Back to basics - Stop conceding

[SwissBlade]

Wilder said that we play the right way, the formation is right and we play with width, we’ve not been overrun by anyone at the lane. We just need to do the ‘final bit’ (in attack)


However, we make things difficult for ourselves by conceding sloppy goals. I said this a few weeks back, but its time to get back to basics, we simply need to defend better. Its not that we’re getting battered, but give away daft goals or make things easy for the opposition by defending badly. Wilder said yesterday’s goal was sloppy. Villa’s second was a free header, we’re getting ourselves on the back foot early in games and making things harder than they need to be.


There is no doubt that we have missed Jake Wright in the back three, the back three which has changed around a lot recently, with Stearman, CCV, Basham and Wright all slotting into the back three alongside JOC in the last few weeks.


However, what we’ve also missed is Coutts and Fleck protecting the back three.


Yes we’ve lost players and yes we’ve had an unsettled side, but we also need to tighten up, particularly in the first 30 mins of games.


Lets start 2018 with a clean sheet at Derby!

 

[Tyler Durden]

Ah it doesn't matter if we concede goals against shit teams and play fucking garbage football.

After all "we've had a great year" and liitle old Sheffield United should be grateful to be in the second division. Let's just wank each other off indefinitely and ignore current realities.

 

[Barney]

We score a lot, but we don't half concede as well.

A consistent team selection and a better drilled defence are the first steps.

 

[metalblade]

Last six form guide says we are 21st only the pigs, Forest and Dingles as bad or worse.

 

[Champagneblade]

Agree with both comments.

We have to adjust to where we are.

Part of that is accepting we are top 6 and in poor form and not we are 6th but nobody expected us to be there. That mindset does us a disservice going into Jan.

We have a back three which gives us a spare man. We shouldn’t end up with a situation of one guy stood on their own in the middle like yesterday.

The midfield needs to do a better job of protecting the defenders and the mobility of Lundstram still causes some concern in this regard despite his improvements. Likewise we have no viable alternative to Baldock when Freeman is out. Basham is adequate but putting him in that position when he is better in two other positions shouldn’t be required. That’s why, like Ricky, I’m also in favour of getting Riley back. It would also cover for Stevens’ lack of current form. He’d get plenty of minutes.

I also think the CCV experiment is coming to a close. Having someone the team knows is always capable of a rick is no basis for clean sheets. Heneghan hasn’t played at all and Lafferty sparingly so we have some cover and I’d rather Hemeghan, who we own, get the minutes and development. We should be ok now with Basham, O’Connell and Stearman/Wright but we should stick to a chosen three. Centre halves don’t need resting like runners in the team. They would benefit from understanding, which chopping and changing does not support.

The midfield needs to protect more and this is why Leonard or Clayton would be sensible, nay imperative additions. It was clear as early as Boro that we missed this type of player.

I also think we need to see more of Brooks this second half of the season. Playing him alongside Clarke in a withdrawn role allows us to be more compact but still offensive.

Regardless of what Wilder mentioned pace in certain circumstances would still be a good option.

If we end up with Riley, Leonard and Cole, it’s relatively modest but at least shows the need for defensive robustness down the spine.

There is a danger we have become too cavalier to the point now of foregoing the basics and that has to stop.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Bolton had 2 shots on target and 1 was an easy save for Moore. That's good defending apart from just that one goal and that is so often the case. We rarely seem to get away with mistakes and so many 'worldie' 25 yard shots go in.

Keeprs? Don't think so. Defence yesterday -yes. Midfield when the 25 yarders go in? Probably, maybe fewer of late anyway.

Chances missed by us as compared to the opposition misses? 4/1 probably, home and away.

Wilder frustrated? Yes. He says we need more craft and 'clever' players to make our domination count. He's dead right of course.

Formation wrong? Emphatically no IMO. Don't play Vickers, play Wright and let Stearman and Basham contest right centre back. J O'C get back to top form.

Sorted.

 

[SwissBlade]

Bolton had 2 shots on target and 1 was an easy save for Moore. That's good defending apart from just that one goal and that is so often the case. We rarely seem to get away with mistakes and so many 'worldie' 25 yard shots go in.

Keeprs? Don't think so. Defence yesterday -yes. Midfield when the 25 yarders go in? Probably, maybe fewer of late anyway.

Chances missed by us as compared to the opposition misses? 4/1 probably, home and away.

Wilder frustrated? Yes. He says we need more craft and 'clever' players to make our domination count. He's dead right of course.

Formation wrong? Emphatically no IMO. Don't play Vickers, play Wright and let Stearman and Basham contest right centre back. J O'C get back to top form.

Sorted.

I get your point, but lets be honest, some goals we concede, even the worldies shouldn't be conceded, often they come as a result of an individual error, so what we need is to cut out the errors.

 

[SwissBlade]

The midfield needs to do a better job of protecting the defenders and the mobility of Lundstram still causes some concern in this regard despite his improvements. Likewise we have no viable alternative to Baldock when Freeman is out. Basham is adequate but putting him in that position when he is better in two other positions shouldn’t be required. That’s why, like Ricky, I’m also in favour of getting Riley back. It would also cover for Stevens’ lack of current form. He’d get plenty of minutes.

The midfield needs to protect more and this is why Leonard or Clayton would be sensible, nay imperative additions. It was clear as early as Boro that we missed this type of player.

There is a danger we have become too cavalier to the point now of foregoing the basics and that has to stop.

Thought i'd pick the above comments out as i think they sum up where we're we're lacking and where/ how we need to improve.

I agree Lundstram has picked up recently, in possession, but his defensive positioning is sometimes lacking. He actually reminds me of Coady in someways, but he needs to protect the back 3 better like Coutts and Coady did.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I get your point, but lets be honest, some goals we concede, even the worldies shouldn't be conceded, often they come as a result of an individual error, so what we need is to cut out the errors.

Had that conversation with the bloke next to me yesterday. My view is that the game is full of errors even at Man City. Teams have to be set up to cover for errors though.

Then it is a fact that the player who never takes risks commits fewer errors and the player who is always probing and innovating will have far more failures than successes, point being that without 'risks' you get nowhere or maybe stalemate at best.

We play 3 at the back AND two of our centre backs in particular bomb forward at the slightest excuse. Yesterday Lundstram covered for them every time. It's my view we rarely concede through over-committing apart from maybe the Fulham game and our wing backs play defensively when need be. Wilder has every right to be disappointed but some of these players are playing at a new level and settling into the club as well, it's only December. We are doing great actually.

Vickers made that initial error for their goal yesterday and then Stearman and O'Connell failed to cover for it between them. Stearman was there to block the cross at all costs and O'Connell failed to turn it away and also lost sight of Madine in the process. Keeper had to cover his near post initially. Every goal in football could have been prevented and most have an element of good fortune, be it an error or a lucky deflection. With only two shots on target by Bolton the game was there to be won.

 

[Fanny magnet]

We had lots of possession but we just slowly play hospital passes across the penalty area until someone puts a shit cross in which one of the ten opposition defenders who have been waiting for head clear

Our midfield play is very slow and very pedestrian without Coutts as much as lundstram had improved yesterday was his worst display in a blades shirt

 

[GodricBlade]

Just watched their goal from yesterday.
I was disappointed with it at the game & not feeling any better now.

CCV trips over his own feet.
Bash turned around & gets left behind.
JOC allows Madine to get wrong-side.

A poor goal to concede that put us under pressure & got the crowd frustrated. For many - wrong team selection & pleased Wilder recognised that quickly. May be the last we see of CCV though.

Hope we can keep Baldock & Freeman fit for 2nd half of season as lots of chopping & changing on that right side has caused us problems. Might be my memory playing tricks or confirmation bias kicking in but too many opposition goals coming from that side.

 

[sheffielder]

If only we had a player who organised the back 3. That goal doesn't happen with Wright at the back. There I said it

 

[sheffielder]

Thought i'd pick the above comments out as i think they sum up where we're we're lacking and where/ how we need to improve.

I agree Lundstram has picked up recently, in possession, but his defensive positioning is sometimes lacking. He actually reminds me of Coady in someways, but he needs to protect the back 3 better like Coutts and Coady did.

In regards to Lundstram and I feel I am his biggest fan, however he was poor for the 1st 20 minutes and it set the tone. He didn't hold his position and wasn't always an option when we had to come back and start again. Coutts worked because he always had Fleck and Duffy in front of him so they had space. He went into their space yesterday. The amount of times they 'broke' into a space where he should have been when clearing their box was alarming. The role requires someone to sit in and pick up the pieces and keep the ball moving.

 

[South Bucks]

At championship level its quite hard to get a clean sheet unless a team has a lot of defensive minded players which invariably comes at the loss of a attacking threat. Me thinks with 3 points for a win its better to accept a team might concede one but aim to score two by being offensive, a bit like the way teams like Burnley have been in recent years. We have a squad with lots of average defensive players but are not so much of a threat from midfield and up top and few who can shoot.
I'd also like someone to sit down and explain the offside run to a few of em, that corner in the second half was an embarrassment and the number of times we are caught offside up front compared to other teams is daft but in part due to the pass being telegraphed and delayed so long its easy for the opposition to step up and play us offside, needs to be quicker with forwards looking along the line and timing runs better.

 

[Woodwardfan]

We had lots of possession but we just slowly play hospital passes across the penalty area until someone puts a shit cross in which one of the ten opposition defenders who have been waiting for head clear

Our midfield play is very slow and very pedestrian without Coutts as much as lundstram had improved yesterday was his worst display in a blades shirt

Have to say there's nobody slower and careful in the build up than Coutts but he does add that element of control and reliability and then the team enter the final third in better shape.

Runners off the ball have reduced recently. Certain players do not want the ball as much as they did about 8 games ago. Fleck and those others are missing Coutts' orchestration of play.

 

[Grappler]

Agree with most of the posts above, we gifted them their goal, without a doubt, similar to Preston away, and the second Bristol City goal.

 

[gavtheblade]

Bolton had players in our faces and we didn't have the time to make decisions.
Bolton did well,as did Fulham,Birmingham and millwall.They know how to stop us playing.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

We score a lot, but we don't half concede as well.

A consistent team selection and a better drilled defence are the first steps.

My best friend says that he always backs the Blades in his bets, but in a "Both teams to score" wager.. Ha ha, he wasn't laughing today as we walked our dogs around the park!

 

[SwissBlade]

In regards to Lundstram and I feel I am his biggest fan, however he was poor for the 1st 20 minutes and it set the tone. He didn't hold his position and wasn't always an option when we had to come back and start again. Coutts worked because he always had Fleck and Duffy in front of him so they had space. He went into their space yesterday. The amount of times they 'broke' into a space where he should have been when clearing their box was alarming. The role requires someone to sit in and pick up the pieces and keep the ball moving.

I'm also a big fan of Lundstram, i like how he uses the ball (when he does it simply), but i think he's learning the role he has to play now. He'll learn that he has to be the one to sit deeper and there should be players like Fleck and Stearman telling him.

He's going to be a hell of a back up for Coutts when he's perfected the role

 

[gavtheblade]

We need to play Derby like Bolton played us.
They didn't give us a second on the ball and won plenty in the air.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

We need to play Derby like Bolton played us.
They didn't give us a second on the ball and won plenty in the air.

I'm not sure our team of footballers can play as cynically (though granted effectively) as Bolton, do that and we will be soundly beaten. We need to play to our strengths.

 

[snootyfenooty]

I'm also a big fan of Lundstram, i like how he uses the ball (when he does it simply), but i think he's learning the role he has to play now. He'll learn that he has to be the one to sit deeper and there should be players like Fleck and Stearman telling him.

He's going to be a hell of a back up for Coutts when he's perfected the role

Lundstram flatters to deceive. He can run through with the ball and looks good. Just when you expect the killer pass, he stops, looks around and rolls it 5 yards to the nearest player just to get rid. He reminds me a lot of Ryan Flynn and that just about sums it up. We need better.

 

[Stretch]

Bolton had players in our faces and we didn't have the time to make decisions.
Bolton did well,as did Fulham,Birmingham and millwall.They know how to stop us playing.

^^^^^^^^ This.

I knew 5 minutes in yesterday we were going to struggle. We looked very rattled and lacked any kind of composure. Bolton were fired up to fuck and all over us. We then had a 10 minute spell in the first half where we seemed to calm it down and get our passing going before a defensive cluster fuck allows that cunt face to stroll into our area and score. An uphill struggle from then.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The thing what has bothers me this season is

Our goalie often has little to do all match BUT we still concede a goal or 2.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

The thing what has bothers me this season is

Our goalie often has little to do all match BUT we still concede a goal or 2.

It's the nature of higher standard football.

 

[snootyfenooty]

It's the nature of higher standard football.

Higher standard football and Bolton don't equate. A simpler explanation is that our defence and tactics are shite at the moment.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Higher standard football and Bolton don't equate. A simpler explanation is that our defence and tactics are shite at the moment.

If we talking about yesterday's match, how many chances did Bolton have?

If we talking about the season in general, then I believe my point about higher division football stands.

 

[snootyfenooty]

If we talking about yesterday's match, how many chances did Bolton have?

One. That's my point.

 

[HillmortonBlade]

One. That's my point.

Limit the opposition to one chance (from which they score) and the defence and tactics are shite?

Okie dokie.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Limit the opposition to one chance (from which they score) and the defence and tactics are shite?

Okie dokie.

No we didn't limit Bolton to anything, they were making no attempt to score unless you count 50 yard punts from their own half as a shot. That corner they had in the second half no-one went up for it. There were only two players, the one who took it and the the one who received it on the edge of the box where they then proceeded to fuck around with the ball for another minute. The one opportunity they did actually try to score they did, and it was gifted at that. I don't see where any credit should be directed at our defence because they had fuck all to do all match apart from make a hash of the little they did. I think we are looking at this from different angles.