Sheffield United fan column: Even if we lost in the play-offs it still would have been a brilliant season

When United beat Leeds all was well with the world.
Chris WilderChris Wilder
Chris Wilder

We were a point in front of them and it was “in our hands”.

Two weeks later, after United lost to Bristol City and Leeds beat Millwall, it was all doom and gloom.

The reality, as always, lies somewhere between these two extremes of moods.

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Defeats towards the end of the season do not necessarily mean the promotion project is scuppered.

In 1983/84 United lost to Wimbledon and Bolton in early May but still went up.

In 1988/89 United lost at home to Mansfield in late April and still went up.

In 1989/90 United lost to Sunderland and then Portsmouth in early April and still went up.

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In 2005/06 United got one point from four games in February and March and still went up.

On the flip side, in 2008/09 United lost to Burnley in late April and in 2011/12 lost three out of four late February and March and then lost at MK Dons in late April.

These results were the difference between finishing second and losing in the play-off final.

What this means is that we have no idea what is going to happen, and even if we lose in the semi-final of the play-offs it will still have been a brilliant season, one far better than any Blades fan could have expected, not least this one.

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In the first Flashing Blade of the season I wrote: “The portents for this season are not particularly attractive.

“Most teams, especially those recently in the Premier League, can spend and have spent far more money than United can do, and the teams coming up are stronger than those that went down.”

What do I know?