Sheffield Unitd v Swindon Town Official Matchday Thread

[Exiled Bob]

Same formation struggled to break down Crawley ffs but again luckily for us Crawley were also poor and clueless hence the sacking of their manager very soon after.

I thought he was sacked because he applied for the Portsmouth job.

I agree with you though.

Someone pointed out once before that the problem with our management team is that they try a formation/tactic for the first time and it works but they then repeat it for the next 5 or 6 games when it's lost the element of surprise and clearly doesn't work. Look at the shambles that was 3-5-2. I think most fans would rather see us get beat 3-1 or 4-2 but really give it a go than lose 1-0 or 2-0 without having a shot at goal. We're constantly being told that we have the most talented team in the league, and on occasions it appears to be true. But the vast majority of the good performances have been at home against teams down the bottom of the league. However, the worst performances have also been against teams near the bottom (or not even in the league....) and most have been when playing these crappy formations. Or, against better teams (Orient and Walsall) that sussed us out early on and taught us how the game should be played. If the players are as good as we're told they are then let them play how they should be playing, home and away. I don't think anyone seriously thinks we are candidates for promotion and this was always going to be a transition/avoid relegation season. I don't think relegation is a serious threat so let the players just go out and entertain - like we were told they were going to do at the start of the season. Not just at home, but away too.

The fans were much happier with the team at the start of the season when we were winning at home and losing away but playing the same style of football than they are now when the team is playing away from home with such a negative attitude. What's more, I think they players were performing with more confidence too. Players and fans know that if they are playing well but losing it will eventually click. Play poorly and lose and everybody is depressed.

What always irritates me is when a manager says before a game that the players have been warned about the dangers of the opposition and how we shouldn't underestimate them. We invariably lose these games. That and when a player has been playing really shit and then comes out and says that he knows he's playing shit and he's going to make amends for it in the next game. You know he'll have the worst game of his life.......

[THE FLASH]

Bobs post covers most of it.

[ronnie21]

Bobs post covers most of it.

Only thing I would query is the sentence "If the players are as good as we are told they are . . . . " - personally at times I think the players have been told how good they are so some of them don't bother too much, especcially away from home!

[kerry red]

Kasim's poor form has also coincided with the teams apparent change away from the free flowing stuff of early season.

It is obvious that he is only decent when playing in a ''stylish' side - hence he couldn't get a game for Macclesfield or Luton.

It is pointless having players who can be Spurs-lite and then trying to play like Stoke.

[stfc2012]

Bob nailed it. No matter how many (usually sideways) passes we make, or possession percentage  we have. Even after we are told we have the best from Spurs and that we play 'the right way'. These boys appear not to be able to beat less skillful men. Power's system is flawed from the off as we''ll never have a settled side. Though at least Sherwood must be happy getting his players sold for actual money (unless he sells for us on a 50p down payment with high, press reported figure, payable when sold on). No one believes in Cooper as they all know he is a show pony and this filters down. On paper the plan looks ok. But the reality is that as this 'sustainable' club we are not going anywhere fast. Sustainable is a fear word to avoid us taking the odd risk. Like a safe bet girlfriend you chose as you didn't have the balls to ask the fit girl out. Wage cap the same. We've sustained ourselves one way or another for over 100 years so I am not buying that. If creating youth was a target then why did we put the youth cat 3 audit off? Because we wouldnt pay the staff to get it through the hoops. Hence why they want a Voluntary performance analyst for the academy when one was lined up to do it full time and a phase coach is still to be appointed. All the coaches have been mugged off all summer for contracts. But that's okay as we can use Spurs for the best of their lot. That is the reality. PDC made them change in a small room but the reality is he got Storey, Thompson and Bedwell actually playing the game. At least he called it as it was. We have no scouting network other than Spurs now and they favour Spurs youngsters that may make them money rather than a punt on our talent. I'm all for an owner with contacts but this doesn't sit we'll. To stay up is fine this year so I am not worried but this insistance we are this great passing team going places is premature. I'd rather a nice community club, that pays local workers and develops local talent than this Lee Power Saviour rubbish. Club is always first but it needs to be right from the top down. If Cooper is here next season I would be surprised. He's got less passion than Hart and Malpas and only learned how to get a side to pass the ball after being taught this season. Hopefully Power realises he's in a bigger boat now than that non league nonsense and he needs to deliver. Still, still in reach of play offs and JPT is the holy grail.

[tans]

Evening Jed

[adje]

Dont think anyone can justifiably criticise the contribution that Pritchard and Mason have made this season

[Batch]

Dont think anyone can justifiably criticise the contribution that Pritchard and Mason have made this season

Mason has been injured a lot of it and Pritchard is inconsistent. There you go

Honestly, Mason plays the ball beautifully. But he and Luongo strolled through Tuesdays game in terms of effort. Hope he wasn't the same yesterday.

When Pritchard is on form he can unlock/damage the opposition like noone else. When he isn't on form (or is played out of position as an orthodox wide man) he is a bit of a passenger.

I think they are justifiable (constructive) criticisms. They should be quite something in a year or three, though I do wonder a bit about Pritchards physique/lack of pace.

[leefer]

Dont think anyone can justifiably criticise the contribution that Pritchard and Mason have made this season

No one has...but there wasn't a lot yesterday for sure,both were awfull.

[Empathy Sloth]

Just got back home.  Was one of the "poor turnout ".  Fucking cheek!  Did you make the effort?

I think I must have missed the club announcement during the week. I thought I was shelling out to travel and watch a competitive league match today.  When did they cancel that and decide to replace it with a practice match-cum-Saturday-afternoon-kickabout?

I really don't mind them losing if they are actually trying to win, but there was precious little effort there today.  It looked like they were just trying not to lose and they are not good enough to do that.  Even poor sides like Sheffield United will score against us, if we let them have possession, time and space.  It really was a poor show again today.  And embarrassing that our fans were taking the piss out of our own team!

I don't live in the UK at the moment.

[Empathy Sloth]

At the end of the day I think we've overachieved so far, and people need to adjust their expectations. It's a new squad, new board, new manager, and all with half the budget. With that much upheaval staying up is good enough this season.

[Empathy Sloth]

Oh and Sheffield United's form under Clough really isn't that bad, they're better than their position suggests.

[SleafordRobin]

Oh and Sheffield United's form under Clough really isn't that bad, they're better than their position suggests.

Sorry mate, disagree with this, based on their performance yesterday their league position is quite accurate.  They were there for the taking, we just didn't want it........

[Exiled Bob]

And when you consider the quality of players that we have we are also better than our position suggests. What a lot of fans don't understand is why we go away from home to try to win a point (and more often than not failing miserably) when we could and should be going to win. Sheffield United were piss poor and we could have, and should have, easily won the game.

We don't have the players to sit back and let the opposition come at us. We will always concede goals with that mentality.

And if we don't play with strikers we won't score goals either.

[Tails]

And when you consider the quality of players that we have we are also better than our position suggests. What a lot of fans don't understand is why we go away from home to try to win a point (and more often than not failing miserably) when we could and should be going to win. Sheffield United were piss poor and we could have, and should have, easily won the game.

We don't have the players to sit back and let the opposition come at us. We will always concede goals with that mentality.

And if we don't play with strikers we won't score goals either.

This.

They were a really bad side. Absolutely no quality and their win was more down to us not being ambitious rather than any of their own quality. If we'd gone for it, I'm fairly confident we would have gotten something. Before the goal we sat deep and made no attempt to challenge them at all. Their centre half, who thankfully was utter garbage, ran accross the pitch unchallenged about three times in as many minutes. You could see the goal coming.

We have to be more ambitious. I'd rather see us go down fighting like we did at Peterborough, Wolves rather than the timid & cautious approach we had yesterday. Utterly wrong tactics from start to finish.