Reading a lot comments across the net this morning from supposed Blades on this topic, I just despair.
So stuck in their ways and small minded in football terms.
A manager called Heckingbottom will be like a comfy pair of slippers to them.
And if we stop passing it around and keeping possession that makes the poor souls panic, and gerritforrud moar, just imagine how comfortable and relaxed they'll be.
It’s not binary though is it?
Passing and keeping possession is absolutely spot on as long as:
1. It leads to an outcome that affects the game in a positive way. i.e. it creates something.
2. You are not so poorly structured and exposed that you concede stupid goals. Often late in games to lose points.
There’s a marked difference between passing it around at the back without breaking lines and then having to hoof it up the pitch because you are in danger of getting caught in possession when pressed and having an end result from passing around a team and getting it into areas where players can break through and create something. If all you do is work it out wide and then come back on yourself, rinse and repeat, it is frustrating and dull as dishwater.
You appear to be conflating people’s desire to be entertained and be excited by goal mouth action (what I would call an end result) and the up and at em point of view. Great for you to prefer one style over another but many people like effective football that gets their team results. Winning a game of football makes supporters happy. Football is an escape as well as a tribal thing. Watching your team getting turned over and losing is shite. If you can win football games playing in an attractive style then it’s even better. If you are losing games and throwing away points yet your key take away is, “oooh, look at the pretty passing we can do in our own half and the triangles we make down the wings” but there is no goal mouth action then it’s dull and boring. The guys on the Tufty Club coin is as all foreplay and no penetration. If all you want is a bit of fingering and your happy with that, then knock yourself out.
Likely your response will be it’s a work in progress. It’s a transition, it’s changing old habits to new ones. It’ll take time. I get that.
However, there is very little evidence of progress or learning from mistakes (players and management responsible, here). Yes, that’s my opinion based on what I see. Unless SJ can change the playing staff considerably in January I don’t see anything improving.
But still, whilst we are in this purgatory passage of transition, you have your passing style to fall back on as well as the scorn you liberally dish out on people that may not hold the same elevated view.
You call people, “supposed Blades” and then go on to ridicule them further as though you have the only opinion that matters. You denigrate a highly professional coach by saying it’ll be like a comfy pair of slippers. As if Heckingbottom is a launch and lump it manager. As if he doesn’t want to play football. Is he not the successful U23 coach that is getting the youngsters playing attractive and winning football? Because he is from South Yorkshire he is just as Neanderthal as the baying set of plebs you so clearly despise?
This club is all the better when it is united and everyone is pulling in the same direction - no surprise, there. Is your wish to expunge a large part of our supporters and cleanse the match day experience to only allow like minded people into the ground? Wouldn’t you prefer a rocking and vociferous Bramall Lane, full to the rafters, making it a hostile atmosphere for visiting teams?
Currently, the whole club is dis-jointed, completely dis-united. In disarray, without cohesion or direction or leadership.
If Slav gets it right he may well bring it all together again. You clearly believe he will and I am full on sceptical (because of the challenges he faces, financially, as well as the lack of evidence I have seen that he can structure an effective “team”) but to call all Blades supporters that are not on your bandwagon or wavelength stuck in their ways and small minded (it’s that binary) is far more reflective on you than the rest.