Look at it like this.

[Danetheblade]

I see some people complaining about us dominate possession for 60-70 minutes a game. Most teams in the league don't. They have a brief 20-30 mins and shine in parts. On reflection (I was pissed off about the result just as much as the next blade) we're borderline the finished article. Yes we lack the clinical finishing at times. But it's a great position to be in. And let's be honest. I'd rather be third than bottom half of the table. Sort out the clinical finishes. And we'll push promotion easily. In my opinion. For every negative. There's always a positive. We just need to learn to manage games out.

 

[Sheffsteel]

There’s often a positive.

On Tuesday the group next to me were saying how ordinary and underwhelming Stoke looked
But then we all agreed that they looked far far better/ stronger than the league 1 teams we’d seen in previous years.

Then we all commented about the high standard and how entertaining matches were compared to the poor quality in league 1.
We also commented how it’s weird....that these days.....we’re gauranteed entertainment at Bramall Lane.
Yes we might lose or draw but we almost always play well, create chances and entertain, it’s something to be thankful for.

 

[Fanny magnet]

For the people who aren't happy now I've a chilling thought for you
How happy do you think you will be if wilder leaves?
Because on this budget it's back to league one under anyone else

 

[Grecian2000]

Walking back from the match the overall feeling was a bit disappointed that we'd "only played for 80 minutes".
Then someone mentioned that if we'd played like that for TEN minutes under Atkins we'd have been ecstatic!

Win, lose or draw, I enjoy EVERY game now more than I did when Atkins was floundering in the technical area spotting the invisible work of our top paid midfielder.

 

[LJBlade]

For the people who aren't happy now I've a chilling thought for you
How happy do you think you will be if wilder leaves?
Because on this budget it's back to league one under anyone else

Didn't Wilder say at the start of the season he'd been given a top half budget? I'm sure there's at least a few other managers who would at least keep us in the Championship.

 

[Deleted member 875]

Tuesday morning, I bumped in to my gaffer, sound bloke but one he gets talking he is impossible to shut up, and get him on to his pet subject of Derby County and it’s relentless, but he does go and watch them a lot and knows his stuff about football. Saw him and laughed and told him that I’d been avoiding him as I knew he would be like a dog with two dicks, He then told me that we had been far and away the best and most entertaining side he had seen this season, he said the same last year, was very impressed with our False 5 and 6, before getting on to his pet subject of Derby County again.

We might have lost but it is very enjoyable to hear the supporters of other clubs praising us and giving us credit for the way we play.

In my 35 years of being a regular at the Lane, I’ve seen some right shit, but the football right now is outstanding, and although we might drop points here and there, it is rare that I come away from the Lane without being entertained. I’ve lost count of the number of games I’ve been clock watching, bored shitless (the 2 Nigels spring to mind more than most) in the past, but with the way we play, it is good entertaining stuff

 

[Sheffsteel]

Walking back from the match the overall feeling was a bit disappointed that we'd "only played for 80 minutes".
Then someone mentioned that if we'd played like that for TEN minutes under Atkins we'd have been ecstatic!

Win, lose or draw, I enjoy EVERY game now more than I did when Atkins was floundering in the technical area spotting the invisible work of our top paid midfielder.

That’s brilliant...made me laugh.....it’s so accurate.

 

[BigBed]

Or you could look at it like this.....





















and feel better, and quite smug

 

[SwissBlade]

I see some people complaining about us dominate possession for 60-70 minutes a game. Most teams in the league don't. They have a brief 20-30 mins and shine in parts. On reflection (I was pissed off about the result just as much as the next blade) we're borderline the finished article. Yes we lack the clinical finishing at times. But it's a great position to be in. And let's be honest. I'd rather be third than bottom half of the table. Sort out the clinical finishes. And we'll push promotion easily. In my opinion. For every negative. There's always a positive. We just need to learn to manage games out.

The clinical thing is discussed on Bladespod with Beans and Blades Analytics where they have backed up the dispelling of the myth with the stat that we are one of the most clinical teams in the division.

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

We are only 7 goals off being top, not a bad position to be in.

 

[mattbianco1]

Tuesday morning, I bumped in to my gaffer, sound bloke but one he gets talking he is impossible to shut up, and get him on to his pet subject of Derby County and it’s relentless, but he does go and watch them a lot and knows his stuff about football. Saw him and laughed and told him that I’d been avoiding him as I knew he would be like a dog with two dicks, He then told me that we had been far and away the best and most entertaining side he had seen this season, he said the same last year, was very impressed with our False 5 and 6, before getting on to his pet subject of Derby County again.

We might have lost but it is very enjoyable to hear the supporters of other clubs praising us and giving us credit for the way we play.

In my 35 years of being a regular at the Lane, I’ve seen some right shit, but the football right now is outstanding, and although we might drop points here and there, it is rare that I come away from the Lane without being entertained. I’ve lost count of the number of games I’ve been clock watching, bored shitless (the 2 Nigels spring to mind more than most) in the past, but with the way we play, it is good entertaining stuff

People moaned that we lost to Derby. 4 days later they go and put 4 goals in away at WBA. There was no shame in our defeat at Pride Park.

 

[wizadry]

People moaned that we lost to Derby. 4 days later they go and put 4 goals in away at WBA. There was no shame in our defeat at Pride Park.

I don’t think they were moaning about the loss itself mb1, they were moaning at the manner of it and the frustration of not being 2 goals up at half time, coupled with the frustration of the second half performance, something Derby obviously affected in some way.

It’s unbelievable how far we’ve come that we were gutted that we didn’t beat a team that’s just put 4 goals past the baggies away from home.

I think the negatives should be discussed to try and turn them into positives.

 

[Isar]

Clappers.

 

[BushBlade]

Didn't Wilder say at the start of the season he'd been given a top half budget? I'm sure there's at least a few other managers who would at least keep us in the Championship.

That’s this season. After selling Brooks. Long term, unless whoever takes control of the club after the court case starts putting £5m+ in every season, we won’t have a top half budget. They appear to be fighting over ownership of a club that neither can afford to fund in the long term.

Under KM we’ll probably have to sell a player most seasons. Under Abdullah, who knows? I expect him to immediately appoint Dick Van Winckel as DoF which will ultimately lead to CW leaving, probably to somewhere like Leeds or Forest or whoever has been relegated that season.

The catch 22 is that we’ll struggle to progress while the court case is going on and we’ll probably struggle once it’s been resolved. It’s a no-win situation.

 

[FYT]

Didn't Wilder say at the start of the season he'd been given a top half budget? I'm sure there's at least a few other managers who would at least keep us in the Championship.

 

[grafikhaus]

Walking back from the match the overall feeling was a bit disappointed that we'd "only played for 80 minutes".
Then someone mentioned that if we'd played like that for TEN minutes under Atkins we'd have been ecstatic!

Win, lose or draw, I enjoy EVERY game now more than I did when Atkins was floundering in the technical area spotting the invisible work of our top paid midfielder.

Lest we forget...

 

[grafikhaus]

Didn't Wilder say at the start of the season he'd been given a top half budget? I'm sure there's at least a few other managers who would at least keep us in the Championship.

But what is a 'top half budget'?

Next up after Wigan, Forest.

Lewis Grabban - £6m
João Carvalho - £13.2m
Diogo Gonçalves - on loan from Benfica but if he signs for Forest it will be in excess of what Carvalho cost.

 

[LJBlade]

But what is a 'top half budget'?

Next up after Wigan, Forest.

Lewis Grabban - £6m
João Carvalho - £13.2m
Diogo Gonçalves - on loan from Benfica but if he signs for Forest it will be in excess of what Carvalho cost.

I've no idea. Like many I don't know what our budget is and I don't know what the budgets are of the other teams in the league. I was just going on what was reported at the start of the season, after Wilder signed his new deal.

 

[steve26272]

For the people who aren't happy now I've a chilling thought for you
How happy do you think you will be if wilder leaves?
Because on this budget it's back to league one under anyone else

Understand your sentiment, but really?!
I wouldn’t swap Wilder for anyone else at the moment - Eza Blade, we play good football and for the first time in years when I get asked who I support I say it with pride.
But (not that I would want him necessarily) if Wilder did leave, I reckon big Sam, Warnock or even Bruce would have a good crack at getting us up, I’d put my house on them not getting relegated tho!
Give the players some credit, we have a fantastic manager, but he has a team of quality players. I reckon half our top 14 lads could do a job somewhere around Watford/Bournemouth/West Ham level

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

The fact we are disappointed at not beating a team which cost over £100M after completely dominating them says how far we've come in 2 and a bit years. Yes, expectations are rising but it's not that long ago that the likes of Scunthorpe and Fleetwood had more possession than us at the Lane

 

[Sheffsteel]

But (not that I would want him necessarily) if Wilder did leave, I reckon big Sam, Warnock or even Bruce would have a good go.
Give the players some credit, we have a fantastic manager, but he has a team of quality players. I reckon half our top 14 lads could do a job somewhere around Watford/Bournemouth/West Ham level

Can understand that you might think that but I disagree.

Our best performer has been Norwood.
The bulk of Brighton and Fulham fans say he’s good at Championship by not as good as any of their other midfielders and certainly not good enough to play in the PL. Egan was rated as good by Brentford fans but was their 4th choice central defender. McGoldrick was rated as average to decent Championship standard at Ipswich, for us, he looks class at times.

Don’t think we have any players capable of going to a PL team and doing well, apart from possibly Woodburn.

Now you must think I’m talking nonsense, how can we be joint top if our players aren’t top quality.
The answer is because they are all being used in a system that plays to their strengths. So they look quality playing for Sheff Utd.
They have been hand selected to slot into the system, like a bespoke cog to fit a machine.
Use those same cogs in another machine and they’re unlikely to fit.

Experts in the game rate Woodburn as a big talent.
I’m listening to Talksport and Jacobs and Hawksby have had digs at us over the last few days for refusing to play Woodburn.
They say he’s a top talent in the game and if we choose to have him loan then we have a responsible to at least play him.

They arent aware that he’s looked so underwhelming playing for us.
But that’s because at the moment his style (cog) doesn’t fit our system (machine).

 

[steve26272]

Can understand that you might think that but I disagree.

Our best performer has been Norwood.
The bulk of Brighton and Fulham fans say he’s good at Championship by not as good as any of their other midfielders and certainly not good enough to play in the PL. Egan was rated as good by Brentford fans but was their 4th choice central defender. McGoldrick was rated as average to decent Championship standard at Ipswich, for us, he looks class at times.

Don’t think we have any players capable of going to a PL team and doing well, apart from possibly Woodburn.

Now you must think I’m talking nonsense, how can we be joint top if our players aren’t top quality.
The answer is because they are all being used in a system that plays to their strengths. So they look quality playing for Sheff Utd.
They have been hand selected to slot into the system, like a bespoke cog to fit a machine.
Use those same cogs in another machine and they’re unlikely to fit.

Experts in the game rate Woodburn as a big talent.
I’m listening to Talksport and Jacobs and Hawksby have had digs at us over the last few days for refusing to play Woodburn.
They say he’s a top talent in the game and if we choose to have him loan then we have a responsible to at least play him.

They arent aware that he’s looked so underwhelming playing for us.
But that’s because at the moment his style (cog) doesn’t fit our system (machine).

Fair points, but doesn’t every manager try to do that?! (Put round pegs in round holes)
Look I’m not knocking Wilder, I do think he has got them over performing. Hence why every opposing set of fans think man for man they are better, yet we’re joint top of the league!
I’m just questioning whether the original OPs post, that without Wilder we would be relegated was a bit of sensationalism.
Re players, you reckon Hendo, JoC, Fleck, Norwood, Duffy couldn’t get into a lower half prem team? And to be fair if Billy and Leon are this Jan on the goals they were last Jan, a cheeky Warnick bid wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Our best performer has been Norwood.
The bulk of Brighton and Fulham fans say he’s good at Championship by not as good as any of their other midfielders and certainly not good enough to play in the PL. Egan was rated as good by Brentford fans but was their 4th choice central defender. McGoldrick was rated as average to decent Championship standard at Ipswich, for us, he looks class at times.

Out of the teams you've mentioned there, Fulham and Ipswich will be relegated this season, Brighton will probably survive this season but will go down next and the mighty Brentford, who had a similar opinion of JOC as they did of Egan, are playing crap and are below the pigs. So I would take with a pinch of salt what those clubs and their fans think of our players.

 

[Valleyblade]

As far as I am concerned, (attending since the early 80s) we've never had it so good.

I took my nephew to the game for the first time Tuesday. More of a rugby fan and only ever attended Twickenham and been to watch the harlequins (poncy southerner, he is becoming)

I was worried it would be a crap game. Stoke all physical and away from home, nullifying us, thought it my go like the Birmingham game....

He loved it.

Great quality football. Proper, real guts and desire, tempered by skill and craft, football. Lots of chances, the team you're supporting attacking and taking the initiative from the off, and for a refreshing change, I thought the atmosphere picked up from recent home games. It actually felt like an old fashioned "under the lights at Bramall Lane" night match. In the second half when we really got going there was a good roar from around the ground, young nephew was impressed and really got into the game.

The frustration we felt as fans, both against stoke, and derby before, is simply that at times we look that fucking good, we even more desperately crave the success of the Bassett and warnock years, because this team deserves it, as does wilder.

If they can do it they will be by far and away the greatest ever blades success story in my lifetime, as the standard of football, and entertainment at the moment is unsurpassed for me.

 

[Tom Bott]

Double like for that.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Double like for that.

By liking your post, I've turned it into a quadruple like. The post by Valleyblade is well worth it.