Match Day Thread: The Mighty Blades v Wigan Athletic

[Not_a_Cheat]

So after more missed opportunities on Tuesday night it's again back to business at BDBL with the visit of Wigan Athletic. They've made a solid start to their championship life after promotion are will come to Bramall Lane with belief they can get something.....

So...

Any team news?

Wilder suggests there are some knocks being carried?

Who?

Is Sharp fit to replace Clarke? Fitness wise I mean

Another great opportunity to put 3 points on the board, but as is reflected in the table, seems very open this season. Still think we'll have too much for them, so I'm going for an ambitious 3-1 Blades win.

UTB

 

[Topplayersleave]

1-1 again
We aren't going to keep a clean sheet, that much is obvious
And a situation where we are making the wrong decisions constantly with the final ball has crept into our game

 

[Bill Johnson]

I very much want to post here at fulltime huge praise for the way we clinically converted our possession into goals, maintained our passing quality throughout and dealt resolutely and calmly with their attempts without repeatedly giving away free kicks in dangerous positions. No prediction as to scoreline.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

So after more missed opportunities on Tuesday night it's again back to business at BDBL with the visit of Wigan Athletic. They've made a solid start to their championship life after promotion are will come to Bramall Lane with belief they can get something.....

So...

Any team news?

Wilder suggests there are some knocks being carried?

Who?

Is Sharp fit to replace Clarke? Fitness wise I mean

Another great opportunity to put 3 points on the board, but as is reflected in the table, seems very open this season. Still think we'll have too much for them, so I'm going for an ambitious 3-1 Blades win.

UTB

This is Clarke's run in the team mate. Sharp will be on the bench, of that I am certain. Wilder thinks Clarke needs to get back in the spotlight otherwise he'll fade away for good, like he has at most other clubs. It's a delicate balancing act with him. He's either up on cloud 9 or down in the dumps, there's not much in between. So, barring an injury, the shirt is now Clarke's for the next few games. But Sharp will get on the pitch at some point. There's another reason as well...he's being mean to Sharp to keep him keen. He's going to unleash him in the Sheffield derby when he's absolutely straining at the pelt to play.

I think it's very harsh on Sharp not to be in the starting line up tbh. I thought he'd done nothing wrong at all to lose his place. Wilder ought to have dropped some of the others who let him down with their awful crossing into the box instead, or lazy defending. I can only assume Baldock was not fully fit, otherwise Freeman would surely have been dropped after that pathetic and lethargic performance at Derby. Anyhow...

I do think Clarke offers something over and above Sharp. And that's height - winning balls in the air. But he needs to get back in the scoring vain quick. Hopefully that one last week will be the start of many.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Sharp should play unless he’s injured, you don’t leave your top scorer on the bench because you’ve got a derby match coming up. If our tails are up going into the pig match we’ll batter them so let’s make sure they are.

We don’t need to keep a clean sheet if we play for 90 mins as we’ll score 2 or 3 ourselves. Get an early goal but keep pushing instead of sitting back it will take care of itself.

I might be doing to Wigan what other teams fans do to us as I don’t know how they play but I expect them to be solid rather than spectacular. Paul Cook is a bit of a scouse gobshite so I’d like us to shut him up.

 

[derfblade.3]

 

[8lade]

Wasn't there a period of time in our promotion season where it looked like, 'nobody wanted to win the league' ?
We could well have just come through that in this league, if we don't get back on picking up the wins we'll get left behind now.

 

[BigBed]

Atleast we will understand Leons choice of handwear today!!

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Well if you take the View from Wigan literally then they are going to park the bus.
So the Blades having lots of the ball, but will we have the skill to break them down ?
Or will we see lots of fannying about on the edge of their box and wayward shooting like Tuesday night.
Can see this being a frustrating game, if ever an early goal for the Blades was needed i would say its today it is.
But please Blades if we do get an early goal don't sit back, i don't think i could stand 75min of us dropping deeper and deeper.

 

[DronnieBlade]

This is Clarke's run in the team mate. Sharp will be on the bench, of that I am certain. Wilder thinks Clarke needs to get back in the spotlight otherwise he'll fade away for good, like he has at most other clubs. It's a delicate balancing act with him. He's either up on cloud 9 or down in the dumps, there's not much in between. So, barring an injury, the shirt is now Clarke's for the next few games. But Sharp will get on the pitch at some point. There's another reason as well...he's being mean to Sharp to keep him keen. He's going to unleash him in the Sheffield derby when he's absolutely straining at the pelt to play.

I think it's very harsh on Sharp not to be in the starting line up tbh. I thought he'd done nothing wrong at all to lose his place. Wilder ought to have dropped some of the others who let him down with their awful crossing into the box instead, or lazy defending. I can only assume Baldock was not fully fit, otherwise Freeman would surely have been dropped after that pathetic and lethargic performance at Derby. Anyhow...

I do think Clarke offers something over and above Sharp. And that's height - winning balls in the air. But he needs to get back in the scoring vain quick. Hopefully that one last week will be the start of many.

Pandaring to ANY players fragile ego / character is an extremely dangerous game to be playing.

UTB

 

[FYT]

4-1 Blades, come on lads & lasses let's get positive, we will murder 'em! UTB FTP COYRAWW!!!!

 

[Harry's Game]

If we get an early goal I fancy a comfortable win.

If it stays nil nil or we fall behind it could be a long hard slog today.

 

[Carlton Blade]

COYRAWW

 

[Carlton Blade]

Americans call this a trap game. 3rd game in a week, 2 big games to follow, it's freezing outside, we'll have to make some changes.

I think we are rightly favourites. But would anyone be surprised if we were 1-0 down after 20 minutes?

I'm hoping the players that do come in seize the opportunity and give everyone a boost.

A tentative prediction of a scrappy 2-1 win

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Fleck injured?

 

[SB_90]

Cant wait to be conflicted this evening yet again. In about 7 hrs About how we played fantastic played the opposition off the park so in that i cant complain. But problem was we didnt translate our dominance in to a advantange on the pitch. At 0-0 1-0 (delete as appropriate) it came back to bite us

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I'll keep it brief, as I can smell that my Kedgeree is catching. GOALS. GOALS. GOALS. GOALS. At least four of the blighters today. Whose net? Not tellin'.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Fleck injured?

Wilder suggested a couple of players had knocks. If one is Fleck it’ll be interesting to see whether a two of Coutts & Norwood behind Duffy can work – not sure that’s the right balance.

 

[wavy-blade]

Following a loss and a draw we simply need to win today no other result will do , Derby are on fire at the moment , they have just taken the lead at middlesbrough and with the Derby comming up next we need a win to hopefully start a winning run !

 

[Ricky]

Much better weather today.

Sharp has to go back in, probably at the expense of McGoldrick who we need to manage carefully.

Their centre backs have both got errors in them too and Clarke is the best one to force and capitalise on them.

I'd also like to see one of the wing backs changed, Baldock coming in if fit, preferably.

 

[Blade58]

Wilder suggested a couple of players had knocks. If one is Fleck it’ll be interesting to see whether a two of Coutts & Norwood behind Duffy can work – not sure that’s the right balance.

Duffy was also holding his groin just before he was subbed

Praying we don’t lose them both today

 

[Blade1959]

Duffy & Egan both missing today!

 

[bromtom]

McG for Duffy, Woodburn back on the bench. Stearman for Egan, a solid replacement tough Egan has been outstanding.

 

[Bill Johnson]

McG for Duffy, Woodburn back on the bench. Stearman for Egan, a solid replacement tough Egan has been outstanding.

Is that confirmed?

 

[bromtom]

Is that confirmed?

 

[YES Blade]

Is that confirmed?

 

[BritishSteel]

Is that confirmed?

Confirmed. Not sure if McGoldrick will play the Duffy role or if we are going 3-4-3 though. This is the formation that Radio Sheffield have just said we will be playing.

 

[DeanLearner'sCat]

McGoldrick in the AM role behind Clarke and Sharp, it seems. Or maybe Bash in midfield and it's 4-3-3. Either way, Wilder doesn't seem to rate/trust Woodburn at all.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

McGoldrick in the AM role behind Clarke and Sharp, it seems. Or maybe Bash in midfield and it's 4-3-3. Either way, Wilder doesn't seem to rate/trust Woodburn at all.

If he didn't rate or trust Woodburn at all, he wouldn't be on the bench.

 

[Reedy1889]

Not too fussed with Stears coming in for Egan. Whilst he isn't as good as the latter, it shouldn't have too much of an impact. The obvious one is Mcgoldrick sitting slightly deeper behind Sharp & Clarke, interested to see how this one plays out.