Are We in a Genuine Relegation Battle?

[Silent Blade]

Our last 3 relegation battles (2011, 2021 and 2024) were effectively all over long before the end of the season. I have to say I prefer that to the agonising against the odds last day relegation we suffered in 1981, 1994 and 2007.

Relegation battle in 1976 was over in March!

 

[LudlamBlade]

I actually think we should class a 'proper Sheffield United performance' as totally cocking it up as that's far more the norm.

Being up at half time and eventually losing, now that's the Sheff United Way

 

[radio]

I have really enjoyed people talking about top 6 it been filling me with confidence taking away my worry that this is a season just, to avoid relegation , as I have mentioned previously on this thread starting with P5 L5 was really bad and worrying leaving us in a position where a really good run of results (like we have had) could even then have us back in trouble very quickly (like we are) with just a couple of defeats:, just so relieved Wilder was brought back , imagining the position we would now be in if he hadn't returned doesn't bear thinking about ,,, anyway we got some ( like me ) still worried about going down while others still fancying us to make the play offs ,, so here is a question , obviously we want to win our game ,,,but , this weekend championship games include ,,, Millwall(5th) v Charlton(18th) ,,,, Blackburn(22nd) v Watford(7th) ,, ,, Leicester(14th)v Oxford(23rd) ,, ,, Derby (10th)v West Bromwich Albion (19th), Portsmouth(21st) v Southampton(15th) ,, so do we want wins for the teams below us so we can catch those above us ,, or ,,wins for those above us so those below us don't catch us ?

 

[Champagneblade]

There really needs to be far more thought given to the squad build. It was really just thrown together with very little plan in the summer.

In my mind a few considerations before you get to personnel: no players with bad injury histories (Shackleton, Davies). Avoid players with serial relegations to their names (McGuinness, Chong, Ogbene).

Keeper - first choice + experienced back up + promising. Sadly, Davies falls well
short of the required quality.

Full backs - one first choice for each, one back up who can also cover another position e.g. centre back or defensive midfield. I’m perfectly fine with Seriki, McCallum and Burrows but Dunne would have been great to cap this off. Perhaps we have to sacrifice Burrows and bring back Rhys under new finances?

Centre backs - ideally mobile and athletic. Tanganga and Bindon would be fine. Mee will be too old next year but as back up this year I’m ok. We needed another CB who can have a genuine rivalry with Bindon and perhaps can also cover another spot for depth like DM. The game has moved on; a head it, kick it centre backs like McGuiness is bottom two tiers stuff. When Ndiaye skinned him so easily vs Cardiff I remember thinking “thank God we don’t have him!”

Central midfield - very happy with Riedewald. I think the squad needs an able deputy. Peck and a fit Arblaster alongside are decent pairings. If Peck is sold we need a similar all rounder. Ideally another young player breaks through or an up and coming one gets signed but not some old crock please. I’d like 5 here.

Attacking Midfield - Brooks and O’Hare I’m very happy with as they provide offense, work rate and discipline. Chong and Hamer provide neither of those. Ogbene is a bit of a headless chicken. I’d like to think we could pick up some similar hard workers in this space. Obviously he’d be too expensive but an Adama Traore type would be good. Id probably not mind arriving at 5 options overall to retain the option as O’Hare as a 10.

Strikers - Bamford has been great. The rest haven’t. I do however think Cannon plays better alongside Bamford so perhaps some perseverance there is required. If we got the right attacking midfielder I’d be happy with O’Hare off him. With money likely tighter I’d really hope that we could blood Oné to have a breakthrough season next year. In the grand scheme of things Marsh also can progress to be in the mix as a late sub. It leaves a big question mark over Campbell. Keep him or go for another Bamford type. In no world is a Danny Ings part of that solution. Just shows last minute panic.

I just want to see some logic applied to how we build things.

 

[ancientblade]

yes

 

[programmechap]

Relegation battle in 1976 was over in March!

With 6 games to go. Same as in 2021

When we were down in all relegation

1934 3 to go
1949 last day
1956 1 to go
1968 last day
1976 6 to go
1979 last game (though 95% down in the previous game)
1981 last day
1988 lost play off semi
1994 last day
2007 last day
2011 1 to go
2021 6 to go
2024 3 to go.

 

[Selly]

2011 1 to go

I find that astonishing - we didn`t win from mid Dec to Early march and could still have got out of it

 

[programmechap]

I find that astonishing - we didn`t win from mid Dec to Early march and could still have got out of it

With 4 games left, we were bottom and 9 points from safety. We then managed to win our next 2 (including at promotion chasing Reading 3-2 after being 2 down)

We went in our penultimate game at home to Barnsley 6 points adrift and needing an 8 goal turn around in GD, so survival very unlikely but not impossible.

As it happened we drew with Barnsley , but has the 2 teams we've could catch (Palace and Doncaster) also drew, we would have gone down anyway.

 

[Selly]

With 4 games left, we were bottom and 9 points from safety. We then managed to win our next 2 (including at promotion chasing Reading 3-2 after being 2 down)

We went in our penultimate game at home to Barnsley 6 points adrift and needing an 8 goal turn around in GD, so survival very unlikely but not impossible.

As it happened we drew with Barnsley , but has the 2 teams we've could catch (Palace and Doncaster) also drew, we would have gone down anyway.

Goes to show how damaging that run from Dec to March was - win just two of those and we are almost certainly in with a shout. And we were 2-0 up at Scunthorpe if memory serves.

 

[programmechap]

Goes to show how damaging that run from Dec to March was - win just two of those and we are almost certainly in with a shout. And we were 2-0 up at Scunthorpe if memory serves.

Yep, when Adams was appointed we were 2 points outside the relegation zone. We ended up 6 points off safety.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Looking at today's performance, no relegation is likely.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

Still think we’ll finish mid table but for all the play off dreamers out there we’re 8points off 6th with a game in hand

 

[bruce]

Relegation battle in 1976 was over in March!

And in 2011 I think an escape was still mathematically possible with only 2 games to go.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Betwixt and between the bottom and the top.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Given the start to the season, staying up is ok. Only 9 points off the play offs, mind…

 

[luffenhamblade]

Finally think we are safe now. Huge thanks to Wilder and coaching team after such an horrific start. Credit to the players who have turned it round. Roll on next season but will keep the hope alive for that chink of hope we may do the impossible and make the playoffs.

 

[Weasel]

When we sacked the Spanish Peacock and brought CW back, i instantly thought we would be ok again and safe from relegation. Granted there has been a few bumps along the way to recovery (we were 100% going down with Selles in charge) ans it wasnt as quick a turnaround as i thought it would be (and yes CW gets it wrong at times i.e. 7 changes on Weds night) but i have not been concerned about potential relegation at all since he was reappointed. Only once after the Derby County defeat did i have a quick 'we had better be careful here' wobble.

We are safe as houses, and i still hope for the play offs but the margin for errors is getting thinner and thinner especially after the 2 defeats at Charlton and Saints. Can still do it but we need that consistency now or it will be a mid table finish. Relegation this season ? Not a chance in hades. Some fans are quick to panic.

 

[bruce]

Given the start to the season, staying up is ok. Only 9 points off the play offs, mind…

True, but only 6 from the drop zone.
A losing streak of just a few games dumps us right back in it.

 

[Houston_Blade]

We need to play our best 11 and attack the opposition. If we sit back and/or play shit players we’ll get drawn back in.

I get the balance with fitness but we could have had 6 points from the last 2 games fairly easily with better selection at Southampton.

 

[Maltby_blade]

True, but only 6 from the drop zone.
A losing streak of just a few games dumps us right back in it.

Can we not just put this relegation talk to bed now, we need to average less than 1 point per game for the rest of the season to go down, it’s not happening.

 

[Maltby_blade]

Well worth £10 after this wank fest tonight.

Hope you kept hold of that tenner

 

[JJ Sefton]

True, but only 6 from the drop zone.
A losing streak of just a few games dumps us right back in it.

“You’ve gotta have faith” - George Michael

 

[54yrblade]

93-94?
80-81?

We weren't safe at HT in 06-07 - and we haven`t come close to being safe in a relegation battle since then

93-94 mate. Us v Chelsea and 'that' Everton game that sent us down.
Simply horrible

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Promotion is in our sights. Bedwetters GET OUT NOW.

This

 

[Booker4]

Nice that with today's win the Doomsday merchants are less noticeable/quieter. Well probably lose next week saying that given so many out and they'll be back then saying we're dooooomed, dooooomed I tell ya like Frazer from Dad's Army!

 

[JimW1889]

Think we are too good to go down. Very inconsistent, which is why we’ll finish mid table, but when we’re on our game we can beat anyone in this league I think. Teams who go down aren’t capable of turning out some of the performances we have at home this season.

 

[bruce]

Can we not just put this relegation talk to bed now, we need to average less than 1 point per game for the rest of the season to go down, it’s not happening.

Not saying that we will go down, but it is a fact that we are a lot closer to the drop zone than the play off places and that is how it has been for all of the season up to now. A play off place is probably more unlikely than a relegation place.
Anyway, on another note our nearest and dearest are virtually down now. They can get a maximum of 47 points. And to do that they will have to win all 18 of their remaining games.

 

[PaddysMad]

We don’t have consistency we’d be down if Selles was still here.

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

Hope you kept hold of that tenner

Glad I’ve been proved wrong once again.

 

[Silent Blade]

Not saying that we will go down, but it is a fact that we are a lot closer to the drop zone than the play off places and that is how it has been for all of the season up to now. A play off place is probably more unlikely than a relegation place.
Anyway, on another note our nearest and dearest are virtually down now. They can get a maximum of 47 points. And to do that they will have to win all 18 of their remaining games.

18 x 3 = 54