Fulwood Blade
Well-Known Member
My view from the South stand.
Having watched United into my 51st year, fans at our age sometime ask the question “have you seen it all” – well, our game v Blackburn once again gave the answer of an emphatic NO. At a point during the 2nd half I turned to my boy (he’s 28 btw, but still one of my boys) and said “wow, just wow”. For me he came up with a better description – he called it crazy.
What follows is my take on the game and in fact could be part 2 of the Blackburn saga of 2018/19 season as we went to the away game with Blackburn earlier in the season.
In part one, we gave Blackburn a bit of a lesson after they had gone 20+ games undefeated at Ewood Park and it was a sort of “welcome to the Championship” evening for their fans. But even though we played just about a perfect away game, I was still impressed by Blackburn’s approach to the game and how they played. Their manager Mowbray plays a similar style of front foot football as Wilders team and knew then, they would be a dangerous opposition when they visited BDTBL.
And so it proved – we started pretty decent, but then they seemed to take over the game – probably the most aggressive team to come here (but not nasty) and they closed us down with great energy and got very close to us and stopped us playing a bit. They certainly came to win a game of football and credit to them for that. They were a bit like us last season, and I reckon with a couple more players could make a decent challenge next season.
Honours even at half time – both teams hitting the woodwork, but the referee (Anthony Taylor – premiership ref) seemed very picky and particular in how he refereed the game. Is this really what Prem refs are about?
The booking of Basham early in the game would turn out later to be quite significant, and for me I have to defend the ref. “Chopper” Harris and “bite yer legs” Hunter would give a roll of their eyes at the booking, but it really is quite apparent now that the football authorities will not allow any tackle, deemed to be out of control to escape a yellow or even a red card. For sure Bash took the ball first, but as is apparent now, if you follow through, a player runs the risk of not only a yellow card, but even a red card if there is contact with the opposition player.
So to the 2nd half..........started similar to the 1st, Blackburn pushing us back and as in the first game at Ewood Park, was really impressed with their No: 4 Reed and at 23 may end up going much higher in pro football. My boy had picked a 2 nil Blades win before – I’d gone for a draw and thought to myself that when the 2nd half started “we needed something to happen” to win this game.
Bash getting sent off was not what I had in mind but it set in motion something quite remarkable.
We took a few minutes to get organised and get Coutts on in place of Duffy. We went to a back 4 and a flat midfield 3 of Fleck (left) Coutts (middle) and Norwood (right) – Billy and McG is a sort of floating 2 helping out wherever needed due to being down to 10.
Now, for me, I am going to heap special praise on the management and players for how we played for the 20 minutes between Bash going off the incident that turned this remarkable game on its head. The back 4 of Baldock, Egan, JOC and Stevens were outstanding in their discipline and organisation. We should all remember that Baldock and Stevens, 99% of the time, play wing backs, but they slipped into this flat back 4 seamlessly. I thought we must have practised this in training. It made me think back to Wengers time at Arsenal – they were always magnificent at both playing with 10 and playing against 10 – it can only come about with intelligent footballers who listen to coaches and practice in training.
If our defence were good, then the midfield trio were even better. Sitting in SS (just above the corporate seats) near the middle, you get a fantastic view of formations and lines – our midfield 3 were just brilliant – we actually pressed at times and made Blackburn really think – and our lines at times could have been drawn with a ruler – great teamwork. Billy and McG chased back when needed too. I was fascinated with our play and discipline in those 20 minutes, but even so – surely only a matter of time before Blackburn scored.......remember Bristol City last season?
This game was then about to go crazy – a game Blackburn should have won, turned on Anthony Taylor, correctly dismissing the Blackburn no 6 for an out of control tackle. Not quite sure if he made a bad contact with Billy but he certainly followed through and took his own player out above the ankle. For once the ref had shown some consistency.
What happened next may be talked about in a similar way to the West Brom postponement. The game was suddenly turned on its head again and created one of the craziest games I’ve seen. I shouted “come on, let’s go and win it now” and boy, did we win it in style. Special praise to Billy here – he’s stepped up a level this season and as they say, “cometh the hour, cometh the man” with two very special centre forward Billy type goals – is there something above legend status? As a side issue, he’s now level with Ricky Lambert in goals scored this century – albeit having played considerably less games.
You the crowd, especially G & H blocks and the kop can take great pride in the support – realising as soon as Bash went off that the club needed the supporters – well done you!
Well done to all the players, including our pantomime villain, Hendo – you are some character fella.
The management too – great tactical substitutions, and for Mr Wilder, but said quietly – Coutts and Norwood CAN play together. They were fantastic in a flat three in the middle.
To finish a bit about the 10 players who created the win:
Henderson: solid when needed – you are a real headcase – but loveable with it. The arms aloft signalling to the BLUT, but in reality giving it BIG to the Blackburn fans in the lower was classic.
Baldock/Egan/JOC & Stevens – fellas you can have 10 out of 10 for moving to a back 4 and excelling in the circumstances. I am being a strictly come dancing judge here – they too have authors license to wield the 10.
Norwood/Coutts & Fleck – magnificent – We can play this in games when we have 11, in fact I saw enough to think we can go 4-3-3 when needed in games, Dowell with his left foot may now provide the balance for this up top. You lot can also have 10 out of 10 – first for being so good against 11, then taking the game to Blackburn from the 71st minute onwards.
McG and Billy – hey, again 10’s for these too.
Why the 10’s? It was a game we had no right to win after Bash went off – Blackburn were a good team – but once again our resilience of a reborn football club shines through once again.
As the song goes “We’re on the march, we’re Wilders army”
Off to Wigan on Tuesday – looking forward to it immensely now after two home wins – but FFS United, a nice steady 2 nil win would be just champion – thanks.
UTB
Having watched United into my 51st year, fans at our age sometime ask the question “have you seen it all” – well, our game v Blackburn once again gave the answer of an emphatic NO. At a point during the 2nd half I turned to my boy (he’s 28 btw, but still one of my boys) and said “wow, just wow”. For me he came up with a better description – he called it crazy.
What follows is my take on the game and in fact could be part 2 of the Blackburn saga of 2018/19 season as we went to the away game with Blackburn earlier in the season.
In part one, we gave Blackburn a bit of a lesson after they had gone 20+ games undefeated at Ewood Park and it was a sort of “welcome to the Championship” evening for their fans. But even though we played just about a perfect away game, I was still impressed by Blackburn’s approach to the game and how they played. Their manager Mowbray plays a similar style of front foot football as Wilders team and knew then, they would be a dangerous opposition when they visited BDTBL.
And so it proved – we started pretty decent, but then they seemed to take over the game – probably the most aggressive team to come here (but not nasty) and they closed us down with great energy and got very close to us and stopped us playing a bit. They certainly came to win a game of football and credit to them for that. They were a bit like us last season, and I reckon with a couple more players could make a decent challenge next season.
Honours even at half time – both teams hitting the woodwork, but the referee (Anthony Taylor – premiership ref) seemed very picky and particular in how he refereed the game. Is this really what Prem refs are about?
The booking of Basham early in the game would turn out later to be quite significant, and for me I have to defend the ref. “Chopper” Harris and “bite yer legs” Hunter would give a roll of their eyes at the booking, but it really is quite apparent now that the football authorities will not allow any tackle, deemed to be out of control to escape a yellow or even a red card. For sure Bash took the ball first, but as is apparent now, if you follow through, a player runs the risk of not only a yellow card, but even a red card if there is contact with the opposition player.
So to the 2nd half..........started similar to the 1st, Blackburn pushing us back and as in the first game at Ewood Park, was really impressed with their No: 4 Reed and at 23 may end up going much higher in pro football. My boy had picked a 2 nil Blades win before – I’d gone for a draw and thought to myself that when the 2nd half started “we needed something to happen” to win this game.
Bash getting sent off was not what I had in mind but it set in motion something quite remarkable.
We took a few minutes to get organised and get Coutts on in place of Duffy. We went to a back 4 and a flat midfield 3 of Fleck (left) Coutts (middle) and Norwood (right) – Billy and McG is a sort of floating 2 helping out wherever needed due to being down to 10.
Now, for me, I am going to heap special praise on the management and players for how we played for the 20 minutes between Bash going off the incident that turned this remarkable game on its head. The back 4 of Baldock, Egan, JOC and Stevens were outstanding in their discipline and organisation. We should all remember that Baldock and Stevens, 99% of the time, play wing backs, but they slipped into this flat back 4 seamlessly. I thought we must have practised this in training. It made me think back to Wengers time at Arsenal – they were always magnificent at both playing with 10 and playing against 10 – it can only come about with intelligent footballers who listen to coaches and practice in training.
If our defence were good, then the midfield trio were even better. Sitting in SS (just above the corporate seats) near the middle, you get a fantastic view of formations and lines – our midfield 3 were just brilliant – we actually pressed at times and made Blackburn really think – and our lines at times could have been drawn with a ruler – great teamwork. Billy and McG chased back when needed too. I was fascinated with our play and discipline in those 20 minutes, but even so – surely only a matter of time before Blackburn scored.......remember Bristol City last season?
This game was then about to go crazy – a game Blackburn should have won, turned on Anthony Taylor, correctly dismissing the Blackburn no 6 for an out of control tackle. Not quite sure if he made a bad contact with Billy but he certainly followed through and took his own player out above the ankle. For once the ref had shown some consistency.
What happened next may be talked about in a similar way to the West Brom postponement. The game was suddenly turned on its head again and created one of the craziest games I’ve seen. I shouted “come on, let’s go and win it now” and boy, did we win it in style. Special praise to Billy here – he’s stepped up a level this season and as they say, “cometh the hour, cometh the man” with two very special centre forward Billy type goals – is there something above legend status? As a side issue, he’s now level with Ricky Lambert in goals scored this century – albeit having played considerably less games.
You the crowd, especially G & H blocks and the kop can take great pride in the support – realising as soon as Bash went off that the club needed the supporters – well done you!
Well done to all the players, including our pantomime villain, Hendo – you are some character fella.
The management too – great tactical substitutions, and for Mr Wilder, but said quietly – Coutts and Norwood CAN play together. They were fantastic in a flat three in the middle.
To finish a bit about the 10 players who created the win:
Henderson: solid when needed – you are a real headcase – but loveable with it. The arms aloft signalling to the BLUT, but in reality giving it BIG to the Blackburn fans in the lower was classic.
Baldock/Egan/JOC & Stevens – fellas you can have 10 out of 10 for moving to a back 4 and excelling in the circumstances. I am being a strictly come dancing judge here – they too have authors license to wield the 10.
Norwood/Coutts & Fleck – magnificent – We can play this in games when we have 11, in fact I saw enough to think we can go 4-3-3 when needed in games, Dowell with his left foot may now provide the balance for this up top. You lot can also have 10 out of 10 – first for being so good against 11, then taking the game to Blackburn from the 71st minute onwards.
McG and Billy – hey, again 10’s for these too.
Why the 10’s? It was a game we had no right to win after Bash went off – Blackburn were a good team – but once again our resilience of a reborn football club shines through once again.
As the song goes “We’re on the march, we’re Wilders army”
Off to Wigan on Tuesday – looking forward to it immensely now after two home wins – but FFS United, a nice steady 2 nil win would be just champion – thanks.
UTB
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