Right....

[Micalijo]

Thought we deserved at least a point from the game today.

Thought we were on top until the goal, then looked shaky for the following 15-20 mins but re-grouped for the final ten minutes where we threw everything at them without really threatening enough.

Things aren't going for us right now but i, personally, think this squad (on and off the pitch) will come good very soon and i still think we will make the play-offs.

I can't think of many better places to start a good run then Oakwell in a weeks time.

Up the Blades.

'Without really threatening enough.'

What??

 

[Sensiblade]

This club is sleepwalking towards relegation.

It wasn't a bad performance - we would have drawn if Darius Henderson was any good - but it appears to be just about the best we can do. That is a bad sign.

As for the manager, I have no time for anyone who plays a left back on the right wing and leaves 3 wingers on the bench.

(particularly when one of those wingers puts in more good crosses than anyone else managed in the entire game when he was eventually introduced. I assume his reward will be to be left on the bench again as Ryan France gets a go on the right flank at Barnsley).

So it's now Henderson's fault, pray tell why?

 

[Micalijo]

Rev - I dislike Blackwell as much as you do but that was nowt like a relegation performance last night

 

[Revolution]

Rev - I dislike Blackwell as much as you do but that was nowt like a relegation performance last night

No, it wasn't. I said they weren't bad. My point is that nothing I saw makes me believe we are capable of much better, certainly not with some of the bizarre personnel decisions the manager is making.

It's part of a slide (or worst run in 5 years) that I struggle to see being arrested in a hurry.

As for KB, I was ambivilent about sacking him, because I couldn't see that things would improve if we did. That was in the context of going up, though. Now we are in a relegation fight, though, he has to go in my view.

So it's now Henderson's fault, pray tell why?

Henderson missed the best chance of the match after 5 minutes. A good striker would have buried that. He was a bit unlucky in the last minute, mind.

 

[Vistoma]

Rev - I dislike Blackwell as much as you do but that was nowt like a relegation performance last night

Performances don't get you anything, its points that count and we got none last night. Remember boring boring Arsenal? not great performances but they WON and won lots, that's what the record books show. I though Newcastle were very lucky but there isn't a column for that in the League table just one for the 3 points they got and we didn't.

 

[Sensiblade]

So it's now Henderson's fault, pray tell why?

Henderson missed the best chance of the match after 5 minutes. A good striker would have buried that. He was a bit unlucky in the last minute, mind.

No he didn't, Harper saved the best chance of the match in the 93rd minute and Evans missed just as good a chance as Relish's in the first half as well.

 

[Revolution]

No he didn't, Harper saved the best chance of the match in the 93rd minute and Evans missed just as good a chance as Relish's in the first half as well.

Oh, that's alright then. Well done Hendo for missing the joint second best chance of the match and getting the best one on target but failing to score.

 

[SBSP]

I know some of this has already been said, but here is my opinion on last night.

overall a much better performance than in recent weeks (months?), if we had been playing almost anybody else in the league I think we would have come away with 3 points.

Killa - looked a lot more focued than previous weeks, played well by all accounts.

Walker - Like him coming forward and does it well, but someone needs to tell him you don't have to do it everytime as it leaves a large hole at the back far too often.

Stewart - Looked good in the first half, on his favoured side. Didn't really know what to do on the right side (can you blame him?) and looked knackered in the 2nd half.

Harper - Looks good whenever we keep it on the deck, the more we do this the more he will become an integral part of our side. Only problem I see is that when he has the ball in the middle he is looking for (and is used to having) people making runs for him to pick out, we just don't have that.

Treacey - Not amazing but again one of our best performers, should be looking to get him signed up proper in January.

Hendo - Don't like him but did well, bad first touch but has stopped giving away as many stupid fouls.

Evans - Still can't make my mind up. Has flashes of what he can do but too much standing around not looking bothered. Will hopefully come good as the season progresses.

The main thing that annoys me with the last 2 games is WHY didn't we play like this from the start of the season?

 

[Sensiblade]

No he didn't, Harper saved the best chance of the match in the 93rd minute and Evans missed just as good a chance as Relish's in the first half as well.

Oh, that's alright then. Well done Hendo for missing the joint second best chance of the match and getting the best one on target but failing to score.

I'm not saying it's alright, just that it isn't solely down to Henderson like you made out.
I'd say Quinn made far less of a contribution last night but was also not solely to blame for the Defeat

 

[jodman]

'Without really threatening enough.'

What??

I think that my point here is pretty obvious; apart from Henderson's header i don't think we forced the keeper to make a save in the last ten minutes despite applying all the pressure.

We had a few free-kicks around the edge of the box and a couple of shots from range which were not on target.

 

[jodman]

But Walker isn't playing for Liverpool or Real Madrid is he? And besides Liverpool and Real Madrid's defending is terrible at times, but they get away with it because of Raul, Torres etc....We've got Evans.

Had it been Cotterill that had been tackled (either fairly or unfairly) 15 yards from the edge of our box, trying to take on four players and it led to a goal Blackwell would have gone mental, he'd have slagged him off on the radio and dropped him from first team affairs for weeks on end. But because its Walker and he's only young, from our academy and a blade he gets different treatment, despite the fact he "took the money" 4 months ago!

But put either player in our team and they would do the same; I suppose you wouldn’t want Glen Johnson at right back in case he made a rick a couple of times a season which led to chances for the opposition.

Walker isn’t above criticism but the blame culture around this forum is appalling these days.

I also think the fact that he is a youth team product and a blade does afford him more support then players without similar ties to the club. That’s just my personal opinion.

 

[Micalijo]

I think that my point here is pretty obvious; apart from Henderson's header i don't think we forced the keeper to make a save in the last ten minutes despite applying all the pressure.

We had a few free-kicks around the edge of the box and a couple of shots from range which were not on target.

What about Keith's good low strike from left side of area - hit the legs of Harper?

That and Henderson's header were both after the board went up.

I really struggle to understand your point I'm afraid. It is far from obvious. How many more clear chances do you expect us to make in last few minutes. It is not easy against a massed defence.

 

[Grecian2000]

I haven't seen it on TV but the tackle on Walker looked perfectly legal from the Kop. Agree he made the wrong choice in not getting rid but overall he was our best player last night. He had Treacey and Quinn who both did nothing but hinder him in the first half by not having a right foot between them.

A better performance but still way short of a play-off chasing side and if we regress in the next couple of games we will be looking over our shoulder.

 

[jodman]

I really struggle to understand your point I'm afraid. It is far from obvious. How many more clear chances do you expect us to make in last few minutes. It is not easy against a massed defence.

Did you read my post?

I said that we regrouped for the final ten minutes (not the last 90 seconds) but did not threaten enough.

I was alluding (look it up if the meaning of that word is far from obvious too) to the fact that despite a spell of constant pressure we only made the keeper work on a couple of occassions.

I also said that we played well and deserved a point at least.

 

[SotonBlade]

Absolute bollox! I'm sick to the high teeth with people coming on all pussy, making excuses and saying 'oh if only this' and 'Oh we played well but we were unlucky that..' Absolute CRAP! The 93rd minute before we forced a save out of Harper..??? Well mate, if that's your idea of success then good luck to you, I hope you enjoy the mediocrity, but don't bother to count me in again unless McCabe grows a pair and we have wholesale changes. Wake up and smell the fucking coffee for christs sake!

Well it took til the 34th Post, I think that's an achivement! can i have a prize?

 

[SotonBlade]

I've missed threads like this. Proper discussion on the game, hardly any mention of kicking the manager, with people respecting each others opnions, long may threads like this continue...Jon Bon apart.

The debate on the manager should be left, he'll be judged on results and so he should be. if get's to 10 defeats in a row, i may start calling for his head too, but people need to learn to have patience and realise we are not Chelsea with a bottomless pit of money.

UTB

 

[oldblade]

Rev - I dislike Blackwell as much as you do but that was nowt like a relegation performance last night

The performance wasn't bad. But it was a relegation performance in the sense that when you're struggling, nothing seems to go your way. And last night I think it's fair to say we did have some bad luck.

 

[Ollessendro]

I posted something very similar in another thread, so apologies for those who have read this already.

I'm not going to come out and criticise the team as they put in a valiant effort. Other than the first 20 mins of the second half (where we were slow to react and Newcastle loked very dangerous) we completely controlled the game. We played a decent mixture of direct and passing football and on another night would have won 4-1. Sure Newcastle could have had a couple when they came out of the blocks quicker for the second half, but we had a lot of chances. Henderson could, and probably should, have had a hat trick. Evans was unlucky on the turn, if our left back turned right winger could head the ball and if Treacy and Harper had have brought their shooting boots things might have been different.

Still, we got beat at home and that is the 4th loss in a row. I was pleased with the performance and the fact we took the game to Newcastle, but we lost. We should have got a result, but we didn't.

Blackwell deserves some credit for attempting to take on top of the table and play some decent stuff. We took the game to them and I'm grateful that we did so. But what about the team selection. Playing Stewart (a fucking left back) on the wing and hence the left winger Treacy on the right, when you have 2 right weingers on the bench, is just lunacy. I'm not going to harp oin about this, as we did well, but I have to question Blackwells judgement.

Positives to take from the game. Harper is finally starting to show signs of his class. He got his foot on the ball, created space and was always an option. I hope he can start to show what he did last night week in week out. I thought that Evans played well last night. He didn't set the world alight, but he looked sharp and was unlucky not to score with a great shot on the turn.

I didn't think Henderson played well last night. He seemed more interested in grappling with the centre backs and could have been sent off for kicking out at Collocini in the first half. His headed miss at the end was nothing short of criminal. I can forgive him for his miss in the first few minutes (tight angle and on his left) and the chance that Harper smothered (good save), but his lethargic effort at the end was simply pathetic. Stephen Quinn. Need I say any more? After showing signs that he might get his form of a few years ago back he goes back to disappearing. If it hadn't have been for his bright ginger hair then I wouldn't have known he was playing. He was the weak link for me last night. Get him dropped Blackwell!

 

[jodman]

Some interesting points Olle, i have to agree that Blackie deserves credit for the way we played but i share your concerns with the decision to use Stewart on the right hand side of midfield. My initial thought was that he was trying to contain the considerable threat of Guitierrez and Enrique down that side but i can't remember if those two players were even playing down that side to be honest.

 

[puppet]

From a (nearly) neutral perspective I reckon United can hold their heads high tonight tbh! For a start the goal was obviously incredibly lucky but IMO it should never have been, I think it was Walker who was clearly fouled just before and how the ref played on I'll never know, what a load of sh*t.

I thought blades would've got an equaliser late on too, they seemed to up their game as soon as the board went up to say five minutes! Harpers save at the end was quality, on another day that would've been in and it would've ended 1-1!

A very even game today and although Newcastle played the better football, whilst United knocked it long quite a bit; I think a draw would've been a fair result.

Stag & Blade, Stoney.

walker shouldnt have played himself into trouble.... then he wouldnt have got fouled for the biased, inept referee to ignore.... pathetic half-arsed defending once nolan 'won' the ball..... we upped our game with 5 mins to go and forced harper to make 2 great saves, pity we didnt do it through the previous 85minutes.....

going back to the goal, how many comments of 'he's not bothered, he was doing his hair, he CLEARLY doesnt want to play for us blanblahblah' would there be on here if KILGALLON had turned his back and arse-cheeked the ball past bennett????

 

[HoodedClaw]

Thought we played pretty well, apart from 15 -20 minutes at the star of the second half.

Still dont understand playing a left back at left wing, meaning we have to move our most effective wideman to right wing, where he doeant really have a chance as he's so one footed. Cotts and Little on the bench, hmmm interesting.

Thought Newcastle were pretty awful tbh, if we hadnt have been on such a bad run Im fairly sure we'd have knocked at least 3 past them.

Thought Quinn was diablolical, please god get one of our other midfileders fit asap. He has the touch of a leper, would probably benefit the team by only playing 10 men instead. Someone call trade descriptions, professional footballer my arse.

 

[puppet]

Thought we played pretty well, apart from 15 -20 minutes at the star of the second half.

Still dont understand playing a left back at left wing, meaning we have to move our most effective wideman to right wing, where he doeant really have a chance as he's so one footed. Cotts and Little on the bench, hmmm interesting.

Thought Newcastle were pretty awful tbh, if we hadnt have been on such a bad run Im fairly sure we'd have knocked at least 3 past them.

Thought Quinn was diablolical, please god get one of our other midfileders fit asap. He has the touch of a leper, would probably benefit the team by only playing 10 men instead. Someone call trade descriptions, professional footballer my arse.

treacy can touch the ball on with his right foot but is largely left footed so the first half was equally farcical as newcastle quickly sussed he needed to turn onto his left foot to get the ball over. quinn, even more ridiculously was set to support treacy inside him on the right, giving us two people with left feet working the right half og the pitch. there were several occasions where we played triangles backwards (to walker) and forwards (to evans/hendo) just to get out of trouble and retain possession whilst we were on the attack. towards the end of the half enrique skipped past treacy and quinn and took the ball about 60 yards in a matter of seconds because niether could put in a convincing challenge with their right foot.

the most ridiculous thing of all, when walker had to go off injured, we get mr. utility, ryan france introduced, when the logical step wouldve been to bring on little or cotterill and re-jig the back four to stewart-killa-morgan-davies. blackwell has no brains, sorry.

 

[Jon Bon]

Well it took til the 34th Post, I think that's an achivement! can i have a prize?

Yes you can have a prize. How would you like the loan of my season ticket for the next match? Then you might, just might, appreciate other peoples views when you have to sit and suffer this crap first hand, instead of just listening to the commentary or watching it on TV.

It's dead easy to be all happy clappy from a distance, isn't it? Let me know if you want 'the prize'...

 

[Bramley]

Yes you can have a prize. How would you like the loan of my season ticket for the next match? Then you might, just might, appreciate other peoples views when you have to sit and suffer this crap first hand, instead of just listening to the commentary or watching it on TV.

It's dead easy to be all happy clappy from a distance, isn't it? Let me know if you want 'the prize'...

Think we did alright mate, and I was there. Having said that I'm sure there's been a few posts on here complaining about away games which people didn't go to. Flips both ways you see...

 

[matth]

Do not forget that the foul which led to the dispossession of Walker and the massive deflection off Morgan were major factors of equal importance to the goal; so to say that Kyle gave the goal away is ridiculous in my eyes.

If Walker was getting the basics right - i.e. getting rid in a danger area, and not trying to take on four men with his skillz - we might not have conceded the goal.

If the team had played to the fucking whistle instead of standing around like dildos waiting for the foul, we might not have conceded the goal.

He didn't give it away, but his silly behaviour in a danger area (which Taylor gets no end of stick for) was a large contributing factor.

Another thing - I can't help but think that the pressure on Blackwell has forced him to change tactics, to a more passing game. That's all well and good, but now we don't seem to hoof it when it's appropriate - like for instance the dying seconds when instead of getting it towards the goal we seemed more than content to play pretty triangular balls.

I don't think that his use of hoofball was necessarily on its own what pissed so many people off; it was more that it was hoofball with no adaptation to the game. All that's happening now is that we're playing pass, pass, pass with no runs down the centre of the pitch (all of our play seems to be geared towards getting the ball into the corner and ineffectually floating balls in) and no Plan B when the game requires it.

Look at Man U, look at Arsenal. Even teams like Forest, Leicester and West Brom. They hoof the ball sometimes. They pass the ball sometimes. That's how it works - it's not one or the other, but rather creating adaptable tactics that both play to the strengths of the team as well as the weaknesses of the opposition.

 

[Bramley]

If Walker was getting the basics right - i.e. getting rid in a danger area, and not trying to take on four men with his skillz - we might not have conceded the goal.

If the team had played to the fucking whistle instead of standing around like dildos waiting for the foul, we might not have conceded the goal.

He didn't give it away, but his silly behaviour in a danger area (which Taylor gets no end of stick for) was a large contributing factor.

Another thing - I can't help but think that the pressure on Blackwell has forced him to change tactics, to a more passing game. That's all well and good, but now we don't seem to hoof it when it's appropriate - like for instance the dying seconds when instead of getting it towards the goal we seemed more than content to play pretty triangular balls.

I don't think that his use of hoofball was necessarily on its own what pissed so many people off; it was more that it was hoofball with no adaptation to the game. All that's happening now is that we're playing pass, pass, pass with no runs down the centre of the pitch (all of our play seems to be geared towards getting the ball into the corner and ineffectually floating balls in) and no Plan B when the game requires it.

Look at Man U, look at Arsenal. Even teams like Forest, Leicester and West Brom. They hoof the ball sometimes. They pass the ball sometimes. That's how it works - it's not one or the other, but rather creating adaptable tactics that both play to the strengths of the team as well as the weaknesses of the opposition.

Tongue firmly pressed in cheek with that one surely!

 

[matth]

No, not at all. Which bit?

 

[Come from away]

Don't get why the Blades are the only team not "allowed" to play left-footed players on the right or have left-footed players not able to tackle with their right foot. Methinks some folk are grasping at straws to find fault. With all the left/right stuff we basically held Newcastle to very little offense, we played well (including the left/right bunch) but were let down by our finishing - but that is always a 50:50 game at best. Am sure we should have beat them cause they are rubbish - that's why they are in 1st place. Regardless of our current injuries, and I do include those who are not 100% fit, we are looking better thanks to the manager (if he's responsible for the crap he is sure responsible for the improvement) and we just need to shots to go in.

 

[Grecian2000]

Don't get why the Blades are the only team not "allowed" to play left-footed players on the right or have left-footed players not able to tackle with their right foot. Methinks some folk are grasping at straws to find fault.

Grasping at straws? Why?

Plenty of players play on the opposite side to their best foot. They have a tendency to be dangerous "cutting in". That plainly wasn't the case last night. Treacey and Quinn continually broke up our attacks down the right by having to turn back in order to use their right foot for even the simplest of passes. Didn't take a genius to see it, indeed even Blackie only let it go for an hour.

If this method was brought about by are longest ever injury list then fine. But having two naturally right footed wide players sat on their arse for most of the game was simply perverse.

We played well enough for a point, a bit better and we'd have even meritted a win, but it was frustrating sat there watching something happen that would have been easy to fix (i.e see last 15 minutes).

 

[judge]

i thought walker had a great game last night and excuse me if im wrong on this one but i thought the tackle from behind was outlawed ,wether you get the ball or not is irrelevant

seems like some referees just make the rules up as they go along

why did several newcastle players get a warning and a talking to but morgan just got booked ?

one incident last night where morgan was kicked by collocini and was given a foul against him

whats the point in even turning up for these games when the odds are so heavily stacked against you

you can bet your bottom dollar that if they wouldnt have scored that fluke the ref would have got even worse