Fantastic performance but...

[Cerberus Blade]

Would we have ever scored had the goals not been gifted to us?

Don't get me wrong... Sharp's finish for both goals was exquisite! He took them superbly. He also had the best game I've seen him play in months. He was everywhere and really put a shift in.

But, first half, 70% possession, and never looked like scoring until they gifted us 2 goals. That's a worry to me.

It's ok to get a bit carried away with the result and overall performance - which were both great. But if we are playing that well we need to be far more clinical in the final third. And we're not currently. That could so easily ended up a draw yesterday - which would not have been justice- but it seems to me we are capable of making the bullets but have only one bloke, Billy, who is capable of firing them.

 

[ThatJa]

Yes.

 

[coolhandluke]

Yes.

Indeed.

 

[dingledog]

We scored because of our pressure, they couldn't cope with it. We scored, get over it.

 

[Bedrock Blade]

It's a cliche I know but goals change games.

 

[WhiteHawk]

I agree. Yes we were fantastic but all 3 goals were gifted to us, and as you say, Sharp took both of his really well, but we do need something else upfront. Sharp has clearly got to start but none of the other options are the answer IMO. Or am I just expecting too much?

 

[TJB.]

If my auntie had bollocks, the pope would shit in the woods.


Or something like that, anyway.

 

[SwissBlade]

Would we have ever scored had the goals not been gifted to us?

Don't get me wrong... Sharp's finish for both goals was exquisite! He took them superbly. He also had the best game I've seen him play in months. He was everywhere and really put a shift in.

But, first half, 70% possession, and never looked like scoring until they gifted us 2 goals. That's a worry to me.

It's ok to get a bit carried away with the result and overall performance - which were both great. But if we are playing that well we need to be far more clinical in the final third. And we're not currently. That could so easily ended up a draw yesterday - which would not have been justice- but it seems to me we are capable of making the bullets but have only one bloke, Billy, who is capable of firing them.

We've had goals chalked off when they were legitimately good goals or penalties waved away in almost every other game. Probably earnt the luck but as dingledog said it came from putting them under pressure

 

[Bladesway]

Would we have ever scored had the goals not been gifted to us?

Don't get me wrong... Sharp's finish for both goals was exquisite! He took them superbly. He also had the best game I've seen him play in months. He was everywhere and really put a shift in.

But, first half, 70% possession, and never looked like scoring until they gifted us 2 goals. That's a worry to me.

It's ok to get a bit carried away with the result and overall performance - which were both great. But if we are playing that well we need to be far more clinical in the final third. And we're not currently. That could so easily ended up a draw yesterday - which would not have been justice- but it seems to me we are capable of making the bullets but have only one bloke, Billy, who is capable of firing them.

If you look hard enough you will always find reasons to worry. If this hadn't happened, etc etc. But it did and we did and that is that. If the result and the performance were great why spend time worrying about shit that didn't happen?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I agree. Yes we were fantastic but all 3 goals were gifted to us, and as you say, Sharp took both of his really well, but we do need something else upfront. Sharp has clearly got to start but none of the other options are the answer IMO. Or am I just expecting too much?

I don't think you are mate, honestly. And I'm really not wanting to sound critical. But you know, I've learned a lot of things in life, watching football but also in big corporate business environments. And I tell you what, I bet most folks think those are two totally different situations, not worthy of comparison. But I tell you what happens...

When things are going well, people brush over things. This happens a lot in big business. If the general thing is going well, no one pays any attention to the smaller details that are going wrong. Then one day BANG! The whole bloody lot goes up in your face. And then folks look back in retrospect and go..."well, that's been a problem for a while, we know it has, but things were going so well at the time that no one did anything about it". And it's exactly the same in football for me.

I was absolutely buzzing leaving the lane yesterday. I really, really, enjoyed it. For me, we put a marker down that this team is not to be underestimated at this level. It was a really important point in our season, albeit just a few games old.

But also, if I was manager, I wouldn't be basking in the glow of that win and thinking all is good. And I doubt Wilder will either. He'll have seen in the last 2 games that we had monstrous amounts of possession and wiped the floor with the opposition - but - we are pretty toothless when it comes to scoring goals. And that is something we need to consider an urgent fix - best do it now whilst we are still happy and excited than wait till it becomes a painful sore on our arses.

 

[Stretch]

Who knows, it's impossible to say. Had we not been gifted a 2-0 lead then we may have spent less time overplaying or playing it safe and actually attacked their box more.
I also suspect Lavery would have had a pop on goal had Russel not decided to finish it for him instead.

At the end of the day we were by far the better team and in the worst case would've probably drawn had we not scored , which wouldn't have been a disaster.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

We've had goals chalked off when they were legitimately good goals or penalties waved away in almost every other game. Probably earnt the luck but as dingledog said it came from putting them under pressure

That's true. But it's also a side discussion. Do you think we are creating enough goal chances and taking them? Yes or No?

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Are you one of those people at parties that tells people there's such a thing as too much fun?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Who knows, it's impossible to say. Had we not been gifted a 2-0 lead then we may have spent less time overplaying or playing it safe and actually attacked their box more.
I also suspect Lavery would have had a pop on goal had Russel not decided to finish it for him instead.

At the end of the day we were by far the better team and in the worst case would've probably drawn had we not scored , which wouldn't have been a disaster.

OK, add the Barnsley game into your analysis then. Same again - wiped the floor with them - only managed to score one goal. I'm telling you that's not good enough. And we need to improve that.

 

[SwissBlade]

That's true. But it's also a side discussion. Do you think we are creating enough goal chances and taking them? Yes or No?

I think we're creating fewer than last season and we need to take each one we get. Which it seems we were gifted 2 goals yesterday and forced them into the OG error.

It's about being clinical with the chances we get and not the vanity of creating more half chances for the sake of it, which it sounds like derby did

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Are you one of those people at parties that tells people there's such a thing as too much fun?

No. But I like the suggestion.

I'm one of those people who has lots of fun but remains grounded. I don't have huge mood swings from triumph to disaster. As Kipling said, both are imposters. You have to put things into context. When things appear to be absolutely wonderful, amazing, fantastic, it's good to remind yourself that they could still be improved - and that way you've more chance of it happening.

 

[Bayingblade]

I don't think you are mate, honestly. And I'm really not wanting to sound critical. But you know, I've learned a lot of things in life, watching football but also in big corporate business environments. And I tell you what, I bet most folks think those are two totally different situations, not worthy of comparison. But I tell you what happens...

When things are going well, people brush over things. This happens a lot in big business. If the general thing is going well, no one pays any attention to the smaller details that are going wrong. Then one day BANG! The whole bloody lot goes up in your face. And then folks look back in retrospect and go..."well, that's been a problem for a while, we know it has, but things were going so well at the time that no one did anything about it". And it's exactly the same in football for me.

I was absolutely buzzing leaving the lane yesterday. I really, really, enjoyed it. For me, we put a marker down that this team is not to be underestimated at this level. It was a really important point in our season, albeit just a few games old.

But also, if I was manager, I wouldn't be basking in the glow of that win and thinking all is good. And I doubt Wilder will either. He'll have seen in the last 2 games that we had monstrous amounts of possession and wiped the floor with the opposition - but - we are pretty toothless when it comes to scoring goals. And that is something we need to consider an urgent fix - best do it now whilst we are still happy and excited than wait till it becomes a painful sore on our arses.

Then you'll also know that those who work hardest in business tend to be successful and United worked their bollocks off yesterday.

QED!

 

[Smirth]

Yes. At 2-0 we played a more reserved style to what we would had it been 0-0 and still created a couple of good chances.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

No. But I like the suggestion.

I'm one of those people who has lots of fun but remains grounded. I don't have huge mood swings from triumph to disaster. As Kipling said, both are imposters. You have to put things into context. When things appear to be absolutely wonderful, amazing, fantastic, it's good to remind yourself that they could still be improved - and that way you've more chance of it happening.

Thank you for taking that in good humour. The sarcasm genuinely came from a good place.

I know where you're coming from but my view is they made mistakes, we punished them. Like good Championship teams do. We also played them off the park for large spells.

Take on board what you're saying but the score was a fair reflection in my opinion.

 

[LoxBlade]

I get where the OP is coming from, I did think about this for a minute yesterday too. But then I think it was our pressing that forced the errors and let's get it right, Sharp had to take both of his goals well they weren't 2 yard tap ins. Think it was a great performance and we fully deserved the points!

 

[Stretch]

OK, add the Barnsley game into your analysis then. Same again - wiped the floor with them - only managed to score one goal. I'm telling you that's not good enough. And we need to improve that.

I wouldn't disagree that we need to do more up top, and CW also agrees so it will be sorted.
Also let's not forget 3 perfectly good goals have also been chalked off this season. So whilst we need to improve up there I don't think we are entirely toothless either.

 

[Ricky]

We do need to create more clear chances.

Now I'm going to say something I don't think anyone's ever said before:

We need more pace. Up front and out wide.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think we're creating fewer than last season and we need to take each one we get. Which it seems we were gifted 2 goals yesterday and forced them into the OG error.

It's about being clinical with the chances we get and not the vanity of creating more half chances for the sake of it, which it sounds like derby did

Yes I agree we are creating less chances so far than last season - and I'd expect that. But this is why it is so important to have a better conversion rate.

I tell you what... I'll share with you a view from 2 people that go to the game with me sometimes, they were there v Barnsley and Derby. One is a teenage kid - knows his football well - plays in the local leagues, also a referee. The other is my dearest wife. Knows very little about football really - have to constantly explain the offside rule and various other decisions her. Wouldn't really expect her to come out with anything worth repeating about the way we are playing - but occasionally she surprises me with something so spot on that it kind of ruins it for me, because I want to be the expert!

Both said..."we have lots of possession but when we get to the 18 yard box we just seem to be trying to pick out the perfect pass all the time, it slows down and goes from side to side or backwards and we start again. When they break (the opposition) they just seem to go straight for goal. We create lots of chances but no one seems willing to take a shot, it's like they are scared of missing or something".

Sometimes from the mouths of babes, as the saying goes...

I don't really care whether folks agree or disagree with this analysis but anyone who has seen the Barnsley and Derby games will know that we literally wiped the floor with them but it didn't show in terms of goals of our own creation from open play.

Over the next few days our manager, I believe, will take steps to rectify that. So if you don't agree it's an issue then presumably you're not going to be pleased to see him recruiting some more strikers?

 

[Ron_Justice]

We did create chances - I can think of 3 absolute dream crosses that fizzed between their Keeper and Defensive line and just needed an extra 2 yards of pace from the forwards to poke in for a goal. There were also at least 2 or 3 opportunities when greater familiarity between players would have resulted in a squared ball for a tap in - Fleck to Ched late in the 2nd half for example.

 

[Nick Jansky]

So far we have coped admirably despite injuries to Moore & Stearman. As things stand & without recruitment does anybody think we would similarly cope if Sharp was injured? That's what worries me.

 

[SwissBlade]

Yes I agree we are creating less chances so far than last season - and I'd expect that. But this is why it is so important to have a better conversion rate.

I tell you what... I'll share with you a view from 2 people that go to the game with me sometimes, they were there v Barnsley and Derby. One is a teenage kid - knows his football well - plays in the local leagues, also a referee. The other is my dearest wife. Knows very little about football really - have to constantly explain the offside rule and various other decisions her. Wouldn't really expect her to come out with anything worth repeating about the way we are playing - but occasionally she surprises me with something so spot on that it kind of ruins it for me, because I want to be the expert!

Both said..."we have lots of possession but when we get to the 18 yard box we just seem to be trying to pick out the perfect pass all the time, it slows down and goes from side to side or backwards and we start again. When they break (the opposition) they just seem to go straight for goal. We create lots of chances but no one seems willing to take a shot, it's like they are scared of missing or something".

Sometimes from the mouths of babes, as the saying goes...

I don't really care whether folks agree or disagree with this analysis but anyone who has seen the Barnsley and Derby games will know that we literally wiped the floor with them but it didn't show in terms of goals of our own creation from open play.

Over the next few days our manager, I believe, will take steps to rectify that. So if you don't agree it's an issue then presumably you're not going to be pleased to see him recruiting some more strikers?

Youre going to get games where we create and convert a lot of chances, others where we have to camp on the edge of the opposition box and others where we get one chance. Each time it's going to be different.

Wilder has mentioned as far back as last season that he wants us to not just keep the ball but create with it. Move the ball quickly

Wilder has mentioned recently that we also can't be wasteful with the ball which we were v Brentford, Boro and Cardiff so perhaps the last couple of games is us trying to keep the ball better.

Not sure anyone has said that we don't need to improve the strikeforce, either by recruitment or by creating better chances, but either way we need to be more clinical when we get chances

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

If my auntie had bollocks, the pope would shit in the woods.


Or something like that, anyway.

If my Uncle had tits, would I let him give me a tit wank?

More pertinently, was it mermaids who invented the tit wank?

 

[Tunstall Fred]

Last season was all well and good,but we lost 6 games and only gained 100 points,i thought we could have done a lot better.

 

[Boxer Blade]

If my auntie had bollocks, the pope would shit in the woods.


Or something like that, anyway.

I think you'll find tom that your auntie is actually your uncle, just ignore the dresses, also I think the beard is a giveaway

 

[A_Blade1889]

I think we deserved the win, but Sharp needs some help. The goals have to come from somewhere & I can't see Ched, Lavery or Clarke chipping in with too many .

Wilder will see it too, we won't let the window close without having a real good go at getting a decent forward in.