Deadbat
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Match report will be brief again. Sorry work early tomorrow and as I have said recently struggling for motivation to write about these utter twats.
Tonight we lost 1-0. It could have should have been maybe 3-0. That would have been a more fitting score line. Burton had a lot more efforts (12 to 6 – not sure where these 6 came from) and had 6 attempts on goal to our 1. Again struggling to recall our one – maybe one weak header 10 minutes from the end that drew sarcastic applause. They played us off the park for long periods not by being superb but just simple forward passing and supporting each other when they attacked. They won loose balls, competed and had some shape. We had nothing. Nothing.
Long made a few decent stops but Burton overall controlled the game from start to finish. They did what they had to and won the game at a canter. For a home side we never had control of the game, never kept it and never penetrated. We looked a disorganised mess from start to finish.
We began with 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 with Done left wing back, Edgar in midfield (yes midfield) and Basham at the back and then suddenly after getting out passed and out played swapped it with Done going right wing/up top and McEveley left back. Edgar went centre back and Basham back in midfield. Brayford then went left back at the end and Adams went right side of the attack. Yes, I had no idea by the end where anyone was playing. It was a complete and utter shambles.
We were 10 yards off them all game. We played so deep it was incredible and when we had the ball it was sideways and backwards and nobody wanted to take responsibility at all. We ended up with kids on such as Whiteman and Calvert Lewin which was hard when the side was such a mess and they stood little chance really although neither made any difference. Baptiste came on and to say he was a nightmare was an understatement. This lad looked like Jordan Stewart and bad McEveley all rolled into one.
Burton were not even that good. The lad Akins gave Brayford the run around all night and they had some neat and tidy players but in the main they were just hungrier, wanted it more and actually showed some balls to pass it forward.
We looked terrified and you could not even blame the crowd who I felt were remarkably patient. The boos at the end were expected but in the game they just kept quiet rather than groaned. The players and the manager have no excuse for an utterly embarrassing performance. Yes, Burton are top but they were no great shakes. I would not even say they were well drilled or organised. They gave it away a lot and hardly were steamrollering us. They just did enough to win but could have won by more.
It was truly one of the most insipid, disorganised and inept performances I have ever seen by a SUFC side. It was up there was Hartlepool in JPT under Weir, Fleetwood under Clough and Crawley under Wilson. In fact, it was probably worse than any of them.
By full time many had left the ground. The club is a mess from top to bottom. No sign of any ‘chairmen’ tonight. Indeed, the directors box saw none of our board members of note there. They don’t seem to give a damn. If they did they would be here and supporting their club/investment and trying to sort this mess out.
At the end as Clough and Garner hugged and punched the air, Adkins cut a lonely figure. He knows defeat against the guy he replaced and was supposed to be better than, may be another nail in his coffin. As much as I have been against change the side is getting no better and regardless of the mess Clough left us in (that mess Clough got us to 6th albeit with Murphy but without Sharp). Adkins had taken us further backwards and has no idea how to address the rot. We keep hearing he needs time to get his own men in but many of those he had brought in have been awful too. I expect regardless of personnel (and are some of the players as bad as they showed tonight?) for a manager to instil some organisation, leadership, togetherness and a pattern of play. Tonight was an utter mess. He is in trouble regardless of McCabe saying he expects him to be here. A few more performances akin to that and he is gone. Even he knows that. Tonight was a new low for SUFC. It was diabolical.
I can’t go on any more…..I am that angry at what I have just seen….
SUFC Player Ratings –
Long 6/10 – Had one moment of indecision when they nearly robbed it and got in but Collins was equally guilty here as he could have cleared. He made a great save early on low down and his handling was ok. His kicking was mixed and he had little chance on the goal.
Brayford 2/10 – Dreadful. Akins gave him a going over. The winger should have scored at least one header first half and then Brayford continued to sit off him and let him attack the ball. This theme continued 2nd half and eventually after giving him time and space he punished him. It continued after the goal. Seemed disinterested all night and his performances recently have been very poor. He has been at fault for 2 consecutive games. I would drop him but then we have no one to come in. Sadly, he is now at the same dire level as the rest.
Collins 4/10 – Stuttering and stumbling about and involved in 2 or 3 hesitant moments. He kicked it out. A lot. He is so pedestrian on the ball and off it he is desperate to back pedal and brings the rest of the defence back with him so much. Spent most of the 2nd half arguing with anyone within earshot and did not show any determination to bring the rest of the defence out. This led to the whole team being so deep and having little chance to move forward. I saw him and Edgar arguing about where they should be and McEVeley got them all out but then a few seconds later Collins had backpedalled 10 yards again.
McEveley 7/10 – Our best player. Again. Steady and fairly assured. He defended well and used it when he could. I never thought I would say it but he has set decent standards just before and after Xmas. He had been a 7/10 man most weeks and been a stand out. That sums it up really. Pulled up injured near the end and went off.
Edgar 5/10- Before I was not sure about him, but now I am. He is not powerful, is slow and is easy to turn. He did nothing massively wrong tonight but is another one paced player who cannot control the ball and does not impose himself. Another who was 3 or 4 yards off players so they had time to turn and run at us. Began in midfield and looked lost. Looked a bit better at the back
Basham 4/10 – Began centre back and then went into midfield. His touch is terrible. His second touch is always a tackle and he is so slow to do things, taking an eternity to play a simple ball. A very ordinary player who seems liked by quite a few fans probably as he does try but let us be honest he is a very poor footballer. If we are pinning an upsurge in form on likes of him then we have problems. His qualities are lacking in most things. Not sure what he offers at all other than he runs around. One moment when he handballed it in the box and got away with it, then miskicked it, then kicked it out and then fell over summed it up.
Coutts 5/10 – One of few who completed more than a few forward passes and did at least show some control. He had one run forward and played two balls where we nearly got in. However, he was incredibly lazy tonight. I watched him carefully and on numerous occasions he just ambled back as Burton got 3 or 4 players that ran past him. His attitude is poor and he seems only to be bothered when the ball is right at his feet. When other team run forward or have it, he almost hides to try and avoid having to run. 2nd half a complete passenger and looked like he wanted to come off long before he did – kept signalling to the bench. I wonder if this is the player Adkins slates post match? It was odd as second half he looked like he did not want to be there. Shameful if the case.
Done 5/10 – Gets a 5 just for at least bothering. He ran around. Involved in a few of our better ‘moments’ including one where keeper took off his toes. Played left back and then right wing and then centre forward. Just a bit of a headless chicken but he still did more than most.
Cuvellier 3/10 – Shocking. Had 6 or 7 passes or touches in first 20 minutes that all went awry. He did at least run back a few times but he barely did anything right and not surprised he went off. In truth could have been anyone though. Not sure he is the answer on that showing. Looks weak and with little pace, he is relying on touch and passing and he could not do either of those in any way.
Adams 4/10 – Started game with some effort but ended up just looked as lost as the rest. He did not seem to have a fixed position. Did at least win a few tackles but goal threat was not there and he had to live off scraps. Barely noticed him second half but we did not even go in the last third.
Sharp 3/10 – Terrible. Should have been booked early and maybe sent off. Committed fouls in double figures and never trapped the ball all night. Whinged constantly too. Had no service but he was not in the game at all. Ended up looking as disinterested as the rest.
Subs
Whiteman – Barely involved. Seemed to play it backwards a lot and game just passed him by.
Calvert Lewin – As above. Ran around but looks so weak and not even sure he is that quick. Looks well off a first team starter for me.
Baptiste – Incredibly bad. He miskicked it the wrong way twice. Then kicked it onto his own hand. Fell over twice and looked as if he was pissed. Serious. One of the poorest cameos I have ever seen in Blades shirt!
Manager – Adkins 1/10 – Awful. Not even sure why he gets a 1/10. For turning up or as he did not have an ill fitting suit on like Clough. Tactics all over – had to change after 10 minutes. Players in wrong positions all game. Kept changing things willy-nilly. Subs did not work at all. Never changed the tempo and half time team talk seemed to make us worse. Atrocious.
Ref – Fussy. Loved taking free kicks back. Let Sharp got away with murder but booked a few others for both teams for nothing. Gave two goals kicks both ways to wrong teams when they were corners and seemed to want to overrule assistants who were closer to the play. Let them time waste too but they did not really need to. Could be still playing now and we would not score.
Crowd – 18,000 in again (only 500 or so from Burton). Very patient and quite loyal. There was no chants or noise but they did not really turn on the team until the sarcastic cheers when we had a half-hearted effort on goal near the end. They booed at the end of course but that was to be expected but never seen a crowd boo 6 minutes’ stoppage time when the home side was losing. Normally it is cheered and a sign to get behind the team for one last push.
Clough got a good reception when announced with nearly all applause and returned this with a clap back to the fans. I think this meant a lot to him. The win would have been sweet for him who sees an even sorrier mess than what he left last season. He has to take some blame for the dire state of the squad but he would surely have got them more organised, disciplined and motivated than they are now? Never thought I would say that.
Tonight we lost 1-0. It could have should have been maybe 3-0. That would have been a more fitting score line. Burton had a lot more efforts (12 to 6 – not sure where these 6 came from) and had 6 attempts on goal to our 1. Again struggling to recall our one – maybe one weak header 10 minutes from the end that drew sarcastic applause. They played us off the park for long periods not by being superb but just simple forward passing and supporting each other when they attacked. They won loose balls, competed and had some shape. We had nothing. Nothing.
Long made a few decent stops but Burton overall controlled the game from start to finish. They did what they had to and won the game at a canter. For a home side we never had control of the game, never kept it and never penetrated. We looked a disorganised mess from start to finish.
We began with 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 with Done left wing back, Edgar in midfield (yes midfield) and Basham at the back and then suddenly after getting out passed and out played swapped it with Done going right wing/up top and McEveley left back. Edgar went centre back and Basham back in midfield. Brayford then went left back at the end and Adams went right side of the attack. Yes, I had no idea by the end where anyone was playing. It was a complete and utter shambles.
We were 10 yards off them all game. We played so deep it was incredible and when we had the ball it was sideways and backwards and nobody wanted to take responsibility at all. We ended up with kids on such as Whiteman and Calvert Lewin which was hard when the side was such a mess and they stood little chance really although neither made any difference. Baptiste came on and to say he was a nightmare was an understatement. This lad looked like Jordan Stewart and bad McEveley all rolled into one.
Burton were not even that good. The lad Akins gave Brayford the run around all night and they had some neat and tidy players but in the main they were just hungrier, wanted it more and actually showed some balls to pass it forward.
We looked terrified and you could not even blame the crowd who I felt were remarkably patient. The boos at the end were expected but in the game they just kept quiet rather than groaned. The players and the manager have no excuse for an utterly embarrassing performance. Yes, Burton are top but they were no great shakes. I would not even say they were well drilled or organised. They gave it away a lot and hardly were steamrollering us. They just did enough to win but could have won by more.
It was truly one of the most insipid, disorganised and inept performances I have ever seen by a SUFC side. It was up there was Hartlepool in JPT under Weir, Fleetwood under Clough and Crawley under Wilson. In fact, it was probably worse than any of them.
By full time many had left the ground. The club is a mess from top to bottom. No sign of any ‘chairmen’ tonight. Indeed, the directors box saw none of our board members of note there. They don’t seem to give a damn. If they did they would be here and supporting their club/investment and trying to sort this mess out.
At the end as Clough and Garner hugged and punched the air, Adkins cut a lonely figure. He knows defeat against the guy he replaced and was supposed to be better than, may be another nail in his coffin. As much as I have been against change the side is getting no better and regardless of the mess Clough left us in (that mess Clough got us to 6th albeit with Murphy but without Sharp). Adkins had taken us further backwards and has no idea how to address the rot. We keep hearing he needs time to get his own men in but many of those he had brought in have been awful too. I expect regardless of personnel (and are some of the players as bad as they showed tonight?) for a manager to instil some organisation, leadership, togetherness and a pattern of play. Tonight was an utter mess. He is in trouble regardless of McCabe saying he expects him to be here. A few more performances akin to that and he is gone. Even he knows that. Tonight was a new low for SUFC. It was diabolical.
I can’t go on any more…..I am that angry at what I have just seen….
SUFC Player Ratings –
Long 6/10 – Had one moment of indecision when they nearly robbed it and got in but Collins was equally guilty here as he could have cleared. He made a great save early on low down and his handling was ok. His kicking was mixed and he had little chance on the goal.
Brayford 2/10 – Dreadful. Akins gave him a going over. The winger should have scored at least one header first half and then Brayford continued to sit off him and let him attack the ball. This theme continued 2nd half and eventually after giving him time and space he punished him. It continued after the goal. Seemed disinterested all night and his performances recently have been very poor. He has been at fault for 2 consecutive games. I would drop him but then we have no one to come in. Sadly, he is now at the same dire level as the rest.
Collins 4/10 – Stuttering and stumbling about and involved in 2 or 3 hesitant moments. He kicked it out. A lot. He is so pedestrian on the ball and off it he is desperate to back pedal and brings the rest of the defence back with him so much. Spent most of the 2nd half arguing with anyone within earshot and did not show any determination to bring the rest of the defence out. This led to the whole team being so deep and having little chance to move forward. I saw him and Edgar arguing about where they should be and McEVeley got them all out but then a few seconds later Collins had backpedalled 10 yards again.
McEveley 7/10 – Our best player. Again. Steady and fairly assured. He defended well and used it when he could. I never thought I would say it but he has set decent standards just before and after Xmas. He had been a 7/10 man most weeks and been a stand out. That sums it up really. Pulled up injured near the end and went off.
Edgar 5/10- Before I was not sure about him, but now I am. He is not powerful, is slow and is easy to turn. He did nothing massively wrong tonight but is another one paced player who cannot control the ball and does not impose himself. Another who was 3 or 4 yards off players so they had time to turn and run at us. Began in midfield and looked lost. Looked a bit better at the back
Basham 4/10 – Began centre back and then went into midfield. His touch is terrible. His second touch is always a tackle and he is so slow to do things, taking an eternity to play a simple ball. A very ordinary player who seems liked by quite a few fans probably as he does try but let us be honest he is a very poor footballer. If we are pinning an upsurge in form on likes of him then we have problems. His qualities are lacking in most things. Not sure what he offers at all other than he runs around. One moment when he handballed it in the box and got away with it, then miskicked it, then kicked it out and then fell over summed it up.
Coutts 5/10 – One of few who completed more than a few forward passes and did at least show some control. He had one run forward and played two balls where we nearly got in. However, he was incredibly lazy tonight. I watched him carefully and on numerous occasions he just ambled back as Burton got 3 or 4 players that ran past him. His attitude is poor and he seems only to be bothered when the ball is right at his feet. When other team run forward or have it, he almost hides to try and avoid having to run. 2nd half a complete passenger and looked like he wanted to come off long before he did – kept signalling to the bench. I wonder if this is the player Adkins slates post match? It was odd as second half he looked like he did not want to be there. Shameful if the case.
Done 5/10 – Gets a 5 just for at least bothering. He ran around. Involved in a few of our better ‘moments’ including one where keeper took off his toes. Played left back and then right wing and then centre forward. Just a bit of a headless chicken but he still did more than most.
Cuvellier 3/10 – Shocking. Had 6 or 7 passes or touches in first 20 minutes that all went awry. He did at least run back a few times but he barely did anything right and not surprised he went off. In truth could have been anyone though. Not sure he is the answer on that showing. Looks weak and with little pace, he is relying on touch and passing and he could not do either of those in any way.
Adams 4/10 – Started game with some effort but ended up just looked as lost as the rest. He did not seem to have a fixed position. Did at least win a few tackles but goal threat was not there and he had to live off scraps. Barely noticed him second half but we did not even go in the last third.
Sharp 3/10 – Terrible. Should have been booked early and maybe sent off. Committed fouls in double figures and never trapped the ball all night. Whinged constantly too. Had no service but he was not in the game at all. Ended up looking as disinterested as the rest.
Subs
Whiteman – Barely involved. Seemed to play it backwards a lot and game just passed him by.
Calvert Lewin – As above. Ran around but looks so weak and not even sure he is that quick. Looks well off a first team starter for me.
Baptiste – Incredibly bad. He miskicked it the wrong way twice. Then kicked it onto his own hand. Fell over twice and looked as if he was pissed. Serious. One of the poorest cameos I have ever seen in Blades shirt!
Manager – Adkins 1/10 – Awful. Not even sure why he gets a 1/10. For turning up or as he did not have an ill fitting suit on like Clough. Tactics all over – had to change after 10 minutes. Players in wrong positions all game. Kept changing things willy-nilly. Subs did not work at all. Never changed the tempo and half time team talk seemed to make us worse. Atrocious.
Ref – Fussy. Loved taking free kicks back. Let Sharp got away with murder but booked a few others for both teams for nothing. Gave two goals kicks both ways to wrong teams when they were corners and seemed to want to overrule assistants who were closer to the play. Let them time waste too but they did not really need to. Could be still playing now and we would not score.
Crowd – 18,000 in again (only 500 or so from Burton). Very patient and quite loyal. There was no chants or noise but they did not really turn on the team until the sarcastic cheers when we had a half-hearted effort on goal near the end. They booed at the end of course but that was to be expected but never seen a crowd boo 6 minutes’ stoppage time when the home side was losing. Normally it is cheered and a sign to get behind the team for one last push.
Clough got a good reception when announced with nearly all applause and returned this with a clap back to the fans. I think this meant a lot to him. The win would have been sweet for him who sees an even sorrier mess than what he left last season. He has to take some blame for the dire state of the squad but he would surely have got them more organised, disciplined and motivated than they are now? Never thought I would say that.
) but I have been supporting this team, on and off for around 45 years and I agree, we are at a very low point in our history. It's hard to put your finger on what exactly is wrong, but it seems everyone, the board, the managers and the players, all have a part to play in it. This year was the easiest League 1 I have seen, and the fact that we are mid table is depressing to say the least.
