Reality check (8 Viewers)

[2024/25 League 1 Champs?]

Why do we need 2 centre halves that score goals?

good question……

meant strikers, old fashioned centre forwards

 

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[SAJ]

He forgets Stoke last season. Yeovil at home was significantly worse than Friday night. Rotherham in 2019

Rotherham this season wasn’t much better.

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Norwich had 11 players who started yesterday who were there last year.

Preston had 8 players who started Friday who were there last year.

West Brom had 10 players who started yesterday who were there last year.

we had 3 on Friday.

why do you constantly spout this totally spun bollocks to spread negativity on here.

If you really think Sheffield United will come down and be a favourite you are utterly deluded.

2bf - Sheffield United always yo-yo - they’ll have the best midfielder in the league aswell

 

[Chris1987]

Well because a lot of teams do exactly the same every season and as I’ve said some have signed as many as us and are in the top 6

So what ? Rome wasn't built in a day and I much prefer a progressive planned approach. If it doesn't happen this season onto the next where if Gyokeres gets sold we are in clover with our transfer budget. I couldn't give a shit about the signings of other clubs if they are running the gauntlet of gambling on promotion. The law of averages says that the majority of them will fail and then be back with limited budgets for next season. This is a business not a misguided spending spree.

 

[Chris1987]

2bf - Sheffield United always yo-yo - they’ll have the best midfielder in the league aswell

And a load of crap players too.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

2bf - Sheffield United always yo-yo - they’ll have the best midfielder in the league aswell

They’ll have him till August when he gets the first PL offer he can find

 

[Hobo]

Well because a lot of teams do exactly the same every season and as I’ve said some have signed as many as us and are in the top 6

Every team does it every year idiot. Stoke Reading , Wigan and Watford for example have spent more than us in the last three years where are they in relation to us?

You would have us in the merry go round of managers - shit - going bust and going nowhere routine.

Who in the top six has a smaller budget than us? Who in the top six has been in League 2 as recently as us?

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Every team does it every year idiot. Stoke Reading , Wigan and Watford for example have spent more than us in the last three years where are they in relation to us?

You would have us in the merry go round of managers - shit - going bust and going nowhere routine.

Who in the top six has a smaller budget than us? Who in the top six has been in League 2 as recently as us?

What did the Ipswich team cost to assemble?

 

[Matt smith]

They’ll have him till August when he gets the first PL offer he can find

Has he even played good enough to get a move?

 

[ccfcchris]

The other assumption here also is Simms will to coin a phrase “come good”

There is certainly no assurance of that

No assurance he won't either.
Let the lad have a decent run of games in the side before writing him off.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Has he even played good enough to get a move?

Lesta will probably take him and O’Hare

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

The other assumption here also is Simms will to coin a phrase “come good”

There is certainly no assurance of that

There is no assurance of anything in football, aside from you calling for Robins to be sacked most seasons.

 

[Hobo]

What did the Ipswich team cost to assemble?

No idea. But they are one team out of how many? They are not the norm. I am not in this camp, but many have been saying they won't stay the distance

Now tell me how much the Leicester, Leeds Southampton, WBA, Hull, & Norwich squads are worth? Not just cost of players but wages.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

No idea. But they are one team out of how many? They are not the norm. I am not in this camp, but many have been saying they won't stay the distance

Now tell me how much the Leicester, Leeds Southampton, WBA, Hull, & Norwich squads are worth? Not just cost of players but wages.

You asked who has a smaller budget. The newly relegated clubs of course have obscene ones, but for this season you can assume we’ll have had £30m from player sales plus nearly 20,000 season tickets sold plus the commercial money all clubs get.

So I reckon more to work with than West Brom, Hull and Ipswich this season, probably on a par with Norwich.

 

[Chris1987]

You asked who has a smaller budget. The newly relegated clubs of course have obscene ones, but for this season you can assume we’ll have had £30m from player sales plus nearly 20,000 season tickets sold plus the commercial money all clubs get.

So I reckon more to work with than West Brom, Hull and Ipswich this season, probably on a par with Norwich.

And so what ? Replace almost a whole team , restructure the club . I couldn't give a shit what's going on elsewhere . What's important is building for the future in a sustainable and constructive manner. Play offs this season are always realistically a bonus.

 

[Flying Fokker]

Then I’m concerned for his memory as it really wasn’t long ago that he was quoted saying he didn’t want that in the ground and we need to stick with them. Worst performance of the season, yes.

“For years”? Laughable.

For one very brief moment I thought we’d signed a new player…Laughable on a four year contract…

 

[procdoc]

Ipswich really are an anomaly

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

There is zero logic to suggest we will be better next season than we are now until the end of the season

We will lose O'Hare - and some of the old guard will move on. We will almost certainly sign (you say 6 or 7) a number of higher quality players (than those we lose, O'Hare excepted) Regardless of anything else that the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune may throw at us, I am 100% confident we will have a stronger squad next season than this.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

And so what ? Replace almost a whole team , restructure the club . I couldn't give a shit what's going on elsewhere . What's important is building for the future in a sustainable and constructive manner. Play offs this season are always realistically a bonus.

Just answering a question our Hobo friend asked.

 

[Hobo]

You asked who has a smaller budget. The newly relegated clubs of course have obscene ones, but for this season you can assume we’ll have had £30m from player sales plus nearly 20,000 season tickets sold plus the commercial money all clubs get.

So I reckon more to work with than West Brom, Hull and Ipswich this season, probably on a par with Norwich.

But we have had the budget for months rather than years. All the teams above and around us have been in top flight football more recently than us; bar Ipswich. Many clubs below us and in leagues below us have been in the Premier more recently than us

 

[Boicey]

We will lose O'Hare - and some of the old guard will move on. We will almost certainly sign (you say 6 or 7) a number of higher quality players (than those we lose, O'Hare excepted) Regardless of anything else that the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune may throw at us, I am 100% confident we will have a stronger squad next season than this.

Just out of interest. If we finish mid table this season do you accept this years squad is weaker than last years?

 

[Matt smith]

You asked who has a smaller budget. The newly relegated clubs of course have obscene ones, but for this season you can assume we’ll have had £30m from player sales plus nearly 20,000 season tickets sold plus the commercial money all clubs get.

So I reckon more to work with than West Brom, Hull and Ipswich this season, probably on a par with Norwich.

I’m sorry hull have probably spent ridiculous amounts of money on short term loans for Carvalho and zaroury

they’ve signed Giles and Philogene for about 5 million each

they’ve signed this Turkish guy in January, bet he wasn’t cheap

 

[Matt smith]

We will lose O'Hare - and some of the old guard will move on. We will almost certainly sign (you say 6 or 7) a number of higher quality players (than those we lose, O'Hare excepted) Regardless of anything else that the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune may throw at us, I am 100% confident we will have a stronger squad next season than this.

I do think we will have a stronger squad, fed up year after year having a thin squad in certain positions, been that way every year in the championship

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I’m sorry hull have probably spent ridiculous amounts of money on short term loans for Carvalho and zaroury

they’ve signed Giles and Philogene for about 5 million each

they’ve signed this Turkish guy in January, bet he wasn’t cheap

Not saying they haven’t spent a fair amount-but put it up against what we’ve spent this season. Much more short termist of course but looks like it’ll get them that play off shot

 

[shmmeee]

You asked who has a smaller budget. The newly relegated clubs of course have obscene ones, but for this season you can assume we’ll have had £30m from player sales plus nearly 20,000 season tickets sold plus the commercial money all clubs get.

So I reckon more to work with than West Brom, Hull and Ipswich this season, probably on a par with Norwich.

Deoends on the wages. I can put together a world beating side for £0 if I can offer players £30k/week at this level.

 

[Happy_Martian]

Not saying they haven’t spent a fair amount-but put it up against what we’ve spent this season. Much more short termist of course but looks like it’ll get them that play off shot

They've gambled on getting promotion. We did similar last season with the loans but we didn't spend big like Hull have. If they don't go up, their FFP is going to hurt. And their TV owning chairman can't help that much.

Rosenior was quoted at the start of the month that they've balanced their books for FFP. Doesn't look like it. 9 out (8 loans) and 7 in (4 loans) means a heavy weight on their wage bill. And I don't mean Billy Sharp sitting on the books.

Players In
Billy Sharp (free)
Ivor Pandur - Fortuna Sittard (undisclosed)
Fabio Carvalho - Liverpool (loan)
Ryan Giles - Luton Town (loan with option to buy)
Noah Ohio - Standard Liege (loan)
Abdulkadir Omur - Trabzonspor (undisclosed)
Anass Zaroury - Burnley (loan)


Players out

Oscar Estupinan - Bahia (loan with a view to a permanent move)
Harry Vaughan - Bristol Rovers (loan)
Ryan Woods - Exeter City (loan)
Will Jarvis - Shelbourne (loan)
Yuriel Celi - Club Universitario de Deportes (loan)
Harry Wood - Grimsby Town (loan)
Thimothee Lo-Tutala - Doncaster Rovers (loan)
Andy Smith - Cheltenham Town (loan)
Dogukan Sinik - Hatayspor (loan)

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Just out of interest. If we finish mid table this season do you accept this years squad is weaker than last years?

Slightly - mainly because Vik and Gyo were exceptional...that said, the loanees (who weren't ours) helped. Our own players are not that far off, and this season's league is stronger. My main point was - we'll be stronger next year.

 

[Covkid1968#]

But ’m getting on a bit…. I’ve not got many rebuilding years left in me!!!

Actually I’m quite happy with challenging in the Championship each year… struggling in the PL doesn’t appeal massively. I could have ended my last 25 years on this planet watching a League 2 club… as it happens I suspect we will be repeatedly in the top 30 teams in this country… If we can flirt with top flight a couple of times in those years I’m all good. 🩵🩵

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

But ’m getting on a bit…. I’ve not got many rebuilding years left in me!!!

Actually I’m quite happy with challenging in the Championship each year… struggling in the PL doesn’t appeal massively. I could have ended my last 25 years on this planet watching a League 2 club… as it happens I suspect we will be repeatedly in the top 30 teams in this country… If we can flirt with top flight a couple of times in those years I’m all good. 🩵🩵

That is the worst take ever. Why wouldn’t you want to be trying to compete with the best? The players we’d have would infinitely be better than what we’ve ever had

league two must have been a different experience for you… take out the play offs and the 46 games preceding it were dogshite.

 

[Boicey]

Slightly - mainly because Vik and Gyo were exceptional...that said, the loanees (who weren't ours) helped. Our own players are not that far off, and this season's league is stronger. My main point was - we'll be stronger next year.

Well you’d certainly hope so!
As you suggest a major issue currently is the lack of true quality players.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

That is the worst take ever. Why wouldn’t you want to be trying to compete with the best? The players we’d have would infinitely be better than what we’ve ever had

league two must have been a different experience for you… take out the play offs and the 46 games preceding it were dogshite.

While I get what you're saying it's whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond.

Do you think the Sheffield U fans are enjoying their PL season as much as last season in the Championship?

From a commercial point of view getting promoted is vital, but realistically we're not going to start genuinely challenging without some sort of uber billionnaire. Without that seasons in the top flight are always going to be a struggle with a lot of defeats. Winning at a lower level feels better than losing at a higher one.

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

While I get what you're saying it's whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond.

Do you think the Sheffield U fans are enjoying their PL season as much as last season in the Championship?

From a commercial point of view getting promoted is vital, but realistically we're not going to start genuinely challenging without some sort of uber billionnaire. Without that seasons in the top flight are always going to be a struggle with a lot of defeats. Winning at a lower level feels better than losing at a higher one.

They’d deffo prefer losing to Man City than regularly playing Rotherham etc. I’d take the Dublin, Huckerby, Ndlovu, Whelan McAllister years in the 90s over any of the last 25.

your advocating at best a few play off final defeats (that doesn’t appeal) and regularly finishing 7th

That’s just defeatist. Who’s to say we couldn’t be a Brentford or Brighton. Forest seem ok with what they’re doing.

Sunderland are a basket case and they’d rather be in the prem than bobbing around mid table championship.

It’s sporting competition - nobody strives to be mediocre

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

They’d deffo prefer losing to Man City than regularly playing Rotherham etc. I’d take the Dublin, Huckerby, Ndlovu, Whelan McAllister years in the 90s over any of the last 25.

your advocating at best a few play off final defeats (that doesn’t appeal) and regularly finishing 7th

That’s just defeatist. Who’s to say we couldn’t be a Brentford or Brighton. Forest seem ok with what they’re doing.

Sunderland are a basket case and they’d rather be in the prem than bobbing around mid table championship.

It’s sporting competition - nobody strives to be mediocre

Didn't see them walking out early when beating the likes of Rotherham though did you?

I always show how happy I am by leaving a game early...

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Didn't see them walking out early when beating the likes of Rotherham though did you?

I always show how happy I am by leaving a game early...

I’m sure if you did a poll of Sheff Utd fans - the majority are really gonna be sitting there going, yeah…. Much rather our trip to Coventry next season.

I just don’t get the idea that you’d want to finish 7th or losing at Wembley in a play off final. Just to avoid a few defeats.

i mean you say Sheff Utd - shall we ask luton fans? I’m sure I know what they prefer

 

[McLovin87]

While I get what you're saying it's whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond.

Do you think the Sheffield U fans are enjoying their PL season as much as last season in the Championship?

From a commercial point of view getting promoted is vital, but realistically we're not going to start genuinely challenging without some sort of uber billionnaire. Without that seasons in the top flight are always going to be a struggle with a lot of defeats. Winning at a lower level feels better than losing at a higher one.

The best analogy I can think of for promotion is when we used have a magic circle in the school playground.

There used to be a massive puddle by the school gym and people would throw money in, whoever was brave enough would try and and grab the money and leg it.

They would be subject to a flurry of kicks and punches as well as people gobbing on them but come out with a bit of tuck money!!

We would come down from the Premier League, kicked to shit, covered in gob but with a bit of cash in our back pocket.

Also could you imagine the Meltdown Central when we're getting smashed most weeks, we could do a Luton but more than likely it would be Sheff Utd or Burnley!!