What a difference 4 years make.

[Worksop_Blade]

Although this weekend marks 4 years since we were tonked away 4-0 at Anfield, the nearest home match anniversary was the victory of Future Champions League stars Tottenham Hotspur.

Blades Line Up back then and current location:

P. Kenny - QPR
D. Geary - RETIRED
P. Jagielka - EVERTON
C. Lucketti - RETIRED
C. Armstrong - READING
C. Kazim-Richards - GALATASARAY
M. Tonge - STOKE CITY
N. Montgomery - SHEFFIELD UNITED
S. Quinn - SHEFFIELD UNITED
R. Hulse - QPR
J. Stead - BRISTOL CITY

Not a single loan in that line up, and arguably a wage bill lower or if not the same as it today.

Points per game average at that point in the season: 1

Attendance that day? 32,144

Probable line up for Tomorrow:

S. Simonsen
N. Collins
N. Nosworthy (LOAN)
L. Williamson
E. Parrino (LOAN)
M. Lowton
M. Doyle
S. Quinn
B. Riise (LOAN)
R. Cresswell
C. Evans

Three loan players on the pitch, most likely M. Bent on the bench, a wage bill of astronomical proportions and a points per game average of .6 a game after 33 league games.

Someone pass the razor blades.

 

[JJ Sefton]

That Spurs match was probably the peak for us. I came out of the game buzzing, it was my mum calling.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

That Spurs match was probably the peak for us. I came out of the game buzzing, it was my mum calling.

Seriously though, for me the Arsenal game at home was the one where I thought we had made it.

Bramall Lane was the loudest I have ever heard it and we had 11 players all fighting for each other.

Now the Lane is like an old abandoned church and we have 11 players fighting each other.

 

[Grecian2000]

Now the Lane is like an old abandoned church and we have 11 players fighting each other.

Sorry that's crap. They can't be arsed to fight each other.

 

[Gareth]

That Spurs match was probably the peak for us. I came out of the game buzzing, it was my mum calling.

That was the match for me which said we're safe now... Came out of the ground feeling so happy and so unbelievably proud to be a Blade that day that my thoughts were already stretching to next seasons assault.

"With just a few senior additions we could probably finish mid table with this team"

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Sorry that's crap. They can't be arsed to fight each other.

Fair Play on Tuesday night they were too busy looking at the floor once the equaliser went in.

 

[Bladesman]

Although back then with not the best of squads we still managed to give a good spurs team a game to remember.

These days we cant keep a 2-0 goal lead to Scunthorpe.

 

[JJ Sefton]

That was the match for me which said we're safe now... Came out of the ground feeling so happy and so unbelievably proud to be a Blade that day that my thoughts were already stretching to next seasons assault.

"With just a few senior additions we could probably finish mid table with this team"

I remeber coming out of the ground and having a microphone from Radio Sheffield stuck in my face so I just blurted out the first thing I could think of - "When Paul Weller was in The Jam he had 'Fire and Skill' written on his guitar. That was us today"

Spurs was the moment more than Arsenal for me. Against Arsenal we looked like underdogs scrapping for our lives, we were. Against Spurs though we really looked like we belonged.

 

[SwissBlade]

Probable line up for Tomorrow:

S. Simonsen - RETIRED
N. Collins - RETIRED
N. Nosworthy (LOAN)
L. Williamson - RETIRED
E. Parrino (LOAN)
M. Lowton - SOLD
M. Doyle - LOCATION UNKNOWN
S. Quinn - RETIRED
B. Riise (LOAN)
R. Cresswell - RETIRED
C. Evans - On loan at Norwich

Fixed it for you....

 

[oldblade]

That Spurs match was probably the peak for us. I came out of the game buzzing, it was my mum calling.

I agree. It was like being in a parrallel universe. Incredibly, Montgomery and Tonge completely controlled the midfield (apart from the first 10 minutes when Spurs could have scored two or three). And I would go so far as to say that both of those players acquitted themselves well in the premier league.

But, ultimately I suppose it was that game that made the final outcome of the season so difficult to take, because it did the worst possible thing - it gave us all a belief that survival was almost assured! I even remember Len giving a very upbeat post on BU.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I agree. It was like being in a parrallel universe. Incredibly, Montgomery and Tonge completely controlled the midfield (apart from the first 10 minutes when Spurs could have scored two or three). And I would go so far as to say that both of those players acquitted themselves well in the premier league.

But, ultimately I suppose it was that game that made the final outcome of the season so difficult to take, because it did the worst possible thing - it gave us all a belief that survival was almost assured!

Beating Watford and stuffing West Ham at home, drawing with Charlton away...what a shitter.

 

[oldblade]

I remeber coming out of the ground and having a microphone from Radio Sheffield stuck in my face so I just blurted out the first thing I could think of - "When Paul Weller was in The Jam he had 'Fire and Skill' written on his guitar. That was us today"

Spurs was the moment more than Arsenal for me. Against Arsenal we looked like underdogs scrapping for our lives, we were. Against Spurs though we really looked like we belonged.

I remember being very impressed with the speed and movement of the Spurs forwards. But my overall impression of the game was that on the day we looked a better balanced team than them and gave a more competent alround team performance.

 

[mattbianco1]

Blades Line Up back then and current location:

P. Kenny - QPR
D. Geary - RETIRED
P. Jagielka - EVERTON
C. Lucketti - RETIRED
C. Armstrong - READING
C. Kazim-Richards - GALATASARAY
M. Tonge - STOKE CITY
N. Montgomery - SHEFFIELD UNITED
S. Quinn - SHEFFIELD UNITED
R. Hulse - QPR
J. Stead - BRISTOL CITY

Not a single loan in that line up, and arguably a wage bill lower or if not the same as it today.

I'm sure a lot of people will take that argument.

Coming out of The Valley after drawing with Charlton was the moment I thought we were safe.

 

[broomhillblade]

An interesting comparison, though I assume your comments regarding the wage bill are pure speculation.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

An interesting comparison, though I assume your comments regarding the wage bill are pure speculation.

Complete speculation but it seems that the wage bill Albatross winged it's way to the Lane after we were relegated.

You cant tell me Lucketti, Geary, CKR, Quinn (back then) or Armstrong were on the same stupid wages that Nosworthy, Cresswell, Quinn (now), Williamson, Evans or Yeates are currently gang raping from the club.

 

[oldblade]

Complete speculation but it seems that the wage bill Albatross winged it's way to the Lane after we were relegated.

You cant tell me Lucketti, Geary, CKR, Quinn (back then) or Armstrong were on the same stupid wages that Nosworthy, Cresswell, Quinn (now), Williamson, Evans or Yeates are currently gang raping from the club.

And I remember listening to Mr McCabe being interviewed on radio Sheffield towards the end of our premier league season. At that time obviously it looked as though we would stay up. But, in that interview he did say that we would be okay financially because should the unthinkable happen, we had already planned ahead to deal with it. I took it that the players were on contracts that would reduce in value if the club got relegated. So it's even more bewildering that we could have got into the mess that we are now in.

As for the current players "gang raping" the club, if that is the case, I think blame falls squarely on the shoulders of those who decided to pay them that sort of money rather than on the players themselves. If someone offers you silly money, anyone would take it. However that does not absolve the players of their responsibility for putting in a proper shift.

 

[mattbianco1]

Complete speculation but it seems that the wage bill Albatross winged it's way to the Lane after we were relegated.

You cant tell me Lucketti, Geary, CKR, Quinn (back then) or Armstrong were on the same stupid wages that Nosworthy, Cresswell, Quinn (now), Williamson, Evans or Yeates are currently gang raping from the club.

The two biggest earners are Henderson & Evans both on £15k per week.