Thoughts

[billyblademan]

Primarily, hope Blades are getting back safely tonight, pleased I only had to get back to West London. Quiet journey for most I imagine.

How was today? Similar to MK, but against a worse team. I mean, this is Gillingham, not Spurs, and yet we're creating almost nothing. Nigel's said how we got in many good opportunities, and then it's down to the players, but we didn't have many, at all. Probably as many as the last 20 minutes against Spurs, in the whole game.

We seem to be playing in the same manner as last season, get a clean sheet, and hope to score from our odd attack. The difference is, we're leaky at the back. We concede a soft goal (at least) every game, be it a free header in the box, or a moment of absolute madness as today. We simply cannot rely on a clean sheet for a point, and maybe more if we score one.

Remember that Wilson season where we'd go 1 or even 2 goals down, and still felt reasonably confident we'd end up getting something out the game? It feels a million miles away.

Even before we conceded, we were just humping aimless balls down the channels or to Murphy, and had little to no idea what to do with the ball. I quite liked the look of Coutts, he went in hard in the tackle, but when he got the ball, he kept it simple. Didn't lose possession, but didn't create much really. Adams was a bit of a livespark, but decision making was poor on occasions (as could be expected for his age/experience). JB was quiet.

One standout was when we got a free kick about the half way line, and we launched it up towards JCR on the edge of the box. Unbelievable, even for United.

All in all, it's too defensive, and we've got a shite defence. Not much up top, and on the (very) odd time we were in a good position, our crosses, or first touch let us down. Why aren't we going to Gillingham with the philosophy of winning 3 or 4 nil, rather than 1-0, or failing that, a bore draw?

 

[Bergen Blade]

Did we line up like this?

Howard
Brayford Basham McEveley Harris
Coutts
Davies - Reed - - - Baxter - Adams
Murphy​

 

[billyblademan]

Changed it around with Adams and Baxter having spells up front

 

[JohnDenver]

Agree with much of the OP, but personnel remains a problem. My guess is that if we went out to play openly with a Keegan-esque plan of scoring one more than the opposition, then we'd lose even more regularly. Done will help to an unknown extent, but the recurring flimsiness of the centre-back partnership presents a real problem. Maybe Kennedy could steady it, but it could go the other way too.

One thing I don't like is Murphy up front with his back to goal. That's a problem not a solution.

 

[Roygbiv]

We seem to be playing in the same manner as last season, get a clean sheet, and hope to score from our odd attack.

I was thinking about this earlier. Clough said that he was going to go back to how we played last season after the Swindon hammering. He said that we maybe we weren't good enough to play another way. That would be all well and good if he was dealing with a team built by another manager like he was last season but Clough has brought in something like 20 players. If we aren't good enough to play any other way with the backing he has had then surely that's his fault

 

[Bergen Blade]

Changed it around with Adams and Baxter having spells up front

Immediate thought is that there are too many who like to get on the ball and then try to create. Too few whose movement off the ball is very good.

 

[Lane Ender]

Changed it around with Adams and Baxter having spells up front

Clough must be tripin putting Baxter up front

 

[Blade82]

Changed it around with Adams and Baxter having spells up front

And there's the problem

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Agree with much of the OP, but personnel remains a problem. My guess is that if we went out to play openly with a Keegan-esque plan of scoring one more than the opposition, then we'd lose even more regularly. Done will help to an unknown extent, but the recurring flimsiness of the centre-back partnership presents a real problem. Maybe Kennedy could steady it, but it could go the other way too.

One thing I don't like is Murphy up front with his back to goal. That's a problem not a solution.

Back to goal is a problem we have had for a long time and it needs nipping in the bud.

Baxter did well as false 9 when it required him to get out of the way and let midfielders flood the box but we don't seem to do this now?

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Immediate thought is that there are too many who like to get on the ball and then try to create. Too few whose movement off the ball is very good.

The manager and players imo are now on trial by us all . We will know at the end of the season whether or not they are guilty or not guilty.

UTB

 

[robbiez666]

Howard
Brayford Basham Kennedy Harris
Coutts - Doyle
Murphy Reed Baxter
McNulty

If we have to play one up front, why not play like this? It allows the full backs to bomb on and provides cover for the defense. There's no point having wingers when you've got no one who can head a ball in the box. Free Baxter and Murphy up to attack.

 

[Blade56]

Clough openly said in post match interview he was happy to get on the coach with a point but hoped we might have nicked one at the end. Ffs we were playing a team without a manager until 105 minutes before the game in a town that is more noted for the quality of its Morris Dancers than its football!

 

[mattbianco1]

Howard
Brayford Basham Kennedy Harris
Coutts - Doyle
Murphy Reed Baxter
McNulty

If we have to play one up front, why not play like this? It allows the full backs to bomb on and provides cover for the defense. There's no point having wingers when you've got no one who can head a ball in the box. Free Baxter and Murphy up to attack.

All seems a bit right sided to me.

 

[bartman]

Back to goal is a problem we have had for a long time and it needs nipping in the bud.

Agree totally which makes the fact we have only one target man at the club (Higdon) who is currently injured and we let Porter go staggeringly incompetant.

Last season at Gillingham we played Matt Hill as part of a back three and played Porter and Paynter up front. Our lack of strength up front yesterday exposed is and it was an issue Clough should have rectified in the transfer window

 

[bartman]

Howard
Brayford Basham Kennedy Harris
Coutts - Doyle
Murphy Reed Baxter
McNulty

If we have to play one up front, why not play like this? It allows the full backs to bomb on and provides cover for the defense. There's no point having wingers when you've got no one who can head a ball in the box. Free Baxter and Murphy up to attack.

The trouble that in this league that front four are physically weak and the ball will keep coming back at us.

For me we need two centre half's who play that position ( eg Collins and Kennedy) play Basham for Reid in midfield and play a a mobile target man instead of Mcnulty. Done would replace Baxter. I would prefer us to play two up front but we haven't got enough competent forwards to do this
.
we need to be more physical and push teams back instead of letting them come onto us

 

[Wards]

For what it's worth I think he has to play Higdon if he's not prepared to trust McNulty. At least we'll have some sort of focal point.

Could even go with Higdon and Mcnulty/Murphy but I think he's too stubborn to change his main structure.

 

[Bergen Blade]

For what it's worth I think he has to play Higdon if he's not prepared to trust McNulty. At least we'll have some sort of focal point.

Could even go with Higdon and Mcnulty/Murphy but I think he's too stubborn to change his main structure.

Higdon is injured now though.

 

[Blade56]

For what it's worth I think he has to play Higdon if he's not prepared to trust McNulty. At least we'll have some sort of focal point.

Could even go with Higdon and Mcnulty/Murphy but I think he's too stubborn to change his main structure.

Mr Nil nil will do said prior to the JTW that Higdon and McNulty was the dream pairing he wanted to try!

 

[Davie Blade]

Immediate thought is that there are too many who like to get on the ball and then try to create. Too few whose movement off the ball is very good.

Well said Bergen,
I've forgotten the number of times I've screamed Move its not fecking Subutteo

 

[Wards]

Higdon is injured now though.

I notice he didn't make the bench yesterday, nor for the Preston game but I'm assuming it's nothing serious?

 

[Bladepicker]

Clough openly said in post match interview he was happy to get on the coach with a point but hoped we might have nicked one at the end. Ffs we were playing a team without a manager until 105 minutes before the game in a town that is more noted for the quality of its Morris Dancers than its football!

To be fair that is a bit out of context as he said at the end of the game he would be happy for a point, not from the outset. Which is a fair point.

The issue is we should be one or two up by this point.

 

[robbiez666]

What staggers me about some of our transfer dealings is that if Clough wanted to play 4-4-2 then we'd need a really good defensive midfielder. He won't play 4-4-2 because he's too scared of our midfield not being tough enough. Higdon and McNulty could work in this league. You would need two combative DMs to play it though.

 

[metalblade]

In a nutshell Negative Nigel hasn't got a clue, forget ever getting promotion with this numpty as manager.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Ironic that Brian Clough was often critical of how people overcomplicated football with systems, tactics etc. Nige seems to almost make a point of going against his Dads footballing beliefs. The team selection yesterday confused me straight away, perhaps that was Cloughs intention, so that their players would not be sure of who to pick up with Murphy, Baxter and Adams all having spells upfront.

Clough needs to quit the bollocks and tinkering. How he doesn't have faith in his midfields ability to play a standard 4-4-2 is staggering considering that he has now signed most of the midfield.

I'd go;

Howard
Brayford Basham Kennedy Harris
JCR Coutts Doyle Murphy
McNulty <Insert Striker here*>




*Not a false 9, not an attacking midfielder nor a winger. Someone who can do what Wilbraham does for Bristol. Or that fella Colchester have just signed who has scored 2 in 2...

 

[Bladepicker]

Ironic that Brian Clough was often critical of how people overcomplicated football with systems, tactics etc. Nige seems to almost make a point of going against his Dads footballing beliefs. The team selection yesterday confused me straight away, perhaps that was Cloughs intention, so that their players would not be sure of who to pick up with Murphy, Baxter and Adams all having spells upfront.

Clough needs to quit the bollocks and tinkering. How he doesn't have faith in his midfields ability to play a standard 4-4-2 is staggering considering that he has now signed most of the midfield.

I'd go;

Howard
Brayford Basham Kennedy Harris
JCR Coutts Doyle Murphy
McNulty <Insert Striker here*>




*Not a false 9, not an attacking midfielder nor a winger. Someone who can do what Wilbraham does for Bristol. Or that fella Colchester have just signed who has scored 2 in 2...

Pop Higdon or Done up top and Flynn wide right and I'd go with that.

Also if all squad was fully fit i would be tempted with Scoogs and Wallace midfield and Coutts wide right

 

[pommpey]

Higdon is injured now though.

Thank fuck for that. Not, 'thank fuck he is injured', but 'thank fuck he won't be an option'.

While we are talking 'Holt', why don't we bid for Grant on a loan?

pommpey

 

[Lane Ender]

Thank fuck for that. Not, 'thank fuck he is injured', but 'thank fuck he won't be an option'.

While we are talking 'Holt', why don't we bid for Grant on a loan?

pommpey

You seem to have got it in for Higdon he's by no means the worst player in the squad.

 

[pommpey]

You seem to have got it in for Higdon he's by no means the worst player in the squad.

I agree, Lane Ender.

The key that unlocks the doorway to our success however is goals. In particular, scoring one more than the opposition. Of course, when we suddenly signed this bloke apropos of fuck all ... when we were in dire need of a marquee goalscorer, someone who has presence in the box, a proven finishing rate at least in Division One but preferably higher, I am sure everyone else went straight to Wikipedia, Barry Oddnob style, and went, "who?" A look at his rapacious, devastating past shows that the initial 'good signing, that' proclamations were totally unfounded. He is ponderous, predictable, slow ... lacks vision, fails to jump ... Jesus, the list is endless. And he is drawing pay from the club for being serially shit. You can't counter that. He is our target man in the box. Big, imposing, strong, putting the opposition central pairing under massive pressure and given even a quarter of a yard never mind a half, creates a chance from fuck all to score some crucial goals. Nah. He's not like that. 13 appearances and less goals than fingers on one hand. I haven't anything against him personally, I just think that in League One - or in a Sheffield United shirt - he is way out of his depth. Simply citing his past conquests - in the Scottish/Dutch Leagues is masking his inabilities. He can't cut it at this level and given his age and the endless, wearying calls for 'give him time', it's doubtful he will ever hit form. As piss poor as Porter was, sometimes he could turn up and do something wonderful that would shut dickheads like me right the fuck up. I cite his brace against Forest. in last year's 5th Round. He's even doing his stuff now for Colchester, infuriatingly.

Many have said on here (and other sites) that the Brayford signing ... over a million bucks of it if we believe the rumours, was a misplaced frippery when what we need, and have always needed, was that touchstone forward. It's not as though the club has needed it much since our last goal machine went inside for rape. I mean, that said rapist has served his sentence since, and we're still in the same fucking division, like time stood still. And who have we acquired in his place to continue the drive toward 'getting Sheffield United back to the Premiership at the earliest opportunity'?

Take your time ...

But I tell you what. We hang onto midfield makeweights like Doyle and Baxter, no prolific 8/10nners in their own right. We sign more 'Wikiplayers' who fire no real inspiration into the team. We sell a central defender in a multi million pound deal and don't redirect the cash immediately in restrengthening the squad in that area, leaving the task of being a centre back to a defensive midfielder and a left back by trade, whilst traditional squad members are strangely frozen out. We recalibrate a hot and cold right sided midfielder as a right back and then sign a right back, having got another right back (Alcock) perfectly capable of doing that role. And then, we sign or acquire (or appear to sign) or use the Maguire money (or whatever) to build the squad in a bloated, midfield heavy manner, just as a clutch of eager, attack minded youngsters appear to be developing well in the first team. And throughout this and a cup run, players like Jamie Murphy prop the results up with the play and form we expect from Sheffield United.

No, I haven't got it in for Higdon. I think this club is ill and eternally fucked, and Higdon (and a few others) are a symptom of it. Like with most symptoms, you'd prefer them to not be there, because they remind you that your illness or frailty is still present. I don't blame Clough as I would Warnock, who had a quite a lot of resources available to him but made bad decisions and the like. Clough is still hampered by the lack of ambition of the board. Were they ambitious, the targets during this and previous transfer windows wouldn't be a lorry full of midfielders, it would be players where we are patently weak. Yesterday's game showed that. No goals for us and two goals which showed our back four to be woefully poor.

I hate myself for saying this, because I am hoping we make the playoffs now. Its the only hope we have. Before you all get tired and cross at my comments, just hold one thought in your head. If we confound our previous form in the playoffs, make it to Wembley, beat one of four or five pretty potent, difficult opponents who will want is as much as us on a ground which hasn't been our victory venue and make it to the sunny lowlands of the Championship (where Sheffield Wednesday are) do you lot honestly see these bellends putting their hands in their pockets to make our squad strong enough to survive the 2015-16 season up there?

Plus ce change, plus ce la meme chose.

UTB

pommpey

 

[Lane Ender]

I agree, Lane Ender.

The key that unlocks the doorway to our success however is goals. In particular, scoring one more than the opposition. Of course, when we suddenly signed this bloke apropos of fuck all ... when we were in dire need of a marquee goalscorer, someone who has presence in the box, a proven finishing rate at least in Division One but preferably higher, I am sure everyone else went straight to Wikipedia, Barry Oddnob style, and went, "who?" A look at his rapacious, devastating past shows that the initial 'good signing, that' proclamations were totally unfounded. He is ponderous, predictable, slow ... lacks vision, fails to jump ... Jesus, the list is endless. And he is drawing pay from the club for being serially shit. You can't counter that. He is our target man in the box. Big, imposing, strong, putting the opposition central pairing under massive pressure and given even a quarter of a yard never mind a half, creates a chance from fuck all to score some crucial goals. Nah. He's not like that. 13 appearances and less goals than fingers on one hand. I haven't anything against him personally, I just think that in League One - or in a Sheffield United shirt - he is way out of his depth. Simply citing his past conquests - in the Scottish/Dutch Leagues is masking his inabilities. He can't cut it at this level and given his age and the endless, wearying calls for 'give him time', it's doubtful he will ever hit form. As piss poor as Porter was, sometimes he could turn up and do something wonderful that would shut dickheads like me right the fuck up. I cite his brace against Forest. in last year's 5th Round. He's even doing his stuff now for Colchester, infuriatingly.

Many have said on here (and other sites) that the Brayford signing ... over a million bucks of it if we believe the rumours, was a misplaced frippery when what we need, and have always needed, was that touchstone forward. It's not as though the club has needed it much since our last goal machine went inside for rape. I mean, that said rapist has served his sentence since, and we're still in the same fucking division, like time stood still. And who have we acquired in his place to continue the drive toward 'getting Sheffield United back to the Premiership at the earliest opportunity'?

Take your time ...

But I tell you what. We hang onto midfield makeweights like Doyle and Baxter, no prolific 8/10nners in their own right. We sign more 'Wikiplayers' who fire no real inspiration into the team. We sell a central defender in a multi million pound deal and don't redirect the cash immediately in restrengthening the squad in that area, leaving the task of being a centre back to a defensive midfielder and a left back by trade, whilst traditional squad members are strangely frozen out. We recalibrate a hot and cold right sided midfielder as a right back and then sign a right back, having got another right back (Alcock) perfectly capable of doing that role. And then, we sign or acquire (or appear to sign) or use the Maguire money (or whatever) to build the squad in a bloated, midfield heavy manner, just as a clutch of eager, attack minded youngsters appear to be developing well in the first team. And throughout this and a cup run, players like Jamie Murphy prop the results up with the play and form we expect from Sheffield United.

No, I haven't got it in for Higdon. I think this club is ill and eternally fucked, and Higdon (and a few others) are a symptom of it. Like with most symptoms, you'd prefer them to not be there, because they remind you that your illness or frailty is still present. I don't blame Clough as I would Warnock, who had a quite a lot of resources available to him but made bad decisions and the like. Clough is still hampered by the lack of ambition of the board. Were they ambitious, the targets during this and previous transfer windows wouldn't be a lorry full of midfielders, it would be players where we are patently weak. Yesterday's game showed that. No goals for us and two goals which showed our back four to be woefully poor.

I hate myself for saying this, because I am hoping we make the playoffs now. Its the only hope we have. Before you all get tired and cross at my comments, just hold one thought in your head. If we confound our previous form in the playoffs, make it to Wembley, beat one of four or five pretty potent, difficult opponents who will want is as much as us on a ground which hasn't been our victory venue and make it to the sunny lowlands of the Championship (where Sheffield Wednesday are) do you lot honestly see these bellends putting their hands in their pockets to make our squad strong enough to survive the 2015-16 season up there?

Plus ce change, plus ce la meme chose.

UTB

pommpey

Ok I get what you're saying but you can't fault the board they've made the funds available it's the players Clough has brought in together with his inept tactics are the cause of the misery.
I hail the return of Brayford but we all know we need a proven striker this should have been priority..
The CB pairing of Mceverly and Basham looked sound a month ago now it's shocking.
It's fucking terrible being a blade at the moment worst since 81but we've just got to get on with it.
I personally have no faith in Clough but you can't sack him at this stage it would be lunacy.
The last hope is Done let's have two up front for Tuesday and give it a go.

 

[metalblade]

You just know Chris Porter will score the winner on Tuesday.