Be glad when.......

[Capmeister]

the season's over. Back 4 are pants, as evidenced by minus 30 against. I knock Saunders but he's playing with the deck stacked against him. I wont berate him again as we're as good as relegated. I would ask the players to put a shift in but I doubt they will. They cant be arsed anymore. We're back to JR carrying us but I'm not sure he's got pockets deep enough. Off to get blindingly drunk. Whilst Billy scored at least he didnt rub it in

[Old Popsider]

When did it all start to go wrong and what caused it?

Saturday August 6th 2012 when one Lewis Dunk crocked Billy Sharp.

We never recovered from losing our talisman in the first game.

That said a lot about the quality of the strikers we had to start the season with and the lack of any decent signings in the striker department before the season started.

Glad we didn't sign Freddie Eastwood, he didn't cut it at higher level and now's back at Southend.

Let's hope that whoever the Rovers manager may be for next season, has reasonable funds to buy a couple of new strikers that can get us out of Division 1 at first bounce. I honestly can't see Diouf and some other McKay imports sticking around at a lower level.

That's IF we do drop, and in reality that's what I think will happen.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

It started long before then really, around the time of SHeff Utd away last season, when we lost the two goal lead, though in reality the signs were there before that earlier in the season (Reading away one example).

[mushRTID]

It all started when SOD messed around for 2 weeks giving confusing answers and not ruling himself in or out of the Blades job.

Its been downhill since that point. Were we not on the edge of the playoffs with everyone agreeing we were one CB short of a team that would have challenged?

We then signed Kilgallon who didnt look that bad IMO but kept been left on the bench.

Totally agree cant wait for next season. Hopefully we start it with a group of players that give a shit.

[ctay]

Our form the second half of last season always suggested we were in for a difficult season. We didnt really address the issues with the squad (defence quality and a keeper).

I think really the mistake was made when SOD turned down Sheff U. Maybe it was a mistake on his part, but I dont think a change then would have done us any harm. It would have been interesting at that time for who JR would have gone with.

This year has been a disaster. Not helped by the injury to Billy, but I dont see that as the sole reason.

[SiBo]

Sorry the rot started two summers ago when we didn't sell a player for big money like we had the summer before. Whoever's decision that was, the board's, SOD's or a bit of botth, I don't expect we will ever know but the Mills/Wellens money undoubtedly gave the club a cashflow cushion for a season. Even before the injury crisis kicked in around Blades away last season it was pretty obvious the squad wasn't strong enough, but you can only buy what your budget allows? Bodies not proven quality seemed to be the ethos, whereas if you want to make a comparison, Cotterill at Portsmouth seemed to stack up a few quality players but then spent his whole time moaning about how he didnt have enough players to fill a bench. Whichever way you chose to go there will be arguments for or against.

Before anyone throws the 'SOD had the biggest budget in the club's history' card out, he may well have done but it was the year everyone in the league got an increase in TV cash so hard numbers may have been biggest budget in club's history but still compared to rest of Championship was still peanuts. Let's not forget Barnsley even managed to gazzump us for Shackell.

We didn't manage to find a way to live within our means in the Championship and we have been playing catch up ever since. McKay plan was dancing at the last chance saloon and it could still work but are we left with a club with a sustainable base on which to progress from? No and we're two wealthy directors down too.

[Fizzy_Fanta_and_Pringles]

\"Saturday August 6th 2012 when one Lewis Dunk crocked Billy Sharp.\"

So I take it that happened in the future then?

[Old Popsider]

Finger trouble on the keyboard!! lol. Should've proof read before pressing 'enter' !!:facepalm:  Oh well, at least somebody reads things properly! lol