Previous momentum going into the play offs

[SRBlade]

Also, worst form in the play offs and getting promoted has to be Sunderland in 1990. They lost in the final and were still promoted

 

[Silent Blade]

Also, worst form in the play offs and getting promoted has to be Sunderland in 1990. They lost in the final and were still promoted

Yes due to Swindon's ex-manager Lou Macari!

http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/Articles/SOS-SwindonBreakRules.htm

 

[LoughboroBlade]

1997

19 April - Tranmere 1-1 Sheffield United
25 April - Sheffield United 1-0 Stoke
4 May - Charlton 0-0 Sheffield United

Thinking about it, are there a few parallels with 1997?

1995/96 and 2013/14:
- new owner came in with new investment
- new manager appointed, established football man, has respect of fans
- team transformed with major overall of players,
- team turned around from relegation contenders to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, playing an attractive style
- FA Cup giant killing

1996/97 and 2014/15:
- investment and previous half-season form raised expectation level, promotion expected in a league where no teams stand out
- key midfielder from previous season no longer with us (Cowans/Coady)
- key defender from previous season no longer with us (Abblett/Maguire)
- new key midfielder has disastrous injury record (Ebbrell/Wallace)
- midfield playmaker failing to live up to promise (Hutchison/Baxter)
- football far less pretty on the eye than previous year
- team falls well short of expectations, with automatic hopes ended long before end of season, only securing playoff place in penultimate game
- questions raised over manager
- starting XI unclear heading into playoffs

 

[Silent Blade]

Thinking about it, are there a few parallels with 1997?

1995/96 and 2013/14:
- new owner came in with new investment
- new manager appointed, established football man, has respect of fans
- team transformed with major overall of players,
- team turned around from relegation contenders to narrowly missing out on the playoffs, playing an attractive style
- FA Cup giant killing

1996/97 and 2014/15:
- investment and previous half-season form raised expectation level, promotion expected in a league where no teams stand out
- key midfielder from previous season no longer with us (Cowans/Coady)
- key defender from previous season no longer with us (Abblett/Maguire)
- new key midfielder has disastrous injury record (Ebbrell/Wallace)
- midfield playmaker failing to live up to promise (Hutchison/Baxter)
- football far less pretty on the eye than previous year
- team falls well short of expectations, with automatic hopes ended long before end of season, only securing playoff place in penultimate game
- questions raised over manager
- starting XI unclear heading into playoffs

Tell Clough not to wear a lime shirt at Wembley then

 

[Deleted member 1486]

If we'd won all three games in 2009 and 2012 we'd have been promoted automatically.

 

[Bladepicker]

The thing is this time I believe we are good enough, at our best, to beat anyone on the day at their best for the first time since 2003. We have game changers like Murphy and an actual couple of strikers and midfielders with goals in them in Done, Holt, Baxter and Davies. That, along with our cup record, has me optimistic we could do this.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Another way to look at it is our appalling record against the sides currently in play off positions in this season's games. I know we still have to play Chesterfield again but we've lost all of these games except the 2-0 win at home versus Swindon. However, Swindon are the only side to thrash us.

Surely this is motivation to turn the tables ?

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Our home record in the play offs is excellent.

1997 - Sheffield United 1-1 Ipswich
1998 - Sheffield United 2-1 Sunderland
2003 - Sheffield United 4-3 Nottingham Forest
2009 - Sheffield United 1-0 Preston
2012 - Sheffield United 1-0 Stevenage
2013 - Sheffield United 1-0 Yeovil

Sod's law that Swindon will beat us on Thursday but we'll end up victorious at Wembley.