v Sheffield United (h) - 4/3/23

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Didn’t feel like it yesterday!

Sub 17k on for a 2nd v 3rd clash with the Blackburn End and Darwen End uppers closed?

How standards have fallen.

[Mattyblue]

Because we only have c9k holders, simple as that. We had c4k walk ons for a Sky game at £25-£30, nowt wrong with that. But of course it is very difficult to pull in a big crowd when your ST base (the vast majority of any crowd) is at that low level. So 13k is the higher end of what you will get at standard pricing until we increase ST sales.

Why don’t we have more? Because unlike our neighbours that have reduced prices, we have increased ours by 30% since Covid - £430 to £530 for any potential new/returning fan in a town like Blackburn, in a cost of living crisis.

The 13k that attended had plenty of heart and soul, the players and managers have heart and soul, the academy has heart and soul - it is up to the CEO to pursue commercial policies that would add numbers to them.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Mattyblue

[Herbie6590]

 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Because we only have c9k holders, simple as that. We had c4k walk ons for a Sky game at £25-£30, nowt wrong with that. But of course it is very difficult to pull in a big crowd when your ST base (the vast majority of any crowd) is at that low level. So 13k is the higher end of what you will get at standard pricing until we increase ST sales.

Why don’t we have more? Because unlike our neighbours that have reduced prices, we have increased ours by 30% since Covid - £430 to £530 for any potential new/returning fan in a town like Blackburn, in a cost of living crisis.

The 13k that attended had plenty of heart and soul, the players and managers have heart and soul, the academy has heart and soul - it is up to the CEO to pursue commercial policies that would add numbers to them.

Yes 4 thousand walk ons for a dinner time live tv game at standard prices is excellent but people still criticise. Not really sure what they expect or why they still don't understand the fanbase from a modest sized town in such a hard pressed area.

Of course the real issue is such decline in ST holders over the last 5 years in part due to continued price rises.  10k should be the starting point and the fat controller should have realised years ago that the only way to hit that is pricing that sits within the budget of the area.

Instead he decided the best policy was charge more to less people.

[Gav]

If the product on the pitch is worth supporting the Blackburn public will turn out.

It’s been that way for over 100yrs and it will be that way for the next 100yrs. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Gav

[Mattyblue]

Depends what ‘turn out’ means. 13k for a top of the table clash with only a dozen games left says without that good base of ST holders to build from a big turn out is very difficult to achieve.

Of course on the back of this run the summer is a big opportunity (whatever league we are in) to increase ST sales and ergo crowds substantially… unfortunately we know what Swag will do.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Mattyblue

[Crozzy]

19 hours ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Agreed....but I've got some ITK news for you...possibly the only ITK news I'll ever have.

I sit quite near the dugouts. During a recent game (Swansea I think), when only the cold was keeping me awake, young Dacky started a warm up (it was the game he was rested and only on the subs bench). As he jogged towards the BBE, a big roar went up. It was probably the only noise the BBE had made all game. Between me and Dack was JDT. As the roar went up JDT threw his arms up in the air in the most frustrated way imaginable towards the BBE as if to say 'oh you are fucking awake and the only time you cheer is when golden boy Dacky is warming up'.

Context to this is that the DE Lower had chanted a few times during the match 'Can you hear the BBE, No, No'.

JDT is very complimentary about the fans, and he repeats often how the fans can help the team. You can tell he's desperate for the players to feel that connection and support. But you can also tell that behind the kind words is a plea for the fans to make more noise. Yesterday was brilliant, so was Leicester, but some games are fucking embarrassing. 

Maybe Rovers, and football fans in general, have changed. People do turn up and expect to be entertained these days, phones at the ready. Seating hasn't helped. 

There's 6 games left. It's up to the fans to make Ewood a bit of a bearpit for those 6 games. The manager is doing his bit and so are the players. Time for the grumblers to step up and be heard!

 

Ive been to most home games bar 3/4 and sit in the Jack Walker lower near the away dugout. Having been a season ticket holder during 2001-2010 I’ve seen ewood rocking many a time. Beating the likes of United, Chelsea, arsenal etc etc. I started coming back to Ewood the game after we got battered 7-0 by Fulham as I gave up a job where I spent most of the time abroad. 
I must admit it pains me how quiet the area I sit in is. All you hear are the away fans and every chant the BBE make if you try get it involved you get one or two join but everyone else sits there quiet as a mouse . I do think it’s extremely poor. I went to Blackpool away back in September and our fans were amazing, I know most championship clubs are quiet at home but it’s such a shame. 
I can understand JDT finding it annoying that the only time the crowd made any noise that day was when Dack warmed up. 
In fairness when clubs come and sing ‘is this a library’ I often laugh to myself because they’re not wrong sadly. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Crozzy

[BigUts]

Almost the perfect performance on Saturday. The only thing lacking was putting The Blades to the sword in that spell of 20 mins just after half time.

What I enjoy at the moment is the relentless pressure. Press, press, press and attack, attack, attack. Don't let them have a minute and they simply couldn't cope.

There was a moment, I think after Szmodics hit the bar, were the whole United back line were bent over hands on thighs looking at each other looking gassed. The front 4 of Thomas, Gallagher, Szmodics and Dolan were unbelievable. Their collective and individual energy levels have really made us turn that corner.

Hoping we can maintain the energy and the confidence over the next 10 games. We won't win them all, but play like we have done over the past few and and we will win the majority.,

[arbitro]

35 minutes ago, BigUts said:

Almost the perfect performance on Saturday. The only thing lacking was putting The Blades to the sword in that spell of 20 mins just after half time.

What I enjoy at the moment is the relentless pressure. Press, press, press and attack, attack, attack. Don't let them have a minute and they simply couldn't cope.

There was a moment, I think after Szmodics hit the bar, were the whole United back line were bent over hands on thighs looking at each other looking gassed. The front 4 of Thomas, Gallagher, Szmodics and Dolan were unbelievable. Their collective and individual energy levels have really made us turn that corner.

Hoping we can maintain the energy and the confidence over the next 10 games. We won't win them all, but play like we have done over the past few and and we will win the majority.,

Like it 😂

[joey_big_nose]

52 minutes ago, BigUts said:

Almost the perfect performance on Saturday. The only thing lacking was putting The Blades to the sword in that spell of 20 mins just after half time.

What I enjoy at the moment is the relentless pressure. Press, press, press and attack, attack, attack. Don't let them have a minute and they simply couldn't cope.

There was a moment, I think after Szmodics hit the bar, were the whole United back line were bent over hands on thighs looking at each other looking gassed. The front 4 of Thomas, Gallagher, Szmodics and Dolan were unbelievable. Their collective and individual energy levels have really made us turn that corner.

Hoping we can maintain the energy and the confidence over the next 10 games. We won't win them all, but play like we have done over the past few and and we will win the majority.,

Szmodics particularly looks like a  really good player to me. Pacy, relentless, good technique, scores goals. I was a bit on the fence with him, but now I am well on board. He was also switching the play and finding long passes from deeper positions. Can see him continuing to improve. He's got a sort of Craig Bellamy vibe I like. 

[joey_big_nose]

19 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Genuinely thought this would be a game too far for our lads after Tuesdays effort but love being proved wrong.

Battled superbly as a team and played some good stuff at times. Didn't really think Sheff Utd troubled us.

 

Personally I'd say Sheff Utd could have score two or three first half but let themselves down with really poor finishing. We rode our luck, but then thoroughly earned the win in the second half. 

Something about JDT - he does seem a lucky manager, as all the best are.

[47er]

13 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Personally I'd say Sheff Utd could have score two or three first half but let themselves down with really poor finishing. We rode our luck, but then thoroughly earned the win in the second half. 

Something about JDT - he does seem a lucky manager, as all the best are.

WE created and missed more chances than they did! And we hit the woodwork twice. And they should have been down to 10 men.

I do not see how we were lucky at all.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, 47er said:

WE created and missed more chances than they did! And we hit the woodwork twice. And they should have been down to 10 men.

I do not see how we were lucky at all.

Their centre half missed a complete sitter when he ran through our defence first half. It was harder to miss that it was to score.

[Crozzy]

51 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Their centre half missed a complete sitter when he ran through our defence first half. It was harder to miss that it was to score.

A proper Centre half’s finish wasn’t it

[47er]

56 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Their centre half missed a complete sitter when he ran through our defence first half. It was harder to miss that it was to score.

Accepted. That was probably the easiest chance of the match, ironic that he'd done all the hard work! But that doesn't negate my point at all.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

23 minutes ago, Crozzy said:

A proper Centre half’s finish wasn’t it

I said that to my son at the time. 

[JHRover]

2023-24 season tickets should be on sale yesterday.

Never ceases to amaze me how clueless the Club and so many fans are about the situation with attendances.

We've 8000-9000 season ticket holders in a 31000 seat stadium. To be getting an extra 4000-5000 walk ons (almost 50% of our season ticket base) turning up for a lunchtime televised game with no ticket promotion is a good effort.

Can't imagine many other clubs would be able to turn around and say that only about half the people in the ground on Saturday were ST holders. Usually you'd be way higher than that.

Waggott can run a couple of promotions for midweek televised games, he can encourage people to wave their flags. Unless he radically alters his approach to season tickets and in doing so gets substantially more than 8000-9000 buying then it matters little.

That isn't just pricing, but is mainly. Also important is actually pushing them and how better to encourage people to buy than during a promotion push and in fantastic form.

Instead he will wait until the summer when the dust has settled and then try to sneak through further price increases.

 

[jwlrovers]

17 minutes ago, JHRover said:

2023-24 season tickets should be on sale yesterday.

Never ceases to amaze me how clueless the Club and so many fans are about the situation with attendances.

We've 8000-9000 season ticket holders in a 31000 seat stadium. To be getting an extra 4000-5000 walk ons (almost 50% of our season ticket base) turning up for a lunchtime televised game with no ticket promotion is a good effort.

Can't imagine many other clubs would be able to turn around and say that only about half the people in the ground on Saturday were ST holders. Usually you'd be way higher than that.

Waggott can run a couple of promotions for midweek televised games, he can encourage people to wave their flags. Unless he radically alters his approach to season tickets and in doing so gets substantially more than 8000-9000 buying then it matters little.

That isn't just pricing, but is mainly. Also important is actually pushing them and how better to encourage people to buy than during a promotion push and in fantastic form.

Instead he will wait until the summer when the dust has settled and then try to sneak through further price increases.

 

Get them on sale now at a genuinely attractive early bird offer that runs until mid-April.

[Dreams of 1995]

2 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

Szmodics particularly looks like a  really good player to me. Pacy, relentless, good technique, scores goals. I was a bit on the fence with him, but now I am well on board. He was also switching the play and finding long passes from deeper positions. Can see him continuing to improve. He's got a sort of Craig Bellamy vibe I like. 

I agree

in my opinion it is another lesson for people not writing off players too quickly. Plenty of talk has been had about him being a waste of money but looks like he’s really settled in both off and on the pitch 

[jim mk2]

9 minutes ago, 47er said:

Accepted. That was probably the easiest chance of the match, ironic that he'd done all the hard work! But that doesn't negate my point at all.

 

His standing leg slipped as he was about to shoot IIRC. Should have scored. I too thought we were lucky to be ahead at half time. Sheffield ought to have scored several times and we were all over the place defensively at times.

We were better second half and should probably have had a second when Buckley I think it was blasted over when well placed. A draw wouldn't have been unfair result and they will feel hard done by as the manager said but we'll take it. They'll be out for revenge in the cup

[JHRover]

11 minutes ago, jwlrovers said:

Get them on sale now at a genuinely attractive early bird offer that runs until mid-April.

The concept of an 'early bird' is another totally lost on Waggott.

His version of an 'early bird' is a priority window, basically where renewals get a chance to do so not at a reduced price but at a 'held' price which is essentially the basic price from the year before.

A proper early bird should be just that - early - not in the summer and it should involve an actual proper incentive to renew early.

It's laughable. He's basically admitted his only focus and task is to increase income and cut costs and yet has zero imagination or drive when it comes to bread and butter stuff to make money.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

34 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

His standing leg slipped as he was about to shoot IIRC. Should have scored. I too thought we were lucky to be ahead at half time. Sheffield ought to have scored several times and we were all over the place defensively at times.

We were better second half and should probably have had a second when Buckley I think it was blasted over when well placed. A draw wouldn't have been unfair result and they will feel hard done by as the manager said but we'll take it. They'll be out for revenge in the cup

Buckley should have hit the target as a minimum. That was a bad miss.

[booth]

42 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

His standing leg slipped as he was about to shoot IIRC. Should have scored. I too thought we were lucky to be ahead at half time. Sheffield ought to have scored several times and we were all over the place defensively at times.

We were better second half and should probably have had a second when Buckley I think it was blasted over when well placed. A draw wouldn't have been unfair result and they will feel hard done by as the manager said but we'll take it. They'll be out for revenge in the cup

Them being down to 10 men would have been a fair result. If they feel hard done by show them the replay, and the woodwork being smashed twice.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, booth said:

Them being down to 10 men would have been a fair result. If they feel hard done by show them the replay, and the woodwork being smashed twice.

I’m glad they kept 11 on in some ways. We always seem to struggle playing against 10.

[booth]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’m glad they kept 11 on in some ways. We always seem to struggle playing against 10.

Some of the SU players were visibly very frustrated at being unable to break us down. I think them going down to 10 would have really killed off their morale.

I see they play their game in hand at Reading tomorrow. I can't see any other result than a win for them there.