ucandomagic
Well-Known Member
Oxford was basically a professional day at the office. Looking back over the last 7 years, Wilder’s teams have always been flat track bullies – we take the points from the teams that we are better than. If you’re a good team and come to Bramall Lane and press us high all over the pitch you can beat us. If you’re a poor team who set up with a low block and hope for a break – you might beat us. If you’re a poor team who don’t press hard and who still try to play football you don’t know what you’re doing – and that was Oxford. We won 3-0, it could easily have been 6. A good day for O’Hare and McCallum – the guy who outjumps people 6 inches taller than him! Tyrese is gaining in confidence and is the clinical guy we need. Callum had his best game, and his little touches to Gus and Tyrese are starting to count. Vini can be the next legend. Femi is either our next money-spinner or a Blades star for the next 10 years.
So, on to the graphs (I’m still not over that Bassette twat from Coventry!)
Graph 1 compares our progress against 3 benchmark sets of results which represent Automatic Promotion, Playoff Certainty and Playoff Possibility. My benchmarks take account of who our opponents are each week. On 35 points, comparing to my benchmarks, we are still bang on my Autos Promotion schedule – and without the deduction we would be 2 points ahead – this schedule has a win against Sunlan though!
Graph 1:
Graph 2 compares this season against our last 3 successful promotions from this level (all in second place), in 2005/06, 2018/19 and 2022/23. On 35 points after 17 games (with the 2-point deduction) we are 5 ahead of the 30 points that we had under Wilder in 18/19, 6 ahead of Hecky in 22/23 and 6 points behind Warnock’s in 05/06.
So this is still our best Championship start since 2005, and is better than our last 2 promotion seasons – and that includes that deduction!
Graph 2:
Next, the coloured annotated up-to-date League Table, which highlights where our strengths and weaknesses are against opponents’ league positions. Blades are now in 2nd place, only behind Leeds on goal difference and 2 points ahead of Burnley and Sunlan. Without the 2-point deduction we would be 2 clear of even Weeds!
League Table:
Before the start of the season, I posted my predicted league positions for the end of the season and Chart 1 reviews each team’s current position relative to my end of season forecast position.
Chart 1:
The big overperformers compared to my forecast are Blackburn and the biggest underperformers compared to my forecast are Coventry. My previous posts have had Sunlan as overperformers but, as predicted, they are now slipping back towards the norm. Let’s hope we push them further back in that direction!
So what about Sunlan? They were hugely outperforming expectations early in the season, but have been slipping back over the last 3 games. Late goals cost them 4 points against Coventry and Millwall, and they changed and shut up shop to get a 0-0 point at the Baggies. I think theSunlan from the Baggies is the Sunlan that we will see. Although the season stats suggest 1-1 or 2-1 either way, I think 0-0 or 1-0 either way will decide this game. However, if we get an early goal anything can happen with the potential that Sunlan have.
So, an early end to our weekend, and hopefully 1-0 and another green block in that home column will take us above the White Weeds!
UTB & Slava Ukraini!
So, on to the graphs (I’m still not over that Bassette twat from Coventry!)
Graph 1 compares our progress against 3 benchmark sets of results which represent Automatic Promotion, Playoff Certainty and Playoff Possibility. My benchmarks take account of who our opponents are each week. On 35 points, comparing to my benchmarks, we are still bang on my Autos Promotion schedule – and without the deduction we would be 2 points ahead – this schedule has a win against Sunlan though!
Graph 1:
Graph 2 compares this season against our last 3 successful promotions from this level (all in second place), in 2005/06, 2018/19 and 2022/23. On 35 points after 17 games (with the 2-point deduction) we are 5 ahead of the 30 points that we had under Wilder in 18/19, 6 ahead of Hecky in 22/23 and 6 points behind Warnock’s in 05/06.
So this is still our best Championship start since 2005, and is better than our last 2 promotion seasons – and that includes that deduction!
Graph 2:
Next, the coloured annotated up-to-date League Table, which highlights where our strengths and weaknesses are against opponents’ league positions. Blades are now in 2nd place, only behind Leeds on goal difference and 2 points ahead of Burnley and Sunlan. Without the 2-point deduction we would be 2 clear of even Weeds!
League Table:
Before the start of the season, I posted my predicted league positions for the end of the season and Chart 1 reviews each team’s current position relative to my end of season forecast position.
Chart 1:
The big overperformers compared to my forecast are Blackburn and the biggest underperformers compared to my forecast are Coventry. My previous posts have had Sunlan as overperformers but, as predicted, they are now slipping back towards the norm. Let’s hope we push them further back in that direction!
So what about Sunlan? They were hugely outperforming expectations early in the season, but have been slipping back over the last 3 games. Late goals cost them 4 points against Coventry and Millwall, and they changed and shut up shop to get a 0-0 point at the Baggies. I think theSunlan from the Baggies is the Sunlan that we will see. Although the season stats suggest 1-1 or 2-1 either way, I think 0-0 or 1-0 either way will decide this game. However, if we get an early goal anything can happen with the potential that Sunlan have.
So, an early end to our weekend, and hopefully 1-0 and another green block in that home column will take us above the White Weeds!
UTB & Slava Ukraini!
