It’s the pashun that matters....

[Bannerman]

We now have the ability & opportunity to create our own version of Wenger's Arsenal, Ferguson's Man U or Cruyff's Barca. The club appears to be aligned like it never has before, and we need to make sure that on & off the pitch we maximise it for as long a period as possible. Previously we have produced international quality players from the academy and not had the full benefit from them. Now is the time to chance that. CW & AK are both young enough to be with us in a decade's time, and that should be the target. A collective identity, focus & purpose.

Absolutely agree with that. But as a life long Blade I automatically look for what could go wrong. If we stick with what we have and build on it we may well end up with a club that can compete with the big boys. If we and the owners start to panic when things don't go quite according to plan then we risk losing the best chance we've had in years to establish the club in the top flight.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I agree, of course being Sheffield United we have the ' Blades Way ' self inflicted cockup to worry about.

This club needs to hang on to this management team come what may. We need to stick with them even if the worst happens and we go back down. Burnley kept their nerve allowed Sean Dyche to rebuild and have benefited from doing so.

Of course we would only contemplate getting rid of Wilder and Knill after what they have done for the club if we had new owners with no understanding of who we are and had bought us as a vanity project meaning that retaining Premier status with a ' name ' as manager was all that mattered.

How likely is that?

If we ever get to a cycle of club ownership that takes away our identity then we could quite easily drift back to the 3rd tier again. We quite simply have to do it a different way. McCabe understands all of this which is why I think he's stuck around for so long. The sale of the club this summer as he has recently stated is a bit of a concern, but he reckons the time is right at 71 to move out.

Burnley are a fantastic example of how to do it a different way and Dyche may well come a cropper he he wants to move on. Burnley now have an identity - we need to create our own different one and CW should seriously think about if he could come a cropper if he tried to replicate what we have elsewhere. I hope he doesn't get fed up like Alan Curbishley did at Charlton, or we could drift (sadly) the same way.

UTB

 

[John Snow]

If that's what floats your boat - actually beginning to wonder what does float your boat.

UTB

Why?

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

Agree totally - it's a side he doesn't portray very much, but he has a ruthless streak for me that he keeps mainly hidden. I hear it in his words and now that we've reached the Premier League I think his ruthless side may become more apparent. We're a little (with potential) club in the worlds biggest football league and CW et al have a huge task in keeping us in this division. He keeps saying he wants to drive the club forward and I have a genuine belief he's doing it for us long suffering fans as well as himself.

It's quite frightening as to what he could achieve down at BDTBL and if I was a pig fan, i'd be genuinely concerned. If we can stay for Y2, then Y3 I reckon we may see something that we've all never experienced before.

UTB

Hopefully a similar effect to that Bill Shankly had at Liverpool.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Hopefully a similar effect to that Bill Shankly had at Liverpool.

Indeed - I don't remember how small L'pool were before Shanks, but he certainly kicked off their rise to be one of the big boys. Doubt we could ever repeat his feats or become another Forest, but there is no reason why we can't become established in the Premier League. We have all the building blocks and the Premier League size gives ANY team that opportunity.

We need to try and take it.

UTB

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Totally agree, we have a good core but athleticism and pace aren’t our strength yet, roll out the chequebook.

I was a pretty quick winger myself, back in the day like. Do you think, at 61, Wilder would discriminate against me on age if I went down there for a trial? I've been thinking of putting some dubbin on my Gola trainers for a while. I think I could possibly still make a contribution - and I'm British.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

No we’re in a mini league this first season. A top 5 finish in that mini league will see us ok in season 1

I think you're possibly right B56. I'd see that mini-league as anything from 8th to 20th. I'll tell you where I think we'll finish when I see the squad that we end up with. Meanwhile, do you have a YouTube link to Davitt or Hacker? I'd like to look at those then come back and tell everyone how good they are.

 

[Blade56]

I was a pretty quick winger myself, back in the day like. Do you think, at 61, Wilder would discriminate against me on age if I went down there for a trial? I've been thinking of putting some dubbin on my Gola trainers for a while. I think I could possibly still make a contribution - and I'm British.

Yes I think he would tell you to feck right off you old twat.




Well you did ask

 

[Blade56]

Meanwhile, do you have a YouTube link to Davitt or Hacker?

 

[A Storm of Blades]

...and to my cynical eye, UEFA have got what they wanted. The movement from an open cup competition with proper shocks & excitement to a virtual super league, where any shocks are minimal and don't upset the apple cart, and after 20 or so money spinning matches, any dark horses are knocked out, and 2 of the usual 4 or 5 teams are playing each other in the final. It's worth noting that the first game Forest played when they won it for the first time, was against Liverpool, the defending champions and league runners up the previous year. That wouldn't be allowed now.

I also always viewed post Heysel as a both a punishment and a 'strategic' decision by UEFA.

With the true purpose of FFP to prevent new money from challenging those already in the seat of power.