Baxter playing deeper

[MobileBlade]

I enjoy it when we win. But let's not let the heady spin of beating Scunny go to our heads, eh? In amongst some of the 'lost two in twelve' optimistic outbursts were some pretty wretched performances against Peterborough and Fleetwood Town, both of them shitty home defeats on the back of a crap showing against a poor Crawley side.

The way some frame this (and its the same old vanishing act postees when we end up bummed by Fleetwood who front it out here calling us cynics 'cunts' for suggesting United are an unpredictable, unreliable outfit) it seems like we are suddenly bestowed with a magical prowess that will see us suddenly catapulted into ... where, exactly? Automatic? Fucking yeah! That train left the platform months ago. So to me, it matters not who we beat now just as long as it prepares us for what seems an inevitable exit in some or other stage of the playoffs, because unless you have your melon up your arse, this team cannot produce winning confidence in both its players or supporters.

FYI, my mate who went last night said we played a lot better. I believe him. I'll have faith if we look like a feared, strong unit come late May, but given just over 90 minutes of football ago we were relying on a Baxter spot kick and a sending off to get past a risible Port Vale, I am still not sold, even if you lot are clapping your happy hands off.

pommpey

You spoke with such authority about how bad we were on Saturday and how bad Scunthorpe were last night that I assumed you must have witnessed these poor displays. My mistake. Sorry.

 

[Silent Blade]

I would agree with that ,but its a lot easier when you are 4-0 up. Where does he go when we need to unlock a defence when 1-0 down ? If he could do that he would be such a more important player.

What you said about Baxter reminded me how George Cohen compared Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst when it came to who is the better striker for England. He said Greaves was more likely to score a hat trick against weaker teams but Hurst was more likely to break the deadlock against stronger teams

 

[Dnblade]

Good to see Baxter hit a bit of form..people say he doesn't work hard enough but he was box to box...Looked like a 4141 to me,with Coutts the deepest midfielder with Baxter and Holt in the middle of Flynn and Murphy.

 

[Dnblade]

I would agree with that ,but its a lot easier when you are 4-0 up. Where does he go when we need to unlock a defence when 1-0 down ? If he could do that he would be such a more important player.

He's probably still trying to find the pass Sits...still showing for the ball,still trying to be positive,still looking to get someone in behind while getting slagged off when it doesn't come off...one thing he doesn't do is hide...The Penalty v Vale was crucial,and with the pelters he's been getting I think he showed bottle...It's ok finding the pass to unlock defenses,but you still need players to make the most of the pass...often he plays it wide and the cross gets blocked or over hit...nobody in the box...I'm not saying he's been great all season and sometimes he's looked tired and got the hook,but I don't think he goes missing if we're one down mate...not for me anyway.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Did anyone else think he also looked a bit fitter? He seemed to last 90 minutes without physically fading and also seemed a bit quicker.

Baxter is comically unathletic. In the warm up when they bounce on two feet down the line, he never manages this - not even close.

He clearly tries - and all credit to him for that - but it's painful watching him run/gallop. (That said, maybe he's got a deceptively fast Michael Johnson thing going on.)

Luckily he's got other qualities.

And again I can't overstate how, in my eyes, we generally don't carry him. He does his share.

 

[pommpey]

You spoke with such authority about how bad we were on Saturday and how bad Scunthorpe were last night that I assumed you must have witnessed these poor displays. My mistake. Sorry.

Oh! I see now!

This is a 'you didn't go to the match, what the fuck do you know?' threads isn't it?

I'll tell you what I know, see if you can counter it with facts, instead of ad hominem.

We are fifth in the third tier of English professional football, this after dropping incongruously from a position in the top flight seven-odd years ago

It's our fourth complete season in this division, with some uninspiring efforts in those seasons to climb out and into the Championship.

We have had seven managers since dropping out of the top flight and apparently spent a fuck tonne of cash on players

Despite all this change and investment (and a Saudi Billionaire joining the board) we are still being beaten by former non league clubs at home

Our style of play is inconsistent and lacks the ability to gain a lead or if it gets that, maintain that lead. Consequently, we are underperforming, despite the odd surprising victory or ground out result

We win a game at home with the highest score of the season and some fans think this is the bright light into which the club will eventually be elevated into

Our position suggests we will enter the playoff knockout phase, yet our record of success to gain promotion in that is 0%

We are still fifth in the third tier of English professional football, a long way behind the next position with no chance of improving on that


Now, faced with that, tell me why I need to be at the match if it either satisfies or qualifies your judgement of me, or it makes Sheffield United's position in the league 0.0005% better. It doesn't, does it? I'm delighted we won last night, according to three independent sources I have had access to they tell me United played 'better', but Scunthorpe were effectively there for the taking. You tell me (as you were obviously there) Were Fleetwood playing like Brazil when they humiliated us a few weeks ago? It is inconsistencies like those (outside of my opinion) which justify the cynics and damn the optimists. If we play Crewe on Saturday and win by a similar margin, and then triumph in later matches by dominating in a similar manner then confidence will build, but can you actually see that? Be honest now. Because one swallow does not make a Summer and when it comes in Autumn even less so.

The evidence of our performance (and it is over the season) is right there, in the league table. If we go up - and fuck me I bloody pray we do - then its time for the cynics like me to admit we were wrong and I am big enough to do that. But try not to be snarky with realism, eh? Unless you want to pay for me to travel 225 miles each way every time we play (and the away games, please) to justify my comments in your eyes ... or even if you'd like this Gleadless Lad to support Portsmouth? Perhaps a global declining fan base is what you want? Or for anyone outside of those who don't go every week to never have an opinion either way?

pommpey

 

[pommpey]

Trust me Pompey that was a lot better last night

Played like a team who wanted it

Good. I am heartened to hear that LE. Thank fuck for that.

But a few weeks ago we played Fleetwood fucking Town at BDTBL and they must have thought all their fucking birthdays had come at once.

Its results like that one - and obviously not last nights - which is the story of why I am not dancing about shooting off firecrackers. We could win every one of our remaining games and we will still end up in the playoffs.

You confident we can get through the playoffs?

pommpey

 

[MobileBlade]

Oh! I see now!

This is a 'you didn't go to the match, what the fuck do you know?' threads isn't it?

I'll tell you what I know, see if you can counter it with facts, instead of ad hominem.

We are fifth in the third tier of English professional football, this after dropping incongruously from a position in the top flight seven-odd years ago

It's our fourth complete season in this division, with some uninspiring efforts in those seasons to climb out and into the Championship.

We have had seven managers since dropping out of the top flight and apparently spent a fuck tonne of cash on players

Despite all this change and investment (and a Saudi Billionaire joining the board) we are still being beaten by former non league clubs at home

Our style of play is inconsistent and lacks the ability to gain a lead or if it gets that, maintain that lead. Consequently, we are underperforming, despite the odd surprising victory or ground out result

We win a game at home with the highest score of the season and some fans think this is the bright light into which the club will eventually be elevated into

Our position suggests we will enter the playoff knockout phase, yet our record of success to gain promotion in that is 0%

We are still fifth in the third tier of English professional football, a long way behind the next position with no chance of improving on that


Now, faced with that, tell me why I need to be at the match if it either satisfies or qualifies your judgement of me, or it makes Sheffield United's position in the league 0.0005% better. It doesn't, does it? I'm delighted we won last night, according to three independent sources I have had access to they tell me United played 'better', but Scunthorpe were effectively there for the taking. You tell me (as you were obviously there) Were Fleetwood playing like Brazil when they humiliated us a few weeks ago? It is inconsistencies like those (outside of my opinion) which justify the cynics and damn the optimists. If we play Crewe on Saturday and win by a similar margin, and then triumph in later matches by dominating in a similar manner then confidence will build, but can you actually see that? Be honest now. Because one swallow does not make a Summer and when it comes in Autumn even less so.

The evidence of our performance (and it is over the season) is right there, in the league table. If we go up - and fuck me I bloody pray we do - then its time for the cynics like me to admit we were wrong and I am big enough to do that. But try not to be snarky with realism, eh? Unless you want to pay for me to travel 225 miles each way every time we play (and the away games, please) to justify my comments in your eyes ... or even if you'd like this Gleadless Lad to support Portsmouth? Perhaps a global declining fan base is what you want? Or for anyone outside of those who don't go every week to never have an opinion either way?

pommpey

As said, my apologies for misunderstanding your authoritive hollier than those who went to the games opinion. By all means express what you wish. Perhaps you watched them on BP and at least therefore got some feel to what happened?

 

[pommpey]

As said, my apologies for misunderstanding your authoritive hollier than those who went to the games opinion. By all means express what you wish. Perhaps you watched them on BP and at least therefore got some feel to what happened?

Feller. I could have been stood next to Clough. It makes not one fat fuck of a difference.

We are still in a position of 'blown it', as far as I am concerned. Yup, we bummed Scunthorpe last night, and well done th team for finally turning summat on for the long suffering fans. Playoffs next. You up for that?

*spits on hand*

Bet me we don't score more than two in one game for the rest of the season. Sorry to sound all Len de Goey about this, but our performance - this season - is measured on home games like Fleetwood and Peterborough ... and away games like Crawley which, hey ho, I did actually see. Were you there, by the way?

pommpey

 

[Dkc]

The full 90 mins of the games are available on Blades Player (without commentary) for a fiver a month. It's supposed to be a recurring payment but if you use Paypal you can easily cancel payments with no interaction with Blades Player, which I have done a couple of times when I can't take any more (but keep coming back). Camera work is shaky though, and it's nowt like being there.

As for Jose, he reminds me a little of Beckham in that he has an instinct for the right threaded pass with the right pace. Maybe he should take a leaf out of Goldenballs' book and try a few more longer crossfield balls.

 

[pommpey]

As said, my apologies for misunderstanding your authoritive hollier than those who went to the games opinion. By all means express what you wish. Perhaps you watched them on BP and at least therefore got some feel to what happened?

So, Mobile. I didn't go to the game today, so I'll reserve my comments. It seems that people like me making rash comments on the miracle of a home win are in some way missing the point.

Could you let everyone know how United played, please.

Thanks

pommpey

 

[SwissBlade]

So, Mobile. I didn't go to the game today, so I'll reserve my comments. It seems that people like me making rash comments on the miracle of a home win are in some way missing the point.

Could you let everyone know how United played, please.

Thanks

pommpey

I was there, we were shite today. A mile away from the way we played on Tuesday and with only Howard as the change to the starting line up.

 

[MobileBlade]

So, Mobile. I didn't go to the game today, so I'll reserve my comments. It seems that people like me making rash comments on the miracle of a home win are in some way missing the point.

Could you let everyone know how United played, please.

Thanks

pommpey

I actually thought first period until they scored we played pretty well. Nice football, on the front foot and spreading play. Bad defensive lapse allowed them to score and then, as seems to be the story this year, the camped men behind the ball and we struggled to break them down.

We got back on the front foot in the second half and equalised. Could easily have gone in front when Brayford's header hit the post but otherwise still struggled as Crewe kept men behind the ball.

I think the stats were probably a true reflection of the game with 14 shots at all but only four on target. Their winner was again, as we have seen a few times this season, a pot luck shot that connected and will probably not be repeated if he tried 100 times.

SOME of the crowd second half were truly awful booing passes that went astray.

Different performance from Tuesday not helped by going behind whereas Tuesday we went in front.

I don't think it was as bad as some of the hip shooters are making out - if Coutts shot in injury time that went just over had equalised you may have had different reactions again. That is the game as it is today. Everyone expects wins wins wins and for all but maybe half a dozen clubs a season it does not happen.

We are 5 points clear of 7th (with goal difference effectively 6 points) with 7 to play. No reason why we won't win another 3/4 games to confirm play offs and that is where the lottery begins. Booing the players whilst in game will do nothing to assist that lottery.