It's A Time For Change

[Gildowl]

1 hour ago, owls-swfc said:

I'm surprised Abdi has not tweeted (like Pudil) already..... Maybe his fingers are injured.. 

Good call!

[33]

7 hours ago, TheEnchanter said:

I reckon we are one of the only clubs in England that has core players still in the squad from about 5-6years ago. Mad really. 

Good job you said England.

Spain's top 2 have also made a Pig's ear of that as well.

[83owl]

Difference being that the top two in Spain have had success with that core of players. We haven’t. 

[Bluesteel]

19 hours ago, TheEnchanter said:

I reckon we are one of the only clubs in England that has core players still in the squad from about 5-6years ago. Mad really. 

 

Derby seem to and it works ok if you keep freshening the squad in one or two places with younger players.

 

I agree with the OP that it’s got a bit repetitive. But for me the lack of pace and energy just heightened it and made the squad look generally tired 

[daleblue]

This may sound odd, but here goes,

I think in the long term bringing Jos Luhkay in has saved this football Club, and all for the wrong reasons.

What I mean by this is that without that clown being here I doubt Chansiri would ever realise that anything was wrong, he would have quite

happily plodded on till the end of Season, and I doubt he would have got rid only for the fact that our fans told him in no uncertain terms at the fans forum.

Our results immediately improved as soon as he was gone.

 

So I would like to thank Jos for being a clown,

and our fans for pointing this out. 

 

Has our Chairman seen the light, I think so,

Bruce is a Godsend.

 

Onwards and Upwards.

Edited May 4, 2019 by daleblue

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

4 minutes ago, daleblue said:

This may sound odd, but here goes,

I think in the long term bringing Jos Luhkay in has saved this football Club, and all for the wrong reasons.

What I mean by this is that without that clown being here I doubt Chansiri would ever realise that anything was wrong, he would have quite

happily plodded on till the end of Season, and I doubt he would have got rid only for the fact that our fans told him in no uncertain terms at the fans forum.

Our results immediately improved as soon as he was gone.

 

So I would like to thank Jos for being a clown,

and our fans for pointing this out. 

Has our Chairman seen the light, I think so,

Bruce is a Godsend.

Onwards and Upwards.

 

I think you're giving the fans forum too much credit, I'm afraid.

 

Alan Nixon was tweeting about Chansiri being in discussions with Bruce on December 9th, which was ten days before the forum took place. The fans at the forum undoubtedly made their feelings felt, but Chansiri was clearly making moves behind the scenes well beforehand.

 

As for Luhukay - his tenure was bizarre at times, but we appear to have escaped from it largely unscathed in so far as he wasn't able / allowed to add many of his own signings to the already bloated squad he inherited from Carvalhal, and any of our players with any real resale value are still on our books. It just seems like an odd period of treading water when there was obviously a huge rebuilding job due to be undertaken, but I'd much rather have Bruce putting those foundations in place.

[Animis]

The future will depend of how SB has to manage the budget set by DC as a result of the FFP agreement with the EFL. This will probably become clear in the Summer once we release the 2017/18 accounts and predictions on loss reduction targets this financial year, which i'm assuming were agreed with the EFL last summer.

 

Providing we're on target and have a plan, i'm sure SB will be able to retain the key players at the club and add quality we've been lacking in specific areas. Of the current players out of contract, only Westwood and Palmer should be offered a new deal IMO. It remains to be seen whether Hector would come back, but it would be a big coup if he did; even if only on a further one-year loan.

 

Remember, we've had a big wage bill sat doing nothing for months/years, and they will go, which is a positive.

 

Also remember, even with the injuries and aging squad available to SB in the last 4 months, he achieved a top six finish in terms of form.

 

We're not far behind, certainly not to suggest we have a 3-year re-build requirement. I don't think we have to tinker too much IMO - 4-6 quality additions should be the aim, which will reduce the squad numbers anyway. 

[daleblue]

11 minutes ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

I think you're giving the fans forum too much credit, I'm afraid.

 

Alan Nixon was tweeting about Chansiri being in discussions with Bruce on December 9th, which was ten days before the forum took place. The fans at the forum undoubtedly made their feelings felt, but Chansiri was clearly making moves behind the scenes well beforehand.

 

As for Luhukay - his tenure was bizarre at times, but we appear to have escaped from it largely unscathed in so far as he wasn't able / allowed to add many of his own signings to the already bloated squad he inherited from Carvalhal, and any of our players with any real resale value are still on our books. It just seems like an odd period of treading water when there was obviously a huge rebuilding job due to be undertaken, but I'd much rather have Bruce putting those foundations in place.

 

There's always doubt when choosing to change things, especially the Manager, 

so even if he was sounding out Bruce 

he could always have stuck with Jos,

cold feet and stuff, so the fans voicing their opinion might have been the catalyst needed by our Chairman

to make that decision. 

Edited May 4, 2019 by daleblue

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

3 minutes ago, daleblue said:

There's always doubt when choosing to change things, especially the Manager, 

so even if he was sounding out Bruce 

he could always have stuck with Jos,

cold feet and stuff, so the fans voicing their opinion might have been the catalyst needed by our Chairman

to make that decision. 

 

I suppose he could have chosen to stick with Luhukay, but it would be an incredibly brave (insert alternative adjective of choice here) chairman who'd back Luhukay over Bruce once it became clear he was interested in the job, wouldn't it?

 

Ultimately, as loyal as Chansiri seems to be, results dictated that a change was necessary, regardless of what was said at the fans forum.

[adelphi1867]

20 hours ago, Mardy Bum said:

What Carlos should have said and done after the huddfield play off game 

The Wembley playoff!.

[Buxtongent]

So, the majority of our 'fans' are going to go to The Lane next season because a) they will be able tonwatch 'a higher class of football' and b) its a bit cheaper.

But yet people are still putting the same arguements forward.

1 Crowds will rise if prices come down - already proved false where certain games have been 'on offer'

2. We need to improve our side by bringing in more players who will  be even pricier than we have now, on a smaller revenue

It would be interesting to examine crowds at S2 & S6 to discover the location of their supporters . I'm sure that the majority of Sheffielders , though not to a great extent, follow Utd, or the side of the City who's club is doing best. Much of Wednesday's support has traditionally come from outside the City.

I live in the Peak District, where there are many Manchester supporting people, yet there is still a core of Wednesday supporters, but few Blades supporters.

And if we reach the hallowed Premiership, we can expect to pay MORE not less. A recent conversation with a friend who occasionally watches Manure was asking the price of ST's and when told how much I pay, he said that, were he able to purchase one, he would pay almost double at \OT

It's no good expecting to watch top money players for the price of a pint.(which, incidentally, goes on rising, as does the price of fags).  

[daleblue]

6 minutes ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

I suppose he could have chosen to stick with Luhukay, but it would be an incredibly brave (insert alternative adjective of choice here) chairman who'd back Luhukay over Bruce once it became clear he was interested in the job, wouldn't it?

 

Ultimately, as loyal as Chansiri seems to be, results dictated that a change was necessary, regardless of what was said at the fans forum.

Yep it's the loyalty bit that bugs me, 

we have players here who should have gone a long time ago. 

Same as Carlos it needed the Manager himself to tell the boss that it was time. 

Edited May 4, 2019 by daleblue

[airborne_rat_of_s6]

You can kind of understand having such a big squad given the time most of them spend broken.

[aussieowl87]

18 hours ago, owls-swfc said:

I'm surprised Abdi has not tweeted (like Pudil) already..... Maybe his fingers are injured.. 

 

Chopped off in a mafia-related incident.

 

Real reason he left Watford - he was escaping their Italian owners.

 

Also why he hasn't been seen on a football pitch so he doesn't get taken out mid-match...

 

All starting to make sense now...

[Mr. Chow]

39 minutes ago, adelphi1867 said:

The Wembley playoff!.

Don't agree with that rightly deserved another crack at it which he did and didn't manage to reach what was on paper an even better chance of getting promoted. 

[OWL1969]

1 hour ago, Buxtongent said:

So, the majority of our 'fans' are going to go to The Lane next season because a) they will be able tonwatch 'a higher class of football' and b) its a bit cheaper.

But yet people are still putting the same arguements forward.

1 Crowds will rise if prices come down - already proved false where certain games have been 'on offer'

2. We need to improve our side by bringing in more players who will  be even pricier than we have now, on a smaller revenue

It would be interesting to examine crowds at S2 & S6 to discover the location of their supporters . I'm sure that the majority of Sheffielders , though not to a great extent, follow Utd, or the side of the City who's club is doing best. Much of Wednesday's support has traditionally come from outside the City.

I live in the Peak District, where there are many Manchester supporting people, yet there is still a core of Wednesday supporters, but few Blades supporters.

And if we reach the hallowed Premiership, we can expect to pay MORE not less. A recent conversation with a friend who occasionally watches Manure was asking the price of ST's and when told how much I pay, he said that, were he able to purchase one, he would pay almost double at \OT

It's no good expecting to watch top money players for the price of a pint.(which, incidentally, goes on rising, as does the price of fags).  

 

You sound like one of them.

Only missed the "United are the traditional working class club who expect nothing and Wednesday are the arrogant, deluded non Sheffielders" ano you've cracked it!

 

There's more Wednesdayites in Sheffield than Blades although not by much and that will change unless either we get to the PL or our pricing policy alters along with them getting relegated. (Hopefully both).

Granted though due to previous relative success (the early 90's and quite a sustained period as the only "local" club in the top flight) attracted more outside Sheffield support to us.

 

In answer to the cheaper ticket argument, it does generate slightly larger crowds than we would get for that particular match BUT if people are generally disillusioned with the prices,  being thrown the odd bone of a cheaper match on a Tuesday night against Bolton isn't going to encourage people back, it needs games being consistently reasonably priced (even the "big games") and well publicised.

 

Back to the old system of 3 tiers,  the odd 2 or 3 top prices for "big games at the most £30 on the kop, the vast majority in the mid range £25? Kop and then the "less attractive" 3 or 4 at £20.

This is the only way we will get back the "lost" supporters it might not be thousands at a time and it may take a while, but we need to get these people back on board and regain their trust ASAP. 

 

We aren't going to be able to compete with "dem" attendance wise currently but long term this has to be the word forward, together with Bruce rebuilding the squad/team (given time I sure he will) we will slowly see an increase in our attendances and more importantly performances on the pitch and League position. UTO!

 

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by OWL1969

[Animis]

Attendances have been fairly stable in DC's reign.

 

They peaked in 16/17 at just over 27k and are likely to finish at 24.5k this season, which considering the rubbish served up by Jos in the first half of the season is very good.

 

The demise of the team performances didn't match DC's drive to increase ST holders, which if this is still his strategy will probably be helped by the last half of season performances/results under SB. 

 

I doubt the POTD high prices will change. I hope he doesn't mess with the membership again, and if so, this should keep the numbers 25k-27k throughout the season. if were in the top six around March; were likely to have a few 30k matches towards the end.

[asteener1867]

5 hours ago, Buxtongent said:

So, the majority of our 'fans' are going to go to The Lane next season because a) they will be able tonwatch 'a higher class of football' and b) its a bit cheaper.

But yet people are still putting the same arguements forward.

1 Crowds will rise if prices come down - already proved false where certain games have been 'on offer'

2. We need to improve our side by bringing in more players who will  be even pricier than we have now, on a smaller revenue

It would be interesting to examine crowds at S2 & S6 to discover the location of their supporters . I'm sure that the majority of Sheffielders , though not to a great extent, follow Utd, or the side of the City who's club is doing best. Much of Wednesday's support has traditionally come from outside the City.

I live in the Peak District, where there are many Manchester supporting people, yet there is still a core of Wednesday supporters, but few Blades supporters.

And if we reach the hallowed Premiership, we can expect to pay MORE not less. A recent conversation with a friend who occasionally watches Manure was asking the price of ST's and when told how much I pay, he said that, were he able to purchase one, he would pay almost double at \OT

It's no good expecting to watch top money players for the price of a pint.(which, incidentally, goes on rising, as does the price of fags).  

I doubt hardly ANY of OUR fans will be going to The Lane next season mate, but the fans who have no affinity to either that live in the Sheffield area will be choosing, fans from around the environs of Sheffield who have a loyalty to clubs like Barnsley Rotherham Donny etc may well choose to watch the Premiership.

Its a myopic viewpoint to simply rely on dyed in the wool Owls fans to follow us..There needs to be an incentive...That has to be pricing because we cannot compete with Liverpool Man City, Man Utd tipping up down there can we?

How do we sustain or grow the fanbase in the face of it otherwise?...Its not going away, and the longer it goes on the harder it will get.

One off cut price tickets against nowt opposition?..Would you bother?...I wouldn't.

There are plenty that cannot run to the POTG prices, they won't go to the lane instead...They simply won't go anywhere, 

Leicester season tickets are £100 cheaper than ours

Evertons are about the same as ours

Newcastles are cheaper

West Ham and Wolves...cheaper

Man City...cheaper

and your mate at Manchester united (Could he buy one) would pay £532..not nearly double is it

 

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

A case in point: I never thought the release of Gary Hooper would make me happy, but it has.

 

He's one of our most naturally gifted players, and one who really makes our team tick when he's at his best. Yet the fact that Bruce has taken a decent look at him and decided he's either not good enough (unlikely), not fit enough (perhaps), or doesn't perfectly fit the system he wants us to play (probably) makes me very optimistic about next season.

 

It would be tempting to offer Hooper a new deal based on his ability as a footballer, but as we've learned to our cost in recent seasons, building a team is about so much more than that.