No fans

[ThatJa]

Is it affecting us much more than we think/let on? I have no doubts we would have got a point from Leeds and possibly a win today if fans were in the stadium.

 

[1987]

Its a huge, huge impact IMO. The team feed off us, and last season the lane was a really intimidating place to go. From listening to the players in interviews, we're a source of pride for them and they want to do it for us.

I think its actually a big part of what made us more than the sum, and no crowd is a leveller we just didnt need.

 

[Stretch]

I think it's quite clear that it is. Supporters give the players that extra 1% and I think help them to concentrate, especially defensively. Our players particularly seem to thrive off the supporters noise.

It is showing with other teams too, Liverpool being the main one that sticks out so far, but overall it seems to be effecting us more than most of the others, and that is a concern, because supporters aren't coming back any time soon.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

Turned from teams fearing us away from home to oh easy 3 points

 

[knowsnowt]

I thought this was going to be about the Wealdstone raider.

 

[Lane Ender]

Is it affecting us much more than we think/let on? I have no doubts we would have got a point from Leeds and possibly a win today if fans were in the stadium.

Spot on

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Also the self entitled supporters of certain teams would be on their backs straight away. Arsenal and man United seemed to improve after lockdown.

 

[Bladesman]

Yep, I said it would as soon as lockdown started.

 

[bromtom]

Absolutely.

Can you imagine us being so dozy in front of goal with 29,000 Blades shouting shoot and then calling you a useless twat if you miss? They'd soon start hitting the onion bag.

Every week there's a game with no fans, the passion in football gets diluted. It's fucking wank.

Because our country is run by and full of idiots, the national game is on its arse.

This was New Zealand earlier. Talk about jealous.

 

[S64 Blade]

I think it has made an impact, particularly in games where there's been a poor decision, or our backs have been to the wall. There's been many occasions (the game versus Derby on boxing day in 2018 stands out) where we have been wronged, the fans have galvanized and we've gone on to blow a team away.

Didn't Blackwell once say something about the Kop being able to almost suck the ball into the net?

 

[BrinsworthBlade]

No doubt it would have created some sort of impact, but it's not an excuse for our dire performances.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I honestly can't believe the fans thing has not been made more of. For all the blame that the players, manager and lady luck have been getting, it's clear to me that the lack of fans has played a bigger part than all three of those things.

After that equaliser yesterday, and plenty more times since lockdown, the usual bombardment of the final stages just hasn't happened because the fans aren't there sucking the ball in. No one can tell me that last 10 minutes would have played out the same in front of a full kop.

The fans also give the players that extra little bit, which counts for a lot more for the players of the lower teams who can't just rely on superior ability. Refs can also be influenced which could have influenced some of the decisions that have gone against us. Fans kicking off might have even made VAR check the ghost goal?

I think it's not considered so much on here because the vast majority probably didn't go to away games last year. Anyone who did will know how sour the atmosphere turned at those big stadiums when we started to get on top. Coupled with our own supporters backing the team, it seemed to turn the tide game after game. It's a real thing.

 

[YES Blade]

After that equaliser yesterday, and plenty more times since lockdown, the usual bombardment of the final stages just hasn't happened because the fans aren't there sucking the ball in. No one can tell me that last 10 minutes would have played out the same in front of a full kop.

I was just about to say the exact same, if we equalise with 10 minutes to go with a full Kop, there is no way we'd be the ones hanging on like yesterday. Fulham would've struggled to get out of their own half!

 

[PLAIN BLADE]

The Ref is the biggest winner .

 

[Speedracer]

Yes unfortunately it has made a huge difference for us, but we are not alone & I would guess most teams fans feel the same. Trouble is it is not going to change any time soon so we have to find a way to compete until we are allowed back.

 

[Danny_Blade]

Is it affecting us much more than we think/let on? I have no doubts we would have got a point from Leeds and possibly a win today if fans were in the stadium.

I certainly think it is but only to an extent.

One of the factors of our poor performances post lockdown was the over rigorous fitness regime during lockdown.

I think most of us would agree though that Blades fans inside BDTBL is crucial to the team's success than most other clubs in the land!

 

[JackSUFC]

It’s the same for every team though.

 

[Working Class Hero]

It’s the same for every team though.

The rule is the same for every team, but the effect clearly isn't. To say it's the same, misses the point entirely.

At the end of the day the proof is in the pudding. Sheff Utd were the 5th best team in the land before lockdown. They probably have THE WORST record of any team in English professional football since lockdown (I haven't actually checked).

 

[guancheblade]

Is it affecting us much more than we think/let on? I have no doubts we would have got a point from Leeds and possibly a win today if fans were in the stadium.

I've voted no because we already think it is affecting us badly.

 

[Robboblade1889]

I honestly can't believe the fans thing has not been made more of. For all the blame that the players, manager and lady luck have been getting, it's clear to me that the lack of fans has played a bigger part than all three of those things.

After that equaliser yesterday, and plenty more times since lockdown, the usual bombardment of the final stages just hasn't happened because the fans aren't there sucking the ball in. No one can tell me that last 10 minutes would have played out the same in front of a full kop.

The fans also give the players that extra little bit, which counts for a lot more for the players of the lower teams who can't just rely on superior ability. Refs can also be influenced which could have influenced some of the decisions that have gone against us. Fans kicking off might have even made VAR check the ghost goal?

I think it's not considered so much on here because the vast majority probably didn't go to away games last year. Anyone who did will know how sour the atmosphere turned at those big stadiums when we started to get on top. Coupled with our own supporters backing the team, it seemed to turn the tide game after game. It's a real thing.

This bang on the money! We don’t really have a game changing player we are a machine where the sum of its parts create what we have seen over the past few years! One of those parts is the fans it means we aren’t at 100% every week.
Other team’s can get away it because they have a game changing player ala Ross Barkley last night. It also is an easier environment for some teams who’s support is toxic if it isn’t going their way again ala Villa.
To be honest even though I never give up I have resigned myself to relegation! We aren’t getting back in stadiums this season so we need to find a way to overcome this. I really feel for Chris Wilder it feels like the football gods are still very active, just when it looked like we could cement ourselves as a PL team this shit happens!

 

[Houston_Blade]

The crux of the argument of those saying it is a big factor is that our fans are better than other fans at making noise. This probably isn't true although for teams like Arsenal it's harder to play at BDTBL with a load of 'scruffy, slavering northerners' in attendance than it is when there's no one in the ground.

The point about referees is where it's the same for all teams, ref's get shit at all grounds, so there's nothing more intense about BDTBL than anywhere else. The decisions made by referees have just become more bizarre in general in a Covid world. I think all of their eyes have Covid or Aids or something.

 

[Working Class Hero]

The crux of the argument of those saying it is a big factor is that our fans are better than other fans at making noise. This probably isn't true although for teams like Arsenal it's harder to play at BDTBL with a load of 'scruffy, slavering northerners' in attendance than it is when there's no one in the ground.

The point about referees is where it's the same for all teams, ref's get shit at all grounds, so there's nothing more intense about BDTBL than anywhere else. The decisions made by referees have just become more bizarre in general in a Covid world. I think all of their eyes have Covid or Aids or something.

I'm not saying that refs are any more intimidated by our fans, as you say, that's the same for every team. We have however been on the end of some shockers during the spell without fans, which could well have been influenced differently.

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

The stages of football without fans...

 

[LS16Blade]

We are suffering massively from the absence of fans and, like others, I predicted before ‘Project Restart’ that we would do so and markedly more so than certain other sides.

Familiarity breeds contempt, hence it is easy for us to dismiss the Lane atmosphere as not being that different to that at other grounds. The reality, however, Is found in the opinions of outsiders and several writers and broadcasters have already made the observation that United miss their crowd more than most because Bramall Lane remains a hostile place for visitors. Even Klopp remarked last season on how big a result it was for Liverpool at the Lane because it was rare that you visit a ground where you feel that you are playing against literally everyone in the stadium and not just the 11 men on the pitch.

We all know that there are numerous grounds in the Premier League where the home crowd is counter-productive and, therefore, an advantage for sides like ourselves who teams are expected to beat. That advantage has also been stripped away from us by the absence of crowds. We reached 30 December before losing an away game last season and lost just 2 in total before lockdown. Now we can’t buy a point away from home let alone a win.

The empty grounds are killing us.

 

[LS16Blade]

It was interesting to hear Wilder remark yesterday that United are playing with anxiety.

Before lockdown, there was barely a single match in which we looked anxious. How utterly perverse then, that we should now get anxious when playing in empty stadiums.

Its even more bizarre given that seemingly every other side in the division is playing with a rare freedom and elan.

Jonathan Northcroft in The Times wrote a piece last week about the surreal course that this season is taking with outrageous numbers of goals and strange results. He attributes it to the fact that many players, freed from the critical eye of a crowd, are trying things In matches that ordinarily they would not dream of doing outside of the training pitch; principally shooting on sight and shooting from anywhere. He highlighted the example of Villa having 21 shots at goal against Liverpool which nobody believes would have happened in normal circumstances.

Ultimately, Northcroft feels that the matches this season are glorified training ground matches and that many players, who all football fans know to be very talented but mentally flaky, are flourishing in the artificial circumstances. By the same token, he points out that there have always been players who were ordinary in training and only came alive on matchday in front of a crowd. The crowd gave them their intensity and edge.

It seems that we may have a team full of the latter.

 

[HammerInPeace]

I totally agree that no supporters is probably the biggest reason why you are struggling.
First season back last year & you were still continuing to ride the crest of a wave that had been building bigger & bigger & then March, the water suddenly disappeared, leaving you high & dry.
That was real bad luck for you guys. Of course, no supporters is the same for everyone but, it has different effects on different teams.
Some teams are playing better because the pressure's off. You have lost your 12th man & the ability to inspire your players.
You've also had very bad luck with injuries to key players. Most teams would struggle with that.
So this is all on your players now. They have to sort this out. They have to raise their game, without the fan's noisy support.
I'll say it again though (albeit only seeing your highlights on motd), you're not a terrible team.

 

[kevreedy]

A friend who is a Man Utd fan.he told me up untill the season stopped in march due to the pandemic.
on the Man U website.you got the match report just after the game finished.it was for the first time for ages.
That the reporter said the match at Bramall Lane was played in an electric atmosphere.and said the noise from the home fans was tremendous.
so I 100% believe that the Players are missing the crowd.hence the bad start to the season.

 

[Westran]

Does anyone have the same underlying hope as me, that now we have the chance to influence games with our 'electric atmosphere', next season might be quite an enjoyable one?

I was watching the fans videos of Peterborough thrashing Wednesday, seeing how overjoyed they were and how the crowd really got behind them, it got me thinking about the difference it makes to the crowd when we play a team who we perceive to be better than us, the volume increases and the intensity that creates is what opposition teams refer to when they say BDTBL is an intimidating place to play. Can't wait for the season to come round!

 

[Swannyblade]

Does anyone have the same underlying hope as me, that now we have the chance to influence games with our 'electric atmosphere', next season might be quite an enjoyable one?

I was watching the fans videos of Peterborough thrashing Wednesday, seeing how overjoyed they were and how the crowd really got behind them, it got me thinking about the difference it makes to the crowd when we play a team who we perceive to be better than us, the volume increases and the intensity that creates is what opposition teams refer to when they say BDTBL is an intimidating place to play. Can't wait for the season to come round!

Yeah why not - top 10 finish here we come!

I'm not convinced that the atmosphere will be red hot though. "Traditional" clubs who have had a long period away from the top flight seem to have a good atmosphere during their first season back - us in 2019, Leeds' first season back, Forest this year etc. I don't know if the novelty might have worn off a bit for us though with it only being a couple of years since we were last in the Prem. That said the majority of our tenure in the top league was behind closed doors so maybe the appetite is strong to make up for lost time.

 

[Harry's Game]

Behind closed football was fucking dire.

I hope it never comes around again..