11/08/10 - Hartlepool United v. Sheffield United

[DuncDisorderly]

Whilst it is not mega important that we progress to the next round of the Carling Cup I would have expected that the Blades use that match similar to a Pre Season match to try 'New' or Different formations, get the players to GEL and to generally put the team through their paces in a 'competitive' match situation.
For us to only have one shot on goal, play dismally throughout and generally disinterested is both worrying and annoying!
How many of the Hartlepool players would get into our starting X1, not many in reality yet the outplayed, out muscled and out thought our players of supposed quality.
Mr Blackwell again displayed that he is unable to motivate the players to perform at their perceived level yet alone play above themselves and without wishing any more defeats for the Blades I certainly hope that Mr Blackwell takes a leaf out of Mr Coppells book and admits his heart is not in the job! and resigns!
PS Sorry about the Notts Co faux pas!!!!

I think you've said that we did kind of chuck the team together. Having Speedo and Crighton filling the bench does tell a story. Makeshift back four, two kids in the middle (they look great prospects but having L2 terriers round your ankles and up your arse for 90 mins must have been a baptism of fire). With Henderson out long term, Ched short-term, Boggy off on internationals I did wonder where we would summon up an attacking threat from, and so it proved.

I accept you and LSF are right in that from time to time we will lose against lower league opposition, but there's no way that we should be 'uncompetitive' in such a game. Happened this year, happened last year etc etc but it will surely take a bit longer to get all the niggles and injuries out of the way, and reach a settled side. Troubling but not terminal...

 

[Fiery Blade]

Dunc, I accept that we threw a side together and that the youmgsters were thrown in but the back four and goalkeeper are likely to start on Saturday, Our 'international call ups consist of Evans, who most Blades don't rate, the goalkeeper who has yet to make his league debut for us, Boggy who in the scheme of things is likely to be on the bench most weeks . Midfield had Monty and Britton and Yeates and Cresswell up front.
That team should not lose to hartlepool.
Blackwell should come out and apologise to the fans who travelled to watch a shower of shite.
Morgan should come out and apologise to the fans for leading out a shower of shite.
And no it won't get any better until Blackwell goes! BLACKWELL OUT

 

[DuncDisorderly]

And no it won't get any better until Blackwell goes! BLACKWELL OUT

List of NPC managers whose teams played like shite this week against lower league opposition

Billy Davies
Nigel Clough
Shaun O'Driscoll
Mark Robins
Aidy Boothroyd
Steve Coppell
Neil Warnock
Kevin Blackwell

Its quite a list of experienced and professional managers, most of whom have a promotion or two, some in to the PL. Apart from the previous manager and the current manager, I can recall all of these being put forward at one time or another as 'the solution' to our manager question. I know you think that Blackie isn't up to the job but, what about these others? Even the mighty O'Driscoll?? Its not enough to fire someone who you think isn't up to the job. Its finding someone who is.

I suspect Kev McCabe will be judging Blackie performance as a whole and not based entirely on any isolated early season cup game on a wet and windy Wednesday evening. Thank goodness...

 

[Fiery Blade]

Morning Dunc,
You have assumed that all championship teams that lost this week played like shite ! Do we know how they played, the manner of their defeat, the strength of their selected team etc NO!
But we do know that the Blades fielded virtually a full strength side available to them apart from the two youngsters, they played dire direct hoofball with little or no success, they were out fought and out thought by a Hartlepools side who generally struggle week in week out in Division One and the manager went into the game so low key that he didn't appear to give a flying fig for the 600 or so Blades who travelled up on Wednesday evening! That is where I am coming from! Barnsley lost but apparantly Robins is trying to get them to play more attractive, passing football in order to entertain the crowd and once right win matches But apparantly at Hartlepools it was exactly like Peterborough last year, no passing, no method, no cohesive movement, no shots on goal!!!

 

[Revolution]

List of NPC managers whose teams played like shite this week against lower league opposition

Billy Davies
Nigel Clough
Shaun O'Driscoll
Mark Robins
Aidy Boothroyd
Steve Coppell
Neil Warnock
Kevin Blackwell

Sub-list of NPC managers whose teams have done this 2 seasons running

Kevin Blackwell

 

[Fiery Blade]

And no utterance of an apology to the fans who travelled up last Wednesday!

 

[DuncDisorderly]

Morning Dunc,
You have assumed that all championship teams that lost this week played like shite ! Do we know how they played, the manner of their defeat, the strength of their selected team etc NO!

They all lost didn't they, but maybe you are right, maybe they were all playing wonderful flowing football and were all unlucky to lose.

But we do know that the Blades fielded virtually a full strength side available to them apart from the two youngsters, they played dire direct hoofball with little or no success, they were out fought and out thought by a Hartlepools side who generally struggle week in week out in Division One and the manager went into the game so low key that he didn't appear to give a flying fig for the 600 or so Blades who travelled up on Wednesday evening! That is where I am coming from!

I know you are big on someone making some heartfelt apology when the team does badly, but does that work the other way round too? Like, if we win 3-0 should we all form a line to kiss Blackies bollocks in the car park for being a complete fecking star?? Well, should we??? If you think that flowing football is going to come from Taylor and Kozzy then you are going to be disappointed, especially if the opposition are running around midfield like terriers.

Barnsley lost but apparantly Robins is trying to get them to play more attractive, passing football in order to entertain the crowd and once right win matches

Here is a real double standard. If we'd lost 4-0 away on the first day and 2-0 to Accrington Stanley at home, your shoes would be off already, regardless of playing style or any other consideration. Why do you give some leeway to Mark Robins that you wouldn't give to Blackie..?

 

[Fiery Blade]

Dunc,
No matter how many excuses you keep coming up with Facts are Facts:
Hartlepool United beat Sheffield United 2-0 to progress to the next round of the Carling Cup
Hartlepool United dominated the game from start to finish and could easily have run out winners by 3 or 4 goals
Sheffield United did not have a shot on target until the 88/89th minute and that was a sub Centre Back on loan Bartley
According to Keith Edwards / Seth Bennett the performance was dire matching the Peterborough away match last season
Sheffield United fielded 8 players who started the league match v Cardiff and 2 subs that come on both played at Cardiff so a team very capable of beating Hartlepool
Sheffield United appeared totally disinterested in actually winning the match from start to finish
Blackwell was completely downbeat before the game and started to make excuses before they got out onto the pitch

No matter how you dress it up, make excuses and try to put a positive slant on the whole affair Dunc in truth it was a thoroughly unprofessional performance well below their normal standards with the manager either unwilling or unable to get the side to raise their pwerformance levels!