Febuary: fatal or fabulous

[Ollessendro]

It seems I should be eating a little humble pie as Milwall are playing very well at the moment. We seem to be coming across teams at the wrong times. I don't rate Milwall as a team, but I cannot deny that they are in form! Apologies Sothall.

So Palace did better than we did and took a point off Norwich at home. That will take us into February level on points but with a game in hand.

We start with a tricky (but winnable) tie at home against Leicester and Palace have a tricky (but winnable also) tie away at Watford. It will be an interesting and crucial month. I worry that we are playing teams at the wrong time. Milwall (in form) at home, Ipswich with a new manager but all that said we can't have any excuses, all the games in February are winnable and I geninly think it will make or break us.

 

[gavtheblade]

its a shit or bust month for us.
Im finding itn hard to gather optimsm

 

[Ollessendro]

its a shit or bust month for us.
Im finding itn hard to gather optimsm

a win tomorrow night would change that I'm sure.

 

[broomhillblade]

If I see another 'squeaky bum' cliché I think I'll top myself.

 

[Ollessendro]

Geez, the forum has been boring since we got beat by Leicester. Anyway, a fatal start to February, but all is not lost. I didn't think we would beat Leicester. However I have us down for a result on Saturday Come on Blades.

.......The fixture list for February looks like this:

1/2 Leicester (H)*** LOST
5/2 Ipswich (A) ** ??
12/2 Milwall (H) *
15/2 Reading (H) **
19/2 Palace (A) *
22/2 Scunthorpe (A) *
26/2 Derby (H) **

* Must win
** Should win
*** bonus if we win

Wouldn't it be just like Sheffield United to win a game we least expect? Ipswich: new manager, better team, won during the week, at home and in better form. Blades fans are not confident as we have only sold 300 tickets! Nailed on United away victory?

 

[beightonblade]

This season has relegation written all over it for us.

 

[norfolkblade]

Having watched Millwall at Norwich on Tuesday, we are going to have to be ready for a 90 minute battle, and ensure we don't leave ourselves open to any counter attack, man to watch - James Henry.

 

[Ollessendro]

Having watched Millwall at Norwich on Tuesday, we are going to have to be ready for a 90 minute battle, and ensure we don't leave ourselves open to any counter attack, man to watch - James Henry.

They were particularly poor against United at their place, but admittedly they have been on a good run since. Be interesting to see how Donny do at the New Den On Saturday. To be honest though Norfolk, they are a newly promoted side (who have not invested) and we are at home. We should be taking the points.

 

[norfolkblade]

They were particularly poor against United at their place, but admittedly they have been on a good run since. Be interesting to see how Donny do at the New Den On Saturday. To be honest though Norfolk, they are a newly promoted side (who have not invested) and we are at home. We should be taking the points.

I completely agree with that sentiment Olle, but as has been proven this season, it is not our devine right to automatically take 3 points just because we're at home - not that I disagree with what you are saying at all, because it's true, we should be, but the fact is, we're not!

 

[Ollessendro]

I completely agree with that sentiment Olle, but as has been proven this season, it is not our devine right to automatically take 3 points just because we're at home - not that I disagree with what you are saying at all, because it's true, we should be, but the fact is, we're not!

My points is that we have to start doing it! We don't have the right, we have not been doing it, but (if we want to stay up) we need to start doing it!

(you going tomorrow by the way?)

 

[norfolkblade]

My points is that we have to start doing it! We don't have the right, we have not been doing it, but (if we want to stay up) we need to start doing it!

(you going tomorrow by the way?)

Spot on mate - no, can't afford it mate to be perfectly honest, I have 5 birthdays plus Valentines Day in the next 10 days, and don't get paid again until the 18th, so unfortunately the blades are low on my to do list this month

 

[Ollessendro]

1/2 Leicester (H)*** LOST
5/2 Ipswich (A) ** LOST
12/2 Milwall (H) *
15/2 Reading (H) **
19/2 Palace (A) *
22/2 Scunthorpe (A) *
26/2 Derby (H) **

* Must win
** Should win
*** bonus if we win

So February hasn't started too well. As we entered Feb we were 4th bottom, but two more defeats and two great results for Palace and we are suddenlt 4 points a drfit. All is not lost though. Ipswich away was always going to be tough and most of us didn't expect a win. The most worrying thing is the way in which we lost. However we have to put that out of our minds. We played well in the 2 previous home games and we have to remember that. Milwall are in form but they are not great and we can beat them. Saturday is a must win game though. A coupe of decent performances (and results) in the next 2 home games would see us back in touch, or even out of the relegation zone. Of course we are playing Milwall and Reading at the wrong time, but if we are going to survive we need to beat teams.

The next 4 games are massive. Coming out of these with 8 points and undefeated and we are looking like we could save our season. Less than 5 or 6 points and we're as good as down. Despite Saturday's performance we can do it. We have played well under Adams, although we've been sloppy and struggled to break teams down. A couple of solid, passionate performances (and maybe a bit of luck) and most importantly a couple of results and suddenly going into games with shitty Palace and shitty Scunthorpe we are looking good.

As Trev says 'let's stick together' Over to you Micky (I hope you have a magic wand)

 

[sheffielder]

Believe....

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I'd be over the moon with that. I think we need to get at the absolute least 10 points, but probably somewhere between 12 and 15 to be a good month. Anything more than 15 would be a massive month. Also (as Grumpy points out below - in a way) tha games against teasm around us are crucial. It will be no use beating Derby, Reading and Leicester if we lose to Scunny, Palace and Milwall. Those last 3 games mentioned we simply and utterly cannot lose! In fact we have to be picking up at least 8 points from those games.



True JD, but they are poor. I expect them to be in the bottom 6 at the end of the year. I'd expect us to be taking 3 points off them when they come to the Lane. but you are right an experienced, qaulity keeper can make a massive difference. Look at SS: he won us a point at Coventry (which we did not deserve) but then cost us all 3 points against Norwich. Dodgy keeping (particularly on crosses and set pieces - like Simmo showed against Norwich and in other games) unsettles the back 4, puts pressure on them and leads to more mistakes. It was the one criticism that I had of Kenny (but boy do we miss him now!!?).



Very true Grumps. We should be taking maximum points form both teams. Depending on other results, I'd maybe take a draw at Palace and win at Scunny. Scunny are terrible and will certainly go down (imo) however we have an awful record against them since they got promoted. If we lose to both then I think it could seal our fate.

Strange how things can change. A win a draw for palace and we now look far more likely to drop.

A couple of wins for us would change things yet again.

 

[ListerBlade]

Strange how things can change. A win a draw for palace and we now look far more likely to drop.

A couple of wins for us would change things yet again.

unless Palace have got their act together. fingers crossed they haven't.

 

[Ollessendro]

Strange how things can change. A win a draw for palace and we now look far more likely to drop.

A couple of wins for us would change things yet again.

very true.

unless Palace have got their act together. fingers crossed they haven't.

There are other poor teams that could easily get dragged in. Barnsley, Bristol (despite a decent win at the weekend) and Coventry could all get dragged in. I have expected Boro to pull away, but it seems they are in a scrap too. Same goes for Pompey.

The point is that we have to dig ourselves out of this mess. let's do what Palace have just done and string a few results together. If we can, then (as Grumpy says) the picture will start to change. Let's put pressure on other crap teams by winning (even throw a few draws in) a few games and see how they handle it.

 

[Ollessendro]

The fixture list for February looks like this:

1/2 Leicester (H)*** LOST
5/2 Ipswich (A) ** LOST
12/2 Milwall (H) * DRAWN
15/2 Reading (H) ** DRAWN
19/2 Palace (A) * ????
22/2 Scunthorpe (A) * ????
26/2 Derby (H) ** ????

* Must win
** Should win
*** bonus if we win

Well it has been a disappointing February so far and I think we are swinging towards the fatal, rather than the fabulous. 2 points from a possible 12 says the whole stiry, but depsite our truly pathetic form there is a big fat get out of jail card hanging in fron of Micky Adams face. Can he reach it though?

We really need to win on Saturday (and cannot afford to lose). It goes without saying that we need to beat Scunthorpe and then probably Derby.

What a chance to ppick up some points though. No excuses now Micky. Liecester, Ipswich and Reading are decent teams. Plalce, Scunthorpe and Derby are all poor and are out of form. Mind you, so are we.

lf we could win on Saturday, we could easily brush aside a terrible Scunthorpe team on Tuesday. Then we face Derby the following Saturday, at home, with some confidence. Very winnable. I think we would all be shcoked if we won 3 on the bounce, but it is feasible that we pick up 11 points for the month and February would end up being fairly fabulous!?

However a defeat on Satruday and it is curtains. It is not worth thinking about. I'm shitting myself.

Once again, it's over to you Micky and the boys. Pull yourselves together, pull yer fecking fingers out and ger us art o dis mess .......

 

[super_pig]

fatal or fabulous?.. or a bunch of draws and a damp squib like the rest of the season?

 

[Ollessendro]

fatal or fabulous?.. or a bunch of draws and a damp squib like the rest of the season?

dat wud probably be fatal super_pig me owd mucker

 

[Ollessendro]

1/2 Leicester (H)*** LOST
5/2 Ipswich (A) ** LOST
12/2 Milwall (H) * DREW
15/2 Reading (H) ** DREW
19/2 Palace (A) * LOST
22/2 Scunthorpe (A) * LOST
26/2 Derby (H) **

* Must win
** Should win
*** bonus if we win

February, already Fatal. 2 points out of a possible 18

 

[norfolkblade]

Biggest month in the season for us this, and we have gone and fucked it big time!

 

[Guesty]

Who was it that said Feb was no more important than any other month, and that we'd "100% get out of it"? I think it was the same poster, anyway.