Time to embrace the relegation concept

[lenners]

If it means we drop all the foreign club nonsense, forget building a ground we don't need, decide to forever drop longball football, appoint a progressive manager and are forced to use more players we've developed ourselves instead of bringing in pointless garbage from elsewhere, I reckon relegation's not a bad idea.
We wasted our chance of being top dogs in Sheffield for the foreseeable future so we may as well drop all the silly pretence and fripperies surrounding the club and get back to basics.
If it takes relegation for that to happen, fair enough.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Also the thought of playing a different set of clubs to ones we played so often between 1994 and 2006 is quite appealing.

 

[alcoblade]

Relegation. It's the future!

 

[matth]

It's not done Leicester too much harm so far. Forest are looking good this season too.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

It's not done Leicester too much harm so far. Forest are looking good this season too.

For every Leicester and Forest there's an Oldham and Bradford. Personally, I don't think I could stomach another major Blades disappointment, particularly as there's no guarantee we'd bounce back. Remember how bad the journey down to the 4th was ?

 

[Revolution]

Relegation would likely be a disaster both on and off the pitch. I'm dreading the possibility.

As Jim says, you can prosper - we did after 1988's relegation - but that's the exception not the rule. Who's to say we don't spend 10 to 12 years in League 1?

Len, you're just engaging in self parody.

 

[alcoblade]

let's hope the board are seriously looking at the position and contemplating possible replacements. Logically, relegation is becoming a worry, the managers position must be under threat. Should we give him until Christmas, you'd hope a replacement would be lined up.

The trouble with this is we'd need another Blackwell type motivator at this point, rather than a more progressive manager like O'Driscoll. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, and the season at least just rumbles along with mediocrity (a step up!) and the removal of Blackwell at the end.

UTB

 

[Asaba/Djaffo]

A major point in United future is coming up.

Does McCabe stick with Blackwell and the possibility of a relegation dog fight.

or

Does he sack him and replace him with a younger manager hoping that the new manager syndrome kicks in.

It's a real gamble and I personally don't think McCabe has the stones to take it.

Hand on heart I believe Kevin Blackwell will relegate Sheffield United Football Club to League One if he is allowed to continue in his job.

 

[alcoblade]

Relegation would likely be a disaster both on and off the pitch. I'm dreading the possibility.

As Jim says, you can prosper - we did after 1988's relegation - but that's the exception not the rule. Who's to say we don't spend 10 to 12 years in League 1?

gradually tha plan's becoming clear. Our aim is to become so rubbish that we can take players from our foreign partnerships (rather than vice versa) and develop them. At least the tie ups would have some use.



UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

Mmmm the smell of Positivity from Lenners!

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

So no one thinks that the performances in the last two games seem to show an improvement. Two performances against the top two teams incidentally.

 

[lenners]

let's hope the board are seriously looking at the position and contemplating possible replacements. Logically, relegation is becoming a worry, the managers position must be under threat. Should we give him until Christmas, you'd hope a replacement would be lined up.

The trouble with this is we'd need another Blackwell type motivator at this point, rather than a more progressive manager like O'Driscoll. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, and the season at least just rumbles along with mediocrity (a step up!) and the removal of Blackwell at the end.

UTB

That's partly my point. We don't want more of the same, endlessly.
If relegation is what it takes for a complete overhaul of what we're about, instead of this endless, grinding mediocrity, then it could well be for the best.

 

[Kev Gee]

So no one thinks that the performances in the last two games seem to show an improvement. Two performances against the top two teams incidentally.

With the same outcome. Zero points. Dont ever go thinking were to good to go down because we are most certainly not.

 

[Pinchy]

A major point in United future is coming up.

Does McCabe stick with Blackwell and the possibility of a relegation dog fight.

or

Does he sack him and replace him with a younger manager hoping that the new manager syndrome kicks in.

It's a real gamble and I personally don't think McCabe has the stones to take it.

Hand on heart I believe Kevin Blackwell will relegate Sheffield United Football Club to League One if he is allowed to continue in his job.

Why younger? Why not just better?

 

[matth]

So no one thinks that the performances in the last two games seem to show an improvement. Two performances against the top two teams incidentally.

Doesn't make a blind bit of difference if we don't get the points. Blackwell and others defended the ugly hoofball when it was getting us points. The goalposts surely can't be changed now?

Also, even though improvement has been evident, it shouldn't have had to come off the back of such shocking performances and results. If the last two losses were isolated, there'd be more sympathy.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Unfortunately, we are now in that downward spiral that a losing sequence develops!
Even against the supposedly 'better' teams we do not have the luck or the guile to break them down.
Yes, last night we were a shade 'unlucky' but in the first half they were there for the taking but we didn't score when it mattered. Henderson and Evans didn't even hit the target when it mattered, and at one stage Morgan found himself offside direct from an attacking free kick.
Yesterdays performance whilst improved still appeared to be relegation laden.
At the end we were resigned to lose and all the playes appeared to accept it.
Face up to facts Duncan, Swiss and all you ultra positives out there that relegation is a greater possibility than play offs and giving your man Blackwell until Christmas might just sway the issue.
If I was Kyel Ried I would be knocking on Blackwells door this morning asking what the hell was happening and would I ever figure in a Blades match - iff not I should piss off to a side that I would at least get a chance of a game!

 

[Isiah]

Have to disagree totally on this one - can't think of any way in which relegation would remotely benefit a club like United.
We would simply lose more players, more support and cut our cloth even further. Any half decent players who might be unearthed/developed would fall prey to even more clubs in a better position than us.
If, with our current resources, we are unable to compete in this division, why on earth with the significant reduction in resources relegation would bring should we be able to compete any better one division lower?

 

[Deleted member 2102]

A 6 game drop in form and suddenly we have lost our opportunity to be Sheffield's top dogs? Lenners the long term strategic planner.

 

[lenners]

A 6 game drop in form and suddenly we have lost our opportunity to be Sheffield's top dogs? Lenners the long term strategic planner.

If only it was about the last six games.
We've had 10 years and royally effed it up.

 

[Bramley]

If it means we drop all the foreign club nonsense, forget building a ground we don't need, decide to forever drop longball football, appoint a progressive manager and are forced to use more players we've developed ourselves instead of bringing in pointless garbage from elsewhere, I reckon relegation's not a bad idea.
We wasted our chance of being top dogs in Sheffield for the foreseeable future so we may as well drop all the silly pretence and fripperies surrounding the club and get back to basics.
If it takes relegation for that to happen, fair enough.

So defeatist.

 

[lenners]

So defeatist.

No, what's defeatist is the acceptance of scuffling mediocrity for years on end.
I don't believe we're going to get substantial change without a major ruction at the club which is what relegation would be.
Otherwise it'll just be more of the same Blades Way and it's pointless and dragging the team and club down anyway.

 

[shorehamview]

So defeatist.

Indeed. We may as well ask to be relegated now, burn our shirts in the car park and start watching rugby instead, and that's just egg-chasing bum touchers from posh schools.

 

[alcoblade]

So no one thinks that the performances in the last two games seem to show an improvement. Two performances against the top two teams incidentally.

I do, and there's reason for hope. There's also reason for fear and we shouldn't proceed as a club without contemplating both.

UTB

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

The trouble with this is we'd need another Blackwell type motivator at this point, rather than a more progressive manager like O'Driscoll. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, and the season at least just rumbles along with mediocrity (a step up!) and the removal of Blackwell at the end.

UTB

Not necessarily. alco. Maybe we actually need a progressive type of manager to encourage the skills that our players must have (somewhere - please!) because if I was a skillful footballer I'd be very motivated to express myself in a team whose game plan was exactly that.

 

[Deleted member 2102]

If only it was about the last six games.
We've had 10 years and royally effed it up.

Ok Len what would you have done differently over the last 10 years. Indeed what would you do now? To stay in the PL the club requires an exceptional manager and a bit of luck (ie Bolton, Stoke) or a boat load of investment (see Blackburn or Man City). You could also argue that to escape the CCC the club also requires a combination of all three. Take last season as a case in point where the superior Sheffield United were not promoted at the expense of the inferior Burnley. Argue all you like but that is a fact the over the course of a whole season we gained more points than they did. They had the luck in a one off game. Financially we are not and have never been in a position to go out and hire a manger with a proven record of promotion and the ability to keep a club in the PL. So which progressive managers would you go for to replace KB? Would you have gone for someone like Martinez who is being found out in the PL or maybe take a punt on another lower league manager who has enjoyed success? Or would you try and entice a manger with a proven record of having his teams finish in the top 6 of the CCC, such as the present incumbent? As for relegation providing the proverbial wake up and smell the coffee moment. Well yes it might if we receive fresh investment (like Leicester) more likely we would suffer massive loss of support and falls in other income streams and condemn the club to an inexorable fall down the leagues like Bradford.

 

[bartman]

Not necessarily. alco. Maybe we actually need a progressive type of manager to encourage the skills that our players must have (somewhere - please!) because if I was a skillful footballer I'd be very motivated to express myself in a team whose game plan was exactly that.

I agree with you,BoSS. I believe we have the right players at the club and the style of football the last couple of home games has been encouraging. However,we have lost that grittiness we had last year and for some reason,KB doesn't seem to be able to work out what is wrong and then blames injuries when only 3 of the injured players would walk into our first team(Ward,Monty and Naysmith.....we don't know about Williamson yet). Only a suspension is forcing KB to drop Morgan who has been woeful this season

Losing is now becoming a habit and it was noticeable yesterday how the heads dropped when they scored. Unfortunately I think KB needs to go and I believe KN will have the balls to do it if we don't win either of the next two games

I'm not sure about a 'progressive manager' is what we need at the moment as we are in danger of going down at the moment and we maybe need a Nigel Pearson type to see us through. O'driscoll and Laws play fancy football but lack consistancy.

Is Speed the man ? not sure but i woudn't mind seeing him work with Curbishly as I think they could get the balance right

 

[shorehamview]

Relegation? Don't panic!!!!!!!!

 

[Stafford Blade]

McCabe needs to act sooner rather than later. Either give Speed a go or take a look at Chris Wilder who currently looks like taking Oxford back into the football league.

 

[Micalijo]

I agree with you,BoSS. I believe we have the right players at the club and the style of football the last couple of home games has been encouraging. However,we have lost that grittiness we had last year and for some reason,KB doesn't seem to be able to work out what is wrong and then blames injuries when only 3 of the injured players would walk into our first team(Ward,Monty and Naysmith.....we don't know about Williamson yet). Only a suspension is forcing KB to drop Morgan who has been woeful this season

Losing is now becoming a habit and it was noticeable yesterday how the heads dropped when they scored. Unfortunately I think KB needs to go and I believe KN will have the balls to do it if we don't win either of the next two games

I'm not sure about a 'progressive manager' is what we need at the moment as we are in danger of going down at the moment and we maybe need a Nigel Pearson type to see us through. O'driscoll and Laws play fancy football but lack consistancy.

Is Speed the man ? not sure but i woudn't mind seeing him work with Curbishly as I think they could get the balance right

Yes we have lost most of the gritiness we had last term but I think you are been harsh in saying as a criticism (my reading of your post) that heads dropped when they scored. I've said on another string that it was perfectly understandable why heads would drop after conceding a goal like that. No doubt it affected us but they are a decent side and to finish the game like we did shows alot of good things still remain in tact.

I'm not downplaying the seriousness of the situation but we aint going down and unfortunately Blackwell is going nowhere.

 

[FlyingFjortoft]

Ah yes, relegation, the hope of all true football fans.
Why not see if you can switch your season ticket for the away end?