Birmingham City vs Sheffield United

V.
Championship Week 27 - Friday 4th February 2022 - 19:45 - St Andrews
Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.​

Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/match-day/match/birmingham-city-vs-sheffield-united.581/

Officials:

Referee: Keith Stroud
Assistant Referee: Sam Lewis
Assistant Referee: Matthew Jones
Fourth Official: John Busby

Coverage:

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Need a VPN? - https://www.s24su.com/forum/threads/vpn-usage.87094/

Live TV Coverage:




SUTV Live - https://live.sufc.co.uk/

 

[William Large]

Yes please

I know football want to see my badges?

Have you gone to get them?

 

[FriethBlade]

What mark would you give them Big Sam? 9 despite the fact no one was over 6 first half and it was a fairly scrappy game which we were the better side in?

Mate u cant expect people to take your marks seriously. We win 2.1 away from home with 52 % of the possession, 5 shots on target v their 2 and 6 corners v their 1. Yet the average mark u have given our first eleven is 5.86!!

What did they need to do to merit an average of 7 win 5-1 ?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Na na na na na na na we’ve got Billy Sharp

 

[RecordBreakers]

Have you gone to get them?

Sorry can't find them they was on my hat before our lass washed it

 

[CMDBob]

Berge been majestic this half.

 

[Ecco1889]

Have you gone to get them?

These are mine

 

[RecordBreakers]

If you think we aren’t a good side then you really don’t know football. Over the past three months we have lost twice in the league. Yes we have played poorly at times this season but we should really be in the top 4 in my opinion.
In the early part of the season we controlled most of the games but due to a lack of urgency and drive we were hit On the counter. Due to said lack of urgency and drive we were never going to come back from a goal down.
What we have now is possession with purpose and it is not a coincidence that we are turning it around.
In September / October we would have lost tonight’s game once we conceded.
I’m not getting too excited but to say we aren’t a good side is wrong.

We're not a good side our league position against money spent tells you that. Games in hand mean nothing until the points are on the board. Apart from Fulham away we can not string 90 mins together that's why we find ourselves struggling against out teams, look at the teams we lost against? Not good teams at all. So yes we have the potential to be but in truth we are average in a average league if we was a good team performing at our expected level and money spent then we should be top 2-3 easy

 

[RecordBreakers]

These are mine
View attachment 129603

Same as mine

 

[originaltrueblade]

I agree and in the interests of balance the interviewer should have asked his opinion on both penalty decisions rather than stroke him off about a marginal offside which was was made totally irrelevant by his team’s inability to defend the second phase.
He would have had a point if he had argued about the handball which probably should have been a penalty for them. Typical whiny southern Wanker wants to bleat about how the whole world is against them yet conveniently forgets the headlock on Ndiaye, the foul on didzy when etherington was a mile outside his box which was arguably a goal scoring opportunity and could have been a red.
Bowyer was always a nasty little one dimensional player who made the most out of his limited talent (credit where it is due). Seems like he is going to be the same as a manager.

He will be sacked before long

 

[JOEYDEE]

Well,I'll say it then,I thought that was the best we've played for a long time.
Bogle was brill ,Billy was a proper livewire Norrington Davies played his best game ever for us,he was like a man possessed!
Fleck made some nice runs...and Berge has started putting some effort in !
Ndiaye is going to be a star

 

[Champagneblade]

Close game and fairly scrappy for much of it. It was fairly even for the most part but we just got the better of it. We ended up a bit lucky as definite pen second half for them with the Bogle handball, possible/probable pen for us first half and our second should have been ruled out for offside for the initial ball over the top to Billy. We were better but not by a great deal. Still, very good 3 points against a tough team.

Wes - 5.5 - Did a flap and didn't look comfortable on crosses. Made a decent save second half when the defence were all over the shop.
RND - 6 - Did better defensively but let his runner go for their goal. Davies and whoever he was marking came back toward the ball and he should be covering that. Fairly poor going forward. Some awful crosses and he's so one-footed. Another LWB who takes a tough, slows it down and passes inside or back.
Davies - 6 - Thought he was pretty good. He got pulled out of position for their goal but he'd argue that it was his man and that's what he's meant to do. He was lucky to get away with one when Taylor caught him but in general I felt we looked more secure with him in the team.
Egan - 6 - Ok. All CBs were pulled across for the goal. There was also another attack soon after where they should have scored and all three CBs were all over the shop.
Basham 6.5 - Mixed. Did well going forward but also a bit wasteful. Intercepted one really well for our first but sloppy header from a cross as well. Got pulled across for their goal but Bogle should have been covering.
Bogle - 6.5 - Took the goal brilliantly and a menace going forward. Mixed defensively but always a threat going forward. Lucky not to give a penalty away for a handball when he basically punched it.
Norwood - 5 - Poor game. Pinged lots of balls to no one and the set-pieces weren't great. Big drop in form after last game.
Fleck - 5 - Our poorest midfielder first half but got a little better. Had two shots. Should have hit the first one first time and should have scored the second. Nice pass for the winner but looked off the pace, which is to be expected really.
Berge - 6 - Mixed. Started the game well but was poor for much of the first half. Great ball for the first and better second half. When he takes players on he's really dangerous but doesn't do it often enough. Also, too slow and sloppy with the ball. Still, building up fitness and at least trying to head the ball!
Ndiaye - 6 - Looked dangerous first half and our biggest threat. Unlucky not to get a penalty. I thought he faded quite badly second half.
Sharp - 6 - Took the goal really well and a really smart point and run. Did ok for the rest of the game. Kept making runs and being a nuisance, even if it wasn't always going for him.

Subs

McBurnie - 7 - Perfect cameo from him. Did everything right. Kept holding the ball up, winning fouls and getting throw-ins
McGoldrick -4 - Thought he made some fairly terrible decisions. Should have done better when the keeper had a moment and then, in stoppage time, had a lame shot when he needed to hold the ball or blast it off someone.

Hecky - 6.5 - Changed the midfield and most questioned it but just about worked out. I can see the logic of getting Berge and Fleck 90 minutes and the gamble paid off.

Brum - I thought they were poor. Taylor and Hogan are lively but they didn't seem to have much of a plan. They have some quick, skilful players but didn't use them very well.

Spot on with McGoldrick. Once Etheridge lost the ball it was pretty obvious the opposition weren't going to let him take a million touches. He should have leathered it towards go first time and tried his luck.

 

[Blacksea]

He will be sacked before long

Bowyerr is mixing up the EFL with the PL,we don't do forensics in the EFL..

 

[blade too long]

We're not a good side our league position against money spent tells you that. Games in hand mean nothing until the points are on the board. Apart from Fulham away we can not string 90 mins together that's why we find ourselves struggling against out teams, look at the teams we lost against? Not good teams at all. So yes we have the potential to be but in truth we are average in a average league if we was a good team performing at our expected level and money spent then we should be top 2-3 easy

The games we lost were under slavish

The comparison of our low confidence performances then and our play now is stark. Our passing movement and closing is a world apart from the first 15 games blades

If we lose 4-0 to West Brom again on Wednesday you might have a point
Let's see how far we've come then when a win could put us 2 points behind them still with 2 In hand

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Their goalie went serious walkabout at one point but got away with it. Bowyer must have shit a brick!

 

[William Large]

We're not a good side our league position against money spent tells you that. Games in hand mean nothing until the points are on the board. Apart from Fulham away we can not string 90 mins together that's why we find ourselves struggling against out teams, look at the teams we lost against? Not good teams at all. So yes we have the potential to be but in truth we are average in a average league if we was a good team performing at our expected level and money spent then we should be top 2-3 easy

We are a good side who have underperformed this season. I never mentioned games in hand. I agree that we failed to put in a good full 90 mins in the majority of the early games which is why we lost to some absolute dross at home.
At last we seem to have some ‘game management’ (Preston aside) and now have purpose with and without the ball.

Good sides can look awful with poor management and for all that I liked SJ, we didn’t see that under him or if we did it was in too small a glimpse. I’m not a happy clapper by any stretch and I suppose it’s everything in context but compared to the some of the dreadful sides on this league, I am confident we can be classed as ‘good’.

Some of the teams above us are actually pretty dreadful to watch but they have effective leadership and a clear game plan.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Roberts had been made a fool all night by Nidaye with his beautiful skill full play. Roberts is a thug and for grabbing him around the neck and persisting doing it then it should have been a straight red

 

[Hagansbootlaces]

Don't forget Bowyer chose to loan out his club captain and CB to a league1 team, and then call him out for being a big part of the culture around the club, comfortable with finishing bottom half of the championship.
He has to criticise the ref, linesman, rules etc otherwise some reporter might ask,, so was it a wise decision letting Harlee Dean leave? And has it altered the culture around the club?

 

[RecordBreakers]

The games we lost were under slavish

The comparison of our low confidence performances then and our play now is stark. Our passing movement and closing is a world apart from the first 15 games blades

If we lose 4-0 to West Brom again on Wednesday you might have a point
Let's see how far we've come then when a win could put us 2 points behind them still with 2 In hand

Agree with you mate if we beat west brom it's certainly game on, we have improved massively can we improve more and keep this run going? I hope so

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

What mark would you give them Big Sam? 9 despite the fact no one was over 6 first half and it was a fairly scrappy game which we were the better side in?

"No one was over 6 first half" - a bald statement that oozes authority. How on earth could I begin to debate any subject with someone so self-opinionated?

 

[robbiez666]

"No one was over 6 first half" - a bald statement that oozes authority. How on earth could I begin to debate any subject with someone so self-opinionated?

Oh, you're one of those muppets who doesn't understand the concept of opinions.

 

[Duffy21Blade]

Has anyone noticed a change in Billy Sharp's on the pitch demeanour in the last few weeks?

Last week he celebrated in front of the Peterborough fans and swore at them, last night he was quick to get involved in the corner with Marc Roberts and N'Diaye. He's taking no crap off anybody. To me, he still seems a bit riled since we played Derby!

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Has anyone noticed a change in Billy Sharp's on the pitch demeanour in the last few weeks?

Last week he celebrated in front of the Peterborough fans and swore at them, last night he was quick to get involved in the corner with Marc Roberts and N'Diaye. He's taking no crap off anybody. To me, he still seems a bit riled since we played Derby!

Ndiaye is only a young lad and the brummie guy was built like a brick shithouse - not surprised our Billy steamed in.

 

[Mendi]

Good win

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

It was quite stark to observe many of the lower sections of St Andrew's closed off. They are the city's team, the place should be rocking on a Friday night. Is that what true owner dissatisfaction tastes like?

 

[Drunk blade]

In the 'common' sense that Sharpe played for the majority of the game, gave everything, scored a crucial goal, fought for everything, bought others in to play, used his experience to hold play up to take the sting out of the game when we went ahead, and was, in general, excellent in performing the hardest role in the team to a high standard for the umpteenth time in his career, allowing us the platform to win the game.

McBurnie, when he came on for the last few minutes, did well - albeit, he's set a very low, miserable bar over the las two years - and did what he could to buy us time and possession, in order to see the game out. No more, no less. Fair play to him tonight. Nothing more.

Sharp 6
McBurnie 7

Like I said, I can respect anyones opinion, but fucking hell! Just what game were you watching?

So, I've given you my reasons, you tell me exactly why you thought Mcburnie performed BETTER tonight than Billy Sharp to deserve his mark.

utb

Don't be ridiculous... No need for any of that scoring nonsense

Imagine the mark for mcburnie if he'd played the exact same game as sharp... a 9 or 10...

 

[vas borbokis]

I disagree with that statement and I thought Sharpe was excellent for the entire duration of the time that that he played, albeit that we didn't give him much service in the first half, but that wasn't my question to you.
My question was 'just what did McBurnie (7) do in the few minutes he was on the field that outweighed Billy's performance (6) to the extent that he deserved a better mark'?

utb

It's Sharp not Sharpe. No 'e'. He's been here for nearly 100 years.
Blades fans doing my head in. Geeower nah wi it!
Please.

 

[Scarebus]

It was quite stark to observe many of the lower sections of St Andrew's closed off. They are the city's team, the place should be rocking on a Friday night. Is that what true owner dissatisfaction tastes like?

They don't own the stadium any more either. 2 stand tiers condemned, sold off and leased back.

 

[BadgersBigToe]

They don't own the stadium any more either. Condemned, sold off and leased back.

Sounds familiar

 

[Scarebus]

Sounds familiar

To a company in Hong Kong. Someone's been to the chansiri school of football ownership.

 

[Revolution]

It has been said by Birmingham fans that the slow progress of the works is deliberate, and a vindictive act towards the fans.

Knowing a little bit about the owners, that wouldn’t surprise me.