View from the Championship

[Hurby]

I know the review of other fans forums is Roy's domain but I happened to be reading Friends of Fulham this weekend and saw this thread there dedicated to Sheffield United. Bar very few comments, I find what Fulham's fans say about us quite complimentary.

 

[BiggerBladeThanThou]

"Times have changed. Also Norwich are an attacking footballing side compared to Sheffield United. United show that to succeed you need a dedicated and hard working bunch with good team spirit."

CLICHE BINGO!!!!

Times HAVE changed you nobber, it's not Neil Warnock in charge anymore.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

I know the review of other fans forums is Roy's domain but I happened to be reading Friends of Fulham this weekend and saw this thread there dedicated to Sheffield United. Bar very few comments, I find what Fulham's fans say about us quite complimentary.

Really? I found I had to pick out the genuine compliments. How long are people going to say we have bang average players? Since we haven't failed this season, it'll be next season - and then presumably the next, and the next....

 

[Harry's Game]

We do work hard

We are well organised

We do appear to have a great team spirit.

However They seem totally unaware we also play great football

 

[Bladesman]

We do work hard

We are well organised

We do appear to have a great team spirit.

However They seem totally unaware we also play great football

To be fair I would not expect them to be watching us play. They are more likely to see their own team on Sky than us these days.

We mostly have been on BT Sport or Amazon this season.

 

[BushBlade]

We do work hard

We are well organised

We do appear to have a great team spirit.

However They seem totally unaware we also play great football

They seem a bit deluded. They’ve been more successful than us for the last twenty years but that’s it. They seem to think they’re the same size as us. Must be difficult when you’re kicking around in the championship and your nearest rivals are near the top of the PL.

 

[gordoncharles]

However They seem totally unaware we also play great football

Sometimes we do and it's terrific.

Quite a lot of the time, we don't. Then you just expect the players to tough it out, as they have been (1 game excepted). I'd usually pretty much ignore stats, but those shown in that thread are enlightening.

 

[Kev Gee]

They seem a bit deluded. They’ve been more successful than us for the last twenty years but that’s it. They seem to think they’re the same size as us. Must be difficult when you’re kicking around in the championship and your nearest rivals are near the top of the PL.

Yeah it must be hard to be a pig, seeing us dining at the top table!

 

[Roygbiv]

I was on the Villa forum yesterday and they were saying the same. The whole poor players, getting by on effort, will struggle next season...


Most of these players have been playing this way for 3 seasons now and adapted as we've gone higher and higher. They might not have cost loads but they have proven beyond doubt they are good players. I think it's just a case of the clichéd modern football fan who just equate transfer fees to talent.

 

[bromtom]

I was on the Villa forum yesterday and they were saying the same. The whole poor players, getting by on effort, will struggle next season...


Most of these players have been playing this way for 3 seasons now and adapted as we've gone higher and higher. They might not have cost loads but they have proven beyond doubt they are good players. I think it's just a case of the clichéd modern football fan who just equate transfer fees to talent.

Is Dan James going to struggle next season? Or is he immune because he went to Man U?

 

[Roygbiv]

Is Dan James going to struggle next season? Or is he immune because he went to Man U?

He's ok cos he went to Man U and cost a bit of money. Same reason why Villa will do well this season. Spent shit loads so they'll easily survive

 

[Roygbiv]

The poster "Colwhite" on there has missed his calling. He'd fit in brilliantly on Owlstalk.

 

[DifferentClass]

Problem with Fulham is their owner cares more about yeehaball and rasslin' than soccerball. Yes he has money but he buys utter shit because he can't be arsed.

He'll probably sell up soon.

 

[fuerstenberger]

Being organised, working hard and team spirit will take you so far. It does not take you to match or better, all teams except Liverpool (once). I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by all players.
Something I have said for years is that coaches are still blinded by what a player looks like when running, turning, controlling the ball etc. If a player doesn't look good doesn't matter how good they actually are, they don't get to play. The best centre half I have played against ran like a constipated duck but he was excellent. Never played higher than county league. Our players, on the whole don't have the aesthetic grace of, so called PL players. That doesn't mean they are not as good. No matter how good the team spirit, hard work and organisation is, the skill and ability of the top players will show that up. Our players superstars have not been shown up by any of the so called world class players of Liverpool et al. That suggests to me the players are being undersestimated by fans. I can assure you, ITK, that their fellow professionals rate them very highly as individuals as well as a team.

 

[BushBlade]

Problem with Fulham is their owner cares more about yeehaball and rasslin' than soccerball. Yes he has money but he buys utter shit because he can't be arsed.

He'll probably sell up soon.

The problem with Fulham appears to be that he put his son in charge and he doesn’t know what he’s doing (according to Fulham fans down here).

 

[BushBlade]

Being organised, working hard and team spirit will take you so far. It does not take you to match or better, all teams except Liverpool (once). I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by all players.
Something I have said for years is that coaches are still blinded by what a player looks like when running, turning, controlling the ball etc. If a player doesn't look good doesn't matter how good they actually are, they don't get to play. The best centre half I have played against ran like a constipated duck but he was excellent. Never played higher than county league. Our players, on the whole don't have the aesthetic grace of, so called PL players. That doesn't mean they are not as good. No matter how good the team spirit, hard work and organisation is, the skill and ability of the top players will show that up. Our players superstars have not been shown up by any of the so called world class players of Liverpool et al. That suggests to me the players are being undersestimated by fans. I can assure you, ITK, that their fellow professionals rate them very highly as individuals as well as a team.

Bassett got it. He made a career out of players that weren’t aesthetically pleasing but got the job done.

 

[shorehamview]

It makes me laugh when we are described as “hard working”, which could mean that the other 19 teams in the division are “lazy fuckers”. Hard working = doing the job you are being paid to do.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Agree it’s becoming a cliche that we work so hard....when Liverpool and Man City are the hardest working teams in the league.

I think the secret of our success is that YES compared to most other teams our players have low individual ability.
None of our players can score worldies from 30 yards or go on amazing dribbles.

But thats why they keep it simple and play as a team.....it’s surprising how fundamentally football is such a simple game.
Players playing as a “team” will always overcome players who are better individuals.

Another secret of our success is consistency of tactics and personnel...so every player looks so well drilled as though they have a telepathic link with their team mates.
We also mix and match (like Liverpool actually) the short passing game with the direct long pass game... this is something other teams can’t seem to do...they are either patient tippy tappy teams or direct line ball teams.....very few teams use both methods in the same match apart from us and Liverpool.

 

[BushBlade]

The poster "Colwhite" on there has missed his calling. He'd fit in brilliantly on Owlstalk.

I could watch Fulham every home game if I wanted. I bet if Col lived in Meersbrook he’d find it harder to get tickets for United.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Where's this attacking Norwich team I keep hearing about hiding?

 

[BushBlade]

Is Dan James going to struggle next season? Or is he immune because he went to Man U?

Probably if OGS stays there
Tbf, he is quite inconsistent but that’s due to his age and inexperience. Our players are, in the main, hardened professionals, more consistent and mentally strong.

 

[TAMUS]

They seem a bit deluded. They’ve been more successful than us for the last twenty years but that’s it. They seem to think they’re the same size as us. Must be difficult when you’re kicking around in the championship and your nearest rivals are near the top of the PL.

Naughty

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Agree it’s becoming a cliche that we work so hard....when Liverpool and Man City are the hardest working teams in the league.

I think the secret of our success is that YES compared to most other teams our players have low individual ability.
None of our players can score worldies from 30 yards or go on amazing dribbles.

Do you really think so? I think you've bought into the accepted view a bit.

 

[bromtom]

Our players don't have low individual ability, they don't have the highest individual ability in the league but they have plenty of individual ability, they just don't play as individuals so they don't need it.

Look at a Pepe, he's got loads of it you'd say, the way he's always trying to dribble the length of the pitch. Yeah he loses the ball 8/10 times but bags of individual ability.

In our team, the team comes first, and individual ability is a last resort, you'll see Moose dribble past a few people when he's on his tod at the top of the pitch, you'll see Bash slice through an entire team when we need a kick up the backside, but generally, we work the ball with minimal fuss and a high probability of a chance being at the end, which means pass and move.

I couldn't single out a single clogger in our team.

 

[bornablade]

(1). D of F is an abbreviation that's not quite reached S2.

(2). 'We beat them comfortably in both games last time round....' I think they need to look at the image of Fulham players at the end of the game at BDTBL - it looked like a war zone. That wasn't comfortable.

(3). No matter how well these fans of other clubs reluctantly heap praise on us they cannot help themselves but mention how we'll struggle next season.

 

[BushBlade]

(1). D of F is an abbreviation that's not quite reached S2.

(2). 'We beat them comfortably in both games last time round....' I think they need to look at the image of Fulham players at the end of the game at BDTBL - it looked like a war zone. That wasn't comfortable.

(3). No matter how well these fans of other clubs reluctantly heap praise on us they cannot help themselves but mention how we'll struggle next season.

We know what a DoF is, we just don’t need one at the moment. The duties are split between CW, Mitch and Bettis I think.
His point is correct though, we properly scout players.

 

[shorehamview]

I think the secret of our success is that YES compared to most other teams our players have low individual ability.
None of our players can score worldies from 30 yards or go on amazing dribbles.

I think the difference between our players and those at Liverpool or Man City is that while ours could score worldies and go on amazing dribbles they can’t do it with the consistency of the players at the other clubs. We might see one truly great strike per season, they’ll see one almost every game. And bigger salaries attract better players.

 

[GymClassHero]

We do work hard

We are well organised

We do appear to have a great team spirit.

However They seem totally unaware we also play great football

Great but also basic

 

[Mumbo]

I think you nailed it.
Every week I read that everyone has better players than us,well they can keep their better players whilst they gaze
enviously up the table.It’s a team game and as it stands we have the 6th best team in the land on the lowest wages
that’s pretty amazing.

 

[Kenilworth]

Really? I found I had to pick out the genuine compliments. How long are people going to say we have bang average players? Since we haven't failed this season, it'll be next season - and then presumably the next, and the next....

Agree Hamzer - thought it was a load of cliched, ill informed dross.