Football purists to kicking our way out

[@thelane]

Some fans on here make me smile.....you shouted for Warnock out because he played exciting up and at em long ball with strong battling players.
"We are sick of that" said some....."we need to be playing good passing proper football on the ground" said others.........well now after many seasons in League 1, the same fans think that we need big strong players to strong arm our way out of this league.
Truth is, the flowing passing game has been nothing short of a disaster for us....we are a passionate club, who had it's most exciting times under Bassett and Warnock......please CW take us back.....que abuse!

 

[@thelane]

Sorry this should have been posted on general chat...my mistake

 

[Jonboy60]

Sorry this should have been posted on general chat...my mistake

I just want to get out of this poxy league, if it's nice attractive football, all the better.

 

[Keef Chedwyn]

Were u herd this pal?

 

[Oreyt]

*Paging Dr Pinchington, paging Dr Pinchington*

 

[Pinchy]

John Harris

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I don’t think one particular style over the other is what causes us to fail. A return to “up and at em” offers no guarantees. Nor does the passing game. But our best chance of success has to be based around a vision and long term strategy rather than knee jerk changes in direction every 2 minutes.

If Wilder fails with “up and at em” football this season, plenty (probably including McCabe) will think we need to go back to the passing game. That’s not the answer. We need to pick one, recruit players that suit it and get them playing as a cohesive unit. Then we need to keep tweaking the squad in each window scrapping those signings that aren’t working out (they will always happen under any manager) and replacing them with new players whilst keeping the players who are doing the business for us. That way, we should get stronger every window.

 

[Blade56]

I'd settle for our players pushin ball over the line with their nob ends if it got us out of this piss poor league before you're all sending my sons RIP messages.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

What is this "Purist Football?"

What is this "Flowing, Passing Game?"

This is 2016, not 1990 or 2005.

I've never seen United play any of the aforementioned.
How can I comment that I have never experienced?

Probably most enjoyable football in the last 25 years was under Kendall.
Enjoyable doesn't equate to successful, though for a last minute "worldy" we might have experienced some success.

 

[Pinchy]

I don’t think one particular style over the other is what causes us to fail. A return to “up and at em” offers no guarantees. Nor does the passing game. But our best chance of success has to be based around a vision and long term strategy rather than knee jerk changes in direction every 2 minutes.

If Wilder fails with “up and at em” football this season, plenty (probably including McCabe) will think we need to go back to the passing game. That’s not the answer. We need to pick one, recruit players that suit it and get them playing as a cohesive unit. Then we need to keep tweaking the squad in each window scrapping those signings that aren’t working out (they will always happen under any manager) and replacing them with new players whilst keeping the players who are doing the business for us. That way, we should get stronger every window.

My conversion to Wilder has come about partly because I've seen bits of his Northampton team and, whilst they move it quickly (and nothing wrong with that) it is a passing game. He's also said clearly we are not going to 'launch it'. I'm happy enough with that.

If he adds a bit (lot) of spirit and commitment as well that's all to the good. My difficulty with upanatem is when (as in Mucknnettles mercifully short tenure) that's all you've got and nothing else in the locker.

The best teams in the world, including Barca, are upanatem in their own stylish way. Just watch 'em in the very rare occasions they haven't got the ball. They press, deny space and suffocate the life out of inferior opposition players who aren't good enough to overcome it.

That sort of upanatem is great by me, but not when it's little more than a euphemism for ugly, agricultural Hoof.

 

[Bladepicker]

Sorry this should have been posted on general chat...my mistake

Not quite. Keep going, you'll get there

 

[Pinchy]

What is this "Purist Football?"

What is this "Flowing, Passing Game?"

This is 2016, not 1990 or 2005.

I've never seen United play any of the aforementioned.
How can I comment that I have never experienced?

Probably most enjoyable football in the last 25 years was under Kendall.
Enjoyable doesn't equate to successful, though for a last minute "worldy" we might have experienced some success.

Kendall's first half season was the best football we've seen since Harris' day. We were exceptional at times. I remember in particular away games at Leicester and Reading when we totally outplayed the opposition. I still remember an old boy Reading fan, after the game, shaking my hand and saying "you showed us how to play football, today". I loved that but no one has said it since. One of the many problems with Bassett style stuff is that opposition managers are able to ascribe a defeat to "they play a certain way" or "their style of play prevented us from getting it down and playing our football", never ever "we lost to the better team".

Anyway, I digress. Right at the heart of the splendid football for half a season under Kendall was one Gordon Cowans, an ageing but classy midfield general. He made us tick like a Rolex. He retired or certainly left us at the end of the season. Kendall replaced him with Nigel Spackman who was nowhere near as good. The football deteriorated gradually and culminated in a woeful performance at Wembley (for younger readers, think Burnley) and defeat by a Palace side that were marginally less appalling than us on the day. Wembley has rarely seen anything so turgid and that's saying something.

We lost to the only shot on target from either side, Captain Blade (quite literally) lost his head; Kendall went back to Everton, though by then he'd lost his head as well and that was it. Spineless Spackman came in to be Charlie Green's puppet for a while before running away, and the rest is, as they say, history.

 

[David Lee's first touch]

Spineless Spackman came in to be Charlie Green's puppet for a while before running away, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Spackman fucked off because the first he heard of the player sales was from an agent on his alcatel mobile phone. It led to a bust up that put him off management for life there is more,source Nigel Spackman 2002 over a pint in the prince blucher twickenham. I did thank him from us blades on a great half a season and we wondered what could have been.

 

[Pinchy]

Spackman fucked off because the first he heard of the player sales was from an agent on his alcatel mobile phone. It led to a bust up that put him off management for life there is more,source Nigel Spackman 2002 over a pint in the prince blucher twickenham. I did thank him from us blades on a great half a season and we wondered what could have been.

No thanks from me. He was an awful manager. He managed us, Barnsley and Millwall. He never completed a full season at any of those three clubs. Useless. I rather suspect management was put off Spackman for life.

 

[St Annington]

When in possession - good teams run to the ball, bad teams run after the ball. Let's see which camp we fall into under CW

 

[Pinchy]

Sorry this should have been posted on general chat...my mistake

No, we now have a Dinosaur Drivel section. It should have been posted there.

 

[judge]

My conversion to Wilder has come about partly because I've seen bits of his Northampton team and, whilst they move it quickly (and nothing wrong with that) it is a passing game. He's also said clearly we are not going to 'launch it'. I'm happy enough with that.

If he adds a bit (lot) of spirit and commitment as well that's all to the good. My difficulty with upanatem is when (as in Mucknnettles mercifully short tenure) that's all you've got and nothing else in the locker.

The best teams in the world, including Barca, are upanatem in their own stylish way. Just watch 'em in the very rare occasions they haven't got the ball. They press, deny space and suffocate the life out of inferior opposition players who aren't good enough to overcome it.

That sort of upanatem is great by me, but not when it's little more than a euphemism for ugly, agricultural Hoof.

No one really cares mate
You're opinion is less important than James Shields or wooooodwaaaaard

 

[Pinchy]

No one really cares mate
You're opinion is less important than James Shields or wooooodwaaaaard

Have I really sunk that low? I fear I'm in danger of getting a job at Radio Sheffield with references like that. Worse still, I may have to go on the after-dinner circuit with Diplodocus Dave as my warm-up man.

Oh, the ignominy.

 

[super_pig]

Some fans on here make me smile.....you shouted for Warnock out because he played exciting up and at em long ball with strong battling players.
"We are sick of that" said some....."we need to be playing good passing proper football on the ground" said others.........well now after many seasons in League 1, the same fans think that we need big strong players to strong arm our way out of this league.
Truth is, the flowing passing game has been nothing short of a disaster for us....we are a passionate club, who had it's most exciting times under Bassett and Warnock......please CW take us back.....que abuse!

not really.. i don't think it is as black and white as that.. in the premier league you have to pass and move as the players are too good plus they get better protection from the refs. however in the lower leagues you have to boot your way out because the refs don't protect clever players as much.. you have to create a team to match the league you are in IMHO

 

[Tyler Durden]

There is only one way to play football and that is to stick the ball in the net by any means necessary. Anything else is irrelevant detail, loaded with elitism and snobbery. Watching these modern-day eunuchs tip and tap backwards and sideways doesn't qualify as "entertainment" as far as I'm concerned.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

What is this "Purist Football?"

What is this "Flowing, Passing Game?"

This is 2016, not 1990 or 2005.

I've never seen United play any of the aforementioned.
How can I comment that I have never experienced?

Probably most enjoyable football in the last 25 years was under Kendall.
Enjoyable doesn't equate to successful, though for a last minute "worldy" we might have experienced some success.

I’d say my most enjoyable season (apart from the way it finished) was the triple assault season. A midfielder scoring 20, loads of different forward players making decent contributions (Asaba, Windass, Kabba, Chief, Pesch etc.) quality wide play from Nuddy and Tonge and McCall being the glue that held the team together.


The style was fairly varied as we got it down and played quite a bit with that excellent 4 man midfield but when we needed to, we brought the chief on to mix things up.


I also preferred Spackman’s first half season to the Kendall period. That 352 with Deane/Fjortoft/Borbokis/Whitehouse was incredible. Such a shame it was ripped to bits before it got a chance to achieve anything.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

My conversion to Wilder has come about partly because I've seen bits of his Northampton team and, whilst they move it quickly (and nothing wrong with that) it is a passing game. He's also said clearly we are not going to 'launch it'. I'm happy enough with that.

If he adds a bit (lot) of spirit and commitment as well that's all to the good. My difficulty with upanatem is when (as in Mucknnettles mercifully short tenure) that's all you've got and nothing else in the locker.

The best teams in the world, including Barca, are upanatem in their own stylish way. Just watch 'em in the very rare occasions they haven't got the ball. They press, deny space and suffocate the life out of inferior opposition players who aren't good enough to overcome it.

That sort of upanatem is great by me, but not when it's little more than a euphemism for ugly, agricultural Hoof.

Yeah I pretty much agree with that. Being physical and playing a high tempo pressing game doesn’t mean you can’t also get the ball down and play. As I say, my favourite team in recentish memory was the triple assault one as I thought we had a nice balance with some really good footballers combined with a never say die attitude and the ability to mix it up when required.

 

[Balham]

Spackman fucked off because the first he heard of the player sales was from an agent on his alcatel mobile phone. It led to a bust up that put him off management for life there is more,source Nigel Spackman 2002 over a pint in the prince blucher twickenham. I did thank him from us blades on a great half a season and we wondered what could have been.

What took you to what is essentially a local in distant south west London?! Not a bad little boozer that - 10 mins from Chez Balham.

 

[him behind you]

Some fans on here make me smile.....you shouted for Warnock out because he played exciting up and at em long ball with strong battling players.
"We are sick of that" said some....."we need to be playing good passing proper football on the ground" said others.........well now after many seasons in League 1, the same fans think that we need big strong players to strong arm our way out of this league.
Truth is, the flowing passing game has been nothing short of a disaster for us....we are a passionate club, who had it's most exciting times under Bassett and Warnock......please CW take us back.....que abuse!

You can have passion (and excitement) with any style of football as long as the ball is moved quickly and the players work as just as hard whether or not they have possession - it doesn't have to be "up and at em long ball" at all. My preference is to see us play football and control possession (but ideally not just outside our penalty area) rather than slinging it up the pitch aimlessly in the hope that one of our players might get on the end of it - either are equally shit to watch when they don't work. Whatever style we play (assuming we will have one), I just hope it's one we do properly which gets us out of this effin league and the players look interested.

 

[David Lee's first touch]

What took you to what is essentially a local in distant south west London?! Not a bad little boozer that - 10 mins from Chez Balham.

Lived on May Road for a few years while working in London next door to the Kings Arms( big rugby pub) which I think has been knocked down. Yes the prince b is a sound little boozer landlord was spot on back then Irish guy James.

 

[BushBlade]

What took you to what is essentially a local in distant south west London?! Not a bad little boozer that - 10 mins from Chez Balham.

I'm guessing you no longer live in Balham. Or have a helicopter.

 

[Balham]

Lived on May Road for a few years while working in London next door to the Kings Arms( big rugby pub) which I think has been knocked down. Yes the prince b is a sound little boozer landlord was spot on back then Irish guy James.

Drove past the King's Arms the other day - it's derelict at the moment. Looks like it was a corner shop for a while but it's closed now: probably as the landlord desperately tries to get planning permission for a block of flats. In other Twickenham Green pub news, the Sussex Arms is now a cracking real ale boozer. Bonus.

I'm guessing you no longer live in Balham. Or have a helicopter.

Ha - I made the mistake of signing up with a location based username. No forward planning at all (a bit like United); I only lived in Balham for a year before moving to Richmond for 4 then Twickenham for the last couple.

 

[Guesty]

Kendall's first half season was the best football we've seen since Harris' day. We were exceptional at times. I remember in particular away games at Leicester and Reading when we totally outplayed the opposition. I still remember an old boy Reading fan, after the game, shaking my hand and saying "you showed us how to play football, today". I loved that but no one has said it since. One of the many problems with Bassett style stuff is that opposition managers are able to ascribe a defeat to "they play a certain way" or "their style of play prevented us from getting it down and playing our football", never ever "we lost to the better team".

Anyway, I digress. Right at the heart of the splendid football for half a season under Kendall was one Gordon Cowans, an ageing but classy midfield general. He made us tick like a Rolex. He retired or certainly left us at the end of the season. Kendall replaced him with Nigel Spackman who was nowhere near as good. The football deteriorated gradually and culminated in a woeful performance at Wembley (for younger readers, think Burnley) and defeat by a Palace side that were marginally less appalling than us on the day. Wembley has rarely seen anything so turgid and that's saying something.

We lost to the only shot on target from either side, Captain Blade (quite literally) lost his head; Kendall went back to Everton, though by then he'd lost his head as well and that was it. Spineless Spackman came in to be Charlie Green's puppet for a while before running away, and the rest is, as they say, history.

Cowans was sol, I think to Bradford who were in the league above at the time.

I remember people criticising Kevin Macdonald for not being a big enough goal threat, well I don't think Cowans ever scored for us but no one player has so positively affected how we play in all the time I've been watching the Blades.

 

[David Lee's first touch]

Drove past the King's Arms the other day - it's derelict at the moment. Looks like it was a corner shop for a while but it's closed now: probably as the landlord desperately tries to get planning permission for a block of flats. In other Twickenham Green pub news, the Sussex Arms is now a cracking real ale boozer. Bonus.

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Ha - I made the mistake of signing up with a location based username. No forward planning at all (a bit like United); I only lived in Balham for a year before moving to Richmond for 4 then Twickenham for the last couple.

Thanks for the pic Balham spent many a good night in there, know the bloke who owns the Kings ex city banker called John thought he would have got permission by now being after it above 10 years. Good night out round the green once we got settled in had a few incidents with the local football fans they didn't take kindly to 4 blades belting the gcb out every night

 

[David Lee's first touch]

My old house is just in shot to the left scaffolding round it