United 0 Birmingham 0 - summary/ratings

[blades_95]

I think we went the best part of an hour without having a shot. Not a shot on target—a shot of any kind. At home, first game of the season, when the fans need a boost.

It’s just boring, isn’t it? And barring one spell last winter, it has been boring since Wilder came back.

It was boring when we got 92 points & fans got called out by Radio Sheffield for being spoiled for criticising the style of play. Well this is what it looks like now without Hamer / Abel / Souza etc - boring and nowhere near as many points.

 

[The Fox]

Could have been better , could have been worse . A scrappy game of little quality that had a very 1st game feel to it.

Positives - Clean sheet , no lack of endeavor
Negatives - Few chances , little quality or creativity.

I think that may be the seasons blueprint.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Tight game with very few chances .. the difference is we would have lost that last season so I’ll take the clean sheet & a point .
We all know we need some recruitment to bolster the side particularly creatively & up top . Let’s see how the next 2 weeks of the window go & see where we are then

 

[raul]

I've never been less physically and emotionally connected to this club. It's always been a rollercoaster, now , just beige.

 

[Bell4]

I committed to not doing full match reports this season and to be honest, after watching that, it would have been hard to write very much at all to be honest! Sorry to be so critical so early but have to call it as I see it. Wilder said post-game that ‘I thought it was an entertaining game. It wasn’t a dull game. Both teams wanted to play forward.’ I have to disagree hugely. I thought it was an awful game. Neither side had many attacks or efforts on goal and the standard of football was really poor. Neither side played particularly good football and the lack of quality from either side was really clear. On that evidence, neither team will be close to the top and be nearer to the bottom. Both sides lacked courage but United, as the home side other than the first 10-15 minutes and a bit of a late go, never looked like scoring or creating anything and looked generally ineffective and lacking in any kind of ideas. The positives are that defensively we did ok but I think a better side would have put us away – but the centre backs played ok to be fair. In possession, we were largely awful and barely string two or threes passes together. There was no movement from the forwards with only Donovan showing some outlet and threat. The front two were weak and static and O’Hare just got hassled out of it and took too many touches when he has it. Rothwell and Peck started well but faded badly to the extent, I forgot both were playing 2nd half as we had absolutely no control of the game and they dominated without really testing us. I have no idea of the tactical approach to progress the ball or try and create. I know that there will be a lot made of the fact we were maybe more solid and did not get run through, but you can still try and keep the football and move through the thirds and link, get me in the box. We looked completely terrified of having an attack and in the end, it felt like we could have been playing till midnight and not scored. The fears of creativity and attacking threat was clear to all – as we struggled to even get into the last third against a very ordinary side. Their keeper had one real save to make all game – and without reinforcements -at the top of the pitch, it will be a tricky watch in terms of us creating chances, or scoring many goals. It is one more point than we had this time last season, but overall, I came away thinking, this is going to be a touch watch this season and I felt my pick of 14th, was about right (had Brum 12th – which again on today seems about right).



I suppose Birmingham, as an away side, will be happier in the sense, they were never really tested and controlled large periods of the game. They did not offer much themselves but shaded the game and if anyone looked like winning it, it was them. Bamford in the end had the best chance but in terms of control of the game and winning the key battles, they were definitely the better side overall. I thought we were ok to start with and I was happy with the first 15-20 minutes. Rothwell and Peck won the midfield battle and we were pushing high up, with Donovan a threat and we seemed to have control. Around 20-25 minutes, we ceded possession and slowly the visitors started to get on top and force us back. They did not really create loads but they won midfield and started to get first to a lot of loose balls, which we had been winning. By half time, a game of few chances, they maybe shaded a tight half. I wanted Wilder and the coaching staff to come out and make the changes second half to allow us to wrestle back control and push up but the opposite happened. We sat back. The midfield was right on top of the centre backs, any loose balls was won by the visiting team and we were so poor when we had possession. I am not sure we put 2 or 3 passes together and they looked far more likely. Cooper made one save and they had a number of half chances with crosses/balls coming in and some poor decisions, when they were well placed. We completely lost any grip we had on the game and we were seemed to have no idea how to move up the field. No idea what was said at half time, but we saw the same fade out we saw last season and it seemed like they were the only ones who might score as we sat back, defended deep and seemed to have no idea how to change it.



Bamford did have a chance 15 minutes from the end and maybe the best one of the game but hit it straight at Beadle. We made changes but it was only when Arblaster and One came on, we made some marginal improvements. Arblaster at least tried to pass it forward and One was a threat in behind, which was more than the pitiful Cannon and ineffective Bamford. We maybe finished a bit better than them but for the most part, they probably were the slightly better of two punchless sides and in the end, it was a better point for us – which is odd as they were the away side and struggled so much on the road last season. I think there was a lot of chatter about where we might be this season but today’s performance and lack of any kind of threat or clear plan to play, means half way is about right in terms of a prognosis, and that is being kind. The chase for Souttar may go on (and we do need a centre back even if McGuiness and Tanganga played well today against a toothless attack) but we are in desperate need of another centre forward and creativity. We somehow seem to have 5 central midfielders that are all the same. The Phillips signing is baffling when we already have players like him at the club – we need goals and runners in behind. I do not see where goals are coming from in the side at all. We were more compact and organized than maybe last season but we were dreadful in possession, so many loose touches, poor balls. We went direct so much second half with two strikers who are not fast or runners behind. I am not sure what we were trying to do second half and that is firmly on the coaching staff? One at least gave us a runner in behind and stretched them. Most people go to football to hopefully see your team win, and be entertained. Today, we saw neither. That may sound harsh, as of course we have lost our best two attacking players but the absolute mess we have made again, of recruitment behind the scenes, means we are yet again badly prepared for the season and will be scrambling around the end of the window again to get a few loans in to see us at least be able to fashion a few chances or goals at the top end of the pitch. At it stands, it is going to be a real grind. The better teams will just pick off our slow, methodical approach and just soak up out toothless attach. The lack of pace and physicality really was evident today. I will say, we were organised defensively and as Wilder said, we were not as loose as we were last season but offered absolutely nothing going the other way and that is depressing to write. Maybe we would have lost that game last year but Wilder seemed almost delighted with a point and how great we did not get beat but that shows where we are at in terms of our hopes for this season.



Cooper 6.5/10 – Solid. Made one smart save and took crosses and looked competent. Did not have loads to do.



Seriki 5/10 – He tried to get forward early but threat diminished as game went on. Kept passing it out. Saw little 2nd half as an attacking threat.



McCallum 5.5/10 – Not much better than above. Too many aimless punts forward. He won a few headers but technically showed his weaknesses.



McGuinness 7/10 – Contender for man of the match. Won his headers, swept up and did everything expected of him. Quietly effective.



Tanganga 7/10 – Rivalled McGuiness for man of the match. He made some good tackles and read the danger and one excellent interception that stopped a really good chance.



Rothwell 5/10 – Started well and was getting around the pitch and got on the ball a fair bit. Did not last and as the game went on, he was less effective and then completely disappeared 2nd half was hooked.



Peck 5/10 – AS above. Busy to start but then he and Rothwell dropped deeper and deeper and saw none of the ball. Not in the game at all after the break and looked at full stretch.



Donovan 6/10 – Heard some critical of him round me but at least looked a threat and tried to drive forward. Not everything came off but out most positive stater on the field.



O’Hare 5/10 – Tried to make things happen but often ball came off him or he took too many touches. He was not really threatening out wide. Did better when central and one great ball to Bamford but overall, a non-factor.



Bamford 4.5/10 – He did not hold the ball up, did not link and one good chance he fluffed. He was not given much service but also, I want him to be stronger and impose himself. We had nothing up front and for all the criticism of Cannon, he was not much better with too many loose touches/control.



Cannon 4/10 – Woeful again. He offers nothing at all. Weak, slow and does not anticipate. He must be so easy to play against. Loses battles, the ball comes off him and he does not even offer runs. We need to move on from him. He is sadly, completely out of his depth and has been a dreadful signing. What Wilder sees in him, I do not know.



Subs:



Chong 5/10 – Not in the game particularly.



Campbell 5/10 – Had one weak shot but not really involved much.



Arblaster 5.5/10 – He at least got on the ball and tried to pass it forwards, rather than backwards and played higher up the field -rather the two others CM’s who just sat on the centre backs toes.



Burrows 5/10 – Not sure we saw much going forward but he was ok defensively.



One 6/10 – Ran around, got in behind a few times and at least showed some appetite to battle the defenders. Offered more than both starters in his cameo. Seems to have done his hamstring and was limping to finish – so we may not see him for a few weeks now sadly.



Wilder 5/10 – 0-0. Clean sheet and better organised but got worse as the game went on and we gradually lost any control we had and became deeper and deeper. I had little idea what the attacking approach was in terms of trying to create or score goals. It seemed a very scared approach to the game and if we repeat that weekly, it is not going to be a pretty watch.



Birmingham – Thought they were very ordinary but I suppose can say they restricted us and controlled large periods of the game – without being particularly threatening themselves. They had a few good chances on the break and made poor choices. Bit better final product and they maybe take the narrow win, that their performance deserved but Cooper had as little to do as Beadle so despite the possession, shots on/off target and shading it/ However 10 shots to 3, better possession and XG etc and they will saw if anyone deserved to nick it, it was them. Davies said: "We deserved to win. We had more ball, more chances, more box action.’ He might be right but saw nothing to suggest they will be anything but mid table. Wilder said they will be one of the better sides in the league. I cannot agree with that. Not sure they will be anywhere near the top places.



Player of the game – Solis. Big midfielder was the best player in this area all game. Cochrane also put some good crosses in.



Weak link – Thought Stansfield, who like Cannon also cost a lot of money, was equally ineffective.



Referee – Gavin Ward. Did not book anyone which I liked. Normally he is someone who has got too involved in games. Thought a few 50-50’s went against us, and he made some soft decisions but there was nothing huge in a bit of a non-event of a game – with rarely a bad tackle.

Good report

On it as usual

You again seem to pick on a Cannon . A miserable 4/10 .

I gave him 1 .

And that’s for looking good in a good kit

 

[Bell4]

I've never been less physically and emotionally connected to this club. It's always been a rollercoaster, now , just beige.

This

Love em but don’t like em

 

[Chazzer]

As you say, Oné offered more than the two starters even though he was only on for 15 minutes. Let's try him from the start (injury permitting). He can't be worse than Cannon.

 

[Addison]

Reasonable summary of a borefest of a game. Brum came to disrupt. They did a Millwall win the toss and get us kicking towards the Kop first half. Neill had the same tactics two seasons running and went away with the points. Davies didnt but his post match assessment they were unlucky not to was probably accurate.

442 is designed to shoehorn Cannon into the team. It isolates OHare on the left taking him out of the game. When he belatedly was moved into the middle he set up the best chance of the game for Bamford.

Brum were big physical and had control of the middle after the first 20 minutes. Solis was everything we need in midfield a Souza type player. Rothwell and Peck started well but Rothwell faded second half.

Seriki and Donovan were bright down the right first half. Feel Seriki deserved one more point because he was our only threat.

Defence was the big plus, attack completely the opposite. Mcg and Tanganga were up against strong opponents and largely defended well. In fact all the back 5 looked solid.

Up front we offered nothing. Crosses were coming into the box but neither forward got across his man. Enough has been said about Cannon we all know he shouldnt be starting but the manager seems determined to play him. Bamford was innocuous all game missing our one and only chance. One shot on target all games sums up the lack of quality. Ones short cameo yesterday and against Mansfield, injury aside, suggests he should be starting.

The lack of coaching staff tactical nous and formation obsession carries over from last season. CW's assessment it was a 7 out of 10 performance was hugely optimistic.

Its only one game and we have a transfer window to conclude in the next 2 weeks but the early signs are little has changed in our approach to the game suggesting we are in for a long hard season.

 

[pedro]

Good report

On it as usual

You again seem to pick on a Cannon . A miserable 4/10 .

I gave him 1 .

And that’s for looking good in a good kit

Cannon should be given the bullet knowing him he'd miss

 

[Pintor75]

Wholly agree with your write-up of the game and views. As an aside, given the long-standing and wide criticism of Cannon by us fans, has Wilder ever given us any justification for playing Cannon week in week out?

Or buying him in the first place

 

[Deadbat]

Overly pessimistic, if this is game 1 we are in for some truly dreadful reports.

interested what specifically you felt was pessimistic or made my summary so dreadful? No problems disagreeing as I often say but do feel a forum is better, if people offer why they disagree.

Thanks for the feedback though!

 

[Grappler]

I actually thought McG was the man of the match, heading ball after ball clear, from within our box.

Bamford looked off the pace and the ball was nicked from his feet on a couple of occasions. Cannon doesn't have the physicality and aggression for the Championship. Campbell was fairly lazy when he came on, only big Ryan comes away with any plaudits from our forwards.

On a brighter note, it looked to me like Captain Blade has had a good pre-season.

 

[BessemerBob]

It was a game where defences were to on top, and both sides look ineffective up top.

I thought Tanganga and McGuinness were both superb, and for me McGuinness gets the shirt on merit.

Cannon was woeful again though.

I don’t think we will concede many this season but I also don’t think will score loads and a season of muddling around mid table with the rest of the usual Championship journeymen awaits.

The one thing I did enjoy was being back at the Lane amongst friends after a close season that seemed to go longer than usual