22/08/2010 - Middlesbrough v. Sheffield United

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Speed has a lot of work ahead of him. The squad seems very low on confidence and lack hugely in creativity. Keith Edwards summed it up quite well for me after the game. The players need to know their positions and roles within the squad better, there's currently too many people playing in no defined area. I'd be tempted to play Ward up front again too, as he did when he first moved here. He caused all sorts of problems when he played there.

I turned on RS after the game and was quite surprised at the level of criticism levelled by Edwards; I think we need to see how things pan out first.

Too much change too soon could be a disaster; Speed and his team know the players and what they can handle.

The last thing we need is people jumping on the ‘doom’ wagon and making things fall apart even more.

A bit of pace up front [Ward] and 442 should see us do better. Us fans need to keep quiet [not moaning] for at least 12 games before we even start to judge things and even then we may need to take a poor season on the chin to avoid going down the piggy route of driving out managers every other season.

0-0 would have looked OK and many would have been pleased with the effort to keep the ball longer. One step at a time.

[William Large]

what a numpty you are. Where have you been the last week? All the 'sunshine band, have backed Speed and agreed to give him time. As a leading member of the 'sunshine band' i'll go on recrd saying I'd be happy with a point. Still if we play poorly, do you expect people not to be critical? i'm behind Speed, but as a paying fan I reserve the right to be critical.

Everyone is taling about 4-5-1, but why not go out and try to win it? Boro are beatable and I should hope the lads would be up for it with a new gaffer and all. I'd play 4-4-2

------------- SS

Nos Lorgs Bartley Taylor

Ward Ertl Britton Yeates

-------- Evans Cressy

My prediction is a tight game that will end in a draw (either nil nil or 1-1) but I fear Boro might just nick it with the odd goal.

Does this make me a numpty? I really dont think so. My point was that no matter how well we play, some people will always find fault. Nothing is good enough for these people. The same who slag off Warnock, and probably the same ones towards the end of Bassett's era who were fighting with other blades on the Kop. I pay my money and I am also critical of the team, however when they play well (not often lately granted) or when they need some support and backing... guess what? that's what I do. Because I SUPPORT the blades. Many on this site have whinged and complained about Speed's appointment both before and after it was made. We won't spend big money and have to make the best of what we have. The sooner some realise this the better.

[shorehamview]

Tempting in someways but Wardy has been our best player so far doing what he's done.

Having said that how many roles has he played so far???

He was great as Widow Twanky in panto last Christmas. Or was that Christopher Biggins?

[S64 Blade]

Tempting in someways but Wardy has been our best player so far doing what he's done.

Having said that how many roles has he played so far???

He has yes. But you could also argue that he'd do even better playing up front. Having said that, if this was to happen, who would play on the right wing?

I suppose we'll have to wait and see who the three players Speed wants to bring in are first before we can judge what shape the team might take.

[wadblade]

Middlesboro v Blades
Three topics

The match
I do believe that is the worst match I have ever seen the blades play
It now surpasses the one many years ago when we played Fulham, Ray Houghton scored in the 3rd minute, and if they had turned the goals into barn doors and given all the players a banjo each, the Blades would still not have scored. Today was no different

Gary Speed
I am afraid he bottled it Middlesboro were awful and were there for the taking. He should have changed it at half time took Monty and Evens off and put Quinn and Yates on [players always do well against their old teams]. Even when we went behind, I fail utterly to fathom how putting Boggy on at right half was going to win it for us

The players performances

Simonsen very little to do Boro were that poor looks as good as anything else in the league
Nosworthy
Steady but uninspiring
Morgan
One mistake sad because he does at least looks like he cares
Bartley
Looked ok if he plays like that every week he won’t go far wrong
Taylor
Steady but uninspiring but like Noseworthy offered nothing going forward which is needed from full backs in the modern game
Montgomery
WYSIWYG but robotic no team is going to worry about a mid field where he is the pivot cash him in to Leeds and look elsewhere
Ward
Some passion but out of position put him up front
Britton
Tidy but caught in possession to often
Ertl
Our best mid field player did look as though he knew what he was doing
Cresswell
Too many fancy flicks nor enough hard work
Evans
Not cutting it reminds me of Chris Guthrie. Loan him out to Doncaster and get whatever money we can for him

Bogdanovic (sub)
Does nothing for the team gets the Don Givens award for industry
Quinn (sub)
Didn’t do much but at least there is some pace and positive aspirations to his play

[Ollessendro]

Does this make me a numpty? I really dont think so. My point was that no matter how well we play, some people will always find fault. Nothing is good enough for these people. The same who slag off Warnock, and probably the same ones towards the end of Bassett's era who were fighting with other blades on the Kop. I pay my money and I am also critical of the team, however when they play well (not often lately granted) or when they need some support and backing... guess what? that's what I do. Because I SUPPORT the blades. Many on this site have whinged and complained about Speed's appointment both before and after it was made. We won't spend big money and have to make the best of what we have. The sooner some realise this the better.

I think it does. It's just my opinion. These people who polarise and catagorise everyone for being positive or negative always bug me. And frankly your 'i'm a bigger blades SUPPORTER than the moaners is just pathetic. The truth is you've no idea of how the 'knockers' act when they go to games, how they support the club in different ways etc. You just make a sweeping generalisation that is way out. In my mind that makes you a numpty.

[William Large]

I think it does. It's just my opinion. These people who polarise and catagorise everyone for being positive or negative always bug me. And frankly your 'i'm a bigger blades SUPPORTER than the moaners is just pathetic. The truth is you've no idea of how the 'knockers' act when they go to games, how they support the club in different ways etc. You just make a sweeping generalisation that is way out. In my mind that makes you a numpty.

I don't pretend to be a bigger supporter than anyone. You pay your money and you give your opinion. My point was that many on this site merely come on to slag off everything about the club. I imagine that these people support the club by coming to the lane and moaning and whinging from whistle to whistle. If this is how they choose to follow the blades then fine. They pay their money they are entitled to their opinion. Hopefully for them on Saturday we will get stuffed again so they can take great delight in slagging off all and sundry and filling this forum full of negativity, but hey that is what they are for and if everyone had the same views life would be pretty boring. I shall continue in being a numpty and try to be positive, despite the obvious clap trap served up by our team on a regular basis.

[happyhippy]

He was great as Widow Twanky in panto last Christmas. Or was that Christopher Biggins?

Christopher Biggins was a governor at my pre-alma mater in London. Thought I'd share.

[Ollessendro]

I don't pretend to be a bigger supporter than anyone. You pay your money and you give your opinion. My point was that many on this site merely come on to slag off everything about the club. I imagine that these people support the club by coming to the lane and moaning and whinging from whistle to whistle. If this is how they choose to follow the blades then fine. They pay their money they are entitled to their opinion. Hopefully for them on Saturday we will get stuffed again so they can take great delight in slagging off all and sundry and filling this forum full of negativity, but hey that is what they are for and if everyone had the same views life would be pretty boring. I shall continue in being a numpty and try to be positive, despite the obvious clap trap served up by our team on a regular basis.

It's the generalisation that I've got a problem with. How can you tell from someone's posts what they are like in life and as a supporter. There is a lot of banter and tongue in cheek humour on here. To say that all the 'knockers' are moaners and groaners at the match is a big assumption. Have you not given a thought to the so called 'sunshine band' being a bunch of wind up merchants. Something tells me there is more than meets the eye to people like Lenners and he might not actually be the bloke who sits a few rows back and moans no matter what. I'm sure that you've graded me as an idiot, knocker, sunshine band member, moanere, groaner, depressed, miserable person (if you haven't then many others have). But how do you (and any others) know that I am not someone who sings their heart out at games, always gets behind the lads at matches and/or is generally positve in life etc etc???

I'm hapopy that you are a positive fans and support the team, but making massive assumptions, sweeping generalisations and polarising posters into catagories is a numpty thing to do.

[shorehamview]

It's the generalisation that I've got a problem with. How can you tell from someone's posts what they are like in life and as a supporter.....

Look at the links Keenzy posts in the P&T and tell me he's not a pervert. Similarly look at all the times Mousey corrects people's spelling and tell me he's not a pedantic so-and-so.