Meltdown here

[Fulwood Blade]

Likewise just got back and having read all the negative stuff I'm relieved that someone else saw the same game as me. It was good to hear a bit of vocal support for George Long after he made a good save in the first few minutes of the game, and subsequently I thought he went on to have a reasonable game.

well done - go and have a cup of tea at betty's for your devotion.

UTB

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

I put that compo on par with the County Cup

WE used to have trouble winning that too.

 

[him behind you]

Dont panic, they are are good group of hard-working professionals. We kept a clean sheet...very pleasing, we gave it a good go....good to get Wallace some time on the pitch...players are starting to come back.....have I missed any?

If you was there you'd have to agree with everyone on those comments unless you want to moan for the sake of it.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Problem is we've been shite in the league as well

Exactly Deano. Even if we had put the "first " team out last night would the result have been any different ? judging by the Crewe display. Looking forward to the improved display against Southend

 

[him behind you]

I really couldn't give a shit about the JPT. I was annoyed when we won the first game. It's all about the league.

Having said that, people travelled a fair whack on a Tuesday night to watch utter drivel. Which isn't good enough.

Yes, some players got some game time. Yes, those players are as equally shit and useless as the other ones.

Couldn't give a toss about the result but I am getting worried about the consistently bad to average performances.

Who said it was drivel? I went and it wasn't a bad match. Both teams played some decent stuff and all that was missing was goals. I've certainly seen many worse games including at a much higher level. I'm not one of those that say you can't comment if you didn't go but you should refrain from sweeping statements if you've no first hand evidence to back then up.

 

[him behind you]

I've just got back from Fleetwood. A real good turnout by the travelling Blades. Its a shame we couldn't win it.

I enjoyed the game, end to end stuff. The wind played its part ( must've been the balti pie, very nice though!).

I am disappointed though to come on here and find numerous Blades posting who can't be bothered about the 'piss pot' cup but then go to great lengths to slag off the team and management. Strange really.

Excellent post mate. I went and am gobsmacked at reading this today.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

I'm in the camp of win every game we play. I don't really buy into the "concentrate on the league" thing because I think you can equally get a boost from a cup win/run. Yes, it's embarrassing that we have to enter this cup, but isn't it worse that we can't win it?

Wigan and Millwall look as though they are on course to the final and PROMOTION.

 

[him behind you]

Exactly Deano. Even if we had put the "first " team out last night would the result have been any different ? judging by the Crewe display. Looking forward to the improved display against Southend

No one will ever know.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Did you write it for him? Weather, their keepers saves, George longs save and frustrating would've got you the full house

Returning players Jay McEveley & half a dozen games a season Wallace !. Absolutely no uplift from that interview.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Excellent post mate. I went and am gobsmacked at reading this today.

Whether people went or not doesn't alter the fact that we scored nil against a woefully out of form Fleetwood and failed to progress.

 

[MBoreman]

There's no evidence that this hinders league form. We've been shit in it for 5 years, and for 5 years have never been promoted. We've got a huge squad, and the extra games would be useful in building momentum and keeping everyone involved.

 

[bartman]

There's no evidence that this hinders league form. We've been shit in it for 5 years, and for 5 years have never been promoted. We've got a huge squad, and the extra games would be useful in building momentum and keeping everyone involved.

Agree to a certain extent. However, due to our lack of of form Adkins should have picked his first choice 11 yesterday in order to try and get a consistent team playing. There will be at least 8 changes on Saturday which doesn't exactly help matters.

Adkins should pick his best side for all games(including the FA Cup) and only replace due to injuries or poor form

 

[Blade56]

Did you write it for him? Weather, their keepers saves, George longs save and frustrating would've got you the full house

Hate to say it but Adkins looks like the latest broken manager this club has produced

 

[Fiery Blade]

I find the constant derision on here regarding the JPT is pathetic !
As a football club we should want to win every game regardless of the standard of competition
We have a big squad and it gives opportunities to give players who are not starting league games to get match practice - we are always told that this player or that player is not 'match fit'and needs some games under his belt - this competition is an ideal vehicle for clubs like the Blades !
I think we have too many so called 'supporters' who have this 'we're a big club and this competition is below us syndrome' - I always thought that that attitude belonged to the club at S6
Get real people - we are a club playing in the third division - we don't have a right to win games because we are Sheffield United FC - we compete (not all that well) with football clubs like Burton Albion, Bury, Rochdale, Fleetwood, Gillingham, Chesterfield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Crewe etc etc etc - All smaller clubs, wiith smaller budgets, followed by smaller crowds yet people come on here making banal comments about the level of cup competitions the Blades are not good enough to win !

 

[puppet]

Except we used to win that...

 

[Kenilworth]

I tell you what I'm gobsmacked about.
Those that go to the game and state that it was a good match (stating that they've seen worse) and conveniently ignore the fact that we still came out losing the tie.
My impression of the game was the one that I got from Rob Staton and Keith Edwards on Blades Player and the comment that they couldn't wait for pens for it to be over with so they could go home.
Now if anyone saw it any differently then it's the standards you are accepting as opposed to a "good game"
Those standards are well below par.

This is Fleetwood FFS - and the sad fact is that it's not even considered a giant killing

GET SOME FUCKING PERSPECTIVE - IT IS NOT - AND NEVER WILL BE - ACCEPTABLE TO LOSE AT FUCKING FLEETWOOD!

 

[puppet]

I put that compo on par with the County Cup

Except we used to win that

 

[him behind you]

I tell you what I'm gobsmacked about.
Those that go to the game and state that it was a good match (stating that they've seen worse) and conveniently ignore the fact that we still came out losing the tie.
My impression of the game was the one that I got from Rob Staton and Keith Edwards on Blades Player and the comment that they couldn't wait for pens for it to be over with so they could go home.
Now if anyone saw it any differently then it's the standards you are accepting as opposed to a "good game"
Those standards are well below par.

This is Fleetwood FFS - and the sad fact is that it's not even considered a giant killing

GET SOME FUCKING PERSPECTIVE - IT IS NOT - AND NEVER WILL BE - ACCEPTABLE TO LOSE AT FUCKING FLEETWOOD!

And there we have it. Bladey Bladey Billy big bollocks. We're sufc therefore it's unacceptable to lose to little Fleetwood. Your final comment does nothing else but make you sound delusional and as if it's you who needs to GET SOME FUNKING PERSPECTIVE. We are a 3rd division team through years of mismanagement and, at times, shocking luck but that's where we are therefore this is the standard we're working at.

And simply attacking those supporters who realise this and have the audacity to actually state that they believed that what they saw was better than the well balanced Keith Edwards' said, well fuck me.

 

[Darren]

Say we had won the bloody thing, would I be the only one feeling acute embarrassment as the team did a lap of honour at Wembley and (presumably) had an open top bus ride through Sheffield like it was some sort of triumph to win a cup reserved for third and fourth division teams?

Or should I just accept that is our level now and we should revel ion it as much as Rochdale or Southend might?

 

[mosbolad]

I tell you what I'm gobsmacked about.
Those that go to the game and state that it was a good match (stating that they've seen worse) and conveniently ignore the fact that we still came out losing the tie.
My impression of the game was the one that I got from Rob Staton and Keith Edwards on Blades Player and the comment that they couldn't wait for pens for it to be over with so they could go home.
Now if anyone saw it any differently then it's the standards you are accepting as opposed to a "good game"
Those standards are well below par.

This is Fleetwood FFS - and the sad fact is that it's not even considered a giant killing

GET SOME FUCKING PERSPECTIVE - IT IS NOT - AND NEVER WILL BE - ACCEPTABLE TO LOSE AT FUCKING FLEETWOOD!

Of course its all about opinions, but is it acceptable to critisise the opinions of fans who have made the effort and gone to the game on a cold windy Tuesday evening. I appreciate a lot of folk can't go for work commitments money considerations but I think you will find that most Blades that travelled enjoyed the game. Yes we lost (well drew actually and lost on pens), but it was a good game. Yes we 'ought' to have won we 'ought' to 'piss the league' and be pushing for the Prem, but were not. We are league 1. Not good, but that's where we are.

What a shock that Staton and moaning Kieth 'Positive' Edwards couldn't wait for pens and go home. I have no doubt they never wanted to be there in the first place were it not a work commitment.

All my opinion of course!

 

[Bladebri]

And they're not laughing now? Best of luck going to work tomorrow

I'm in the canary island and I will wear my blades shirt and be proud, fuck the laughter and remarks,........ She has not packed my shirt, bitch

 

[Revolution]

Say we had won the bloody thing, would I be the only one feeling acute embarrassment as the team did a lap of honour at Wembley and (presumably) had an open top bus ride through Sheffield like it was some sort of triumph to win a cup reserved for third and fourth division teams?

Or should I just accept that is our level now and we should revel ion it as much as Rochdale or Southend might?

You should accept it's just our level now. It's certainly our on field level. We have a squad composed mainly of players who are average or poor by league one standards.

We are not going anywhere under this board regime, and this manager is inceasingly not inspiring confidence.

 

[Blade56]

..... She has not packed my shirt, bitch

Yeh, heard that old chestnut before bb no true blade leaves it to the missus to pack their football shirts

 

[LoughboroBlade]

What a shock that Staton and moaning Kieth 'Positive' Edwards couldn't wait for pens and go home. I have no doubt they never wanted to be there in the first place were it not a work commitment.

Staton was moaning from 6pm onwards about the terrible conditions he was having to operate in, as though he'd drawn the short straw when divvying up who would cover the game. He then proceeded to disagree with the first two United callers that said they wanted to do well in the competition by trying to get them to say it was a distraction to the league.

I'm usually an advocate for Radio Sheffield's coverage, which gets a lot of undue stick on here in particular. But it was clearly obvious that Staton didn't want to be there at all, and no doubt that will have coloured the picture of the game he presented.

 

[blade too long]

We cant carry on dominating games creating loads of chances and finishing the game with a 0 against our name
it seems we adress one problem , leaking goals and the problem moves elsewhere, up front
We know we have players capable of finishing , how come then when the midfield supports the defence for a shut out , do we fail to finish the job.

Against Worcester it showed we missed another 5 or 6 real gilt edge opportunities , we cant continue being this profligate

 

[Hamburg Blade]

I don't find it a contradiction to want to win every game, including in this competition, progress, play well, even win it, AND be embarrassed that the club is languishing in the 3rd division (still), having to play in this cup, playing smaller clubs that we should really only meet in a later round FA cup "giant killing" round. I accept where we are. I accept where we should be. I think we can enjoy individual matches, enjoy the wins, I think we can be unhappy about our level and complain about the continued failure to be promoted.
It doesn't have to be either or.

 

[Kenilworth]

And there we have it. Bladey Bladey Billy big bollocks. We're sufc therefore it's unacceptable to lose to little Fleetwood. Your final comment does nothing else but make you sound delusional and as if it's you who needs to GET SOME FUNKING PERSPECTIVE. We are a 3rd division team through years of mismanagement and, at times, shocking luck but that's where we are therefore this is the standard we're working at.

And simply attacking those supporters who realise this and have the audacity to actually state that they believed that what they saw was better than the well balanced Keith Edwards' said, well fuck me.

Of course its all about opinions, but is it acceptable to critisise the opinions of fans who have made the effort and gone to the game on a cold windy Tuesday evening. I appreciate a lot of folk can't go for work commitments money considerations but I think you will find that most Blades that travelled enjoyed the game. Yes we lost (well drew actually and lost on pens), but it was a good game. Yes we 'ought' to have won we 'ought' to 'piss the league' and be pushing for the Prem, but were not. We are league 1. Not good, but that's where we are.

What a shock that Staton and moaning Kieth 'Positive' Edwards couldn't wait for pens and go home. I have no doubt they never wanted to be there in the first place were it not a work commitment.

All my opinion of course!

You both miss the point
It's not about the support and going to these games or having an opinion - I used to be as daft as the rest when I didn't have such work commitments and family commitments and other priorities for money.
Fair play to you lot for going and supporting the lads. Not an issue with that.
It's about accepting the mediocrity.
It isn't a "good game" when Sheffield United get "nil" at Fleetwood.
I can go and watch Evesham or Stratford Town and see a 0-0 and be somewhat entertained by an even game between two sides in their respective divisions.
It's not Big Bladey Bollocks to expect more from this group of players or this club.
I accept where we are - as we are there on merit - what I don't expect is sub standard performances and the lack of grit and determination to match the effort of the opposition so that the difference in ability comes through (because there is definitely a difference). I don't like the negative possession in our own half and the slow build up - it's as though there is one way of playing football - the way the Champions of the Champions League play it. Well that's fine when you have players of that calibre but you cannot apply a system to a group of players that do not have the ability to carry it out and expect a different result the more you apply it. You have to work with the strengths of the player that you have available. Here's one example. Done. He is quick and has bags of energy. He wants to run onto through balls and burn off the defender for pace. He wants the ball in front of him and some grass to run into - yet the way we play totally negates these attributes. By the time we have pissed about at the back (supposedly looking for the opportunities to stretch an opposition and slide a pass into space) the opposition has funnelled back and taken up their well rehearsed defensive line. This leaves no room for a player like Done to exploit - so his attributes are completely wasted. That's why you'll see Done run around and harass defenders only to get nothing and get zero opportunities to score. Billy Sharp is in the same boat. He doesn't want to receive a ball with a great big lump of a centre back up his arse - he wants to turn him and exploit the space behind. He wants to poach off the knock downs of other strikers or pick up the pieces of other midfielders making forward suns, beyond the last line of the opposition defence. What normally happens is that we give the oppo so much time to regroup that we are trying to walk it through a packed area and players like Sharp and Done struggle to play when there is no room to manoeuvre.

The best chance last night appeared to fall to Kennedy off that corner. A set piece. Was there, at any time, a through ball that left Done or Sharp (appreciate last 20) with a one on one with the keeper?
If all we are playing for is set pieces then we don't have the personnel for that either - no decent corner taker (Harris excepted) and nobody other than Collo that can threaten (don't you think the oppo managers haven't sussed that one by now).
The only other chance of note was created by Scougall which brought out a decent save, I understand. However, 3 shots on target and 3 off target in 90 minutes? Strewth! We should be capable of far more than that and if that's all the lads can muster against this level of opposition then the mediocrity will continue.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

We clear out the worst set of players ever every 18 months or so. You'll have noticed the fatal flaw in the plan.

I think you mean that we replace them with dross but for me, a bigger problem is that we also clear out the best players every 12 months. If we can clear say 15 from the squad in the summer, sign 8 or 9 and keep Sharp, Adams, Brayford, Freeman, K. Wallace, Basham, Reed, Calvert Lewin and Done then we should have a good chance even if only half of those 8 or 9 turn out decent. But we’ll sell Adams and maybe Brayford meaning we’re starting from scratch again.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Am I disappointed and even a little ashamed that my club has plummeted to depths low enough to mean we play in the JPT and the first round of the FA Cup? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want us to win those games and win the JPT. It’s embarrassing to be bad enough to be in them but surely it’s even more embarrassing that we’re not good enough to get near to winning it in 5 attempts?


I’m feeling extremely disillusioned with this lot just now. The only positives I can take from it are


1. We got a game out of James Wallace. Hopefully there’ll be another one or two before the next spell on the sidelines.

2. The shoot out might have persuaded Adkins to have Baxter on pens in League games instead of Sharp.


Ps. For those who went, did Sharp put his pen in the same place as the last few? Low to middle, keeper’s right but not particularly in the corner?

 

[him behind you]

You both miss the point
It's not about the support and going to these games or having an opinion - I used to be as daft as the rest when I didn't have such work commitments and family commitments and other priorities for money.
Fair play to you lot for going and supporting the lads. Not an issue with that.
It's about accepting the mediocrity.
It isn't a "good game" when Sheffield United get "nil" at Fleetwood.
I can go and watch Evesham or Stratford Town and see a 0-0 and be somewhat entertained by an even game between two sides in their respective divisions.
It's not Big Bladey Bollocks to expect more from this group of players or this club.
I accept where we are - as we are there on merit - what I don't expect is sub standard performances and the lack of grit and determination to match the effort of the opposition so that the difference in ability comes through (because there is definitely a difference). I don't like the negative possession in our own half and the slow build up - it's as though there is one way of playing football - the way the Champions of the Champions League play it. Well that's fine when you have players of that calibre but you cannot apply a system to a group of players that do not have the ability to carry it out and expect a different result the more you apply it. You have to work with the strengths of the player that you have available. Here's one example. Done. He is quick and has bags of energy. He wants to run onto through balls and burn off the defender for pace. He wants the ball in front of him and some grass to run into - yet the way we play totally negates these attributes. By the time we have pissed about at the back (supposedly looking for the opportunities to stretch an opposition and slide a pass into space) the opposition has funnelled back and taken up their well rehearsed defensive line. This leaves no room for a player like Done to exploit - so his attributes are completely wasted. That's why you'll see Done run around and harass defenders only to get nothing and get zero opportunities to score. Billy Sharp is in the same boat. He doesn't want to receive a ball with a great big lump of a centre back up his arse - he wants to turn him and exploit the space behind. He wants to poach off the knock downs of other strikers or pick up the pieces of other midfielders making forward suns, beyond the last line of the opposition defence. What normally happens is that we give the oppo so much time to regroup that we are trying to walk it through a packed area and players like Sharp and Done struggle to play when there is no room to manoeuvre.

The best chance last night appeared to fall to Kennedy off that corner. A set piece. Was there, at any time, a through ball that left Done or Sharp (appreciate last 20) with a one on one with the keeper?
If all we are playing for is set pieces then we don't have the personnel for that either - no decent corner taker (Harris excepted) and nobody other than Collo that can threaten (don't you think the oppo managers haven't sussed that one by now).
The only other chance of note was created by Scougall which brought out a decent save, I understand. However, 3 shots on target and 3 off target in 90 minutes? Strewth! We should be capable of far more than that and if that's all the lads can muster against this level of opposition then the mediocrity will continue.

You make a fair point about how the pace of the build up impacts some of, say, Don't better attributes. It's something we discussed during the game because there were at least 2 or 3 occasions where Wallace (if only he could stay fit) played the ball forward quickly "down the channels" but Done was beaten to it by a defender. We came to the conclusion that he has either lost some of his pace due to the injury or he is chasing balls rather than anticipating them. The latter could be because the balls don't come often enough which would support your point but, in all honesty, I just don't think he's the same player he was before the injury. What last night did show is that with someone like Wallace in the side we do mix it up a bit more. Hope that's not too positive .