The Death of the fucking ‘Flat 3’

[blade too long]

Right, so a virtually full strength United squad could only manage a single goal against Bristol City. Don’t know about you, but I’m super proud of the boys tonight.

Well Burnley would snatch your hand off for a 1-0 win against a championship side . When did our fans become arrogant Wednesday like fans

Treat bristol city with some respect
They won on their last 3 visits here




Don't remember ever being under threat from city .

 

[ancientblade]

Yeah I agree that’s what happened with Norwood he wants too much time and too many touches. He receives the ball square too often and so needs to take a touch to turn rather than taking the ball on the half turn.

most teams nowadays have big physical athletic midfielders and thats the type we need to bring in this summer i think lundstram and norwood will be moved on osborns not a midfielder and freeman probably wont come back either plus we need more pace from midfield

 

[Yogi]

most teams nowadays have big physical athletic midfielders and thats the type we need to bring in this summer i think lundstram and norwood will be moved on osborns not a midfielder and freeman probably wont come back either plus we need more pace from midfield

There’s a place for less athletic technicians if you can put players around them to compensate for their deficiencies. Realistically unless we luck into finding a gem then any technician we can afford will be limited in other ways. We have good athletes in midfield in Berge and to a lesser extent fleck what’s important is speed of thought.

 

[Stu_Blade]

At the end of the day the cup isn't about performance it's about the result. I remember in 2007 when we lost to League 1 Swansea 3-0 in the 3rd round at Bramall Lane with a couple of changes and some are calling winning 1-0 against a Championship side "embarrassing" that is still the 1 and only game I have ever left early after their 3rd goal as I couldn't bare to watch.

 

[cc1]

I expect that a premier league club should be able to beat a championship club, and if it does not, it’s fucking embarrassing.

I don’t think that’s a particularly controversial opinion.

Fucking clueless

 

[bartman]

Norwood made 22 passes, 21 of which were complete.

He misplaced two passes quite soon after coming on and a few later on in the game......unless you have just made that stat up to wind people up

 

[bongleblade]

Maybe but Berge isn’t a player to dictate a game he’s not a playmaker he’s a superb athlete who drives with the ball extremely well from deep. That midfield is missing a player who is the fulcrum a player to take one touch at most then move the ball to keep the opposition moving side to side back and forth until and opening is created.

i almost think Berge would be best at RCB/LCB than anything, tall, surprisingly fast and nimble, strong and loves to dribble, he has that all round ability and attacking prowess required for that position with good defensive attributes

 

[Yogi]

i almost think Berge would be best at RCB/LCB than anything, tall, surprisingly fast and nimble, strong and loves to dribble, he has that all round ability and attacking prowess required for that position with good defensive attributes

If he was English he’d have been pegged as that from an early age. I’m not saying he couldn’t develop into a very fine player in that position but his maximum value/upside for us isn’t there it’s in midfield. There are so few players in world football with his physique and athleticism coupled with technical ability that play in midfield. If we can coach an end product into his game then he could truly be a standout footballer.

 

[blade too long]

I dont get this its embarassing to only win 1-0 v a lower club. Have all blades forgotten ourselves as a lower division side reaching cup semi finals beating top flight clubs . That's why the FA cup is special. Every year there are results that defy logic. Lower league means less consistantly good not useless.

 

[Jon B]

We moan about injuries but their list is staggering

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-citys-full-list-injuries-4983856

I'm sympathetic to their plight but I assume it's a reflection of our own problems on that front this season that we've had PL games when we've not had a full subs bench. It's time we had a rub of the green.

I don't wish him ill but I was relieved that Weimann wasn't available given what he did to us last time they visited, when they looked a really good outfit. Oddly though, I'd have looked forward to seeing Brunt in action one last time, despite his service on the dark side.

But a deserved win and through to the next round, in the middle of this painfully lousy season, leaves me happy.

 

[blade too long]

I'd like Barnsley in the quarter final then Bournemouth in the semis

 

[Geordie Blade]

He misplaced two passes quite soon after coming on and a few later on in the game......unless you have just made that stat up to wind people up

Check for yourself:

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1525527/LiveStatistics/England-FA-Cup-2020-2021-Sheffield-United-Bristol-City

It’s so easy for people’s own narrative to take over what actually happened.

 

[bartman]

Check for yourself:

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1525527/LiveStatistics/England-FA-Cup-2020-2021-Sheffield-United-Bristol-City

It’s so easy for people’s own narrative to take over what actually happened.

Narrative? LOL

 

[Jon Bon II]

norwoods gone for me

Really? You should report him. He needs muzzling or putting down. It could be a child next time.

 

[cc1]

Narrative? LOL

You know, your consistently, predictable negative take on anything to do with us. You've been rumbled.

 

[bartman]

You know, your consistently, predictable negative take on anything to do with us. You've been rumbled.

Rumbled on what,exactly? Having an opinion that doesn't agree with some on here ? Go on then, let's have your thoughts

 

[Chabuddy G]

Think this has been sidetracked by anything other than conversation about the flat 3

 

[ComedyClub]

I'm just wondering if Liverpool will give us our money back,
I know he's one for the future but at that price ? .....

Maybe. We might need to get trading standards involved he'll come good. Eventually...

 

[ComedyClub]

Think this has been sidetracked by anything other than conversation about the flat 3

The system works. The manager says so himself, (we all know it isn't, and we're significantly worse with a flat three but enter playstation manager comment here

Fwiw, we don't have any resemblance of an attacking team with a flat three. Midfield gets overran, eventually we're playing with the midfield sat with the defence. Need a 10. Won't play with a 10 until wilder admits he's wrong.

 

[Tarqs]

He should have taken Lundstram off.

It was all so half-hearted from him.

I mentioned in shoutbox.

He does that unnecessary roll forward of the ball when he has a chance to cross as if it makes him look some sort of big time player then puts a shit cross in.

He also does that lazy leg swing as he plays a pass to nothing backwards to pass on the responsibility to someone else to make things happen.

He did great last year running out of his skin. But he's certainly not a player that can play within himself.

Only time I saw urgency was in the second half when he played another casual pass on the right hand side and lost it and he thought he'd better run a bit to try and stop them breaking.

Just to reiterate this is a guy playing against a Bristol City team in poor form, who has played most of our games in midfield and still hasn't scored this season. You'd think he'd be busting a gut to get on the scoresheet.

We also saw the best and worse of Burke in one move. Pace took the ball off the keeper then attempted to score from an almost impossible angle totally lacking the vision to see Fleck wide open, unmarked with the goal at his mercy.

Lundstram has been pissing me off for weeks. What happened to the box to box player for the first 3 months of last season. He plays at a walking pace now, it's so half arsed.

Gets ball, dithers, turns, plays it backwards.

There was an occasion yesterday in last 5 mins when he had ball 20 yards out, could have shot, looked for a slide rule pass... but no, didn't even give it a chance to materialise, stopped dithered, turned 180 and played the ball back to Egan.

Was fucking ridiculous how negative he is.

 

[bartman]

Maybe. We might need to get trading standards involved he'll come good. Eventually...

I hope he does come good but I think we will need to play with a higher tempo especially in and around the penalty box.if seems easy for teams to crowd him out at the moment.
He seems very isolated in the games he plays as if he doesnt understand his role in the team and how to make things happen.

 

[ComedyClub]

I hope he does come good but I think we will need to play with a higher tempo especially in and around the penalty box.if seems easy for teams to crowd him out at the moment.
He seems very isolated in the games he plays as if he doesnt understand his role in the team and how to make things happen.

Im sorry, but it's all his making. He doesn't do anything to get into the positions. Just stands about.

 

[benn5712]

Is there any good reason to play semi finals at wembley. Never thought it was a good idea, final only.
Without crowds no reason at all.

 

[bartman]

Lundstram has been pissing me off for weeks. What happened to the box to box player for the first 3 months of last season. He plays at a walking pace now, it's so half arsed.

Gets ball, dithers, turns, plays it backwards.

There was an occasion yesterday in last 5 mins when he had ball 20 yards out, could have shot, looked for a slide rule pass... but no, didn't even give it a chance to materialise, stopped dithered, turned 180 and played the ball back to Egan.

Was fucking ridiculous how negative he is.

I think our general play has been slow this season which will be down to a lack of confidence or being told to play a different way. You can see the midfield looking up for options and then choosing to play a safe option. This only appears to change when Burke is on the pitch as we then have the option of playing a ball behind the opposition defence.

We are crying out for a midfielder who can drive at a defence ( like Michael Brown and Michael Tonge used to do) . Fleck is now trying to do this but we need it more often and from more than one player

 

[bartman]

Im sorry, but it's all his making. He doesn't do anything to get into the positions. Just stands about.

I agree to a certain extent but why is that ? How is he being coached and shown how to improve. He doesnt appear to be a 'back to goal' player and when our build up play is slow, it will be difficult for him if he hasnt been show how to effect a game

Same with Mcburnie. He is a different player to the one who was at Swansea and Barnsley. Mcburnie has said previously that he has had to change his game to adapt to our style but surely our coaches encourage him to keep the qualities that made us buy him in the first place ?

 

[S64 Blade]

The issue with the flat 3 is that we've only had, at most, 66% effectiveness from them (2 out of the 3 playing well in games). For many games this season it's been much lower and we've essentially been playing with a handicap of an almost non-existent midfield. This has improved recently and is one of the main reasons for our upturn in form.

Long-term though, the real issue goes back to the lack of competition for places in this area. Even if Berge hadn't have got injured, we didn't have enough cover, or competition, in midfield. It was evident last season that we didn't create enough. Should have gone all out for someone like Buendia. Letting Luke Freeman go was a huge mistake - never had a bad game for us.

 

[ComedyClub]

I agree to a certain extent but why is that ? How is he being coached and shown how to improve. He doesnt appear to be a 'back to goal' player and when our build up play is slow, it will be difficult for him if he hasnt been show how to effect a game

Same with Mcburnie. He is a different player to the one who was at Swansea and Barnsley. Mcburnie has said previously that he has had to change his game to adapt to our style but surely our coaches encourage him to keep the qualities that made us buy him in the first place ?

The only logical reasoning behind it is that he isn't happy, you can coach a player and nurture his ability, but on the showings we've seen so far, his ability is league one at best.

Players have to apply themselves and run themselves into the ground to show a willing to adapt and become better. Coaching can't do it all, he's got to apply himself to become better, not just for us, but for himself.

 

[Bashamed]

Against what cunts a solid championship team. Hells bells is this what we have become? We laugh at other teams fans when they say it about us. I suppose you think we should win every single game next season in the championship? Absolutely toxic some of our fans.

Proper tiresome isnt it. If someone asked me how we did last night I'd probably say 'ye we played alright, opposition weren't great, we looked pretty comfortable and deserved the win'.

All this it was embarrassing bla bla bla is so over the top its untrue. If you're embarrassed by last night then why bother following us?

Same with judgements on players. Cant just see how they go for any length of time. It's instant extreme judgement. Ampadu a good example. He was pretty poor early in the season but they all were and he's young and learning our system etc. Now the same people who had decided he was just utter shit, didn't care, not trying etc think he's done well lately. If we'd have listened to them he would never have got the chance to play well because it was decided he was shit and should have been sent back. Will any of them reflect on that though? No. Already decided brewster is absolutely wank and a complete waste of money.

Maybe it's social media world we live in but these over the top judgements every game are so fucking boring.

 

[Chabuddy G]

but on the showings we've seen so far, his ability is league one at best.

But we know that isn't the case?

 

[ComedyClub]

But we know that isn't the case?

View attachment 105288

Based on half a season. Similar statistics to MCB if spread over a full season.

Based on the showings we've seen. Not based on last season.