Is football still worth watching?

[Punk Blade]

Back in August I was buzzing with excitement after the Brentford game. Two evenly matched teams set up to attack, loads of chances, great football, good saves, and one goal that really could have gone either way. I was hopeful of seeing many more exciting games of proper football after leaving behind the nonsense and spoiling tactics of League One’s finest. If we’d lost that day I wouldn’t have been down, and indeed when Fulham came and deservedly won I enjoyed the game just as much.

Now our home season is complete, my expectation of seeing more actual games of football compared to League One hasn’t quite materialised. Clearly it hasn’t been as bad, but cheating is rife and the officials are doing nothing about it.

If 24 teams are playing by the rules, and we have some good days, some bad days, a bit of luck here and misfortune there, we’ll land in a fair position. I’m happy with that, whatever that position may be. But I’m seeing most of the other 23 testing the limits of what the referee will let them get away with in the first ten minutes, just to find they keep pushing and only discover that limit in the last ten minutes.

Money, cheats and referees ruining the game.

Already renewed for next season though.

 

[Harry's Game]

A bit cynical I feel, only the tactics Norwich and Preston have left a sour taste in the mouth.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Absolutely nailed in Punk Blade. The difference being that i've not renewed - I can't watch that anymore, it's not football.

I feel awful doing so, but it's ruined, gone.

 

[zablade]

I’m seeing most of the other 23 testing the limits of what the referee will let them get away with in the first ten minutes, just to find they keep pushing and only discover that limit in the last ten minutes.

We did it more than anyone under under Warnock and no one was getting their knickers in a twist about it when it took us up.

 

[Sheffsteel]

We did it more than anyone under under Warnock and no one was getting their knickers in a twist about it when it took us up.

Agree, it shows how far we’ve come when we look down at the playing style of Cardiff, Bolton and Preston.
It’s almost an anti football, organised, physical but playing percentage football just knocking the ball into dangerous areas.
We used to play like that many games under Warnock and Blackwell.
When we won many lives that style, when we lost many hated that style.

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

Said the same as the OP at the match today , I don't think its just been today and Norwich, plenty of teams have come to the lane and been guilty of delaying , time wasting, feigning injuries , bent players and managers trying to influence referees , and general crap to watch 'football '

this league is no great league at all , Preston have shown that you can just be organised and sly and get your way near the top 6

Credit to teams like Fulham / brentford who came to play football

Can't think of many others except those 2 ?

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

Said the same as the OP at the match today , I don't think its just been today and Norwich, plenty of teams have come to the lane and been guilty of delaying , time wasting, feigning injuries , bent players and managers trying to influence referees , and general crap to watch 'football '

this league is no great league at all , Preston have shown that you can just be organised and sly and get your way near the top 6

Credit to teams like Fulham / brentford who came to play football

Can't think of many others except those 2 ?

Ironically, probably the best 'football' team that have come to the lane this season were Brentford & we beat them.

In a perfect world, everybody would try and 'out football' everyone else & in the end, the best would go up. Unfortunately that isn't the case. You only have to look at Villa. At times, they look electric but they also dive in dangerous areas, can play the possession game and will time waste / play the ref when it suits.

We can try and out football everyone again next season, but I don't think that will get us where we want to be (the top 6). As much as everyone dislikes the anti-football that's displayed by many of the sides in this league, I believe there is a middle ground where the very best teams will out football you when they can. When they cant, will out anti-football you.

It's an area I believe we seriously need to consider improving upon going into next season. The amount of times we've thrown away winning positions this season has been poor, and a bit of anti-football would have closed the game out.

Plenty of time to get things right for next season!

UTB

*Edit*

To answer the OP, yes football is absolutely still worth watching

 

[super_pig]

i’m a little disillusioned woth football generally atm.. it’s turning into a parody of itself.. the champs is just premier lite.. same twats.. same tattoos, same diving same poseurs

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Said the same as the OP at the match today , I don't think its just been today and Norwich, plenty of teams have come to the lane and been guilty of delaying , time wasting, feigning injuries , bent players and managers trying to influence referees , and general crap to watch 'football '

this league is no great league at all , Preston have shown that you can just be organised and sly and get your way near the top 6

Credit to teams like Fulham / brentford who came to play football

Can't think of many others except those 2 ?

Agreed. There is very little real quality in this league, you may get one stand out footballing side, but the ones who are challenging are just fit, very well drilled teams, that know how to fight on the ropes and nick a result. That's why Warnock is successful at this level, because 75% of your points come from that style of football. If you are lucky to have a player having a worldy season like Michael Brown, etc, then you're top 2. For all our pride in the football we've played, we're still behind Preston, Millwall & Cardiff. Brentford are a strange one as they had the raw materials for a very good season, but yet sold their main goal threat & didn't really replace him.

In the cold light of day, we have shown a naivety in recent months that has cost us, and that a side managed by Wilder & Knill shouldn't do, because for all our stylish play, our management team are schooled in park football & the lower leagues.

 

[Baaaaaaa Blades]

Agreed. There is very little real quality in this league, you may get one stand out footballing side, but the ones who are challenging are just fit, very well drilled teams, that know how to fight on the ropes and nick a result. That's why Warnock is successful at this level, because 75% of your points come from that style of football. If you are lucky to have a player having a worldy season like Michael Brown, etc, then you're top 2. For all our pride in the football we've played, we're still behind Preston, Millwall & Cardiff. Brentford are a strange one as they had the raw materials for a very good season, but yet sold their main goal threat & didn't really replace him.

In the cold light of day, we have shown a naivety in recent months that has cost us, and that a side managed by Wilder & Knill shouldn't do, because for all our stylish play, our management team are schooled in park football & the lower leagues.

Said to a bloke walking out, the team needs a couple of no nonsense ' hard bastards' who are wily and can bring a bit of the ' championship' way to our game

Add a striker with pace to that and coutts back and we could be getting there , live in hope !

 

[super_pig]

Said to a bloke walking out, the team needs a couple of no nonsense ' hard bastards' who are wily and can bring a bit of the ' championship' way to our game

Add a striker with pace to that and coutts back and we could be getting there , live in hope !

we simply haven’t been cynical enough .. i’m kind of proud of that in a funny way but we need to wise up next year.. millwall have done well because they already play that way.. so it turns out that we over estimated the quality of the style of play and the championship is ‘still’ a league full of thugs and hoofers and not moved on much since we were here last time

 

[Woodwardfan]

Back in August I was buzzing with excitement after the Brentford game. Two evenly matched teams set up to attack, loads of chances, great football, good saves, and one goal that really could have gone either way. I was hopeful of seeing many more exciting games of proper football after leaving behind the nonsense and spoiling tactics of League One’s finest. If we’d lost that day I wouldn’t have been down, and indeed when Fulham came and deservedly won I enjoyed the game just as much.

Now our home season is complete, my expectation of seeing more actual games of football compared to League One hasn’t quite materialised. Clearly it hasn’t been as bad, but cheating is rife and the officials are doing nothing about it.

If 24 teams are playing by the rules, and we have some good days, some bad days, a bit of luck here and misfortune there, we’ll land in a fair position. I’m happy with that, whatever that position may be. But I’m seeing most of the other 23 testing the limits of what the referee will let them get away with in the first ten minutes, just to find they keep pushing and only discover that limit in the last ten minutes.

Money, cheats and referees ruining the game.

Already renewed for next season though.

Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately referees have been drawn into 'game management' rather than enforcing the rules.

Take away managers and 4th officials from the touchline and have zero tolerance of dissent, diving and wrestling at set-pieces. That gives the game a chance.

 

[grafikhaus]

Said the same as the OP at the match today , I don't think its just been today and Norwich, plenty of teams have come to the lane and been guilty of delaying , time wasting, feigning injuries , bent players and managers trying to influence referees , and general crap to watch 'football '

this league is no great league at all , Preston have shown that you can just be organised and sly and get your way near the top 6

Credit to teams like Fulham / brentford who came to play football

Can't think of many others except those 2 ?

It's all down to one thing - the ref. (as pointed out on this thread). I don't think that they're just inept, they're fucking cowards. Yet again, Preston could sense the fear in the ref. yesterday and knew they could get away with anything. The 'referee's assistant's are just 'yes-men' and, apart from holding the board up, I fail to see the point of the 'fourth official'. The other week, Pulis spent most of the game outside his technical area and, apart from a 'Sergeant Wilson-like rebuke' ('I say, old man, would you mind awfully...') he let him get away with it. Even the assessors in the stand (described here) go for the easy option. Most players try to perform, hoping they will be noticed so that their career will progress. But these fucking 'officials' seem content to stay where they are.

It'll kill the game eventually. Instead of wasting money on 'community projects', wimmin's football etc., surely the money would be better spent on recruiting, training and getting fit the future refs who are capable of keeping up with modern play?

 

[DaleHillBlade]

Couldn't agree more. Unfortunately referees have been drawn into 'game management' rather than enforcing the rules.

Take away managers and 4th officials from the touchline and have zero tolerance of dissent, diving and wrestling at set-pieces. That gives the game a chance.

I've found myself watching a LOT of nonleague football the last couple of seasons. Quality not as good, but entertainment is as good. But key for me, if a player dives or flounces, they get laughed at by the other players and literally dozens of fans and soon stop.

 

[Maidenhead]

Back in August I was buzzing with excitement after the Brentford game. Two evenly matched teams set up to attack, loads of chances, great football, good saves, and one goal that really could have gone either way. I was hopeful of seeing many more exciting games of proper football after leaving behind the nonsense and spoiling tactics of League One’s finest. If we’d lost that day I wouldn’t have been down, and indeed when Fulham came and deservedly won I enjoyed the game just as much.

Now our home season is complete, my expectation of seeing more actual games of football compared to League One hasn’t quite materialised. Clearly it hasn’t been as bad, but cheating is rife and the officials are doing nothing about it.

If 24 teams are playing by the rules, and we have some good days, some bad days, a bit of luck here and misfortune there, we’ll land in a fair position. I’m happy with that, whatever that position may be. But I’m seeing most of the other 23 testing the limits of what the referee will let them get away with in the first ten minutes, just to find they keep pushing and only discover that limit in the last ten minutes.

Money, cheats and referees ruining the game.

Already renewed for next season though.

A bit cynical I feel, only the tactics Norwich and Preston have left a sour taste in the mouth.

Absolutely nailed in Punk Blade. The difference being that i've not renewed - I can't watch that anymore, it's not football.

I feel awful doing so, but it's ruined, gone.

And still some people want promotion to the Premier League where it only gets worse.

Overall I've enjoyed this season though and I can't believe how quickly the end has come.

I'm already on tenterhooks waiting for the fixtures to come out for next season.

( I'm not saying that I don't want promotion to the Premier League, just that it has a lot of downsides too. Not only the cheating, diving, etc but if we were to win more than 10 games it would be remarkable and I enjoy seeing us win, as well as seeing us play well. I rarely bother watching Premier League games on the tele because it just doesn't hold my interest)

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

I'm looking forward to the three month break. I'm tired of it all. The football, the board, listening to stupid comments from our characteristically thick-cunt fanbase, everything.

Three months will be bliss. I can concentrate on a life beyond this whole farcical enterprise.

 

[GrayBlade]

I know where the OP is coming from and agree with a lot of what he says, but I think some of the ‘Meh’ feeling that seems to be affecting some of our fans is down last season being such an outstanding one. Plenty of L1 teams came to waste time and kick us off the park but we were so much better than most of them it didn’t work. This year that’s obviously not the case, but the reputation we built last season and the first half of this has made other teams take note and from Norwich stealing the points onwards, others like the Pork, Bolton and Preston played the same way. We’ve done ok and more than held our own, maybe if we hadn’t teams wouldn’t have given us as much respect and tried to play instead of stifle the game.

Overall though unless we’d got promoted, I think that this season was always going to seem a bit ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ ish. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Wolves fans are feeling pretty much the same this time next season and harking back the to the great days of the Championship, when no amount of gamesmanship and blatant cheating by the opposition could halt their role. They are just too good like we were for L1.

 

[Hague Blade]

I'm with HillmortonBlade - watched a lot of non-league this season, and it's been a lot more enjoyable (and cheaper) than watching Arsenal.

The refereeing is often useless, some of the players are twats, but it costs me six quid, my local club is really friendly, and I've seen plenty of decent games and lots of goals.

We got promoted yesterday to the Isthmian League, and I'm getting a season ticket (for about £100) for next season. The more I fall out of love with professional football, the more I find myself enjoying semi-pro.

 

[Large Mendonca]

I ain't abandoning the Blades (i couldn't) but i think i'll split my time between the Lane and Sheffield FC next season (same as Small Mendonca). You don't see anything in local football like the circus i've witnessed this season, just honest graft and integrity from both sets of players. I can honestly count on the fingers of one hand the games i have enjoyed at the Lane this season.

As they say, when the fun stops, stop.

 

[I should coco]

A bit cynical I feel, only the tactics Norwich and Preston have left a sour taste in the mouth.

I'd chuck Boro , Millwall and Cardiff in there too.

 

[Lane Ender]

i’m a little disillusioned woth football generally atm.. it’s turning into a parody of itself.. the champs is just premier lite.. same twats.. same tattoos, same diving same poseurs

And with the World Cup coming up of which ai have no interest
Never thought I would say that.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Instead of wasting money on 'community projects', wimmin's football etc., surely the money would be better spent on recruiting, training and getting fit the future refs who are capable of keeping up with modern play?

Money spent on such community projects and women's football is not wasted.

What is wasted is a percentage of money paid to the top pro footballers.

There's enough there to spend on educating and training refs.

Which of course the top pros would hate

 

[Hague Blade]

And with the World Cup coming up of which ai have no interest
Never thought I would say that.

Was saying exactly the same to my lad yesterday. The least excited I can remember being about a tournament in my life time. Dull manager, dull players, and the usual excuses just over the horizon

 

[TJB.]

Already renewed for next season though.

And that's the crux of it all, isn't it? You can get as sick of it as you like, but we'll all be back. It's in the blood and you can't get it out.

Wouldn't change a thing. Up the motherfucking Blades. Sod the board.

 

[Bladezz]

I always think 46 games is enough for anyone. Even when going up as champions last season it does get to a stage where your like how many more are left

 

[YouFUMS]

Well I've thoroughly enjoyed this season. We've played some great attacking football, we've not tried to nick points, and in the most part it's been very entertaining. Even in games we have lost I have come away thinking 'what a good game'. ST renewed and looking forward to next season.

 

[awblade]

This thread is spot on...the only football i watch now is blades and the A-league. I was starting to get into MLS too until we got rid of sky. Both of those leagues are lower quality, but get over that then they are enjoyable to watch

 

[Iceybabey]

I'm starting to get pissed off with so called fans tbh. That page on Facebook is enough evidence to suggest that a lot of people need sectioning. However, at yesterday's game there was a kid sat behind me berating everyone of our players anytime the ball went near one of them. "ffs", "this guys shit", "this guys lazy" blablabla fucking bla. I actually moved seats before I twated his dad for just sitting there silent.

 

[Lane Ender]

I always think 46 games is enough for anyone. Even when going up as champions last season it does get to a stage where your like how many more are left

I hit that stage after the Millwall game.

 

[Sirius]

This thread is spot on...the only football i watch now is blades and the A-league. I was starting to get into MLS too until we got rid of sky. Both of those leagues are lower quality, but get over that then they are enjoyable to watch

I enjoy gamesswhere both teams are at a similar level ofcability
sometime effort and enthusasm canvtake the place of skill Especially if the layers don’t resort to cheating and feigning injury