United fans and pessimism

[Darren]

I must say I find it difficult to believe some of the posts on here today. It seems to me that, objectively, United have staged a pretty good recovery after the Oldham and Walsall disasters, getting four points from 2 difficult away games and being 2 points ahead in second with a better goal differences. Moreover, any objective observer would think it highly likely that that gap will be 5 points come Saturday as United play struggling Tranmere at home and Wednesday (who have not won away for a while and in their last away game managed a point at mughty Rochdale) play bang on form and play off chasing Notts County.

Yet here we have posts saying that the plays off are now a certainty, we have blown promotion and - bizzarely - Tranmere are "resurgent" (copyright Len I think). Put it this way, would anyone swap Wednesday's current position for ours at the moment?

I know we have all had more than our fair share of disappointments with United, but lets all try to look at things a little objectively.

 

[JohnDenver]

You should have read the Shout Box last night....

 

[ZoneManWilf]

Before this run of 3, I said I'd have taken 4 points from it. We still have it in our hands, we just can't afford any more disasters at home.

 

[Revolution]

Moreover, any objective observer would think it highly likely that that gap will be 5 points come Saturday as United play struggling Tranmere at home and Wednesday (who have not won away for a while and in their last away game managed a point at mughty Rochdale) play bang on form and play off chasing Notts County

That's true, but the following Tuesday we are at bang on form and play off chasing Notts County and the Pigs play struggling Walsall at home, and it is strongly arguable that any 5 point gap will be reduced by the time those 2 games are over.

As to your wider point, I wouldn't trade our position, but I am certainly not comfortable with it.

Actually, a key day is the 24th, when we don't play and everyone else does. If Wednesday (and Huddersfield) are still behind us with one game more played and seven to go, I'll be a little more relaxed. If they pass us by dint of playing a game more, that's pressure on us.

 

[Darren]

Moreover, any objective observer would think it highly likely that that gap will be 5 points come Saturday as United play struggling Tranmere at home and Wednesday (who have not won away for a while and in their last away game managed a point at mughty Rochdale) play bang on form and play off chasing Notts County

That's true, but the following Tuesday we are at bang on form and play off chasing Notts County and the Pigs play struggling Walsall at home, and it is strongly arguable that any 5 point gap will be reduced by the time those 2 games are over.

As to your wider point, I wouldn't trade our position, but I am certainly not comfortable with it.

Actually, a key day is the 24th, when we don't play and everyone else does. If Wednesday (and Huddersfield) are still behind us with one game more played and seven to go, I'll be a little more relaxed. If they pass us by dint of playing a game more, that's pressure on us.

Fair enough, but what is interesting is Wednesday's particularly poor away form at the moment. Their last 3 away games were against 3 strugglers - Exeter, Chesterfield and Rochdale - and they took the grand total of 1 point. We would be slitting our wrists on here if we had had that run.

Their game on the 24th is away to Orient and you would think it unlikely they will get more than a point from that.

 

[raul]

Moreover, any objective observer would think it highly likely that that gap will be 5 points come Saturday as United play struggling Tranmere at home and Wednesday (who have not won away for a while and in their last away game managed a point at mughty Rochdale) play bang on form and play off chasing Notts County



As to your wider point, I wouldn't trade our position.

Something about clapping.

 

[boo radley]

Something about clapping.

Now you've done it and Darren is gunning for the other 'intellectual giants' of the forum.

 

[Selly]

Moreover, any objective observer would think it highly likely that that gap will be 5 points come Saturday as United play struggling Tranmere at home and Wednesday (who have not won away for a while and in their last away game managed a point at mughty Rochdale) play bang on form and play off chasing Notts County.

The counter arguement is that the following Tuesday we go to Notts County, and Wednesday host lowley Walsall. Essentially, we could be back in the same position as we are now this time next week (which i happen to think would be a decent result over the next 2 games).

Of course if Wednesday win at County...

Yet here we have posts saying that the plays off are now a certainty, we have blown promotion and - bizzarely - Tranmere are "resurgent" (copyright Len I think). Put it this way, would anyone swap Wednesday's current position for ours at the moment?

No I wouldn`t, especially as they have Hudds away at the start of April.

 

[raul]

Now you've done it and Darren is gunning for the other 'intellectual giants' of the forum.

Thing is Boo, one of them really IS a giant so I know who I'm standing by......

 

[Revolution]

Hey, raul, stop quoting me out of context, or else.

Selly - there was no need to make that post. I'd already made it.

Fun fact for Darren - United have never won a league game at Colchester, but have won there in both cups.

 

[Darren]

The counter arguement is that the following Tuesday we go to Notts County, and Wednesday host lowley Walsall. Essentially, we could be back in the same position as we are now this time next week (which i happen to think would be a decent result over the next 2 games).

Of course if Wednesday win at County...



No I wouldn`t, especially as they have Hudds away at the start of April.

If we are exactly as we are now this time next week, it will be another two games down with us still second, which is all good.

I think a lot of the recent dip in form, such as it is, must be down to the loss of two of our better players in Collins and McDonald. Hopefully they will soon be back which is more grounds for optimism...

 

[grafikhaus]

'United fans and pessimism'. Christ, you could fill a book. What undoubtedly doesn't help is our biased local media who - if Wendy had got a draw at in-form Colchester - would be having a special Football Heaven. Even that arsehole Wendyite has been on here again with his juvenile 'Agent Wilson' crap. If they think that United gaining another point on Wendy (or Barça, as they are now to be called) and maintaining our superior goal difference is a cause for celebration, well I pity them even more than I did before.

For some strange reason, some Unitedites think only bad fortune follows the Blades (and when we have the best, most exciting period in recent years, slag the manager...). For me, the ups and downs make football. Just as you really wouldn't want every day to be 'great' or it to be sunny all the time, football just mirrors life.

Let's look at a quiet midweek Tuesday's matches. Do you think Everton fans will be happy this morning, having been beaten by three goals to their nearest rivals? Promotion-chasing Cardiff being thumped at home by their rivals? Forest losing to a last-minute goal to bitter rivals Derby and having Tudgay sent off? Reading having their promotion charge and run of 8 wins halted by shitty Donny? Birmingham losing to a much-lower team?

Nah, it's just United.

 

[Grecian2000]

Nah, it's just United.

and all the examples given will have been followed this morning by gnashing of teeth and outbursts of vitriol and outpouring of gloom from SOME of their fans.

United supporters, as a group, are absolutely no different from any other set of fans. Try sitting amongst those wonderful Pompey fans when United are smacking them around 3-0 at Fratton, or being in the home stand at Boundary Park as we score 5. I've done it and they were going mental at their team.

United pessimistic? Yep in the same proportion as every team in the known universe.

 

[Tuns]

Pessimism is part of the character of our support. We expect the worst and hope for the best it's no big deal but it does make us different from many other clubs including our neighbours.

Let's face it it's not as though there isn't good reason to always feel disaster is always lurking round the corner.

For my generation we've had Boxing Day, Walsall, Bristol City, Chelsea, Wigan, Newcastle, Arsenal. Liverpool, Wolves, Palace, Pigs, etc

Yes there has been the odd high but the feeling is generally that in the context of a relatively big club which could realistically expect to see a cup final appearance in 70 years and far more top flight footbal than we've had in the last 40 years then surely it would be astonishing if we were all an optimistic bunch.

I'm just hoping it's pigs and not Huddersfield that get second spot so we avoid the ultimate play off defeat. But maybe I'm being too optimistic.

 

[Darren]

I'm just hoping it's pigs and not Huddersfield that get second spot so we avoid the ultimate play off defeat. But maybe I'm being too optimistic.

Call me stupid, but I am rather hoping United get the second spot and this is where history is on our side as, when we are realistically battling for automatic in the last quarter of the season we tend to get it - see 1989, 1990 and 2006. The only exception was 2009, but that was due to a very late surge (with 10 games to go authomatic looked very unlikely) and at no point was it ever in our hands.

 

[TarquinDelouche]

I'd definitely call myself a pessimist but Jesus, this place is unbearable after games we don't win.

 

[TopBoy]

Promotion was in our hands at the beginning of the season before a ball was kicked and still is now 36 games in, 10 to go. What a great position to be in coupled with the so called better players being available again.

 

[Bladesman]

and all the examples given will have been followed this morning by gnashing of teeth and outbursts of vitriol and outpouring of gloom from SOME of their fans.

United supporters, as a group, are absolutely no different from any other set of fans. Try sitting amongst those wonderful Pompey fans when United are smacking them around 3-0 at Fratton, or being in the home stand at Boundary Park as we score 5. I've done it and they were going mental at their team.

United pessimistic? Yep in the same proportion as every team in the known universe.

Exactly.

Even the Barca fans go mental when they haven't won every competition they are in.

 

[Darren]

I'd definitely call myself a pessimist but Jesus, this place is unbearable after games we don't win.

I wasn't at the game, but said beforehand a few times on here that a point would be a good result at Colchester and I don't recall anyone disagreeing with me. I saw the score last night and thought "good result". Whether it is because we went 1-0 up and didn't win, I really don't understand the "we are doomed to the play offs where Wednesday will beat us 5-0 in both games" attitude that some people have.

 

[broomhillblade]

It's all about expectations.

At the start of the season, if anyone had dared to predict our current league position, they would have been dismissed as a happy clapper or short of a few marbles.

Now, when we fail to win a game, it's the end of the world.

I suspect that if we were to win every game 1 - 0 or 2 -1 , some fans would not be satisfied - they would want 6 - 0 every week.

Keep the faith.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

'United fans and pessimism'. Christ, you could fill a book. What undoubtedly doesn't help is our biased local media who - if Wendy had got a draw at in-form Colchester - would be having a special Football Heaven. Even that arsehole Wendyite has been on here again with his juvenile 'Agent Wilson' crap. If they think that United gaining another point on Wendy (or Barça, as they are now to be called) and maintaining our superior goal difference is a cause for celebration, well I pity them even more than I did before.

For some strange reason, some Unitedites think only bad fortune follows the Blades (and when we have the best, most exciting period in recent years, slag the manager...). For me, the ups and downs make football. Just as you really wouldn't want every day to be 'great' or it to be sunny all the time, football just mirrors life.

Let's look at a quiet midweek Tuesday's matches. Do you think Everton fans will be happy this morning, having been beaten by three goals to their nearest rivals? Promotion-chasing Cardiff being thumped at home by their rivals? Forest losing to a last-minute goal to bitter rivals Derby and having Tudgay sent off? Reading having their promotion charge and run of 8 wins halted by shitty Donny? Birmingham losing to a much-lower team?

Nah, it's just United.

Can't remember which year, might be the one we played Wolves in the final but we were in Devon first day of the season so went along to Plymouth v Wolves and sat on Plymouths kop.

Wolves scored due the the right back of Plymouth being a bit slow to react and let a Wolves player in at the near post. I jumped up to slag the fulback off only to find all the Plymouth fans on the kop sat there doing nothing - so it may be a club thing as to how we react?

Then again I might just be grumpy

 

[Bladesman]

Can't remember which year, might be the one we played Wolves in the final but we were in Devon first day of the season so went along to Plymouth v Wolves and sat on Plymouths kop.

Wolves scored due the the right back of Plymouth being a bit slow to react and let a Wolves player in at the near post. I jumped up to slag the fulback off only to find all the Plymouth fans on the kop sat there doing nothing - so it may be a club thing as to how we react?

Then again I might just be grumpy

Yeah but Plymouth fans expect to lose so they expect to see shit week in week out plus chuck a bit of administration into the mix.

 

[norfolkblade]

I don't get the sudden pessimism, Colchester aren't a bad side and they showed that last night so I'm satisfied with a point there in truth, it was always going to be a relatively close game.

My problem with last night is that we kept trying to knock it long on a fair few occasions, especially in the first half and their big centre half won every single header, no wonder he got man of the match. We need to stop doing that and play to our strengths, there were some periods where we played it simply and quickly on the deck and left Colchester for shit.

I also hope Collins is back for the weekend as I didn't particularly rate Hill.

 

[BladeFisher]

Yet here we have posts saying that the plays off are now a certainty, we have blown promotion and - bizzarely - Tranmere are "resurgent" (copyright Len I think). Put it this way, would anyone swap Wednesday's current position for ours at the moment?

Darren just look at Tranmere's record.. In the last six games its W2 D2 L2 better than Utd's. Now there is the matter of the opposition played but they drew against Notts County and Charlton and Ronnie Moore has them on a roll at the moment.

One might expect a win on Saturday but a draw would not surprise me and given Utd's legendary "We'll bugger it up if we can" philosophy which stretches at least back to the early 70's. So as one of those who at the moment who feel Wednesday are in a better position I feel it is right to be concerned.

On the face of it 2 points ahead is two points but Wednesday are doing better than Utd at the moment and that is the point I raised. As they say you are only as good as your last game but the sooner the Blades are back to full strength the easier this fan will feel.

 

[Bladesman]

I don't get the sudden pessimism, Colchester aren't a bad side and they showed that last night so I'm satisfied with a point there in truth, it was always going to be a relatively close game.

My problem with last night is that we kept trying to knock it long on a fair few occasions, especially in the first half and their big centre half won every single header, no wonder he got man of the match. We need to stop doing that and play to our strengths, there were some periods where we played it simply and quickly on the deck and left Colchester for shit.

I also hope Collins is back for the weekend as I didn't particularly rate Hill.

Knocking it long is what worry's me really we have started doing that more so since we lost Collins and Macca.

We are not that kind of footballing side anymore and it annoyed me started doing that against Wednesday.

Like you said your just playing into the hands of most clubs at this level knocking it long.

 

[Darren]

Darren just look at Tranmere's record.. In the last six games its W2 D2 L2 better than Utd's. Now there is the matter of the opposition played but they drew against Notts County and Charlton and Ronnie Moore has them on a roll at the moment.

One might expect a win on Saturday but a draw would not surprise me and given Utd's legendary "We'll bugger it up if we can" philosophy which stretches at least back to the early 70's. So as one of those who at the moment who feel Wednesday are in a better position I feel it is right to be concerned.

On the face of it 2 points ahead is two points but Wednesday are doing better than Utd at the moment and that is the point I raised. As they say you are only as good as your last game but the sooner the Blades are back to full strength the easier this fan will feel.

On a roll? They have won their last 2 games. Previously to that they had not won in their last 8. We have taken 7 points from our last 6 games and they have taken 8, but we go back over ten games, they have taken 16 and they have taken 10. More importantly, we are 2nd and they are 17th and there is a reason for that. This should be a routine home win.

On the "bugger it up philosophy", as I have posted elsewhere, we have not "buggered it up" from this position (in the automatic promotion places with 10 games to go) in the last 40+ years.

Wednesday doing better than United? - that would include a point from their last 3 away games all against struggling teams.

Would you seriously swap our position for Wednesdsay's? If so, I know a good shrink or two

 

[BladeFisher]

You are forgetting the new manager syndrome - which possibly explains both sides recent upsurge.

Jones is a very canny operator, however he does have a reputation for blowing it in the play offs 2003 excepted. I just feel it is very nervy times right now and I also predicted 4 points from the last two games. I fear though we may not win so comfortably on Saturday and if Wednesday do I certainly don't expect Notts to lose two consecutive games. We shall see.

A lot depends upon getting Collins and MacDonald back. The latter seems crucial withpout them I don't think we'll make it.

Ironically I think Weds would win the play offs but our history is lamentable in that competition. So if we go up automatically then I think it will be derby day next year too.

At the moment we have wobbled too much and chucking away saving positions at Walsall and Colchester does not give me confidence right now. The momentum at the mo is with the dark side - just, but saturday is another day.

 

[beightonblade]

moaning fo okers ............................ Blades used to moan in the early 70's when we had a reight team !

From next game on we'll be unbeatable and promotion will be ours ! YHIHF.

 

[stannyblade]

moaning fo okers ............................ Blades used to moan in the early 70's when we had a reight team !

From next game on we'll be unbeatable and promotion will be ours ! YHIHF.

Todays best post

 

[judge]

moaning fo okers ............................ Blades used to moan in the early 70's when we had a reight team !

From next game on we'll be unbeatable and promotion will be ours ! YHIHF.

:-D I'll drink to that