Pain and Sadness

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SwissBlade

SwissBlade

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I’ve steered away from the forum post match, restricted my Twitter feed, but I saw a post earlier on Twitter, were witnessing the death of this (wilder) side.

I watched most of the game today, missed the first 20 mins intentionally as I just knew we’d concede. We did.

I’m not going to dig out individual players. We know which players haven’t performed all season, we know which players had awful starts to the season, we know most of the side are no longer performing to any of the levels we’ve just come to expect since the Wilder era began.

The performance today was one of the worst I’ve seen and whilst some are going to do good things next season, it’s just a pointless (literally) end to the season which we all want to see end

I don’t know whether we will have crowds back for that first Championship game next season and we don’t know the line up.

The side has lost its spirit completely, it’s died a slow and painful death this season in empty stadia and grounds. We haven’t given Wilder, Knill, the staff and players any thanks for 9th place amazing season.

The longer term members of the team will be hurting, McG looked broken today, the soul has gone.

Now we have to address the management replacement, whoever it is, the focus needs to be put onto the new start.

I don’t care if we’re never in the Premier League again. This is probably where fans and the prince will be at odds. He wants to give the facade that we’re a premier league side. That’s fine.

I want us to play with spirit, soul, passion and pride. I don’t want to see another performance like that.
 

JL94x4 said:
I like to think COVID fucked us more than Wilder did.
Click to expand...

The last 12 months have been a complete shit show. I should have put a bet on all this happening because I figured it would happen as soon as crowds were not allowed in grounds.

I just convinced myself Wilder would adapt and overcome.
 
SwissBlade said:
I’ve steered away from the forum post match, restricted my Twitter feed, but I saw a post earlier on Twitter, were witnessing the death of this (wilder) side.

I watched most of the game today, missed the first 20 mins intentionally as I just knew we’d concede. We did.

I’m not going to dig out individual players. We know which players haven’t performed all season, we know which players had awful starts to the season, we know most of the side are no longer performing to any of the levels we’ve just come to expect since the Wilder era began.

The performance today was one of the worst I’ve seen and whilst some are going to do good things next season, it’s just a pointless (literally) end to the season which we all want to see end

I don’t know whether we will have crowds back for that first Championship game next season and we don’t know the line up.

The side has lost its spirit completely, it’s died a slow and painful death this season in empty stadia and grounds. We haven’t given Wilder, Knill, the staff and players any thanks for 9th place amazing season.

The longer term members of the team will be hurting, McG looked broken today, the soul has gone.

Now we have to address the management replacement, whoever it is, the focus needs to be put onto the new start.

I don’t care if we’re never in the Premier League again. This is probably where fans and the prince will be at odds. He wants to give the facade that we’re a premier league side. That’s fine.

I want us to play with spirit, soul, passion and pride. I don’t want to see another performance like that.
Click to expand...

Absolutely mate. If nothing else today we saw that until we have a new manager at the helm we're just going to drift.

We're in the hinterland between managers where players are keeping their powder dry and not really that arsed about putting in a shift. Sums up our season really. We're competing (or attempting to) at the elitist of levels with an attitude which just smacks of amateur.

If I was prince/Bettis I'd take one look at today and start fast forwarding the process to bringing in the new regime.
 
SwissBlade said:
The performance today was one of the worst I’ve seen
Click to expand...

Sad thing is, I can think of far worse performances this season. Southampton x2, Everton, Burnley, Fulham away, Leicester away, Chelsea away, Palace away. That's just off the top of my head.

But yeah, big rebuilding job for whoever comes in. Not just transfer wise but the culture and mentality of those who do stay. Can't see some of them ever recovering from this season to be honest.
 
IdLiketoRogerMoore said:
Absolutely mate. If nothing else today we saw that until we have a new manager at the helm we're just going to drift.

We're in the hinterland between managers where players are keeping their powder dry and not really that arsed about putting in a shift. Sums up our season really. We're competing (or attempting to) at the elitist of levels with an attitude which just smacks of amateur.

If I was prince/Bettis I'd take one look at today and start fast forwarding the process to bringing in the new regime.
Click to expand...
Indeed, it’s time for real leadership from the Prince. Make the decision, bring someone in, not to save us from relegation (that ship has sailed), but to stop the drift as you say.
 
Yet I keep seeing projected line ups with 8 or 9 of this side in it for next season. Most are just assuming these players suddenly start playing well when the trajectory is so far downwards.

The squad needs a clear out of a dozen players going out and similiar number coming in. At the moment its full of a losing culture and its been over a year of abject showings from at least half a dozen heroes of yesteryear. Stevens, Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram, McBurnie, Mousset are all players that probably need moving on...add in Moore, Foderingham, Jags, Rodwell, Robinson, Burke as players just not good enough for different reasons and you could justify that dozen outgoing. I know half of them prob will remain due to the contracts they are on but I would not want any of the above as starters for next season (maybe Fleck if he can get fit and bothered again).

If O'connor, Egan and Berge depart then you are looking at maybe only 3 or 4 definite starters (Ramsdale, Bash, Bogle or Baldock, McGoldrick) for next season. Not sure they can/will have such a big turn over of players but the evidence is that in the next 12 months it should happen

Concern is our best 2 outfield players are 33-34 and are out of contract in a year too (Bash and Didzy)
 
JackSUFC said:
Sad thing is, I can think of far worse performances this season. Southampton x2, Everton, Burnley, Fulham away, Leicester away, Chelsea away, Palace away. That's just off the top of my head.

But yeah, big rebuilding job for whoever comes in. Not just transfer wise but the culture and mentality of those who do stay. Can't see some of them ever recovering from this season to be honest.
Click to expand...
Sure, footballing wise, commitment wise, but today, it was a pressure off game. It was Leeds away. I expected someone in that side to take control...

We had no leaders on the pitch.
 
JackSUFC said:
Sad thing is, I can think of far worse performances this season. Southampton x2, Everton, Burnley, Fulham away, Leicester away, Chelsea away, Palace away. That's just off the top of my head.

But yeah, big rebuilding job for whoever comes in. Not just transfer wise but the culture and mentality of those who do stay. Can't see some of them ever recovering from this season to be honest.
Click to expand...
Yeah I have said a lot about how thus could finish a fair few confidence and nentalityvwise (at least top 2 division level) and keep getting told they will all suddenly be great as we are in a division lower. Not sure its that simple. I recall teams going down like Stoke, Wigan, Sunderland and Huddersfield that all were closer to the bottom than top after going down and none were as bad as us and had more talented squads arguably.
 
SwissBlade said:
I’ve steered away from the forum post match, restricted my Twitter feed, but I saw a post earlier on Twitter, were witnessing the death of this (wilder) side.

I watched most of the game today, missed the first 20 mins intentionally as I just knew we’d concede. We did.

I’m not going to dig out individual players. We know which players haven’t performed all season, we know which players had awful starts to the season, we know most of the side are no longer performing to any of the levels we’ve just come to expect since the Wilder era began.

The performance today was one of the worst I’ve seen and whilst some are going to do good things next season, it’s just a pointless (literally) end to the season which we all want to see end

I don’t know whether we will have crowds back for that first Championship game next season and we don’t know the line up.

The side has lost its spirit completely, it’s died a slow and painful death this season in empty stadia and grounds. We haven’t given Wilder, Knill, the staff and players any thanks for 9th place amazing season.

The longer term members of the team will be hurting, McG looked broken today, the soul has gone.

Now we have to address the management replacement, whoever it is, the focus needs to be put onto the new start.

I don’t care if we’re never in the Premier League again. This is probably where fans and the prince will be at odds. He wants to give the facade that we’re a premier league side. That’s fine.

I want us to play with spirit, soul, passion and pride. I don’t want to see another performance like that.
Click to expand...
I found a way to stop seeing performances like that. I stopped watching a month or so back. It’s not proper football anyway.
 
SwissBlade said:
Indeed, it’s time for real leadership from the Prince. Make the decision, bring someone in, not to save us from relegation (that ship has sailed), but to stop the drift as you say.
Click to expand...

As dramatic as it sounds, if we carry on with this trajectory, I'd offer we're bang up against it next season.

We're got the opportunity to at least finish the season with a bit of pride, a bit of passion and show that we still have some spunk.

If Hecky can't do that, we really do need to fast forward the appointment. Otherwise, resetting/rebuilding for next season is going to ridiculously difficult. Players like Bogle, McBurnie, Brewster who we assume we'll be relying on next season need to finish with a bit of confidence...
 
ISZA said:
I found a way to stop seeing performances like that. I stopped watching a month or so back. It’s not proper football anyway.
Click to expand...
Why’s it not proper football? There are games played up and down the country with no fans, apart from a man and a dog watching. The players might be used to playing in front of 30,000 fans but once the whistle goes at the start of the game then they should be 100% focused on playing and winning
 

Deadbat said:
Yet I keep seeing projected line ups with 8 or 9 of this side in it for next season. Most are just assuming these players suddenly start playing well when the trajectory is so far downwards.

The squad needs a clear out of a dozen players going out and similiar number coming in. At the moment its full of a losing culture and its been over a year of abject showings from at least half a dozen heroes of yesteryear. Stevens, Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram, McBurnie, Mousset are all players that probably need moving on...add in Moore, Foderingham, Jags, Rodwell, Robinson, Burke as players just not good enough for different reasons and you could justify that dozen outgoing. I know half of them prob will remain due to the contracts they are on but I would not want any of the above as starters for next season (maybe Fleck if he can get fit and bothered again).

If O'connor, Egan and Berge depart then you are looking at maybe only 3 or 4 definite starters (Ramsdale, Bash, Bogle or Baldock, McGoldrick) for next season. Not sure they can/will have such a big turn over of players but the evidence is that in the next 12 months it should happen

Concern is our best 2 outfield players are 33-34 and are out of contract in a year too (Bash and Didzy)
Click to expand...
Sad to say it, but I think McGoldrick's race is pretty much run. I can't see him starting many games next season. He doesn't seem to have the fitness anymore. He struggled throughout today. Just that half yard all the time but it makes a huge difference.
 
A little reminiscence ('oh for fucks sake' I hear you all groan) :

On the evening of our 4-2 victory against that lot up the road, I - like many - celebrated the occasion by attempting to drink myself into a coma, the only logical response to a derby victory.
This sojourn down London Road and the surrounding area eventually led us to the Copthorne, whose doors we staggered through, bleary eyed and brimming with pride. In the bar were Chris Wilder, McCabe and most of the squad, also enjoying the festivities and we chatted, embraced, laughed and sang.

In my inebriated state, I surveyed the room, like a corny cut-scene from a bad film where everything moves in slow motion and the only moment of clarity that I'd had in several hours entered my mind: The pervasive truth that this togetherness in spirit, this continued success in spite of the odds, this period of perfect unity between fans, players, management and ownership and this journey we were on, would one day end. Not because it's United and "they always let you down" but simply because nothing remains constant.
It was a sad feeling, but also an admonishment to savour and enjoy each precious moment.

As fortune would have it, the magic would continue to work the following season. "Forget the maths" implored the commentator as Jack O'Connell all but signed and sealed our promotion to the top flight. "Forget the maths" indeed, because this was beyond logic, it was something special, forged from a ragtag bunch of cheap options and free transfers led by a manager who picked us up from the shit and succeeded in spinning gold.

The following season, nobody gave us a chance of survival, but for a fourth season we said 'fuck you' to expectation and did it all again. Every man played above his supposed level and we were on the cusp of something great.
Fate however, dealt us (and the world) a massive fucking Deus ex Machina in a global pandemic, the effects of which coincided with a slide in form.
You can point to many factors in this season's horrorshow, it doesn't really matter. What we had eventually died, as it was always going to do. I'd prefer it if it didn't have to happen in such tragi-comic form but we can't account for these things, everybody gets skullfucked by reality at some point.
But look, for 5 years, "Typical United" was suspended, put on ice as we were allowed to dream of something bigger, just for a time.

Yes, there's pain and sadness, as the thread title suggests, but there's meaning in it. This forum exists because for some bizarre trait of human nature, we're drawn to a football club, this entity in which we invest, time, money, hopes, fears, passion, anger, the full gamut of emotions really.

Hopes will be built again, and surely they'll be dashed again. But we have this, our club, and all that it entails. I'd do it all again, and we will do it all again. It only dies with us, to be carried on and forged anew.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

UTFB ⚔
 
JackSUFC said:
Sad thing is, I can think of far worse performances this season. Southampton x2, Everton, Burnley, Fulham away, Leicester away, Chelsea away, Palace away. That's just off the top of my head.

But yeah, big rebuilding job for whoever comes in. Not just transfer wise but the culture and mentality of those who do stay. Can't see some of them ever recovering from this season to be honest.
Click to expand...
You make a good point re Culture No one enjoys a Peroni or three more than me. BUT. one can have too much of a good thing. just saying
 
Nine Inch Nalis said:
A little reminiscence ('oh for fucks sake' I hear you all groan) :

On the evening of our 4-2 victory against that lot up the road, I - like many - celebrated the occasion by attempting to drink myself into a coma, the only logical response to a derby victory.
This sojourn down London Road and the surrounding area eventually led us to the Copthorne, whose doors we staggered through, bleary eyed and brimming with pride. In the bar were Chris Wilder, McCabe and most of the squad, also enjoying the festivities and we chatted, embraced, laughed and sang.

In my inebriated state, I surveyed the room, like a corny cut-scene from a bad film where everything moves in slow motion and the only moment of clarity that I'd had in several hours entered my mind: The pervasive truth that this togetherness in spirit, this continued success in spite of the odds, this period of perfect unity between fans, players, management and ownership and this journey we were on, would one day end. Not because it's United and "they always let you down" but simply because nothing remains constant.
It was a sad feeling, but also an admonishment to savour and enjoy each precious moment.

As fortune would have it, the magic would continue to work the following season. "Forget the maths" implored the commentator as Jack O'Connell all but signed and sealed our promotion to the top flight. "Forget the maths" indeed, because this was beyond logic, it was something special, forged from a ragtag bunch of cheap options and free transfers led by a manager who picked us up from the shit and succeeded in spinning gold.

The following season, nobody gave us a chance of survival, but for a fourth season we said 'fuck you' to expectation and did it all again. Every man played above his supposed level and we were on the cusp of something great.
Fate however, dealt us (and the world) a massive fucking Deus ex Machina in a global pandemic, the effects of which coincided with a slide in form.
You can point to many factors in this season's horrorshow, it doesn't really matter. What we had eventually died, as it was always going to do. I'd prefer it if it didn't have to happen in such tragi-comic form but we can't account for these things, everybody gets skullfucked by reality at some point.
But look, for 5 years, "Typical United" was suspended, put on ice as we were allowed to dream of something bigger, just for a time.

Yes, there's pain and sadness, as the thread title suggests, but there's meaning in it. This forum exists because for some bizarre trait of human nature, we're drawn to a football club, this entity in which we invest, time, money, hopes, fears, passion, anger, the full gamut of emotions really.

Hopes will be built again, and surely they'll be dashed again. But we have this, our club, and all that it entails. I'd do it all again, and we will do it all again. It only dies with us, to be carried on and forged anew.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

UTFB ⚔
Click to expand...
You strike me as an erudite Unitedite NIN. More power to your elbow
 
The players can't be arsed, and in a way I can't blame them. What's to look forwards to? We've already passed the mark of not being the shittest ever Prem team What else is to. play for?
This season has been a total floppy demoralising piece of brown and like. most of us the players just want it to end.
Play for pride? I can't even be arsed to watch with pride!
We as fans and the players need to write this abomination off and concentrate on next season and a fresh start.

Player wise I want us to retain JOC. Goldy, Rammers, Brewster and Bogle, I'm not arsed about anyone else.
More than anything I want to see this season over and actually have something to. play for. But I actually don't blame the players for being shit for the rest of the season.
 
CopenhagenBlade said:
Why’s it not proper football? There are games played up and down the country with no fans, apart from a man and a dog watching. The players might be used to playing in front of 30,000 fans but once the whistle goes at the start of the game then they should be 100% focused on playing and winning
Click to expand...
Sorry. I wasn’t clear. It’s not proper football as I know it. Not something I would have allowed consume me had it always been like this.
 
A few weeks on now from wilders shock departure and I’m still reeling.

In over 40 years of watching the blades in person and certainly every single time they are on the box, yesterday for the first time, I didn’t.

And It’s not because we are shit and shot and keep on losing, it really isn’t. What ever precipitated wilders departure, what ever the rights and wrongs of it and I don’t think we’ll ever really know, I feel like the guts have been ripped from the club and crucially its connection to supporters like me.

At the moment, just as the players don’t seem to be arsed, frankly neither am I. We’ve had many ups and downs over the years, but I have never felt so poleaxed by events as I do right now.

I almost can’t believe that I had no interest in that bunch of players, with that management team and that owner, play the dirties. Unthinkable but real. Not sure where this is going, but just wanted to pile in to the general feeling of despondency ☹️
 
Deadbat said:
Yet I keep seeing projected line ups with 8 or 9 of this side in it for next season. Most are just assuming these players suddenly start playing well when the trajectory is so far downwards.

The squad needs a clear out of a dozen players going out and similiar number coming in. At the moment its full of a losing culture and its been over a year of abject showings from at least half a dozen heroes of yesteryear. Stevens, Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram, McBurnie, Mousset are all players that probably need moving on...add in Moore, Foderingham, Jags, Rodwell, Robinson, Burke as players just not good enough for different reasons and you could justify that dozen outgoing. I know half of them prob will remain due to the contracts they are on but I would not want any of the above as starters for next season (maybe Fleck if he can get fit and bothered again).

If O'connor, Egan and Berge depart then you are looking at maybe only 3 or 4 definite starters (Ramsdale, Bash, Bogle or Baldock, McGoldrick) for next season. Not sure they can/will have such a big turn over of players but the evidence is that in the next 12 months it should happen

Concern is our best 2 outfield players are 33-34 and are out of contract in a year too (Bash and Didzy)
Click to expand...
I agree with all of that apart from Furious G. It may be that he is just thoroughly fed up and angry but he’s becoming something of a liability due to his ill discipline. He should have been red carded for that tackle yesterday and has been reckless in many games recently. I can see him being suspended for significant periods unless his self-control improves. At his best he’s a terrific player but has been way off this season.
 
I don't think that was in the top 15 of bad performance. The players gave up months ago. They still try to play but as soon as they hit adversity it's over.

This is the worst season of football I remember. I know we've quantitatively had worse teams but I've been going since the late 80s and this is the worst we've been in comparison to the competition.

Kill it with fire 🔥
 
Covid and lack of crowds will always be our comfort blanket.

My unpopular take is it was down to a gritty battling side and brilliant manager who eventually attempted to develop the team with a stubborn my way or the highway attitude but failed to invest the considerable amount of transfer money wisely. It went on a UK focused market and a refusal to change a broken system.

Wilder knew by the end of the restart of the season it was going tits up, he lost faith and the fans sensed it in his negative interviews and blame games.

I’ll always hold Wilders achievements up there with the best we’ve ever had. Conversely I won’t deny the fact he eventually burnt out and got it wrong then decided to get out.
 

Some of the players might have given up but the loyal bladesmen and women I go away with ,will never let standards slip .the bladesloyal 🇬🇧
 
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