Trying to figure out why I'm not gutted about the loss

My family, who had been shopping in London while the game was on, were prepared for a miserable journey home, but I feel surprisingly 'OK' about things. I'm disappointed, obviously, but I can think of many other Reds games that I've walked out of feeling much worse than this. It's just not obvious to me why this is the case.

Part of it is that, after the sending off, it felt inevitable that we would lose the game, so the overwhelming emotion at the final whistle was one of immense pride that Wednesday had struggled to make their advantage count. I was also sat near the divide with the Wednesday fans and their gloating when the goal went in just looked absolutely comical to me at the time. The result was an injustice on the day, thanks to inept officials, and it was obvious that the neutral observers would see it that way, so watching them try to wind up the Reds fans nearby just didn't have the same impact that it usually does when there's similar 'banter' between fans.

Having had more time to reflect on why this is, I think the background to it is where I am as a supporter now compared to 12 months ago. Prior to the change of control in the summer, I had resigned myself to not renewing my season ticket which I'd held continuously since the 1995/96 season. I was absolutely done with a club that didn't have maximising their league position as the first and over-arching priority. The financial mis-management behind the scenes was more obvious to me, as an accountant, than to many and I was 6 months into a personal 'not a penny more' campaign for the few games that I did bother to go to.

Ultimately, I've managed to have my pride and passion restored by a remarkable 12 months of collective effort from board, club staff, management and coaches, and players that have smashed any reasonable expectations for what this season would deliver. I think, sub-consciously, that the gratitude for those raw wounds being so effectively healed ended up over-riding whatever disappointment I felt at the final whistle yesterday.

The summer will no doubt bring its usual rollercoaster of developments but, whatever happens, we'll be starting next season from a much more secure base. It might not be next season, but I'm in no doubt that it's a matter of time until we get ourselves over the line and back into our 'natural' level as a club, and back to competing against the odds against 20+ clubs with bigger budgets than ours. 12 months ago, I could only envisage a continual decline if Conway and Lee had been allowed to remain in charge.

At the end of the day, the 3 teams that finished above us went up. Regardless of the circumstances, I can live with that.

Is it just me, or is anyone else going through anything similar? If I had scripted my nightmare scenario prior to yesterday's game, it basically played out exactly that way. By rights, I should be locked in a dark room sulking for the next 3 weeks, and yet here I am trying to work out why that's not the case.

Thank you to all at BFC, for giving me my club back.

 

When Weds scored into injury time I actually just stood up and applauded our team for the efforts throughout - everything that could go against them pretty much yet they never let it allow them to drop their heads and they fought throughout the game. Massively proud of the team.

 

As you say, once Philips was sent off, we eere extremely unlikely to win; though the lads did brill to get so close to it being the penalty kicks lottery.

I was more fed-up with yet more controvercial decisions going against us than being devastated at the actual result.

 

I was gutted for a few mins after I saw the tweet they had scored but didn't last long to be honest.

Partly as I had expected it given the turnaround from the semis. It seemed written for them to win.

But mainly as I was sat on a boat just off the coast of Sorrento with my beautiful wife on honeymoon. Suddenly as I looked around it didn't feel so bad.

 

Nope... im gutted

 

I think you've just articulated how I feel better than I ever could.

 

I'd resigned myself to penalties at that point, and had prepared for the disappointment of a lottery. In the end I felt nothing but pride for both the players and supporters.

 

Thats the one thing I didnt do, resign myself to penalties. Just had such a feeling that something would pop up after how well we defended. My gut reaction more than anything wasnt anger, disappointment, anything of that nature, but immediate pride, I felt more gutted for our lads on the pitch than I did myself and the fans, and I think that's rare in football, and I think it goes to show how much graft the lads put in for us

 

Felt pretty much the same. It's been a season way above my expectations. If we'd have lost on penalties, one player would have felt he'd let the team and fans down and I wouldn't want that for this young squad. Obviously we could have won on penalties but having not scored one this season and having an inexperienced team, they would have been favourites seen as they'd had practice against Peterborough.

 

They gave their all. I've looked on other forums and they all say we were the better side and our players were running on empty. Yet the Massives couldn't outplay 10 man Barnsley. All the fans we encountered acknowledged how lucky they were. Just feel door the team, that they didn't get the medals and trophy their efforts deserved!

 

Agreed. Had some quiet reflection on a quiet LNER train back having legged it at full time and it was an odd feeling. We car share to games from Leeds with a mate and his 11 year old. His lad has a season but like most at that age he doesn't make all games. Last season he must have gone to about 20 matches. We didn't win one of them. To see him completely rejuvenated this season has been ace. Kind of picked me up again as well - I go with my 17 and 15yo and it's one of the few things we do together and it's been great. Loved going to Hillsboro, Vale, Cheltenham, Lincoln with them. Does yesterday matter in that respect? Not a bit. Does it hurt like hell? The manner of it yes. But the season as a whole has been much much better than expected. With 2 basket case clubs replacing Ipswich and Weds no reason we can't go one better next season. 6 new grounds for me to knock off. Lovely train journey from Leeds to Carlisle to look forward to. Will take a while to sink in but then fully looking forwards to next season. You redzzzz

 

I'm still angry but not at our team, staff or board, not at Wednesday players or their fans either or even at a poor referee but still so angry at the VAR officials. There incompetence has cost our club / town millions and upset thousands of supporters and taken away opportunities for our players and staff to play at a higher level which they deserve and most importantly to me seeing my 2 boys devastated and in tears.
It's clear to see, all the evidence is there, it needs to be explained why it happened and it shouldn't be able to happen in this day and age.
I accept that Sheffield Wednesday being a bigger club and fan base will bring in more revenue to the championship than us but this should only happen legitimately not through blatant failure to utilise the technology correctly.

 

I'm still bandaging my wrists.

 

Was gutted at the end and extremely angry and bitter towards the officials on the pitch and in the VAR broom cupboard.
Today while it still stings a little I feel nothing but immense pride in my team/club.
One thing the really surprised me about yesterday was just how many Wednesday fans actually beat us out of the stadium, best fans in the world my arse

 

Will take a while for me to get over it. As a guide I've still not watched back the highlights from the 2000 loss against Ipswich. And we were deservedly beaten that day.

 

Immensely proud of everyone connected to the club, players, supporters, owners, club staff etc etc!

Absolutely full of hatred for the EFL in general. This season has been an absolute shambles for us in terms of being on the wrong end of terrible decisions, so much so that you have got to question whether there is some kind of match fixing going on somewhere.

 

2000 will always hurt

we could/should have won that game

Barnard's pen
Keith Brown's ineptitude
Hristov's header

 

I went to Wembley more in hope than expectation of a positive result. Every season we are in the same league as Wednesday I put zero against their matches on the fixture list. It doesn't normally matter how good we are the results were never much in our favour. This year was diferrent but I couldn't see us beating them 3 times. Life's a bitch, but we are not dead, we will rise and fight again. KEEPING MICHAEL IS CRUCIAL. COYR