Ball Retention

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Surrey Blade

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What a pleasure it is to see a United team so comfortable on the ball. Unlike last year, players all show for the ball and there is real zip and quality in our passing. Coutts and Fleck are outstanding in possession and have the skill to pass accurately over long distances. Opposition teams become frustrated by the amount of quality possession we have and this can easily lead to the red cards we have seen in the last two home matches. This vast improvement is testament to the great work being done by CW and AK on the training ground.
 



What a pleasure it is to see a United team so comfortable on the ball. Unlike last year, players all show for the ball and there is real zip and quality in our passing. Coutts and Fleck are outstanding in possession and have the skill to pass accurately over long distances. Opposition teams become frustrated by the amount of quality possession we have and this can easily lead to the red cards we have seen in the last two home matches. This vast improvement is testament to the great work being done by CW and AK on the training ground.


Spot on.

I think the current way is what McCabe wanted when he talked about a change of style post Warnock. And Wilder is the first manager since to actually manage to get a team doing it. And even better, he didn't need to go spending millions to do it, unlike Other managers who thought that was how it was done.

It is a real pleasure to see United pinning sides in their third, retaining possession in the right areas and recycling the ball. I am also seeing confidence grow, and more composure from the defence to take a touch and pass it quickly into Fleck or Coutts rather than just clear it forward.
Long may it continue. I sincerely hope we are finally shedding our reputation of hoofball and putting that past firmly behind us forever.

We are well on the way to becoming a proper football team.
 
Spot on.

I think the current way is what McCabe wanted when he talked about a change of style post Warnock. And Wilder is the first manager since to actually manage to get a team doing it. And even better, he didn't need to go spending millions to do it, unlike Other managers who thought that was how it was done.

It is a real pleasure to see United pinning sides in their third, retaining possession in the right areas and recycling the ball. I am also seeing confidence grow, and more composure from the defence to take a touch and pass it quickly into Fleck or Coutts rather than just clear it forward.
Long may it continue. I sincerely hope we are finally shedding our reputation of hoofball and putting that past firmly behind us forever.

We are well on the way to becoming a proper football team.

Grizzly, you're not a fifth columnist from the ranks of Pinchy and his philosophy of sublime football by any chance? I'll be keeping an eye out for you two, you've been warned ;)
 
Grizzly, you're not a fifth columnist from the ranks of Pinchy and his philosophy of sublime football by any chance? I'll be keeping an eye out for you two, you've been warned ;)


Noted sir.....just think that a football club goes to a lot of trouble to scout, coach, train and prepare kids to play football. Such a shame when the best some clubs can manage is to lump it and neglect the skills so painstakingly gained by these lads.
 
Noted sir.....just think that a football club goes to a lot of trouble to scout, coach, train and prepare kids to play football. Such a shame when the best some clubs can manage is to lump it and neglect the skills so painstakingly gained by these lads.

It is indeed an interesting question, and given the number of managers we've had, it's puzzling how so many have stuck to a tried, but definitely untested, version of more or less the same guide-lines. It begs the question, is what we're witnessing more a case of right time, right place? Where Wilder and the players he's brought in, with a few exceptions who were already here, have been right for one another, or that the players have the capabilities that Wilder has sought. Clearly, Wilder's influence is significant in the amazing turnaround in our fortunes, and should we continue in the same vein this season then he will surely attain superstar status amongst the supporters of this club. Promotion is the goal of course, but it's crossed my mind that both Wilder as well as the club, should we finally leave this division, approach being in the Championship with a sensible building programme enabling us to challenge for promotion in a season or three. Think how Burnley have stuck with Sean Dyche, no panic over relegation, they appreciate where they stand amongst football's hierarchy and respond accordingly, with a sensible approach to growing as a club, and in doing so they can attract better players.....I believe the most they've paid, up until now, is £4million for a midfielder?
 
Spot on.

I think the current way is what McCabe wanted when he talked about a change of style post Warnock. And Wilder is the first manager since to actually manage to get a team doing it. And even better, he didn't need to go spending millions to do it, unlike Other managers who thought that was how it was done.

It is a real pleasure to see United pinning sides in their third, retaining possession in the right areas and recycling the ball. I am also seeing confidence grow, and more composure from the defence to take a touch and pass it quickly into Fleck or Coutts rather than just clear it forward.
Long may it continue. I sincerely hope we are finally shedding our reputation of hoofball and putting that past firmly behind us forever.

We are well on the way to becoming a proper football team.

I ❤️ You.

I ❤️ all the Blades who are expressing similar views. I propose a truth and reconciliation committee followed by a Royal Pardon for all repentant Hoofers...*







* It's a joke, lads, spare the vitriol.,.
 
It is indeed an interesting question, and given the number of managers we've had, it's puzzling how so many have stuck to a tried, but definitely untested, version of more or less the same guide-lines. It begs the question, is what we're witnessing more a case of right time, right place? Where Wilder and the players he's brought in, with a few exceptions who were already here, have been right for one another, or that the players have the capabilities that Wilder has sought. Clearly, Wilder's influence is significant in the amazing turnaround in our fortunes, and should we continue in the same vein this season then he will surely attain superstar status amongst the supporters of this club. Promotion is the goal of course, but it's crossed my mind that both Wilder as well as the club, should we finally leave this division, approach being in the Championship with a sensible building programme enabling us to challenge for promotion in a season or three. Think how Burnley have stuck with Sean Dyche, no panic over relegation, they appreciate where they stand amongst football's hierarchy and respond accordingly, with a sensible approach to growing as a club, and in doing so they can attract better players.....I believe the most they've paid, up until now, is £4million for a midfielder?


£10.5million on Hendrick. Agree with main point though.
 



It takes a pedant to repeat what originally finished with a ? That should have been enough to show uncertainty, but please bask in the glow of your pedantry (as if it matters).


Never noticed the ?, my apologies - but 2 big transfers makes your point rather poor itsie, and to be pedantic you introduced the Gray fee which is reported as £6m elsewhere, rather pedantic in itself, £10.54m as compared to £10.5m in fact., pedantry indeed.
 
Never noticed the ?, my apologies - but 2 big transfers makes your point rather poor itsie, and to be pedantic you introduced the Gray fee which is reported as £6m elsewhere, rather pedantic in itself, £10.54m as compared to £10.5m in fact., pedantry indeed.

Are you like this most of the time? Or is it a quality you struggle to suppress? Is it why your ignominious declaration that you were leaving before you reached 5000 posts a sign of why you feel it's necessary to continue when all others had breathed a sigh of relief at your announcement?
 
Opposition teams become frustrated by the amount of quality possession we have and this can easily lead to the red cards we have seen in the last two home matches. This vast improvement is testament to the great work being done by CW and AK on the training ground.

A related point which also reflects well on Wilder and his staff is the self-discipline shown by the players.

We're all aware of the "even things up" style of refereeing which puts teams at increased risk of having a man sent off in the immediate aftermath of an opponent being sent off the pitch and it's not hard to call to mind hot-headed United players and teams from the past who would have invited dismissals with their responses to that sort of situation. The attitude of whoever was manager at the time would have a bearing on this - Warnock, for example, wasn't the type to react to on-field aggro with equanimity and that would communicate itself to the players readily enough.

Yet here we are in the immediate aftermath of two unprecedented games in which no less than four opponents have been sent off and to my eyes there wasn't even a sniff in either match of any of our players reacting in the wrong way and giving the ref an opportunity to dismiss him. That, I think, is attributable to Wilder and is a credit to him.

On a related point, our defensive work is much more disciplined. Basham has the occasional rush of blood and dives into the odd tackle - there was one such example second half last night - but, him apart, what strikes me about our defensive work both at the back and in midfield is the calm way our players go about it with very little in the way of wild tackling and diving in.

Well done, Wilder.
 
Are you like this most of the time? Or is it a quality you struggle to suppress? Is it why your ignominious declaration that you were leaving before you reached 5000 posts a sign of why you feel it's necessary to continue when all others had breathed a sigh of relief at your announcement?


Pedantry indeed. You'll be pleased to know I'm only on here part time, now and again like.

£10.54m indeed !!
 
And our winner shows exactly that. Would have been easier for coutts to whip one in to a congested box, but he saw a one two to create space and I think his first assist of the season. More more more like that needed

Coutts and fleck were literally everywhere for the last 20 minutes pulling the strings.
 
And our winner shows exactly that. Would have been easier for coutts to whip one in to a congested box, but he saw a one two to create space and I think his first assist of the season. More more more like that needed

Coutts and fleck were literally everywhere for the last 20 minutes pulling the strings.

For the last 20 minutes Coutts and Fleck were playing in a restricted zone - no opposition!

We all see different things. I thought Fleck and Coutts were our biggest problem actually. We were playing against 10 and then 9 men and they we persisted in doing the smae things: Fleck or Coutts get the ball in midfield, comfortably pass it wide to Lafferty or O'Connell on the left and EEL on the right, hopeful high cross to small forwards in the box, easy nod away from Bury defenders under no challenge.

Play it out wide by all means but not every time. Why not go through the middle? One-twos, chips with follow up, shots with deflections etc and back it all up and pick up the second balls with men in and around 2nd ball country.

Eventually Coutts was drawn into the final third which is where he ought to be playing more. Why not play him in Duffy's role when Duffy is not available, now there is a debating point.

If you think United's midfield was "everywhere" last night Sheffielder, I think they were 'nowhere' and playing in an abandoned area of the field as far as the opposition were concerned. If anybody had given Tony Currie and Alan Woodward the opportunity to play against 9 men in consecutive home games we would not have been worrying about the destiny of the points right to the final whistle, believe me.
 
Are you like this most of the time? Or is it a quality you struggle to suppress? Is it why your ignominious declaration that you were leaving before you reached 5000 posts a sign of why you feel it's necessary to continue when all others had breathed a sigh of relief at your announcement?

Woody's decided to stay around until Little Louis is a first team regular.

Better strap in for the long haul....
 
And our winner shows exactly that. Would have been easier for coutts to whip one in to a congested box, but he saw a one two to create space and I think his first assist of the season. More more more like that needed

Coutts and fleck were literally everywhere for the last 20 minutes pulling the strings.

Coutts has 4 assists this season according to the O/S page, 3 in the league. Only Fleck has more.
http://www.sufc.co.uk/stats/player-stats/
 
I don't think I've ever seen a United side dominate as many games as we have this season. Obviously people will look at the fact Shrewsbury and Bury lost men but it's really like seeing a conference side going to a Premiership side at times.

There's much to improve on when teams sit back like they have been doing but it's great to see us really control a game so much. Bury only went down to 9 for the last 10 minutes and there is no way we would have restricted a 10 man team to just one long range effort last season.
 



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