Confess your unpopular opinions regarding SUFC

[Blackheath Blade]

The Fat Family should all have statues built at the entrance where the players arrive on matchdays.

Great idea but such a behemoth of bronze would block the players entrance? Our brave lads wouldn't be happy at having to change in the car park.

 

[Bladesman]

Unpopular view.

Given all the challenges in football I think were a pretty well run club .

I would agree with that if we had not started this season on -2 points.

 

[The Fox]

I would agree with that if we had not started this season on -2 points.

Didn't say were perfect .

 

[Revolution]

Is that not a really harsh viewpoint?

I don’t think so.

I had never seen such ineptitude and lack of effort from our players in the hundreds of games I had seen at the Lane. It was our heaviest defeat since 1891.

And the idea that this performance was caused by Ms. Cusack’s passing is entirely the invention of supporters looking for excuses. None of the players or management ever said that. Heckingbottom shrugged and said, in effect, that these things just happen, which went a long way to normalising the types of hammerings we subsequently received.

 

[GrunkyPeep]

I don’t think so.

I had never seen such ineptitude and lack of effort from our players in the hundreds of games I had seen at the Lane. It was our heaviest defeat since 1891.

And the idea that this performance was caused by Ms. Cusack’s passing is entirely the invention of supporters looking for excuses. None of the players or management ever said that. Heckingbottom shrugged and said, in effect, that these things just happen, which went a long way to normalising the types of hammerings we subsequently received.

Using the word excuse makes it sound like people are suggesting it's okay or acceptable to have been smashed 8-0. I am not sure if that is the case people are making, it's certainly not the one that I am.

I do think it's fair though to acknowledge that grief affects performance. Especially concentration and resilience which are the two areas that you can see were punished in that game.

Prem football needs 100%, and if an uncontrollable comes and knocks your performance by X%, you won't get away with it.

Against Burnley, Villa, Brighton etc, not being at 100% is absolutely unacceptable because it's entirety in our control.

Against Newcastle, there was no doubt that we were not at 100% and you can make the argument that a number greater than 0% of that was caused by the news. Wherever you put that number is down to personal preference but to put it at 0% seems inhumane.

That's why I don't think it's fair to put the 8-0 as the game you'd use as our worst of the season. It's up there, absolutely, but I can't put it top unless I believe players are unfeeling robots who can operate without emotion.

 

[Revolution]

Using the word excuse makes it sound like people are suggesting it's okay or acceptable to have been smashed 8-0. I am not sure if that is the case people are making, it's certainly not the one that I am.

I do think it's fair though to acknowledge that grief affects performance. Especially concentration and resilience which are the two areas that you can see were punished in that game.

Prem football needs 100%, and if an uncontrollable comes and knocks your performance by X%, you won't get away with it.

Against Burnley, Villa, Brighton etc, not being at 100% is absolutely unacceptable because it's entirety in our control.

Against Newcastle, there was no doubt that we were not at 100% and you can make the argument that a number greater than 0% of that was caused by the news. Wherever you put that number is down to personal preference but to put it at 0% seems inhumane.

That's why I don't think it's fair to put the 8-0 as the game you'd use as our worst of the season. It's up there, absolutely, but I can't put it top unless I believe players are unfeeling robots who can operate without emotion.

Two things:

1. Many years ago one of my work colleagues, a close friend who I spoke to every day, socialised with and collaborated on work with, passed away. That affected me emotionally and I am sure affected my performance for a time. On the other hand, at various (fortunately isolated) times in my career, work colleagues who I have no dealings with, and have never spoken to, have passed away. This has not affected me at all. It has never been demonstrated that the relationship between the players and Maddy Cusack was anything but in the second category, although I am prepared to be proved wrong on that.

Grief affects performance. We do not know whether there was any performance-affecting grief in the first place.

2. I did not see the 6-0 defeat against Arsenal or the 5-0 v Villa but I saw all of our other hammerings either live or on TV. I would still put Newcastle head and shoulders over the others, not just because how badly we played, but because that was the only game in which a number of players basically gave up and stopped giving forth the effort required. The game also had a cataclysmic effect on our season second only to the defeat at Tottenham. That was not the effect of grief. That was quitting on their teammates and the club.

And that is my last word on this topic.

 

[GrunkyPeep]

Two things:

1. Many years ago one of my work colleagues, a close friend who I spoke to every day, socialised with and collaborated on work with, passed away. That affected me emotionally and I am sure affected my performance for a time. On the other hand, at various (fortunately isolated) times in my career, work colleagues who I have no dealings with, and have never spoken to, have passed away. This has not affected me at all. It has never been demonstrated that the relationship between the players and Maddy Cusack was anything but in the second category, although I am prepared to be proved wrong on that.

Grief affects performance. We do not know whether there was any performance-affecting grief in the first place.

2. I did not see the 6-0 defeat against Arsenal or the 5-0 v Villa but I saw all of our other hammerings either live or on TV. I would still put Newcastle head and shoulders over the others, not just because how badly we played, but because that was the only game in which a number of players basically gave up and stopped giving forth the effort required. The game also had a cataclysmic effect on our season second only to the defeat at Tottenham. That was not the effect of grief. That was quitting on their teammates and the club.

And that is my last word on this topic.

Just had a quick google and there's a direct quote from Hecky saying "As much as we preparing for a huge game and wanting to get on with everything it has affected a lot of people and in different ways". There was lovely tribute from Billy too.

That's enough evidence for me.

 

[BladeInIreland]

I don't think we are good enough for the top two. I think at best we play like a top 6 team, someone recently posted our expected goals and points etc and I thought it reflected this. Not many games have we won and dominated, most could have gone either way. I think this will balance out over the season unless things change.

The current system doesn't get the best out of the side imo and leaves us blunt in attack. Any striker in our system struggles, Hamer is out of position and playing JRS as the only real winger means he is often double marked. I think O'Hare has been nowhere near good enough to justify leaving out another striker. I find it frustrating we haven't contemplated playing JRS and brooks together.

We have ourselves in a brilliant position to push on and improve. The transfer window will help. Reading about Cannons pros and cons made me think to make this post as I was reading that he offers very little but will get a lot of goals in a team at the top. Well we are at the top but we create next to nothing and I don't think he would do any better than the current players getting pelters.

I like Wilder, wanted him back, still want him here but I hope he makes some changes for the second half of the season.

 

[McGrath]

Unpopular opinion.... I think some of our supporters are a bit annoying

 

[Danetheblade]

Fans go on about the atmosphere being shit this season. The truth is it’s been dire for years.

 

[McGrath]

Fans go on about the atmosphere being shit this season. The truth is it’s been dire for years.

It's been shit since they got rid of terracing.

Although the bewildering sense of self-entitlement exhibited by some of our fans these days only makes it worse

 

[More Bladier than thou]

Unpopular opinion but i don’t find Wendy’s annoying anymore. I kind of look at them in pity now as they are just irrelevant.

 

[Jan Age]

We will forever be behind the times and playing catch up to more forward thinking clubs