Article about us by the guardians resident blade

[Highbury_Blade]

From the Guardian

Fingers of blame are pointing in so many directions at Bramall Lane you'd think Dr Octopus had taken up residence in the red half of the Steel City. It's Bryan Robson's fault, Kevin Blackwell's fault, the board's fault, the players' fault or, increasingly, Micky Adams's fault. Regardless of where culpability truly lies one thing is for certain – Sheffield United, five points from Championship safety, are staring down the barrel of a return to the level they last blasted clear of in 1989.

The omens are not good. A look at the former top-flight clubs to topple into the third tier over the past 20 years shows a pretty strong pattern:

Team
Relegated from top flight
Relegated from Championship
Seasons in Championship
Bradford 2000-01 2003-04 3
Southampton 2004-05 2008-09 4
Wimbledon 1999-00 2003-04 4
Oldham 1993-94 1996-97 3
Sheff Wed 1999-00 2002-03 3
Notts Co 1991-92 1994-95 3
QPR 1995-96 2000-01 5
Nottm Forest 1998-99 2004-05 6
Norwich 2004-05 2008-09 4
Leeds 2003-04 2007-08 3
Leicester 2003-04 2007-08 4
Charlton 2006-07 2008-09 2
Millwall 1989-90 1995-96 6
Barnsley 1997-98 2001-02 4
Man City 1995-96 1997-98 2
Luton 1991-92 1995-96 4
Swindon 1993-94 1994-95 1
Of the 17 teams to go from the first to the third tier since 1990, 11 have spent either three or four seasons in the Championship on the way down. The pattern gets more pronounced since 2000 – of eight teams only Charlton Athletic buck the three/four-year trend. (Plenty of teams have bounced back up in that time, of course, but only Coventry City, who stick barnacle-like to any division they find themselves in, have made the Championship a long-term home). This is Sheffield United's fourth season since relegation, the point in the post-parachute cycle when ex-top-flight teams seem to be at their lowest ebb, and they are in precarious shape – a threadbare squad propped up on inexperienced loanees, morale in the gutter and a increasingly-disconnected fanbase beginning to wonder if a season or two in League One might actually bring the sort of cleansing purge the club needs.

The Blades travel to Glanford Park to face Scunthorpe this evening with, like a dysenteric Napoleonic soldier, severe problems at both ends. Nobody has scored fewer than their 28 in the league. Only three teams have a worse defensive record. Six of their seven wins have been 1-0 victories, but even those have dried up of late. It's now 11 games since they last tasted victory in the league, a run stretching back to mid-December.

Adams has been in charge for 10 of them. Under Gary Speed, United had been tight but goal-shy, mid-table plodders searching for a new identity after a change in style. Adams looked to invigorate things and the side found their shooting boots, scoring six times in his first three games. The problem was that they conceded 10 and picked up just a solitary point. In the seven games since, Adams has searched for solidity but at the expense of all creativity – the Blades have scored only three times in their past seven outings. They have not scored from open play in more than 470 minutes of football.

The Iron share United's problems – as toothless in attack as they are porous in defence. Their achilles heel has been their form at Glanford Park, where last week's surprise victory over Nottingham Forest was the second league win of the season. They trail the Blades by one point, with two games in hand.

 

[Yossarian]

Reading that, I'd say a goalless draw is a very good bet at the bookies.

 

[Kenilworth]

1-0 home win I would say :-(

 

[raul]

Seems to have garnered a lot of the theories from on here, is he a member of the forum do we know?

 

[Rustyblade]

He certainly reads it as he's referred to it once or twice. Whether he's a member or not, I don't know.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Show's over folks. I was retaining some hope before today, but the sight of the portent of doom holding a United shirt with his name on it has sealed our fate.

 

[God]

Show's over folks. I was retaining some hope before today, but the sight of the portent of doom holding a United shirt with his name on it has sealed our fate.

Cheers Loughboro. If things weren't bad enough that was the dagger through the heart!

 

[JJ Sefton]

Cheers Loughboro. If things weren't bad enough that was the dagger through the heart!

I dont know, Ive heard he can turn on a sixpence.

 

[shreds1975]

Show's over folks. I was retaining some hope before today, but the sight of the portent of doom holding a United shirt with his name on it has sealed our fate.

Two leaders of rudderless ships that have lost all of their identity.........

 

[Vancouver]

Forgive my ignorance but who is the fat lump stood next to that useless prick?

 

[JohnDenver]

Forgive my ignorance but who is the fat lump stood next to that useless prick?

Word for word what I was about to post.

 

[judge]

thought clegg was a pig

 

[Crazyblade]

thought clegg was a pig

So did I. Fookin hell, do I not like seeing that!

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Forgive my ignorance but who is the fat lump stood next to that useless prick?

According to the article it's Chris Steer

 

[puppet]

So did I. Fookin hell, do I not like seeing that!

clegg is from the home counties and doesnt support either team

the fat man is the chairman of SUFC

 

[Mad Mick]

Na it's Roy Hudd

 

[Yossarian]

What's Cleggnut doing with that shirt? Jesus, are there no depths our club will not plunge?

 

[sitwell]

I thought there was only one winner of the worlds biggest loser.