Tony_Kaufman
Here's a truck stop instead of St Peter's
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2017
- Messages
- 5,329
- Reaction score
- 14,505
Merry Christmas to you all, I hope it's been a good one for you all. Now, back to business.
Season to date:
BLADES
P18 W7 D7 L4 GF22 GA16 GD+6 Pts28
Clean sheets: 7
Penalties: 0
Top scorer: Mousset (5), Fleck (4)
Form: WWWLDD
WATFORD
P18 W2 D6 L10 GF11 GA32 GD-21 Pts12
Clean sheets: 4
Penalties: 3 (4 conceded)
Top scorer: Sarr (2), Deulofeu (2), Gray (2)
Form: WLDLLL
HOME/AWAY
BLADES (Home - Last Six)
P6 W3 D1 L2 GF9 GA6 GD+3 Pts10
Clean sheets: 3
Penalties: 0
Top scorer: Fleck (4)
Form: WLDWWL
WATFORD (Away - Last Six)
P6 W1 D1 L4 GF4 GA9 GD-5 Pts4
Clean sheets: 1
Penalties: (1 conceded)
Top scorer: N/A
Form: LLLWDL
Chris Wilder's men come off the back of three back to back victories to face bottom of the division Watford, who have recently appointed Nigel Pearson as manager. This will be an interesting fixture given the immediate change in attitude and effort seen in the Hornets since Pearson took over two games ago.
Watford enter the fixture on a bad run of form having won just 1 of their last 6 matches, and only drawing 1 other. That said, the win came in their last fixture, a home victory against Man Utd complete with a clean sheet. Prior to this they were beaten at Anfield, but in both matches they really took the game to their opponents and their general play was a huge improvement of their season to date.
Goals have not been forthcoming for Watford, having only scored 11 goals all season. They have 3 players on 2 goals each as top scorer, Gerard Deulofeu, Andre Gray and Ismaila Sarr. They have also failed to score in 10 of their 18 fixtures this season, including 4 times in their last 6 matches, which also included Pearson's first match in charge.
Watford have conceded an alarming 32 goals but surprisingly kept 4 clean sheets in this time. In their last 6 matches they have conceded 9 goals and kept 2 clean sheets.
On the road Watford have only picked up 5 points all season, 4 of which came in their last 6 games. This included a draw against Spurs and a victory against Norwich. Only 4 goals have been scored on the road in their last 6 away games and no player has scored more than 1 goal away from Vicarage Road. They have lost their last 3 away games in a row, including Pearson's afore mentioned first match in charge against Liverpool. They have failed to score in 3 of their last 6 matches on the road and have only scored 1 goal in their last 3 games.
During this period they have conceded 9 goals whilst keeping 1 clean sheet. That said they haven't conceded more than 2 goals in a match on the road since their 8 goal mauling at the hands of Man City, though
Wilder's United have now won 3 back to back games since the home defeat to Newcastle. This was their only defeat in 11 games. They enter the Boxing Day fixture sat 5th in the table.
Scoring goals is becoming more frequent with the Blades scoring 2 or more goals in 4 of their last 6 matches, and only failing to score in the Newcastle match. Lys Mousset remains the top scorer for the season on 5 goals, but hasn't scored in his last 4 appearances, though he has only started half of these. John Fleck is the second highest scorer on 4 goals, with 3 coming in this 6 game period.
2 clean sheets have been kept in this same period and the Blades still have one of the best defences in the division, having kept 7 clean sheets. The Blades back line has only been breached more than once on 3 occassions in 15 games, with only one of these matches resulting in defeat.
At home the Blades have now won 3 of their last 6 matches and lost 2. In this period they have scored 9 goals and only failed to score in 2 matches, both resulting in defeat. John Fleck has now scored 4 goals in his last 6 home matches, making him top scorer at the Lane, whilst Mousset and Lundstram have each scored 2 in the same period.
Defensively they have kept clean sheets in half of their last 6 matches at Bramall Lane and only conceded 6 goals. Only Man Utd and Newcastle have scored more than 1 goal at Bramall Lane this season since the home defeat to Leicester, both matches occurring during their last six home fixtures. Maybe it's a United thing!?!
Changes of manager can be a daunting thing and this fixture is hard to predict. On paper it's got Blades win written all over it, but so did the Newcastle match. Watford have shown that under Pearson they are unlikely to sit back and park the bus, which plays to United's advantage, as the Blades can play their high line counter attacking football. That said, Watford may well defend in numbers but commit players forward for their own counter attack. Under Pearson they have scored 2 in one match, failed to score in the other, then kept a clean sheet in one and conceded 2 in the other. Given their opponents were Liverpool and Man Utd this was an impressive quick turn around in style of play and they didn't resemble a team fighting relegation. It is important that the Blades score early as this could unnerve Watford and bring back the all familiar feeling that they've had for most of the season, culminating in a home victory and fourth in a row.
Prediction: Home win
Season to date:
BLADES
P18 W7 D7 L4 GF22 GA16 GD+6 Pts28
Clean sheets: 7
Penalties: 0
Top scorer: Mousset (5), Fleck (4)
Form: WWWLDD
WATFORD
P18 W2 D6 L10 GF11 GA32 GD-21 Pts12
Clean sheets: 4
Penalties: 3 (4 conceded)
Top scorer: Sarr (2), Deulofeu (2), Gray (2)
Form: WLDLLL
HOME/AWAY
BLADES (Home - Last Six)
P6 W3 D1 L2 GF9 GA6 GD+3 Pts10
Clean sheets: 3
Penalties: 0
Top scorer: Fleck (4)
Form: WLDWWL
WATFORD (Away - Last Six)
P6 W1 D1 L4 GF4 GA9 GD-5 Pts4
Clean sheets: 1
Penalties: (1 conceded)
Top scorer: N/A
Form: LLLWDL
Chris Wilder's men come off the back of three back to back victories to face bottom of the division Watford, who have recently appointed Nigel Pearson as manager. This will be an interesting fixture given the immediate change in attitude and effort seen in the Hornets since Pearson took over two games ago.
Watford enter the fixture on a bad run of form having won just 1 of their last 6 matches, and only drawing 1 other. That said, the win came in their last fixture, a home victory against Man Utd complete with a clean sheet. Prior to this they were beaten at Anfield, but in both matches they really took the game to their opponents and their general play was a huge improvement of their season to date.
Goals have not been forthcoming for Watford, having only scored 11 goals all season. They have 3 players on 2 goals each as top scorer, Gerard Deulofeu, Andre Gray and Ismaila Sarr. They have also failed to score in 10 of their 18 fixtures this season, including 4 times in their last 6 matches, which also included Pearson's first match in charge.
Watford have conceded an alarming 32 goals but surprisingly kept 4 clean sheets in this time. In their last 6 matches they have conceded 9 goals and kept 2 clean sheets.
On the road Watford have only picked up 5 points all season, 4 of which came in their last 6 games. This included a draw against Spurs and a victory against Norwich. Only 4 goals have been scored on the road in their last 6 away games and no player has scored more than 1 goal away from Vicarage Road. They have lost their last 3 away games in a row, including Pearson's afore mentioned first match in charge against Liverpool. They have failed to score in 3 of their last 6 matches on the road and have only scored 1 goal in their last 3 games.
During this period they have conceded 9 goals whilst keeping 1 clean sheet. That said they haven't conceded more than 2 goals in a match on the road since their 8 goal mauling at the hands of Man City, though
Wilder's United have now won 3 back to back games since the home defeat to Newcastle. This was their only defeat in 11 games. They enter the Boxing Day fixture sat 5th in the table.
Scoring goals is becoming more frequent with the Blades scoring 2 or more goals in 4 of their last 6 matches, and only failing to score in the Newcastle match. Lys Mousset remains the top scorer for the season on 5 goals, but hasn't scored in his last 4 appearances, though he has only started half of these. John Fleck is the second highest scorer on 4 goals, with 3 coming in this 6 game period.
2 clean sheets have been kept in this same period and the Blades still have one of the best defences in the division, having kept 7 clean sheets. The Blades back line has only been breached more than once on 3 occassions in 15 games, with only one of these matches resulting in defeat.
At home the Blades have now won 3 of their last 6 matches and lost 2. In this period they have scored 9 goals and only failed to score in 2 matches, both resulting in defeat. John Fleck has now scored 4 goals in his last 6 home matches, making him top scorer at the Lane, whilst Mousset and Lundstram have each scored 2 in the same period.
Defensively they have kept clean sheets in half of their last 6 matches at Bramall Lane and only conceded 6 goals. Only Man Utd and Newcastle have scored more than 1 goal at Bramall Lane this season since the home defeat to Leicester, both matches occurring during their last six home fixtures. Maybe it's a United thing!?!
Changes of manager can be a daunting thing and this fixture is hard to predict. On paper it's got Blades win written all over it, but so did the Newcastle match. Watford have shown that under Pearson they are unlikely to sit back and park the bus, which plays to United's advantage, as the Blades can play their high line counter attacking football. That said, Watford may well defend in numbers but commit players forward for their own counter attack. Under Pearson they have scored 2 in one match, failed to score in the other, then kept a clean sheet in one and conceded 2 in the other. Given their opponents were Liverpool and Man Utd this was an impressive quick turn around in style of play and they didn't resemble a team fighting relegation. It is important that the Blades score early as this could unnerve Watford and bring back the all familiar feeling that they've had for most of the season, culminating in a home victory and fourth in a row.
Prediction: Home win
