Chelsea vs Sheffield United

v.
FA Cup Quarter Final - Sunday 21st March 2021 - Stamford Bridge​

Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?match-day/match/chelsea-vs-sheffield-united.551/

Officials:

Referee: Andrew Madley
Assistant Referees: Neil Davies & Edward Smart
Fourth Official: Andre Marriner
VAR: Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR: Simon Beck

Coverage:

Follow via S24SU Twitter: https://twitter.com/s24su

Live TV Coverage:

 

[Shoes_On]

Well played Blades, encouraging performance

 

[AnstonBlade1]

The top sides only need one chance to score and they take it, we need about 10!

 

[Not_a_Cheat]

Very proud that we lost 2 nil. I'm sure if we only lose 2 nil in the next 40 games, but put in 100% effort, we'll be singing their praises. Truth is dogshit again and another defeat. Fucking annoyed yet again

 

[1987]

Last meaningful game of the season, proud of the effort they put in, we just cant score. None of the lads should be ashamed today though.

 

[Kev Gee]

Superb second half reaction from us!
Well done Blades!
Hold your heads up high!
Now let's play like that for the rest of the season!! You can do it!

 

[Iceybabey]

Well.... we finally showed a little bit of bollox.

 

[hull-Blade]

What a grafter

Good to see Brewster and Mousse sprinting half the pitch to try and get back to cover. Think Brewster looked a different player today. Aggressive and tenacious

Absolutely, he is actually faster than I thought on that showing . Such a shame he didn’t break the net with that shot

 

[Addison]

Credit to Heckingbottom and Tindall second half. Players clearly told to move the ball first time and get crosses in early. Footballs a simple game when you move the ball at pace. Most mobile we've looked moving forward all season these last 45 minutes. First 45 were forgettable. Even Lundstram was banging the ball in first time. Bearing in mind the team picked and the opposition thats got to be the best 45 minutes we've played for a very long time.

We just need someone to put the ball in the net because we created a number of chances against a top six team. Lets hope the improvement carries over to the remaining league games.

 

[cooperblade]

What....442 creates chances....go figure

 

[JackSUFC]

We made it a competitive game second half so we’ve got to be pleased with that. Can’t remember the last time we took the game to a team away from home like that.

However giving away a comical goal and missing a sitter my nan would’ve scored has been the story of the season.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Very proud that we lost 2 nil. I'm sure if we only lose 2 nil in the next 40 games, but put in 100% effort, we'll be singing their praises. Truth is dogshit again and another defeat. Fucking annoyed yet again

Zero truth in that.

If you can’t separate the performance from the result, you’re going to be disappointed

 

[albinonick]

I d like to see how we conceded the corner because I thought ramsdale could have held it rather than parry it. I maybe wrong and not looking to make him a scapegoat but I do think one of reasons our defence is poor because they have little confidence in him.

Change the f**king record.

 

[FriethBlade]

A lot of money & quality

A non league player would have scored Didzys chance...that had nothing to do with money

 

[BladeTillIDie]

Difference is they score their two chances. Well played though United.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

Brewster is a quality player when he gets the ball to feet

It’s just a shame he’s playing in an awful team who wants to pump the ball over his head and playrd for 10 minutes a game for the majority of this season

Same can he applied to mcburnie to an extent

Brewster/Mcburnie will tear up the championship next season if they get the chance

 

[HeySethUTB]

Proud of the lads today no shame in that performance. To be 1 - Nil down against a side that hadn’t had a shot on target in that first half was as United as it gets unfortunately. Didzy header, Didzys cutback and Brewster shot could have all been goals on another day. it was nice to see football that wasn’t restricted to one side of the pitch which has been a theme of this season.

 

[Big Hitter]

The guy on TV said it....."Osborne was inspired." well done lad. . We did a lot better today, Rammers kept us in it first half and we could have got a draw in the 90 minutes. McGoldrick....jesus he should have had that one. More difficult to miss than score.! But he did a great run after along dead ball byline.

 

[Steelcitysenior]

Good old BBC, talk to Chelsea Player, Manager, who somehow thought they were in full control in the first half without a shot on target. Don't bother talking to anyone from us.
Better performance today, play like that for the rest of the season and regain some confidence for next season.

 

[Jinxy1966]

Despite the score, the last 30 minutes were more like the team i know. More spirit than the last few months. Gutted at the result. Osbourne played well.

That spirit & a bit of passion is what’s been missing & it’s this that is the difference for our lads at this level. Other teams have that quality where they can have a bad game but you know they will still create chances & a split second can be the difference. I know Wilder used to say that we need to be at 100% all the time to compete & he was right to a great extent. The big positive for me from that 2nd half is that the players can still produce that intensity & effort for the new manager. After last weeks shit show I thought they’d completely given up after Wilder’s departure. Need to approach all our remaining games with this attitude & hopefully bloody a few noses along the way.
As ever UTB

 

[cooperblade]

Interesting that the commentary team said "you won't be able to see it on TV but Lundstram is making run after run, he's got a great engine".

They must not have realised he's stopped trying.

 

[BarnsleyBlade]

Very proud that we lost 2 nil. I'm sure if we only lose 2 nil in the next 40 games, but put in 100% effort, we'll be singing their praises. Truth is dogshit again and another defeat. Fucking annoyed yet again

Dogshit!!!! Yeah 1st half was poor, but the effort and determination was there. The lads kept going right to the end, and with a bit of luck with finishing, we could've had a couple of goals

 

[United Aren't Back.]

If he could finish, he probably wouldn't be playing for us

Top scorer though. Sums us up.

 

[Hockey'sBeard]

Change the f**king record.

You get me wrong - I m not one that normally blames him - as i know many have on here - I actually think he has got much better in recent weeks too. Just a development area in his handling, catching and holding onto the ball. He also came out and caught a few today but he is still young and learning and he has had a tough introduction time here. I actually think he will prove to be a great keeper for us and hopefully for many years to come

 

[Farnboroughblade]

If the new manager was watching whoever he is will be, will at least see that there there is certainly something to work with and will give him confidence in taking the job.

 

[Toronto Blade]

Very good performance today! Too bad we shot ourselves in the foot with the OG but at least recovered from it, with a strong 2nd half.
We had the chances to win the game 2-0 loss but the lads deserved better.
We had 4 shots on target to their 3.

 

[Maidenhead]

Enjoyed that second half.

Best 45 minutes of football from us this season by a country mile.

I can take losing to a multi million pound team in these circumstances.

 

[bartman]

Very proud that we lost 2 nil. I'm sure if we only lose 2 nil in the next 40 games, but put in 100% effort, we'll be singing their praises. Truth is dogshit again and another defeat. Fucking annoyed yet again

You didnt watch the game did you. That 2nd half was way better than the what we have seen for the majority of the season. As others have said, sometimes when you lose you can still be pleased with how they played and the way the game was approached. To paraphrase Wilder, today we left through the front door. The majority of this season we have left through the back door

 

[robbiez666]

Finally, we actually had a fucking go at a team. Actually felt something for the first time in a while.

First half was the same insipid, cowardly stuff we've been serving up most of the season. Poor on and off the ball. Pulling out of blocks and tackles, sloppy passing, poor concentration, bad choices and so painfully slow. We were well organised though with a plan which limited Chelsea.

Second half was much more like it. Had a go. Took a chance. Actually outfought a team. Showed much better determination and much more energy. Not enough in the end and we're scarily lacking in quality.

Overall, much better than I expected with the team we could put out. Chelsea were visually shaken second half (much, I think can be put down to their tiredness, but still) We actually had good possession and you could see what we were trying to do.

Ramsdale - 7 - His distribution was woeful (whoever is the next goalkeeping coach needs to be much better with this) but kept us in it with a good save in both halves. Good positioning and stood up strong. Another good game from him.
Osborn - 7 - Our biggest threat going forward. His technique isn't great and he loses the ball or it bounces off him too often. He at least, from the off, tried to get forward. Took a chance.
Stevens - 6 - Did well in an unusual position. Was quite solid and also got forward a fair bit, but it didn't really come off for him
Jags - 6 - He gets an extra point as it must have been a horrific week for him. His weak header set them away for their second. Poor first half and slow but much better second half.
Baldock - 5.5 - Struggled a bit in an unusual position. Pretty poor first half but much better in the second. How he didn't get booked is beyond me! Awful cross at the end. Truly awful.
Bogle - 5 - Made a couple of great runs going forward but so sloppy and wasteful. Takes his eye off the ball all the time. poor first half but got better. Certainly going forward.
Norwood - 4.5 - Poor first half. Gave the ball away horrendously for the Pulisic chance. Unlucky with the own goal. Some dire set-pieces which didn't beat the first man. He's just not mobile enough. Go round him and you're gone.
Jimmy/John Fleck - 5 - Appalling first half from Jimmy. He's so slow on the ball. Too slow for this division tbqf. Gave the ball away and sloppy. John came out after half time and was also far too slow with the ball at his feet. Both too slow getting back and too easily beaten. Improved as the second half went on with a great run towards the end. Needs to ne sharper.
Lundstram - 5 - Pointed a lot first time. Just about all he did. I watched him closely and he'd mark his man and stay 2 metres from him. Must be something to do with social distancing. Didn't put a challenge in. At fault for their first. Cowards stopped and then turned his back. He should have been charging out at that. Second half, a different player. Kept making runs forward and put in a great cross which Didzy fucked up. Looks a different player when playing outside of himself.
McGoldrick - 5.5 - Terrible first half. Passed it out of play, Ball bounced off him, slow and easily dispossessed. Second half, along with Osborn, our most dangerous player. You can't miss chances like that though and play as a PL striker. Sorry, he does it all the time. All his other good play is pointless if he can't score sitters. I think we've seen his age and games catching up with him over this season. Nowhere near the constant workrate we saw last year.
McBurnie - 4 - Has one decent shot second half but had absolutely no influence on the game. At least Didzy got involved first half. He just ran around a bit. A bit better second but doesn't affect the game.

Subs

Burke - 5 - Competed. More than McBurnie did. He offers something different but his technique is wretched. Had a hilarious run and fall over early doors.
Brewster - 5 - Should have done better with his chance. Got a deflection but that neds to cause the keeper problems. Came on, ran around and looked like he wanted to be there.
Mousset - N/A - not really on for long enough

Heckingbottom - 6 - You can see he's making small changes. There was a funny moment when he shouted at Fleck first half and got a confused response. Went man for man and pressed. This worked well to limit Chelsea but we had nothing going forward and couldn't keep the ball. Much better second. Had a go. Players took risks. Got caught at the end but we at least tried to win. The subs actually seemed to change thing.

Chelsea - Looked comfortable if created little first half. They tired badly during the second and lucky in the end to get away with a win. They looked shattered at the end and at least we've given them a game.

 

[Dnblade]

Good 2nd half, unlucky not to level and didn't deserve to concede the 2nd..but good to see us move the ball quicker and create chances 2nd half.. Rammers did well, Osborn good at LWB again, McG, Fleck did ok.

 

[Jinxy1966]

Credit to Heckingbottom and Tindall second half. Players clearly told to move the ball first time and get crosses in early. Footballs a simple game when you move the ball at pace. Most mobile we've looked moving forward all season these last 45 minutes. First 45 were forgettable. Even Lundstram was banging the ball in first time. Bearing in mind the team picked and the opposition thats got to be the best 45 minutes we've played for a very long time.

We just need someone to put the ball in the net because we created a number of chances against a top six team. Lets hope the improvement carries over to the remaining league games.

I don’t think the makeshift back line is getting enough credit to be fair. Bear in mind we had a 38 year old & 2 wing backs as the back 3 against a confident top 6 side & limited them fairly well.