27/02/10 - Sheffield United v. Plymouth Argyle

[Linz]

Saturday's match thread for:

• Predictions
• Line-ups
• In-match chatter
• Reaction

 

[LouTheBlade]

Despite our recent problems and indifferent form I can't see anything other than a Blades win in this one. I'm going for a comfortable 3-0 in a game lacking quality. Plymouth had a recent good result away to Barnsley but looking through their side I don't think they have any players that could really hurt us. If all fit and available I think Blackwell will go with the following side;

Bunn
Nosworthy
Morgan
Bartley
Kallio
Ward
Montgomery
Williamson
Yeates
Evans
Cresswell

If I were picking the side I would swap Ched for Camara but pretty much leave it at that. I think this is the side he will probably go with, all but the last minute inclusion of Quinn for one of the wide men

UTB

 

[SotonBlade]

I'm hoping for a better game than the one at home park. Especially as it's my first visit to the lane this season!

 

[Linz]

The weather's a bit biblical at the moment... rained solidly from around 10pm last night.

If any Dingles want to slip a few bob by the way of the club to get the game called off and get your own back on the Plymouth fans, now's the time

 

[DazBlade88]

I'm hoping for a better game than the one at home park. Especially as it's my first visit to the lane this season!

It surely can't be any worse?!

As our games against Plymouth usually are, it will probably be a dull affair. I think we'll win, but I reckon it'll be 1-0. Maybe 2-0 with a late goal when they push for an equaliser.

The worrying this is, I just don't seem to care.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

I think it will be a comfortable but boring win. 2 or 3 nil.
Monty is gonna score a 25 yard screamer. I've not had a JD and coke yet either.

 

[Linz]

Defence for tomorrow:

Nosworthy Morgan Bartley Kallio

 

[SotonBlade]

That's a big back 4! Harper back in contention too

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Spoke to the ticket office yesterday, 23,000 sold away fans only shifted 300.

23,500/24,000 not a bad crowd considering.

 

[BuryStEdmundsBlade]

What a game! Helped win me nearly £15 with an accumulator bet though so was happy to see the final result come in!

 

[Guesty]

I think it will be a comfortable but boring win.

Wrong and wrong!

We did win though, to be fair.

 

[DuncDisorderly]

One of the wierdest games I've been to in a long time. It was a bit like the school games where one side is so obviously superior, that the games master tells them to let a couple in just so the other team don't feel so bad.

Strange atmosphere up in 'The Library' too, with all those kids for a quid. The guy behind us spent a lot of the first half explaining the offside rule to his 5 year old, and a good proportion of the rest seem to have been alien abductees.

Still, it made it more exciting in the end. Onwards and upwards...

 

[LoughboroBlade]

It was definitely a weird game. Absolutely cruising at 3-0, but we seemed to be as bad in the 2nd half as we were good in the first. The defence doesn't fill me with confidence at the minute:

- Bunn seemed to regress back to the Bunn of earlier this year, dodgy throughout
- Morgs didn't look quite fit
- Bartley looked as though he'd only just met Morgs - less impressive than previous games
- Kallio at full back fills me with about as much confidence as Halford used to at right back, often way behind the pace of the game
- Nosworthy is hilarious. At times, he looks a class player, at other times I feel as though I'm watching Gus Uhlenbeek again. His comedy long throws seem to border on the illegal, but were very effective

Williamson wasn't quite up to the level displayed vs Bristol City, same with Yeates. Odd game for Wardy - two great finishes, but seemed very wasteful 2nd half (hell bent on getting a hat-trick rather than provide to those in better positions). Camara looked good in the first (great finish), faded in the 2nd.

Monty and Cresswell worked damned hard all match. Completely missed the lead up to Cresswell's goal.

Still, 3 points, and some winnable games between now and Easter. Our run-in doesn't look at all bad really - you can write off Newcastle away, but every other match we could get 3 points in each.

 

[moDtheGod]

I just can't get on with Nosworthy at all. At least when he's at full back, if he does something ridiculous it's in a safer area of the pitch.

 

[shorehamview]

Considering that of our defensive five we've borrowed four of them that wasn't too bad. If Morgan and Bartley spent a few minutes together at training that might help improve things. Kallio looks pretty good going forward, but defensively he's rather shaky, in a different but equally nerve-wracking way to Taylor. And Nyron Nosworthy really worries me. Yet another right-back that can't defend. He can be both a great liability and a tremendous asset in the space of ten seconds. He might just be the greatest spelling mistake we've ever signed, but I doubt it.

It's a good job the midfield look to be working very well. Monty and Williamson seem to be the ideal central pairing, and I'd rather have the flexibility and creativity that Ward and Yeates bring than the hopeful flicks of Quinn. Cresswell and Camara could be the best front two as well. Camara can drift out of the game for long periods, but if he can score when the chance comes then we can live with that. And Cresswell worked his arse off today. Here's hoping that when Henderson gets on the pitch Blackwell realises that playing the ball to feet produces better results than hoofing it. There should be twice as many balls to feet than to heads anyway, based on the sound mathematical principle that humans have twice as many feet as heads.

 

[ken shabby]

based on the sound mathematical principle that humans have twice as many feet as heads.

Tha`s obviously never been to Cudworth

 

[Santos]

Weird is the buzz word to describe the game.

I still don't know if we played well or not. It was entertaining but not in the way I would expect a 4-3 to be. It is fustrating as at times we looked really good going forward and Yeates seems like a proper player who will get stuck in and be a player in the way which Cotterill wouldn't be. However defensively every time it was thrown into our box it was panic stations. I have missed a few home games recently but from what I've seen of Bartley he scares the shit out of me, I used to like Kallio but he's not very good is he? Having said that he's probably better than Taylor & Stewart. I don't actually mind Nosworthy that much, apart from his mistake which led to one of their goals.

We should have done our goal difference some good today but as some canny old bloke used to say 'we never make it easy'. Good day for us taking into account Blackpool & Cardiff's results but looking at the league table and our cobbled together team I'm not so sure we'll finish in the top 6, and even if we do we'll have to go to Forest or WBA in the second leg away.

 

[cooperblade]

Thought the midfield 4 did well on the whole. Monty's in one of his good runs, Willo is a class act and keeping him fit is key to our chances of the Top 6 and Ward and Yeates are both capable of causing problems. I like the balance of that midfield, it's designed to create rather than stifle which hasn't always been the case.

The Harper substitution was bizarre and caused us loads of problems. We removed Yeates who was a threat, took Williamson away from his best position and basically knackered up our midfield for the end of the game.

Bartley struggled and Nosworthy had a nightmare spell. Kallio improved massively from Forest but that only meant he was a 5/10 instead of a 0/10. My hope is that Seip's just about fit now and can build a partnership with Morgan for the run-in. I like the much-maligned Taylor at left back and we'll have to muddle through or bring someone in on the right.

As I've said elsewhere, the goalkeeping situation is now a massive cause for concern. Bunn's made too many mistakes now and I'm not sure the sports psychologist can rescue his confidence this time. Bennett's no better than average and injury prone and surely KB isn't going to chuck the Estonian lad in at this point?

Another 3 points very welcome though and the recent home record is hugely impressive (with performances on the whole improving as well)

 

[LoughboroBlade]

the goalkeeping situation is now a massive cause for concern. Bunn's made too many mistakes now and I'm not sure the sports psychologist can rescue his confidence this time. Bennett's no better than average and injury prone and surely KB isn't going to chuck the Estonian lad in at this point?

Just under two months till Kenny's ban ends incidentally... Available for the last 3 games. He'll almost certainly have been keeping himself fit - worth throwing straight back in?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

We've got an internationnal keeper on the books [2 actually but discounting the Maltese].

If he can't come in and do the job why have we signed him.

 

[cooperblade]

Just under two months till Kenny's ban ends incidentally... Available for the last 3 games. He'll almost certainly have been keeping himself fit - worth throwing straight back in?

I'd say so.

Ideally he'd have a reserve game first but, evn if that's not possible, I'd get him back in asap.

The 3rd last game is a nice gentle one anyway