Crawley today

[grafikhaus]

Right. I'm neither a 'clapper' or 'slasher' but what I saw today was shite. (And no, I've never booed them in my life but can understand some of those that did). If Crawley had gone in at HT 3-0 up, it wouldn't have flattered them. Only when Murphy decided to run at them in the second half did our patient/pointless/ponderous side-to-side and back again rubbish look as bad as it was.

At half-time, an ITK-er told me that 'he had it on good authority that NC hasn't been given any of the Maguire/FA Cup money.' We'll probably never know, but how much money has John Gregory had at Crawley? And at times today they ran rings round us.

If the club are serious about spending £800k on a new pitch, I sense a priority failure here.

Positives? Well Baxter's goal was a 'worldie', there were good performances from Murphs (MoM), Alcock, a much-improved Basham among others.

But make no mistake. We got away with it today.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

If that is true about the money then it's an absolute disgrace. I think we already know the "game changing" comment was bollocks - but surely even our Board would release most if not all of the Maguire money?

 

[Toronto Blade]

Tough to hear that if the ITK'r is right.Wouldn't be a surprise though after seeing mainly frees brought in over the summer.
At the end of last season we were only a few players off a team that could be runaway to league winners.
Now it looks like we are back to square one .

 

[lawlessdan]

I personally thought Crawley came with a game plan and they worked so hard with that plan it was always going to be a tough afternoon. It was up to is to break them down and it was either going to be something special or slice of luck that won it for us.

End of the day I'm very happy with a home win and clean sheet. Onwards and upwards

 

[dannycorker]

Lets see...Crawley had 1 shot on target all game, so not sure how we could have been 3 down at half time. First half we were poor going forwards but came out of the gate 2nd half and could have had 2 or 3 in the first 10 mins of the second.

Most disappointing thing today was the crowd for me. We have the biggest in the league, yet we put more pressure on our own players than the other team. Booing at half time when we're not even losing is pathetic, other highlights were booing us for keeping the ball, cheering when Higdon went off and of course booing going into the corner at the end. Would be better if we kept attacking and got countered obviously.

 

[Toronto Blade]

Thank goodness they hit the woodwork.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Didn't I read somewhere that the club probably haven't seen any of the Harry money from Hull yet and that Dundee United have only just received the £1m first instalment payment owed by Hull City as part of Andrew Robertson's transfer fee of £2.85m, the second payment of which is due next summer!

 

[Guesty]

They did a very good job on Murphy first half, always doubling up on him, and without him our attack looks very weak. In the second half he'd changed position and found a lot more space. Coupled with that when we got our noses in front they couldn't afford to mark him tightly as they were chasing the game. He and Davies linked up very well a few times after the goals which could have led to more.

First half though, dear me that was poor.

 

[davidpinder]

Not every win will be a good one I'll take another 30 1 nil average performances if it means we go up. We had a good win in midweek followed by a win today that's 6 more points than I thought we'd get after last Saturday. Trust me we will only get better, Clough doesn't yet know his best 11. We have 2 players out who I think we feature a lot this season Wallace and scougall so I wouldn't be to upset with today we had 56% possession, twice as many shots and 3 times as many on target even if we only had 3.

As for the cash that wouldn't surprise me when has it ever been any different? I have decided I am going to trust Clough and it wouldn't surprise me if we lost him to another club if the board doesn't back him.

 

[grafikhaus]

Lets see...Crawley had 1 shot on target all game, so not sure how we could have been 3 down at half time.

So hitting the underside of the bar, a good save by Howard (going just wide, but he wasn't to know it) a foul on the edge of the box that could easily have been a penalty and red card and numerous scrambles in and around our goalmoth don't count?

Anyway, my comment about the Cup/Maguire money was accompanied by the as it was just a 'he said, she said' remark we're all used to. Without proof, nothing to get too excited about.

 

[Silent Blade]

So hitting the underside of the bar, a good save by Howard (going just wide, but he wasn't to know it) a foul on the edge of the box that could easily have been a penalty and red card and numerous scrambles in and around our goalmoth don't count?
.

That "save" by Howard in the 1st half was strange because the Crawley striker (was it McLeod?) should have placed the ball to Howard's left as Howard had angled the goal horribly wrong leaving a lot of space between him and the post to his left. This striker decided to shoot to Howard's right (yes it was going wide)

 

[sitwell]

I thought it was the law that Mcleod always scored ,so nil on their sheet looks good to me.

 

[Roygbiv]

Interesting to hear John Gregory say "That was our best performance of my time here." after the game. Maybe we got away with it today but we have just beaten a side who performed to their maximum

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Is it me or does he sound bitter???

 

[LSF]

Positives? Well Baxter's goal was a 'worldie', there were good performances from Murphs (MoM), Alcock, a much-improved Basham among others.

But make no mistake. We got away with it today.

Ben Davies by a country mile best for us today, shame he missed a sitter in added time.

However, I agree with your 'got away with it today' assertion. At times it was painful to watch (and I'm one of those who doesn't give two hoots about this 'entertainment' malarkey, just like us to win) and though we won, it was ground out in the most base fashion.
Clough still tinkering to stumble on the best line up and most effective formation, lets hope he gets lucky soon!

 

[Bladesman]

Didn't I read somewhere that the club probably haven't seen any of the Harry money from Hull yet and that Dundee United have only just received the £1m first instalment payment owed by Hull City as part of Andrew Robertson's transfer fee of £2.85m, the second payment of which is due next summer!

It still counts as income and that Maguire money can be spent now even if Hull have not paid it in full. That's if we actually have an owner that has money.

Jim did say the other week there was money still available.

 

[alcoblade]

Jim did say the other week there was money still available.

I'm sure there is, but sincerely doubt it's enough to guarantee getting better than what we have.

It's time to put the game changing fiasco behind us. It was another bad choice of words that set some expectations, including mine, higher than the reality .

We've moved on from the shambles of a few years ago and for that I'm thankful. But I'm now sure there hasn't been, or isn't going to be any significant investment.

UTB

 

[Wapping Blade]

At half-time, an ITK-er told me that 'he had it on good authority that NC hasn't been given any of the Maguire/FA Cup money.'

Oh save us from the "ITK-ers". NC has said he has access to the money, is this "ITK-er" calling him a liar?

 

[Tezza1889]

Guys, the window isn't shut yet, and then the loan window will open for another month, I reckon the players who wanted a move or the ones who are out of favour will be our targets when they end up in the reserves, maybee we are saving the money to attract the best loans we can get after the usual transfer window bunfight.

One thing I can tell you, we have a manager capable of bringing in fantasic players when we were in the bottom three, imagine who might want to come and join us on loan this season should we be in the top six, last years escapades will not have hurt us one bit, and a big crowd to play in front of will only help a championship/prem player make an easier transition....

We don't have gamechanging money, that's very clear isn't it, but we have a top class set up, training facility, manager, and we pay the players on time....

Some clubs don't do that you know..

Think we are well positioned to pick up some nice players, keep the faith, and my opinion is the escapades at the end of last season built our hopes a little too high, the run we went on was a bit epic wasn't it!!

 

[Zanzibar]

Lets see...Crawley had 1 shot on target all game, so not sure how we could have been 3 down at half time. First half we were poor going forwards but came out of the gate 2nd half and could have had 2 or 3 in the first 10 mins of the second.

Most disappointing thing today was the crowd for me. We have the biggest in the league, yet we put more pressure on our own players than the other team. Booing at half time when we're not even losing is pathetic, other highlights were booing us for keeping the ball, cheering when Higdon went off and of course booing going into the corner at the end. Would be better if we kept attacking and got countered obviously.

For me Crawley had a much better approach to the game all match...athletic, pacey in areas and a calmness in possession we couldn't match.
However, as well as they opened us up, in midfield, their major failure on the day was an an inability to forge many chances at all, and when they did their shooting was atrocious.
We played poorly for most of the match because of a collective misunderstanding of spatial awareness and lack of pace anywhere.
Baxters' goal deserved a better setting.

 

[Esablade]

I thought Crawley did well.
Came with a plan to sit back and hit us on the counter with long balls to that pacey forward.

First clean sheet and a few chances ourselves...with some of our players starting to perform...if we get a point or three aga isn't Preston this will be a good turn-around.

No idea how things pan out re: processing money at the Lane.
Clough has stated he wants another defender, Jim has said he's got money...I'm sure he's got a player or two in mind that he'd like to bring in...then there's always 'the Ched situation'

UTB!

 

[Northyorksblade]

I particularly liked the Crawley player who thought he was playing basketball!

 

[Pinchy]

Oh save us from the "ITK-ers". NC has said he has access to the money, is this "ITK-er" calling him a liar?

It's already generated far more comment than it deserves (which, for the avoidance of doubt, is none at all).

There is no "Maguire" money or "FA cup" money, by the way. It doesn't go into separate shoe boxes. Economics doesn't work like that. There is income and there is expenditure. Many of our more cerebrally challenged fans have no concept of the latter.

 

[grafikhaus]

Oh save us from the "ITK-ers". NC has said he has access to the money, is this "ITK-er" calling him a liar?

And, as I said in Post #10,

Anyway, my comment about the Cup/Maguire money was accompanied by the as it was just a 'he said, she said' remark we're all used to. Without proof, nothing to get too excited about.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

It's already generated far more comment than it deserves (which, for the avoidance of doubt, is none at all).

There is no "Maguire" money or "FA cup" money, by the way. It doesn't go into separate shoe boxes. Economics doesn't work like that. There is income and there is expenditure. Many of our more cerebrally challenged fans have no concept of the latter.

Miaow Pinchy , and so early on a Sunday morning .

 

[Pinchy]

And, as I said in Post #10,

Anyway, my comment about the Cup/Maguire money was accompanied by the as it was just a 'he said, she said' remark we're all used to. Without proof, nothing to get too excited about.

What was your purpose in mentioning it?

 

[grafikhaus]

What was your purpose in mentioning it?

Just my general, rambling take on my afternoon at the Lane. I don't go for pass-by-pass accounts, prefer random thoughts on the pitch etc.

I, more than most, know that most 'ITK-ers' are no more privy than the rest of us to the inner workings of SUFC and it was a sarcastic comment.

Sorree!

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

It still counts as income and that Maguire money can be spent now even if Hull have not paid it in full. That's if we actually have an owner that has money.

Jim did say the other week there was money still available.

Perhaps we're saving the money for the loan window?

What if we need to pick up 70/80/90% of the players wages to get them on loan?

2 players on 12k/week could cost us £1.2M+ for the season.