Attendances for new season

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Good post Swiss . On attendances , last season was the first season , i actually thought to myself watching the blades , what am i doing here . The Yeovil performance away ,near on topped it for me .

Its the fantastic away support we have , which will i think , carry on being consistent .

However we go back , renew tickets and look forward to a new fresh dawn .

Transfer movement , does get you , the good feel factor , and the lack of movement at the moment , could be down to --

1.SUFC have not got the pulling power finance we all perhaps thought they had.

2.Players we have / are interested in , do not want to drop down from the championship.

3.No one is willing to take a risk on big money signings , in case we fail ( again )

4.The loan market is to be used , with players on a season long loan, and still in negotiation.

I do have a gut feeling we are in negotiation for Harry , and if so great . I do know a bid from SWFC did fail.

Bringing the right sort of players in , and good positive home performances , will bring the "sat on the fence" fans back to the Lane .

I think we will average around 17 to 18,000 which is still a good gate.

We just need the feel good factor , then club , team , fans , will be as one , and certain signings and a good start will definitely help.

The rumours / ongoing talk of Sharp / Henderson , we will just have to wait and see , but CB , attacking forward , are still to be resolved , especially as it was Adkins ( we already know ) , who said the squad is not good enough for promotion.

UTB

We are in the third division, we don't need to sign championship centre halves, just players who can get us out of this league. worry about championship centre halves if and when we ever get there.

The cost of the pitch would have got us three decent centre halves weeks ago.

I hope that spending on the pitch and not stressing the need to strengthen at c/h at the interview stage is not going to be another board fuck up?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

"Good will" will be in very short supply if the first team has "9. Hendo" in the program.

We have on paper replaced a manager who needed to change his ways with someone who should be better without having to change his ways.

Unfortunately Adkins has a club employing him who have already spend too long in the third tier. not your fault Nigel but it's shit or bust this year and nine points by the end of September won't do.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

To be fair, if we accept that Clough didn't get the most out of the squad (hence the sack), and we finished in the PO's, then it's not unrealistic to think that the current squad could make automatic.

But one of our other failings was the lack of depth on key areas. That could bite us again next season.

UTB

If we don't sign a good CB and a guy who can get 20/25 goals a season we will not go up in a automatic spot.

You are right , we have lack of depth in certain key areas , which if not resolved , it will come back to bite us , and yet again we will flatter to deceive.

Adkins is too long in the tooth and diplomatic to show his cards , and i am sure he knows what is required and will sort it sooner rather than later . What concerns me is the actual budget we have got at our disposal . Time will tell, but we have to hit this season running . As Grumpy says , its shit or bust yet again .

UTB

 

[raul]

To be fair, if we accept that Clough didn't get the most out of the squad (hence the sack), and we finished in the PO's, then it's not unrealistic to think that the current squad could make automatic.

But one of our other failings was the lack of depth on key areas. That could bite us again next season.

UTB

That's awfully linear thinking isn't it? We can get 35 or so points more simply by telling them to mark up better at set-pieces? Didn't New Nige say that , at time of speaking, this squad wasn't good enough for automatic promotion?

In full agreement on your assessment of Clough's legacy ( can I get a ding please) and not only did he fail himself, he's made it that much more difficult for his successor to get a consistent tune out of such a lop-sided and disperate squad.

 

[Grecian2000]

Tell you what G2K, the day you succumb to the rumour monkeys is a dark day for all of us. Stay strong. I don't think for one minute Henderson would be in the plans of a football man like Adkins.

Don't believe it for a minute. Just flushing Houso back into the open for his "He'll score 20 goals" annual prediction. Has he flounced?

 

[alcoblade]

That's awfully linear thinking isn't it? We can get 35 or so points more simply by telling them to mark up better at set-pieces? Didn't New Nige say that , at time of speaking, this squad wasn't good enough for automatic promotion?

In full agreement on your assessment of Clough's legacy ( can I get a ding please) and not only did he fail himself, he's made it that much more difficult for his successor to get a consistent tune out of such a lop-sided and disperate squad.

Yes, it's a push, I appreciate.

But I do think the current squad had a lot more in it.

We achieved almost automatic form in second half performances, and relegation form in first half performances. That, for me, spoke volumes about his tactics.

Throw in better use of players like Adams, using the centre halves you actually have rather than squandering your £2M asset there, getting up field to support your strikers, and a bit of luck with Done and Wallace injury wise, we might not be that far off.

And new Nige was always going to say what he said.

UTB

 

[raul]

Yes, it's a push, I appreciate.

But I do think the current squad had a lot more in it.

We achieved almost automatic form in second half performances, and relegation form in first half performances. That, for me, spoke volumes about his tactics.

Throw in better use of players like Adams, using the centre halves you actually have rather than squandering your £2M asset there, getting up field to support your strikers, and a bit of luck with Done and Wallace injury wise, we might not be that far off.

And new Nige was always going to say what he said.

UTB

That's an interesting stat, and given you're not usually one for flights of fancy, one I'm happy to accept even though my own memory doesnt tally with , particularly towards the end of the season. But, presumably having gone behind at half time, how much of that can be attributed to the oppos retreating to protect what they have rather than the all out kitchen-sinking non-ethos caring fans have traditionally enjoyed in days of yore?

Pretty much every year, the League is won by teams who hit the front early and stay there. I think even with a better Plan A as you've described we still lack goals and appear hell bent on wasting this summer on the same fruitless persuit of someone who - if he really wanted it to happen - would already be here as last summer. On the basis we think our new manager is better than our old one (don't we always if you discount Robson), then we'll get closer, but I think we're missing a few pieces before the jigsaw is complete

 

[alcoblade]

That's an interesting stat, and given you're not usually one for flights of fancy, one I'm happy to accept even though my own memory doesnt tally with , particularly towards the end of the season. But, presumably having gone behind at half time, how much of that can be attributed to the oppos retreating to protect what they have rather than the all out kitchen-sinking non-ethos caring fans have traditionally enjoyed in days of yore?

The stat was really prominent earlier in the season, when we were rooted to the foot of the first half table. Come the end, we were 3rd or 4th bottom, I believe.

I've wondered about what it means in the way you have - but suffice to say that we were the anomaly. None of the other promotion chasers where so schizophrenic.

Suffice to say, for me, that surrendering 45 of 90 minutes in keeping with protecting your point isn't conducive with automatic promotion.

Don't get me wrong, I think we need to sign more players.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

No point worrying as there's nothing we can do. Either NA has to build slowly and we have to give him two years or the board allows him to spend some money and we have a fair chance of going up this season.
It's entirely down to the board, NA has made it clear he doesn't think the current squad is good enough so the board can't hide behind the 'we've given him enough backing' defence this season.
If we've gone back to the boom and bust mentality of the Robson season then the board shouldn't be surprised when the outcome is similar.
Same old shit with the Blades. Jim's gone quiet.

 

[Bladesway]

can I get a ding please

No because its an honest assessment of the situation rather than a ridiculous sideswipe.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

To be fair, if we accept that Clough didn't get the most out of the squad (hence the sack), and we finished in the PO's, then it's not unrealistic to think that the current squad could make automatic.

But one of our other failings was the lack of depth on key areas. That could bite us again next season.

UTB

But in the Q&A Adkins was emphatic that we're not good enough atm.

 

[stringjunior]

That's awfully linear thinking isn't it? We can get 35 or so points more simply by telling them to mark up better at set-pieces? Didn't New Nige say that , at time of speaking, this squad wasn't good enough for automatic promotion?

In full agreement on your assessment of Clough's legacy ( can I get a ding please) and not only did he fail himself, he's made it that much more difficult for his successor to get a consistent tune out of such a lop-sided and disperate squad.

Ding

 

[alcoblade]

But in the Q&A Adkins was emphatic that we're not good enough atm.

I know, but as I posted elsewhere - would we really expect a new manager to say anything else?

Turn it on its' head - what personal good would come from stating that the squad was good enough. It puts the entire weight of expectation on his own shoulders.

Again - I too think we need signings - but if you sack your manager then surely it;s because you expected better from what you got - which was 5th place.

Is there really anyone who thought Clough's tactics were the most efficient use of the players at our disposal?

UTB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Is there really anyone who thought Clough's tactics were the most efficient use of the players at our disposal?

Well I can think of one person, but he's not here any more

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

I know, but as I posted elsewhere - would we really expect a new manager to say anything else?

Fairy Nuff. Not really been keeping up in the close season. All I'd say is that he could've hedged his bets, gone for something diplomatic, non-committal like he did with the answer to the question about the cups, instead it was just a straight, "No."

Whilst the honesty - if that's what it was - is, and was, appreciated, it does leave him a hostage to fortune; if for whatever reason we can't sign anyone then the players are going out on the pitch with the manager's words in their ears, "You're not good enough."

I appreciate this might all have been played out elsewhere so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Bladesway]

Ding

Ding whore!

 

[stringjunior]

Ding whore!

 

[WhiteRoseBlade]

Hope this is okay to ask here but this is the closest to a thread on season tickets that I can find without going through pages and pages of threads on my phone, and I don't want to start a new thread for this

From past experience are STs sent out in the normal envelopes? Nothing daft like having special envelopes that say season ticket on them?

(Side note: when I bought mine (towards the end of the early bird) I was told mid-June for them arriving... doesn't matter as long as it turns up before the Chesterfield match but if they're not sure when they'll come, they shouldn't give a date instead of keeping pushing it back)

 

[Grappler]

Hope this is okay to ask here but this is the closest to a thread on season tickets that I can find without going through pages and pages of threads on my phone, and I don't want to start a new thread for this

From past experience are STs sent out in the normal envelopes? Nothing daft like having special envelopes that say season ticket on them?

(Side note: when I bought mine (towards the end of the early bird) I was told mid-June for them arriving... doesn't matter as long as it turns up before the Chesterfield match but if they're not sure when they'll come, they shouldn't give a date instead of keeping pushing it back)

Mate, if you have the "plastic credit card" type of season ticket (or "season card" as Prem League clubs call them), then you don't get new ones, they simply update the ones you have on their compute system, so they just work when you arrive at the turnstyle.

 

[WhiteRoseBlade]

I'm a new ST holder, which is why I asked

 

[Grappler]

I'm a new ST holder, which is why I asked

Ah ok, sorry pal, didn't realise. They should arrive on time and if you are worried, email or phone the ticket office, they should be able to tell you

 

[WhiteRoseBlade]

[

Ah ok, sorry pal, didn't realise. They should arrive on time and if you are worried, email or phone the ticket office, they should be able to tell you

Yeah, sure they will, was just commenting about how they shouldn't have been giving dates earlier in the summer if they weren't syre about it.

Main question was the envelope one.

 

[Bartleby]

It will. Probably be 25k. Local derby. High optimism. First away game for Chesterfield.

Think you're right - when I booked our tickets online there were a lot less available where we normally go than at any games last season - suspect some of that is increased season ticket sales as well.

 

[Bartleby]

Ah ok, sorry pal, didn't realise. They should arrive on time and if you are worried, email or phone the ticket office, they should be able to tell you

have found they are pretty good at responding to email and works out cheaper. Some tickets I ordered online didn't arrive once and I queued 30 mins on the phone and got stung £5 for the call.

 

[Grappler]

have found they are pretty good at responding to email and works out cheaper. Some tickets I ordered online didn't arrive once and I queued 30 mins on the phone and got stung £5 for the call.

I think I am right in saying that the Blades announced recently that they have stopped using premium rate phone lines, so no one gets stung like that anymore, I am sure Jim Phipps did this.

 

[Bartleby]

I think I am right in saying that the Blades announced recently that they have stopped using premium rate phone lines, so no one gets stung like that anymore, I am sure Jim Phipps did this.

That's good. Think this was about this time last year when I rang cos my tickets for Bristol City game didn't arrive. I complained, by email, when I saw it on my phone bill, they were apologetic said I could email requests for ticket re-issues if need be in future.

 

[Dalelane01]

Talking to a few of my old friends .they think with new signings and new manager this is the season for the blades.couple of them not been for a few seasons but said they would definately be at first game be interesting what the first home game attendence will be because this will be a show of how fans veiw our progress after the clough era