I'm hopeful of Europe (which I never thought would happen, other than winning a cup), but I am even dreaming of vying for a league title within a few years. Sheffield United
I could never understand why things when so wrong after Lawrie Mac left. Nicholl was always looked upon unfavourably in comparison but looking back, you realise what a good job he did and the calibre of players he had at his disposal. For me, the problem was Branfoot who managed to undo all the good work and therefore make it difficult for whoever followed. The 1990's seemed to fluctuate with Jones seeming to be out of his depth by the end of his last season rescued by Hoddle. The reason for his departure was a disgrace yet I think the club stood by him longer than might have been the case if the wicked lies had not be levelled against him. I felt Ball also did a good job yet the Branfoot era seemed to let the rot set in and whoever followed on afterwards found things difficult as a consequence of this set back which took so long to rectify. Until the arrival of Atkins, there were managers like Strachan, Ball and Hoddle who seemed to get the club motoring along nicely before something would materialise and they would be whisked off to other clubs. In comparison, Jones seemed like a nice option and lacked the stardust appeal that probably saw the then current board imagining that he was another , potential McMenemy. It is weird to consider that with the quality of players we often had at that time and with the talisman of Le Tissier why we seemed to be so frequently involved in relegation battles.
