Do not underestimate the POWER of Sheffield United

[Jehovah]

Blades are 4/1 to win at Reading. £20 on.

Reading 1 - 2 Blades
Long o.g 1 Murphy 24
Blackman 90+5 (pen)

 

[TarquinDelouche]

Do not underestimate the power of alcohol.

 

[raul]

Do not underestimate the power of giving Judge your login details.

 

[ghandi]

Blades are 4/1 to win at Reading. £20 on.

Reading 1 - 2 Blades
Long o.g 1 Murphy 24
Blackman 90+5 (pen)

Very skinny odds when Hartlepool were about 7/1 to beat us on Boxing day.

 

[SwissBlade]

Inspired by Bratfot, my bets:

Diego to score a brace @33/1
Blades to win 1-2 @14/1

May as well make defeat interesting

We'll probably lose 4-3 with Diego scoring his hatrick with the last touch of the game to deny me anything!

 

[Ollessendro]

You'll actually get 5/1 with some bookies. I do not think those are bad odds to be honest. That said, I would expect United to win more than once if we played 5 times. But considering they have had a min PL reivival and host Chelsea during the week, there must be a tempation to rest players. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but I hope McDermott has one eye on the following Tue/Wed and underestimates us. We'll have to play a damn sight better than recent weeks to get any sort of result mind.

 

[Grecian2000]

That said, I would expect United to win more than once if we played 5 times.

Would you? They're now a Premiership side (with the financial clout that provides) and we're upper half third tier. I suspect winning one in ten, away from home at two divisions behind, is a more realistic target. 5/1 is very skinny for me.

Anyway, we don't care about cups do we? Stops you getting promoted and you can't possibly make a final from where we are . . . . . .

 

[Ollessendro]

Would you? They're now a Premiership side (with the financial clout that provides) and we're upper half third tier. I suspect winning one in ten, away from home at two divisions behind, is a more realistic target. 5/1 is very skinny for me.

Anyway, we don't care about cups do we? Stops you getting promoted and you can't possibly make a final from where we are . . . . . .

ah, too late for the edit. NOT, there was supposed to be a not in there. Nope, I think United to win one in 5 is about right. Bookies have got this one called correctly (imo).

 

[Revolution]

In our history, United have won a grand total of 5 away matches in the FA Cup against teams in a higher league:

2008 won 1-0 at Bolton in the 3rd round
1961 won 3-1 at Newcastle in the quarter final
1961 won 1-0 at Everton in the 3rd round
1958 won 3-0 at Tottenham in a 4th round replay
1939 won 2-1 at Blackpool in the 3rd round

Note how we have only done it once in our recent lower division wilderness years.

 

[Grecian2000]

Good stats Rev.

As you appear to be in "lots of spare time" mode, how many have we played? Olly's 1 in 5 could be about right.

 

[Revolution]

Good stats Rev.

As you appear to be in "lots of spare time" mode, how many have we played? Olly's 1 in 5 could be about right.

I don't have time now. I will try to look at this later. I would guess it's a bit higher than 1 in 5 but we shall see.

 

[Grecian2000]

You're absolutely right Rev. From the stats you have given we have never won at a top flight team from two divisions back (and we crashed out of the cup to Altincham when we were in the 4th), so it is a maximum of NONE out of not many.

 

[Revolution]

Away games in the Cup against teams 2 divisions above us is easy, as there have been so few:

1983 lost 2-3 vs Stoke in 3rd round replay
1984 lost 0-2 vs Birmingham in 3rd round replay
1989 lost 2-3 to Norwich in 5th round

Most of our defeats will be as a 2nd Division side.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

We must have won absolutely loads at home though.

 

[Darren]

Away games in the Cup against teams 2 divisions above us is easy, as there have been so few:

1983 lost 2-3 vs Stoke in 3rd round replay
1984 lost 0-2 vs Birmingham in 3rd round replay
1989 lost 2-3 to Norwich in 5th round

Most of our defeats will be as a 2nd Division side.

We can add League Cup games into that mix as well

1981-82 Lost 0-2 at Arsenal in the 2nd round 2nd leg (only time we have played a team in the cup 3 divisions higher)
1988-89 Lost 0-2 at Newcastle in the 2nd round 2nd leg
2011-12 Lost 1-3 at Everton in the 2nd round

As for minor cups:

1981-82 Lost 0-2 at Grimsby in the Group Cup

So thats a flawless 7 out of 7 defeats....

 

[Darren]

We must have won absolutely loads at home though.

Ok, home cup games against teams two (or three) divisions higher:

1981-82 Arsenal LC 2R1L W1-0
1982-83 Stoke FAC 3R D0-0
1983-84 Birmingham FAC 3R D1-1
1988-89 Newcastle LC 2R1L W3-0

Unbeaten at home

 

[Grecian2000]

Cheers Dazzler.

If we discount the "Group Cup" when we were in the 4th and stick with the real cups that's an impressive (and quite understandable in my view) 0 from 6.

This means we need a win on Saturdy to be slightly closer to Olly's 1 in 5 otherwise my 1 in 10 prediction will be closer (even if it's still to be done even that once).

Still interseted in the 5/1 Olly?

 

[metalblade]

The 1-0 at Bolton was a fluke result ............................. didn't Carney score a very good goal to give us the win ?

 

[Silent Blade]

In our history, United have won a grand total of 5 away matches in the FA Cup against teams in a higher league:

2008 won 1-0 at Bolton in the 3rd round
1961 won 3-1 at Newcastle in the quarter final
1961 won 1-0 at Everton in the 3rd round
1958 won 3-0 at Tottenham in a 4th round replay
1939 won 2-1 at Blackpool in the 3rd round

Note how we have only done it once in our recent lower division wilderness years.

The 3-0 win at Spurs in 1958 wasnt a replay

 

[Revolution]

Ah, no, you're right, as of course we did not win a replay away from home between 1930 and 1987...

 

[Grecian2000]

Pah, you bumclot.

 

[Blackheath Blade]

The 1-0 at Bolton was a fluke result ............................. didn't Carney score a very good goal to give us the win ?

Metal, how dare you!!! Fluke result!!! We were awesome that day against Bolton reserves..........

It was indeed a lovely finish from Carney, one of the few highspots under Robson.

 

[Pinchy]

Metal, how dare you!!! Fluke result!!! We were awesome that day against Bolton reserves..........

It was indeed a lovely finish from Carney, one of the few highspots under Robson.

I seem to recall a lovely ball from Quinn put him through on goal? That, of course, was before Semi-Pro transformed him into Elpiton. One of his many award-winning contributions to anti-football.

 

[Sirius]

You're absolutely right Rev. From the stats you have given we have never won at a top flight team from two divisions back (and we crashed out of the cup to Altincham when we were in the 4th), so it is a maximum of NONE out of not many.

Oh Grecian, I went to that game.,so full of hope and confidence, and (to quote Brownie,) In an advanced state of refreshment) I must have been so, I lost my shirt with the bookies. It taught me not to do it again, but I soon forgot the lesson and did it again and again. Now that I am so far away, the opportunity to throw money down the drain is minimal. P.S. Any one know of a good bookie that will take New Zealand Groats?

 

[Northern Rivers Blade]

What about when we lost 5-0 at home to Arsenal in the 80s. they would have been two divisions higher, weren't they?

 

[Revolution]

What about when we lost 5-0 at home to Arsenal in the 80s. they would have been two divisions higher, weren't they?

No. It was in 1978 when we were in Division 2.

 

[Northern Rivers Blade]

Wow. From memory (I was only 10) we looked like we were about five divisions below them.

 

[Grecian2000]

Wow. From memory (I was only 10) we looked like we were about five divisions below them.

To be fair, we weren't in the best run of form at the time.

 

[Darren]

To be fair, we weren't in the best run of form at the time.

To be fair, we were actually in a good run of form. It was the Arsenal result that started the bad run. Coldwell had taken over as caretaker manager in Oct 1977 and his record up to the Arsenal game was P17 W9 D5 L3 and he had taken us from next to bottom to the fringe of the promotion race.

After the Arsenal debacle, we lost 1-5 at home to Bolton and 1-5 at Sunderland in successive games, which did for Coldwell's chances of getting the job full time and led to the inspired appointment of Happy Harry Haslam.

 

[Grecian2000]

Ahh, I thought the Arse game was the middle of the three.

I well remember coming home from Boothferry Park on NYE and discussing the up coming four games. Tottenham were next up (we drew 2-2) and we'd decided that this was THE crucial point of the season and if we could get over these games unscathed . . . . .