Is this the style of play we want to see?

[Silent Blade]

The We Hoof Brigade are emerging from their s2 caves in force, aren't they?

Whatever next? Colour TV?

You say that you have a good memory. You must have forgotten how good it feels when we win a game!

Write to the FIFA and suggest that football games be decided by a panel of judges rather than by goals. Why not go to a circus instead of watching football?

 

[alcoblade]

I have no interest in listening to Jagielka. Did he finally apologise for or even explain the ludicrous handball that assured our relegation? Did he even mention the Blades? Has he been anywhere near the Lane since he left? He doesn't give a toss about us and I'm happy to reciprocate.

No, Alco, I'm not going. I don't expect a favourable result, either. No doubt you Hoofers will be delighted.

One thing's for sure though. The next successful SUFC team will be playing proper football. Sorry to disappoint.

Aye, you're not going to watch to crap you've craved for. Oh the irony.

And no Pinch, actually I will be gutted when Wolves beat us. Unlike you, I put a high priority on Sheffield United beating the opposition.

I hope our passing football sounds nice of the Radio.

UTB

 

[Pinchy]

You say that you have a good memory. You must have forgotten how good it feels when we win a game!

Write to the FIFA and suggest that football games be decided by a panel of judges rather than by goals. Why not go to a circus instead of watching football?

Football? I'd have thought Tug-O-War would be more your cup of tea. Upanatem; brute force; no skill or finesse required. Perfect.

 

[oldblade]

History shows, beyond any doubt whatsoever, how winning football is best achieved. This is the unassailable truth that the We Hoof Brigade are stubbornly unable to compute.

It's the Bladesfans' Way.

That is winning football at the top of the first division, where sides have the pick of the world's best players to be able to play a beautiful passing game all the time - although on fairly frequent occasions I do note that Manchester United play a very direct style of football. And when 1-0 down in the European cup final it wasn't slick passing football that won them the game 2-1.

Most sides in the football league as a whole play a mixture of different ways, often within the same game. For most of the time so have we, even under Bassett and Warnock, only some of our more obsessive posters are a bit like Nelson and therefore see no ships.

 

[Pinchy]

That is winning football at the top of the first division, where sides have the pick of the world's best players to be able to play a beautiful passing game all the time - although on fairly frequent occasions I do note that Manchester United play a very direct style of football. And when 1-0 down in the European cup final it wasn't slick passing football that won them the game 2-1.

Most sides in the football league as a whole play a mixture of different ways, often within the same game. For most of the time so have we, even under Bassett and Warnock, only some of our more obsessive posters are a bit like Nelson and therefore see no ships.

Side-splitting stuff as the We Hoof Brigade try to re-write history. Who will you claim next? Arsenal? Barcelona? Go on Pele, chase that one down the channel, you lazy bugger! Oi, Platini, less of your tippy-tappy! You're in s2 now!

 

[alcoblade]

Side-splitting stuff as the We Hoof Brigade try to re-write history. Who will you claim next? Arsenal? Barcelona? Go on Pele, chase that one down the channel, you lazy bugger! Oi, Platini, less of your tippy-tappy! You're in s2 now!

"Fergie - you might have won 396 trophies, but that Martinez knows how to play the game how it should be played."

Pinch, I'm concerned. Are you out of medication?

UTB

 

[Pinchy]

"Fergie - you might have won 396 trophies, but that Martinez knows how to play the game how it should be played."

Pinch, I'm concerned. Are you out of medication?

UTB

I need some mate. The We Hoof Brigade have claimed Manchester United!!

 

[alcoblade]

I need some mate. The We Hoof Brigade have claimed Manchester United!!

Well, as they play less football than a Martinez team, surely they hoof it? No? Clear it up for me, please?

UTB

 

[oldblade]

Side-splitting stuff as the We Hoof Brigade try to re-write history. Who will you claim next? Arsenal? Barcelona? Go on Pele, chase that one down the channel, you lazy bugger! Oi, Platini, less of your tippy-tappy! You're in s2 now!

So everyone who disagrees with you loves hoof? I (and many others) have noticed how you try and do this in every single thread related to tactics, styles of play etc. You'd make a good politician.

Which bit is rewritten? Go on, rewrite it yourself and kid yourself that Manchester United never go direct. And perhaps they footballed Bayern Munich off the park? Don't think so.

Or do you think that the majority of the football league plays a beautiful and effective passing game at all times?

Awaits next completely off the wall reply......................................................

 

[alcoblade]

So everyone who disagrees with you loves hoof? I (and many others) have noticed how you try and do this in every single thread related to tactics, styles of play etc. You'd make a good politician.

Which bit is rewritten? Go on, rewrite it yourself and kid yourself that Manchester United never go direct. And perhaps they footballed Bayern Munich off the park? Don't think so.

Or do you think that the majority of the football league plays a beautiful and effective passing game at all times?

Awaits next completely off the wall reply......................................................

You love hoof?

UTB

 

[oldblade]

I see we footballed our way to yet another win with a clean sheet and our striker(s) getting shed loads of goals. Still, it could be worse. We could be on our worst ever run of consecutive defeats in the lower leagues.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

Gerritforrud.

 

[oldblade]

Gerritforrud.

As opposed to sideways and backwards. Sounds like a plan!

 

[JJ Sefton]

Side-splitting stuff as the We Hoof Brigade try to re-write history. Who will you claim next? Arsenal? Barcelona? Go on Pele, chase that one down the channel, you lazy bugger! Oi, Platini, less of your tippy-tappy! You're in s2 now!

We don't have Pele in the fucking squad.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

As opposed to sideways and backwards. Sounds like a plan!

Hah. I was being sarcastic. Sounds like a plan to me n all. I've shouted that a few times myself actually, before i realised i was a dinosaur.

 

[oldblade]

Hah. I was being sarcastic. Sounds like a plan to me n all. I've shouted that a few times myself actually, before i realised i was a dinosaur.

Ah, so you haven't realised that the way forward is to play 90,000 passes anywhere around the pitch apart from down the channels or into the box. After all there's a danger we might score the odd goal if we did that and that would ruin our aim of producing clean sheets at our opponent's end every game.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

Ah, so you haven't realised that the way forward is to play 90,000 passes anywhere around the pitch apart from down the channels or into the box. After all there's a danger we might score the odd goal if we did that and that would ruin our aim of producing clean sheets at our opponent's end every game.

Not yet, but i'm trying to learn. I always thought the point of football was to score more goals than what the other lot did. And the way to do that, was by getting the ball as near to the other lots goal as possible, as often as you can. But it appears you now get bonus points for making pretty patterns in the middle of the pitch.

 

[shorehamview]

One thing's for sure though. The next successful SUFC team will be playing proper football.

When? Next game? Next month? Next season? Next decade? This revolution is taking longer to happen than my wife takes to get ready for a night out.

I don't love hoof, I love winning. Passing it around the defence and midfield all the time is all very well, but we've only won once this season and I didn't even see it due to my missionary work in a foreign country, and currently we are rock bottom of the table. The Weir Revolution is not working. I was optimistic when he was appointed as I saw it as a step in the right direction, but it appears the only direction Weir is taking us is down.

The next successful Sheffield United side may well be plying their trade in the fourth division. Still, it'll be pretty.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Swansea are the perfect example of it working. We differ from them as we have done the opposite of the bit in bold over the past 18 months.

How many more teams have tried "the Swansea way"and it got them nowhere?

Off the top of my head, Franchise FC have tried it without much success.

Norwich and Southampton have recent sucessive promotions under their belts, did either of them do it solely by pasing the ball between teh back four in their own half?

After 29 minutes of Swansea v Arsenal I'm bored

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Not yet, but i'm trying to learn. I always thought the point of football was to score more goals than what the other lot did. And the way to do that, was by getting the ball as near to the other lots goal as possible, as often as you can. But it appears you now get bonus points for making pretty patterns in the middle of the pitch.

Perfect analysis.

I'm not bothered how the ball gets in the box, in the air, on the ground or off the refs arse, main thing is that at least four of our players should be attacking the ball/goal when it does.

Do we have four players in their half?

 

[oldblade]

Perfect analysis.

I'm not bothered how the ball gets in the box, in the air, on the ground or off the refs arse, main thing is that at least four of our players should be attacking the ball/goal when it does.

Do we have four players in their half?

Don't be silly, they're all too busy thinking about the next beautiful pass they are going to make.

 

[Pinchy]

Don't be silly, they're all too busy thinking about the next beautiful pass they are going to make.

Then Hoof is the obvious solution. No thought required; no ability either. Perfect. I can't imagine why successful clubs would do it any other way, can you? Passing? Not in S2 you don't. We love to watch those aimless punts into the box. The great thing is: so do opposing defences, so everyone's happy, aren't we?............,,..aren't we?

 

[shorehamview]

Then Hoof is the obvious solution. No thought required; no ability either. Perfect. I can't imagine why successful clubs would do it any other way, can you? Passing? Not in S2 you don't. We love to watch those aimless punts into the box. The great thing is: so do opposing defences, so everyone's happy, aren't we?............,,..aren't we?

Why does it have to be boiled down to the rather simplistic line that if you don't like what Weir is doing then you are in favour of an antiquated style of play? You may as well say that if you don't like cheese then you must like beef, or if you don't like salt and vinegar crisps then you must like sex with animals.

I don't like the in your face, Wimbledon-esque approach, but I don't like losing every match either. Does that mean that I must like bacon sandwiches, or relaxing weekends in the Cotswolds?

David Weir's approach is seeing us lose. I don't like that. That must, by your strange logic, mean that I like Clive Cussler novels and pan pipe music, because I've not stated that I like them.

Hoof can fuck off, but losing every fucking week isn't the preferred alternative. That's what we are getting though.

 

[metalblade]

WUM alert, don't know why anyone bothers to answer Pinchy

 

[shorehamview]

WUM

A good impression of a Honda Fireblade starting there. Thanks.

 

[Lampiao]

I don't get this attitude of "playing the game the right way", it's like the idiots who say "it's just not cricket". For goodness sake I don't care whether we play "hoofball", wellyball, tippy-tappy, total football, postman knocks, or cage wrestling, as long as we score one more goal than the opposition in the match then I am happy.
Win games and most of the supporter base will be reasonably happy, lose games and we get depressed and unhappy. Bassett was a hero for 3-4 years, Wilson was "alright for 90% of a season, Warnock was a God when he took us up, but it all changed when we started to lose.
I haven't the time or the inclination to watch this "experiment" in football, I need a team that's winning and winning now - especially our club which should not be in the crap position it is in now.

 

[Pinchy]

I don't get this attitude of "playing the game the right way", it's like the idiots who say "it's just not cricket". For goodness sake I don't care whether we play "hoofball", wellyball, tippy-tappy, total football, postman knocks, or cage wrestling, as long as we score one more goal than the opposition in the match then I am happy.
Win games and most of the supporter base will be reasonably happy, lose games and we get depressed and unhappy. Bassett was a hero for 3-4 years, Wilson was "alright for 90% of a season, Warnock was a God when he took us up, but it all changed when we started to lose.
I haven't the time or the inclination to watch this "experiment" in football, I need a team that's winning and winning now - especially our club which should not be in the crap position it is in now.

The expression 'playing the right way' was coined and is used by professional managers and players. They do not mean prehistoric football. It's only an issue in s2. The civilised world has got the message - many years ago. Bassett was the right man at the right time. He gave us four years in the top flight that we had no right to expect. I enjoyed it as much as anyone. It has resulted, however, in a prehistoric mentality that has scarred us for far too long. Wimbledon are extinct. Watford now play properly and their fans love it. Only we cling to 'the wrong way' and it has done us nothing but harm.

 

[Lampiao]

The expression 'playing the right way' was coined and is used by professional managers and players. They do not mean prehistoric football. It's only an issue in s2. The civilised world has got the message - many years ago. Bassett was the right man at the right time. He gave us four years in the top flight that we had no right to expect. I enjoyed it as much as anyone. It has resulted, however, in a prehistoric mentality that has scarred us for far too long. Wimbledon are extinct. Watford now play properly and their fans love it. Only we cling to 'the wrong way' and it has done us nothing but harm.

I'm not saying go back to "Bassettball", however "Weirball" ain't working, so we need another look at situation. Maybe "weirball" would work with better quality players, but when faced with up tempo "in your face" division two football it falls down. When Wolves changed their tactics (like Millers did), and got at our midfield and restricted the sideways passing, we crumbled. THe first half we looked good, but like there is no end product, like an impotent lover, might look good in the bedroom, but no delivery!

 

[Bergen Blade]

'playing the right way' - if used in a serious debate about football styles, it's a careless and simplistic expression used by fools or people who think they are speaking to fools.

 

[Pinchy]

I'm not saying go back to "Bassettball", however "Weirball" ain't working, so we need another look at situation. Maybe "weirball" would work with better quality players, but when faced with up tempo "in your face" division two football it falls down. When Wolves changed their tactics (like Millers did), and got at our midfield and restricted the sideways passing, we crumbled. THe first half we looked good, but like there is no end product, like an impotent lover, might look good in the bedroom, but no delivery!

It's clearly not working at the moment. It may be that DW will pay for that with his job. Any manager can only withstand a run of bad results for a limited time. I happen to think he can turn it round. He has recruited some very good players though a couple have yet to show us the form that made them favourites at previous clubs. The major deficiency, and he must rectify it quickly, lies in the 'lone striker' dilemma. Unless we can get support, in numbers, both from central and wide areas to said striker then we will simply not score enough goals. One remedy would be to play two strikers. There is ample scope to play proper football within a 4-4-2 line up. But the strikers have to be good enough - ours are not. It would have been very different had we managed (and we did try) to bring in Wilson and Clarke from Coventry.

I can understand (though not agree with) people giving up on DW. That's a far cry, though, from advocating a return to the dark ages of anti-football. Not only is it aesthetically repugnant but, much more importantly, it doesn't work any more. If it did, everyone would do it.