Seriously. where are we now, at this point in time?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Woodwardfan

Woodwardfan
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
8,920
Reaction score
8,131
Location
Whitby
Watching Preston play Burnley this evening, Burnley with all their Parachute Payments, Preston about 2 years at least in front of us, Preston maybe 5 years behind Burnley at best, where does that leave us?
 



Watching Preston play Burnley this evening, Burnley with all their Parachute Payments, Preston about 2 years at least in front of us, Preston maybe 5 years behind Burnley at best, where does that leave us?

No timeline required . Think Leicester , Bournemouth .

If we have the right bloke in Adkins and the backing of a finally sensible board , we will catch up in less time we think.

It's down to Adkins being real or a bull shitter , Southampton , Scunny , Reading we know about . It's what happens here and now with us that counts . Past so called glories mean fuck all .



UTB.
 
Probably should be on the Ched thread but...

 
Watching Preston play Burnley this evening, Burnley with all their Parachute Payments, Preston about 2 years at least in front of us, Preston maybe 5 years behind Burnley at best, where does that leave us?

I'd not pretend there are any formulas. In a year we could be challenging for the Prem or adrift in mid-table div1. It's a silly sport this...
 
The worse thing is that the gap between Wednesday and the Blades has grown this season. They will be shortly be confirmed in the play offs, while this time on Saturday we may be looking forward to another year in this awful league. Three wins and a draw, does not mean for me that everything is now sorted and we are looking at a promotion season next season. We are all so desperate the get to the next level that we cling onto a few good results as evidence that everythings all rosy, it isn't. The problems are still there (same manager who has shown nothing and board that seems to now be totally invisible). Adkins, if he is retained will be under unbelievable pressure next season. His cobbled together team of free transfers, academy players, Hammond and a few from this season, must fly out off the blocks at the start of the season, otherwise Adkins will probably be gone after approximately ten games. It will then be a new manager, having to work with Adkins players. This adds up to a mid table/relegation fight.,
 
Get the right manager in charge and things can soon change. Look how far we were behind the pigs in summer '88, two years later under Bassett we'd swapped divisions, we were in the top flight and that shower were in div 2.

As for the pigs if they don't take their chances this season, it could all change by start of next season, if Prem teams come sniffing and they will, they could lose their manager all their 'star' players, or at least a couple.
 



For the hard of understanding, the answer is really rather fucked.
Reading the forum these last few weeks, you don't get the impression this is as realised as it should be, and if it is it's being pretty well hidden.
 
We can absolutely forget about being on a level footing with the likes of Burnley. How sad is that? And anyone else who's been in the Premier League at all recently for that matter. The parachute payments make sure of that - more so than ever after next season, and no doubt even more so the one after that. Yipee!

But we could be 10th in the Championship and still be years behind Burnley, just as Preston are as Woodwardfan pointed out. There's no reason we can't be where the likes of Preston are within a couple of years though. And once you're there, at least you're back in the mix, and that's what we need to aim for. But make no mistake, promotion from the Championship without a big budget is a thing of the past. So many teams have money now that at least a few won't fuck it up. We'll have to cross this bridge when we come to it, but we probably won't cross it at all. I fear we've missed the boat and will have nothing to realistically aim for but long term mediocrity if we do get back to the Championship.
 
Get the right manager in charge and things can soon change. Look how far we were behind the pigs in summer '88, two years later under Bassett we'd swapped divisions, we were in the top flight and that shower were in div 2.

The game today is utterly unrecognisable from back then. For a start, the money is incredible and the next few weeks will define United, possibly for ever. I don't mean United's results. We'll probably fuck up, we don't deserve to go up and we're not prepared for the next level.

No, it's the pigs I worry about. They are already in the play-offs (the so-called 'chasing pack' like Cardiff are fucking useless) and anything can happen. Middlesbrough, Burnley and Brighton stand out. The other three are much of a muchness and I would not be confident that Derby would beat the pigs over 2 legs. Pigs get to Wembley and the traditional bias in The Star and Radio Pig would go into overdrive and could carry them over the line. Even if they only lasted one season in the PL (by no means guaranteed as at least half of the PL is made up of very average teams), the money would be there. Look at Burnley. The ability to buy players like Barton and Andre Gray means they will always be a very strong Championship team and that could be the pigs.

On the other hand, clubs like Wolves (Afobe) and Blackburn (Rhodes) have basically run up the white flag by selling their stand-out players and relegation battles ahead are more likely that promotion charges. Just like United's 'business model' post-2009.

Worrying times, indeed.
 
Watching Preston play Burnley this evening, Burnley with all their Parachute Payments, Preston about 2 years at least in front of us, Preston maybe 5 years behind Burnley at best, where does that leave us?

That's the thing - it can change just as quick. All it takes is a few decent signings / hidden gems and we've got a very good team. Norwich fans probably had a similar post when they were down here.

I'm looking forward to the summer, if the board back Adkins then we have a good chance next year. Adkins is talking a good game of bringing youth through with a few experienced heads to go with it. Exactly how most successful teams are set up.
 
That's the thing - it can change just as quick. All it takes is a few decent signings / hidden gems and we've got a very good team. Norwich fans probably had a similar post when they were down here.

I'm looking forward to the summer, if the board back Adkins then we have a good chance next year. Adkins is talking a good game of bringing youth through with a few experienced heads to go with it. Exactly how most successful teams are set up.


This past week I was deleting some old e-mails and came across one dated March 2015 from my Leicester pal. He was absolutely anguished and really critical of the Leicester owners, Board, manager ( Pearson at the time), coaches,players, local media and even the fans for not staging mass protests agitating for serious changes at the club. They had won 2 games in 23 and he was plotting how they would spend their parachute payments.

As you say things can change very quickly.
 
No, we love a few good results because we've had so few. Even blade too long doesn't think everything is rosy, so just how fucked must it all be?

For the hard of understanding, the answer is really rather fucked.

our recent run shows we have a decent half to two thirds of a capable team within our squad
we all knew pre season we needed 3 or 4 more of a decent standard to to challenge
had we got 2 or 3 more the same quality or near that of Baptiste wed have pissed automatic
I feel let down weve missed a great opportunity by chasing the wrong targets for too long
wrong in the sense they were never going to be allowed to leave as they were needed by their current clubs to stave off relegation

we started with 40 to 42 players , and even if we agree 22 are not fit for purpose it still leaves 20 to choose from, and add 3 or 4 quality players we have a ream capable of competing , still
 
On paper? :)

on grass , , all teams look more disjointed without that bit of quality
Arsenal when everyones fit and clicking look better than anyone , but have had key players out and again its cost them
We can play well on any given day , but look more erratic due to the gaps where someone hald decent should be

Our main let down is still no attacking midfielder of real quality Baxter only played well it now transpires when he was playing with 10 other unicorns
 
Last half dozen games we've looked like a side.
It's took Adkins all season to find it but today is our biggest game of the season (and not because it's the inbreds) it's what it could mean.
If we make the play offs we will be the in form team.
How many times previously can we say that?
 
Here is some perspective.

Wigan will be champions this season and if they win their last 3 remaining games they will have amassed 90 points.

Last time we reached that total we finished 3rd, in 2012.

Where are we now?
In a much shitter division pulling well below our weight.
 



Today was a great reminder of where we are.

Against an average Barnsley team at Bramall Lane we weren't good enough to ever look like scoring.
 

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom