Backpass Berge v Norwood the Conductor!

[AWetFlannel]

Prat O'Connell vs King Kean, who has shown more worth this season?

 

[alcoblade]

So Backpass Berge joins Ramsfail and McShitty in the hilarious vocab of our wanker fans.

Taking away the NKT infiltrators, we have some right tosspots on here.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that some of our lot want us to fail, so they can say 'I told you so'.

Yes. I’m all for fair criticism in the debates, but replacing our players names with insulting words if fucking pathetic.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

Berge is head and shoulders our best midfielder. Not his fault that he’s had to be shifted across the 3 to cover. Our midfield should be moulded around him.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

So Backpass Berge joins Ramsfail and McShitty in the hilarious vocab of our wanker fans.

Taking away the NKT infiltrators, we have some right tosspots on here.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that some of our lot want us to fail, so they can say 'I told you so'.

Check the fellas posting history, it’s about 95% anti Berge, no matter the thread subject. Which is...weird.

 

[Jon Bon II]

So Backpass Berge joins Ramsfail and McShitty in the hilarious vocab of our wanker fans.

Can we add 'Chocolate' for Brewster? As in 'As much use as a chocolate fireguard'.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

They have both been shat.

Like the entire squad.

 

[Chabuddy G]

Well proof is in the puddin

This doesn’t go as you intended it to; did it?

 

[Chabuddy G]

Can we add 'Chocolate' for Brewster? As in 'As much use as a chocolate fireguard'.

Hilarious

 

[Jon Bon II]

Hilarious

I aim to please.

 

[Chabuddy G]

Wilders biggest mistake was breaking the midfield up to shoehorn Berge in. We are only just starting to play again with the 3 midfielders. Not having a go at Berge ,I just dont think his style of play is suited to our style or the English game.

Us; I’d agree. The English game? Don’t make me laugh. He’d not look out of place for Chelsea, Arsenal, or dare I say it even City. Any possession based sides he would thrive in.

 

[Gavlar]

Like the entire squad.

Yep. Aside from Didsy.

 

[ucandomagic]

This is really a “have you stopped beating your wife” question - and it’s really not about Berge, but can we accommodate Norwood in the team. Berge has strength, ability and is almost impossible to knock off the ball.

Norwood’s pings have been and continue to be invaluable - but as a deep midfield player and the last line of defence in front of a slow John Egan Norwood is a defensive liability. He has no pace and no sense of defensive responsibility - other than just pointing when somebody runs past him!

So Norwood provides things that Berge doesn’t, but his weaknesses are a problem playing where he does. Berge will always be in the side - and whether Wilder can design a Moneyball team to use players’ strengths and cover their weaknesses will decide if Norwood plays as well.

 

[Revolution]

Us; I’d agree. The English game? Don’t make me laugh. He’d not look out of place for Chelsea, Arsenal, or dare I say it even City. Any possession based sides he would thrive in.

We were a possession based side last season. There wasn’t much thriving.

 

[DeanLearner'sCat]

We were a possession based side last season.

We really weren't.

 

[Working Class Hero]

Nah. Refute that.

If Norwood sticks to his core role (which he is still not very good at, hence being bypassed and legging opponents over) he is 'okay'.

He still needs to lock in that every time he gets the ball, it doesn't have to end in a 'watch this fucker' lofted ping to the wingbacks (who aren't as advanced in recent games) or a clip across the pitch for Wilderball.

If he carries it (as Sander can) and threads the forwards or moves it up the pitch with Berge/Lundstram/Fleck or just finds that harmony that Duffy/Coutts/Fleck had then things might work better.

pommpey

Whether you want the ping or not, every time another player has played there this season, the ball goes back to a defender who then launches it straight to the opposition's backline. Even if you think Norwood is the worst player on the planet, you surely can't disagree that we look worse as a team when someone else plays his role?

 

[JJBlade]

Not sure where this midfield anchor man and breaker of play up reputation for Berge comes from.

Nothing in the clips we've seen fron his time at Genk suggests that that is his speciality

 

[JOEYDEE]

Sander will be dishing out Humble pie by the lorry load. Coming to a footie ground soon .

UTB

Hey ! Greasy Chip Butty ! Look what Sanders' bringing !

 

[Chabuddy G]

We were a possession based side last season. There wasn’t much thriving.

Were we? In which games?

 

[cmuk]

Another garbage thread, Berge best midfielder by a country mile. Generally team form started to drop before Berge's inclusion, if he's fit he's in playing CM or RCM. Looking forward to seeing him with a rejuvenated Flecky.

 

[Sheff de party]

So Backpass Berge joins Ramsfail and McShitty in the hilarious vocab of our wanker fans.

Taking away the NKT infiltrators, we have some right tosspots on here.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that some of our lot want us to fail, so they can say 'I told you so'.

Haha “McShitty”, forgot about that one.
At least Ramsfail, Nor-good and McGoalkick were well put together.

 

[pommpey]

Whether you want the ping or not, every time another player has played there this season, the ball goes back to a defender who then launches it straight to the opposition's backline. Even if you think Norwood is the worst player on the planet, you surely can't disagree that we look worse as a team when someone else plays his role?

I agree with the backline launching the ball. Yesterday it happened a lot and has been for too long at United. All it does (80% of the time) is surrender possession cheaply up in their half and suddenly we are facing them coming back at us. We've not had the ability to properly play it out of defence on the deck by passing, moving or even just advancing and pushing the opposition onto the back foot. Last time we did it effectively was with Coutts, Fleck and Duffy in the advanced, number ten role. Time before that ... eeeh .... Michael Brown, anyone ... but then we played a 4-1-3-2 under Warnock. The reason I like the idea of Basham in midfield is because he seems to be the only player on the pitch to be audacious enough to run past opposition players. He's not quick, but he's agile and skilful. We need a ball-carrier. Someone who will advance and have the opposition backing off for fear of being skinned. Norwood can't do this and aside from his recent change of style to be more thoughtful, his only trick is 'the ping'. It might look great, but it is redundant. The only way to get the upper hand in midfield also is to put four players in there - pick any combination 4-4-2, 3-4-1-2, 4-1-3-2, 4-3-1-2. Would prefer four at the back though. The way we play, we have five defenders and five players in front of that. If I were Wilder I would start 4-1-3-2 and if we were up against it or defending a lead, drop the central defending midfielder into the back three (Basham) and play 5-3-2 or 5-4-1, until the opposition fades in it's attacking intensity. Yesterday, Wilder's spidey sense was spot on because as soon as he saw Man City were playing for the 1-0 win, he went 4-3-1-2 with Didsy tucked behind McPub and Billy. That also gave Norwood someone in front of hi to feed.

pommpey

 

[Bert]

Check the fellas posting history, it’s about 95% anti Berge, no matter the thread subject. Which is...weird.

Our pollster is Norwood.

 

[Working Class Hero]

I agree with the backline launching the ball. Yesterday it happened a lot and has been for too long at United. All it does (80% of the time) is surrender possession cheaply up in their half and suddenly we are facing them coming back at us. We've not had the ability to properly play it out of defence on the deck by passing, moving or even just advancing and pushing the opposition onto the back foot. Last time we did it effectively was with Coutts, Fleck and Duffy in the advanced, number ten role. Time before that ... eeeh .... Michael Brown, anyone ... but then we played a 4-1-3-2 under Warnock. The reason I like the idea of Basham in midfield is because he seems to be the only player on the pitch to be audacious enough to run past opposition players. He's not quick, but he's agile and skilful. We need a ball-carrier. Someone who will advance and have the opposition backing off for fear of being skinned. Norwood can't do this and aside from his recent change of style to be more thoughtful, his only trick is 'the ping'. It might look great, but it is redundant. The only way to get the upper hand in midfield also is to put four players in there - pick any combination 4-4-2, 3-4-1-2, 4-1-3-2, 4-3-1-2. Would prefer four at the back though. The way we play, we have five defenders and five players in front of that. If I were Wilder I would start 4-1-3-2 and if we were up against it or defending a lead, drop the central defending midfielder into the back three (Basham) and play 5-3-2 or 5-4-1, until the opposition fades in it's attacking intensity. Yesterday, Wilder's spidey sense was spot on because as soon as he saw Man City were playing for the 1-0 win, he went 4-3-1-2 with Didsy tucked behind McPub and Billy. That also gave Norwood someone in front of hi to feed.

pommpey

I disagree that passing the ball forwards or switching play is redundant. In fact, it's fundamental to the way our attacking play is set up.

As I said in my original comment, there's going to be a place for Berge (assuming he doesn't scarper when we get relegated), but it's not in the Norwood role at the moment.

For what it's worth, I hope one day we'll see a return to the old formation with a Duffy type in front of Berge/Norwood on the right and Fleck/Osborn on the left. No sign of that yet though.

 

[gordoncharles]

This thread is doing a good job of polarising opinion as it always does about Berge. Shit or brilliant?

In reality he is neither of those. For us he's looked decidedly average, but, again the bloody unchangeable system has never suited his game, or at least it seems to me.

I'd actually have liked to have seen him tried at centre half, which I believe is a position he can play, because he has good technical ability with both passing and moving forwards with the ball which would be a major asset in our defence.

Instead he's usually tucked away in that sort of right-half-but-not-a-right-half midfield position which he is not suited for. As a midfielder in the EPL he should be a pivot and when do we ever play with a holding midfielder in front of our defence?

I keep hearing from some fans about what a superb footballer he is but up to his injury he'd done practically nothing to deserve that accolade. But it would be a big help if we put the players where they're at their best and not just try and squeeze them in to the preferred formation. If we were going to do that we should have signed a different player.

 

[pommpey]

I disagree that passing the ball forwards or switching play is redundant. In fact, it's fundamental to the way our attacking play is set up.

As I said in my original comment, there's going to be a place for Berge (assuming he doesn't scarper when we get relegated), but it's not in the Norwood role at the moment.

For what it's worth, I hope one day we'll see a return to the old formation with a Duffy type in front of Berge/Norwood on the right and Fleck/Osborn on the left. No sign of that yet though.

There's nowt wrong with switching play. Man City did it yesterday. Walker found the opposite wing a few times when Bogle came narrower. But with Norwood, Baldock or Stevens would advance up the wing and he would pump the ball in their general direction - whilst the ball is in flight, you'd expect the rest of the team to move forward. You'd expect the back three to move out to compress their front line, with the opposite winger holding to retain a back four arrangement but the two midfielders advancing also to fill in the gaps, offer Baldock a passing channel and the front two to ready themselves similarly to come to Baldock to receive or prepare for an early cross. But our whole team seems so lumpen in transition. It stays in formation instead of advancing and taking the initiative forward. So George gets it and there's no options. Menawhile, everyone is high fiving Norwood for the pass. It's going nowhere.

Berge can fit into a four man midfield for me.

pommpey

 

[A Storm of Blades]

This thread is doing a good job of polarising opinion as it always does about Berge. Shit or brilliant?

In reality he is neither of those. For us he's looked decidedly average, but, again the bloody unchangeable system has never suited his game, or at least it seems to me.

I'd actually have liked to have seen him tried at centre half, which I believe is a position he can play, because he has good technical ability with both passing and moving forwards with the ball which would be a major asset in our defence.

Instead he's usually tucked away in that sort of right-half-but-not-a-right-half midfield position which he is not suited for. As a midfielder in the EPL he should be a pivot and when do we ever play with a holding midfielder in front of our defence?

I keep hearing from some fans about what a superb footballer he is but up to his injury he'd done practically nothing to deserve that accolade. But it would be a big help if we put the players where they're at their best and not just try and squeeze them in to the preferred formation. If we were going to do that we should have signed a different player.

I think you’re confusing the merits of his individual attributes, with his measurable contribution to the team. The later point is absolutely up for debate, the former is not IMO.

 

[gordoncharles]

I think you’re confusing the merits of his individual attributes, with his measurable contribution to the team. The later point is absolutely up for debate, the former is not IMO.

No, I'm not confusing them at all.

I'm saying what attributes he might possess (largely unseen by us to date, so I won't give him credit for abilities I've yet to fully see) have been hidden by being asked to perform roles he is not best suited to.

 

[jt64]

I guess remembering back just two weeks to when Norwood had possibly the worst display I've ever seen in a Blades shirt is just too hard for some

 

[Half Bond Jls]

Well proof is in the puddin

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

The problem is we don't have a gaffer on the pitch now O'Connell's out, Norwood is a nice passer of the ball, yes, but he'll never control the tempo of the game like Paul Coutts could, Fleck gets stuck in but he's no Michael Brown and non of them could ever do it anything like Tony Currie.
The nearest ones we have to leaders are Billy Sharp, and Jagielka but neither one apparently can play a full match and definitely not two games together.
I think the job was supposed to go to Berg but he's not come up the plate so far has he, maybe when he gets older ?.
So we have Steven's and Egan as NCO,s with Basham and the rest PBI's, bless em all, but we defiantly aint got a Sargent major amongst the lot of em and it's looking like in this mob there's nobody who wonts the job either ........