Name our 'good' performances so far this season

[PeterNdlovu081]

Entertainment

It's good if you get it but it's never guaranteed in a sport such as football.

The objective is to win, not to entertain.

The Preston game last Saturday almost put me to sleep at one point but I still came away happy with the three points.

The lack of excitement for me in this season is more to do with the story of what we've achieved as a club over the past decade rather than how we're playing on the pitch.

 

[SB_90]

Please don’t conflate things, It’s perfectly fine to be critical of Chris Wilder without actually wanting him out of the club…

i don't know. its not the feeling im getting from this thread. i think if some of people on here had a choice they would sack wilder now. & bring in someone more entertaining

but then we do have a dose of unrealistic ambitions. where we should be dominating like prime man city. & winning 3-0 every week

 

[Slim Man]

i don't know. its not the feeling im getting from this thread. i think if some of people on here had a choice they would sack wilder now. & bring in someone more entertaining

but then we do have a dose of unrealistic ambitions. where we should be dominating like prime man city. & winning 3-0 every week

I don't think anyone on here would sack a manager to replace him 10 games before the season ends

Would I prefer Farke's style of football? Yes. Would I swap him as manager right now? No. That's just a ridiculous statement to make.

Why is it always unrealistic to want to win games and be entertaining by the way?

 

[SB_90]

Would I prefer Farke's style of football? Yes

leeds were as dull as us last night, barring that lucky deflection, we would be talking about how they struggled & had 2 shots on target, struggle to have a winner in 85th min

Why is it always unrealistic to want to win games and be entertaining by the way?

because who does win games & be entertaining. can you name me a team. as Ange Postecoglou was the most entertaining manager & nearly got sacked for it. because they were far too open & it was costing them wins.

 

[Slim Man]

leeds were as dull as us last night, barring that lucky deflection, we would be talking about how they struggled & had 2 shots on target, struggle to have a winner in 85th min


because who does win games & be entertaining. can you name me a team. as Ange Postecoglou was the most entertaining manager & nearly got sacked for it. because they were far too open & it was costing them wins.

Leeds. For about 9/10 of this season

Sunderland for most of the season

 

[SB_90]

Leeds. For about 9/10 of this season

Sunderland for most of the season

i would disagree on that, scoring late goals like they have is entertaining for the neutral but not for the fans. & they are just making it through like us. burnley, sunderland, Portsmouth & millwall werent particularly entertaining. with Sunderland considering they won 2 of their last 5, cheated their way v wednesday could easily have 1 of the last 5

 

[Enigmatic]

Because people have very very small brains

I think a very important point in all this is that I just don't see why people scoff at people wanting to be entertained when they're paying extortionate amounts to go to football games.

'Would you rather lose?' Well no. But why is it I've got to choose between losing, and being entertained?

Is there not a chance (it's a long shot... I know) that we can be both entertained in the stands, and celebrate a win?

Surely you can appreciate that it is a rare phenomenon to have a side that plays entertaining football and consistently wins games? It’s the magic fairy dust all clubs strive for. Only the wealthiest clubs can do it consistently. And even they have bad patches.

For all his faults, Wilder is pragmatic; he knows more than most how to win games of football. We can win them playing entertaining football, we can win them playing ugly.

My advice to you would be to focus less on aesthetics and just appreciate winning. Blades, of all fans, should know that’s never a given.

We should be supporters first and foremost. So support the team and stop whining and throwing around insults like a spoilt child.

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

The lack of excitement for me in this season is more to do with the story of what we've achieved as a club over the past decade rather than how we're playing on the pitch.

We've experienced 2 promotions in recent years:

1) The Wilder promotion of 18/19 which featured heroes all over the pitch and performances where we looked slick and well drilled.

2,) Hecky's promotion of 22/23 where we weren't always convincing, not quite so well drilled... but we had the likes of Ndiyae, Berge, Doyle and McAtee who clearly looked like Prem players taking the piss in the Championship.

Then you look at this season and it's Cooper, Hamer, Campbell, Anel and maybe Souza that have showed anything like consistency (its still not clear if anyone but Cooper can make it in the Prem) and everyone else has blown severely hot and cold.

We've no idea which version of Diaz, Rak-Sakyi, O'hare or Burrows will turn up In any given match We've got a new £10 million player on the bench and everytime he comes on we look worse than before. We've loaned in THREE players who can cover right back and none of them have been convincing. We lose Souttar and the only thing we do in response is take a massive gamble on Holding.

So as far as I'm concerned the lack of excitement is very much about what we're seeing on the pitch.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

We've experienced 2 promotions in recent years:

1) The Wilder promotion of 18/19 which featured heroes all over the pitch and performances where we looked slick and we'll drilled.

2,) Hecky's promotion of 22/23 where we weren't always convincing, not quite so well drilled... but we had the likes of Ndiyae, Berge, Doyle and McAtee who clearly looked like Prem players taking the piss in the Championship.

Then you look at this season and it's Cooper, Hamer, Campbell, Anel and maybe qSouza that have showed anything like consistency (its still not clear if anyone but Cooper can make it in the Prem) and everyone else has blown severely hot and cold.

We've no idea which version of Diaz, Rak-Sakyi, O'hare or Burrows will turn up In any given match We've got a new £10 million player on the bench and everytime he comes on we look worse than before. We've loaned in THREE players who can cover right back and none of them have been convincing. We lose Souttar and the only thing we do in response is take a massive gamble on Holding.

So as far as I'm concerned the lack of excitement is very much about what we're seeing on the pitch.

I agree with all of that.

It's just that for me everything after 2018-19 and 2019-20 is all a bit, after the lord mayor's show.

 

[Keen Blade]

If we go up we all know its going to be horrific viewing, but steadies the finances for another pop at the championship and apparently that's a level of existence we're wiling to accept.

But what we don't expect is for the promotion season to be horrific viewing too. Its depressing enough knowing we're going to look shit after promotion, without somehow managing to look shit prior to promotion too. Isn't this supposed to be fun?

It seems some fans dont really care about what they see on the pitch for 90 minutes as long as they can rub one out over the league table afterwards. I wish I was one of those people, it must be a nice simple existence.

This is exactly why we can't fill the Lane despite being in the top two all season.
Ardent fans like me will attend no matter what.
But newbies and old floaters want more for their money.
Makes me laugh when I read those posts wanting a bigger stadium.
No way are we building local support this season , despite results & league position.
The sad truth is that local support is worth fuck all compared to the £ in the PL ...
Just look at Bournemouth & Brentford.
It's only a natural consequence that owners will prioritise results over performance.
So we all have to make our entertainment from the league table , not the style of play which will bring in the punters.
Item number 25 of 'Whats wrong with football today'
(and will never be addressed)
It's all about the money.
I'm in the same position with the same philosophy of thousands of older fans.
Hating what football has £ become.
But loving dem Blades so deeply that I can't imagine not attending games.
I'm intrigued to know , but will never see , what will happen at the Lane , once my generation has died out.
Unless we are taken over by a billionaire philanthropist , I reckon it will only get harder to fill the Lane.
But I content myself with memories of Harris's 71/72 team , turning it on , in front of 40,000 plus , when the only game ever shown live on TV was the Cup Final.

 

[Carlton Blade]

i don't know. its not the feeling im getting from this thread. i think if some of people on here had a choice they would sack wilder now. & bring in someone more entertaining

but then we do have a dose of unrealistic ambitions. where we should be dominating like prime man city. & winning 3-0 every week

You're literally making the Strawman argument I described earlier. It's absolute nonsense

 

[Badger Blade]

We're winning most games this season but I think the concern that has been brought forward surrounds the fact that if we're stumbling over the line a lot of the time, what will it be like next season against Liverpool and Arsenal if we're retreating into our shells and clinging on against the likes of Preston and Bristol City?

If we went and emphatically finished a game off with 2 goals in the last 10 minutes, there wouldn't be this concern, it'd be more along the lines of having the extra gas in the tank to kill off Championship level opposition and everything is rosy in the garden, winning with a swagger which we have rarely done and would perhaps come to expect from a side in the top 2 of the Championship.

 

[Harry's Game]

One of our best performances this season was Blackburn away the only time we have had two strikers on the pitch at the same time both playing as strikers for any length of time… odd that.

 

[Slim Man]

Surely you can appreciate that it is a rare phenomenon to have a side that plays entertaining football and consistently wins games? It’s the magic fairy dust all clubs strive for. Only the wealthiest clubs can do it consistently. And even they have bad patches.

For all his faults, Wilder is pragmatic; he knows more than most how to win games of football. We can win them playing entertaining football, we can win them playing ugly.

My advice to you would be to focus less on aesthetics and just appreciate winning. Blades, of all fans, should know that’s never a given.

We should be supporters first and foremost. So support the team and stop whining and throwing around insults like a spoilt child.

Or, how's about this, I'll support the club how I want, don't tell me what to do, and shut up?

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

My advice to you would be to focus less on aesthetics and just appreciate winning. Blades, of all fans, should know that’s never a given.

The issue is that we won't keep winning playing like this. Results have flattered us for an extended portion of the season and they simply won't continue to do so, luck runs out eventually. In our last 9 Championship home games we've Won 4, Drawn 2 and Lost 3... that's 14 points from 27. Keep up that rate of return and we will fall short.

 

[Enigmatic]

Or, how's about this, I'll support the club how I want, don't tell me what to do, and shut up?

Enjoy the rest of the season mate. Or don’t, I guess? I care little either way.

 

[Enigmatic]

The issue is that we won't keep winning playing like this. Results have flattered us for an extended portion of the season and they simply won't continue to do so, luck runs out eventually. In our last 9 Championship home games we've Won 4, Drawn 2 and Lost 3... that's 14 points from 27. Keep up that rate of return and we will fall short.

People have been saying that all season. We’re still sat in second place.

Aesthetics don’t necessarily lead to a higher point return. That much is evident. And it’s not unique to us.

 

[dazzlingblade]

The issue is that we won't keep winning playing like this. Results have flattered us for an extended portion of the season and they simply won't continue to do so, luck runs out eventually. In our last 9 Championship home games we've Won 4, Drawn 2 and Lost 3... that's 14 points from 27. Keep up that rate of return and we will fall short.

Not really correct though is it, as you've chosen our average home form alone while discounting out last 9 away games, W7 D1 L1, so 22 out of 27, so 36 points from 54, 2 points a game, so maybe we won't fall short

 

[SB_90]

You're literally making the Strawman argument I described earlier. It's absolute nonsense

sport is only entertaining if your a neutral or 3/4-0 up.

if your "biased" your going to be tense. i think too many have rose tinted glasses. as ive said before there will be stoke fans now romanticising that year they made the FA Cup final. despite disliking pulis. West Ham sacked David Moyes in search of more entertaining football. how did that work out for them

as i said above Tottenham were the most entertaining team in country in december 35 goals in 7 games. how many spurs fans were think we lost but that was a cracking game. Newcastle were incredibly entertaining. it cost them the 95/96 PL title. in football you can be entertaining or successful. very few teams have managed both. of what ive watched spain 2008 Barcelona 2010/11 & man city 22/23

 

[Carlton Blade]

sport is only entertaining if your a neutral or 3/4-0 up.

if your "biased" your going to be tense. i think too many have rose tinted glasses. as ive said before there will be stoke fans now romanticising that year they made the FA Cup final. despite disliking pulis. West Ham sacked David Moyes in search of more entertaining football. how did that work out for them

as i said above Tottenham were the most entertaining team in country in december 35 goals in 7 games. how many spurs fans were think we lost but that was a cracking game. Newcastle were incredibly entertaining. it cost them the 95/96 PL title. in football you can be entertaining or successful. very few teams have managed both. of what ive watched spain 2008 Barcelona 2010/11 & man city 22/23

Wtf is that first sentence????????

 

[SB_90]

Wtf is that first sentence????????

thanks for cultured & well thought out response

 

[Carlton Blade]

thanks for cultured & well thought out response

"sport is only entertaining if your a neutral or 3/4-0 up." Is such a bizarre take that I couldn't get past it

 

[SB_90]

"sport is only entertaining if your a neutral or 3/4-0 up." Is such a bizarre take that I couldn't get past it

what do people call the football league play offs "greatest games you never want to be involved in" sport is normally stress, anxiety & worrying with the joy at the end. unless your well ahead & victory is all but secure

 

[Carlton Blade]

what do people call the football league play offs "greatest games you never want to be involved in" sport is normally stress, anxiety & worrying with the joy at the end. unless your well ahead & victory is all but secure

Did you find the Boro game entertaining?

 

[BladeByChoice]

16/03/2025

Blades 3 pigs 0, I know it hasn't happened yet, you read it here first.

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

Not really correct though is it, as you've chosen our average home form alone while discounting out last 9 away games, W7 D1 L1, so 22 out of 27, so 36 points from 54, 2 points a game, so maybe we won't fall short

Our away form has been brilliant, I'd love us to sustain it though can't be surprised if we don't given how tall an order it is to keep that form up. You can surely appreciate how frustrating it is for our 25,000+ home fans that we're way less consistent at home. It's still in our hands, but I'm certain that performances must improve if we're to get this over the line.

 

[SB_90]

Did you find the Boro game entertaining?

when we scored i enjoyed it, but for 75 minutes. i was frustrated by referee. i didnt enjoy the 2017 derby until it went 4-2. & i didn't enjoy lewis hamilton 1st F1 title. until he overtook timo glock on the final corner

when you have a vested interest, interesting & entertaining are 2 different things

 

[Carlton Blade]

when we scored i enjoyed it, but for 75 minutes. i was frustrated by referee. i didnt enjoy the 2017 derby until it went 4-2. & i didn't enjoy lewis hamilton 1st F1 title. until he overtook timo glock on the final corner

when you have a vested interest, interesting & entertaining are 2 different things

I disagree but fair enough. The excitement and adrenaline is what I mean by entertainment. I'm not talking about polite applause over tippy happy football

 

[WorkingtonBlade]

In the results v entertainment debate I’ve always been firmly on the side of results. In fact, one of the things which interests me about football is the fact that the teams which look good aren’t always the ones which get results, and so many of the most successful teams soak up loads of pressure then grab a goal out of nowhere and go away with the points - over and over again. Having had it done to us so many times over the years, I’ve kind of taken a strange enjoyment from being the team which often does it to others in recent years.

But I must admit that this season I’ve started to wobble in my hard line ‘results over entertainment’ views, and I think part of it is down to the chasm between the Championship and the Premier League and the fact that I see no indication that we have the big money sitting around to establish ourselves in the Premier League.

I remember in the ‘triple assault’ season someone posted a poll - would you rather win the FA Cup or get promoted? I voted for promotion (barely a moments thought) because for me that was building for long-term success, whereas winning the FA Cup was a one-off moment - and the majority in the poll voted the same way. Now, if asked the same question, I wouldn’t hesitate - I’d vote for winning the FA Cup. That can never be taken off the honours board, whereas promotion to the Premier League just means getting relegated (painfully) next season. I know the financial implications are huge, but it’s still an unpleasant experience.

So that starts to take me into ‘how much do I really want to get promotion?’ territory. I do want to get promotion, because otherwise there’s not much point in playing…but my enthusiasm is drifting - and I think that’s where I start to veer more towards the idea that I might like to see a bit of exciting attacking football, even if that slightly reduced our chances of automatic promotion.

 

[wak1889]

Wah wah you entitled c**t bedwetter t**t.
There, got it in before you lot could.

I'm intrigued to what the thoughts are on this.

Inarguable: Oxford, Luton and Boro @ home / Blackburn and QPR away

Opinion based (not necessarily mine): Wednesday, Sunderland and Leeds @ home / Hull, Cardiff and Preston away

Even being a bit generous with those, I'm struggling to come up with more than 11 games we've played well in. I wouldn't say one or two in the line above were good performances, but I'm happy to concede to others who might.

It's just dismal dross for 2/3 of the season so far. And plenty more to come. Yay!
The lazy coaching needs to stop. Entertain your 'punters' Chris and maybe they won't leave before the injury time board comes up.
Just a thought.

Anyone else got any to add to the 'good' performances?

Thought we played well at Sunderland Preston and Watford away