pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Jesus. What a game. Sheffield United at their best. Coming from behind - twice - to secure a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. And with a goal that ranks as one of the best, most crucial and above all else, deserved beyond question because of the performance down there on the Bramall Lane turf. We deserve this, let's not fucking doubt ourselves what with all the fucking dogshit happening backstage with Dozy and the undersoil heating stupidity. Everyone phased that out and switched on against a team not here to be beat. They'd just nudged us aside in the Championship a month ago and we came out and locked it together. No one really played bad and everyone seemed to want it today. And now we are 180 minutes away from Europe and silverware.
We started under the cosh but rode it somewhat. We looked characteristically shakey in the first 10-20 minutes. McAtee should have been more clinical then they get a shot on goal which does - let's not fuck about - hit Jack's hand. Is it a penalty? Yes. I can't take anything away from the laws of the game. It hit Jack's hand and as soon as the ref went to the monitor you know he'd see it that way. But why VAR now and not next round or the final? Without it that penalty never gets given because the ref never sees it. It's a corner. But I expected us not to take that shit lying down and we didn't. We rode the storm and went at them exploiting the channels we always should because of the switch in formation. 3-4-2-1 suits us so much better because as soon as McAtee and MDaiye are on it they are on the back foot or legging them over. McBurnie just served as a warning that if her gets on the ball, he will score. Lowe's goal - well, them's the fucking breaks Blackburn. Gallagher scored a similar one two seasons ago when Berge cleared weakly on the near post so what comes around goes around.
To be honest, going in 1-1 at half time I kinda knew we'd get summat out of this ... even when we looked like ET and penalties. I just saw better spirit in all players.
Second half we plugged and plugged and got caught out by Lowe's sloppy pass which set them up for Smlodic who, because of the wingbacks, had had a quiet game up to then. But still, looking at the score at 1-2 and looking how much better we were playing, you knew Blackburn would fall victim to what we were giving them. It just had to happen. Okay, maybe before their goal McAtee should have killed them off but we were starting to strangle them slowly, showing the best of what we can give through the attacking midfielders and wide men not letting Blackburn fall into a patten of managing their lead. The next equaliser was deserved and well taken and uncharacteristically we simply selected fifth gear and floored the gas pedal. The winning goal was one we haven't seen for many yars at Bramall Lane and for those sat in the kop today it must have been fucking magical. He lamped it and their keeper touched it into the roof of the net. Every kid in the ground today under ten (and possibly over ten in fact) will be recreating that out on muddy parks tomorrow just the same as I did with Currie's goal v Liverpool in 1971, and doubtless others did with Browny's and Jags's v the unclean and the uncleaner. What a fucking goal. What a game to score it in and above all else, what a win we made, battled for and created today.
Fodders 8/10: No chance with either goal, despite best efforts and a wonderful double save. The Championship's best goalkeeper on display today
Baldock 8.5/10: Great outing for him today. Resolute, determined and much better suited to 3-4-2-1
Anel 8/10: Up and at them and defending well. Put in a good outing and popped up in advanced areas when we needed him not just as an overlapping CB but as an auxiliary CF at times to mix it up
Egan 8.5/10: Solid as a rock for most of the game but drops a half point for playing Smlodic onside but other than that he is the buttress for what is a good central three
JLT 8/10: As ever, he's committed and robust in every challenge. Unfortunate (but not unfairly) judged against for their opener
Lowe 7/10: A much better game from him. He was better advanced and showed a greater vision of the game if the fact that he gave them their second goal. But he also got our first by luck.
Berge 8.5/10: Best game I have seen him play in red and white. All over the pitch, in on most challenges and for a change, very much 'goal facing' even from such a deep position
Doyle 10/10: Thought he secured a £30m transfer bid today. If we compare him with Norwood we can see far more dynamism and endeavour. He occupies far more of the pitch than Norwood does and doesn't resort to showpony long balls. His tackling game is good and he is a box to boxer in the Michael Brown fashion. And he can hit it from distance into the top bin and win the game. What's not to love?
McAtee 8/10: Grafted and worked very hard to make Blackburn deal with him. Should have seen them off with his two one on ones
NDaiye 9/10: Tremendous player. So deft, so slippery and so much the best player in red and white in the past thirty years.
McBurnie 8.5/10: Unseen graft by him to keep them occupied and you could see they were doubling up on him mist of the time when NDaiye wasn't on the ball. Dug out a typical strikers goal so richly deserved for him
Sharp 6/10: No idea why he was on instead of Jebbison
Bogle 5/10: Not much impact above George
Basham not marked: Don't think he touched the ball
HJ&SMcC: 10/10: Great seeing them staying with the lineup for Sunderland and driving us forward to get the win we very, very richly deserved. Well done.
Crown 10/10: Lovely sound
ITV 5/10: Eni Aluko, previously revered by me is a bit is a dimbo isn't she? But the main presenter in her AirWair? Hamminah-hamminah.
pommpey
We started under the cosh but rode it somewhat. We looked characteristically shakey in the first 10-20 minutes. McAtee should have been more clinical then they get a shot on goal which does - let's not fuck about - hit Jack's hand. Is it a penalty? Yes. I can't take anything away from the laws of the game. It hit Jack's hand and as soon as the ref went to the monitor you know he'd see it that way. But why VAR now and not next round or the final? Without it that penalty never gets given because the ref never sees it. It's a corner. But I expected us not to take that shit lying down and we didn't. We rode the storm and went at them exploiting the channels we always should because of the switch in formation. 3-4-2-1 suits us so much better because as soon as McAtee and MDaiye are on it they are on the back foot or legging them over. McBurnie just served as a warning that if her gets on the ball, he will score. Lowe's goal - well, them's the fucking breaks Blackburn. Gallagher scored a similar one two seasons ago when Berge cleared weakly on the near post so what comes around goes around.
To be honest, going in 1-1 at half time I kinda knew we'd get summat out of this ... even when we looked like ET and penalties. I just saw better spirit in all players.
Second half we plugged and plugged and got caught out by Lowe's sloppy pass which set them up for Smlodic who, because of the wingbacks, had had a quiet game up to then. But still, looking at the score at 1-2 and looking how much better we were playing, you knew Blackburn would fall victim to what we were giving them. It just had to happen. Okay, maybe before their goal McAtee should have killed them off but we were starting to strangle them slowly, showing the best of what we can give through the attacking midfielders and wide men not letting Blackburn fall into a patten of managing their lead. The next equaliser was deserved and well taken and uncharacteristically we simply selected fifth gear and floored the gas pedal. The winning goal was one we haven't seen for many yars at Bramall Lane and for those sat in the kop today it must have been fucking magical. He lamped it and their keeper touched it into the roof of the net. Every kid in the ground today under ten (and possibly over ten in fact) will be recreating that out on muddy parks tomorrow just the same as I did with Currie's goal v Liverpool in 1971, and doubtless others did with Browny's and Jags's v the unclean and the uncleaner. What a fucking goal. What a game to score it in and above all else, what a win we made, battled for and created today.
Fodders 8/10: No chance with either goal, despite best efforts and a wonderful double save. The Championship's best goalkeeper on display today
Baldock 8.5/10: Great outing for him today. Resolute, determined and much better suited to 3-4-2-1
Anel 8/10: Up and at them and defending well. Put in a good outing and popped up in advanced areas when we needed him not just as an overlapping CB but as an auxiliary CF at times to mix it up
Egan 8.5/10: Solid as a rock for most of the game but drops a half point for playing Smlodic onside but other than that he is the buttress for what is a good central three
JLT 8/10: As ever, he's committed and robust in every challenge. Unfortunate (but not unfairly) judged against for their opener
Lowe 7/10: A much better game from him. He was better advanced and showed a greater vision of the game if the fact that he gave them their second goal. But he also got our first by luck.
Berge 8.5/10: Best game I have seen him play in red and white. All over the pitch, in on most challenges and for a change, very much 'goal facing' even from such a deep position
Doyle 10/10: Thought he secured a £30m transfer bid today. If we compare him with Norwood we can see far more dynamism and endeavour. He occupies far more of the pitch than Norwood does and doesn't resort to showpony long balls. His tackling game is good and he is a box to boxer in the Michael Brown fashion. And he can hit it from distance into the top bin and win the game. What's not to love?
McAtee 8/10: Grafted and worked very hard to make Blackburn deal with him. Should have seen them off with his two one on ones
NDaiye 9/10: Tremendous player. So deft, so slippery and so much the best player in red and white in the past thirty years.
McBurnie 8.5/10: Unseen graft by him to keep them occupied and you could see they were doubling up on him mist of the time when NDaiye wasn't on the ball. Dug out a typical strikers goal so richly deserved for him
Sharp 6/10: No idea why he was on instead of Jebbison
Bogle 5/10: Not much impact above George
Basham not marked: Don't think he touched the ball
HJ&SMcC: 10/10: Great seeing them staying with the lineup for Sunderland and driving us forward to get the win we very, very richly deserved. Well done.
Crown 10/10: Lovely sound
ITV 5/10: Eni Aluko, previously revered by me is a bit is a dimbo isn't she? But the main presenter in her AirWair? Hamminah-hamminah.
pommpey