I think I've stopped enjoying home games

[Sheff de party]

Since moving to London, I've started going to a lot more away games. I've been to Brentford, MK Dons, Leyton Orient, Crawley, Fulham, Villa, QPR, Spurs, Crawley and Wembley (!), probably a few missing from that list.

Admittedly several are glamour ties, but the overall principle of the same. It's loud, it's fun and it's a day on the beer. It's often a new stadium, probably a new town and it's just a great day out. You'd expect I'd enjoy home games, especially as a non-Sheffielder, but I don't right now. A few observations from Saturday (and I include myself in 2 & 3):

1. Our crowd are impatient. At 0-0, we were getting really impatient and the same at 1-0 down. We are a better side than Fleetwood, who set up very well tactically. It takes time to break sides down, so if we pass backwards and keep the ball, that's not a problem. It's not basketball - we don't have to score every time we cross halfway or shoot within 20 seconds.
2. Our crowd do not tolerate any sort of failure. They're League One footballers, they are going to make mistakes. You can't expect them to rush and get forward all the time, then moan when they overhit a pass.
3. It is quiet. Hardly any encouragement going on. Even when Murphy tried to gee everyone up, it was exactly the same. Almost silent.
4. There is the strange expectancy that we should roll anyone who comes to Bramall Lane. We have to be realistic - we're not that good. Yes, we should be, but we're not.
5. Teams generally come for a draw, fouling us and time wasting in the mean time. Fleetwood did very little fouling, but the time wasting was ridiculous at times. Preston are the dirtiest side I've ever seen.

I am in no way defending the performance on Saturday - it was not good enough.

But for the price of a ticket, return train from LDN, food and drink, neither is the day out at Bramall Lane at the moment.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Excellent post.

 

[Grecian2000]

1. It is quiet. Hardly any encouragement going on. Even when Murphy tried to gee everyone up, it was exactly the same. Almost silent.
2. There is the strange expectancy that we should roll anyone who comes to Bramall Lane. We have to be realistic - we're not that good. Yes, we should be, but we're not.

You had the above as 3 and 4 but it fucked it up when I quoted it so apologies for that.

If don't agree with 4 (2 above) and I think that leads to 3 (1 if you get my drift).
I think (certainly pre game in the pub) the expectation was we were going to struggle against a defensive team and it wouldn't be easy or pretty. There was definitely no raised expectation of what was to come from anyone I spoke to. The crowd started flat because of this and never got going because of what was playing out before them.
As I've said elsewhere the only response from the crowd came when Davies battled away in their half winning a couple of loose balls and driving forward. The crowd roared for this but as it came to nothing and didn't lead to an upturn in effort and tempo, it died as quickly as it rose.

 

[raul]

So we're a better side than Fleetwood but shouldn't expect to beat them?

I'm having similar misgivings so understand what you are saying, but having watched similar performances for the vast majority of League games I can also understand why the place is so quiet and simmering with frustration. We can argue the toss about the rights and wrongs but that's just the way it is now at most grounds - crowds are reactive rather than proactive.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We've had this debate many times over the years, should the crowd raise the team or vice versa. When I started going to BDTBL many years ago, you could always guarantee that we would tear into the opposition in the 1st 10 minutes regardless of who they were. It worked sometimes and the game was won there and then, other times the opposition just soaked it up and went onto beat us but we always set off on the front foot which got the crowd going.

Football and society has changed since I started going, football fans across the country will be having exactly the same debate as us but at the end of the day, the crowd can only do so much and the players have to provide a spark which they rarely did on Saturday.

 

[dingledog]

The football served up at home has been dull, pedestrian and boring. We have been sold a dream, unfirtunay the reality, as is often the case, is very different.

It's not the crowds fault, the problem lies squarely with the quality, or lack of, of the play and our players.

Season ticket sales will plummet if we are not promoted.

 

[Fiery Blade]

The football served up at home has been dull, pedestrian and boring. We have been sold a dream, unfirtunay the reality, as is often the case, is very different.

It's not the crowds fault, the problem lies squarely with the quality, or lack of, of the play and our players.

Season ticket sales will plummet if we are not promoted.

Hopefully, all the negative numpties will find other things to do on a match day !!

 

[Blade56]

With stats like these (similar to Peterbro and Crawley) and we can't manage a win! No wonder we don't enjoy home games. I would dispute 4. I think the quietness is due to the fact that we are almost expecting a poor result. We have lost the feeling of going home happy with a performance and 3 points.

18 EIGHTEEN corners

 

[Fiery Blade]

Stats mean buggar all !
Chelsea managed to lift the Champions League Trophy with less possession that Fleetwood had on Saturday !

I don't enjoy home games because I get fed up with all the negative numpties within our 'so called' supporters !!

 

[raul]

Hopefully, all the negative numpties will find other things to do on a match day !!

Aren't most of them under contract till at leat 2017?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

How many of those 18 corners were threatening ? Despite our new well thought out short corners straight off the training ground I can recall at least 4 clearing everyone and going out for a throw, 5 or 6 which the keeper caught under no pressure, 2 or 3 not beating the 1st man and a few more easily cleared by their defence. I've never known us so useless at taking and defending set pieces.

 

[Fiery Blade]

We are not very good at throw ins either !

 

[Worksop II]

Chelsea managed to lift the Champions League Trophy with less possession that Fleetwood had on Saturday !

Maybe so, but would they have won if they had been unfortunate enough to been against Fleetwood, or even Gillingham

 

[Small Mendonca]

So are people paying £20 to get in expected to jump up and down and chant at that football. There is absolutely no value for money at the minute.

Lets face it, we all love United but when people pay money to get in, they expect some entertainment in return. People have every right to be annoyed at not getting that.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Maybe so, but would they have won if they had been unfortunate enough to been against Fleetwood, or even Gillingham

Like for Like - At present we are an ordinary side in a very ordinary league !

 

[Fiery Blade]

So are people paying £20 to get in expected to jump up and down and chant at that football. There is absolutely no value for money at the minute.

Lets face it, we all love United but when people pay money to get in, they expect some entertainment in return. People have every right to be annoyed at not getting that.

Just a few weeks ago people were jumping up and down when we ran Spurs very close ! Short Memories !

 

[grafikhaus]

How many of those 18 corners were threatening ? Despite our new well thought out short corners straight off the training ground I can recall at least 4 clearing everyone and going out for a throw, 5 or 6 which the keeper caught under no pressure, 2 or 3 not beating the 1st man and a few more easily cleared by their defence. I've never known us so useless at taking and defending set pieces.

Now I find this baffling. United (and to be fair a lot of other teams) never have a man beyond the back post for when corners are over-hit or flicked backwards across goal. Fleetwood's goalie was tiny by goalkeeping standards but had a good game. However on one or two occasions he 'flapped' at crosses. If only we had somebody who could have briefed the team on this and played on it....

 

[Fiery Blade]

Now I find this baffling. United (and to be fair a lot of other teams) never have a man beyond the back post for when corners are over-hit or flicked backwards across goal. Fleetwood's goalie was tiny by goalkeeping standards but had a good game. However on one or two occasions he 'flapped' at crosses. If only we had somebody who could have briefed the team on this and played on it....

You noticed this, I noticed this, most people in the ground notice this yet our players cannot work this out !

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Just a few weeks ago people were jumping up and down when we ran Spurs very close ! Short Memories !

I think this is a good point. When I don't have the time to get to BDTBL I sometimes walk round to my local non-league side. The quality of football is, well, non-league. But I am entertained well enough by chatting with my mates in the crowd of quite literally dozens, and supping a few pints. I seen some poor football at BDTBL and should/do expect better, I've also been greatly entertained (but not as often as I should expect).. I still look forward to the next match I can get to.

(To be clear though, wasn't there on Saturday to see Fleetwood, and not a season ticket holder, so have some sympathy for those whose crap/brilliant quotient is worse than mine)

 

[Cyprus Blade]

I watch Nea Salaminas and Anorthosis here in Cyprus ( both top division sides here) and I have to say we look like worldbeaters compared with the standard here but I do enjoy the games. I also go to some Orient, West Ham and Arsenal matches when I am in London but nothing compares with going to BDTBL (I manage about 12 matches a season) even though its 40 years since I lived in Sheffield..

 

[Small Mendonca]

Just a few weeks ago people were jumping up and down when we ran Spurs very close ! Short Memories !

I'm talking about the league games but yes, there is no doubt we have had value for money in the cup games.

 

[Wandsworth Blade]

Now I find this baffling. United (and to be fair a lot of other teams) never have a man beyond the back post for when corners are over-hit or flicked backwards across goal. Fleetwood's goalie was tiny by goalkeeping standards but had a good game. However on one or two occasions he 'flapped' at crosses. If only we had somebody who could have briefed the team on this and played on it....

From memory, the only time we have scored from the back post is Che Adams first goal against Spurs. No wonder he got dropped after that. Countless times on Saturday if someone like Coutts had made a back post run they would have been rewarded. And don't get me started on keeping Jay McEveley at the back for our corners when they had all 11 back in their box and we struggle for height.

 

[wizadry]

So you start with this

I don't enjoy home games because I get fed up with all the negative numpties within our 'so called' supporters !!

Then go on to say all this

We are not very good at throw ins either !

Like for Like - At present we are an ordinary side in a very ordinary league !

Just a few weeks ago people were jumping up and down when we ran Spurs very close ! Short Memories !

You noticed this, I noticed this, most people in the ground notice this yet our players cannot work this out !

And you wonder why there are negative people in our fanbase? Now i don't see myself like this, i go and have a few drinks after and discuss it but each to their own. Jumping up and down against Spurs because we ran them close just goes to show we do have some talent at our club so you can surely understand the fans frustrations when we as a whole don't turn up for the so called lesser games.

 

[Fiery Blade]

So you start with this

Then go on to say all this




And you wonder why there are negative people in our fanbase? Now i don't see myself like this, i go and have a few drinks after and discuss it but each to their own. Jumping up and down against Spurs because we ran them close just goes to show we do have some talent at our club so you can surely understand the fans frustrations when we as a whole don't turn up for the so called lesser games.

I can understand their frustrations, I have them myself - but I can also see the limitations of players like McNulty, Higdon, Flynn, McEverley, Doyle etc etc
What I can't understand are the calls to get Collins back in, Sacking the Manager and other inane suggestions - that was before the kick off on saturday

 

[Kenilworth]

I can understand their frustrations, I have them myself - but I can also see the limitations of players like McNulty, Higdon, Flynn, McEverley, Doyle etc etc
What I can't understand are the calls to get Collins back in, Sacking the Manager and other inane suggestions - that was before the kick off on saturday

Agree about the Collins and sacking NC comments but that's not what you said earlier and wizadry got it spot on.
If they can raise their game for Spurs then they should be good enough to bollox Fleetwood Town.
The fact they can't and we find it very difficult to get a sniff of a goal first half is the very reason the crowd is quiet because expectation are lower than a snakes gnads

 

[Jehovah]

Negative fans dont piss me off half as much as the shit boring football on offer at the moment.

 

[wizadry]

I can understand their frustrations, I have them myself - but I can also see the limitations of players like McNulty, Higdon, Flynn, McEverley, Doyle etc etc
What I can't understand are the calls to get Collins back in, Sacking the Manager and other inane suggestions - that was before the kick off on saturday

I personally think Collins could still do a job in this league but we should have made sure that if we weren't going to play him then we should have replaced him with a solid CB, not LB's and CM's. I agree sacking the manager would be stupid at this time as has been discussed in previous threads, but he will certainly have questions to be asked and answered if we don't atleast make the playoffs and one of the questions will be why haven't you sorted the CB situation out Nigel?

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Just a few weeks ago people were jumping up and down when we ran Spurs very close ! Short Memories !

Yes because it was a good experience and fans filled with excitement with it being spurs , not in-trepidation because its a league 1 game and wondering which SUFC team is going to turn up. Nowt to do with short memories . We will always turn up , but imo , we are all getting a bit tired of the same old same old at home.

UTB

 

[Blade56]

Stats mean buggar all !
Chelsea managed to lift the Champions League Trophy with less possession that Fleetwood had on Saturday !

I don't enjoy home games because I get fed up with all the negative numpties within our 'so called' supporters !!

Nowt to do with the shite football then?

 

[Fiery Blade]

I am definitely still in the Clough camp - but yes, some of his decisions baffle me too !
I think he was backed into a decision early on when Coady, Brayford and COG appeared out of reach and he went down the route of James Wallace (who turned out a crock) Alcock (who turned out a dumpling) and Higdon (who just hasn't turned out)
He has subsequently signed squad players and one for the future (Adams) and even now with just two months left of the season he hasn't a clue as to his best team !
He appears to get distraught on the sidelines because the players do not appear to be following instructions yet they continue to flatter to deceive week in week out.
My view is that the players we have are skilfull enough to get us promotion but they lack the balls, heart and bottle to face the rigours of the third division !