What will it take for our stars to finally align?

[Ante's Bubbly]

41 minutes ago, SallyCinnamon said:

Whoever takes us back up will be a legend.

 

We are in a similar boat to Forest and Leeds unfortunately. Historic big club with big expectations, but just can’t seem to get it right. There is a certain pressure about playing for us and we’ve never had a manager or the right set of players who can handle it. 

 

On the other hand, we were horrendously mis managed between 2000 and 2010. 10 years of financial struggle, selling our best players and boardroom shenanigans. Mandaric steadied the boat but never invested. Megson, Jones and Gray had a bunch of honest hard working players punching above their ability in the Championship, sprinkled with a few decent prem loans here and there. Chansiri came in and we got very close twice, but his inexperience in football cost us. And tbh we spent money but it was never serious money. Villa and Wolves bought top players at this level to ensure even if they failed the first time they were bound to get back up eventually. 

 

Of course you have your Pigs and Huddersfield’s who ride a wave of team spirit and togetherness to get promoted. But clubs like Norwich, Burnley and Brighton in recent seasons already had a Premier League infrastructure in place. Behind the scenes Wednesday still needs a lot of work done to be Premier League ready. 

 

I think with Bruce in charge we have finally appointed the right sort of manager to get us promoted. Just a huge shame if Chansiri appointed Bruce in the first place and left him in charge of recruitment we’d probably be there by now.

 

Great post SC, If I had read yours first I would probably not have bothered with mine (above) which pretty much echoes everything you said. 

 

I really do think that this is the first real chance we have had this coming season, to mount a realistic challenge for promotion, that is. The two season's under Carlos were great to say that the team was just lashed together and only really started to develop as a fairly stable team during that amazing run that got us into the play offs. The reaction against Brighton was as amazing as the no show against Hull really, where we turned up like startled rabbits against a Hull team that we knew we could beat, especially with that amazing backing. I can only really blame Carlos for us not being prepared properly for that game, because the players were not ready for it and the formation was changed to fit in Hutch, who had not played much of a part in that amazing run we had, which relied more on our attacking abilities than sopping the opposition.

 

I really do have a strong feeling that this season is going to be a bit special for us, hopefully in a good way for a change! 

[Ante's Bubbly]

10 minutes ago, stevie snerklebox said:

I'm lucky I guess. I started watching Wednesday during the dark years of the mid 70's (thanks to my late Grandad). I witnessed first hand the struggles under Burtenshaw & Ashurst, the resurgence under Jack & Wilko, and the glory years under Big Ron & Tricky Trev.

Nowadays, it's the kids I feel for..... My lad is 19, goes home & away every week. Bless him, all he's ever known is failure. It's the young uns that I feel for, no DECENT top flight football at S6 for over 20 years now.

Come on Wednesday sort this poo out!!!

 

Ditto!

 

Started watching us as we slipped to our lowest ebb. Not winning any games away, almost dropping to the 4th division, then slowly dragging ourselves back up to the light and back up to those heady heights when people in the know were tipping us to be the top team in the English league.

 

Ah well. Here we go again. DC has tried desperately to get to grips with the rules, the fans, the infrastructure and the mind set of us English chaps, not to mention what it is to be a Sheffielder and a Wednesdayite! Hopefully this summer we will discover that DC has managed to get us enough money, one way or another, to fund Steve Bruce's six wanted players and get them all in and ready to do battle for us next season. Hopefully this will be the final piece of our very frustrating 19 year old puzzle! 

[parkfieldowl14]

55 minutes ago, room0035 said:

Most of the clubs that have gone up have either bought promotion, Wolves, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Watford or the clubs are well run Burnley, Huddersfield, Brighton Norwich we unfortunately are neither. Others have good one of season such as those at S2 where they went up built on a team ethic or Fulham last year with a few players on fire.

 

From season to season we don't know as a club where we are, be it in the players or the club management - this close season another perfect example are we under an embargo or are we not can we go out and strengthen our squad weakness or are we hoping for a few free agents that strengthen the team. Every close season we are so far behind the 8 ball, we should have everyone in for the start of preseason so we can grow as a team and be firing from the first game. In reality we will be scrabbling around on transfer deadline day to get in players we need at 3 times their value or worth.

 

Until we are run correctly as a football club from top to bottom its going to take a lot of luck, or a player or two on fire for us to realistically get promotion. I hope things change with Bruce in the club, but Bruce can only do so much until we have someone running the club that knows what he's doing.

Absolutely spot with that last paragraph.It has been the utter mis-management of this football club from the boardroom to the touchline with one or two exceptions. that is why we've not promoted to the top flight in nearly 20 years.

[Rev Owl]

I think strong foundations are the key in any area of life. I'm not convinced that we have properly invested in either physical infrastructure or background personnel. 

Training, fitness, coaching, scouting, recovery, professional approach, medical team etc etc

Success comes through getting the edge and small margins in many areas.

It may all be happening in the background but the overall impression is  an amateurish set up given the relative amount of money sloshing around compared to other similar sized businesses.

Long term success on the field starts off the field otherwise you are building on sand.

[Pale Rider]

2 hours ago, TheEnchanter said:

Don't want it to turn into a self pity thread however I was trying to work out which teams have managed promotion to the Prem during the time that we have been out of it. It's hugely frustrating to see this list. 57 opportunities to get promoted in 19 years. 32 different teams have achieved it. 

 

Since 2000 Number of Promotions to the top flight.

 

Norwich City 4

West Brom 4

 

Birmingham City 3

Burnley 3

Hull City 3

Wolves 3

 

Cardiff City 2

Crystal Palace 2

Fulham 2

Leicester 2

Newcastle Utd 2

QPR 2

Reading 2

Sheff Utd 2

Sunderland 2

Watford 2

West Ham 2

 

Aston Villa 1

Blackburn 1

Blackpool 1

Bolton 1

Bournemouth 1

Brighton  1

Derby 1

Huddersfield 1

Man City 1

Middlesbrough 1

Portsmouth 1

Southampton 1

Stoke City 1

Swansea City 1

Wigan Ath 1

 

 

What miracles have to occur for us to finally do it? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of those teams had umpteen realistic cracks at the whip. We’ve had two. 

[marconi]

If and when we finally do go up, and When Steve Bruce decides to retire.

No more Yoraths, Jewels, Wilsons, Carvalhals or Luhukies to name but a few please.

[tarn owl]

A Human Sacrifice? Maybe we need to sacrifice Jon Beswetherick and maybe Jay Bothroyd to the gods? Either that or don't get injured and start well, But the human sacrifice is more realistic.

[Greengrass]

A south westerly force 5 with some white horses thrown in & 12 pints of beer should do the trick.

 

Failing that a good manager and an injury free team.

[Jim]

A 20 goal a season striker would give us a major shot at promotion. Unfortunately we don't have one at the moment and unlikely to have until we can wheel and deal in the forward department. If we can't wheel and deal now, we're looking at another 12 months before we can.

 

If Rhodes comes back and we set up to play to his strengths then who knows but it's a big if.

[flo]

The majority of players to have their best season ever at the same time. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by flo

[Hitcat]

When everyone on Owlstalk agrees on something.

[trev]

A manager with a clue.

 

Players with desire, heart and talent.

 

Some luck.

[ReginaldD]

Quite simply one HUGE factor is we got relegated at the wrong time. The debt we came down with in 2000 felt huge at the time but is nothing these days all thanks to parachute payments being introduced in 06/07.

[TheEnchanter]

16 minutes ago, Hitcat said:

When everyone on Owlstalk agrees on something.

 

Hmmm... you're wrong there. 

[Kopparberg]

Strangely, I was going to start this thread myself the other day, as watching the Play Off with Villa vs Derby got me thinking. 

 

The most depressing name on that list has to be Blackpool (other than United obviously). 

 

Basically, we don’t win enough games - and you’d think over all these years we’d have ‘got it right’ at some point to get at least 1 Promotion. 

[TheEnchanter]

Just now, Kopparberg said:

Strangely, I was going to start this thread myself the other day, as watching the Play Off with Villa vs Derby got me thinking. 

 

The most depressing name on that list has to be Blackpool (other than United obviously). 

 

Basically, we don’t win enough games - and you’d think over all these years we’d have ‘got it right’ at some point to get at least 1 Promotion. 

 

Thing is, looking through the tables over the years there's been several clubs that got promoted through the play offs finishing 5th or 6th with only around 72-75 points. Namely Palarse. Plus Hull once finished 2nd with flipping 79 points. 2 less than we achieved in 2017. 

[NYCOWL]

Self Pity Thread

[prowl]

We need what all clubs need to go up....A TEAM... not a group of players who are individually talented, although talent helps.

 

What I mean is a group of players who compliment each other on the field and play for the team not for themselves. A defensive unit that knows each others strengths and cover each others weaknesses. A midfield where we don't have a prima donna who wants the glory just hard workers who read each others moves and cover the defence when we don't have the ball. Attackers who play together and know when to go for glory themselves and when to unselfishly play someone else in if they have a better chance.

 

We need that burning desire to win, heads that don't drop when things aren't going our way, playing for the full 90+ minutes as if it's their last and characters who will drive everyone on when the going gets tough.

 

It's not easy to get all that, it takes time but that's the team I want to watch.

[TheEnchanter]

3 minutes ago, NYCOWL said:

Self Pity Thread

 

[Ronio]

Good thread Sam.  I was going to do a similar thread to the one you made a while ago.  I never completed it.  

 

Interesting point to note, the period since we have been out of the top flight has coincided with the mammoth tv deals and parachute payments.  

 

I would be interested to see which of the teams who were promoted out the bunch, went up off the back of parachute payments.  

 

It also shows we really need to step up big time.  We have been lagging behind for far too long.  Hopefully Bruce will be the right man to take this club forward.