Aaaand ... back in the room.
So, where are we now, remind me?
For all the 'highs', the sum of their parts don't even come to the abject disappointment that by now, you realise Sheffield United are destined to see next season in this division. The odds are stacked against us getting into the play offs, and thereby compounded by odds of success in the playoffs. Even if we beat those odds, I don't see much movement or ambition toward strengthening the squad for the campaign in the division above, so our odds of survival are seriously slim.
Right. This is one thing I don't get. I understand that football fans are generally pessimistic, and that our fans may be more pessimistic than other sets because we're a tier too low, but good God, can you just get some perspective? You're just ignoring the facts. Like, statistical fact. Right now, currently, we are 2 (count them, 2!) points off 6th spot. If we win tonight (Likely against Blackpool who are having all kinds of problems, barring a random 5-0 the other week) and Peterborough don't (Likely, away at Burton is a tough prospect for any team in this division) we are 6th. No discussion. 6th by 1 point. With 18 games to spare, everything to play for and plenty of time to lose, and fuck up and drop and get back up there several times over. The season hasn't even begun yet, buddy. Hasn't even started warming up. To say things like "Sheffield United are destined to see next season in this division" is ludicrous at this point. You have no way of knowing that, and no way of being able to categorically state that we will be here next season.
I think we'll struggle to get promoted this season, for sure. I don't think anyone reasonable is denying that. But to say things with such finality as you and many others are is ridiculous. What other clubs' fans around us are writing off their promotion chances in January? Do you think Millwall, Peterborough, Southend etc are all bemoaning their position?
We've contested 3 play-off campaigns out of a possible 4 since relegation. We only haven't done 4 in 4 because of having
literally the worst manager in our history during that time. The 1st play-off campaign we lost from a penalty shoot out that got so down to the wire we had to use our goalkeepers to decide it. I mean you're basically flipping a coin at that point. So unlucky. That's before you even get into the context of how we managed to capitulate an 8 point lead over 3rd in February. We all know how desperately unlucky we were that season. Championship level squad, 90 points, finished in 3rd and lost on penalties to a team way below our level that season? SO unlucky. I cannot emphasise how unlucky we were. I've said it so much, the word has lost meaning, hasn't it? U-N-L-U-C-K-Y. I bet Wilson still has nightmares about it. I know I do.
The 2nd, our wonderful board made a mental decision to sack the manager 5 games before the end of the season, so that's just down to the board swinging the banhammer isn't it? That decision basically cost us 2 seasons in a row, because after that we had the disastrous David Weir blip. The 3rd, we lost the semi final 7-6 on aggregate. I mean, how do you even complain about a 5-5 draw, eh?
It's nowhere near as bad as people are making out, and I think we've had a combo of awful luck and one insane board decision scuppering all 4 seasons. Any other club in this division would be ripping your arm off for a 1/4 of the chances we've enjoyed. There really needs to be some perspective here, because some of the wild speculation and unwarranted opinion is just madness.
This is before you count the cup runs which were
amazing and - Hello! are not entitled to us. It is unbelievable that we started the season the way we did and got to Wembley and scored 3 goals. Absolutely insane. Where you there? You remember how that felt? When we beat Villa (best away day ever, BTW) my Mrs said "I'll go with you if you get to Wembley." I scoffed. No chance. No chance at all. 4 months later she sat next to me and we watched them go 2-1 up at half time. I went for a beer at the break. The atmosphere in the stand was indescribable.
Do you remember the last time we led at Wembley? Damn right you don't, because before that sunny day in 2014, it was 1925 the last time we took the lead at the national stadium.
Nineteen Twenty-Five. You know how long ago that was? Mt. Rushmore didn't exist. Television didn't exist. Bruce Forsyth
wasn't even born when that happened. That's how long ago it was. I'm pretty sure that no living Blade has ever seen that happen before. That's a huge moment in our history. Y'know what's even more insane? We did it again the next season! Another semi-final. How about that. All while we were in the 3rd tier, and apparently dogshit. But yeah you're right man, fuck all happens to this club.
Would you swap all of that to be a Wallsall fan? A Gillingham fan? A Peterborough fan? Come on.
All you naysayers crack me up, because if we do get promoted this season, you'll be the first ones outside Bramall Lane with the Champagne and plastic cups, won't you? Waxing lyrical about how much of a big Bladey-Blade you are and how much you love the club and never doubted it for a second. I'm sure you'll like to talk about how poor the team is then.
Back to my main point. Why do you think you can speak with definitive authority that we won't get promoted, in spite of the fact that we are 2 points off the minimum requirement for a play-off place 18 games before the end of the season?
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