Confess your unpopular opinions regarding SUFC

[Scooter_mcgavin]

2002/03 was the best season that we’ve had since god knows when. We were a match for anyone in all four divisions. That’s a rarity in our history. Unless we get promoted this season, that fact still stands.

I remember us dry bumming league leaders Portsmouth live on Sky in January 2003, quickly followed by us dry bumming Wednesday live on Sky. It’s worth remembering that both Portsmouth and Leicester got promoted spending money that they didn’t have. Cheats seem to prosper at the expense of United.

We were also very close to 2 cup finals, having poor luck and referees deciding our fate in both semis.

 

[Blade56]

We don't seem to bring young players through into the first team squad anymore. Maybe it's a needs must to get the club where it wants to be by buying the players we need now but would be nice to see another jag's, maguire, 2x K etc come through

 

[JackSUFC]

Our away form was our undoing that year, as was the fact we were competing on all fronts. We ended up 18 points off 1st and 12 points off 2nd, something which will still probably happen this year with Norwich’s blistering form and the difficulty of our run in.

I wouldn’t fancy us against any team except possibly Boro in the play offs over two legs. I would suggest that we wouldn’t get away with the rope-a-dope again away from home at the likes of Leeds, WBA, Villa or Wednesday.

Overall, this season will most likely end up with a 3rd place finish, defeat in the play off semi’s and a poor performance in the league cup v. Hull and an utter abject performance v. Barnet.

The atmosphere at BDTBL is currently about 50% of what is was in the triple assault season, and the fans haven’t had the pleasure of the great games and goals of that season during this. Think of the best atmosphere at a home game this, and then remember what it was like in 02/03. It’s laughable.

The 02/03 season would therefore easily rank higher than this, other than the argument that we passed the ball around better this year.

As good as that season was, it ultimately ended up with the 0-3 first half collapse in Cardiff.

Out of interested, how would you compare the 2005/06 promotion and the 2008/09 3rd place and PO final seasons to the current one?

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Norwich promoted then ?.
They are not over the line yet by a long way.
Winning it is still very possible

Promoted, I would say yes, they are 5 points ahead of Leeds and I just can't see them collapsing to that degree. They could possibly do badly enough for us to catch them, especially as we have a better goal difference, but I think the battle for us is for 2nd.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

We don't seem to bring young players through into the first team squad anymore. Maybe it's a needs must to get the club where it wants to be by buying the players we need now but would be nice to see another jag's, maguire, 2x K etc come through

To be honest, we have a lot of good youths on loan at league clubs. That's far better for them than sat on the bench at best for us. If they're good enough, perhaps they'll get a chance.

Slater has already been given a few first team games.

 

[Killamarshblades]

As good as that season was, it ultimately ended up with the 0-3 first half collapse in Cardiff.

Out of interested, how would you compare the 2005/06 promotion and the 2008/09 3rd place and PO final seasons to the current one?

Ability wise the 2008/09 team that finished third was easily the best team, but a combo of a piss poor manager with pre-historic tactics nullifying the talents available, and selling James Beattie left that team way short of what it could have achieved.

The 2005/06 was a huge squad of experienced pro's that at played aggressive football and got their rewards.

The 2002/03 team rode the cup wins and translated that form / spirit into the league, but in reality were probably the worst of the four.

The present team plays the best football, and looks to have a fantastic team spirit.

So i'd go

Present team
2008/09 (on what it could have acheived if managed correctly)
05/06
02/03

 

[JordoBlade]

Kevin Blackwell took us from certain relegation under Robson and when that 1st goal went in against Southampton on the last day we was actually in a play off spot. He worked miracles that season tbh.

 

[Beans]

A mixture of conjecture and cold hard facts. We have been shit in both cups this year, the atmosphere at BDTBL this season has been poor, crowds are down 2.5kish, other than the Villa game in August I can’t remember a good game this season (good results, but not good games), there’s been no humdingers of games like 02/03 nor have we been treated to many worldly goals like 02/03. Them’s the facts.

Derby at home (3-1 an exciting game)
Millwall away (3-2)
Brentford away (3-2)
Villa at home (4-1) (and 3-3 away if you're neutral)
Norwich away (2-2 between the best two teams in the league)
Preston at home (3-2)
Wigan at home (4-2)

I've also greatly enjoyed the brutal efficiency with which we've swept lesser teams aside eg Reading, Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn. And you can also lob in dramatic, tense and exciting recent wins over WBA, Leeds and Brentford.

We might not have scored any 30 yard volleys but Norwood scored a beaut at Brentford, Duffy a cracker v Villa, McGoldrick's lob v Derby was a thing of beauty and that's to overlook some of the brilliant team goals we've scored eg Fleck v Bolton away, Sharp's third v Wigan, Freeman v Reading.

I appreciate I skew towards the optimistic side of Blades fandom but I'm not sure what more you could ask of a season that hasn't reached its conclusion yet.

 

[JJ Sefton]

System of a Down sound like a comedy Eurovision entry.

 

[Nick Jansky]

System of a Down sound like a comedy Eurovision entry.

So do you.

 

[JJ Sefton]

So do you.

Evening Serj.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

System of a Down sound like a comedy Eurovision entry.

The FBI have a file on them. It contains a single piece of A4 paper, with the word ‘shit’ typed on it.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Evening Serj.

Serj?

 

[shorehamview]

Serj?

Serj Tankian, lead singer of said combo.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Right.
You know next season right?
Well I think a lot of money will need spending on the team or we'll struggle in the Prem....which means...we we' going to do it.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I don’t think we are as big of a club as some on here and in general think. We are a medium sized club with higher than average attendances for a club our size. We have potential to be a bigger club, City centre club, the proper Sheffield club but decades of miss management and shite leave us where we are. We haven’t won owt (worth winning) in most if not all of our lifetimes. It pains me to see our fans belittle clubs like Ipswich it just makes me cringe.

Doesn’t “higher than average” mean big?

 

[coaxingstar71]

Derby at home (3-1 an exciting game)
Millwall away (3-2)
Brentford away (3-2)
Villa at home (4-1) (and 3-3 away if you're neutral)
Norwich away (2-2 between the best two teams in the league)
Preston at home (3-2)
Wigan at home (4-2)

I've also greatly enjoyed the brutal efficiency with which we've swept lesser teams aside eg Reading, Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn. And you can also lob in dramatic, tense and exciting recent wins over WBA, Leeds and Brentford.

We might not have scored any 30 yard volleys but Norwood scored a beaut at Brentford, Duffy a cracker v Villa, McGoldrick's lob v Derby was a thing of beauty and that's to overlook some of the brilliant team goals we've scored eg Fleck v Bolton away, Sharp's third v Wigan, Freeman v Reading.

I appreciate I skew towards the optimistic side of Blades fandom but I'm not sure what more you could ask of a season that hasn't reached its conclusion yet.

I agree with you and as far as good goals go, we can now add Duffy's goals v Rotherham and Forest and Enda's v Forest. I also thought Billy's 2nd v Wigan when Ollie played a beautiful ball to Leon who then teed up Billy and also Billy's second at home to Blackburn when he half volleyed from Enda's great long ball were superb goals.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

That some will air a negative opinion on here, seemingly in an attempt to get in there first, to seem to be all knowing. Almost as if they want their 'I told you so' moment later on

It's like taking a few pot luck shots, eventually, the law of averages suggests that one will come off.

 

[8lade]

There is no such thing as 'football gods'.
(Can't remember if this has been done already).

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

That some will air a negative opinion on here, seemingly in an attempt to get in there first, to seem to be all knowing. Almost as if they want their 'I told you so' moment later on

It's like taking a few pot luck shots, eventually, the law of averages suggests that one will come off.

I’ve noticed that recently.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I’ve noticed that recently.

Set of whingers!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Why is Miss Management still in a job?

 

[Breakingblade]

I always sing "Shoreham boys we are here ... Drink your girls and shag your beer'.

The usual way seems too boastful to me.

 

[Tony]

A mixture of conjecture and cold hard facts. We have been shit in both cups this year, the atmosphere at BDTBL this season has been poor, crowds are down 2.5kish, other than the Villa game in August I can’t remember a good game this season (good results, but not good games), there’s been no humdingers of games like 02/03 nor have we been treated to many worldly goals like 02/03. Them’s the facts.

I seriously doubt that if we revisited Leeds, WBA, Villa or Wednesday that we’d get the same positive results. To get promoted in the play offs that’s would we’d need to do. That’s my opinion.

Weren’t in the race for automatic? We were 3rd for the majority of the 2nd half of that season, and in mid January, after beating Wednesday, we were 3 points behind 2nd and 5 behind 1st. Admittedly our form was patchy down the home straight, and Portsmouth pulled away in 1st, but even at the beginning of March we were only 6 points off 2nd.

Why don't you Pigs take your opinions and fuck off back to NKT. Attendance down 2500? after Saturday it will be down by roughly 600. Good games, Villa, Preston,Reading, M/boro, Blackburn, Derby, Norwich. As for not beating your lot at the Sty, keep taking the medication.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Why don't you Pigs take your opinions and fuck off back to NKT. Attendance down 2500? after Saturday it will be down by roughly 600. Good games, Villa, Preston,Reading, M/boro, Blackburn, Derby, Norwich. As for not beating your lot at the Sty, keep taking the medication.

My opinion was obviously unpopular.

I'll stand by my initial post other than Villa, I remember very few games having been good games. I'll give you the Reading game, but we've got different ideas of good games if you think a 1-0 win against 10 man Boro falls into that category.

When I wrote that post it was March, and when compared with the previous season's games, our attendances were:

Norwich -2,368
Villa -447
Birmingham -3,902
Preston -4,711
Hull -2,106
Wednesday -859
Leeds -1,804
Derby 2,772
QPR 162
Bolton -2,256
Boro -1,752
Reading 248
Brentford -2,283

We were circa 1,500 down. Prior to playing Derby on Boxing Day we were 2,300 down on our averages, and it had been noted by the Club. Since my post, we've benefited from tickets deals, etc, and they've been:

Bristol 5,621
Millwall -751
Forest 307

So apart from a massive difference in the Bristol City game (the 1st of the 4 for 3 deal) that has moved the average positively, we've been down 11 out 16 games compared to last season. It's hardly sparkling is it? especially as we've been in the hunt for promotion?

 

[Tony]

Guess not NC, but the first season after promotion is always good for attendances, but we have lost about 650 fans per game. Having said that, my big gripe are teams adding to the attendance figures using season ticket non attenders. My niece who works in admin at the Sty reckons if it was footfall figures the Pigs average would be nearer 22000 than 25000. Plus next season the 3 season Back To The Prem tickets end so they won't be countable any more. Just watched Huddersfield and they seem to be doing the same. Looked about 16/17000 in the ground but came out about 23000.

 

[8lade]

So apart from a massive difference in the Bristol City game (the 1st of the 4 for 3 deal) that has moved the average positively, we've been down 11 out 16 games compared to last season. It's hardly sparkling is it? especially as we've been in the hunt for promotion?

Brexit.

 

[Ranmoorblade]

I don’t think I like Travelingblade, I’ve tried to but can’t get on with his vlogs.

 

[Woodward's Currie]

I think that Nicolaus Copernicus is a secret pig. Who loves to do nothing better than divide the fan base with his negative shit. If we get promoted I bet he will start the 1st negative thread about how shit we will be in the premier, instead of enjoying the moment.

 

[FMBlade1]

That we'll never win promotion or a cup with Wilder as managers who were defenders have a defensive bias. Just look at the players we spunk real money on, mostly defensive, and how we set up for games. Only truly offensive managers win stuff.

Not that I'm in a position to make witty comments, I thought things could have been over after the Villa game and that we would never been able to be promoted without signing players from abroad!

Anyway, my new unpopular opinion is that I think the signing of Gary Madine was a game changer and we wouldn't have gone up without him.

Also that we were a bit lucky Norwood became available!