Please stop starting Lundstram

[boo radley]

I think its unfair to single out Lundstram. Only Basham could really say he played well or even at best okay. From minute one you could tell it was going to be one of those games. The goal sums it up. We're entitled to an off day every so often. QPR to their credit didn't give us any time on the ball but you know things aren't going well when Coutts is firing passes straight into touch and Clarke is a passenger up top. Sure Tufty will have them right for Hull
UTB

That has happened in nearly every game and yet some turn a blind eye to it yet he is the one who has done that the most this season. Some say he did not play well against Leeds but to me he was the one who was controlling the game near the end. By sticking to the simple things he does well at certain points in a game. Not by hoofing long balls out of play like a pressurised centre back.

 

[stringer]

 

[bladesman3]

I think its unfair to single out Lundstram. Only Basham could really say he played well or even at best okay. From minute one you could tell it was going to be one of those games. The goal sums it up. We're entitled to an off day every so often. QPR to their credit didn't give us any time on the ball but you know things aren't going well when Coutts is firing passes straight into touch and Clarke is a passenger up top. Sure Tufty will have them right for Hull
UTB

I thought Lundstram played well tonight...he played sone really good through Ball, moved the ball well...I could see a lot of promise and a good footballer!

 

[bladesman3]

I thought he was our best midfielder today Just goes to show...

I agree...did well...people should watch the game again....

 

[Roygbiv]

I thought Lundstram played well tonight...he played sone really good through Ball, moved the ball well...I could see a lot of promise and a good footballer!

Me too. He wasn't amazing but he played some lovely passes at times. Certainly was one of our better players I thought without standing out.

 

[sheffielder]

We should take this victory on the chin. Everything went against us tonight and we were still in it.
We miss Fleck, he is our engine and we will be raring to go on Saturday.
9 in 12. We lost to a team tonight on a high.

 

[sheffielder]

To be honest, I was looking forward to seeing how Clarke and Donaldson played together, two big, fast lads, but it didn't work.

Out of interest, I can't think of a partnership of two big fast lads that has worked.

 

[sheffielder]

It does seem like we don't function as good if any one of Coutts, Fleck or Duffy are not starting.

Worked well at Hillsborough for the 1st half. Difference was we had Brooks up top who could stay up or drop back.

 

[Ricky]

He just looks ungainly. He has a lot of attributes and is showing more of them every time he plays. He was quite good tonight, but the midfield wasn't going to look the same without Fleck and Duffy - and subsequently Lundstram will be the one who cops for it. I think Carruthers playing in Duffy's role would've helped.

 

[metalblade]

I thought it was a bit of a gamble that midfield Coutts the only regular starter, Brooks don't offer a lot defensively and Lundstrum hasn't had a lot of game time QPR are a physical side we were going to struggle. That said we gifted them a goal and missed a few easy chances take them and it is a different game.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Does anyone think Wilder will be telling the players they're entitled to an off night?

I do.

They're good professionals who know what sort of a game they played and a bollocking wouldn't achieve anything.

There was probably beer involved afterwards as well

 

[JordoBlade]

I'm not going to jump on the hate Lundstram band wagon but he simply doesn't fit in with our play. Just a mere observation....

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I'm not going to jump on the hate Lundstram band wagon but he simply doesn't fit in with our play. Just a mere observation....

In hindsight, rather than the over reactive OP I wrote 2 mins after the final whistle, this is perhaps how I should have worded it.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

I didn't think he played that bad, at times we did play ok, but as I mentioned in another post, our pasing was off all game and everyone was culpable!

 

[JordoBlade]

In hindsight, rather than the over reactive OP I wrote 2 mins after the final whistle, this is perhaps how I should have worded it.

It always hurts after a defeat so you're not alone. I genuinely believe he could be a useful player, just not for us.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

It always hurts after a defeat so you're not alone. I genuinely believe he could be a useful player, just not for us.

After the forest and norwich games, I was surprisingly upbeat. We'd played some superb football in both and were unfortunate to lose both.

Whilst we were unfortunate to lose last night, it was the manner.

As I said all through the match thread, you have to give the oppo credit.

 

[TTMeysh]

I watched him quite closely last night, having missed the Norwich game. He's quite slow and not really a fetcher and carrier, more the 'deep lying quarterback' type - it seems obvious to me therefore that playing him and Coutts won't work, particularly when Duffy's role defending from the front is absent. So: still think he can do a job as cover for Coutts, but the wrong pick last night.

In hindsight, the thread the other day saying we don't actually need anyone in the JTW is looking a bit silly.

 

[Foody]

In hindsight, rather than the over reactive OP I wrote 2 mins after the final whistle, this is perhaps how I should have worded it.

I disagree . I like Lundstram, he's a tidy player who can tackle and has good distribution. When he plays the Coutts role he looks a decent player. He just doesn't have the energy to replace Fleck, and removing Duffy from the midfield 3 also reduced movement and options for the man on the ball.

Also I thought out of the players coming in (Brooks, Donaldson and Lundstram) Lundstram was the one, who had the best game and looked most comfortable. But it wouldn't be fashionable to criticise the performance of Brooks.

Really don't get why fans don't rate him, especially when you consider how difficult it must be to replace one of the holy trinity.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I disagree . I like Lundstram, he's a tidy player who can tackle and has good distribution. When he plays the Coutts role he looks a decent player. He just doesn't have the energy to replace Fleck, and removing Duffy from the midfield 3 also reduced movement and options for the man on the ball.

Also I thought out of the players coming in (Brooks, Donaldson and Lundstram) Lundstram was the one, who had the best game and looked most comfortable. But it wouldn't be fashionable to criticise the performance of Brooks.

Really don't get why fans don't rate him, especially when you consider how difficult it must be to replace one of the holy trinity.

I think from a mental perspective that's the reason.

Our midfield three playing together are a joy to watch, all comfy on the ball, all mobile, all can go past players. They all trust each other on the ball and feel comfortable giving it to each other despite under pressure.

Lundstram is a different player add to that we had Brooks playing in a role he doesn't belong in and we have a midfield 3 that didn't work.

Coutts had a poor game and made simple passes look difficult, but we didn't have the movement off him, allowing him options.

Also, we hardly played though the middle most of the game, and they certainly didn't play through the middle.

 

[TTMeysh]

Brooks showed flashes of brilliance but also took the wrong option many times, as to be expected. The more important conclusion though is that if he's going to start, it should be in a Hillsborough-style 3-5-1-1.

 

[Bladesthorpe]

He was my MOM last night, gave it away less than any of the others and did a superb turn that sent 2 of their players the wrong way in the first half that if DB had done it we would have been purring about it.

 

[Blade56]

Why oh why do we have the need to have to have a player to bully. He's come into a reight good team and needs time. TBH last few games he's done well IMO, let's get on Brooke's back or Donaldson, or O'Connell instead they didn't have a good game

 

[Mouth of the South]

I seem to be in the minority but I thought Lundstram struggled last night, found it difficult to not pass sideways or backwards and gave the ball away far too often.

Yes, his turn in the first half (which incidentally was right in front of us in the QPR stand) was sublime but that and a few important interceptions when covering the back three aside, I felt his really didn't influence the game.

Having seen him a number of times for Oxford, he is probably too similar to Coutts for them to play together i.e. both want to be the QB and dictate play.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

It's amazing how a little bit of success turns supporters into arrogant cunts. I bet many Blades expected us to just sweep QPR aside lastnight. Take a step back Blades, this was a very good reality check.