Let the Moose Loose?

[Tarqs]

I wouldn’t start McBurnie when McGoldrick and Mousset are available.

McBurnie has looked better recently and long term he’ll have a lot to offer, but he currently offers very little compared to Mousset in my view. And Mousset is much better than him.

Hi Dronnie.

 

[HoodedClaw]

That’s me then .

Its time to ditch the flat 3 in midfield in favour of a CAM against lower placed teams, especially at home. Dids or Freeman.

Behind Sharp and Moose would be optimal to start. McB off the bench as appropriate.

Wilder will start McB !!

UTB

Who would you drop from midfield to accommodate the change?

What has McBurnie done / not done in the last 5 or 6 matches to warrant dropping in favour of Sharp or Moose?

 

[DronnieBlade]

Who would you drop from midfield to accommodate the change?

What has McBurnie done / not done in the last 5 or 6 matches to warrant dropping in favour of Sharp or Moose?

I have a perspective on this you won’t understand. That’s OK. All abart opinions.

Mine is this.

in the first half against Palace last week, there were 21 pro footballers on the pitch along with one lad who looked like he’d been drafted in from the local pub team off Concord Park. Sub that is. After a gallon the night before.

.

UTB

 

[Speedracer]

I have a perspective on this you won’t understand. That’s OK. All abart opinions.

Mine is this.

in the first half against Palace last week, there were 21 pro footballers on the pitch along with one lad who looked like he’d been drafted in from the local pub team off Concord Park. Sub that is. After a gallon the night before.

.

UTB

Just because the lad has an ungainly style & is not as easy on the eye as some of our other players doesn't mean you should be fooled into thinking this translates to him being rubbish. He isn't, far from it, & the longer he is here the more that will become obvious.

 

[mattbianco1]

Saw the thread title and i can't lie,I thought it was gonna be a wine gum advert.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Just because the lad has an ungainly style & is not as easy on the eye as some of our other players doesn't mean you should be fooled into thinking this translates to him being rubbish. He isn't, far from it, & the longer he is here the more that will become obvious.

Ignore the style.

Focus on the substance.

IN PARTICULAR, pay close attention to our ball retention any time McB is involved in play.

It’s not great !!!!

UTB

 

[Tarqs]

Ignore the style.

Focus on the substance.

IN PARTICULAR, pay close attention to our ball retention any time McB is involved in play.

It’s not great !!!!

UTB

Can you remind me what Billy did that made him a footballer if McBurnie wasn't?

 

[Houston_Blade]

I have a perspective on this you won’t understand. That’s OK. All abart opinions.

Mine is this.

in the first half against Palace last week, there were 21 pro footballers on the pitch along with one lad who looked like he’d been drafted in from the local pub team off Concord Park. Sub that is. After a gallon the night before.

.

UTB

Singling out McBurnie last week as the worst of our players does make it look very much like it's a personal vendetta. Ball retention all over the team was shocking.

 

[Speedracer]

Ignore the style.

Focus on the substance.

Well that is exactly what I just suggested you do. I do not have a desperate need to justify my stance, I can see with my eyes, & as you have an opposing view we will just have to agree to disagree. But I am right.

 

[Tarqs]

I wrote a post at half time. We had 30 percent possession with a 65% pass completion.

But according to you, we had 10 pro footballers on the pitch and a park player.

Your vendetta is getting pretty boring now tbh,

 

[HoodedClaw]

I have a perspective on this you won’t understand. That’s OK. All abart opinions.

Mine is this.

in the first half against Palace last week, there were 21 pro footballers on the pitch along with one lad who looked like he’d been drafted in from the local pub team off Concord Park. Sub that is. After a gallon the night before.

.

UTB

Cool, bit of a condescending twat post making assumptions about what I might or might not understand.

As you obviously seem to consider yourself some sort of footballing guru I'm more than a bit disappointed in the well he looks like a player from the local pub team response, and that's before I mention not answering the who do drop from midfield.

You try to engage with posters to understand different views / opinions but more and more you just get condescending twat replies with no susbstance to backup their feeling of superiority. Another one to add to the list that types bollocks.

 

[Sheff de party]

Who would you drop from midfield to accommodate the change?

What has McBurnie done / not done in the last 5 or 6 matches to warrant dropping in favour of Sharp or Moose?

Let's be reasonable here. In four games (admittedly against tough opposition), McBurnie has scored one tap in that frankly anyone in the team would have scored.

He doesn't hold the ball up and he doesn't create anything. I'm not having a go at the lad - he's young and inexperienced (particularly at this level) and we're doing well, some of which he's been a part of (e.g. he had a decent game vs Man City). He'll be decent long term I'm sure but £20m is looking like an awful lot of money.

It isn't an agenda to think McBurnie shouldn't be starting. I think Mousset should be starting simply because he's better than McBurnie. Start the Mousse and hook him when he's tired would be my approach.

 

[Tarqs]

Let's be reasonable here. In four games (admittedly against tough opposition), McBurnie has scored one tap in that frankly anyone in the team would have scored.

He doesn't hold the ball up and he doesn't create anything. I'm not having a go at the lad - he's young and inexperienced (particularly at this level) and we're doing well, some of which he's been a part of (e.g. he had a decent game vs Man City). He'll be decent long term I'm sure but £20m is looking like an awful lot of money.

It isn't an agenda to think McBurnie shouldn't be starting. I think Mousset should be starting simply because he's better than McBurnie. Start the Mousse and hook him when he's tired would be my approach.

McBurnie has been our best striker over the last 4 league games, irrespective of who's played.

I guarantee Chris feels the same and he'll start on Sunday.

 

[HoodedClaw]

Let's be reasonable here. In four games (admittedly against tough opposition), McBurnie has scored one tap in that frankly anyone in the team would have scored.

He doesn't hold the ball up and he doesn't create anything. I'm not having a go at the lad - he's young and inexperienced (particularly at this level) and we're doing well, some of which he's been a part of (e.g. he had a decent game vs Man City). He'll be decent long term I'm sure but £20m is looking like an awful lot of money.

It isn't an agenda to think McBurnie shouldn't be starting. I think Mousset should be starting simply because he's better than McBurnie. Start the Mousse and hook him when he's tired would be my approach.

Excellent, cheers for a response with decent arguments / reasons.

Can't argue with anything you've put, the one thing for me is I feel he's the one striker that is on an upward curve currently, no matter how steep the gradient, over the last 5 / 6 games. Personally I'd keep him in as he's going to be here next season and if he keeps on the upward trajectory could be a good player for us.

£20M is an awful lot of money, but I think we can only really judge it as value or not next season. I'm not sure who we could've got that would tick similar boxes for CWAK for the same money or less??

On Mousset starting, I'm the opposite. Let McBurnie have a go first half / 60 mins then Bring Mousset on when they are tiring. A couple of things though, I'd probably be tempted to bring him on maybe sooner than we usually do (Fitness depending) and if Zivkokovic can show anything then I may be tempted to start Mousset as we'd then be able to replace him with someone else who has pace. Having a couple of players with pace that could worry defenders opens up options for us.

As the phrase goes, all abart opinions.

 

[mattbianco1]

McBurnie has been our best striker over the last 4 league games, irrespective of who's played.

I guarantee Chris feels the same and he'll start on Sunday.

Yeah, but he runs funny and his socks are too low.. Gerrim sold !

 

[MalvernBlade]

Singling out McBurnie last week as the worst of our players does make it look very much like it's a personal vendetta. Ball retention all over the team was shocking.

That first half was so frustrating to watch, knowing that we're better than that. How they must feel playing up top having to work with that as it never allows time for any support from midfield to get up with them. Out of the two, Sharp did cope better with it trying to control the ball and hold it up and bring others into play. But he has had previous experience with Blackwell. One that sticks out was a 0-0 home game against Cardiff alongside Henderson and the only one who tried playing football was Billy. We did play much better in the second half against Palace and we did win. We're 6th and still upsetting everyone. The difference now is we just keep improving and can win ugly when needed plus hard to beat. What was the question?

 

[Houston_Blade]

That first half was so frustrating to watch, knowing that we're better than that. How they must feel playing up top having to work with that as it never allows time for any support from midfield to get up with them. Out of the two, Sharp did cope better with it trying to control the ball and hold it up and bring others into play. But he has had previous experience with Blackwell. One that sticks out was a 0-0 home game against Cardiff alongside Henderson and the only one who tried playing football was Billy. We did play much better in the second half against Palace and we did win. We're 6th and still upsetting everyone. The difference now is we just keep improving and can win ugly when needed plus hard to beat. What was the question?

I've never seen Enda and JOC play as many % balls into the corner as they did last week. Like you say, it wasn't like us in the slightest.

The niggling annoyance I have is that we only do this when McBurnie is on the pitch. We did the same with Madine and Hanson, I don't like it as it moves so far away from what we are good at that it's not good to watch.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Cool, bit of a condescending twat post making assumptions about what I might or might not understand.

As you obviously seem to consider yourself some sort of footballing guru I'm more than a bit disappointed in the well he looks like a player from the local pub team response, and that's before I mention not answering the who do drop from midfield.

You try to engage with posters to understand different views / opinions but more and more you just get condescending twat replies with no susbstance to backup their feeling of superiority. Another one to add to the list that types bollocks.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Mcburnies performance against Man citeh was one of the best ive ever seen in a blades shirt as a striker

 

[Bladesballer]

I have a perspective on this you won’t understand. That’s OK. All abart opinions.

Mine is this.

in the first half against Palace last week, there were 21 pro footballers on the pitch along with one lad who looked like he’d been drafted in from the local pub team off Concord Park. Sub that is. After a gallon the night before.

.

UTB

Dick!

 

[Tongeincheek]

I've never seen Enda and JOC play as many % balls into the corner as they did last week. Like you say, it wasn't like us in the slightest.

The niggling annoyance I have is that we only do this when McBurnie is on the pitch. We did the same with Madine and Hanson, I don't like it as it moves so far away from what we are good at that it's not good to watch.

I think thats the only problem with McBurnie to be honest.
I saw a stat that he’d won more aerial duels than any other striker in the prem (or some such shite) so the temptation to twat it at his big ginger head when Zaha or Sterling are sprinting full-tilt at you must be enormous.

A lot of the time he’ll win it and put us in a tight area with little support around him, or he won’t win it and it comes back - seems to have happened a hell of a lot when he’s on.

They never do this with Didsy, because even though he’s about 6’2 and built like a brick-shithouse with a bowling ball for a head - he has the jumping height of a arthritic ant.
Mousse also doesn’t get the same treatment because his headers are harder to predict than the lottery numbers.

If the lads keep it on the deck then maybe we can play McBurnie (who has been great when we’ve passed it to him normally) and achieve our current wildest dream... a first-half shot on target

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Play sharp and McBurnie to wear down their defence for 65 mins then bring on Speedy Gonzales and/or the Road Runner to stretch them and leave space in and around the box so we can pick them off.

It works a treat.

 

[Ranmoorblade]

Sharp is unlikely to start again so who does that leave?

McGoldrick is unlikely to come straight back in.

So Mousset should start.

It's more viable to start him with Zivkovic on the bench, although I don't expect him to be yet. Maybe if McGoldrick isn't in the squad.

Sharp is starting on Sunday.

 

[Berlin Blade]

This is a slightly frustrating thread because everyone’s treating each other with disrespect despite the fact we are all blades and if we were in a pub together we’d be buying each other pints.

For what it’s worth, i would tweak the system on Sunday. I would play the usual back 5 with Norwood and fleck infront of them with mcgoldrick in the hole and Mousset and mcgoldrick up top. They deliberately set up to counter us earlier this season, so they will be fully aware of how we set up usually and as we haven’t set up like this all year, this will catch them off guard.

I know we usually play more direct when Mcburnie is playing, but to his credit, despite the fact I don’t think he’s a target man in any way, he wins a lot of arial duals. He can hold it up well and play backwards to Didzy or play Mousset in off the shoulder in on goal.

At 60-65 if we are getting done possession wise, we can sacrifice one of the three strikers for Berge to come and boss the midfield. If it’s, Didzy, Mcburnie can drop into the hole (as he does this really well and I feel is his natural position to be honest) or if it’s mcburnie himself sacrificed, we can have Didzy behind Mousset. If then ten minutes later, Mousset is flagging, we can bring Zivkovic on if the pace is causing them problems but mousse is tiring. If they’re playing really deep and we are dominating possession and struggling to unlock them, bring mousse off and bring sharp on to finish one of the chances we are creating.

It’s horses for courses. There isn’t a right answer, but people need to realise this isn’t the 90s any more. It’s a tactical game of chess and the momentum and flow of the game changes every ten minutes. We’ve got a bag full of different tools now and it’s about putting out the team which can be malleable and dynamic tactically to change approach and take advantage of any weak points in their defence. Then we get ahead. Then we cling on for dear life and see out the victory. That’s what we’re good at. That’s why we’re 6th.

 

[FTPE]

Let's be reasonable here. In four games (admittedly against tough opposition), McBurnie has scored one tap in that frankly anyone in the team would have scored.

He doesn't hold the ball up and he doesn't create anything. I'm not having a go at the lad - he's young and inexperienced (particularly at this level) and we're doing well, some of which he's been a part of (e.g. he had a decent game vs Man City). He'll be decent long term I'm sure but £20m is looking like an awful lot of money.

It isn't an agenda to think McBurnie shouldn't be starting. I think Mousset should be starting simply because he's better than McBurnie. Start the Mousse and hook him when he's tired would be my approach.

Oli shared his own stat yesterday on Twitter saying that he had won more aerial battles than anyone else at the club.
I think he's probably the best link up passer after McGoldrick as well.
He's getting better each week, he's starting to press better (which was originally bugging me as well) and against some top top sides he's been our biggest goal threat by a mile.

 

[Sheff de party]

Oli shared his own stat yesterday on Twitter saying that he had won more aerial battles than anyone else at the club.
I think he's probably the best link up passer after McGoldrick as well.
He's getting better each week, he's starting to press better (which was originally bugging me as well) and against some top top sides he's been our biggest goal threat by a mile.

I agree with most of that. For context though, he’s our tallest striker by a mile and we tend to play more directly with him in the team - I’d be concerned if he hadn’t won more aerial battles than Billy and I genuinely think I’d win more headers than McGoldrick

 

[FTPE]

I agree with most of that. For context though, he’s our tallest striker by a mile and we tend to play more directly with him in the team - I’d be concerned if he hadn’t won more aerial battles than Billy and I genuinely think I’d win more headers than McGoldrick

I don't know how they've worked it out but I assume that means he's beat Egan, bash and Jack to that accolade as well.

it's his passing that I appreciate the most, the neat little inside touches when he's under pressure, or the balls he threads through or to the wings when he turns and we start to break.

 

[Liaminho9]

Bon anniversaire

 

[ChemEngBlade]

Although I'm really looking forward to the prospect of seeing how Sander might link up our play with Didsy on Sunday - if he doesn't pass the fitness test - Lys has the chance to put one over his old mates for the first time.

He didn't play back in early August as we worked on his conditioning (still a factor). The Cherries back line will of course know all about his blistering pace (but probably his weaknesses too).

Do we let Lys loose on them from the start or continue as an impact Sub vs tiring legs?

UTB

His fitness still lets him down, get a full preseason behind him in the summer and he'll bag 20 for us next season. If we could play with an attacking midfielder, Moussett & this new lad Zivkovic both with pace could be lethal

 

[haich1889]

Although I'm really looking forward to the prospect of seeing how Sander might link up our play with Didsy on Sunday - if he doesn't pass the fitness test - Lys has the chance to put one over his old mates for the first time.

He didn't play back in early August as we worked on his conditioning (still a factor). The Cherries back line will of course know all about his blistering pace (but probably his weaknesses too).

Do we let Lys loose on them from the start or continue as an impact Sub vs tiring legs?

UTB

starting to get concerned with Moose's work rate.
Even when he comes on as sub it's not long before he's strolling back after attacks.