miller

If you play those two teams against each other they'd probably both lose!

 

[mattbianco1]

I disagree to tell the truth. I think we've got a handful of poor players interspersed with a majority of very good League One players playing very poorly.

Exactly.

On paper we have a great squad for this division. They are playing with extremely low confidence following the shambles that Weir brought to us.

One thing I will say about Weir is that he has brought in good players he just couldn't get them to gel. Reminds me of Bryan Robson.

The players he's brought in: McGinn, Baxter, King, Cuvelier etc. are all top end L1/Low end Championship players.

We have a top 6 squad without a shadow of doubt - it's just we may be too far behind already. We need like a 4 win run or at least an 8 game unbeaten run or something to get us back in the mix up.

Of the "L2" players that you have put Deadly_D'Jaffo - i don't agree with Flynn, Murphy, Porter, Ironside, King & Taylor.

Taylor has played excellent since Weir left.
King - when not being lazy is great. Problem is, he's very lazy.
Porter - here we go again... He is an excellent foil for a second striker. Either Miller or Taylor would link up well with him.
Flynn & Murphy are players low on confidence and are never getting a long enough run in the team. Flynn was great against Crewe and capped off his performance with a good goal.
Ironside never got the chance really under Wilson and is now getting on in drips and drabs in a low-in-confidence team - get off his back.

The ones i do agree with are:
McGinty looks like a lanky idiot that has never played football in his life.
Westlake shows glimpses then fucks up.

 

[Grecian2000]

Taylor has played excellent since Weir left.
King - when not being lazy is great. Problem is, he's very lazy.
Porter - here we go again... He is an excellent foil for a second striker. Either Miller or Taylor would link up well with him.
Flynn & Murphy are players low on confidence and are never getting a long enough run in the team. Flynn was great against Crewe and capped off his performance with a good goal.
Ironside never got the chance really under Wilson and is now getting on in drips and drabs in a low-in-confidence team - get off his back.

I must say I find that list a bit bizarre.

1. You must have the lowest expectations known to man if you think Taylor has been "excellent". He's gone from piss poor to average.
2. King, more get up and go in a fucking corpse.
3. Yep, here we go again. Perhaps Chezzie can get back to winning ways now. Once again "excellent". Never has been, nev . . . . .
4. They don't get long enough in the team because they can't string even back to back decent appearances together. At least Flynn tries.
5. Doesn't look the part at all. To be fair he's done well to make it out of the academy because he was always overshadowed by Slew and I didn't think he looked anything special even back then.

As I've put earlier in this thread we have, over time, damaged the squad very badly. There are a few players who are adequate and a few more who aren't. There is no-one who could ever be described as excellent.

 

[oldblade]

Are we a L2 side?

Well, if we aren't yet, we are making a valiant effort at becoming one.

 

[mattbianco1]

I must say I find that list a bit bizarre.

1. You must have the lowest expectations known to man if you think Taylor has been "excellent". He's gone from piss poor to average.
2. King, more get up and go in a fucking corpse.
3. Yep, here we go again. Perhaps Chezzie can get back to winning ways now. Once again "excellent". Never has been, nev . . . . .
4. They don't get long enough in the team because they can't string even back to back decent appearances together. At least Flynn tries.
5. Doesn't look the part at all. To be fair he's done well to make it out of the academy because he was always overshadowed by Slew and I didn't think he looked anything special even back then.

As I've put earlier in this thread we have, over time, damaged the squad very badly. There are a few players who are adequate and a few more who aren't. There is no-one who could ever be described as excellent.

Since Weir left the man of the match award (on this forum) has gone to:

Taylor
Taylor
Flynn
Maguire
and currently Flynn is leading the Shrewsbury one.

Taylor's work rate has been second to none recently and he's been getting himself into better scoring positions too. Flynn always gives a workhorse performance but his lack of pace lets him down IMO. If Flynn had the pace to beat the full backs he would be rated a lot higher by us Blades.

Murphy has shown glimpses but he's always put out wide. I'd like to see him CF.

Porter - Proved a great foil for Miller last season before Miller got injured. Heskey did Porters job for years and had knockers throughout his career just because people think a forward should score goals and that's it. Nothing else.

King - i agree with your comment but, when he does look interested he has the capability to tear this league apart. To be classed as a League 2 player is utter bollocks. He scored 14 goals in the league above us last season for a team that nearly got relegated.

Ironside - he seems to have got this heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders, why? If he had come through the ranks in our first season in League 1 he would be a totally different player as he would have slotted into a team full of high confidence players that were scoring for fun and creating chances every couple of minutes. He's a young lad that gets slated by everybody.

 

[alcoblade]

Flynn was great against Crewe and capped off his performance with a good goal.
.

Yes, agreed. That's where it ends though. He's a weakling with no particular edge to his game, slow, weak, not tricky - but honest and works hard. I'd love it to be different, but as with Porter, it's the constant apologising for such low quality that has seen us descend the leagues.

Porter and Flynn nd definitely league 2 players. You don't need many more, coupled with lack of confidence amongst the rest, and you can end up in league 2, as witnessed in 1980.

UTB

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Taylor has played excellent since Weir left.
King - when not being lazy is great. Problem is, he's very lazy.
Porter - here we go again... He is an excellent foil for a second striker. Either Miller or Taylor would link up well with him.
Flynn & Murphy are players low on confidence and are never getting a long enough run in the team. Flynn was great against Crewe and capped off his performance with a good goal.
Ironside never got the chance really under Wilson and is now getting on in drips and drabs in a low-in-confidence team - get off his back.

Taylor - Grecian2000 has it spot on, he has marginally improved and was prolific in a league that equates to our conference at best. His workrate over the last 4 games = 10/10 but his ability = 4/10 even at this level.

King - Great when not being lazy? When he is not being lazy? Where are his flashes of greatness other then a decent finish vs. Crawley? Every game he has played he casually strolls about, he exerts himself more during the warm up.

Porter - An excellent foil for a second striker? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one, we've not seen him play as a foil for someone recently and i'd rather have him up front then King but that's because he is the lesser of two evils. However when you are farmed out on loan to a L2 side full of confidence, creating chances and don't get a single goal or assist that should tell you something. In fact, even Chessie fans turned on him!

Flynn and Murphy are players who have been low on confidence ever since they stepped foot at SUFC. Flynn has had two good games whilst he has been here, home vs. Notts County two years ago and other week against Crewe. Murphy has showed us even less in proportion (Why did we ever think that Scotland was an untapped market for talent better then we have on our doorstep?).

Ironside has had plenty of stakes to claim a first team spot post-Ched Evans but it's never happened. When he came on against Bradford he looked every bit as useless as Porter. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I cannot or haven't seen anything to get excited about.

 

[Harry's Game]

Getting closer to league two, bottom two in league one again after Bristol City's win over Crawley.. 54 points is the accepted safety zone at the level, looking a long way away at the moment.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Getting closer to league two, bottom two in league one again after Bristol City's win over Crawley.. 54 points is the accepted safety zone at the level, looking a long way away at the moment.

We'll get 60.

Yer need to read my posts

 

[MBoreman]

Exactly.

On paper we have a great squad for this division. They are playing with extremely low confidence following the shambles that Weir brought to us.

One thing I will say about Weir is that he has brought in good players he just couldn't get them to gel. Reminds me of Bryan Robson.

The players he's brought in: McGinn, Baxter, King, Cuvelier etc. are all top end L1/Low end Championship players.

We have a top 6 squad without a shadow of doubt - it's just we may be too far behind already. We need like a 4 win run or at least an 8 game unbeaten run or something to get us back in the mix up.

Of the "L2" players that you have put Deadly_D'Jaffo - i don't agree with Flynn, Murphy, Porter, Ironside, King & Taylor.

Taylor has played excellent since Weir left.
King - when not being lazy is great. Problem is, he's very lazy.
Porter - here we go again... He is an excellent foil for a second striker. Either Miller or Taylor would link up well with him.
Flynn & Murphy are players low on confidence and are never getting a long enough run in the team. Flynn was great against Crewe and capped off his performance with a good goal.
Ironside never got the chance really under Wilson and is now getting on in drips and drabs in a low-in-confidence team - get off his back.

The ones i do agree with are:
McGinty looks like a lanky idiot that has never played football in his life.
Westlake shows glimpses then fucks up.

I may be wrong on this, but how do you know we have a top 6 squad? How much have you seen of the other squads in the league? I'm not saying I know either. We have a lot of players who promise a lot but give little, in my view often down to excessive expectations and constant groans from fans, but what in our squad suggests we should be in the top 6? We don't particularly have anyone who has starred at this level, some have done well in good teams but not much else.

I agree with you on the players except Ironside. Like I said confidence is often knocked by fans moans meaning players begin to fear failure to much. It's so obvious how much Murphy, Flynn and Taylor thrive on confidence. Porter tends to win his headers and will do the dirty work for the likes of Miller or Murphy if played with him. I'm undecided on King, but I'm near certain Ironside will drift away from the club.

 

[mattbianco1]

I may be wrong on this, but how do you know we have a top 6 squad? How much have you seen of the other squads in the league? I'm not saying I know either. We have a lot of players who promise a lot but give little, in my view often down to excessive expectations and constant groans from fans, but what in our squad suggests we should be in the top 6? We don't particularly have anyone who has starred at this level, some have done well in good teams but not much else.

I agree with you on the players except Ironside. Like I said confidence is often knocked by fans moans meaning players begin to fear failure to much. It's so obvious how much Murphy, Flynn and Taylor thrive on confidence. Porter tends to win his headers and will do the dirty work for the likes of Miller or Murphy if played with him. I'm undecided on King, but I'm near certain Ironside will drift away from the club.

I play Football Manager so know their stats - only joking!!

On a serious note - we finished in the top 6 last season playing boring negative football and have strengthened the squad. The players that weir brought in more than capable.

McGinn - Playing week-in-week-out in the Championship until he got a serious injury and Udinese decided to give Watford their entire reserve squad.
Cuvelier - had two good spells in this league with Walsall. He was highly rated at Stoke and I was surprised we managed to get him on a permanent.
Baxter - stand out player for Oldham last season and definite potential to be a hit with us.
Taylor - Started slowly but since Weir has left his workrate has improved and his confidence has been boosted. Scored a couple of decent goals vs Coventry and the disallowed goal vs Port Vale (i think) was unbelievable. He wasn't even shooting from 6 yards under Weir then he rams one in from 30.
Lappin - He has proved steady and can cover numerous positions. He's a Championship player.
King - 14 goals in the Championship last term
Brandy - petulent little wanker that dives all the time, but my god he's a slippery little fucker, extremely skilfull and was Walsalls leading assist maker when Will Grigg finished leagues top scorer.

Couple that together with Long, Maguire & Collins - pivotal in the clean sheets haul last season and it's easy to see how we are definitely under performing.

This league is totally shite. any team that strings together 3 or 4 wins on the bounce makes a name for themselves. Wolves, Peterborough & Leyton Orient have pulled clear because they have shown consistency. Other that this league is there for the taking. We should be aiming for a top 6 finish not a "survival campaign". We have a better squad than last season, hopefully Clough can help them gel.

 

[blade too long]

If Cloughie cant see what a tosspot King is we could be in trouble , he did quickly identify Collins has lost any form of pace, and several others who just arent up to it, if these arent adressed we could put ourselves in danger, but I believe hes a bit too canny to not do it.
We as fans tend to get carried away with a few wins , ( just look at wendies , they are suddenly back up there with man utd according to owlstalk ) but likewise a defeat away while hes bedding in , down to Brandys short fuse is no cause to panic,,,just yet

 

[IOM Blade]

Keep saying this, but it's the red-and-white kit. For some fucked-up reason, even van Persie would come here, trot out in the stripes and play like a fucking badger with three legs. No idea when, how this started, but it has been like a slowly deflating balloon, hasn't it? And the maddening thing is, when I click on Gillette Soccer Satdi and overplay that with the BBC Scores and S24SU most Saturdays, fuck me don't you see a load of ex-Blades involved in other people's games, ' ... beautiful cross from Lowton onto the head of Benteke ... ', ' ... penalty smashed home by Henderson ... ', ' ... Stead slotted home coolly from just inside the box ... ', ' ... Britton involved in the build-up ... '. ' ... Cotterill ... ', ' ... Dyer ... ' ... who is saying Doyle doesn't get sold and goes on to play for Arsenal? Okay, maybe not. But you know what I mean.

Is it 'the club'? Is it 'Sheffield United', or not the players? It can't be the managers ... we aren't led by Robson any more, or even Blackwell.

Common denominator throughout all our demise?

Don't spend too much time thinking about this, guys and girls. Next May (or even sooner to get relegated) isn't that far away ...

pommpey

Its the badge. Used to be threatening, but now looks too bubbly, like a blow up balloon or something.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

If Cloughie cant see what a tosspot King is we could be in trouble , he did quickly identify Collins has lost any form of pace, and several others who just arent up to it, if these arent adressed we could put ourselves in danger, but I believe hes a bit too canny to not do it.
We as fans tend to get carried away with a few wins , ( just look at wendies , they are suddenly back up there with man utd according to owlstalk ) but likewise a defeat away while hes bedding in , down to Brandys short fuse is no cause to panic,,,just yet

When did Clough say that? He took Collins off only because he had a big lump on his head.
I must have missed his "Collins has lost all his pace and several others aren't up to it" speech.
Thank goodness too. Even if he thinks that, he shouldn't be saying it publically and he won't.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

I honestly don't think I've ever been as embarrassed to be a United fan as I am at the moment. I thought it was bad during the Ched Evans trial period, but at the moment we have a squad that has a sincere lack of character and negative influences., something that won't be remedied any time soon.