Ports It Is Then...

[LoughboroBlade]

Ports was superb. Completely changed the game for us, unlucky not to have scored more.

He and McFadzean deserve a start in place of Kitson and the appalling Barry Robson, whose total lack of effort on the first goal was inexcusable - hilariously he tried to blame someone else.

 

[1889]

I've got loads of passion but I would be shite up front.

But assuming you're not a professional footballer, you're point is of absolutely no relevance.

If you are a professional footballer, welcome to the forum Emile.

 

[JohnDenver]

Love me.

If Forte scores the winner on Tuesday I'll love anyone who asks.

 

[Houso]

Dibs.

 

[FleaPitBlade]

Can we not just take a reality check? We're in the third division and with that comes a squad of player that are not of the calibre we've come accustomed to?

I like Porter. Hes not a fantastic footballer, hes not James Beattie or Ched Evans, but thats OK for me as long as he's putting in enough to deliver to the best of his abilities then he doesnt deserve the stick he gets. There was a time that Blades appreciated that.

 

[alcoblade]

Gizza smile.

I agreed with you at the time. But reminding folk of your correctness after the event is the very definition of Lennism.

Well, Matt really went for me as though I was some sort of idiot for not seeing the best of the deal. And the more the thought of a play-off looms, the angrier that sale makes me.

UTB

PS....

 

[alcoblade]

So now it matters how we score the goals does it?? Didnt realise.

Shame nobody scored a tap in during the last two home games. I'll take 3 tap ins in the next 3 home games.

Do you like to argue for arguments sake? Genuine question

No, not at all Matt. But drawing very short term conclusions about a player who couldn't break into Shrewsbury's team, because he scored a tap in - is the same short term and, I'm sorry to say, stupid logic that led you and a few others to clap along as we sold our top scorer.

Genuine answer.



UTB

 

[Highbury_Blade]

No, not at all Matt. But drawing very short term conclusions about a player who couldn't break into Shrewsbury's team, because he scored a tap in - is the same short term and, I'm sorry to say, stupid logic that led you and a few others to clap along as we sold our top scorer.

Genuine answer.



UTB

He played 4 games in a month for Shrewsbury with only one of them being a substitute appearance. I think you could count that as breaking in to the team.

 

[alcoblade]

He played 4 games in a month for Shrewsbury with only one of them being a substitute appearance. I think you could count that as breaking in to the team.

Ok, sorry - I thought he wasn't getting a game when they sent him back.

Either way, it's quite clear he isn't the answer to our goal scoring problems, based on lots more evidence than a tap in on Saturday.

UTB

 

[Foxy]

No, not at all Matt. But drawing very short term conclusions about a player who couldn't break into Shrewsbury's team, because he scored a tap in - is the same short term and, I'm sorry to say, stupid logic that led you and a few others to clap along as we sold our top scorer.

I understand the point you are making, but ask anyone who went on Saturday how he played... It's about more than the goal, he needs to put in another performance like that on Tuesday now

 

[alcoblade]

I understand the point you are making, but ask anyone who went on Saturday how he played... It's about more than the goal, he needs to put in another performance like that on Tuesday now

I'm sure you're right Foxy - but I suspect McFadzean (sp?) and our inexplicable desire to not play football for the first half also contributed.

He's possibly a better option right now, but that fact in itself coupled with continually "apologising" for players like Porter and Flynn, is part of the reason we're likely to be a third division team next season.

UTB

 

[Foxy]

I'm sure you're right Foxy - but I suspect McFadzean (sp?) and our inexplicable desire to not play football for the first half also contributed.

He's possibly a better option right now, but that fact in itself coupled with continually "apologising" for players like Porter and Flynn, is part of the reason we're likely to be a third division team next season.

McFadzean did also make a big difference, but he'd have been wasted without the work Porter put in and we'd already started looking better before he brought McFadzean on.

Say what you like about Porter and Flynn, but one of them won every ball, brought others into the game and scored and the other would never have let his man wander down the wing like Robson did.

Sometimes, it's some of the unpopular players that make the positive difference, that's why they continue to get picked and some who see the work they do "apologise" for them

 

[alcoblade]

McFadzean did also make a big difference, but he'd have been wasted without the work Porter put in and we'd already started looking better before he brought McFadzean on.

Say what you like about Porter and Flynn, but one of them won every ball, brought others into the game and scored and the other would never have let his man wander down the wing like Robson did.

Sometimes, it's some of the unpopular players that make the positive difference, that's why they continue to get picked and some who see the work they do "apologise" for them

Put it another way - a team full of players of the abilities of Flynn and Porter would, I have no doubt, be fighting to stay in this division.

I am not blind to the strengths of either of the two players. But their weaknesses greatly outweigh them.

UTB

 

[God]

As suspected................

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/foot...danny-tells-porter-to-make-his-mark-1-5555980

To be fair, he was looking a decent foil for Miller, let's hope him and Forte can hit it off, they need to.

Forte will only become any kind of foil when DW stops playing him out wide. DW has got to stop with this 4-5-1 bobbar, we cant play it, it does NOT work. Jesus H have we not leaned that by now? That and giving Kitsons tendency for dropping back to " link up play" as DW puts it ,we actually end up with a 4-6-0 formation! erm wakey wakey Danny we don't look like scoring playing like this, get back to 4-4-2 . If its got to be Porter so be it, but FFS DON,T leave him isolated up front on his todd , get Forte , Ironside or even Murphy up and around him. We don't even look like posing a threat at the moment.

 

[alcoblade]

Forte will only become any kind of foil when DW stops playing him out wide. DW has got to stop with this 4-5-1 bobbar, we cant play it, it does NOT work. Jesus H have we not leaned that by now? That and giving Kitsons tendency for dropping back to " link up play" as DW puts it ,we actually end up with a 4-6-0 formation! erm wakey wakey Danny we don't look like scoring playing like this, get back to 4-4-2 . If its got to be Porter so be it, but FFS DON,T leave him isolated up front on his todd , get Forte , Ironside or even Murphy up and around him. We don't even look like posing a threat at the moment.

This is the disappointing thing - we've been woeful at home all season, but seem incapable of upping the tempo / adjusting the style in any positive way. What's the downside to actually going for it at home?

UTB

 

[God]

This is the disappointing thing - we've been woeful at home all season, but seem incapable of upping the tempo / adjusting the style in any positive way. What's the downside to actually going for it at home?

UTB

The only downside would be losing, but even saying that if the fans saw that we were battling and going for the jugular rather than keeping it same same all the time, we wouldn't mind the odd mishap and come out thinking at least we'd gone for it rather that coming out feeling disappointed/frustrated like we do now. Take the Carlisle match for instance, against 10 men for last 15, we've got the back 4 marking ONE forward. Why? would it have hurt things that much to have pushed, say either Collins, Maguire or Hill into a more midfield allowing other midfielders to push up and pressurise their 10 men? Also why was Ironside, after making an impact after coming on against Carlisle, left getting splinters against Walsall?

 

[alcoblade]

The only downside would be losing, but even saying that if the fans saw that we were battling and going for the jugular rather than keeping it same same all the time, we wouldn't mind the odd mishap and come out thinking at least we'd gone for it rather that coming out feeling disappointed/frustrated like we do now. Take the Carlisle match for instance, against 10 men for last 15, we've got the back 4 marking ONE forward. Why? would it have hurt things that much to have pushed, say either Collins, Maguire or Hill into a more midfield allowing other midfielders to push up and pressurise their 10 men? Also why was Ironside, after making an impact after coming on against Carlisle, left getting splinters against Walsall?

Agreed - but it's difficult to believe a more attacking approach at home would have resulted in fewer points. As it is, I'm already dreading next season if Wilson's still in charge.

UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

Agreed - but it's difficult to believe a more attacking approach at home would have resulted in fewer points. As it is, I'm already dreading next season if Wilson's still in charge.

UTB

Our line-up across defence and central midfield is so slow we simply cannot press high up the pitch. Even at this level teams embarrass us. Whether or not our negativity is a tactic or a reflection of our player's age and immobility I'm not sure. I suspect it's a both, but the latter dictates the former.

As for next season, depending on who comes down, I'd be more hopeful of promotion than I was this time around. A stable budget as opposed to a plummeting one should give us more flexibility. And of course, we still might go up....

 

[alcoblade]

Our line-up across defence and central midfield is so slow we simply cannot press high up the pitch. Even at this level teams embarrass us. Whether or not our negativity is a tactic or a reflection of our player's age and immobility I'm not sure. I suspect it's a both, but the latter dictates the former.

As for next season, depending on who comes down, I'd be more hopeful of promotion than I was this time around. A stable budget as opposed to a plummeting one should give us more flexibility. And of course, we still might go up....

I think you are right - we don't have the players - but Wilson's got to carry the can for that - we are bereft of athletes.

I don't think many contracts expire this summer JD, do they?

UTB

 

[bartman]

Also why was Ironside, after making an impact after coming on against Carlisle, left getting splinters against Walsall?

The way we played in the last 30 minutes,i could see who Ironside would have come on for. The only possibility was Forte but he improved as the 2nd half went on and was forcing the defence back with his pace(probably because he was playing down the middle with a strike partner). Ironside is more of a back to goal on the turn striker.

Bringing Ironside on would have lost us that pace down the middle the and Walsall defence would have been able to squeeze us forward as we wouldn't have got behind them

 

[JohnDenver]

I don't think many contracts expire this summer JD, do they?

UTB

Doyle's doesn't, which is a shame. But losing Kitson, Robson and Higgs is very likely. Replace those players and you'd find it difficult not to introduce more pace and dynamism, even if you didn't want to.

But that's not really my point. I think it's incredibly difficult to build a team while cutting the budget year on year. Next season we finally have a stable budget (4 years late), and I expect to see a team built on the improving youngsters. Whether it's Wilson's team or someone else's isn't the only thing that matters - it's whether he's been asked to replace thoroughbreds with Findus fodder.

 

[alcoblade]

Doyle's doesn't, which is a shame. But losing Kitson, Robsoand Higgs is very likely. Replace those players and you'd find it difficult not to introduce more pace and dynamism, even if you didn't want to.

But that's not really my point. I think it's incredibly difficult to build a team while cutting the budget year on year. Next season we finally have a stable budget (4 years late), and I expect to see a team built on the improving youngsters. Whether it's Wilson's team or someone else's isn't the only thing that matters - it's whether he's been asked to replace thoroughbreds with Findus fodder.

I agree that it's been a piss poor environment for team building, and that should improve from here on. The worry is that he's had plenty of opportunity to make some change, and the signs aren't good. Putting abilities of players aside,it's the lack of power, pace and energy in just about all his signings that worries me. Couple that with the approach of his teams, and I question the wisdom of allowing him to make the changes.

I presume he's gambled on results over style - which I can only accept provided we are promoted. If the gamble fails, I pray we sack him.

UTB

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Is it just me or was Porter hitting it wide and it only went in off the defender? It's difficult to tell from this.



What a miss that would have been.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Is it just me or was Porter hitting it wide and it only went in off the defender? It's difficult to tell from this.



What a miss that would have been.

It's just you.

what the fuck was hill doing for their goal though?

 

[JohnDenver]

what the fuck was hill doing for their goal though?

I blame Robson for a disgraceful bit of laziness that should see him dropped.

That said, I'd like to see more of the build up before before I feed him to the sharks... Until that's available I'll settle for the thumb screws.

 

[bartman]

It's just you.

what the fuck was hill doing for their goal though?

I think you are mixing up Hill with Forte (Hill was playing right back)

Two mistakes from Robson for the goal. He gave the ball away as we were just outside their box, they broke,and as you see from the video, Robson stopped tracking his player (literally, he just stopped) while Forte was watching the other player. Cross comes in from that player, Maguire lets Westcarr turn and they score.

After the goal,Robson tries to blame Forte but it was clearly Robson's errors that caused the problems. For an experienced player to do what Robson did was unacceptable

 

[Jehovah]

Who hits that 40 yard cross field pass to kmac? Excellent ball.

 

[Bladesway]

Reading the above and people clear bias on players and against the usual suspects, I'm glad its Wilson picks the team and not most of the fans.

4-5-1, 4-3-3, 4-2-4 bollocks, bollocks, bollocks, you pick eleven men to play and no matter what the formation these players should be good enough and intelligent enough to do the job they are supposed to do.

No formation can account for the idiocy of Forte and Robson for their first goal. I'm not worried about the manager or the formation we play, I'm far more concerned that we have lost players who can score goals like Blackman and replaced them with players who clearly can't score goals like Forte. Kitson appears to have knocked off early (could be injury to be fair to him) and we don't appear to have anyone now apart from the much maligned Porter to save the day. Who is to blame for that? Porter, Wilson or McCabe?

Our bat eyed chairman appears to have kept us in the third division almost single handedly.

 

[raul]

Doyle's doesn't, which is a shame. But losing Kitson, Robson and Higgs is very likely. Replace those players and you'd find it difficult not to introduce more pace and dynamism, even if you didn't want to.

But that's not really my point. I think it's incredibly difficult to build a team while cutting the budget year on year. Next season we finally have a stable budget (4 years late), and I expect to see a team built on the improving youngsters. Whether it's Wilson's team or someone else's isn't the only thing that matters - it's whether he's been asked to replace thoroughbreds with Findus fodder.

Why will we have a stable budget next season? Have I missed something?

 

[Balham]

Reading the above and people clear bias on players and against the usual suspects, I'm glad its Wilson picks the team and not most of the fans.

"People's clear bias" on certain players is influenced by them having paid for a ticket and watching the game. I'm glad for the most part that it's Wilson picking the team but his insistence on a "settled" XI is causing problems.

Robson is not fit enough and is breaking up our attacking play. When we play a back four and central midfield two as solid as we do, we need pace and invention down the wings. Robson brings neither.

Kitson is obviously not 100% fit. When he is, he's a class above but there is definitely now an argument that he should be on the bench on Tuesday with Porter starting. I'd rather have Kitson miss tomorrow's game in order to be fit for Saturday than playing both at half fitness.

Doyle's role as a spoiler only works when he's got inventive players around him: last season with McDonald, Williamson and Quinn (and Lowton overlapping) we played to his strengths - snapping into tackles and playing 5 yard balls. This season with only McDonald really looking to create it's all ended up a bit congested in the middle. Playing Murphy and Forte/McFadzean on the flanks would help.