It’s close on two years since I’ve posted anything about the Blades or sport in general. I think it says much about my current sporting ‘malaise‘ that it’s been that long. Probably no positive spin here to be honest, although the post isn’t intended to be wholly negative.
I was particularly scathing about the departure of Chris Wilder but I admit I was undeniably underappreciative of his successor. Paul Heckingbottom has done an excellent job and as I write this we are comfortably in an automatic promotion place in the Championship with a place back in the Premier League safely in our own hands. Therein lies the problem for this supporter. I hate to arrogantly predict the 2023/4 season, but here’s a wild guess. We will start poorly and wrestle with potential relegation for the whole of the season before securing a swift return to the second tier. We either can’t (or won’t) secure the resources to support a sustained campaign in the the PL – even to maintain calm mid table mediocrity. I remember with enjoyment Wilder’s first successful season but I didn’t find the subsequent year’s relegation at all pleasurable. I have no reason to suspect next year (should we achieve it) will be any different. We of course are not alone in facing this dilemma. Any number of clubs face exactly this issue, even Burnley, who under Dyche survived far longer than the club had any right to. But there will be one overriding rationale for entry to the PL and that’s a purely business, economic one – money. I suppose for that alone, we will be content to take the pain, but for the long-suffering fan (who stood at the Bramall Lane end in 66/67 when Gil Reece broke his leg merely yards from the touchline) it will be mixed blessings I think. To those who remain optimistic, I salute you.
As I write this, we entertain Spurs in the 5th round of the FA Cup – an interesting task and a good barometer of where we are in our desire to mix it with the big boys, in this case a top four club. Problematic I suspect…..
Sheffield United 1 – Tottenham Hotspur 0
I should stop posting. Played well, got the win, no real complaints from Spurs fans. They made half a dozen changes, but we made more amongst rumours of a bug or virus in the camp.
So, difficult times but in the midst of all this positivity I hold to the kernel of truth that is the nub of this post. I realise that I might not be holding the moral centre of public opinion right now, but I’ll have to take one for the team (who were indeed excellent on Wednesday night) 🙂
PS
I will now obviously refrain from further comments on the topic!!
Blackburn 1 Sheffield United 0
This here’s the problem. Admittedly Blackburn are on a run but these are the games we have to win. Lost three out of the last four. It’s not promotion form so maybe not that foregone a conclusion after all!!