Our phenomenal rate of progress as a club

[ShockingBadBuy]

The story of the last 4 years is bonkers, and this season, incredibly, we’ve already kicked on a huge stretch. The summer window was remarkable. This window, a matter of months later, looks like booting us forwards absolutely bloody miles, all over again.

The pace at which Wilder, Knill et al, Bettis and the owner are driving the club forward is just absolutely bloody phenomenal. Feckin warp speed, or what?

I can’t think of a direct or meaningful analogy with a 4.5-year period in the history of any other professional club. Not in my lifetime, anyway. The Clough/Taylor thing doesn’t really work. Neither does Wimbledon’s charge up the leagues in the ‘80s.

What we’re in the middle of right now feels (dangerous word) unprecedented. Am I wrong? Genuine question.

Whatever. UTFMB, and a massive pork-sized thank you to everyone responsible for this crazy, surreal, magnificent ride we’re on . Astonishing, thrilling times.

 

[BushBlade]

Southampton under Adkins, Poch and Koeman was pretty impressive. Ours looks better because we underachieved for so long.

 

[Camden Blade]

We are not 'massive' but a big club with a passionate fan base and big ambition. Especially sweet if you're older and have seen the Blades in all four divisions. I remember our first home gane against Hereford in Division 4. We drew 2.2. People were saying how the club is finished. We scaled the gate on Shoreham Street one day in the summer preseason around that time and walked around the ground. The caretaker/groundsman chatted to us on the John Street terrace before throwing us out and said the club is finished. It'll go bust and the ground will be sold off. Not what we wanted to hear and he was an employee. It's been a journey alright. It's like Del Boy finally becoming a millionaire in Only Fools and Horses. What next?

 

[S5_Blade]

When you think it cannot possibly get any better it fucking does, keep thinking I’ll wake up soon

 

[Maidenhead]

We are not 'massive' but a big club with a passionate fan base and big ambition. Especially sweet if you're older and have seen the Blades in all four divisions. I remember our first home gane against Hereford in Division 4. We drew 2.2. People were saying how the club is finished. We scaled the gate on Shoreham Street one day in the summer preseason around that time and walked around the ground. The caretaker/groundsman chatted to us on the John Street terrace before throwing us out and said the club is finished. It'll go bust and the ground will be sold off. Not what we wanted to hear and he was an employee. It's been a journey alright. It's like Del Boy finally becoming a millionaire in Only Fools and Horses. What next?

I was there, and long before that too.

UTB

 

[BushBlade]

We are not 'massive' but a big club with a passionate fan base and big ambition. Especially sweet if you're older and have seen the Blades in all four divisions. I remember our first home gane against Hereford in Division 4. We drew 2.2. People were saying how the club is finished. We scaled the gate on Shoreham Street one day in the summer preseason around that time and walked around the ground. The caretaker/groundsman chatted to us on the John Street terrace before throwing us out and said the club is finished. It'll go bust and the ground will be sold off. Not what we wanted to hear and he was an employee. It's been a journey alright. It's like Del Boy finally becoming a millionaire in Only Fools and Horses. What next?

He loses the money on the stock market and ends up back in Peckham. Have you not seen it?

 

[VictoryBlade]

I remember that awful day against Walsall when all hell broke loose? Seems like an eternity now...oh wait a minute it was lol!

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

Southampton under Adkins, Poch and Koeman was pretty impressive. Ours looks better because we underachieved for so long.

Forgot about Southampton. Good shout. Wasn’t their rise largely rooted in their Academy? Can’t remember ...

 

[sitwell]

We are not 'massive' but a big club with a passionate fan base and big ambition. Especially sweet if you're older and have seen the Blades in all four divisions. I remember our first home gane against Hereford in Division 4. We drew 2.2. People were saying how the club is finished. We scaled the gate on Shoreham Street one day in the summer preseason around that time and walked around the ground. The caretaker/groundsman chatted to us on the John Street terrace before throwing us out and said the club is finished. It'll go bust and the ground will be sold off. Not what we wanted to hear and he was an employee. It's been a journey alright. It's like Del Boy finally becoming a millionaire in Only Fools and Horses. What next?

I love United me

 

[VictoryBlade]

Yes they had a great acadamy

 

[BushBlade]

Forgot about Southampton. Good shout. Wasn’t their rise largely rooted in their Academy? Can’t remember ...

Initially, with a little bit of help from a fat lad from Sheffield. Then, good recruitment of players like Mane, VVD, Alderweireld, Wanyama etc

 

[DaleHillBlade]

Talking to a serious Baggies fan at work this morning... “not sure I want promotion, what your lot have done is extraordinary and not easily replicated”

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

What Bournemouth did was even more impressive than us or Southampton.

A small club that has spent most of their history bouncing between the third and fourth tiers.

They went from League Two to Premier League stalwarts in 6 seasons. Remarkable.

Eddie Howe deserves just as much praise as Wilder gets.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

We are not 'massive' but a big club with a passionate fan base and big ambition. Especially sweet if you're older and have seen the Blades in all four divisions. I remember our first home gane against Hereford in Division 4. We drew 2.2. People were saying how the club is finished. We scaled the gate on Shoreham Street one day in the summer preseason around that time and walked around the ground. The caretaker/groundsman chatted to us on the John Street terrace before throwing us out and said the club is finished. It'll go bust and the ground will be sold off. Not what we wanted to hear and he was an employee. It's been a journey alright. It's like Del Boy finally becoming a millionaire in Only Fools and Horses. What next?

He loses the money on the stock market and ends up back in Peckham. Have you not seen it?

You just know that in a couple of seasons time we will be back at Nelson Mandela house

 

[Camden Blade]

What Bournemouth did was even more impressive than us or Southampton.

A small club that has spent most of their history bouncing between the third and fourth tiers.

They went from League Two to Premier League stalwarts in 6 seasons. Remarkable.

Eddie Howe deserves just as much praise as Wilder gets.

Russian oligarch.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Russian oligarch.

Money doesn't buy you success, just look at Wednesday.

Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job.

 

[JackSUFC]

Southampton under Adkins, Poch and Koeman was pretty impressive. Ours looks better because we underachieved for so long.

What Bournemouth did was even more impressive than us or Southampton.

A small club that has spent most of their history bouncing between the third and fourth tiers.

They went from League Two to Premier League stalwarts in 6 seasons. Remarkable.

Eddie Howe deserves just as much praise as Wilder gets.

Both very good shouts.

What I would say about So’ton is that they were only in League One for one (maybe two?) season(s) and had a quality team at that level in place; Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lambert, Fonte etc.

When Wilder and Knill took over here, we were on our arse. We’d just finished in our lowest position since the early 80s and bar one or two, had an awful squad which needed a full on rebuild. W&K took us from 11th place to 100 points and Champions in a season.

Bournemouth have been like a real life Football Manager game. Bottom of the Football League and in administration when Howe took over. Now in their 5/6th? consecutive year in the Premier League.

 

[BushBlade]

Both very good shouts.

What I would say about So’ton is that they were only in League One for one (maybe two?) season(s) and had a quality team at that level in place; Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lambert, Fonte etc.

When Wilder and Knill took over here, we were on our arse. We’d just finished in our lowest position since the early 80s and bar one or two, had an awful squad which needed a full on rebuild. W&K took us from 11th place to 100 points and Champions in a season.

Bournemouth have been like a real life Football Manager game. Bottom of the Football League and in administration when Howe took over. Now in their 5/6th? consecutive year in the Premier League.

Yeah, hence my comment ‘ours looks better because we underachieved for so long’.

Bournemouth did well but breached FFP in doing so. They bought their way to the PL like a mini Chelsea.

 

[Sean Thornton]

What Bournemouth did was even more impressive than us or Southampton.

A small club that has spent most of their history bouncing between the third and fourth tiers.

They went from League Two to Premier League stalwarts in 6 seasons. Remarkable.

Eddie Howe deserves just as much praise as Wilder gets.

Always there when a dampener is needed eh?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Yeah, hence my comment ‘ours looks better because we underachieved for so long’.

Bournemouth did well but breached FFP in doing so. They bought their way to the PL like a mini Chelsea.

But other than that...

 

[Camden Blade]

He loses the money on the stock market and ends up back in Peckham. Have you not seen it?

I shouldn't have said What next? I was going to say I'm half pissed.

 

[HuddersfieldBlade]

Just think where we will be in another 4 years. Can’t wait to find out

 

[ATL Recs]

Money doesn't buy you success, just look at Wednesday.

Eddie Howe has done a fantastic job.

Yes he has done a great job he’s a very good manager but considering the size of the Club they’ve been bank rolled through the Divisions to get here more than we have

 

[metalblade]

Spending money don't guarantee success but it don't half help when you have a decent manager. Bournemouth had a decent manager though but it would have been interesting if the had missed out on promotion after overspending by millions ........................ see Chansiri and the pigs.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

What a fuckin season. Even if Klop wins the league by a record margin and Pep wins Man City’s first European cup. Our Chrissie will still win Manager of the season.

 

[Alf Tuppers Shorts]

I love United me

Since 1964 I have been slated , abused, rediculed and beaten , yes physically in my time by Wednesday , Leeds and even Barnsley fans but now after all this time , I , yes me am lording it over them all. God do I love being a Blades fan.
Lowest ever point being at Hillsboro for the Boxing Day , so called massacre and then Duffs getting some kind of revenge on Bouncing Day was the ultimate , but today CW announcing such a high class signing makes me love the Blades even more . Unbelievable and F++k Geoff this is for us The Blades everywhere. UTB.

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Southamptons academy has always been good. Perhaps ask a certain 52 year old who left Sheffield in 1982 to join em. Turned down offers from a variety of local teams, including his boyhood club to pursue the McMenemy/Keegan ethos...

Same time as a Mr Shearer did the same thing

One has become a record breaking legend who is a hero to all in his home town. The other try’s to talk bollocks on telly..

 

[coaxingstar71]

What is even more impressive about our rise is that the financial gap is even wider now, even from when Bournemouth rose through two leagues 5 or 6 years ago, not only the huge gap between the Premier League and the Championship but also the Championship and League 1. In addition, we haven't broke the bank or risked breaking the FFP rules to do it.

I predict that no other club will do what we've done for a very long time.

 

[grafikhaus]

But, but...United have been lucky. They've overspent on players nobody has heard of and are destined to 'do a Portsmouth'. We'll have been sussed out by next season.

However, outside Wednesday La-La Land, on August 20, 2016 we were rock-bottom of League One (62nd in the League 'pyramid'). This season, we've been as high as fifth in the pyramid and currently sit in eighth.

Lucky man, that Wilder...

 

[SiamBlade]

Harry Bassett’s achievements with us should not be underestimated