Not much luck against Wolves

[PeterNdlovu081]

Aye he barely featured in that team that accrued 90 points did he? And our poor run of form in no way coincided with his hamstring injury.

He looks decent in this Wolves team and he looked decent in our team that had Williamson, Lowton, Quinn and Evans but when the shit hits the fan he immediately downs tools. As we saw last season.

 

[UnitedBlade]

I thought Wolves were thuggish at times but efficient.

With £16M parachute payments and a turnover of probably £30M, they could have a player wage bill of up to £18M, probably 3 times that of the next highest side in this division. They probably haven't spent that much but I'd be amazed if McDonald didn't substantially increase his salary going to them.

Them and Brentford are both on target for 100 points and I expect them to achieve that or run it close.

Still, we can build for next season and enjoy a day in the sun at Wembley.

 

[BladeFisher]

Beaten by a better side. No complaints, no good/bad luck, they're just a better side. Good luck to them, by far the best team in this division, with Brentford 2nd IMO. I feared inflated expectations may creep in, Clough has always been building towards next season, and now he can with absolutely no expectation of a top 6 finish.

Really? Win at Crawley next week and it's game on. Would be 7 points behind Peterborough. Nicely set up for Swindon.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Thank god we can stop this nonsense of talking about the playoffs , and concentrate on wembley the money it's going to put in the managers pocket and therefore look forward to next season , we've been beaten by the top of the league side , most on this site , stated , it would be Wolves and then 2 others , I'm sure the parachute payments from the prem league helped them out somewhat .
We all know we need a striker , as does Mr Clough and with the players that will leave the club I trust him to bring in the players we will need to get promotion next season , we need to gel the team keep a concerted effort to keep the players we need , after all Mr Clough has succeeded in his main aim , after the disaster that was weir , and kept us in this league , everything else has been a bonus .
I trust Clough and so far I've not been let done by anything he's said , done , or the way he's got the team playing , next season should be even better than this half of the season .
In a season and a half he has / will have given us at least one appearance at wembley and promotion .
I hope the striker he goes for is Billy sharp , didn't do it the last time but we didn't play to his / our new strengths , chin up Blades
if we play like this next season we'll be alright .
UTB .

 

[Guesty]

And so it begins. Our incredible run has ended and the 'blame game' commences. I trust NC absolutely - every player he has brought in has shown excellent promise. True, we are screaming out for a striker but they don't grow on trees.

We are very much a 'work in progress' but the strides we've made under NC are very positive. Let's take today on the chin, learn from their quickness of thought and deed (and cynicism) and hope we're in a similar position to Wolves this time next season.

I like Scougall a lot. But he isn't in McDonald's class. He hasn't go his composure or range of passing, he really only has the one trick of running through with the ball at his feet. When space is scarce, as today, he is ineffective. McDonald too had large spells of being ineffective but he ran the show today, for a team at the top of the League, belying the bizarre narrative that has sprung up since his departure that he was never any good anyway.

 

[kozluk]

considering how big and physical wolvers are, I thought scougall had his best game in a blades shirt today. He was always open for the ball, and when he had it he was always moving forward. It was so frustrating to see him in such open space to be overlooked on several occasions.

I would rate him a 9, worked hard, was good on the ball and very lively going forward

 

[yuley82]

Best that they are top of the league perhaps? Can't be lucky every week can you?

If your gonna reply then read the post correctly!! Where have I said lucky? There not the best footballing side which I stated but there the best equipped physically and constantly not once have I said lucky! Jackets built a team to get promoted and that's what they'll get but they'll need a big overhaul to compete in championship.. Just my two pence worth.

 

[grafikhaus]

I like Scougall a lot. But he isn't in McDonald's class. He hasn't go his composure or range of passing, he really only has the one trick of running through with the ball at his feet. When space is scarce, as today, he is ineffective. McDonald too had large spells of being ineffective but he ran the show today, for a team at the top of the League, belying the bizarre narrative that has sprung up since his departure that he was never any good anyway.

Oh I quite agree. McDonald oozes class in much the same way as Andy Reid does. But we are where we are and NC didn't flog McD. I think Scougall shows immense promise but it must be easier to play effectively when you have class all around you. Wolves had and we, as yet, haven't. Also, the impressive off-the-ball running of McD's team mates created this space. We couldn't match them today.

And don't worry too much about the 'bizarre narrative'. United, like all clubs, have fans who wouldn't know class if it hit them in the face. Remember a certain S. Quinn?

 

[BladeFisher]

Thank god we can stop this nonsense of talking about the playoffs , and concentrate on wembley the money it's going to put in the managers pocket and therefore look forward to next season , we've been beaten by the top of the league side , most on this site , stated , it would be Wolves and then 2 others , I'm sure the parachute payments from the prem league helped them out somewhat .
We all know we need a striker , as does Mr Clough and with the players that will leave the club I trust him to bring in the players we will need to get promotion next season , we need to gel the team keep a concerted effort to keep the players we need , after all Mr Clough has succeeded in his main aim , after the disaster that was weir , and kept us in this league , everything else has been a bonus .
I trust Clough and so far I've not been let done by anything he's said , done , or the way he's got the team playing , next season should be even better than this half of the season .
In a season and a half he has / will have given us at least one appearance at wembley and promotion .
I hope the striker he goes for is Billy sharp , didn't do it the last time but we didn't play to his / our new strengths , chin up Blades
if we play like this next season we'll be alright .
UTB .

And just why is it a nonsense? The only reason we are still in with a shout is that the teams above us aren't much kop either. Oldham beat Crawley today. No just take it as it comes and stop being so bloody negative!
Whilst it is mathmatically possible, anything is on. Whether I think we'll make it is another matter....

 

[yuley82]

Wolves look the best equipped to get promotion and the strongest side I've seen at the lane in L1 this season, not the most pretty but efficient and capable of battling 3pt wins if need be. There strong physical and work hard, all the ingredients needed to get out of this division.

 

[Bladesway]

If your gonna reply then read the post correctly!! Where have I said lucky? There not the best footballing side which I stated but there the best equipped physically and constantly not once have I said lucky! Jackets built a team to get promoted and that's what they'll get but they'll need a big overhaul to compete in championship.. Just my two pence worth.

Oooh put your dummy back in. First sentence was aimed at you the second was a general comment on the thread. It doesn't take a genius to pull that together does it?

Lets have a chat when your not so sore eh?

 

[blader]

Really? Win at Crawley next week and it's game on. Would be 7 points behind Peterborough. Nicely set up for Swindon.

A very optimistic approach if you're being serious. Don't think we'd get in even if we won every game (maybe JUST, but that isn't going to happen anyway!

 

[yuley82]

Oooh put your dummy back in. First sentence was aimed at you the second was a general comment on the thread. It doesn't take a genius to pull that together does it?

Lets have a chat when your not so sore eh?

I'm not sore our lass didn't bring long don out last night so I'm ok, I read it after an realised the quote of the post so apologies an I'm far from a genius, my proffesion vouchers for that

 

[BladeFisher]

A very optimistic approach if you're being serious. Don't think we'd get in even if we won every game (maybe JUST, but that isn't going to happen anyway!

I don't think so either, but I wouldn't give up yet! If say we won our next three that puts Posh with games in hand and they are relatively easy.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

And just why is it a nonsense? The only reason we are still in with a shout is that the teams above us aren't much kop either. Oldham beat Crawley today. No just take it as it comes and stop being so bloody negative!
Whilst it is mathmatically possible, anything is on. Whether I think we'll make it is another matter....

Think if you go through my post I nail my colours to the mast by saying that next year if we keep the spine of the team , get in the strikers we all know we need , and Mr Clough has his pre season we will be the team to fear next year.
Think the points we dropped from wining positions v Bradford , the points we didn't get against County and Walsall , and the no shows v Shrewsbury and Crewe. , put paid to us this year , the teams above us are indeed not very good , but apart from the fullbacks and scougs , this is the same poor team for the first 14 games of the season as weir had playing for him , don't think we'll do it and I won't go stupig about our chances of doing it either , if it happens and we go unbeaten to the end of the season your gallons on me .
As always UTB .

 

[Dkc]

Play Offs are just as likely today as they were yesterday, as our two main rivals, Posh and Crawley, both lost.
Only difference is there is one less game to play.

Posh are stuttering. We have had two extremely tough games, and only come away with a point. But who's to say we won't get six points from our next two games, and our main rivals only get a couple?

 

[itsinyerblood]

Interesting thread.....I couldn't get to the game today, but I did manage to follow play. Seems we had several close calls, our finishing wasn't up to scratch, but overall we played quite well. Against a side who have been engineered for promotion this season, and given the mess our season began with, the way this mess had to be addressed, and then to find ourselves actually doing well, it seems that when you look at everything we've done well so far. We're not the finished product, there are a few gaps that need tweaking, but that's what Clough will sort out. In a remarkably short space of time Nigel has brought stability to a ship that was sinking, something we should all be grateful for.

I recall Clough saying that it would be in the summer when there would be substantial changes to the squad. I think it's important not to take the guy too literally. The system we've been playing is based on the players we have, so all told it's served us well up until now. But that absence of a killer touch up front has been visible all season long. What we have become is a team that's hard to beat. The thing is this, only Clough will know what he wishes to do during the summer. Will he persist with this system, or will he change things? I'd love to see a couple of quality strikers signed. That way the comments that have been made about Scougall or Baxter may take on a very different hue. Neither player is an out and out forward, so please don't blame them for doing as their manager has instructed them to play. Scougall is a player who will respond to forwards who have pace, same goes for Baxter. These two can create chances, it's just at the moment we're short in the area of the pitch that matters. So don't get too downhearted, the team needed to find a backbone, and in the main this is what we now have. But there was always work to be done, and our manager will be well aware of this. Clough will know what we need, what positions need strengthening, and the one thing he's shown is that he'll wait until the right player is available and then sign whoever he feels will improve us.

I'd advise anyone whose chin has dropped after today's result to get back in the saddle. Defeat happens to everyone, and today's loss doesn't mean the world's come to an end. So put everything into perspective and realise that we're on course for a promotion push next season. UTB

 

[ponteblade]

Still a proud blade! Wow we haven't won in 2 games, but we have just had a great run! Ready for semi and then next seaon, under Mr clough! We lost to a good wolves team get over it and carry on singing!

 

[diplomat]

Wolves should and probably will win this league. Even though they had a torrid couple of years they still had a very good squad. I'm glad Dicko and Sako didn't play as those two are a real goal threat and we could have lost by more. That said it was a pretty even game all in all.

Those booing KMac, really? Given the choice of us or them, regardless of pay cheque, he had more chance of playing in the championship next year with them. Simple as that.

If Scougs had scored early on it would have been interesting. I also thought Collins should have had a penno from where I was sitting. Their first looked a bit of a freak goal and we didn't really deserve to be behind at the break. I thought they were big and solid and got men back very quickly when we tried to lull them on and break on them. They played us well. They were big, a bit like Grayson's Preston or Wendy under Megson/Jones but had a bit more about them and beat us leaving their main goal threat on the bench.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Wolves should and probably will win this league. Even though they had a torrid couple of years they still had a very good squad. I'm glad Dicko and Sako didn't play as those two are a real goal threat and we could have lost by more. That said it was a pretty even game all in all.

Those booing KMac, really? Given the choice of us or them, regardless of pay cheque, he had more chance of playing in the championship next year with them. Simple as that.

If Scougs had scored early on it would have been interesting. I also thought Collins should have had a penno from where I was sitting. Their first looked a bit of a freak goal and we didn't really deserve to be behind at the break. I thought they were big and solid and got men back very quickly when we tried to lull them on and break on them. They played us well. They were big, a bit like Grayson's Preston or Wendy under Megson/Jones but had a bit more about them and beat us leaving their main goal threat on the bench.

Absolutely spot on. Wolves have got all the attributes of a good team for any league;

- Excellent, reliable GK
- Physically strong & organised back four
- Technical ability & attacking flair in Jacobs, Henry & KMac
- Quick & Intelligent strikers who are proven goal scorers up top.

IMO we have three of that four at this moment , we just need the strikers to punish teams & start winning with a more convincing score line.

 

[MBoreman]

I thought we were slightly unlucky yesterday, while Wolves were good for much of it we matched them and on another day could have had 2 or 3. I agree Collins should have had a penalty. We do need a striker but not as desperately as people make out, if Clough can get Taylor playing with confidence he may be some way to a solution (that is if Clough hasn't made his mind up on him already).

I was a big McDonald fan, as he is a great player, but I think we've replaced him well with Coady, Baxter and Scougall. Given the option of those three or McDonald I'd stick with what we have.

 

[Pinchy]

And so it begins. Our incredible run has ended and the 'blame game' commences. I trust NC absolutely - every player he has brought in has shown excellent promise. True, we are screaming out for a striker but they don't grow on trees.

We are very much a 'work in progress' but the strides we've made under NC are very positive. Let's take today on the chin, learn from their quickness of thought and deed (and cynicism) and hope we're in a similar position to Wolves this time next season.

Absolutely. I'm afraid quite a few couldn't wait for us to lose. The self-satisfied glee I'm reading today is nauseating. Wolves the new Brazil and McDonald the white Pele. Utter and complete bollocks written with the familiar cringeworthy S2 forelock-tugging and cap-doffing; wallowing in their comforting, familiar, inferiority complex.

I Scoogs, a young player of ability, commitment and enthusiasm who actually threatens the opposition goal. Worth ten McDonalds in my book.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

On another day another ref could have sent off Clarke, McDonald and Batth (and maybe others) after enough bookings and given us 1-4 penalties.

Agree but that's one thing that is spoiling modern footie, too many easy sending offs. Enjoyed the physical battle.


Thought we could have had a draw, if our earlier chances had gone in it would have been a different game.

Like at Preston thought we broke down at Flynn, he needs to beat his man early on to get confidence but their left back had any easy day yesterday. The system needs Flynn to play as well as Murphy. Perhaps Wolves targeted Flynn knowing he can be the weal link in this system.

Wolves second goal was class.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I Scoogs, a young player of ability, commitment and enthusiasm who actually threatens the opposition goal. Worth ten McDonalds in my book.

Hear hear

 

[Punk Blade]

Oh I'm certainly not saying I want to see red cards all over and another Battle of Bramall Lane. I just think refs should be stronger in stamping out the 'clever' fouls. I doubt anyone would have been sent off, but there were plenty of bookable offences in the first half that the ref was a little lenient with. For every time someone gets tripped cynically when bursting forward or looking for the killer through ball and it doesn't get punished with a yellow card, they can do it again. So if it took 3 or 4 similar offences for one player to finally get booked, that's 3 or 4 times Baxter, Murphy or Scougall are lying in a heap which could have ended up being a goalscoring opportunity.

Agree with other comments about Wolves in this thread, their attacking movement was very good and it's a wonder Clarke didn't get his goal. Henry impressed as much as McDonald for me. I just thought they would have had more confidence in beating us outright without all the gamesmanship.

 

[sitwell]

They pushed the limits of the rules which they had every right to do so ,they were stronger, more powerful and cynical than us. Something we must become ,to which Clough alluded. I thought the ref was Ok , we will learn a lot from that game.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

They pushed the limits of the rules which they had every right to do so ,they were stronger, more powerful and cynical than us. Something we must become ,to which Clough alluded. I thought the ref was Ok , we will learn a lot from that game.

Thought it was a good game, enjoyed it.

Thanks to Nigel we can take a 2-0 defeat without being suicidal.

 

[wizadry]

Absolutely. I'm afraid quite a few couldn't wait for us to lose. The self-satisfied glee I'm reading today is nauseating. Wolves the new Brazil and McDonald the white Pele. Utter and complete bollocks written with the familiar cringeworthy S2 forelock-tugging and cap-doffing; wallowing in their comforting, familiar, inferiority complex.

I Scoogs, a young player of ability, commitment and enthusiasm who actually threatens the opposition goal. Worth ten McDonalds in my book.

Totally agree ,i just wish we could get someone to pass scougal the ball a bit more,he has the knack to find quality space, which no one seems to or cant pass him the ball when hes in these spaces, lets use his strengths.He also has the eye for a pass so this bullshit about mcdonald been better than scouggs have some have said on here is nonsense.
Scougall is going to be a proper player make no 2 ways about it

 

[Punk Blade]

They pushed the limits of the rules which they had every right to do so ,they were stronger, more powerful and cynical than us. Something we must become ,to which Clough alluded. I thought the ref was Ok , we will learn a lot from that game.

All teams have a right to do whatever they want, including pushing the limits of the rules. The referee's job is to punish players for pushing it too far; I don't think it's a lot to ask for him to do that.

I certainly don't subscribe to the mantra "they don't play fair, so we shouldn't play fair", though the way the last three seasons have gone I fear it may be the only way to exit this division at the right end.

 

[Guesty]

Absolutely. I'm afraid quite a few couldn't wait for us to lose. The self-satisfied glee I'm reading today is nauseating. Wolves the new Brazil and McDonald the white Pele. Utter and complete bollocks written with the familiar cringeworthy S2 forelock-tugging and cap-doffing; wallowing in their comforting, familiar, inferiority complex.

I Scoogs, a young player of ability, commitment and enthusiasm who actually threatens the opposition goal. Worth ten McDonalds in my book.

Baseless optimism is, of course, the only way to support a team. Unless of course the manager is a man you don't like, then the only way is to be as poisonous as possible.

Well all appreciate you love Scoogs but on Saturday's evidence he's not in McDonald's class. Indeed, he doesn't have much to his game beyond his scampering runs thus far.