It's back!

[SwissBlade]

So we're back today, Blades back in the Championship.

But thats not the direct reason for this post. I went on the OS the other day (3rd August) and the latest video with Wilder has a snapshot of his face.

We've had a summer of smiley Wilder, appeh Wilder and even in the Radio Sheffield Managers forum the other night the chilled, relaxed Wilder.



3rd August, Wilder had his game face back!

If anyone were under any illusion that our manager was here to enjoy himself, that the players were here to enjoy themselves, forget it. Wilder is right back to where he was up until we clinched promotion last season.

Game face on, Wilder is back in business. Here we go again. The heart is already pounding.

Come on you red and white wizzzzzarrrrrdddssss!

 

[Tarkus]

Nice one Mr wilder - now just help my dad-in-laws 80th birthday BBQ go with a real swing this evening with a 3 nil drubbing of those cocky buggers from West London....!

 

[Torrix1889]

Game face or face of frustration given his comments....definite shot across the bows of the owners not to take him for granted.

Get the feeling he wanted one or two more in by now and tightness has prevented that.

Either way, we know our Chris will be 100% focused now and will have the squad ready and firing.

COYRAWW

 

[Woodwardfan]

Game face or face of frustration given his comments....definite shot across the bows of the owners not to take him for granted.

Get the feeling he wanted one or two more in by now and tightness has prevented that.

Either way, we know our Chris will be 100% focused now and will have the squad ready and firing.

COYRAWW

I've listened to the preview and hear none of that. Is there a longer version somewhere?

 

[mattbianco1]

So we're back today, Blades back in the Championship.

But thats not the direct reason for this post. I went on the OS the other day (3rd August) and the latest video with Wilder has a snapshot of his face.

We've had a summer of smiley Wilder, appeh Wilder and even in the Radio Sheffield Managers forum the other night the chilled, relaxed Wilder.

View attachment 29281

3rd August, Wilder had his game face back!

If anyone were under any illusion that our manager was here to enjoy himself, that the players were here to enjoy themselves, forget it. Wilder is right back to where he was up until we clinched promotion last season.

Game face on, Wilder is back in business. Here we go again. The heart is already pounding.

Come on you red and white wizzzzzarrrrrdddssss!

Nothing finer than a packed BDTBL singing loud and proud on a Sunny day.

COYRAWW

 

[Rodley]

So we're back today, Blades back in the Championship.

But thats not the direct reason for this post. I went on the OS the other day (3rd August) and the latest video with Wilder has a snapshot of his face.

We've had a summer of smiley Wilder, appeh Wilder and even in the Radio Sheffield Managers forum the other night the chilled, relaxed Wilder.

View attachment 29281

3rd August, Wilder had his game face back!

If anyone were under any illusion that our manager was here to enjoy himself, that the players were here to enjoy themselves, forget it. Wilder is right back to where he was up until we clinched promotion last season.

Game face on, Wilder is back in business. Here we go again. The heart is already pounding.

Come on you red and white wizzzzzarrrrrdddssss!

Ive nothing to add to that magnificent OP other than...

WIZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS

 

[Rodley]

Nothing finer than a packed BDTBL singing loud and proud on a Sunny day.

COYRAWW

I'm at a wedding! Devastated!

 

[mattbianco1]

I'm at a wedding! Devastated!

If it's family, disown them. If its mates, they'll understand. Either way get darn t'lane

 

[SwissBlade]

Game face or face of frustration given his comments....definite shot across the bows of the owners not to take him for granted.

Get the feeling he wanted one or two more in by now and tightness has prevented that.

Either way, we know our Chris will be 100% focused now and will have the squad ready and firing.

COYRAWW

Based on last season (plus the interviews from Northampton before he arrived), Wilder likes to make sure people are clear on his role, responsibilities and budget, but also to be crystal clear that it is the money of owners and therefore their decision to give him money or not. The two recent interviews have reaffirmed that. He doesn't shirk, he doesn't dodge questions but doesn't answer questions out of his remit.

I also get the impression that he wanted one or two more, i get the impression that the money was there but to a limit (no indication whether he met that limit though or whether his own valuations of targets was lower than those of their parent clubs).

One thing which has been very clear since promotion is that money would be available this summer, but also if there is a relegation fight looming or a chance of a promotion push, the funds would be there in January to deal with either scenario.

I got the impression that Wilder believes that we're ready to go. I am sure there will be more business before the window closes, but for now, its back to the football.

Those new players will see what we're about today.

 

[Rodley]

If it's family, disown them. If its mates, they'll understand. Either way get darn t'lane

My face when I woke up and realised I wasn't going to BDTBL

 

[Torrix1889]

Based on last season (plus the interviews from Northampton before he arrived), Wilder likes to make sure people are clear on his role, responsibilities and budget, but also to be crystal clear that it is the money of owners and therefore their decision to give him money or not. The two recent interviews have reaffirmed that. He doesn't shirk, he doesn't dodge questions but doesn't answer questions out of his remit.

I also get the impression that he wanted one or two more, i get the impression that the money was there but to a limit (no indication whether he met that limit though or whether his own valuations of targets was lower than those of their parent clubs).

One thing which has been very clear since promotion is that money would be available this summer, but also if there is a relegation fight looming or a chance of a promotion push, the funds would be there in January to deal with either scenario.

I got the impression that Wilder believes that we're ready to go. I am sure there will be more business before the window closes, but for now, its back to the football.

Those new players will see what we're about today.

Wonder how many of those new players will feature Swiss....? 2 at the most I would say in Stearman and Stevens...

 

[The Hobott]

Enjoy it blades - championship been a long time coming - we've earned it.

In Japan so won't get to the lane til mid September. Be listening on ifollow.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I've listened to the preview and hear none of that. Is there a longer version somewhere?

A fair number of posters think Wilder is handicapped by the owners being tight with his budget .Really it's down to Wilder wanting a fair price for players and he won't allow clubs to take us too the Cleaners.
He hasn t got a big budget ( that's obvious ) but I'm sure he's got riddle room to bring more players in but as stated no one is going to have his pants down

 

[SwissBlade]

Wonder how many of those new players will feature Swiss....? 2 at the most I would say in Stearman and Stevens...

It’s a good question, tried to summarise my thoughts right now, must add that I’ve not seen the new players play except for the videos online and going on what I’ve read from trusted sources.


Not sure that each and every new signing needs to be starting the first game, but I think over the course of a 46 game season we will need almost all of them and perhaps the side starting today will be quite different to the one that ends the season.


So right now, these are my thoughts today:

Blackman (Keeper)
Competition: Moore, Eastwood
Likelihood to Start: 100%
Most likely second choice keeper, but will play 1st month due to injury of Moore but ahead of Eastwood due to his experience.

Stearman (Centrehalf)
Competition: Bash, Wright, JOC, Brayford
Likelihood to Start: 100%
Stearman is probably a guaranteed starter, unsurprising given his experience at this level as a very consistent performer.

Stevens (LWB)
Competition: Lafferty
Likelihood to Start: 60/40
Probably just edges Lafferty out based on preseason performances. Although Wilder may just stick with Lafferty

Baldock (RWB)
Competition: Freeman, Brayford
Likelihood to Start: 0%
Preseason injuries and recovery along with Freeman being immense last season mean that its Freemans place to lose

Lundstram (Centre Mid)
Competition: Coutts and Fleck
Likelihood to Start: 0%
Summary: Similar to RWB, Coutts and Fleck need an injury, suspension or really poor form for Lundstram to displace. Also coming in late, his fitness will be behind ours, so he better be ready when his chance comes, but not an immediate starter

Thomas (Attacking Mid / winger)
Competition: Duffy, Brooks, Carruthers
Likelihood to Start: 30%
Summary: Probably the player I know least about. Can't see him getting in ahead of Carruthers or Brooks for now, but expect him to get more games in the cup and perhaps as a late sub rather than a starter.

Ched (Striker (Attacking Mid))
Competition: Sharp, Clarke, Hanson, Lavery
Likelihood to Start: 0%
Summary: I think Ched will feature before, but I think he's more likely to be fighting for a starting slot from around October. I don't see it before and I think it will suit us at the back end of the season if he is firing in the second half. Impact sub (which I don't think suits him from memory) and possibly played in the attacking mid role as well, in behind Sharp and Clarke that would be good to see.

 

[Woodwardfan]

A fair number of posters think Wilder is handicapped by the owners being tight with his budget .Really it's down to Wilder wanting a fair price for players and he won't allow clubs to take us too the Cleaners.
He hasn t got a big budget ( that's obvious ) but I'm sure he's got riddle room to bring more players in but as stated no one is going to have his pants down

Wilder has a bigger budget than he has ever had before, way bigger. We have a bigger budget than we've had for a while.

Wilder is not one of those who uses his interviews with the media to imply he has his hands tied and fighting against all the odds. He is on the same page as KM and repeatedly endorses the club approach to build, key word build, at a sensible pace rather than take one big gamble and have to cut back if it should fail.

KM is my age and wondering whether he will live to see us back in the Premier League. It will be one of the most important things in his life believe me. That does not mean he should just throw money at it because he's done that before and it hasn't worked. In the Championship in 2007 our wage bill was £23.5m and we failed. It's not all about money, it's about progress and keeping momentum going.

 

[freddyp]

Nothing finer than a packed BDTBL singing loud and proud on a Sunny day.

COYRAWW

It's a not a Sunny day it's a Satty day

 

[Jon P]

Who's getting lynched if we lose then? Hanson? Ched? - nobody I hope. Get behind team win or lose today. We need to stick together cos I tell you what, Pig fans will be straight out the woodwork as soon as we slip up to tell us "they told us so".

COYRAWW

 

[SwissBlade]

Who's getting lynched if we lose then? Hanson? Ched? - nobody I hope. Get behind team win or lose today. We need to stick together cos I tell you what, Pig fans will be straight out the woodwork as soon as we slip up to tell us "they told us so".

COYRAWW

I can see a draw today, hoping for a win, but Brentford will be tough, so we could get beaten.

Really hard one to call as despite a good preseason, we've got nothing to gauge against. Stoke, Malaga, bother decent sides, but they won't have been giving it everything.

 

[Billyblade]

Just got out of bed ready for the drive home from the Far East.


Buzzin

 

[Caveblade]

I can't wait to hear it ringing around the lane "United are back, united are back".

Great OP Swiss, I am off to B&Q to distract myself and pass some time by buying some paint and choosing the best masking tape to use!

Come on you red and white wizaaaaaaaaaaards!

 

[Blade56]

It's nice to be talking football and players instead of divided fans arguing about managers and negative playing styles. One thing is for sure we are a united club again in name and spirit.

I've got mixed feelings this morning. For the last 6 seasons my expectations have been that we should be able to get out of what I dubbed the 'piss poor league' week after week, month after month.

Today my feelings are not so much of expectation to carry on where we left off but have we done enough in the transfers to adjust to what will be a difficult transition. It's going to be a wait and see job, one thing is for sure we have in CW a manager who can adapt and have a plan B unlike Clough, Adkin's, Weir etc.

Let's not forget the first 4 games last season 1 point from 12 then only 3 more losses in a season brought about by CW's quick problem analysis and correction from 442 to 352. Such immediate and positive results may not be possible at this level but his ability will be a good adversary to clubs trying to buy a winning team of individuals.

In Wilder we trust, for now.

UTB.

 

[Blade56]

I can't wait to hear it ringing around the lane "United are back, united are back".

Great OP Swiss, I am off to B&Q to distract myself and pass some time by buying some paint and choosing the best masking tape to use!

Come on you red and white wizaaaaaaaaaaards!

What an exciting day, painting red and white stripes with masking tape!

It's expensive but Frog tape is best to stop paint bleed. However, a steady hand is cheaper and better.

 

[Woodwardfan]

What an exciting day, painting red and white stripes with masking tape!

It's expensive but Frog tape is best to stop paint bleed. However, a steady hand is cheaper and better.

Do the outside walls like mine, seagulls keep away too!!

 

[Sheffsteel]

The other day I heard a show on Talksport where they were reviewing the Championship teams.
Like many of the experts they had us down as finishing comfortable mid table.

However they did say we've brought in the highly rated goalie Blackman.
They raved about him and said if he gets his chance to play then it wouldn't surprise them if he becames our number 1.

Obviously they didn't know that Moore was our injured meaning Blackman is gauranteed to start the season.
Wilder also said that Blackman was our number 1 goalkeeping target and has a big future in the game.

I was underwhelmed when hearing that we'd signed Blackman on loan but it seems he's better than I thought.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

I'm at a wedding! Devastated!

If it's family, disown them. If its mates, they'll understand. Either way get darn t'lane

I think it's his own.

 

[Northyorksblade]

So we're back today, Blades back in the Championship.

But thats not the direct reason for this post. I went on the OS the other day (3rd August) and the latest video with Wilder has a snapshot of his face.

We've had a summer of smiley Wilder, appeh Wilder and even in the Radio Sheffield Managers forum the other night the chilled, relaxed Wilder.

View attachment 29281

3rd August, Wilder had his game face back!

If anyone were under any illusion that our manager was here to enjoy himself, that the players were here to enjoy themselves, forget it. Wilder is right back to where he was up until we clinched promotion last season.

Game face on, Wilder is back in business. Here we go again. The heart is already pounding.

Come on you red and white wizzzzzarrrrrdddssss!

IT would be good to see his face after the Millwall game, when I thought he was going to pack it in. He looked haunted.

 

[Esablade]

Just waiting for LYDON 's game face now..

UTB!

 

[Northyorksblade]

I'm at a wedding! Devastated!

Unless it's your own, no excuse and if it's yours, shame on you for getting wed in the football season.

 

[grafikhaus]

YESSS! Footie is back! Highlights on Channel 5 tonight. Mick The Pitsmoor Pig droning on FH. Roll on the cricket season.

 

[ucandomagic]

Wonder how many of those new players will feature Swiss....? 2 at the most I would say in Stearman and Stevens...

Blackman will obviously start and Lundstram may come on for about 15 minutes for Coutts. Thomas possibly if we're chasing the game, or if we're well ahead, but not if it's tight.