Fantastic season, just run out of steam

[blade67]

There may be several reasons why the last 10 games have led us to run out of steam

1 Our intense game is probably not suited to having to play every 3 or 4 days
2 Our small squad means that we have had to either over play players or pick players who haven't been able to get a game for much of the season
3 Our run in was really tough 6 top ten teams , plus 11th, 12th and 13th. We only played Villa from the bottom 7.

I guess the answer as many have stated is to get a couple of players with real pace and skill in the squad and strengthen the squad in 3 or 4 other areas. I imagine we are now one of the top 50 richest clubs in Europe given our revenue will be crica £130m so we need to start acting like it

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

I'm sure I'll mull over things a lot more in the coming days and weeks, but what a season. Achievement beyond our wild(er)est expectations.

I look back at that preseason predictions thread, and I had us down as finishing 17th. More fool me, I should've known better, I should have had more faith. Truth be told, survival was my aim, and one other thing - I just wanted us to show that we could play a little. I wanted us to prove the doubters wrong, I wanted us to take our "playing proper football, the Sheff United waaaaayyy" to the big boys. And chuffing hell, wow, did we. 9th, bloody 9th. Truth be told, right now, I'm feeling disappointed. I'm trying to unpick why that is. I think it's because our season tailed off, because our lack of depth started to show, but mainly because the whirlwind from pre-lockdown and the unbelievable standard of play just dropped off. We'll never know if that was always going to happen. That said, I'm feeling disappointed that Arsenal and Spurs, for example, finished above us. I think we were far more entertaining, consistent, better value for money. How amazing that I'm able to say that. It isn't small club mentality that I've seen banded around on here in recent weeks, but realism, feet-on-the-ground type stuff, appreciation of where we are and of what we've achieved.

Moving forward, this summer is key.

We'll likely need to be smart with how we create cash, by rejuvenating the squad cleverly. We're an excellent squad but you always need to be progressing. To that end, I'm thinking we need to:

• Sign a keeper, or Henderson on loan. As we seek to consolidate, the money a Henderson season long loan could save us (along with his assured quality and knowing the club) would be invaluable.
• Improve depth, as much as we can realistically ask. Our preferred 11+ are fantastic, but the standard drops off a little after that. As with every season, Wilder slightly upgrades the back-ups on a budget and I'd anticipate the same again. I'm not asking for wholesale changers or a vastly increased wage bill in this respect.
• We look quite one-dimensional, in that we largely have like-for-like subs, several of a lesser standard (e.g. Robinson for O'Connell, no offence intended). We don't have much by the way of game changers. We needn't break the bank, in that respect, perhaps Freeman in a different, more advance role, Swift too.
• A RCM.
• Strikers, we're lacklustre up front at times. Sharp has been committed and a fantastic leader, Didzy has been solid and dependable, McBurnie is growing into the role, Mousset I still harbour hope for, but beyond that we have nothing - it showed today.

For now, I'm going to sit down with a beer and reflect on everything we've achieved.

Amazing, up the Blades!

 

[robbiez666]

Limp finish, brilliant season.