Sheffield United v Swindon Town Official Matchday Thread

[Posh Red]

Spot on PV, just a bit of effort will make a huge difference (look at Charlie Henry)

The thing that worries me about this group is what does relegation actually mean to them.
Those on loan just go back to their parent clubs.
Those that are decent will get a move somewhere else

They need a coach/manager to instill some pride if they don't have it themselves, I fear we have neither

[Peter Venkman]

They need a coach/manager to instill some pride if they don't have it themselves, I fear we have neither

Very much this.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

If this squad is what you can get for a, supposedly, £1.5m budget, God help us when it does get slashed.

[Reg Smeeton]

This!!  Sadly there has been so much bullshit written about how good our passing game was/is that the players tend to believe it . . . . obviously the super coach cannot get it through to the players there is another, more nasty, side of the game and they do not - apart from rare occasions - want to battle it out.

We've near on played everybody once in this Div.  So noticeable patterns are starting to form....with us, on the road, it's any half decent side oop north we get stuffed, anything like a derby which requires bottle we get stuffed. If it's a bit more southern we can get a point....the good news is that the norvern turkey shoots are now reduced to Bolton, Bradford, Fleetwood and possibly Port Vale and Rovers in the derby.

Back at the time of the Eastleigh debacle, I suggested that we had an unpleasant run of 7 games ahead, until any transfer action could happen in Jan, 5 away games and 2 at the CG, further a realistic haul would be about 6 points, which would keep us in touch. So far we've got 4. We now get to see the missing 3 sides, starting with Fleetwood. 

Another pattern is at the CG if the opposition score we lose if they don't we win....Fleetwood have scored in all games this season.

Millwall, requires bottle, just can't see anything from that.  Franchise, new manager, before yesterday hadn't won at home, a point ought to be possible.  So we might pick up the 2 or so points to keep in touch.

[leftside]

I posted before that in this very poor division, the better sides I've seen have been the ones who put a better shift in than the opposition. A bit of organisation and wanting to do the simple things better than the oppo can be enough to at least get a draw. Individual creativity and skill can make the difference but it has got to be underpinned by 100% commitment by the whole team.

Any side that seemingly gives up when the going gets tough are just asking to get relegated.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Which is why even a poor side like Oldham can, and do, battle away for the odd point here and there. Shrews won away at 'Wall yesterday.

Chesterfield look cooked to me, as do Berry. Coventry appear to be our mirror image.

As crap as we are we should just about manage to avoid the drop. But that's not really the point. Until, and unless, there is a seismic shift in how we recruit and the type we recruit, we face this bollocks every season.

It'll catch up with us eventually.

[leftside]

We've near on played everybody once in this Div.  So noticeable patterns are starting to form....with us, on the road, it's any half decent side oop north we get stuffed, anything like a derby which requires bottle we get stuffed. If it's a bit more southern we can get a point....the good news is that the norvern turkey shoots are now reduced to Bolton, Bradford, Fleetwood and possibly Port Vale and Rovers in the derby.

Back at the time of the Eastleigh debacle, I suggested that we had an unpleasant run of 7 games ahead, until any transfer action could happen in Jan, 5 away games and 2 at the CG, further a realistic haul would be about 6 points, which would keep us in touch. So far we've got 4. We now get to see the missing 3 sides, starting with Fleetwood. 

Another pattern is at the CG if the opposition score we lose if they don't we win....Fleetwood have scored in all games this season.

Millwall, requires bottle, just can't see anything from that.  Franchise, new manager, before yesterday hadn't won at home, a point ought to be possible.  So we might pick up the 2 or so points to keep in touch.

I don't go with this 'northern outpost' thing (Oldham 0 - 2 Swindon). It is like the nonsensical 'we haven't won there for x years, so why should we win there now' argument - how historic results involving completely different teams and managers are supposed to influence current events baffles me. Town are just crap away from home currently, regardless of whether the game is played in the south, midlands, north, east, west, in midweek or on a Saturday.

A point away from home ought to be possible anywhere this season. Unfortunately, a right gubbing, not just a battling defeat, is just as likely, even at Millwall and Franchise.

[Reg Smeeton]

Which is why even a poor side like Oldham can, and do, battle away for the odd point here and there. Shrews won away at 'Wall yesterday.

Chesterfield look cooked to me, as do Berry. Coventry appear to be our mirror image.

As crap as we are we should just about manage to avoid the drop. But that's not really the point. Until, and unless, there is a seismic shift in how we recruit and the type we recruit, we face this bollocks every season.

It'll catch up with us eventually.

I don't think it's worth worrying too much about the future, beyond the next game and its implications for the season. 

The relegation battle has always been the backdrop to this season, given the limited squad finishing 19th/20th will be an achievement.

[Reg Smeeton]

I don't go with this 'northern outpost' thing (Oldham 0 - 2 Swindon). It is like the nonsensical 'we haven't won there for x years, so why should we win there now' argument - how historic results involving completely different teams and managers are supposed to influence current events baffles me. Town are just crap away from home currently, regardless of whether the game is played in the south, midlands, north, east, west, in midweek or on a Saturday.

A point away from home ought to be possible anywhere this season. Unfortunately, a right gubbing, not just a battling defeat, is just as likely, even at Millwall and Franchise.

I did make the point about half decent: Oldham 1 home win and only scored 4 at Boundary Park all season.

Of course logic should dictate historic results have no bearing, yet take somewhere like Priestfield weve been there 36 times in the league since 1930 for 1 win.  When that 86/87 side won there 3-1, you knew it was a special side. We have got a few useful points like this season.

[leftside]

The relegation battle has always been the backdrop to this season, given the limited squad finishing 19th/20th will be an achievement.

I don't agree with the 'always' bit, Reg. The supposed mid-table budget, the signing of Vigs, getting Doughty back and keeping hold of Beeks were, for me, real positives and outweighed the loss of Ajose. I think a mid-table finish was a justified stance to take at the beginning of the season. For the past couple of months, we've definitely been in a relegation battle, and will, I think, still be for much of the remainder of the season. Until we can string a couple of wins together, or go on a four or five match unbeaten run, there's nothing to suggest otherwise.

[Reg Smeeton]

I don't agree with the 'always' bit, Reg. The supposed mid-table budget, the signing of Vigs, getting Doughty back and keeping hold of Beeks were, for me, real positives and outweighed the loss of Ajose. I think a mid-table finish was a justified stance to take at the beginning of the season. For the past couple of months, we've definitely been in a relegation battle, and will, I think, still be for much of the remainder of the season. Until we can string a couple of wins together, or go on a four or five match unbeaten run, there's nothing to suggest otherwise.

Fair enough....I can understand a new season brings a bit of optimism, but ours quickly unravelled, with CG performances of utter incompetence sadly redolent of last season's historic ineptitude, this backing up losing 3-1 at Chesterfield in the first away game. The alarm bell started to be dusted off by mid September.

[FormerlyPlymRed]

Just seen the highlights, goals look terrible as usual

[LucienSanchez]

Just seen the highlights, goals look terrible as usual

As with the majority of goals we concede, every single one yesterday can be attributed to an individual piece of bad defending.

[suttonred]

I haven't kept up with threads, has it been brushed under the carpet again? Or has anyone come out and said yup. we're shit, soz boys and girls?

[Costanza]

I haven't kept up with threads, has it been brushed under the carpet again? Or has anyone come out and said yup. we're shit, soz boys and girls?

What do you reckon?