Baldock, Stevens and Stearman

[Fulwood Blade]

I don't think Basham, JOC & Wright were exponents of playing in a back three either until CW showed up.

We've just drawn at Villa Park ffs minus our two best players and yet some are taking this as an opportunity to slag Stearman off.

So i'll put a question to you. Do you think we would have won today if Wright had played instead of Stearman?

It's a hypothetical question.

I think Wright holds the defence together better that Stearman - it's an opinion that MOST Blades fans I know agree with.

As posted before - Stearman is probably the better player - but Wright is better for THIS team, just sitting in the middle of the back three IMHO.

As for drawing at Villa Park - yes, great result with 39% possession - in Cricket it would be called a losing draw, but we deserve something like to today to make up for games like Birmingham.

UTB

 

[snootyfenooty]

As for drawing at Villa Park - yes, great result with 39% possession - in Cricket it would be called a losing draw,

Go and tell that Leicester City, they won the Premiership with stats like that (and without Wright in the team )

 

[Iceybabey]

[QUOTE="As for drawing at Villa Park - yes, great result with 39% possession - in Cricket it would be called a losing draw, but we deserve something like to today to make up for games like Birmingham.

UTB"[/QUOTE]
From 2.0 down? Losing draw my arse.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

It was never a penalty.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Go and tell that Leicester City, they won the Premiership with stats like that (and without Wright in the team )

Yep, agreed about Leicester - but if you look at all the problems the top 6 teams had that season, it is something that will never be repeated.

Leicester also had some fantastic players like Mahrez and Kante and sadly that piggy up top.

UTB

 

[Bladesman]

Both Baldock and Stevens were poor today.

Stearman was unlucky with the penalty decision.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Bollocks.

Stearman was good second half. Stevens and Baldock were up against two quality wide players and did ok.
Only criticism of Baldock was his attacking play today. Delivery not his best and ran offside too much.

But if the name of the game is slagging off our own players then well done

 

[robbiez666]

Bollocks.

Stearman was good second half. Stevens and Baldock were up against two quality wide players and did ok.
Only criticism of Baldock was his attacking play today. Delivery not his best and ran offside too much.

But if the name of the game is slagging off our own players then well done

The offsides were definitely frustrating. Especially the one where he stood offside calling for it.

 

[Toronto Blade]

We looked very unorganized at the back,luckily so did they.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Yep, agreed about Leicester - but if you look at all the problems the top 6 teams had that season, it is something that will never be repeated.

Leicester also had some fantastic players like Mahrez and Kante and sadly that piggy up top.

UTB

Yeah but we'll also have fantastic players when Fleck and Coutts are back, and gladly that piggy up top!

 

[Trafford]

My biggest issue with Baldock and Stearman is that they are ball-watchers. The highlights illustrate it perfectly, both with the 2nd goal and the subsequent header that went just wide.

 

[Broomhall Blade]

.............and some of our fans can't seem to understand that some believe Wright does a better job for the team.

Results actually prove that point at present.

UTB

Given the chance i would go with Stearman,Basham and O'Connell, at the back.

 

[Bladezz]

I think they all did ok in the end, seems to me like we’ve got our mojo back tonight.

Lundstram MOM for me.

Lundstram showed tonight what he can do. Give him some more time and allow him to play with better midfielders like Fleck and Coutts and he will shine.

 

[SwissBlade]

Great result but the quality of Baldock, Stevens and Stearman’s defending was simply shocking.

Agreed, thought Moore was poor as well in the first half. Was it Stevens that just left their goal scorer for a free header on their second?

 

[SwissBlade]

Given the chance i would go with Stearman,Basham and O'Connell, at the back.

Bash, Wright, JOC for me but CCV was very good tonight

 

[Hodgesleftpeg]

Baldock cant be to blame for the second goal, a centre half has scored it.. surely it's down to our centre halves or most probably forwards to pick them up at corners.

I did think Baldock was poor though.. going forward - at least two times he took a throw-In and received the ball back only to be stood in an offside position!!.. laziness, he can see across the line!!.. if you're gonna take a short throw in and expect it back, move for it!!! Both times we were 10 yds from their byline-

He also had the ball at least 3 times, knocking it forward ... straight out for a goal kick!!!

 

[sheffielder]

To be fair to stearman he's not had a run in the team

Don’t tell em, he needs a full pre season

 

[sheffielder]

Bash, Wright, JOC for me but CCV was very good tonight

It’s not coincidence that ccv plays better with Wright but hopefully the learner lates came off tonight. I am a big fan of CCV and he’s recovering well from His dodgy patch

 

[tyke1889]

Yes but once some of our fans get it in their head a player is crap, it becomes very difficult to shift that opinion.
I even think some off them don't actually watch the games.

Trust me, they don't. They spent half the match looking at, and goading, the home supporters. That tracksuit was shit though

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

I thought we looked steadier at the back than we have for the last few games, but agree that we ain't what we were, defensively, during our great run of form pre-Burton.

Is our (relative) nervousness at the back partly another function of missing Couttsy ? He's always there in the space between defence and midfield, and always showing, to take the ball off em. Remove a player like that, and not only has the easy out-ball gone, there's also a hole in that space. Lundstram has been getting better and better. But does he do that part of Coutts' job in the same way as Coutts ?

 

[originaltrueblade]

It’s early but you’re talking bollocks pal.

No I don’t think he is talking bollocks he is partly correct. I think this was Baldocks worst game for us. His defending was indeed very poor. His passes were poor and ill judged. Stevens was not great but about average. I think Stearman did okay but would prefer Jake in there. No I don’t think the original post was talking bollocks. Explain why you think the original post was talking bollocks instead of that shite not explained response FFS

 

[Esablade]

No I don’t think he is talking bollocks he is partly correct. I think this was Baldocks worst game for us. His defending was indeed very poor. His passes were poor and ill judged. Stevens was not great but about average. I think Stearman did okay but would prefer Jake in there. No I don’t think the original post was talking bollocks. Explain why you think the original post was talking bollocks instead of that shite not explained response FFS

It’s quite simple.

Those players singled out were not shocking.
Maybe if we’d been tonked by 4-5 and not kept working hard, trying to do the right things, he might have a point....not their best game but far from shocking.

 

[super_pig]

I think most of the flack Stearman gets is from the Wright lobby who still can't accept CW's reasoning for leaving him out. That was not a penalty and Stearman played well today. Stevens was OK and Baldock had probably his worst game for us this season, but overall he's done enough this season to justify his position.

wright lobby?? that’s right( mind the pun)
but..
if you come into the team at the expense if one of our best and most popular players and don’t tear it up then you can expect pelters
that’s life ..

 

[LenTednTony]

........and for those who say we would’ve won if Coutts and Fleck were playing need to remember that we need to win when they are not playing. I didn’t go to the game but the second half was miles better than first (online feed) and Stearman was way unlucky with the pen imho.

 

[originaltrueblade]

It’s quite simple.

Those players singled out were not shocking.
Maybe if we’d been tonked by 4-5 and not kept working hard, trying to do the right things, he might have a point....not their best game but far from shocking.

Now there that’s a better explanation don’t you think.

 

[Esablade]

Now there that’s a better explanation don’t you think.

Self explanatory...the only thing shocking being the OP.

 

[snootyfenooty]

wright lobby?? that’s right( mind the pun)
but..
if you come into the team at the expense if one of our best and most popular players and don’t tear it up then you can expect pelters
that’s life ..

I'm neutral actually on the Stearman/Wright debate, they're both about even steven when you weigh up the pros and cons rationally. As stated before, I'm happy to leave it to Wilder's judgement. I would take issue with you on the "popular" bit though, that's not exactly a valid reason for being picked over someone else. Porter anyone?

 

[bertieblade]

Baldock suffered going forward as he did not have ccv pushing on in the way that bash does.
Stevens has unfortunately gone off the boil in the last month and in my opinion needs a rest, only a rest mind as he has shown what a quality player he is.
Stearman is more physical than wright and can only assume that is why he is in the team.
Wright is v good at organising and reads the game v well but tends to sit too deep, subsequently in the position w3 are in we cannot have everything.

Oh and never a penalty and think the ref realised afterwards and subsequently allowed bash to stay on. If he had committed those fouls against us we would rightfully had been annoyed he had not walked.

Merry Christmas Blades, 2016 and 17 have been wonderful let’s hope that Wilder gets the support to take us forward in 2018 but I somehow doubt it.

 

[super_pig]

I'm neutral actually on the Stearman/Wright debate, they're both about even steven when you weigh up the pros and cons rationally. As stated before, I'm happy to leave it to Wilder's judgement. I would take issue with you on the "popular" bit though, that's not exactly a valid reason for being picked over someone else. Porter anyone?

agreed popular doesn’t get you anywhere but i was trying to make the point it makes stearmans task more difficult

 

[snootyfenooty]

agreed popular doesn’t get you anywhere but i was trying to make the point it makes stearmans task more difficult

Agree 100%, and those having a pop at Stearman just to show solidarity with Wright are a bit misguided (I was going to say dickheads but I'm getting into the Christmas spirit).