Deadbat
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Sheffield United got off the board with a point at home to Rochdale but then needed a late Billy Sharp strike to salvage something after Andy Cannon had profited from poor goalkeeping from George Long. After creating a lot of chances in the previous two games, the Blades struggled to make much headway in a poor performance and looked sluggish all over the field. Whist Dale did not trouble the home side much they got in front just before the break and then seemed to have held off the United challenge with the Blades seemingly running out of ideas. However, Hussey’s free kick was met by Sharp and United had their first goal. An expected late grandstand finish did not materialise and the home fan left frustrated at the performance and the result.
For the third successive game Wilder had named an unchanged team with new loan signing Harry Chapman on the bench. Rochdale fielded former Blades Harrison McGahey and Nathan Mendez Laing as they also sought their first point.
The early stages did not see the chances that United had created in the first two games and began with both sides feeling each other out. Lillis smothered when the ball ran loose after Fleck had fed in Clarke and then O’Connell had to nip in and intercept at the other end. Duffy had a shot wide before Cannon did likewise. Clarke was winning many of the aerial balls but little was dropping. Rochdale had a nice spell of play gaining territory in the United half and had a great opportunity inside 15 minutes. After some hesitancy in the midfield the Blades lost the ball and after a ricochet Wilson and Brayford did not react and Henderson was in. Long did well to come out and make a save at his feet.
Fleck was the first player into the book after he won a free kick! He was tripped but the referee adjudged that as he fell he then went into another Rochdale player. It seemed an odd decision to say the least.
Rochdale were having more of the ball and United were now struggling to get a foothold and the game became scrappy. It seemed like the game was drifting towards a stalemate when a mistake gave the visitors the lead. Henderson hit a long range shot but it should have been comfortable for Long but the keeper saw it squirm out of his grasp and Cannon pounced on it and turned the ball home.
After the break United tried to go long at every opportunity and were looking for Clarke and feeding off knock downs but nothing was dropping. The crowd started to became frustrated as Rochdale soaked up United’s attacks quite easily. Dale had not really had an attack in the second half but as with Bolton the previous week, with a lead, they needn’t attack with any real purpose.
Chapman came on for Done who had not been in the game but it came from the other flank that a half chance came. Duffy had one good cross and run which Clarke headed wide but it was a difficult chance. Scougall then replaced Duffy wide right as United sought to find a lift. With the game entering the final quarter of an hour; Sharp tried to force the play chasing down a number of players in a spell before United won a free kick out wide for a foul on the United striker.
The free kick came over from Hussey and with half the Rochdale defence coming out and half staying at home SHARP expertly turned the ball high into the net. It was a moment of relief more than anything else. Buoyed by this the crowd came alive and United sense they could turn the game around and get an unlikely winner.
Andrew had a rare chance for Rochdale but headed wide before Sharp had half-hearted appeals for a penalty. Basham then had a chance as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time but after advancing well opted to stop and lay off rather than shoot or carry on progressing. The final whistle came soon after as United fans left the Lane with more questions than answers in terms of how this side may be able to put together any kind of promotion challenge. Of course it may be early in the season but it has been another disappointing start for the Blades who face Southend at the Lane on Tuesday evening ahead of a very difficult trip to the Den.
United – We did ok for the first two games and easily could have won both games with better finishing but we did not do that and lost two games. Today we were poor for long spells and did not even had the fast start of those games but nicked a point. For long periods it looked like a loss though. We lacked purpose and seemed to struggle to penetrate all game. Lacking pace and players who can beat men, it means we have to play through teams but often we opted to go long and play off Clarke. There was an emphasis on getting it into the final third quicker but we did not have men around players when we did. I am unsure even the team knows what they are doing yet in terms of purpose or pattern. We had a better shape than we did under Adkins and the whole side played further up the field and we did do better off the ball than we did last season pressing higher up and winning more loose balls – although we started to sit off and lose midfield towards end of first half.
I just felt overall the side lacked any real clarity in how it wanted to play. We never got it wide and when we did then came back inside with little movement. Our play on the ball was too stagnant and players did not move off the ball when we had it. Watching us on throws and corners was embarrassing as we just stood there. Nobody moved! The corners were just hit to the far post and hoped Clarke or one of the centre backs may flick something on. I am not sure what they have worked on in training but we did not seem to have a plan on dead plays – until we scored with a great delivery from Hussey and finish from Sharp.
It was a poor game overall though and we looked no better than a very ordinary Rochdale side who will not finish any higher than mid-way for me. We have to do much better than that or we will be no higher ourselves. We did not have the tempo and pace we showed in spells in previous game and it all become a bit hit and hope. Other than few half chances, Duffy with a shot pulled wide and a Clarke header it was scraps really. Still if we don’t toss goals away then it is much easier. We do this and we are under pressure.
It was an awful mistake from Long gifted them a goal in a nothing game and after that they had two banks in defence and midfield and we had no idea how to break them down. We started lumping it up to Clarke who won a fair but had no really help around him as Sharp had another poor game until he came to life in the last spell. We had nothing out wide from Done and Duffy. The former has done nothing and surely will lose his place now to the new lad Chapman. Duffy has shown glimpses but barely seen him beat his man (one good run and cross second half apart) and looks to lack pace and aggression. In midfield Fleck had a good first half hour but then he seemed to disappear. Basham did a few bits and pieces but is woefully slow on and off the ball. He is pitifully weak for a big man and another we must upgrade on. I don’t buy this big un/little un talk. Basham is big but does not win headers or tackles so what does it matter – he does not even offer a threat at set plays. I felt the defence was ok. The two centre backs were solid enough – Andrew gave them a few moments to worry about but they had few rea chances save for the Henderson one that bounced quite luckily.
Once we scored you felt we may go on and win but it never really happened and we did not create any more chances. I was really disappointed overall today. All the talk from Wilder of a pressing and harrying side playing up on opponents and having a go etc was a long way off. It was in reality more of the same from last season. We urgently need more players. Basham and Done are two weak links that need replacing but out of the new players Hussey and Duffy have to do much better too. I would even say Brayford and Sharp have began season really poorly too. There are too many ordinary players/performances and we look a long, long way off any kind of promotion side I am afraid.
Today I think many Blades came out very low. We had half a new team (maybe it will take time to gel), a new manager and it was same really poor level if performance with little excitement. It was boring for the most part. We still lack power and pace and invention. We have different players but on that evidence little has changed. Big improvements required and fast. The club seems stuck in a rut and it seems whatever we do can’t things moving. We have to address the pace and power aspect of the side. We are a soft touch and lack drive all over the side. We play like we are wearing scuba outfits (the old fashioned diving ones) and the type of player we have signed has still not addressed this – some have been ok but I think we are just glad not to be seeing Hammond, Collins, McEveley and Sammon!
I just hope we can change things around in level of play but as I say you cannot give players power and pace overnight and those weaknesses will continue to haunt us as we look a set of ordinary plodders.
For the third successive game Wilder had named an unchanged team with new loan signing Harry Chapman on the bench. Rochdale fielded former Blades Harrison McGahey and Nathan Mendez Laing as they also sought their first point.
The early stages did not see the chances that United had created in the first two games and began with both sides feeling each other out. Lillis smothered when the ball ran loose after Fleck had fed in Clarke and then O’Connell had to nip in and intercept at the other end. Duffy had a shot wide before Cannon did likewise. Clarke was winning many of the aerial balls but little was dropping. Rochdale had a nice spell of play gaining territory in the United half and had a great opportunity inside 15 minutes. After some hesitancy in the midfield the Blades lost the ball and after a ricochet Wilson and Brayford did not react and Henderson was in. Long did well to come out and make a save at his feet.
Fleck was the first player into the book after he won a free kick! He was tripped but the referee adjudged that as he fell he then went into another Rochdale player. It seemed an odd decision to say the least.
Rochdale were having more of the ball and United were now struggling to get a foothold and the game became scrappy. It seemed like the game was drifting towards a stalemate when a mistake gave the visitors the lead. Henderson hit a long range shot but it should have been comfortable for Long but the keeper saw it squirm out of his grasp and Cannon pounced on it and turned the ball home.
After the break United tried to go long at every opportunity and were looking for Clarke and feeding off knock downs but nothing was dropping. The crowd started to became frustrated as Rochdale soaked up United’s attacks quite easily. Dale had not really had an attack in the second half but as with Bolton the previous week, with a lead, they needn’t attack with any real purpose.
Chapman came on for Done who had not been in the game but it came from the other flank that a half chance came. Duffy had one good cross and run which Clarke headed wide but it was a difficult chance. Scougall then replaced Duffy wide right as United sought to find a lift. With the game entering the final quarter of an hour; Sharp tried to force the play chasing down a number of players in a spell before United won a free kick out wide for a foul on the United striker.
The free kick came over from Hussey and with half the Rochdale defence coming out and half staying at home SHARP expertly turned the ball high into the net. It was a moment of relief more than anything else. Buoyed by this the crowd came alive and United sense they could turn the game around and get an unlikely winner.
Andrew had a rare chance for Rochdale but headed wide before Sharp had half-hearted appeals for a penalty. Basham then had a chance as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time but after advancing well opted to stop and lay off rather than shoot or carry on progressing. The final whistle came soon after as United fans left the Lane with more questions than answers in terms of how this side may be able to put together any kind of promotion challenge. Of course it may be early in the season but it has been another disappointing start for the Blades who face Southend at the Lane on Tuesday evening ahead of a very difficult trip to the Den.
United – We did ok for the first two games and easily could have won both games with better finishing but we did not do that and lost two games. Today we were poor for long spells and did not even had the fast start of those games but nicked a point. For long periods it looked like a loss though. We lacked purpose and seemed to struggle to penetrate all game. Lacking pace and players who can beat men, it means we have to play through teams but often we opted to go long and play off Clarke. There was an emphasis on getting it into the final third quicker but we did not have men around players when we did. I am unsure even the team knows what they are doing yet in terms of purpose or pattern. We had a better shape than we did under Adkins and the whole side played further up the field and we did do better off the ball than we did last season pressing higher up and winning more loose balls – although we started to sit off and lose midfield towards end of first half.
I just felt overall the side lacked any real clarity in how it wanted to play. We never got it wide and when we did then came back inside with little movement. Our play on the ball was too stagnant and players did not move off the ball when we had it. Watching us on throws and corners was embarrassing as we just stood there. Nobody moved! The corners were just hit to the far post and hoped Clarke or one of the centre backs may flick something on. I am not sure what they have worked on in training but we did not seem to have a plan on dead plays – until we scored with a great delivery from Hussey and finish from Sharp.
It was a poor game overall though and we looked no better than a very ordinary Rochdale side who will not finish any higher than mid-way for me. We have to do much better than that or we will be no higher ourselves. We did not have the tempo and pace we showed in spells in previous game and it all become a bit hit and hope. Other than few half chances, Duffy with a shot pulled wide and a Clarke header it was scraps really. Still if we don’t toss goals away then it is much easier. We do this and we are under pressure.
It was an awful mistake from Long gifted them a goal in a nothing game and after that they had two banks in defence and midfield and we had no idea how to break them down. We started lumping it up to Clarke who won a fair but had no really help around him as Sharp had another poor game until he came to life in the last spell. We had nothing out wide from Done and Duffy. The former has done nothing and surely will lose his place now to the new lad Chapman. Duffy has shown glimpses but barely seen him beat his man (one good run and cross second half apart) and looks to lack pace and aggression. In midfield Fleck had a good first half hour but then he seemed to disappear. Basham did a few bits and pieces but is woefully slow on and off the ball. He is pitifully weak for a big man and another we must upgrade on. I don’t buy this big un/little un talk. Basham is big but does not win headers or tackles so what does it matter – he does not even offer a threat at set plays. I felt the defence was ok. The two centre backs were solid enough – Andrew gave them a few moments to worry about but they had few rea chances save for the Henderson one that bounced quite luckily.
Once we scored you felt we may go on and win but it never really happened and we did not create any more chances. I was really disappointed overall today. All the talk from Wilder of a pressing and harrying side playing up on opponents and having a go etc was a long way off. It was in reality more of the same from last season. We urgently need more players. Basham and Done are two weak links that need replacing but out of the new players Hussey and Duffy have to do much better too. I would even say Brayford and Sharp have began season really poorly too. There are too many ordinary players/performances and we look a long, long way off any kind of promotion side I am afraid.
Today I think many Blades came out very low. We had half a new team (maybe it will take time to gel), a new manager and it was same really poor level if performance with little excitement. It was boring for the most part. We still lack power and pace and invention. We have different players but on that evidence little has changed. Big improvements required and fast. The club seems stuck in a rut and it seems whatever we do can’t things moving. We have to address the pace and power aspect of the side. We are a soft touch and lack drive all over the side. We play like we are wearing scuba outfits (the old fashioned diving ones) and the type of player we have signed has still not addressed this – some have been ok but I think we are just glad not to be seeing Hammond, Collins, McEveley and Sammon!
I just hope we can change things around in level of play but as I say you cannot give players power and pace overnight and those weaknesses will continue to haunt us as we look a set of ordinary plodders.
