Midfield

[Fanny magnet]

I've supported United since the porterfield days and I have never taken so much pleasure from sitting at a game and watching an actual honest to gooodness midfield it's al ist alien to me

I remember us having a decent midfielder or two but not like this ,now we've got more than one ,they play as a unit and make it look easy
.if the front two were anywhere near as good Wed be up now​

 

[Jesus_was_a_Blade]

Well one of them is the top scorer in the division to be fair...

 

[Tyler Durden]

One of that front two kept us in this division with no discernible midfield whatsoever behind him last season......

 

[Sheffsteel]

Well one of them is the top scorer in the division to be fair...

That can sometimes be a red herring

Striker A has 50 chances during the season and scores 10 goals
Striker B has 200 chances and scores 20 goals.

You might say striker B is better because they scored 20 goals but I'd say that striker A is better.

To be fair all our players have been guilty of missing plenty of chances
Including the midfield 3 of Duffy, Coutts and Fleck.
Duffys chance on 10 minutes had a fantastic build up but surely he should have got it on target.
Anyway not to worry, the goals will come.

 

[Stretch]

I know that we have to temper any enthusiasm about our current player with the old 'but we are in League 1' line, however......I don't think I have seen [in the flesh] a United midfield that is as skillful, creative, hardworking and just pleasing on the eye as our current trio [or quintet if you want to include the wingbacks].

Yes we have had better tacklers, faster players and those who score more from midfield but as a collective they really are a bit special.

 

[Bladesman]

One of that front two kept us in this division with no discernible midfield whatsoever behind him last season......

21 goals is just not good enough for some people.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Interesting having such a sublime midfield in a team that dominates games and yet we never create enough chances because our final ball is not good enough. Sorry that does not add up.

 

[Tyler Durden]

21 goals is just not good enough for some people.

He never will be good enough for most of this forum. It's fashionable to dismiss him for some reason.

If I was Billy I would've stayed at Leeds quite frankly.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Interesting having such a sublime midfield in a team that dominates games and yet we never create enough chances because our final ball is not good enough. Sorry that does not add up.

We created 4 excellent chances in the first 20 minutes today.

The sublime midfield means we are gauranteed to have more possession, more attacks, more shots and more corners than the oppostion EVERY match. History show that those kind of stats weigh the result heavily in that teams favour, unless a team is full of really poor finishers.

Also as you work your way up the leagues possession does become more important because it enables a team to take the game away from a dangerous opposition. Wilder is laying down some good foundations but as he says himself we have to be ruthless and postive with possession and make sure the final ball is better.

 

[GrayBlade]

It's the best midfield United have had since the days of TC. I'm not saying that any individual player is as good as TC, but as a group they're outstanding and a pleasure to watch.

 

[Sheffsteel]

He never will be good enough for most of this forum. It's fashionable to dismiss him for some reason.

If I was Billy I would've stayed at Leeds quite frankly.

I don't think anyone can dismiss Billy's fantastic contribution.
But there's more to a player than just stats.
That's why football is so interesting because it's all about opinions.
Billy is a talisman, works so hard and I think he influences and helps brings max effort from the other players.
Also his partnership with Hanson is looking very promising.
Billy has never been quick, so as he gets older his lack of pace won't be an issue.
As long as we pass to feet and set him up he'll still be a good finisher in the Championship.

Really pleased that it's been 3rd time lucky for Billy at his boyhood club.
His current stint here has been a success for him and if we get promoted he will have played a
significant and historical part in helping us rise out of our worse spell (6 yrs in L1) ever.

 

[YES Blade]

They aren't even the best midfield we've had since we dropped into League One, the McDonald, Quinn, Williamson and Doyle midfield from the "Ched season" are better in my opinion.

The difference between this season and that season is we aren't competing against teams as good as Charlton and Wednesday were, so our current lot seem better.

Then you throw in that we have spent years at a higher level, with far better individual players, our current midfielders can't be the best.

They are a very good midfield unit this season, that can't be denied. But let's not rewrite history.

Finally, Fleck is absolute quality, he will 100% be playing Championship football next season. The question is, will it be for United?

 

[Fanny magnet]

He never will be good enough for most of this forum. It's fashionable to dismiss him for some reason.

If I was Billy I would've stayed at Leeds quite frankly.

he played well but you have to admit he's a bit limited

He was constantly beaten to the ball by big bruising defenders even managing to not score from an inch perfect through ball when the defender somehow managed to get a last ditch tackle in

Anyways don't want to sound like I'm slagging him off but looking at the side yesterday it's easy to say why we are converting such a low percentage of our possession into goals

 

[Captain]

Quality midfield no doubt but they don't contribute enough goals in my opinion, Michael Browns 20 goals from midfield seems even more remarkable now.They work well together and are impressive individually, surprised Coutts ain't followed NC to Burton, definitely good enough for Championship.

 

[LJBlade]

He never will be good enough for most of this forum. It's fashionable to dismiss him for some reason.

If I was Billy I would've stayed at Leeds quite frankly.

"Most of this forum"

Not like you to overreact is it? A few posts now equals 'most' now does it?

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Not enough goals to be a real quality midfield

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

He never will be good enough for most of this forum. It's fashionable to dismiss him for some reason.

If I was Billy I would've stayed at Leeds quite frankly.

Agree with the sentiment but not the Leeds bit!

Seriously though he wouldn't be playing for Leeds. Yes he would probably have been on more money there but playing in the reserves or warming the bench. At his age he wants to play and staying at Leeds would have made no sense. You might have an argument that had he gone somewhere else he would have been more appreciated I do agree.

 

[adebo]

They aren't even the best midfield we've had since we dropped into League One, the McDonald, Quinn, Williamson and Doyle midfield from the "Ched season" are better in my opinion.

The difference between this season and that season is we aren't competing against teams as good as Charlton and Wednesday were, so our current lot seem better.

Then you throw in that we have spent years at a higher level, with far better individual players, our current midfielders can't be the best.

They are a very good midfield unit this season, that can't be denied. But let's not rewrite history.

Finally, Fleck is absolute quality, he will 100% be playing Championship football next season. The question is, will it be for United?

Let's hope so

the tonge brown and macca midfield wasnt shabby either.

its still gutting to think the quinny willo doyle and judas midfield didn't get us promoted with a red hot top goal scorer in front of them let's not tempt fate and wax too lyrical

 

[Dec]

That can sometimes be a red herring

Striker A has 50 chances during the season and scores 10 goals
Striker B has 200 chances and scores 20 goals.

You might say striker B is better because they scored 20 goals but I'd say that striker A is better.

This way of thinking totally disregards the ability to get said chances. Billy gets more chances because he's a better striker than the rest in the league, by quite a distance as well.

I'd rather our strikers get 10 chances in a game and score 2 than get 1 chance and score 1. Goals win games. Billy scores them, and a good amount of them too.

 

[Woodwardfan]

We created 4 excellent chances in the first 20 minutes today.

The sublime midfield means we are gauranteed to have more possession, more attacks, more shots and more corners than the oppostion EVERY match. History show that those kind of stats weigh the result heavily in that teams favour, unless a team is full of really poor finishers.

Also as you work your way up the leagues possession does become more important because it enables a team to take the game away from a dangerous opposition. Wilder is laying down some good foundations but as he says himself we have to be ruthless and postive with possession and make sure the final ball is better.

I like the higher league perspective and agree with that and if we have continuity of management they can plan ahead.

I agree with Wilder. I think we are great until the final third but I believe Coutts rarely gets far enough oilfield. Flecks does well enough and Duffy not enough this past month. As a middle three they leave too big a gap to the strikers. None of them drive at the centre of defences, none of them even try the ball to feet in the crowded penalty area. It's extra variation and if there was less of a gap we would pick up more second balls.

Added to all that Lafferty on the left of midfield offers little going forward. Freeman is fine, not great but very good indeed at this level and he is only young.

Fact is we don't have any good crossers of the ball other than Billy Sharp ironically. May be Riley and Chapman can add that dimension and I'm sure O'Shea can.

Brooks, Reed and Whiteman will add so much in time.

 

[TBW57]

This way of thinking totally disregards the ability to get said chances. Billy gets more chances because he's a better striker than the rest in the league, by quite a distance as well.

I'd rather our strikers get 10 chances in a game and score 2 than get 1 chance and score 1. Goals win games. Billy scores them, and a good amount of them too.

That's absolutely right. You've got to get to where the chances are before you can miss them.

Scunthorpe's goal was a case in point. Paddy Madden is a natural goalmouth predator. If he hadn't anticipated where the ball was likely to go, he wouldn't have been anywhere near it and it wouldn't have counted as a "chance" at all. Billy Sharp is exactly like that; he continually gets into the right place to score and that's the only reason that he misses more chances, and scores more goals, than everyone else.

 

[Pinchy]

Interesting having such a sublime midfield in a team that dominates games and yet we never create enough chances because our final ball is not good enough. Sorry that does not add up.

According to the usual "match stats" we've had a huge number of shots at goal in most matches. That indicates we do create chances.

The team is still a work in progress as Tufty often reminds us. Some of us would do well to remember just how bad we were last season, and thank Pele how much we've improved. Perfection is an elusive target, but we're getting there.

 

[Tyler Durden]

"Most of this forum"

Not like you to overreact is it? A few posts now equals 'most' now does it?

Well if I wanted to say something really ridiculous I could've said that the defence are the reason we are top of the table. But y'know......

 

[Robby Blade]

I've supported United since the porterfield days and I have never taken so much pleasure from sitting at a game and watching an actual honest to gooodness midfield it's al ist alien to me

I remember us having a decent midfielder or two but not like this ,now we've got more than one ,they play as a unit and make it look easy
.if the front two were anywhere near as good Wed be up now​

I have supported them for sixty years and never seen a midfield so easy to watch. How they would get on in a higher league we will have to wait and see, but for now it is a pleasure to see them perform.

 

[Tyler Durden]

he played well but you have to admit he's a bit limited

He was constantly beaten to the ball by big bruising defenders even managing to not score from an inch perfect through ball when the defender somehow managed to get a last ditch tackle in

Anyways don't want to sound like I'm slagging him off but looking at the side yesterday it's easy to say why we are converting such a low percentage of our possession into goals

A limited striker is one who doesn't score goals.

It is Top Scorer Billy Sharps remit to score goals. Top scorer Billy Sharp has done this more than anybody else in the division, which explains why he is the top scorer of goals.

Supporters of any other club would think "fucking hell, how wonderful it is to have a player like Top Scorer Billy Sharp banging in 20+ goals and counting for the second consecutive season".

Not here though, that would be unthinkable.....

 

[Punk Blade]

Let's hope so

the tonge brown and macca midfield wasnt shabby either.

its still gutting to think the quinny willo doyle and judas midfield didn't get us promoted with a red hot top goal scorer in front of them let's not tempt fate and wax too lyrical

*ahem* NDLOVU!

https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-value-of-done.50784/page-2#post-1165246

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

A limited striker is one who doesn't score goals.

It is Top Scorer Billy Sharps remit to score goals. Top scorer Billy Sharp has done this more than anybody else in the division, which explains why he is the top scorer of goals.

Supporters of any other club would think "fucking hell, how wonderful it is to have a player like Top Scorer Billy Sharp banging in 20+ goals and counting for the second consecutive season".

Not here though, that would be unthinkable.....

Billy is the football equivalent to Ronseal. Does what it says on the tin!

As I alluded to above. Creating chances isn't just down to the midfield, scoring those chances isn't just down to the forwards. We don't get enough goals from midfield.

 

[Fanny magnet]

A limited striker is one who doesn't score goals.

It is Top Scorer Billy Sharps remit to score goals. Top scorer Billy Sharp has done this more than anybody else in the division, which explains why he is the top scorer of goals.

Supporters of any other club would think "fucking hell, how wonderful it is to have a player like Top Scorer Billy Sharp banging in 20+ goals and counting for the second consecutive season".

Not here though, that would be unthinkable.....

You're totally missing my point
I'm not saying he is shit ,get rid I'm just trying to explain why we have so much possesion in and around the final third and don't score more goals

 

[allypallyblade]

We need to get behind teams more. 3 5 2 means we don't get to the by-line enough. It's a small whinge but it is what Hanson and Sharp would thrive on.

 

[Woodwardfan]

According to the usual "match stats" we've had a huge number of shots at goal in most matches. That indicates we do create chances.

The team is still a work in progress as Tufty often reminds us. Some of us would do well to remember just how bad we were last season, and thank Pele how much we've improved. Perfection is an elusive target, but we're getting there.

Fair comment but there are shots at goal and there a chances of scoring and then there are good chances of scoring. There are successfully completed passes and there are successfully completed forward passes and there are successfully completed dangerous forward passes. Generally maybe 50 pc of goals come from deflections, rebounds or pick-ups off half-clearances; to pick them up we need men there to benefit and Wilder gets more men in the box than Adkins and Clough but not enough round and about the box. As you say we are a work in progress. Carruthers might well be the man, Flecks fine and maybe we can see a lot of O'Shea., Riley and Chapman.

Of all people though Pinchy I would never have imagined you were a stats man.