Last season is thankfully becoming a distant memory. Besides a four-game unbeaten run in November and fending off Chelsea and Manchester City in February, we spent most of the season forgetting what a win feels like. We only got one from our last 13 as we inflicted relegation upon ourselves. So little fight was put up, it's hard to believe now that if last minute goals at Portsmouth and at Wigan in the run-in were stopped we'd still be in the Premier League.
Do we wish we were? In all honesty, most of us are looking forward to this season in the Championship. It's nice to feel like we're back in the real world, and talk of the much-feared financial meltdown has quietened. We're optimistic that our rebuilt team will be competitive.
We have a new management team in place now that we're willing to put our faith in. Phil Brown lost the plot, lost his nerve, lost sight of him - whatever it was; he wasn't a winner at Premier League level.
Iain Dowie couldn't save the sinking ship. The new man Nigel Pearson seems like a sound appointment that'll simply get on with the job at hand. Frankly, we can't wait.
When Do We Meet?
Bramall Lane: 26 December 2010
KC Stadium: 19 October 2010
Previous Positions:
2007-08: 3rd
2008-09: 17th (PL)
2009-10: 19th (PL)
Odds
Promotion: 13/2
Relegation: 7/1
Blades-Mad Predicted Finish: 12th