Draws

[GrayBlade]

We went 19 games last season before our first League draw coincidentally it was Birmingham at home, and so far this season we haven’t had one.

I think it’s probably because we always go looking for the win, but should we just settle for a point in some games and focus more on keeping it tight at the back and seeing a game out? Maybe bringing Stearman on and pushing Bash into midfield yesterday would at least helped us keep the shape better and just bring on one of the ‘newbies’? Apart from the extra point, a clean sheet would have kept the unbeaten run going as well as the momentum.

I just wondered what the general feelings are. Should we be trying to win every game home and away even later on in the game knowing there’s an increased chance that we could get sucker punched, or should we cut our losses in some matches, tighten up and settle for a point? Would we be better or worse off?

 

[Roygbiv]

We do seem either incapable or unwilling to shithouse points in games like this. I don't know whether bringing Stearman on would have stopped the goal yesterday but I can't think of an away game over the past few seasons where we have scraped a win or a draw in the way Bristol did yesterday.

 

[WestYorksBlade]

It's what makes the difference in this league. I agree with your point on moving Bash into midfield and bringing Stearman on as a defensive move but instead we bring on a striker and a winger. The championship is about grinding out results regardless of the style of football: it's the reason why teams like Cardiff are playing in the Prem right now and we are not. Obviously we need to maintain our attacking play whenever we can but if it's a tight away game as it was yesterday we need to recognise when a draw is a good result. I was happy settling for a 0-0 yesterday but as usual we are incapable of keeping clean sheets.
We need to make it ugly sometimes, Warnock knew how to do this regardless of what you think of him

 

[Ricky]

Managers can't win with this. Most fans don't even know what they want.... apart from the manager to get it right every single time.

I'd like us to generally go for the win, but there will always be times when it's better to solidify and take a point. You've just got to hope the manager can identify those times correctly more often than not.

 

[Bill Johnson]

We should look to win every game. Let the opposition crap themselves. If things don't look like going our way then Plan B is a point. Funnily enough we lost undesevedly to Brizzle at home last season after Flecks red card and Wilder not closing the game out but putting an attacking player on at 1 1. Yesterday it appears we wasted a good number of chances and just maybe the smart move would have been Stearman on and Bash into midfield. Ok Billy off to prevent a red card with Clarke on and Duffy off if knackered with Woodburn on. Lundstrum off for any fucker quite frankly. So yes Gray. Agree.

 

[super_pig]

We went 19 games last season before our first League draw coincidentally it was Birmingham at home, and so far this season we haven’t had one.

I think it’s probably because we always go looking for the win, but should we just settle for a point in some games and focus more on keeping it tight at the back and seeing a game out? Maybe bringing Stearman on and pushing Bash into midfield yesterday would at least helped us keep the shape better and just bring on one of the ‘newbies’? Apart from the extra point, a clean sheet would have kept the unbeaten run going as well as the momentum.

I just wondered what the general feelings are. Should we be trying to win every game home and away even later on in the game knowing there’s an increased chance that we could get sucker punched, or should we cut our losses in some matches, tighten up and settle for a point? Would we be better or worse off?

nah .. go for the win every time. 3 points for a win

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Leeds played 7, undefeated and top.
Us, played 7 and lost 3
If Leeds lose their next game 3-0 and we win 4-0 (unlikely I know) but we would go above them.
Keep going for the wins.

 

[Smirth]

Yes, getting a point in games like yesterday’s would have been a great point.

 

[GrayBlade]

nah .. go for the win every time. 3 points for a win

Oreight Chris, you’re the boss.

 

[1993]

We lose far too many games we should draw. You only have a to look at last season where we lost nearly as many as we won. This season has carried on the same. We should have taken 2 points from the Swansea and Bristol City games.

 

[1973Blade]

So far under Wilder, we have played 28 league games in August and September and drawn just two of them. For some reason we tend to draw more as the season goes on, maybe because we play at a higher tempo earlier in the season and become more cautious later on.

 

[GrayBlade]

We should look to win every game. Let the opposition crap themselves. If things don't look like going our way then Plan B is a point. Funnily enough we lost undesevedly to Brizzle at home last season after Flecks red card and Wilder not closing the game out but putting an attacking player on at 1 1. Yesterday it appears we wasted a good number of chances and just maybe the smart move would have been Stearman on and Bash into midfield. Ok Billy off to prevent a red card with Clarke on and Duffy off if knackered with Woodburn on. Lundstrum off for any fucker quite frankly. So yes Gray. Agree.

That’s probably the way I see it mate. We see it all the time where teams decide that they’ll go with what they’ve got and bring on a defender. OK it backfired for Norwich this season, there’s no guarenteed whatever way they go, but if a game is very tight or if they’ve lost a key player like we did with Flecky last year, I’d think a team would normally do better to play one up front and keep the shape.

Then again, I’ve only managed my works team, I’ll always bow to Sir Chris’s knowledge. This thread pretty much reflects what the Blades I know think. Basically split down the middle but trust the boss.

 

[Topplayersleave]

The games we lose usually have a similar pattern
We play well but don't score
Opposition have a ten minute period and they do
The games we win usually have us taking an early lead

If that early lead doesn't come, it eventually gets to the point where our "old men best players" have to go off whilst its level or we're behind and the rest of the game is a struggle

The squad isn't strong enough for creative purposes, it's designed to shore things up from a winning position

If we're not winning the squad members are as useful as a chocolate teapot

 

[GrayBlade]

Managers can't win with this. Most fans don't even know what they want.... apart from the manager to get it right every single time.

I'd like us to generally go for the win, but there will always be times when it's better to solidify and take a point. You've just got to hope the manager can identify those times correctly more often than not.

I agree 100% with your first point, whichever way he rolls some will say he should have done it differently especially if we lose. That’s the nature of the game.

I don’t think there’s many games that we do solidify whilst drawing though even if a game’s really tight or as somebody mentioned we’re down to 10 men. The only times we seem to tighten up is if we’re holding onto a one goal lead.

I suppose if we react like we did for the first few months of last season and we get right back to winning ways it’s not an issue because going for it took us to the top of the league despite several defeats. Losing only becomes an issue if it knocks us out of our stride for a few games. We’ll soon know.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

jeezs! I misread this thread completely. I thought Gray was going to post some pictures of his missus's bloomers.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

We do seem either incapable or unwilling to shithouse points in games like this. I don't know whether bringing Stearman on would have stopped the goal yesterday but I can't think of an away game over the past few seasons where we have scraped a win or a draw in the way Bristol did yesterday.

I know what you mean mate, but honestly, I just came away from there thinking..."that's football!". I mean, we outfootballed them for over an hour - they are a good side, but we made them look distinctly second best for most of it. They got up a bit of steam in the last 20, not helped by us taking Duffy off in particular imo. I actually said to my missus, "I worry when we take Duffy off because if we do need to go looking for another goal he's our most creative outlet for us to do that". And so it turned out.

And that's not criticising the decision to sub him - but I'd have been much happier seeing him go off if we were in front. As soon as they scored and we were chasing the game we'd lost an ace in the pack to do that.

It's probably not our most urgent priority right now, but who, further down the line, will replace Duffy? Because there isn't another player at the club currently with his guile and creativity, and general "unpredictableness" if that's a word?

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

If we're not winning by half time then we're fucked.

Last season I think we only won two matches when we weren't winning at half time.

Chris Wilder's teams are first half teams.

 

[Rodley]

The games we lose usually have a similar pattern
We play well but don't score
Opposition have a ten minute period and they do
The games we win usually have us taking an early lead

If that early lead doesn't come, it eventually gets to the point where our "old men best players" have to go off whilst its level or we're behind and the rest of the game is a struggle

The squad isn't strong enough for creative purposes, it's designed to shore things up from a winning position

If we're not winning the squad members are as useful as a chocolate teapot

Aye

 

[Topplayersleave]

Aye

Yes the day when one of our old men better players didn't get taken off

Also remember us getting an early goal in that game too