Feeling deflated? Perspective

[Superbladesman7]

Apologies if there are some similar threads flying about but here’s my take on our current situation.

I said to friends at the time of Coutts’ injury, that it would probably ruin our season, he’s been that important to our style of play and retaining posession/using it well. I think it’s evident how big of a miss he’s been and in my view we just took too long to recover and January was too far away for strengthening. I do however think Lee Evans in particular looks an excellent signing.

However, we still look comfortable for a a mid-table to play offs finish, which if we hadn’t had such an amazing start surely all of us would have accepted happily before the season started and of course look like finishing well above Wednesday.

Have teams worked us out as some claim? Possibly. But we’ve also played some extremely strong teams in recent weeks and the fixtures should now get easier. I’d like to see us mix things up a bit more and a few more pops at goal but all is not lost.

We still have a great chance of nicking a play off spot, my worry is that we are getting into the territory of needing to win at least 2-3 on the bounce just to stay in the play offs. But hopefully we are over the worst spell now and can put another strong run together.

Either way lets just enjoy the highs knowing that whatever happens, it’s been a very successful season.

UTB

 

[Esablade]

Apologies if there are some similar threads flying about but here’s my take on our current situation.

I said to friends at the time of Coutts’ injury, that it would probably ruin our season, he’s been that important to our style of play and retaining posession/using it well. I think it’s evident how big of a miss he’s been and in my view we just took too long to recover and January was too far away for strengthening. I do however think Lee Evans in particular looks an excellent signing.

However, we still look comfortable for a a mid-table to play offs finish, which if we hadn’t had such an amazing start surely all of us would have accepted happily before the season started and of course look like finishing well above Wednesday.

Have teams worked us out as some claim? Possibly. But we’ve also played some extremely strong teams in recent weeks and the fixtures should now get easier. I’d like to see us mix things up a bit more and a few more pops at goal but all is not lost.

We still have a great chance of nicking a play off spot, my worry is that we are getting into the territory of needing to win at least 2-3 on the bounce just to stay in the play offs. But hopefully we are over the worst spell now and can put another strong run together.

Either way lets just enjoy the highs knowing that whatever happens, it’s been a very successful season.

UTB

You're right, we're still in with a shout pal...UTB!

 

[Sheffsteel]

We’ve been the best team in the vast majority of games this season.
Our goalie hardly has anything to do all match.
Even on Saturday against a Wolves team playing at their height our goalie didn’t have much to do apart from take the ball out of the net 3 times. Can’t really a remember a single proper save from either keeper.

Still think we have a realistic chance of the play-offs and I wouldn’t meakly accept mid table just yet.
Id also fancy our chances in the play-offs against Villa or Derby.

Agree with the sentiment though.
Even in defeat I’m still enjoying the home games this season.
We’ve got our club back, our matches are always entertaining (compared to the previous 6 years),
so i’m fine and will definitely renew the season tickets next season.

 

[5tannington Blade]

I think we might have had a handful more points on the board had coutts not got injured but i think people are overplaying his importance. I think this slump of the last few weeks was going to come with or without paul in the side. Had clarke/fleck/oconnel got injured instead and the same form occurred we would be bemoaning that they were the key to making us tick.

I agree with your OP though but i think we are just about where we should be given the manager we have and the players

 

[Kenilworth]

And the threat of Brooks

 

[Bladesman]

I think we retain posession rather well, we just don't move the ball around quickly enough.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

We’ve been the best team in the vast majority of games this season.
Our goalie hardly has anything to do all match.
Even on Saturday against a Wolves team playing at their height our goalie didn’t have much to do apart from take the ball out of the net 3 times. Can’t really a remember a single proper save from either keeper.

Never read anything as daft.

I once saw Spurs beat Wigan 9-1 and Kirkland didn't have anything to do apart from pick the ball out of the back of the net nine times.

It's a bit like saying that apart from being really cold ice is actually hot or apart from being tall, Peter Crouch is actually quite short.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Never read anything as daft.

I once saw Spurs beat Wigan 9-1 and Kirkland didn't have anything to do apart from pick the ball out of the back of the net nine times.

It's a bit like saying that apart from being really cold ice is actually hot or apart from being tall, Peter Crouch is actually quite short.

In many games the keeper will make plenty of saves.
Our keepers have made the lowest number of saves in the Championship.
Opposition teams don’t manage to force our keeper to do much each game.
The stats prove we have the least active keeper in the Championship, the opposition are averaging a very low 2.7 shots at our goal each game.

It’s a common patten in that our keeper hardly touches the ball, so we must be doing something right.
I think someone has already pulled out a stat that nearly 50% of shots on target at our keepers result in goals for the opposition. This is by far the worse ratio in the Championship.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Never read anything as daft.

I once saw Spurs beat Wigan 9-1 and Kirkland didn't have anything to do apart from pick the ball out of the back of the net nine times.

It's a bit like saying that apart from being really cold ice is actually hot or apart from being tall, Peter Crouch is actually quite short.

Agree with your point in some ways.
Of course the only stat that really counts is “goals scored”.

 

[Isar]

After 6 seasons slumming it in League 1 this is a great season.

 

[GodricBlade]

We’ve had worse seasons....
Plenty to be happy about though & whilst there’s also a few “if only” moments (like “if only” we’d stop letting in all those shots from distance) it’s not over yet!
- Play-Off’s still possible.
- FA Cup still possible.
- Much better season than pigs even though we did lose 0-0 at home to them.

It’s always good to be a Blade.

 

[Bladezz]

Forget the OP. Gerrin in box more and stop faffing about with it at back. Then soon as we launch it.... why are we playing longball?

 

[dingledog]

It reminds me of the last season in the Premier League. We are doing OK, then Hulse gets serious injury at Chelsea and you just knew it was season over. We never really replaced him and didn't have that threat in the rest of the games.

 

[grafikhaus]

After 6 seasons slumming it in League 1 this is a great season.

Sure is:

• Home crowds up over 5k on average (so far) - 2016-17 (21,892), 2017-18 (26,934)
• Into the FA Cup 5th Round
• No more freezing cold evening games v Yeovil, Stevenage, Crawley, Fleetwood etc.
• Good away followings instead of 2 men and a dog.
• We've beaten Brentford, Barnsley, Derby, Wolves, Sunderland (twice), Bolton, Norwich, Wednesday, Ipswich, Bolton, Reading, Leeds, Hull and Burton.
• Drawn away at Villa and Derby
• Nobody (yet) has done the double over us.
• So far, over 404,004 have passed through the hallowed portals of BDTBL in the league so far.

By any standards, it's been a good season even if we 'only' finish mid-table.

 

[madeinsheffield]

Sneak in 6th place, we know from our own experience 6th place often does well in the play offs, never been us though!

 

[ShorehamRevolution]

Apologies if there are some similar threads flying about but here’s my take on our current situation.

I said to friends at the time of Coutts’ injury, that it would probably ruin our season, he’s been that important to our style of play and retaining posession/using it well. I think it’s evident how big of a miss he’s been and in my view we just took too long to recover and January was too far away for strengthening. I do however think Lee Evans in particular looks an excellent signing.

However, we still look comfortable for a a mid-table to play offs finish, which if we hadn’t had such an amazing start surely all of us would have accepted happily before the season started and of course look like finishing well above Wednesday.

Have teams worked us out as some claim? Possibly. But we’ve also played some extremely strong teams in recent weeks and the fixtures should now get easier. I’d like to see us mix things up a bit more and a few more pops at goal but all is not lost.

We still have a great chance of nicking a play off spot, my worry is that we are getting into the territory of needing to win at least 2-3 on the bounce just to stay in the play offs. But hopefully we are over the worst spell now and can put another strong run together.

Either way lets just enjoy the highs knowing that whatever happens, it’s been a very successful season.

UTB

A sensible post, mods please remove.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

We were warned earlier doors of a possible dip in form and now it has arrived although, we are still playing some good football. Can't see us now grabbing one of the play off places but still happy with the way we have progressed. Our neighbours struggled more than us when they came back up, but after consolidating pushed on to eventually claim a play off final spot.Hopefully with a bit of shrewd investment close season, we can kick on even more.

 

[TJB.]

If you're feeling deflated, think about where we are now, then try to remember how you felt when this happened in front of our eyes. It wasn't so long ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34840144

 

[Gavlar]

Never read anything as daft.

I once saw Spurs beat Wigan 9-1 and Kirkland didn't have anything to do apart from pick the ball out of the back of the net nine times.

It's a bit like saying that apart from being really cold ice is actually hot or apart from being tall, Peter Crouch is actually quite short.

Classic banter sir!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

In many games the keeper will make plenty of saves.
Our keepers have made the lowest number of saves in the Championship.
Opposition teams don’t manage to force our keeper to do much each game.
The stats prove we have the least active keeper in the Championship, the opposition are averaging a very low 2.7 shots at our goal each game.

It’s a common patten in that our keeper hardly touches the ball, so we must be doing something right.
I think someone has already pulled out a stat that nearly 50% of shots on target at our keepers result in goals for the opposition. This is by far the worse ratio in the Championship.

Saves are meaningless, it's goals that count.

Our defence is average at best. We've conceded in 93% of our away matches.