A little pedestrian?

[Mustela Putorius Furo]

Hard with eleventeen million opponents behind the ball from minute 1, but thought we looked lethargic and a bit pedestrian today, lacked imagination and didn't adapt well in the first half to their smothering of the man on the ball.

Also, Baxter clearly wants to play a McCall type role, but he has a habit that closes down his own options:

With his back to goal, he takes the ball from our defenders on his right foot, then always....always... turns to his own right - to the left wing. This means he's automatically putting himself on his wrong foot and will need another touch to put himself into position to make the pass he wants to make... by which time the pass option has been closed down.

In the end we were never really threatened ourselves, had some comfortable performances, and really well taken goals, so very promising, but a little concerned about creativity and shape against more attacking teams.

Oh well, work in progress, right direction at least.

 

[Barney]

Better opposition today and we could have been beaten.

Regardless of that though it's still nice to get the three points.

 

[BridBladesman]

We won and didn't concede FFS!!!!
Maybe, just maybe Adkins will change it for attacking teams eh?

 

[Pinchy]

You can only play who the fixtures pit you against, Barny. We may well have played better ourselves against more imaginative, ambitious opponents, giving us more room to play.

"If" and "might have" are academic anyway, aren't they? If my Aunt Maude had a pair of bollocks she'd be my Uncle Frank.....

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Better opposition today and we could have been beaten.

And worse opposition we could have beaten better?

 

[Barney]

You can only play who the fixtures pit you against, Barny. We may well have played better ourselves against more imaginative, ambitious opponents, giving us more room to play.

"If" and "might have" are academic anyway, aren't they? If my Aunt Maude had a pair of bollocks she'd be my Uncle Frank.....

Not interested in your Aunt Maude's pair of bollocks but all I'm trying to say is if we had played in the same manner against a better team, we could have been beaten. Fair comment really.

 

[Bladebri]

No two games are ever going to be the same, different matches throw up different scenarios, we dealt with that today.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

And worse opposition we could have beaten better?

You'll not find much worse than Blackpool.

 

[Pinchy]

Not interested in your Aunt Maude's pair of bollocks but all I'm trying to say is if we had played in the same manner against a better team, we could have been beaten. Fair comment really.

A bit metaphysical really, mate. Maybe edging into Quantum Physics. You really can only play against the team in front of you. The match against the better team will be a different entity with different outcomes...

 

[Wapping Blade]

Fair comment really.

Even if you do say yourself...

 

[Barney]

A bit metaphysical really, mate. Maybe edging into Quantum Physics. You really can only play against the team in front of you. The match against the better team will be a different entity with different outcomes...

I'm afraid it's simpler than that.

Focusing on ourselves and on ourselves only, if we replicate our poor display, against better quality opposition, there is a high probability we will either lose or draw the game.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Have I missed the point here?

 

[Bladesman]

They parked the bus but had that match been last season it would have probably finished 0-0 or 0-1 to them.

We eventually opened them up and got 2 goals which I really don't think we would have done under Clough.

 

[Bladesway]

A bit metaphysical really, mate. Maybe edging into Quantum Physics. You really can only play against the team in front of you. The match against the better team will be a different entity with different outcomes...

Don't do it Pinchers, he isn't worth it!!

Fact is we won and got three points, we may play better and lose or play worse and win nowt else matters.

 

[Bladesway]

They parked the bus but had that match been last season it would have probably finished 0-0 or 0-1 to them.

We eventually opened them up and got 2 goals which I really don't think we would have done under Clough.

Think this is the difference, last season we would have kept the door shut and perhaps drawn or snuck it 1-0, or worse still lost it because of a lack of imagination. Better manager, better setup, better result. Often the key is to not play at your best and still get the three points.

 

[blade too long]

A little pedestrian?

 

[DI36O]

I'm afraid it's simpler than that.

Focusing on ourselves and on ourselves only, if we replicate our poor display, against better quality opposition, there is a high probability we will either lose or draw the game.

You could put it that simply but the game you play on any given day is never independent from the opposition you're facing. So it's unlikely enough to be considered irrelevant.

Doesn't mean you can't learn lessons though. I thought we were much too slow moving forward first half. JCR was too hesitant and Baxter played too deep. We could have hurt them much faster than we did but the job was done well in the end.

Can't see Blackpool staying up - did anyone even recognise any names other than Emerson Boyce?

 

[Barney]

You could put it that simply but the game you play on any given day is never independent from the opposition you're facing. So it's unlikely enough to be considered irrelevant.

Doesn't mean you can't learn lessons though. I thought we were much too slow moving forward first half. JCR was too hesitant and Baxter played too deep. We could have hurt them much faster than we did but the job was done well in the end.

Can't see Blackpool staying up - did anyone even recognise any names other than Emerson Boyce?

Of course it's not independent of the opposition we face but the fact still remains.

 

[Rodders]

Temperature will have played a part; it was surprisingly roasting out there. We did enough - while Chesterfield could have been disappointed with jot scoring after 14 corners, never really felt truly in jeopardy today. NA wants them to move the ball quicker, when they do I really feel we could do some damage.
Oh, and a bit of support still from midfield when the ball is looking to be crossed or on breaks would be nice.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

We won and didn't concede any, so job done.

As the saying goes, If 'ifs' and 'ands' were pots and pans there'd be no need for tinkers.

3 points in the bag, onwards and upwards. UTB

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Better opposition today and we could have been beaten.

Regardless of that though it's still nice to get the three points.

Not sure I agree. A better side wouldn't have setup the same and I can't recall them having a real clear cut chance that a better forward would have taken. We had a very average day today but I don't think a defeat was particularly close.

 

[blade too long]

I watched Man Utd overcome Villa last week 1-0
they were at best workmanlike
their squad cost 700 m or so to put together
therefor
I dont get , never have got people who expect us to tear teams a new arse hole every time we turn out
and make Barcelona look like matlock and have us up on our feet for 90 full minutes every game

If they could cite one club that has managed it in 46 games Im prepared to listen

AND THE OPPOSITION MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
WE ARE PLAYING OUR PEERS , THOSE WEVE FACED FOR 5 YEARS
in fact Blackpools been higher than us for all of that time

 

[Barney]

Not sure I agree. A better side wouldn't have setup the same and I can't recall them having a real clear cut chance that a better forward would have taken. We had a very average day today but I don't think a defeat was particularly close.

There's a big chance they will have done. Not many teams will come to Bramall Lane and expect to get 3 points. Most will sit back and look to counter. But if that team is a top 6 team for example, unlike lowly Blackpool, they will have the quality to hurt you on those counters.

 

[blade too long]

In the end we were never really threatened ourselves, .

that would be counter productive
we should concentrate on attacking our opponents

 

[Pierre's PC]

We won but...

 

[Claude Makelele]

Won and didn't get out of second gear. A better opponent would have seen us probably play better. A steady 2-0 win against Blackpool at home is decent, we lost these sort of games last season.

 

[BushBlade]

A bit metaphysical really, mate. Maybe edging into Quantum Physics. You really can only play against the team in front of you. The match against the better team will be a different entity with different outcomes...

In quantum physics the act of observation can affect the element one is trying to observe so are you saying it's the supporters' fault?