HolmesfieldBlade
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- Thread starter
- #61
No matter what, the fact stays the same. The starting 11 hasn't improved in the 12 months and the football we play has not improved. Aka... No Progress
No Progress
- Thread starter HolmesfieldBlade
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HolmesfieldBlade
Active Member
- Thread starter
- #62
You've lost the plot mate... 9 times out of 10 the team in form wins the play offs. The following just PROVES my point. It's not about throwing in the towel I'm just saying I wouldnt get your hopes up mate.
1997
19 April - Tranmere 1-1 Sheffield United
25 April - Sheffield United 1-0 Stoke
4 May - Charlton 0-0 Sheffield United
1998
28 April - Tranmere 3-3 Sheffield United
30 April - Crewe 2-1 Sheffield United
3 May - Stockport 1-0 Sheffield United
2003 26 April - Sheffield United 3-3 Wolves
29 April - Sheffield United 3-0 Bradford
4 May - Watford 2-0 Sheffield United
2009
20 April - Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United
25 April - Sheffield United 1-0 Swansea
3 May - Crystal Palace 0-0 Sheffield United
2012
21 April - MK Dons 1-0 Sheffield United
28 April - Sheffield United 2-2 Stevenage
5 May - Exeter 2-2 Sheffield United
2013
20 April - Portsmouth 3-0 Sheffield United
23 April - Crewe 1-0 Sheffield United
27 April - Sheffield United 0-0 Preston
YES Blade
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I realise the players are human, however it's factors like being able to produce the goods under pressure when it matters that separate the best from the rest.
I don't see how your going to create a better atmosphere at the lane in order to lift the team. Since I have been watching United it has always been dictated by the general overall performance of the club and what is happening in the match we are watching.
P
pommpey
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It's all about expectations. This feeds back into many other threads about 'The Crowd' versus 'The Team'. When you consider it, they are mutually aligned, but the variables are dependednt upon each other to succeed. Sheffield United isn't Burton Albion or Accrington Stanley, where 10000 supporters in their ground would be 'a record breaking crowd'. Sheff Utd is the town-centre club in one of the biggest cities in the UK and in that (unless it's the Paint Pot Cup against the above teams) you can expect at least 15000 people in Bramall Lane for a home tie, even on a cold Tuesday in January. We have a varied post war history which has seen us touch glory of some sorts as well and have fielded some frankly outstanding players in these years and the badge and the brand is inatntly recognisable for any number of reasons, good or bad. When the form has been good in the (now distant) past, Bramall Lane has been electrifying and still maintains that in big games these days (like Spurs) and we take a loyal and dedicated band of at least 500 supporters away to even the most distant venues who can make a shit-ton of noise. So look at all that and square that with Fiery's 'get behind the team' clarion call to which the answer is clearly 'how much more can the fans get more behind the team?' given the levels of footballing ineptness shown which sees us languish in a hopeful spot in the playoffs, and not up vying with a clearly resurgent Brizzle side for the title. It's not as though this fallow period is anything new as well. We have half a generation now growing and evolving with United since we last played in the top division and three, maybe four times that since we stayed more than one season up there. In the intervening years we have seen disappointment upon disappointment and a legion of managers and players who run out, kick off and draw groans from the watching faithful as we slide to another 2-1 defeat to sides displaying a more woeful footballing setup and style and who leave the pitch smiling and shaking each other's hands with that 'fuck me, that was easy' look on their faces. And it isn't the fault of the fans if they boo our players off. How else are they meant to inform them that they have spent money they could have better spent on a night out (or ST holders, on a fucking well deserved holiday) on watching players make tactical fuck up after tactical fuck up and not make the fans happy? We, as fans, expect us to get beaten once in a while. We expect teams to be better than us. We expect us to give away a sloppy goal or once in a blue moon 'not turn up', but week after week after disappointing week?
The fault lies in the ability of our playing staff and the desperate signing tactics of a desperate managing staff in the face of a shut-door policy by the board, clearly unable to come clean with the supporters that there is no such 'Game Changing Investment', there is no underpinning ambition to 'return Sheffield United to the top division in the shortest time available' (or whatever that bullshit was) and that clearly a business plan exists that as long as those moany-old fans keep coming through the gates and paying their money to yearningly and faithfully watch a bunch of players who are playing divisions above their true ability consistently fail to win and drive the team upwards ... as long as the fans are booing them and shouting for Nigel Clough to be sacked (like there's any sort of 'plan b' with that one) and they fans are not in the car park demanding the board sort their shit out or resign, then they are as happy as pigs in shit. Literally.
The team is piss weak, incapable of delivering at this pitifully low level, the manager is desperate to keep hold of his job and the board are simply sitting on their hands, as they have always done. It's us moany fuckers who indulge the situation who perpetuate the misery. They are capitalising on human beings' blind faith and devotion and it is no different from shyster evangelists pocketing the faithful's donations in a collection box in exchange for salvation.
Halleluia.
pommpey
Cyprus Blade
Active Member
These are very nervous times for Sheffield United and they are difficult to manage. Trying to get the supporters "on side" will be like herding cats if the performances remain as inconsistent. Looking at the body language in the team we just don't have a positive energy and we look like a side lacking belief and scared of losing.
The nervousness we exhibit is more akin to a relegation team devoid of confidence, form and belief in themselves. Where this comes from and why is debatable but cast-offs like Alcock are playing, when they get a rare chance, like no-one believes in them (including the man who bought them). I don't know where MacGahey's head is at but you have to wonder - started the season in the first team, is sent to Tranmere and comes back as not good enough for a team in danger of going out of the Football League. He made the bench against Yeovil - our only fit CH. It is harsh to expect the supporters to believe if the manager and players don't appear to.
NC says the players look mentally fatigued and have to dig deep and find that bit extra within themselves to get the result(s) we need. No argument there.You cannot do it for them. BUT .. though I am no coach, it has always seemed to me that the best managers try to take the pressure off the players even at the most basic schoolboy level. I found this extract from a youth coaching guide interesting,
"It's not sufficient to prepare your players technically and tactically to play in matches. You need to understand that their performance on the field is determined, to a surprisingly large extent, by what is going on inside their heads. Are they feeling confident? Do they really believe they can perform well? Do they feel that they have to win? That losing would let down their significant others – you and their parents? No matter how skilled a player is, if he is thinking about how other people are reacting to how he plays, he won't be able to perform to his potential."
This isn't just a youth team phenonomen - Garry Thompson at Notts County said of their new manager,
“Obviously with the position that we’re in it’s understandable that the lads will probably tighten up a bit when they go out on to the pitch, but he’s trying to take that pressure off us and just go and enjoy football, which is what every footballer tries to do. It’s a job that everybody loves and he’s just trying to get us back to that, take away that fear factor. At the end of the day, when you step back, we’re all good footballers, we can all do it and it’s just a case of probably just getting back to that and he certainly instilled that in just one training session yesterday.”
I agree that the crowd getting on the players' backs does not help them. I am NOT saying that it is the fans fault. Just that it isn't helping. I support the team in whatever way I can during the games, even if, of late, it is sitting somewhere 2230 miles away listening to Keith Edwards and wishing I was at the match. But I seriously doubt that anything other than winning is going to change that this season. That is down to the 19,000 individuals actually at the match and that die is largely cast I think.They pay their money and that is their right.
I do have to question Nigel in this respect though. Is he trying to take the pressure off as much as he could/should? Is he building up their confidence? Not being privvy to behind the scenes I don't know but the limited evidence (how he is during matches - post match interviews etc) would suggest not as much as he could. He,of course, is under increasing pressure and, it appears to me, that it is being conducted through to the players - especially the post match criticism of individuals. To me that is far more damaging and influential than the fans, but it is also more manageable. Or should be.
No point riding the players or NC for the remainder of the season (at supporter or Board level) - nothing good will result.That reckoning will come in the summer I feel. The supporters have to try and hang on in there. Nigel and the players have to dig deep and man up and Nigel needs to absorb the pressure more and get himself and the players into a more positive frame of mind like his old man would have. His job and our season depends on it I think.
UTB (sorry for the length of this)
The nervousness we exhibit is more akin to a relegation team devoid of confidence, form and belief in themselves. Where this comes from and why is debatable but cast-offs like Alcock are playing, when they get a rare chance, like no-one believes in them (including the man who bought them). I don't know where MacGahey's head is at but you have to wonder - started the season in the first team, is sent to Tranmere and comes back as not good enough for a team in danger of going out of the Football League. He made the bench against Yeovil - our only fit CH. It is harsh to expect the supporters to believe if the manager and players don't appear to.
NC says the players look mentally fatigued and have to dig deep and find that bit extra within themselves to get the result(s) we need. No argument there.You cannot do it for them. BUT .. though I am no coach, it has always seemed to me that the best managers try to take the pressure off the players even at the most basic schoolboy level. I found this extract from a youth coaching guide interesting,
"It's not sufficient to prepare your players technically and tactically to play in matches. You need to understand that their performance on the field is determined, to a surprisingly large extent, by what is going on inside their heads. Are they feeling confident? Do they really believe they can perform well? Do they feel that they have to win? That losing would let down their significant others – you and their parents? No matter how skilled a player is, if he is thinking about how other people are reacting to how he plays, he won't be able to perform to his potential."
This isn't just a youth team phenonomen - Garry Thompson at Notts County said of their new manager,
“Obviously with the position that we’re in it’s understandable that the lads will probably tighten up a bit when they go out on to the pitch, but he’s trying to take that pressure off us and just go and enjoy football, which is what every footballer tries to do. It’s a job that everybody loves and he’s just trying to get us back to that, take away that fear factor. At the end of the day, when you step back, we’re all good footballers, we can all do it and it’s just a case of probably just getting back to that and he certainly instilled that in just one training session yesterday.”
I agree that the crowd getting on the players' backs does not help them. I am NOT saying that it is the fans fault. Just that it isn't helping. I support the team in whatever way I can during the games, even if, of late, it is sitting somewhere 2230 miles away listening to Keith Edwards and wishing I was at the match. But I seriously doubt that anything other than winning is going to change that this season. That is down to the 19,000 individuals actually at the match and that die is largely cast I think.They pay their money and that is their right.
I do have to question Nigel in this respect though. Is he trying to take the pressure off as much as he could/should? Is he building up their confidence? Not being privvy to behind the scenes I don't know but the limited evidence (how he is during matches - post match interviews etc) would suggest not as much as he could. He,of course, is under increasing pressure and, it appears to me, that it is being conducted through to the players - especially the post match criticism of individuals. To me that is far more damaging and influential than the fans, but it is also more manageable. Or should be.
No point riding the players or NC for the remainder of the season (at supporter or Board level) - nothing good will result.That reckoning will come in the summer I feel. The supporters have to try and hang on in there. Nigel and the players have to dig deep and man up and Nigel needs to absorb the pressure more and get himself and the players into a more positive frame of mind like his old man would have. His job and our season depends on it I think.
UTB (sorry for the length of this)
Davie Blade
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Only once ever used the Ignore button, but after this thread
thank you for it's existence.
thank you for it's existence.
raul
On the right side of the wrong car
super_pig
Well-Known Member
just thought it worth pointing out that the pigs are a league above us atm.. in respect of the real world.. the real world statistic is that we average around 20000 fans per game.. the revenue this generates should be enough to be able to beat teams with average attendances of 3000 on a regular basis. frankly this is common sense
P
pommpey
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Kev Gee
Well-Known Member
Boo hoo on the poorly pampered players.
If they cannot handle the pressure of playing for SUFC then they should fuck off back to which ever backwater Clough recruited them from. (or Derby.)
Im sick of people making excuses for these players. They were beaten by an already relegated bootom of the league team & had 1. Yes 1 shot on target!!
maybe thats why they will always be lower league players. Maybe they dotn have the mental strength & determination to make it unto the next rung of Higher Pro/Elite players of Prem/Higher Champ.
We shall see in the next few weeks!
Fiery Blade
Well-Known Member
Perhaps that's the reason they are plying their trade in the Third Division
Mr Clough was certainly less than pleased with the performance at Yeovil but, rightly so, what's said in the dressing room stays in the dressing room !
I was not making excuses for them as my view is that the do lack bottle - sometimes there is no heart or commitment in their play - but on their day they can do it !
Rather than create a sh!tstorm for a defeat that after this weekend may have no bearing on the play off places my call is for everybody to get behind them for the final push - If they fail then have a go and rightly so but in the meantime lets not all fall out because of a very poor performance against a relegated side - sometimes things like that happen in sport !
Fiery Blade
Well-Known Member
I would imagine Manchester City are the wealthiest club in the Premier League but currently lie fourth in the league and last week lost to Crystal Palace - by your reckoning Real Madrid should have won the Champions League for the last twenty years on the trot.
Because we are watched by a crowd of 20,000 does not make us a better team than half the Championship teams !
Silent Blade
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They lost to Burnley last month despite playing 4-4-2
Lord Bos of Eckington.
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Nothing more to add to that one Cyprus . Said from the head and heart IMO . The thing is , we ain't got the answer , but i suppose we can help big time , with support . I just get the feeling sometimes its more like we are in the old relegation play offs that trying to achieve promotion . Not a good sign .
UTB
Sorry for not reading the whole post..
But there's a huge clough shaped elephant in the room nobody seems to want to talk about...
Our players are better than L1... they're just scared to death of failing and being shipped out...
But there's a huge clough shaped elephant in the room nobody seems to want to talk about...
Our players are better than L1... they're just scared to death of failing and being shipped out...
super_pig
Well-Known Member
yeah the premier league.. not league one.. i'd take fourth in the premier at this point any day of the week.. that isn't failure is it??
i don't know who the wealthiest team is. chelsea?? where are they atm??
ok Real don't win the champions league every year. but they've won it a couple of times i believe.. and chelsea won it once.. and Bayern. .they're only small teams though. hold on a minute
so i would suggest 'normally' there is a correlation between fund raising capability and success of the team.. a trend that we don't seem to follow.. would you concur??
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