It's fine and everything, but...

[SteveBlade]

It's all quite satisfactory at the moment, 8 games played, 9 points. Absolutely adequate, well done.

But in games like today, I can't help but feel that if we set up like we have done for the last few years, with Freeman behind the strikers, we'd offer a fuck load more going forward.

I can understand setting up with the flat midfield 3 against the better sides, but in games like today, why not give it a go from the start? I feel like I haven't seen us play as well as we can yet this season, and that's down to the formation.

Would we really get bummed by everyone if we set up this way? Is everyone really so good in this league that they'd all expose us and we'd be sitting with a - 10 goal difference?

I know we're Sheffield United and everyone's supposedly reight good, and we should just be happy to be here, and if we keep this up and we'll probably stay up, but it just feels like we should be doing better.

 

[BettingBlade]

You’re right. We set up with Freeman as no.10 we win today. Even if he’s brought on later in the game it’s a sign of us taking the initiative and looking to win.

Our subs were completely wasted today and totally ineffective. We wouldn’t have created anything let alone score if we’d been playing till next Saturday.

 

[10-0 win]

expected Freeman to come on as Watford parked the bus for long periodes at home!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mattbianco1]

It's all quite satisfactory at the moment, 8 games played, 9 points. Absolutely adequate, well done.

But in games like today, I can't help but feel that if we set up like we have done for the last few years, with Freeman behind the strikers, we'd offer a fuck load more going forward.

I can understand setting up with the flat midfield 3 against the better sides, but in games like today, why not give it a go from the start? I feel like I haven't seen us play as well as we can yet this season, and that's down to the formation.

Would we really get bummed by everyone if we set up this way? Is everyone really so good in this league that they'd all expose us and we'd be sitting with a - 10 goal difference?

I know we're Sheffield United and everyone's supposedly reight good, and we should just be happy to be here, and if we keep this up and we'll probably stay up, but it just feels like we should be doing better.

Early dominance without laying a glove on Foster.
Happy to have taken that before game but we need that cutting edge up top.

Agree with the CAM position and I think we may start going back to that formation once we've bedded in to the league properly. Maybe at home. But understand the reasons for having a flat 3.

Final delivery from wings was poor today, don't think we got on the end of any.

BUT... 4 PTS from EVE and WAT (a) + LIV that's a great return.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Think the way Watford sat in the game was crying out for a mcgoldrick or a number 10 but we seemed happy with the point

 

[Rob86]

I am starting to think this 5-3-2 is becoming ineffective. Whether that’s influenced by having just watched us in a turgid game of football I don’t know.

 

[71Blade]

watched the game live on a stream have to say very poor result we could have lost 2-0 had it not been for henderson, basic errors and really not sure about the strikers, what does the moose have to do to start a game?

anyway onwards and upwards UTB

 

[Withington Blade]

I am starting to think this 5-3-2 is becoming ineffective. Whether that’s influenced by having just watched us in a turgid game of football I don’t know.

We haven’t lost away from home and the system is ineffective? Are you serious?

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

I don’t think the formation is helping the strikers either, hence why he tends to back mcgoldrick when he’s fit as he sits in the hole

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Decent start to the season overall apart from the poor home defeat to Soton. But it’s clear that we have gone more defensive - and with wins so important that could cost us. I’d rather we went for it a bit more.

 

[Rob86]

We haven’t lost away from home and the system is ineffective? Are you serious?

Yes I am in a way, if Watford away is a “take a point away game” what’s a “let’s go and win away game” game this season ?

Got a freak result at Everton, given the way the game played out and yes, deserved the point at Bournemouth.

Are you serious that you want us to go away and create no chances and hope for a 0-0 ?

 

[coaxingstar71]

I went today and although we had plenty of ball, it was all a bit slow with no one willing to take the initiative. The front two were completely ineffective with neither of them seemingly able to hold it up, we’d be better starting with Sharp and McGoldrick when both fit. Agree with the CAM role too but I don’t know who would make way.

 

[FinchleyBlade]

I felt this way after every game so far - that we are capable of so much better going forward. The link was Duffy and he is gone.

 

[blademark]

It's all quite satisfactory at the moment, 8 games played, 9 points. Absolutely adequate, well done.

But in games like today, I can't help but feel that if we set up like we have done for the last few years, with Freeman behind the strikers, we'd offer a fuck load more going forward.

I can understand setting up with the flat midfield 3 against the better sides, but in games like today, why not give it a go from the start? I feel like I haven't seen us play as well as we can yet this season, and that's down to the formation.

Would we really get bummed by everyone if we set up this way? Is everyone really so good in this league that they'd all expose us and we'd be sitting with a - 10 goal difference?

I know we're Sheffield United and everyone's supposedly reight good, and we should just be happy to be here, and if we keep this up and we'll probably stay up, but it just feels like we should be doing better.

Nice thoughts, and I want to agree, but if we brought in Freeman for, say, Lunny, I don't think we'd be so defensively solid.
If he is to start, it would have to be at the expense of Fleck for me, and that might not be popular.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Was hard to create chances today. Watford sat deep and their back line was solid. Good away performance had they not been at home.

 

[Sheffsteel]

To be fair this was a must win game for Watford
And it was a game where a draw would be a decent result for us.

In the last 5 minutes I kept thinking if we push more players forward we could pick up all 3 points.
Then I thought....no....hold on.....an away draw against a rival is a decent result.
In fact in the PL any away draw is decent and acceptable.

 

[Withington Blade]

Yes I am in a way, if Watford away is a “take a point away game” what’s a “let’s go and win away game” game this season ?

Got a freak result at Everton, given the way the game played out and yes, deserved the point at Bournemouth.

Are you serious that you want us to go away and create no chances and hope for a 0-0 ?

No, my aim would have been to keep things tight, create a couple of decent chances and finish one of them. Today was an off day and yet we still came away with a point. You’re being naive to think starting a more attacking lineup away from home will guarantee victory, even if the opposition is struggling, we could just have easily lost 3-0

 

[blademark]

Seems to me that Watford set up like they were playing an away game at a top 6 side, and in their position you can't really blame them. It gave us plenty of possession, but also exposed our lack of real quality up front. Easy to point fingers at the strikers, but I suspect it is a lack of creativity that could be our undoing. The inescapable fact is that our defensive set up is outstanding, and that alone should keep us in games, and give us a chance of pinching a few games.

 

[super_pig]

i don’t care if we go down . i just wish we’d start playing like Sheffield united.. controversial

 

[John Street West Terrace]

It's all quite satisfactory at the moment, 8 games played, 9 points. Absolutely adequate, well done.

But in games like today, I can't help but feel that if we set up like we have done for the last few years, with Freeman behind the strikers, we'd offer a fuck load more going forward.

I can understand setting up with the flat midfield 3 against the better sides, but in games like today, why not give it a go from the start? I feel like I haven't seen us play as well as we can yet this season, and that's down to the formation.

Would we really get bummed by everyone if we set up this way? Is everyone really so good in this league that they'd all expose us and we'd be sitting with a - 10 goal difference?

I know we're Sheffield United and everyone's supposedly reight good, and we should just be happy to be here, and if we keep this up and we'll probably stay up, but it just feels like we should be doing better.

Agree with you SB 100% we need to be a bit braver in some games and try and convert performances into results . Freeman is probably the only natural attacking midfielder we’ve got since Duffy departed , as I said in another thread I think we need to bring someone similar in , in Jan

 

[yorkshirecoast]

i don’t care if we go down . i just wish we’d start playing like Sheffield united.. controversial

Don’t care if we go down? Bonkers.

 

[Freethinker]

Don’t care if we go down? Bonkers.

If we play like sheff utd last three year's we won't go down

 

[DI36O]

Seems to me that Watford set up like they were playing an away game at a top 6 side, and in their position you can't really blame them. It gave us plenty of possession, but also exposed our lack of real quality up front. Easy to point fingers at the strikers, but I suspect it is a lack of creativity that could be our undoing. The inescapable fact is that our defensive set up is outstanding, and that alone should keep us in games, and give us a chance of pinching a few games.

This is true. We'll probably never come across a team playing this negatively on their own patch again all season.
Still disappointing today but we're a long way from disaster.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

I completely understand why we've set up like we have with Lunny in midfield. He's done an outstanding job in making us a resilient side whilst we find our feet in the Premier League.

The first 1/4 of the season gone and I think it's fair to say we are a competitive, Premier League side. The points we have dropped have come from a mixture of individual mistakes and not taking our opportunities during games. I would like to see us grow back into the system we had last season with an attacking midfielder who gives us a bit more creativity.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Nice thoughts, and I want to agree, but if we brought in Freeman for, say, Lunny, I don't think we'd be so defensively solid.
If he is to start, it would have to be at the expense of Fleck for me, and that might not be popular.

Popular with me.

 

[Rodley]

Fleck is probably the best crosser in the team / deliveries lots of chances from the inside left position, breaks the lines more than any other player and passes the ball forward more than any other player. Our creativity would fall off a cliff without him.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

We don't want to come across as all Billy big bollocks and thinking we should walk it today, but Watford were poor and today was an example of needing to get back to Tuftyball. Certain opposition need Freeman in the Duffy role and Sharp on the pitch. The flat midfield is far too limiting at times.

I'd have dropped Lundstram for Freeman and either of the front two for Sharp, as they were both largely ineffective.

 

[Withington Blade]

i don’t care if we go down . i just wish we’d start playing like Sheffield united.. controversial

I honestly don’t want to sound argumentative, but I’m not sure you would be saying that if we were bottom of the league with 3 points

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Seems to me that Watford set up like they were playing an away game at a top 6 side, and in their position you can't really blame them. It gave us plenty of possession, but also exposed our lack of real quality up front. Easy to point fingers at the strikers, but I suspect it is a lack of creativity that could be our undoing. The inescapable fact is that our defensive set up is outstanding, and that alone should keep us in games, and give us a chance of pinching a few games.

Congratulations on the first sensible post I've read on here this evening

 

[Stretch]

I agree on the whole with the OP, but in all honesty we played within ourselves today anyway. There were countless occasions where the front 2 had made runs in behind but the guy on the ball chose to go backwards or sideways instead of threading the ball into the strikers run.

Norwood looked completely disinterested in passing forwards today too.