Norwood Suspension

[Pinchy]

One game at a time, let’s not disrespect Brentford..

The thought of anyone on here disrespecting Brentford is a novel one, given we’ve been obsequiously doffing them to death for eighteen months.

 

[Boxer Blade]

One game at a time, let’s not disrespect Brentford..

Talk about Leeds in midweek..

Why are we disrespecting Brentford? It's about Norwood getting booked and what's more important , never in my life understood the age old football saying 'one game at a time', whats going to happen to us by talking about Norwood and Leeds?

 

[TTMeysh]

My impression, based on no statistical analysis whatsoever and probably bullshit, is he's tended to pick up his bookings later on in games, when he's blowing a bit and eg over-stretching for a tackle that he hasn't quite got to.

So play him for 70 minutes, go 3-0 and then give him a bit of a rest.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

My impression, based on no statistical analysis whatsoever and probably bullshit, is he's tended to pick up his bookings later on in games, when he's blowing a bit and eg over-stretching for a tackle that he hasn't quite got to.

So play him for 70 minutes, go 3-0 and then give him a bit of a rest.

Remember Villa?

 

[BladeTillIDie]

Remember Villa?

A very big one off.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

I don’t see coutts starting another game for us, at least this season. If Norwood is rested I see Basham in midfield and cranie at the back. I just don’t see them giving him his first league start. He’s doesn’t even regularly come on as sub

His contract is up in June.

 

[Topplayersleave]

I would be absolutely delighted to be 3-0 up against Brentford

They are exactly the type of team to damage us, quick movement on the break with clever, incisive and intricate players

 

[robbiez666]

We have to win. Resting Norwood for a highly immobile Coutts against a team like Brentford is suicidal.

They beat Boro away last game and scored 5 twice in the last two months.

 

[Razor1967]

I think this is far more likely (if, and it's a big if, Norwood isn't selected).

He will be selected......it’s a no brained.

 

[Razor1967]

He will be selected......it’s a no brained.

Brainer

 

[Harry's Game]

Without a pre leg break Coutts we can’t leave him out.

And we don’t have a pre leg break Coutts unfortunately

 

[metalblade]

What makes everyone so certain that Leeds will beat Reading away tomorrow? Reading have only lost once since the end of January and are picking up wins as well as draws.The only thing that spoils it for them is the 4-0 drubbing they got at BDTBL

 

[Tezza1889]

Why are we disrespecting Brentford? It's about Norwood getting booked and what's more important , never in my life understood the age old football saying 'one game at a time', whats going to happen to us by talking about Norwood and Leeds?

Nothing mate, but we’re going on about Leeds and getting in front of ourselves, just my opinion but three points are on offer this Tuesday .. I am aware that Saturday is very different as well (you know what a 6 pointer is I’m guessing) .. don’t you think we could lose both games if we have one eye on Saturday ? Stay fully focussed on the next game that’s my reasoning anyway..

 

[Tezza1889]

The thought of anyone on here disrespecting Brentford is a novel one, given we’ve been obsequiously doffing them to death for eighteen months.

Yep, you have a point there, some would have been happy to emulate what they’ve been doing in this division on possibly a similar budget (or less) than us, fact is we’ve gone past them in many areas..

I’m thinking they’ll sharpen us up on Tuesday night and remind us that the division can provide many surprises between now and may.. they’ll give us a game...

Start. Norwood, play your best team whenever possible, adapt when you have to... back on topic now..

 

[Pinchy]

Nothing mate, but we’re going on about Leeds and getting in front of ourselves, just my opinion but three points are on offer this Tuesday .. I am aware that Saturday is very different as well (you know what a 6 pointer is I’m guessing) .. don’t you think we could lose both games if we have one eye on Saturday ? Stay fully focussed on the next game that’s my reasoning anyway..

That’s precisely what Tufty and the lads will do, but he has to take into account the game after as well. It’s reasonable and professional forward planning rather than taking his eye off the ball. He certainly won’t be encouraging the players to think beyond the next game, that’s for sure but privately, he has to.

In any event, I’m pretty sure that the idea of our “best team” is far from unanimous. Mine would feature Baldock, Dowell and Madine for example. Others would advocate Didsy or Duff. Some would play Crainie. There’s even a crazy notion that Freeman is anywhere near as good as Baldock.


I digress. The point is Tufty tends to get this rotation stuff just about right. He and his staff know which players need a rest and when.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Nothing mate, but we’re going on about Leeds and getting in front of ourselves, just my opinion but three points are on offer this Tuesday .. I am aware that Saturday is very different as well (you know what a 6 pointer is I’m guessing) .. don’t you think we could lose both games if we have one eye on Saturday ? Stay fully focussed on the next game that’s my reasoning anyway..

Tezz, the people theat need to stay fully focused are the management and players not us and obviously they are, we as fans will always be looking and talking about the next few games,we wont alter anything by looking forward if we lose them both then thats what will happen,nothing to do with us fans not being focused ,what's a six pointer? Just joking, trying to stay focused on tonight!

 

[originaltrueblade]

Play Norwood and put mustard on your finger nails

 

[DronnieBlade]

Having watched Coutts start at Forest and at home to Barnet and also against SWFC reserves; there would be a major drop off if Norwood is replaced by Coutts.

Coutts has done ok in limited minutes when he comes on but has not influenced games when he has started.

He has to start - if he gets booked so be it. As others have said if we lose tomorrow we would be 5 pts behind anyway and need to have better than Leeds in 2 of the last 9 games which is a big ask.

Briinging Norwood on at 60 mins no good if we are say 2-0 down

Common sense would suggest that every single word of that is bang on, and very difficult to put up any kind of opposite view.

That said, at what point do you, for want of a better word, “give up” on Coutts ? A player that has been, IMHO, one of the most influential players I have ever seen pull on a Blades shirt ?

I don’t see him in training, and it must be said that he hasn’t been 100% the PC we all know and love from his cameos this term.

In a bizarre way, I’m kinda hoping that Norwood does get his card tonight just so I can see PC get 2 straight full games, which would be a much better barometer for where he is at. I doubt Wilder would go with the Basham and Cranie option as the Norwood replacement as it’s not like with like, and our system revolves around a central deep lying middy that plays the “quarter back” role.

I just think it would be such a shame to see the Blades career of PC fizzle out with a bit of a whimper

UTB

 

[originaltrueblade]

Common sense would suggest that every single word of that is bang on, and very difficult to put up any kind of opposite view.

That said, at what point do you, for want of a better word, “give up” on Coutts ? A player that has been, IMHO, one of the most influential players I have ever seen pull on a Blades shirt ?

I don’t see him in training, and it must be said that he hasn’t been 100% the PC we all know and love from his cameos this term.

In a bizarre way, I’m kinda hoping that Norwood does get his card tonight just so I can see PC get 2 straight full games, which would be a much better barometer for where he is at. I doubt Wilder would go with the Basham and Cranie option as the Norwood replacement as it’s not like with like, and our system revolves around a central deep lying middy that plays the “quarter back” role.

I just think it would be such a shame to see the Blades career of PC fizzle out with a bit of a whimper

UTB

I’m certainly not hoping Norwood gets a card tonight, that my friend could cost us automatic promotion.
Have you not stopped to think that Wilder knows that PC is not the player he was at the moment and that’s why he hasn’t been involved. I Certainly wouldn’t want to go with your comment about hoping Norwood gets a card just so you can see PC for a couple of games.

 

[LondonBlade89]

That’s precisely what Tufty and the lads will do, but he has to take into account the game after as well. It’s reasonable and professional forward planning rather than taking his eye off the ball. He certainly won’t be encouraging the players to think beyond the next game, that’s for sure but privately, he has to.

In any event, I’m pretty sure that the idea of our “best team” is far from unanimous. Mine would feature Baldock, Dowell and Madine for example. Others would advocate Didsy or Duff. Some would play Crainie. There’s even a crazy notion that Freeman is anywhere near as good as Baldock.


I digress. The point is Tufty tends to get this rotation stuff just about right. He and his staff know which players need a rest and when.

I take on board your point that our ideas of the "best team" vary considerably. But that's irrelevant here because all of our ideas of the "best team" will contain Ollie Norwood. And people are saying "play the best team" as basically a way of saying "play Norwood". You know that.

I'd be very surprised if Wilder didn't play him.

 

[DronnieBlade]

I’m certainly not hoping Norwood gets a card tonight, that my friend could cost us automatic promotion.
Have you not stopped to think that Wilder knows that PC is not the player he was at the moment and that’s why he hasn’t been involved. I Certainly wouldn’t want to go with your comment about hoping Norwood gets a card just so you can see PC for a couple of games.

Nope.

But I haven’t stopped to think that you think you know what Wilder thinks !!!!

As I’ve said, difficult to argue that Norwood should not start.

But I did it anyways

UTB

 

[nopigfansintown]

Common sense would suggest that every single word of that is bang on, and very difficult to put up any kind of opposite view.

That said, at what point do you, for want of a better word, “give up” on Coutts ? A player that has been, IMHO, one of the most influential players I have ever seen pull on a Blades shirt ?

I don’t see him in training, and it must be said that he hasn’t been 100% the PC we all know and love from his cameos this term.

In a bizarre way, I’m kinda hoping that Norwood does get his card tonight just so I can see PC get 2 straight full games, which would be a much better barometer for where he is at. I doubt Wilder would go with the Basham and Cranie option as the Norwood replacement as it’s not like with like, and our system revolves around a central deep lying middy that plays the “quarter back” role.

I just think it would be such a shame to see the Blades career of PC fizzle out with a bit of a whimper

UTB

The lack of a new contract is perhaps the strongest insight into Wilder's thinking re Coutts. I have to say that I'm surprised that he hasn't played in mure u23 gamesor come on in games more when we are dominating.

 

[Champagneblade]

Play Norwood.

If he gets suspended then Basham to midfield, Crainie to RCB.

Duffy in front with McGoldrick behind Sharp.

Just like when we won at Hillsborough last season with Brooks just off your main goalscorer, McGoldrick can drop deeper to supplement the midfield.

For now though Norwood should start. We don't need to be seen to take this game lightly.

 

[Beans]

What makes everyone so certain that Leeds will beat Reading away tomorrow? Reading have only lost once since the end of January and are picking up wins as well as draws.The only thing that spoils it for them is the 4-0 drubbing they got at BDTBL

The fact that they're bobar

Their recent results have massively flattered them. Granted it's only a few weeks since Leeds lost to a rubbish QPR side but the odds are not in our favour that it'll happen again tonight. Here's hoping though!

 

[Luke1993]

Coutts was a great player for us. My favourite in the cw era. But I think that player is no longer there anymore. I don't even think he's anywhere close. If he was, he would have had more cameo appearances. Take Rotherham for example. 2 0 up with 15 to go with Norwood on a suspension. He would have come on if cw thought he was anywhere near, but unfortunately I think he isn't and won't be. Would love to be proved wrong. BTW a 100% Coutts and 100% Norwood. Norwood is a better player.

 

[Pinchy]

Coutts was a great player for us. My favourite in the cw era. But I think that player is no longer there anymore. I don't even think he's anywhere close. If he was, he would have had more cameo appearances. Take Rotherham for example. 2 0 up with 15 to go with Norwood on a suspension. He would have come on if cw thought he was anywhere near, but unfortunately I think he isn't and won't be. Would love to be proved wrong. BTW a 100% Coutts and 100% Norwood. Norwood is a better player.

No he isn’t but both are better than Fleck.

 

[Guesty]

Coutts last year was better than Norwood this year, in my eyes. A privilege to have seen both, mind.

It's worth pointing out too that Leeds successfully did a job on Norwood at the Lane. It mightn't be the worst thing if we had to adapt for the game at Elland Road.

 

[LJBlade]

No he isn’t but both are better than Fleck.

Are you talking about the Coutts that is now or the Coutts that was last season?

 

[GuangzhouBlade]

I think the problem for Coutts is our entire side has got better whilst he was out injured on the sidelines. Even if he was at his pre injury levels of fitness etc. Norwood would probably still be keeping him out of the side. All the stats point to Norwood being superior player in terms of the chances he creates and the way he disrupts opposition play. Both have very high pass completion rate but Norwood makes far more key and chance creating passes. And the number of assists and goals speaks volumes.

Coutts was fantastic in league one there's no getting away from it and he took that form into the first couple of months from last season but in that time we've improved massively. The only players that play every week from the league one side are bash and fleck everyone else has either been moved on or is in and out of the side.

 

[bladebloke]

Left out of the NI squad for 'personal reasons'

Anybody know why?