09/11/09 - Barnsley v. Sheffield United

[Linz]

The match thread for Monday's televised trip to Oakwell.

Do we have a team to put out?

 

[bottletree]

If you mean team in terms of a unit of bodies that stick together and work for each other, than my answer has to be a precise NO.

 

[Come from away]

We will have a hard-working team much like the one on Monday. But with Morgs and Walker out does this mean a start for Fortune or does Stewart go back there despite his faults? We can always bring up Connor Brown but guess he will stay with whatever walking bodies we have left in the senior squad. If we have France/Brown, Davies, Fortune and Killa they should do the job OK. Like Killa at left back for now as he is not on song anf Davies and Fortune would provide muscle in the middle. Hope to see it on TV.

 

[DazBlade88]

After playing Jordan Stewart on the right wing the other night with two right wingers on the bench, I have no idea what team Blackwell must be contemplating putting out in this game. I don't think it'll be 4-4-2 though.

What I do know, is that as of 10.30 this morning a member of the ticket office said that we'd only sold 1,200 for this game.

My team would be:

Bennett
Davies
Fortune
Kilgallon
Stewart
Cotterill
Harper
Quinn
Treacy
Henderson
Evans

Bunn
France
Reid
Williamson
Little
Camara

 

[Come from away]

Was once told that 60% of workplace injuries are sprains, strains or muscle tears, i.e., minor injuries. For a computer specialist this does not mean too much but for those required to do physical work it usually means time off work. Think what we are seeing at SUFC is a combination of major and minor injuries plus the usual bugs that come form people spending a lot of time together and sharing whatever they pick up. Unfortunately, we've won the jackpot. On watching the Newcastle game I did note that Stewart would often be walking with a limp. Think we have to understand that most can contribute part games only.

All that said, I think Daz will be as close as any with who starts. No special tactics here, just who can make 90 mins.

 

[SotonBlade]

From what we've heard the line-up could be:

Bennett
Roe
Fortune
Kilgallon
Stewart
Cotterill
Little
Harper
Reid
Hendo
Evans

 

[bettsyblade86]

From what we've heard the line-up could be:

Bennett
Roe
Fortune
Kilgallon
Stewart
Cotterill
Little
Harper
Reid
Hendo
Evans

Who's Roe? Wouldn't have thought he'd start ahead of a fit Ryan France.

 

[Santos]

The match thread for Monday's televised trip to Oakwell.

Do we have a team to put out?

I think we have it in us to win, it's typical Blades, lose four on the spin then pull off a 1-0 scrappy win away on sky (i'm thinking pne away, stoke away of seasons past).

Barnsley have had a bit of a honeymoon period with Robins and he has improved their results a lot but they're still no better than a lower-midtable team. If Blackwell can get a team out who are organised I think we've got every chance. Probably a good idea Morgan is banned in light of recent performances and the shitstorm which he would have received.

Does anyone know if it's been reported whether or not Morgan is going? I think it would be wise for him to not go.

 

[Rudders]

I almost choked on my cup of tea on Saturday when they said pools panel verdict - away win!

Obviously a right bunch of clappers!

 

[BuryStEdmundsBlade]

Good luck Blades, we might just need it.

 

[beightonblade]

The official match day thread (dingles)

Post em all here for far away Blades.....
keep em up to date .

Blades will win toneight !

 

[ThatJa]

Shite defending after 8minutes.

 

[beightonblade]

Whats happenin ............owt ?

 

[ThatJa]

See my Killa thread ...

 

[Santos]

Well done Blades

To say that that back 5 throughout the game had never ever played together, to say that over half of our team wouldn't have played if we wern't under the cosh injury wise, to say Barnsley have been mouthing off all year about how they're going to do us, to say Sky picked the match to see Morgan get linched, to say we've lost 4 on the trot, to say some of our fans couldn't wait to see Blackwell embrace Robins, to say some of our fans couldn't wait for a Quinny watch (I wasn't paying full attention but I couldn't count any!), to say we came back from behind twice. Well done Blades.

Top marks to a battered, bruised and depleted team. About time our luck changed a bit. It wasn't pretty and the players looked like strangers at times (hardly surprising) but we battled on and in those kind of situations that is all you can do.

 

[Ollessendro]

Pathetic

Watched the match in the pub last night with a bunch of London Blades and have to say that I was well and truly embaressed. That was a dismal, dismal display. We were completely and utterly played of the park by a superior Duingles team. This is a very average Barnsley team, but the confidence and belief that Robbin gave them made a huge difference. They ripped us to shreads and were very unlucky not to take all 3 points.

Some of the more positive viewers are going to try and put a positive spin on things. Oh we played well against Cardiff and Newcastle and tonight we stopped the rot. Blackwell will turn things round. The sqaud is depleted. We battled hard. BULL SHIT! I am not having any of this. The only positive thing to take from last night is that Darius Henderson can take a penalty and Bennet lools like a decent keeper. We were completely and utterly played off the park by a very mediocre side.

Defence: Absolute shambles. Davies was more interested in fighting with Macken. Fortune, headless chicken. Killa played well, but showed what an arrogant prick he is. We'd be right to off load that arsehole in January.

Midefiled: what midfield? Stephen Quinn has decided to try and impersonate Brian Hoawrd. He is doign a very good job. Completely missing last night. I have had it with that waste of space. Harper wasn't much better. Harper always looks for space and is always an option. I like this. However he is severly neglecting his defensive duties and him and Quinn are not working. Last night there midfield compeltely over ran ours. When is Monty back???

Our £5m strike force. Or should I say £3.5 plus apperances etc (before anyone jumps down my throat). Couldn't hit a barn door. Yes Henderson scored 2 pens, but what about the 2 headers he had. Evans worked harder tonight, but Barnsley keeper did not have to make a save. We had 2 shots on target (the 2 pens). 2 Fucking shots on target!!?? Other than the penalties we could have played until christmnas and not scored! An absolute joke.

I've had enough of this, I really have. I know i'm going to get slated for this. Come from away, Duncan, Swiss Blade and others are going to come in and moan that I am a Blackwell knocker and am being negative. Not at all. I honestly cannot see any positives freom last nights game. Yes we got a point. But I feel like we almost cheated them. Macken missed 3 absolute sitters. Bennert pulled of 3 good saves in the first half (2 were excellent) and they hit the bar. We could have been 2 or 3 down at h/t. In the 2nd half we got worse!!?? Incredibile. We have a few injuries. We were unlcuky to lose another 3 player through injury, but come on. The team we had out there was capable of beating Barnsley and we fell way, way short.

We were completely and utterly one dimensional. Hoof. Completely lacking any ideas and we have no confidence. Our defence is a shambles, our midfield non existan and strikers can't score. This is relagation form people. You better start beliveing it, unless Blackwell goes we are in for a relegation battle. I hope that McCabe was watching that shite that Blackwell served last night and is ready to give him his P45. Blackwell's record up to this season was good. I'm happy he came in and steadied the ship after Robson. He deserved a chance. He got and he blew it. Wake up and smell the coffee Kevin, you've taken us as far as we can. I don't care who does it. Whether Blackwell quites or McCabe sacks him, but he has to go. I don't hate Blackwell. I have supported him and thank him for what he did up to the begining of this season. However his time is up. He is taking our beloved club down the swanny.

BLACKWELL OUT!!!???

 

[Robbie]

Loving the shoes off approach I can see a trend happening,.

 

[Mousey]

I've only read bits of that but why is Killa arrogant on last nights performance?

If you had been last night you would have realised that the majority of fans appreciated how hard the team worked to battle back from a goal down twice.

We have no devine right to go out and beat Barnsley because they are a smaller club than us.

I agree with you the back four looked shakey but it was constantly being disrupted. A change of keeper at half time shortly after losing a left back is hardly ideal is it?

 

[Wards]

It was very poor but I'm not going to jump up and down about it too much.

I can't remember us stringing 3 passes together all night and we had too many underperformers. Hendo & Quinn in particular were bad and Ched wasn't much better either. On the plus side I thought Davies (2nd goal apart) was excellent and kept the defence and a worryingly slow Fortune together.

Biggest plus of the night was seeing Geary back. GEEEEAAAAARRRRYYYYY!

 

[Micalijo]

Believe me Ollie I know how you feel but I think you might have been a bit harsh, in certain areas.

I know that we looked awful in possession, I know we were shocking at the back at times, I know we were like a pub team thrown together at 10.50 on a Sunday morning but I did detect a bit of character.

Nowhere near enough to merit any praise for Blackwell but I thought I saw a collection of players who although devoid of any leadership and direction thought we'll give it a go tonight. The people who went I think picked up on this and I got a sense of it from TV.

I'm happy we have avoided defeat againt at Oakwell especially having seen their lot dancing around in the corner at 2-1.

Yes we should be way higher in the the table, yes I think we would be higher with any other manager in CCC in charge but let's give the lads who weared the shirt tonight a bit of credit for not losing. we have moaned about an inability to grind out results in difficult circumstances, tonight we did and that has to be positive.

In summary though, if we don't beat Peterborough he has to go.

I saw a glimpse of the managerial embrace on TV at half time and thought it was just about OK!

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I know that we looked awful in possession, I know we were shocking at the back at times, I know we were like a pub team thrown together at 10.50 on a Sunday morning but I did detect a bit of character.

Summed up in a paragraph.

 

[Ollessendro]

I've only read bits of that but why is Killa arrogant on last nights performance?

If you had been last night you would have realised that the majority of fans appreciated how hard the team worked to battle back from a goal down twice.

We have no devine right to go out and beat Barnsley because they are a smaller club than us.

I agree with you the back four looked shakey but it was constantly being disrupted. A change of keeper at half time shortly after losing a left back is hardly ideal is it?

How can you come out and defend that? It doesn't matter whether I went to the game or not. You might want to criticice me for not going to the game, but I'm not interested in that. I have 2 eyes and watched a truly awful performance.

Battle back. Are you winding me up? It was a complete fluke. We didn't have any shots on target. We got lucky and twice. If Barnsley had taken their chances (Macken in particular) then the game would have been betyond us. last night was awful. It's the icing on the cake for me. We only got back into the game on 2 lucky penalty decisions. The second was was definately a pen, but was soft from Barnsley's point of view and the first was dubious. Even if the first was a pen, then it was again soft from Barnsley's point of view.

We got back into the game, twice, because of Barnsley's poor finishing and their indiscipline. They should have buried us. Robbins will be furious that they completely dominated the game and threw it away. Don't kid yourself. We desrved nothing! People have been complaining for the last few weeks that we've been 'unlucky'. We'll last night it evened itself out as we were 'lucky' to come away with anything.

Why is Kilgallon arrogant? Hmmm. Did you see the way he reacted last night after his injury. He couldn't wait to get off the pitch. He made no attempt to run the injury off and then questioned Blackwell's judgement. Now Blackwell is a terrible manager, but it's not Killa's place to defy his orders or question what he has to say. Could you hear what Killa was saying from the stand Mousey? There were a lot of F words in there. Blackwell was saying something along the lines of run it off, hold on til h/t and killa replied with several fuck offs. Do you regard this behaviour as anything other than arrogant?

It always pisses me off when people come back with this 'we have no right' bullshit. We have no right to beat Barnsley because they area small shit club and a shit team. We have no right to expect to score becasue we have a £3.5 million partnership upfront. We have no right to win games because we have a good squad. Let's all just turn up to the games and hope for the best. Yes, that's it be happy and expect nothing. We have no right to expect anything from Sheffield United. I don't care how much we spend on the team, how good all our players are, we have no right to expect to beat anyone in this league. Thanks Mousey. I have a new philosophy. Oh, I can see this will be a happy season for me.

 

[Ollessendro]

In summary though, if we don't beat Peterborough he has to go.

It will be one game too many. It's becoming increasingly more obvious that he is incapable of turning this around. The sooner he is out the door the better.

 

[lenners]

It will be one game too many. It's becoming increasingly more obvious that he is incapable of turning this around. The sooner he is out the door the better.

It's a close call on whether he'll be sacked. Defeat and that should be that.
A draw might give him another game.

 

[Micalijo]

Breaks my heart to say this, but I sort of agree with you.

Thing is, I don't think the character displayed last night had anything to do with Blackwell. It was 14 players not wanting to get beat. We are talking a major run of wins to even begin thinking about supportive comments for Blackwell and it just aint going to happen.

I think you're taking my hugging comments a bit too seriously by the way, but I could understand why that is a possibility.

 

[Mousey]

Why is Kilgallon arrogant? Hmmm. Did you see the way he reacted last night after his injury. He couldn't wait to get off the pitch. He made no attempt to run the injury off and then questioned Blackwell's judgement. Now Blackwell is a terrible manager, but it's not Killa's place to defy his orders or question what he has to say. Could you hear what Killa was saying from the stand Mousey? There were a lot of F words in there. Blackwell was saying something along the lines of run it off, hold on til h/t and killa replied with several fuck offs. Do you regard this behaviour as anything other than arrogant?

It always pisses me off when people come back with this 'we have no right' bullshit. We have no right to beat Barnsley because they area small shit club and a shit team. We have no right to expect to score becasue we have a £3.5 million partnership upfront. We have no right to win games because we have a good squad. Let's all just turn up to the games and hope for the best. Yes, that's it be happy and expect nothing. We have no right to expect anything from Sheffield United. I don't care how much we spend on the team, how good all our players are, we have no right to expect to beat anyone in this league. Thanks Mousey. I have a new philosophy. Oh, I can see this will be a happy season for me.

I'm glad I could help I hope it had made you put down the potato knife you had to your wrist.

Regarding Killa, he could barely walk, let alone run. I'm guessing the Sky coverage didn't just revert to Killa cam for the 2 minutes before he was subbed. When he got took out his arm shot up and he looked in serious pain, you could tell instantly he couldn't carry on and when he came back on he was telling Harper to get infront of him as he could not run.

So yeah, I'd be pretty fucking livid if the manager wouldn't take me off. Imagine if we had conceeded during that time and it be down to Killa, no doubt you would have been attempting to rape Blackwell for not subbing him. Why should Killa 'wait' until half time when he was no more use than an ornament when we could bring somebody on in his place who can actually run and defend.

I don't know if you saw him walking off the pitch and towards the tunnel but he was limping pretty badly and made sure he walked on the grass as much as possible because he looked in pain on the red stuff behind the goal.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Breaks my heart to say this, but I sort of agree with you.

Thing is, I don't think the character displayed last night had anything to do with Blackwell. It was 14 players not wanting to get beat. We are talking a major run of wins to even begin thinking about supportive comments for Blackwell and it just aint going to happen.

I think you're taking my hugging comments a bit too seriously by the way, but I could understand why that is a possibility.

You didn't think I'd let that one go did you

So why is it when we don't show character it's Blackwell's fault and when we do it's not down to him?

It's ultimately down to the players on an individual and collective basis. You'd expect Geary for example to outwardly show more guts and spirit than Killa say, but is that down to Blackwell, course not. I'll grant you that he can demotivate players but at the end of the day, you need players to have enough personal pride and fight and maybe they're the ones we've been missing in recent weeks.

 

[Micalijo]

Agree with that Mousey. Some injuries just cannot be run off and I think that this was one of those.

The shambolic nature of the Killa incident sums us up at the moment. Time and again we send injured players back onto the pitch. Monty being a prime example a few weeks ago. I know a physio can only make a hurried diagnosis and the player may want to try and run it off but there seemed to be a total lack of communication (even allowing for fact that it was on other side) - other than Killa's foul mouthed tirade at the bench, which was enjoyable in many ways. I'm sure the physio made the sub sign pretty early and KB should follow that advice in my opinion.

 

[Santos]

You didn't think I'd let that one go did you

So why is it when we don't show character it's Blackwell's fault and when we do it's not down to him?

It's ultimately down to the players on an individual and collective basis. You'd expect Geary for example to outwardly show more guts and spirit than Killa say, but is that down to Blackwell, course not. I'll grant you that he can demotivate players but at the end of the day, you need players to have enough personal pride and fight and maybe they're the ones we've been missing in recent weeks.

Fleety I have heard from a reliable source that IF (and only IF) we beat P'boro by no less than six goals in our relegation six-pointer with Evans scoring half of them, then we beat Bristol City by more than one clear goal, dispose of Plymouth with ease, then if we are leading 2-0 against Nottingham Forest on Tuedsay 8th December in the 88th minute our fans will be allowed to give Blackwell a little bit of credit, but mostly it will be down to the fans for not letting the rot continue, Gary Speed & general apathy from the opposition for taking us too lightly*

* All of this obviously would be neglected if Blackwell puts his left arm round an opposing manager at any stage during the matchday.

 

[Mousey]

Agree with that Mousey. Some injuries just cannot be run off and I think that this was one of those.

The shambolic nature of the Killa incident sums us up at the moment. Time and again we send injured players back onto the pitch. Monty being a prime example a few weeks ago. I know a physio can only make a hurried diagnosis and the player may want to try and run it off but there seemed to be a total lack of communication (even allowing for fact that it was on other side) - other than Killa's foul mouthed tirade at the bench, which was enjoyable in many ways. I'm sure the physio made the sub sign pretty early and KB should follow that advice in my opinion.

Yeah you're correct. The sub signal was made while Killa was still off the pitch. The physio then put his hand to his ear I think and shortly after told Killa something...