Fulham vs Sheffield United

v.
EPL Week 25 - Saturday 20th February 2021 -

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/fulham-vs-sheffield-united.533/

Officials:

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant Referee: Constantine Hatzidakis
Assistant Referee: Peter Kirkup
Fourth Official: Gavin Ward
Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Andy Halliday

Coverage:

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Live TV Coverage:

 

[ATL Recs]

Doghsit. Looked like a lower league team scrapping for a surprise goal. Plucky you boys playing against professionals. I suspect Marine would have put in a better effort.

I'll be honest, it's the first time tonight since his poor start in League 1 that I thought about whether he needs to go or not. I don't think so, he deserves the chance next year, but my concerns are:

• Won't change the formation or style despite not having the players to play it through injury or it actually working for the last 30 games.
• Won't sign players from foreign leagues (I don't believe Berge or the two loan signings his did his best never to play were his signings). I don't think he's going to change and that means we hit our ceiling last season.
• Shocking tactics (regularly) and dreadful subs (regularly)

He's stubborn as a donkey which is not the attribute of a good manager.

Ramsdale - 6 - Did fine apart from the goal where it was far too easy for Lookman.
Stevens - 4 - Got forward well and had a half-assed shot - Looked like he was blowing out his arse most of the time. They played round him.
Bryan - 5 - Close to a couple of errors as he takes too long on the ball and fairly easy to play round but I guess passable for him
Jag - 6 - Despite his age he's a clever old pro. Knows where to be. Struggles a bit but fairly solid.
Bash - 5.5 - Did ok but they got round him too easily. too weak in the tackle and made a few iffy decisions
Baldock 5.5 - Cleared one off the line. Did ok but was second best a lot. hardly really got forward
Ampadu - 5 - They went through our midfield like a knife through butter. He didn't dictate the play he looks a bit like a rabbit in the headlights. No control
Fleck - 5.5 - Ropey pass first half and a decent cross. Not really influential at all. bit weak in defence.
Lundstram 5 - He loves to wander round a bit, do a posem, and foul players instead of putting effort in to track back.
McBurnie 5 - hassled their defenders a lot. Spend most of the game having running battles. Did little else
Sharp - 6 - Good pro, puts a shift in. Little service and not good enough to make anything himself.

Subs

Norwood - 4 First contribution was to hit the first man from a corner and looked a second away from a fuck-up for 25 minutes.
McGoldrick - 5 - No impact really. Got the ball a few times but too slow
Bogle - 5 - Did nothing little going forward in limited time and looked iffy at the back

Wilder - 1 - Despite the amount of injuries we had simply refused to do anything differently. Subs were late and shit. Record signing left on the bench. Tactically clueless. Couldn't affect a thing. Same tired changes. Blah blah blah. I'm sure he;ll have lot of things to blame but never himself. He never takes responsibility, unless we're doing well and then he basks in it.

You can’t seriously mark Ramsdale down on the goal -attacker 6 / 8 yards out covers his angle correctly with Ampadu covering the attacker defender makes a big mistake and the ball is hit with so much power from close range

 

[robbiez666]

You can’t seriously mark Ramsdale down on the goal -attacker 6 / 8 yards out covers his angle correctly with Ampadu covering the attacker defender makes a big mistake and the ball is hit with so much power from close range

Admittedly, I would like to see it again on a bigger screen, but I thought he should have made himself bigger. Like their keeper did to Sharp later on. Other than that, he was fine. Hence a 6. Apart from easy saves and a few good catches, didn't really have a lot to do.

 

[cmuk]

You can’t seriously mark Ramsdale down on the goal -attacker 6 / 8 yards out covers his angle correctly with Ampadu covering the attacker defender makes a big mistake and the ball is hit with so much power from close range

I stopped reading after his Ramsdale bit...

Rammers has looked good last two games, rest of team, not so much.

 

[Working Class Hero]

What should he have done different?

we all knew we were fcked without Egan but you all throw your toys out of the pram when we go to a team that’s just won at Everton and not surprisingly struggle with a makeshift team out , no matter how much you cry there was a lot of circumstances that contributed to that performance tonight ... a lot of you are like babbies!

When you have a shortage of midfielders, you don't try to fit three in, when the best formation only requires two, for a start. Even more so when that three includes a centre half, so you've just disrupted the defence as well. No one can tell me that makes sense.

Bogle and Mcgoldrick both dropped when they've been our best performers?

McBurnie played and we didn't have the ball...again. He must know that's what happens by now?

 

[bartman]

Based on ....
Halifax- brilliant
Oxford- brilliant,
Northampton- brilliant
League 1 - brilliant
Championship- brilliant
Championship- brilliant
Premier League- brilliant
Premier league second season. On the wrong end of a lot of narrow score lines

We were shite tonight. I’m angry too

When you have time look at our results from 1st Janauary 2020. How many points gained, away wins, goals scored. this isn't an overnight malaise, we have had very few good performances for over 12 months. We are negative, slow, poor technically in passing the ball and movement. That is not due to a lack of spending power, it is poor coaching and management.

It is not the fact we are losing, it is the way we are losing. We are not approaching games like we expect a Blades team to approach games.

The fact we are chasing the game today and he didnt even bring on our record signing to try and get us a goal was staggering .

 

[SilkyBlade]

Wilder saying def penalty and very close game and deserved something....fuck me that’s worse than the actual performance we didn’t even win a second ball and have a shot on goal....crikey how the expectations have come crashing down.

 

[GKhantRebel]

Bizarre team selection for a must win game, sitting back against a relegation rival; with a makeshift back three, and then not reacting immediately to conceding.

Baffling, I can't get my head around how inept the players were tonight they should be ashamed. The shackles should truly be off now, have a fu&£in' go!!!!!

A correction to my own mini-rant, Ramsdale is exempt, he did nothing wrong tonight in my eyes, nothing he could do about the goal.

 

[Geordie Blade]

No he didn’t that was a perfectly good brave legitimate piece of goalkeeping

You genuinely think that his right leg had to kick Bogle’s shin as part of the save?

 

[gordoncharles]

There was one positive tonight from watching us be outclassed by a team two places higher, and that was that Kean Bryan, a player I thought had nothing like the level to be on the pitch in a PL game, has improved greatly, and is no longer a sitting duck I have to feel sorry for. He could turn out to be a good player.

Just as a disclaimer, in the fog caused by after-match scotch, I can't be 100% certain that's because he's getting better, or his teammates worse, but hopefully it's the former.

 

[vas borbokis]

No he didn’t that was a perfectly good brave legitimate piece of goalkeeping

Well every Pundit on Sky and BBC has called it out as a stone wall pen. You're just wrong pal.

 

[HD8 Blades]

When you have timeook at our results from 1st Janauary 2020. How many pokemon ts gained, away wins, goals scored this isn't an overnight malaise, we have had very few good performances for over 12 months. We are negative, slow, poor technically in passing the ball and movement. That is not due to a lack of spending power, it is poor coaching and management.

It is not the fact we are losing, it is the way we are losing. We are not approaching gamesike we expect a Blades team to approach games.

The fact we are chasing the game today and he didnt even bring on our record signing to try and get us a goal was staggering .

As I said in a previous post - tactics, team selection and performance were awful but it’s one of A or B rather than C

A- Tactics were ok but players failed to understand or deliver
B- Team selection was designed to try and do something new and different but team failed to understand or deliver.
C- Wilder has become a poor manager overnight

 

[bartman]

As I said in a previous post - tactics, team selection and performance were awful but it’s one of A or B rather than C

A- Tactics were ok but players failed to understand or deliver
B- Team selection was designed to try and do something new and different but team failed to understand or deliver.
C- Wilder has become a poor manager overnight

If it is A - he picked the wrong players to deliver the tactics

If B same as A

If C - you could argue that he has been a poor manager for the last 12 mo ths( ie not overnight)

Or it might be a case of Wilder has gone stale with us and needs a change

 

[HD8 Blades]

If it is A - he picked the wrong players to deliver the tactics

If B same as A

If C - you could argue that he has been a poor manager for the last 12 mo ths( ie not overnight)

Or it might be a case of Wilder has gone stale with us and needs a change

Big Sam, McClaren or Warnock?

 

[bartman]

Big Sam, McClaren or Warnock?

Why would anyone have them as managers ?

 

[robbiez666]

You can’t seriously mark Ramsdale down on the goal -attacker 6 / 8 yards out covers his angle correctly with Ampadu covering the attacker defender makes a big mistake and the ball is hit with so much power from close range

So, I have another look. What's he doing with his positioning here? I do think if he stood facing Lookman he might have saved it. I don't think it's a keeper error, as such, but I'd expect better from a PL keeper, from that angle.

 

[HD8 Blades]

Why would anyone have them as managers ?

Who do you want then?

 

[bartman]

Who do you want then?

That is for the board to decide. They have decided to keep Wilder so he us the one we have. However whoever is in charge next season has to get the team playing better quality attacking football with pace in key areas

 

[BlairBlade]

Focusing on the cup

probably not for long.

 

[BlairBlade]

As expected.
McBurnie will never be good enough at this level.
McGoldrick, Burke, Bogle on the bench.
Boring defensive display.

Maybe he didn’t think this was a game we could win.
Just shows you how right he can be.

 

[JJBlade]

Worst thing about this is , Fulham are shit but we are making them look like fucking Brazil.

No confidence on the ball whatsoever.

Fulham aren't brilliant, they aren't a big club

But they understand one thing

You need creativity, and you have to pay for it.

They haven't got a bunch of morons as fans that are fooled by the cheapskate "don't get the club into financial trouble" bolox.

In two years, we will be in this "financial trouble bolox" because we won't be able to make a brass farthing on any player we've got.

 

[BlairBlade]

This ‘team’ are seriously testing my patience now. Shambles springs to mind - still, “it’s the Premier League”

What about the guy who picks the team, is in charge of the training sessions and decides the tactics?

 

[BlairBlade]

As I said in a previous post - tactics, team selection and performance were awful but it’s one of A or B rather than C

A- Tactics were ok but players failed to understand or deliver
B- Team selection was designed to try and do something new and different but team failed to understand or deliver.
C- Wilder has become a poor manager overnight

Why is C) referencing ‘over night’?
He has had the whole of this season.
Surely it has been on the cards for some time, including a lot if last season where we did not score enough goals, make enough chances, have much possession, etc.

 

[Karlos]

Fulham aren't brilliant, they aren't a big club

But they understand one thing

You need creativity, and you have to pay for it.

They haven't got a bunch of morons as fans that are fooled by the cheapskate "don't get the club into financial trouble" bolox.

In two years, we will be in this "financial trouble bolox" because we won't be able to make a brass farthing on any player we've got.

Sorry, I don't get the quotes in your post.they aren't my quotes anyway.
I understand where your coming from though regarding possible sell on fees in the future though with some players .
My original point though is that Fulham are no better , players wise than we are IMO.we proved last year we can play good stuff against the best of them . This year the system, confidence, momentum,whatever you want to call it has all gone to pot.

 

[JJBlade]

Sorry, I don't get the quotes in your post.they aren't my quotes anyway.
I understand where your coming from though regarding possible sell on fees in the future though with some players .
My original point though is that Fulham are no better , players wise than we are IMO.we proved last year we can play good stuff against the best of them . This year the system, confidence, momentum,whatever you want to call it has all gone to pot.

Wasn't having a go at you mate,

Just agreeing with you and then adding a bit on

 

[BerksBlade]

No idea how you can mark Bogle the same as Ampadu?
Bogle almost got in 30 seconds after coming on, and would have won us a penalty with a competent ref.
Ampadu neshed yet another tackle that cost us a goal

 

[HD8 Blades]

Why is C) referencing ‘over night’?
He has had the whole of this season.
Surely it has been on the cards for some time, including a lot if last season where we did not score enough goals, make enough chances, have much possession, etc.

Not literally overnight but my point is that Wilder’s career as a manager began 19 seasons ago. Nearly every season has been a huge success.

 

[Le Cynique]

Yes they were. They lost their last 10 matches in a row. Yet they keep their manager and players and are 7 points clear at the top. Anyone who wants shot of Wilder wants their head testing. He’s the best man to bring us back up. Has everyone forgotten the last 4 seasons? He’s had COVID and an injury crisis like no other to contend with. He’s not blameless but we shouldn’t get the knives out for the best manager we’ve had in the last 40 years.

Norwich at least looked like they wanted to play and win. They might have lost but that was because they weren’t good enough defensively for the Premier League, not because they’d stopped giving a shit about playing.

 

[The Crab]

You missed Watford, where are they?

They changed their manager in summer.

Watford change their manager when the milk runs out

 

[SE1Blade]

Answer me this, would you buy a season ticket to watch that? I wouldn’t, how many are thinking the same?

In the championship, 100%. Plus Im a Blade and have seen far far worse teams. We’re just out of our depth. We had success too quickly and the injuries and COVID have done for us. Did you not enjoy watching us last season before COVID and injuries came along? No reason why we can’t do that again.

 

[Varkanoid]

No idea how you can mark Bogle the same as Ampadu?
Bogle almost got in 30 seconds after coming on, and would have won us a penalty with a competent ref.
Ampadu neshed yet another tackle that cost us a goal

Agree Ampadu was at fault. Just watched it on MoTD again and if you watch Ampadu's trackback with their attacker he gets in a right mess even before the box, not tight on him, watching the ball more than the attacker its no wonder he gets in a mess for the intercept. Watch it again from when the ball is at half way line.

Ramsdale bar Didzy is the only one who is looking like they have confidence and actually improving. It could have been 4 or 5 nil if not for him. Most of us knocked him as a keeper but I can see him getting Player of The Year and I feel sorry for him now behind a leaky weak defense.

Oh and yes it should have been a penalty.