20/04/09 - Burnley Match Thread

[Bladesman]

we had no width, and we put everything straight at one of the best defenders in the league, carlisle. henderson always fouls the centrebacks, and then complains, today he was fouled alot, but he did himself no favours by complaining every two seconds.

It was hoofball from the 1st minute from us.

Henderson was losing the battle with Carlisle and we didnt change our play to suit.

 

[dingledog]

Poor, we were so predictable, very disappointed, but not suprised, we always bottle the big games.

 

[Bladesman]

Poor, we were so predictable, very disappointed, but not suprised, we always bottle the big games.

Threw another record away tonight aswell.

 

[Greasy Chip Butty]

Carlise was immense for them today, albeit a bit lucky to get away with it at times.
There seemed to be a lack of willing to go forward from the full backs and players we're in the middle of the pitch and had to play a pass into the middle as there ws no one overlapping.

 

[Mr Barking P.]

Oh dear chaps. I've been hiding up the pub because I couldn't bear to watch tonight (guess many of you have felt the same). Still, hope springs eternal - never underestimate the capacity of the boys in royal blue to cock it up when it matters. I don't feel confident that we'll beat either Preston or Reading so there is some way to go yet. Peckers up.

 

[Linz]

craig beatie is the worst player to put on a united shirt iv seen hes f**ng w*nk send him back bag of sh*te.
shoot first then apeal for a pen tosser!

Very unfair to pick on one player when so many were having a poor day.

Stephen Quinn and John-Joe O'Toole decided they didn't like the left half of the pitch and went drastically missing for their goal when it was clear they were gonna hammer us down that side. A poor shift by both of them.

Kenny's kicks were awful as he looked to play the same ball to Beattie every time.

Halford was a very lucky boy to only receive a talking to for hitting out. I'm yet to see the stamp but he needs to get his temper under control.

Saying a player is "fucking wank" and a "bag of shite" doesn't really help anyone analyse what really went on and neither does pinning it on one person.

 

[dingledog]

Its now the day after the night before and reflection is always best left a decent space. The better footballing team won last night, its a fact, our sole tactic(?) was the long ball, hope for Henderson to head down and someone around him to latch on and score. Not really a master stroke of tactical nous if you ask me and one Burnley were fully aware of, as indeed were Forest. I hate it when I watch my team play like that, its boring and non productive. Is it any wonder we were winning when playing with wingers, such as Cotterill, we go back to this type of rubbish which served us so badly in the first half of the season and we begin losing again.

Well its the play offs for the Blades and if we carry on this rubbish it will be just the two games and another season of Championship football for us. I am sure lik everyone on here we are hugely dissappointed, all the optomisim dissipated into the upper atmospher with last nights match ball and the long ball hoof tactics.

 

[Foxy]

Quinny and O'Toole both had absolute shockers in the middle.

They were like little kids at times, if they weren't wandering around watching the play go by they were wandering to the right hand side and marking each other/other blades.

This was leading to massive gaps in the middle/left hand side and exposing Naysmith and then Naughton big time. Whenever we tried to play it through the middle/to the wings Quinny would either blindly play the ball to the opposition or slice it out of play, then have the cheek to moan at whichever team mate he was trying to pick out.

I could see it from about 2 minutes in, so why them two, professional footballers, couldn't is beyond me.

I think Naysmith's injury and the resulting switch around did hurt us, as just before it happened, it was fairly end to end stuff, with us looking like creating something.

We can't expect strikers to do anything when we turned to Kenny booting the ball up, but perhaps they'd do better if he could manage to put it within 20 yards of them. Not only was the referee giving their defenders everything, but Henderson/Beattie have to run 20 yards to challenge for the ball in the air, with no-one around them to head to.

Too many off their games tonight, we need to revert to what brought us the run we were on. We need players taking responsibility, hard work and balance (whoever plays).

 

[jose_d_blade]

why did i pick out craig beattie, it was the chance he wasted in front of goal because he was too scared to shoot and wanted a penalty that got my heckels up.
it basic kids football play to the whistle shoot first then apeal.

i didnt see any thing productive from him going forwards.

think hes our worst striker

 

[Linz]

it basic kids football play to the whistle shoot first then apeal.

I said it was like watching kids with the midfield yesterday... four players all chasing the same ball.

i didnt see any thing productive from him going forwards.

think hes our worst striker

The thing is, he wasn't just booting it up to himself. Which is why I don't think he can totally take the blame.

 

[MAQ]

Poor result to a bad match in which neither team performed. BT was rubbish, Hendo was rubbish, halford was out of the game as soon as he moved to right back, quinn looked better but was still off pace. Not convinced with O'toole, he gets stuck in but its not enough.

The dream is not dead, still very possible. Birmingham have a much harder run-in than we do, especially if Reading beat Derby tonight, swansea and palace have nothing to play for.

FULL HOUSE ON SATURDAY.............................LETS GET BEHIND THE LADS!!!!!!!!!

 

[tenerifeblade]

Once again the work-rate and effort couldnt be faulted but the lack of creativity could. Theyve started the long ball tactics again and if they continue with them then we will remain in the Championship. Thought every 50/50 decision went against the Blades and the ref certainly didnt like Hendo.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It was poor, the quality was absent, the tension wasn't. Anybody that has watched football for a while knows you rarely get flowing, attacking football at this stage of the season (witness both semi-finals at the weekend) and results are what matters. Injuries, weariness, tension, pitches etc. all mitigate against fluent football.

Having said that, we do seem to have reverted to the 'safety' of hitting Relish early and fighting for the scraps off that. It allows for the team to be full of battlers and triers who close down and stop the opposition, but makes us predictable and much easier to stifle.

Did we peak just a bit too soon?

 

[TonyAgana]

Did we peak just a bit too soon?

No, we just reverted the game plan to type right when it mattered, IMO.

 

[Kev Gee]

Awful performance but its not over yet. If birmingham win there next game then they will go up auto. if they loose welllllllll. but once again we loose when it really matters!

 

[rachyblade]

Awful performance but its not over yet. If birmingham win there next game then they will go up auto. if they loose welllllllll. but once again we loose when it really matters!

If we lose against Swansea they go up automatically.

Pissed me right off last night, I dont fancy anyone in the play offs either.

 

[bladette_24]

If we lose against Swansea they go up automatically.

Pissed me right off last night, I dont fancy anyone in the play offs either.

i agree with you rachy, i dont want the play offs, too much pressure for the blades!

birmingham need to lose, we need to win, although we have got 2 tough matches remaining so have birmingham really, i don't think they are on top form at the min.

Lets hope we can pick ourselves up from last night and seriously get back in the running!

 

[The One]

If we win our last 2 and Birmingham at most draw their last two then we still go up auto. It's possible but a long shot.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

At least the last two aren't on Sky!!

 

[DazBlade88]

As much as I hate to say it, for me that puts automatic out of reach now.

We seem to have lost form since I came back off holiday rolleyes, and are playing with no imagination going forward again.

We were very poor last night, it was so frustrating to watch it. Caldwell and Carlisle are centre halves that love to head the ball, so what did we do? Served it on a plate for them. We needed to get them facing their own net with wingers, or have a pacey striker up the middle giving them something to worry about. I thought Blackwell got a number of things wrong though, particurlarly with the team selection and formation.

Swansea is a very, very difficult game on Saturday. They still think they can make the playoffs, so for us to win both games is a very big ask. And with the form Reading are on, can anyone see them suddenly snapping out of it and pulling out a performance? They haven't scored for 5 games at home.

I think we can make the playoff final, but whether we can get up? I'm not so sure.

 

[Monty's_Girl]

I reckon the whole forum should chip in & send Daz back to NYC, at least until after 25th May. I'll pay for his taxi to the airport!

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Sod off Daz, you big Jinx!

 

[Hartyblade]

How the hell am i the only one voting for kilgallon? I was watching the same game wasn't i? MONTGOMERY? He did one good ball throughout the whole game i was in the pub that was actually packed to the rim and as soon as anyone heard montgomery they moaned. lmao.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Blackies starting choice of beattie, henderson (and halford?) up front just screamed big balls hoofed into the box. Not clever enough at this stage - especially when we're having to break defences down. Need more guile - Would Cotts have been the answer? We could have done with eagles or blake in red and white last night - they seemed to have so much of the the things we're lacking at times.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Blackies starting choice of beattie, henderson (and halford?) up front just screamed big balls hoofed into the box. Not clever enough at this stage - especially when we're having to break defences down. Need more guile - Would Cotts have been the answer? We could have done with eagles or blake in red and white last night - they seemed to have so much of the the things we're lacking at times.

And how can you not vote for Paddy as MoM? At least 2 top stops to keep us in it.

 

[Bladesman]

How the hell am i the only one voting for kilgallon? I was watching the same game wasn't i? MONTGOMERY? He did one good ball throughout the whole game i was in the pub that was actually packed to the rim and as soon as anyone heard montgomery they moaned. lmao.

Yes but Montgomery is class at picking up rubbish so give him some credit.

Nah we were poor and I spoke to a few neatural fans today and they thought they were watching a league 2 match last night on sky.

I wouldnt even say Burnley were the better team they took their chance when they got it but footballing wise they were as bad as us at times.

 

[shorehamview]

Having watched it on the telly the commentators were full of praise for Monty and Kenny. Halford was a very naughty boy and on another day he could have been sent off. Small Quinn and O'Toole were, frankly, bobbins. Small Quinn was, as Linz said, afraid of the left hand side of the pitch and O'Toole looked as effective as a Jack Russell chasing a football on Skegness beach. And why does O'Toole look permanently knackered? Beattie showed nothing that would earn him a starting place against Swansea.

Hendrie and Lupoli should get the nod ahead of Beattie and either Quinn or O'Toole on saturday.

 

[The One]

Monty deserves the MOTM mainly because he had to do the job of 2 other players.

 

[keenzy]

So much to say about it, but i have been seeing it for a while and knew we were going to balls up. "Big Game Blackwell" springs to mind and too "Tactically Clueless"

 

[DazBlade88]

How the hell am i the only one voting for kilgallon? I was watching the same game wasn't i? MONTGOMERY? He did one good ball throughout the whole game i was in the pub that was actually packed to the rim and as soon as anyone heard montgomery they moaned. lmao.

Montgomery had a decent game, and stopped them hitting us on the break at least 7 times. His passing was a bit wayward at times, but definitely no worse than anyone on the pitch.

Killa had a decent game, but for me the whole back 4 looked very shaky and we would have been out of sight in the first half was it not for the post and Kenny.