pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Pretty standard win for us to cap a pleasing season with us promoted automatically with 91 lovely points. Bit of a demo game with some farewells we think. Birmingham are pretty hopeless although the first half showed us to be matched in most areas with no real answers in a 'never our strongest lineup'. Starts for Fleck, Basham and Stevens tells us more than Hecky can in that this is possibly their last game in red-and-white, although all three didn't disgrace themselves. A goal at last from McBurnie in a proper centre forward position and our golden boy forcing the second meant the second half switch-on which is typical of Hecky recently saw us comfortable but a really typical response from Birmingham saw them put put pressure on our lead.
Have to say though that were we even playing any of the three sat in the PL relegation zone today we'd have been beaten. Our weaknesses are clearly evident and if we fail to sign Doyle and McAtee this summer (or similar) we are in fucking trouble. Its enough to raise a glass to our anointment to upstairs but it is totally reasonable to scrutinise what we need to do to stay there. And we will be bringing Burnley and another club with us, who if they spend wisely will endure.
Davies 5/10: Not good enough for the PL. The bloke was a bombscare today from crosses to kicking
Baldock 6/10: Good game up to his injury. We'll need him next season
Basham 7/10: Involved and bar a few mistakes, is able to carry the ball more metres up the pitch than any of our other players. Great assist for McBurnie's goal. Think he's a gonner, though.
Egan 6.5/10: Solid stuff dealing with Jukewitz and Khadra. A bit asleep for their goal. We'll still have him next season
Robinson 7/10: Same fayre from Robbo. Robust and solid. Keep.
Stevens 7/10: Had a decent game if struggling with pace. Defended well and unlucky with an early effort. Twist.
Doyle 8/10: Defending as part of a 'box' midfield up to Baldock's injury and RM after that but ran himself ragged. BUY THIS PLAYER!
Fleck 7/10: Industrious and busy if a but lumpen these days. Still got involved a lot more with Doyle alongside him. Cheers Jimmy
McAtee 6/10: A bit anonymous at times if an inherent threat playing alongside NDaiye which is where his goal came from. Shit mesen when footballers do the acrobatics. BUY HIM TOO
NDaiye 8/10: Always a menace and never lets a lost ball stay lost. Great on and off the ball. If United sell him they are taking the piss
McBurnie 5/10: Gains a point from what his actual score was. I just don't see anything redeeming about him apart from odd spots where he pops up and sticks in two out of ten chances he gets. Ta-ra. There are better options.
Sharp 6/10: Shame he never got his goal despite ripping into Osula time and time again. Looked determined to get summat even though he was being pulled all over the shop. Thanks Billy. You've been great for the club.
Osula 7/10: Good game if somewhat wasteful at times. One to watch and possibly to loan out next season
Berge 6/10: Turned it on in spells and looked nesh in others and wasted a pearler of a chance. We did look better with him on the pitch though. Face it, we're keeping him because no fucker willl buy him
Buyabu 6/10: First touch was a winning header and looks leggy and quick. Good run on to their box later on. Loan him out to develop
Norwood 5/10: Fancy arsed flicks and daft balls into space. Sez it all. I'd like to think we are exploring better options next season but we have wasted too much time trying to squeeze brandy out of this lemon when really we should have been bringing on the likes of Arblaster and Coulibally. I hope we dispatch him and move on from Wilderball
All in all, a roller coaster of a season ending with a big loop and a watersplash at the end. The secret was fine margins and consistency. Fine margins in winning some games using more effort than we should and being ponderous and sometimes too careful in our approach and not having any real link between midfield and up from. Consistency in that even with us looking bobbar at nil-nil HT, like today, Hecky managed to inject enough spirit to go out and get the win in the second 45 looking half a notch better and more hungrier to get the win. It's happened against big clubs and small clubs and we have made a mark at doing it. Some pf the playing staff and areas of the pitch have been questionable, our propensity early doors to be victims to serial injuries hampered our progress but ... what I like is that HJ&SMcC instilled a 'never say die' attitude even when we were playing like cunts on the hour at Bramall Lane and we just needed to switch things fractionally and go on the hunt for the win. It is what has got us into second, got us through a few flat spots and given us the extra legs to hold the chasing pack back whilst it was they who simply ran out of steam. Now we can watch them fight this out as we did last season and prepare ourselves for what will definitely not be like our last first season up a few years ago. We have to prepare to be adaptable, change momentum, stop the endless passing about the backline and get the ball up the pitch at people's feet and crack it from range, on target. It's what the likes of Wolves, Brighton, Brentford and other wannabes are doing right now and Wilderball it is definitely not.
Hearty congratulations to the players, the staff and the club and massive best wishes to everyone on here, friend or foe. United are up and deservedly so.
Now the hard work really begins.
Strap yourselves in.
pommpey
Have to say though that were we even playing any of the three sat in the PL relegation zone today we'd have been beaten. Our weaknesses are clearly evident and if we fail to sign Doyle and McAtee this summer (or similar) we are in fucking trouble. Its enough to raise a glass to our anointment to upstairs but it is totally reasonable to scrutinise what we need to do to stay there. And we will be bringing Burnley and another club with us, who if they spend wisely will endure.
Davies 5/10: Not good enough for the PL. The bloke was a bombscare today from crosses to kicking
Baldock 6/10: Good game up to his injury. We'll need him next season
Basham 7/10: Involved and bar a few mistakes, is able to carry the ball more metres up the pitch than any of our other players. Great assist for McBurnie's goal. Think he's a gonner, though.
Egan 6.5/10: Solid stuff dealing with Jukewitz and Khadra. A bit asleep for their goal. We'll still have him next season
Robinson 7/10: Same fayre from Robbo. Robust and solid. Keep.
Stevens 7/10: Had a decent game if struggling with pace. Defended well and unlucky with an early effort. Twist.
Doyle 8/10: Defending as part of a 'box' midfield up to Baldock's injury and RM after that but ran himself ragged. BUY THIS PLAYER!
Fleck 7/10: Industrious and busy if a but lumpen these days. Still got involved a lot more with Doyle alongside him. Cheers Jimmy
McAtee 6/10: A bit anonymous at times if an inherent threat playing alongside NDaiye which is where his goal came from. Shit mesen when footballers do the acrobatics. BUY HIM TOO
NDaiye 8/10: Always a menace and never lets a lost ball stay lost. Great on and off the ball. If United sell him they are taking the piss
McBurnie 5/10: Gains a point from what his actual score was. I just don't see anything redeeming about him apart from odd spots where he pops up and sticks in two out of ten chances he gets. Ta-ra. There are better options.
Sharp 6/10: Shame he never got his goal despite ripping into Osula time and time again. Looked determined to get summat even though he was being pulled all over the shop. Thanks Billy. You've been great for the club.
Osula 7/10: Good game if somewhat wasteful at times. One to watch and possibly to loan out next season
Berge 6/10: Turned it on in spells and looked nesh in others and wasted a pearler of a chance. We did look better with him on the pitch though. Face it, we're keeping him because no fucker willl buy him
Buyabu 6/10: First touch was a winning header and looks leggy and quick. Good run on to their box later on. Loan him out to develop
Norwood 5/10: Fancy arsed flicks and daft balls into space. Sez it all. I'd like to think we are exploring better options next season but we have wasted too much time trying to squeeze brandy out of this lemon when really we should have been bringing on the likes of Arblaster and Coulibally. I hope we dispatch him and move on from Wilderball
All in all, a roller coaster of a season ending with a big loop and a watersplash at the end. The secret was fine margins and consistency. Fine margins in winning some games using more effort than we should and being ponderous and sometimes too careful in our approach and not having any real link between midfield and up from. Consistency in that even with us looking bobbar at nil-nil HT, like today, Hecky managed to inject enough spirit to go out and get the win in the second 45 looking half a notch better and more hungrier to get the win. It's happened against big clubs and small clubs and we have made a mark at doing it. Some pf the playing staff and areas of the pitch have been questionable, our propensity early doors to be victims to serial injuries hampered our progress but ... what I like is that HJ&SMcC instilled a 'never say die' attitude even when we were playing like cunts on the hour at Bramall Lane and we just needed to switch things fractionally and go on the hunt for the win. It is what has got us into second, got us through a few flat spots and given us the extra legs to hold the chasing pack back whilst it was they who simply ran out of steam. Now we can watch them fight this out as we did last season and prepare ourselves for what will definitely not be like our last first season up a few years ago. We have to prepare to be adaptable, change momentum, stop the endless passing about the backline and get the ball up the pitch at people's feet and crack it from range, on target. It's what the likes of Wolves, Brighton, Brentford and other wannabes are doing right now and Wilderball it is definitely not.
Hearty congratulations to the players, the staff and the club and massive best wishes to everyone on here, friend or foe. United are up and deservedly so.
Now the hard work really begins.
Strap yourselves in.
pommpey
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