pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Firstly, can I just say I have picked up a fair few infarctions thanks to the trolling, targeted, personal abuse and non sequitur slavver I have taken regarding 'My take ... ' from posters various.
I get Foxy and Lindz's judgements and accept them. So for now, if you have a fragile, easily-hurt ego which is projected onto a football team you simply support, if you are one of those for whom an eight nil dicking to Crawley at BDTBL is summat to clap the players off and anyone who doesn't is a pigfan or if you are a current squad member thinking you're incognito on here and missing the heady feeling of being booed off in front of 30k Blades fans then please, stop now. Scroll past. This isn't for you. And finally, I am not your problem. Sheffield United and the football they play is.
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Now, having said that, I think tonight United played a damned sight better than they have recently. They lost two nil, but aside from the goals Liverpool scored - one from a contentious (but correct) ball/out decision and us switching off and the other from a fortunate kick off the sole of Bryan's boot past Ramsdale - our performance was encouraging for most of the game. Three formation switches - two good and one bad - and we were beaten again for the 21st time out of 26 games this season.
As much as we lament the fates of Jack, John and Chris as our 'pistons' (remember that term? I thought it was shit, too) I think tonight's predictable staring line up did pretty well. Jags is Jags isn't he? He hasn't spent a decade in the PL for fuck all and served his country either, although Balotelli was the dark lord of the sith to cut him down and remind him who he was in a white shirt. We were dreading Ampadu and Bryan either side of him but to be honest I don't think they did that bad considering it was once the most feared front three the PL could muster. Yeah, it looked distinctly 'Championship', but I have just seen Wilder on telly telling us he 'bought the best from the Championship' hoping to survive in the Premiership. So that's okay then.
It's 5-3-2 now (or 3-5-2 as he draws it on the team sheet, hoping to kid us we are up for this and not simply defending until they eventually score) until relegation and beyond I think because that is what is drawn on the teamsheet slip so he fills it in. It's beatable, it's flawed, but what the fuck? We're down, dammit.
So tonight however the emphasis was exploiting Liverpools highlighted weaknesses, and thankfully that didn't involve protracted periods of Wilderball. And guess what? He almost pulled it off. We actually went into battle in the areas that mattered, and utilising assets e have. For 45 minutes we looked slightly capable, if not likely to shock Liverpool into a response, like a beakerful of crushed ice and curry sauce down your arsecrack. The bindippers have been shipping goals and leaking confidence since whenever and are seriously not the freeflowing, Brazil-lite outfit they were last season. Klopp has stopped smiling like Bingo out of the Banana Splits and now he is under pressure and needing wins, even to secure a spot in the Johnstones Europa League. Put simply, he can't afford to not lift silverware or gain qualification kudos this season so beating our sorry shower of bastards was essential, as was getting one over on that cheeky spud faced fucker Wilder. Losing tonight might have got him sacked, in fact.
In fairness and honesty, I thought the first 45 were pretty bloody good. Before the game my Shiregreen and Whirlow Blades buddies exchanged texts of despair at the team sheet expecting Liverpool to be three up by 25 minutes in. I texted back at 35 saying 'Am I watching the right match here?' Okay, Ramsdale was playing out of his skin (another text I sent) and we forced them to work hard and think about who they were playing instead of switching to AUTO/BEAT OPPOSITION mode, and Liverpool actually looked rattled. We even had the fucking temerity to steer some efforts on goal, gawd-dammit. But like FIFA21, the longer you don't score, the easier it is for your opponent to work you out. It took them fifty minutes to do that and in fairness you can understand the players thinking it was out, but it fucking well wasn't.
As ever though, Wilder decides to change things and does and correctly puts pace and doggedness on in Burke and Osborn for the urbane cool and death's door or Didsy and Jags. How strange how we suddenly looked more capable with four in midfield, huh? Less outnumbered, more time on the ball and more bite to tackle than desperate, outnumbered falling back. Even the back four looked okay if fragile when Firmino broke through (I think Jags would have been in on him TBH)
Then its another switch to 4-3-3 and we effectively lose all potency. It wasn't a good choice and Liverpool simply game managed the last 20 minutes, knowing full well that no matter what chance we offered up, McGoldrick wasn't on the pitch so they were under no danger at all.
Ramsdale 8.5/10: Some pretty excellent saves, which stopped us going in at half time -0-4. Tonight he was on level with his predecessor and looked impressively brave and agile. Very pleased.
Baldock 7/10: Good outing from Furious. Worked well against the threat from Mane and looked just as capable and athletic working with Lundstram and Norwood in a 4-4-2
Ampadu 8/10; Thought he had a great game and is on for next season to acquire, if he choses to stay. Put himself about and showed pleasing control and confidence at times
Jagielka 7/10: He huffs and he puffs and he's 61 next week. But his experience shows.
Bryan 6.5/10: A lot better from him. He looks to be growing into the role. He is not Jack and never will be, but recently he is confounding his early critics
Stevens 5/10: Our weakest player TBH. At times his control was piss poor, but in his defence, he did keep Salah relatively quiet
Lundstram 5.5/10: A much better game if no where near perfect. Tonight he got himself more involved if was sloppy and lacked that special touch needed to be effective at times. Another Wolves style mistimed tackle from him that left Alwxander Arnold in
Norwood (watch this) 7.5/10: Thought he had a much, much better game. Got stuck in, won the ball (a lot), limited the ping until it was needed and his crossing was pretty nad-on. This is what we expect from him.
Fleck 7.5/10: Another revelation, if fading during the last twenty when Wilder went 4-3-3 when he was outnumbered again in the middle. John played tonight. Jimmy will be back next game.
McBurnie 7/10: For a change, I expected the ball to be pumped long onto his had and typically fall to a light blue shirt. He did put himself out and about a lot and won loads of headers and many of them finding a striped shirt for a change. But there was no pub football tonight. I thought he played very well and grafted, if as with Fleck, faded during the last twenty. Maybe he's been reading this board, but there was less shithousery, and far more of what he can do on display, even if the header was fifty peed (the cross dropped behind his marker and he did have time to chest and kick, possibly)
McGoldrick 6.5/10: Welcome to the Footballing World of David McGoldrick. Everything in the Footballing World of David McGoldrick moves at half speed, but fear not, you, as a defender move at half speed too if you are marking him because that ball that is coming at you awkwardly is suddenly and miraculously brought under control and he's laying it off (you are still moving at half speed) and he is past you, or he is in front of you, or he has beaten you to that ball. But he's older than Jags. As soon as he is in possession, his direction and vision is way above what it should be. He is simply our best player.
Burke 5/10: Usual Billy Whizz stuff with no end product. Banging it across the goal when you've done all the hard work beating your player is a bit bollocks, isn't it? He's fast, but he can't score.
Osborn 6.5/10: Good effort and we did look more capable with him on the pitch, even though he isn't PL standard in honesty
Sharp 2/10: Not a mark that reflects his performance more that he didn't really get into the game at 4-3-3
Okay, we're beaten again and it's difficult to see where we will actually beat the 11 point hoodoo, but can anyone honestly say that if we'd have approached last week's game like we did tonight we'd have lost? Why does it take a big name like Man U and Liverpool to get the best of our worst this season?
pommpey
last
pommpey
I get Foxy and Lindz's judgements and accept them. So for now, if you have a fragile, easily-hurt ego which is projected onto a football team you simply support, if you are one of those for whom an eight nil dicking to Crawley at BDTBL is summat to clap the players off and anyone who doesn't is a pigfan or if you are a current squad member thinking you're incognito on here and missing the heady feeling of being booed off in front of 30k Blades fans then please, stop now. Scroll past. This isn't for you. And finally, I am not your problem. Sheffield United and the football they play is.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, having said that, I think tonight United played a damned sight better than they have recently. They lost two nil, but aside from the goals Liverpool scored - one from a contentious (but correct) ball/out decision and us switching off and the other from a fortunate kick off the sole of Bryan's boot past Ramsdale - our performance was encouraging for most of the game. Three formation switches - two good and one bad - and we were beaten again for the 21st time out of 26 games this season.
As much as we lament the fates of Jack, John and Chris as our 'pistons' (remember that term? I thought it was shit, too) I think tonight's predictable staring line up did pretty well. Jags is Jags isn't he? He hasn't spent a decade in the PL for fuck all and served his country either, although Balotelli was the dark lord of the sith to cut him down and remind him who he was in a white shirt. We were dreading Ampadu and Bryan either side of him but to be honest I don't think they did that bad considering it was once the most feared front three the PL could muster. Yeah, it looked distinctly 'Championship', but I have just seen Wilder on telly telling us he 'bought the best from the Championship' hoping to survive in the Premiership. So that's okay then.
It's 5-3-2 now (or 3-5-2 as he draws it on the team sheet, hoping to kid us we are up for this and not simply defending until they eventually score) until relegation and beyond I think because that is what is drawn on the teamsheet slip so he fills it in. It's beatable, it's flawed, but what the fuck? We're down, dammit.
So tonight however the emphasis was exploiting Liverpools highlighted weaknesses, and thankfully that didn't involve protracted periods of Wilderball. And guess what? He almost pulled it off. We actually went into battle in the areas that mattered, and utilising assets e have. For 45 minutes we looked slightly capable, if not likely to shock Liverpool into a response, like a beakerful of crushed ice and curry sauce down your arsecrack. The bindippers have been shipping goals and leaking confidence since whenever and are seriously not the freeflowing, Brazil-lite outfit they were last season. Klopp has stopped smiling like Bingo out of the Banana Splits and now he is under pressure and needing wins, even to secure a spot in the Johnstones Europa League. Put simply, he can't afford to not lift silverware or gain qualification kudos this season so beating our sorry shower of bastards was essential, as was getting one over on that cheeky spud faced fucker Wilder. Losing tonight might have got him sacked, in fact.
In fairness and honesty, I thought the first 45 were pretty bloody good. Before the game my Shiregreen and Whirlow Blades buddies exchanged texts of despair at the team sheet expecting Liverpool to be three up by 25 minutes in. I texted back at 35 saying 'Am I watching the right match here?' Okay, Ramsdale was playing out of his skin (another text I sent) and we forced them to work hard and think about who they were playing instead of switching to AUTO/BEAT OPPOSITION mode, and Liverpool actually looked rattled. We even had the fucking temerity to steer some efforts on goal, gawd-dammit. But like FIFA21, the longer you don't score, the easier it is for your opponent to work you out. It took them fifty minutes to do that and in fairness you can understand the players thinking it was out, but it fucking well wasn't.
As ever though, Wilder decides to change things and does and correctly puts pace and doggedness on in Burke and Osborn for the urbane cool and death's door or Didsy and Jags. How strange how we suddenly looked more capable with four in midfield, huh? Less outnumbered, more time on the ball and more bite to tackle than desperate, outnumbered falling back. Even the back four looked okay if fragile when Firmino broke through (I think Jags would have been in on him TBH)
Then its another switch to 4-3-3 and we effectively lose all potency. It wasn't a good choice and Liverpool simply game managed the last 20 minutes, knowing full well that no matter what chance we offered up, McGoldrick wasn't on the pitch so they were under no danger at all.
Ramsdale 8.5/10: Some pretty excellent saves, which stopped us going in at half time -0-4. Tonight he was on level with his predecessor and looked impressively brave and agile. Very pleased.
Baldock 7/10: Good outing from Furious. Worked well against the threat from Mane and looked just as capable and athletic working with Lundstram and Norwood in a 4-4-2
Ampadu 8/10; Thought he had a great game and is on for next season to acquire, if he choses to stay. Put himself about and showed pleasing control and confidence at times
Jagielka 7/10: He huffs and he puffs and he's 61 next week. But his experience shows.
Bryan 6.5/10: A lot better from him. He looks to be growing into the role. He is not Jack and never will be, but recently he is confounding his early critics
Stevens 5/10: Our weakest player TBH. At times his control was piss poor, but in his defence, he did keep Salah relatively quiet
Lundstram 5.5/10: A much better game if no where near perfect. Tonight he got himself more involved if was sloppy and lacked that special touch needed to be effective at times. Another Wolves style mistimed tackle from him that left Alwxander Arnold in
Norwood (watch this) 7.5/10: Thought he had a much, much better game. Got stuck in, won the ball (a lot), limited the ping until it was needed and his crossing was pretty nad-on. This is what we expect from him.
Fleck 7.5/10: Another revelation, if fading during the last twenty when Wilder went 4-3-3 when he was outnumbered again in the middle. John played tonight. Jimmy will be back next game.
McBurnie 7/10: For a change, I expected the ball to be pumped long onto his had and typically fall to a light blue shirt. He did put himself out and about a lot and won loads of headers and many of them finding a striped shirt for a change. But there was no pub football tonight. I thought he played very well and grafted, if as with Fleck, faded during the last twenty. Maybe he's been reading this board, but there was less shithousery, and far more of what he can do on display, even if the header was fifty peed (the cross dropped behind his marker and he did have time to chest and kick, possibly)
McGoldrick 6.5/10: Welcome to the Footballing World of David McGoldrick. Everything in the Footballing World of David McGoldrick moves at half speed, but fear not, you, as a defender move at half speed too if you are marking him because that ball that is coming at you awkwardly is suddenly and miraculously brought under control and he's laying it off (you are still moving at half speed) and he is past you, or he is in front of you, or he has beaten you to that ball. But he's older than Jags. As soon as he is in possession, his direction and vision is way above what it should be. He is simply our best player.
Burke 5/10: Usual Billy Whizz stuff with no end product. Banging it across the goal when you've done all the hard work beating your player is a bit bollocks, isn't it? He's fast, but he can't score.
Osborn 6.5/10: Good effort and we did look more capable with him on the pitch, even though he isn't PL standard in honesty
Sharp 2/10: Not a mark that reflects his performance more that he didn't really get into the game at 4-3-3
Okay, we're beaten again and it's difficult to see where we will actually beat the 11 point hoodoo, but can anyone honestly say that if we'd have approached last week's game like we did tonight we'd have lost? Why does it take a big name like Man U and Liverpool to get the best of our worst this season?
pommpey
last
pommpey