Great 3 Points....average performance

[Cutbush City Limits]

Just back from Spotlands and very relieved to have the 3 pts in the bag.

Save for Mcnulty's nice finish, the 1st half was poor, unable to retain possession and struggled to win the 2nd ball. Dale gave us little time on the ball but instead of passing round them we seemed intent to try to hit a wonder pass.

2nd half was better but still struggled to pass the ball to a yellow shirt, though The Beard didn't half enjoy his goal!

As Cloughy says, its all about the points though and that makes the trip enjoyable.

Still worried about Coutts' quality and Doyler seems to be getting slower!

MOM for me tonight was Tel Kennedy - just wins stuff!

UTB!!

 

[raul]

We probably won't have to work harder for a win all season and two games a week is taking its toll. I have more faith in their spirit than ability and am undecided which of those is most important in the play-offs.

 

[MBoreman]

Thought Coutts did well with his injury, until he tired late on. Doyle class again. Flynn made a good return from injury. We were never going to have it all our own way, but we played some nice stuff early doors and got through the second half well.

 

[bartman]

I thought some of the players looked jaded tonight and in need of a rest. In particular Doyle,McEverly, Murphy,and Basham struggled at times. Bash will get a two game rest when he gets his next booking but i think the others need to miss a game.

Maybe time for Freeman,Davies and Reid to start at the weekend

I wonder if NC will get a short term loan in as we may be down to one forward on Saturday

 

[Blade82]

I actually thought we were better in the 1st half. Murphy showing glimpses of brilliance, Flynn having a go, mcnulty working hard and pressing along with the class finish. Basham and brayford bossing their battles.

Thought the freeman substitution was a negative one and the game changed subsequently.

Unfortunately we gave away possession too often throughout but we won. Too often we've put in an average performance and dropped points. The last three games we've picked up 7 points which earlier on in the season would have only been 2.

Shame other results didn't go for us tonight, but the gap to 7th has grown and we still have games in hand in the battle for top 2. A lot of positives to be taken out of our recent form and performances.

 

[sitwell]

Flynn was tiring ,but showed that he and Brayford are the best partnership down the right. McCeveley and Turner make me nervous ,Murphy was too deep for me ,Basham had an off night ,McNulty was off the pace but a great finish ,and Done was born to be offside
Turner 6
Brayford 7
Harris 7
McCeveley 5
Kennedy 8
Flynn 7
Doyle 7
Basham 6
Murphy 6
Coutts 6
McNulty 6

Done 5
Freeman 6

ref 7
Pie 2
home for 11.15 9

 

[Northyorksblade]

Doyle class again.

WHAT? Surely not

 

[Rusty view]

Agree with what you say Brownie. The number of times we hoofed it out of CB positions and it either went out of play all to a Dale player astonished me.

Turners distribution was very poor and at times he seemed unsure of whether to throw it out kick it out of his hands or kick it off the ground - this may have been lack of options, and I'm sure over time this will improve.

As alluded to we failed to keep the ball and therefore invited more presure on us than we needed to. The two times we got the ball on the ground and stroked it around we scored. Yes Brayfords strike was lucky, but the space we created with the 3 or 4 passes was good to see.

Coutts was poor I felt, but no one really stood out. For me it was crying out for someone just to get the ball and take control of play.

As Clough said on the radio, it's points not performance that matter, but for me performance will breed the points. A better team would have beaten us last night.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Agree with what you say Brownie. The number of times we hoofed it out of CB positions and it either went out of play all to a Dale player astonished me.

Turners distribution was very poor and at times he seemed unsure of whether to throw it out kick it out of his hands or kick it off the ground - this may have been lack of options, and I'm sure over time this will improve.

As alluded to we failed to keep the ball and therefore invited more presure on us than we needed to. The two times we got the ball on the ground and stroked it around we scored. Yes Brayfords strike was lucky, but the space we created with the 3 or 4 passes was good to see.

Coutts was poor I felt, but no one really stood out. For me it was crying out for someone just to get the ball and take control of play.

As Clough said on the radio, it's points not performance that matter, but for me performance will breed the points. A better team would have beaten us last night.

Missed Baxter?

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

WHAT? Surely not

Humble pie for me last night, Doyle was one of the few players who tried to keep it on the deck last night, the best in our midfield by a mile.

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

Pie 2

Commiserations

As Clough said on the radio, it's points not performance that matter, but for me performance will breed the points. A better team would have beaten us last night.

Sounds like we're getting the knack, though, performances or not ? 13 points from the last 15, collected at home and away, including most of one game played with ten men. We badly needed some grit and steel--how many games were we bullied out of, before the January window ? Couldn't go last night, but on paper that looks like a midfield and a back line that most sides in the division would find very hard to break down.

Last season showed that Nige can put together a "performances" team, and this season is beginning to show--at last--that he can put together a "results" team. Whatever happens this season, and wherever we end up, we should be optimistic that a good summer window will give us a side that can do both at the same time next year.

Up the Blades. We are getting there.

 

[wizadry]

Missed Baxter?

Nah! We won't miss that lazy fat twat who likes to get the ball on the deck and keep things ticking over

 

[blade too long]

said it before , previous campaigns when weve achieved promotion theres loads of skin of your teeth wins , nature of the beast , no team steam rollers everyone

 

[Grappler]

I'll take three points any way we can at the moment, we need to cement that top 6 position. Sure, it's great to see good football, and goals like McNulty's last night, as welll as recent classy finishes from Murphy in recent weeks, make the game more enjoyable, but I would rather a dire game and we win than a great, thrilling game and we lose, we all would.

Look at the 6th position, it has been held by us, Chesterfield, Doncaster and Bradford in as many weeks. The more distance we can put between ourselves and 6th spot the better, because every game will be a "will we, won't we", heart in mouth game, each week.

Finally, I have been saying it all season, and it seems a lot of others are agreeing, we need to start Terry Kennedy as many times as his injuries/knees allow. He does not score goals, he doesn't always make a Baxter/Reed killer pass, but he puts in more effort than any man on the pitch. He often wins in the air, even though he is not a six footer, and he is 100% fearless, an old fashioned body-on-the-line player. For me, he has done enough to be player of the season, never mind man of the match.

Put it this way, if football was war (and I mean real war), Terry Kennedy is the lad you want beside you when you come under fire. The heart of a lion.

 

[raul]

Pie 2

One fewer than Rodders then.

 

[TomMounsey]

Finally, I have been saying it all season, and it seems a lot of others are agreeing, we need to start Terry Kennedy as many times as his injuries/knees allow. He does not score goals, he doesn't always make a Baxter/Reed killer pass, but he puts in more effort than any man on the pitch. He often wins in the air, even though he is not a six footer, and he is 100% fearless, an old fashioned body-on-the-line player. For me, he has done enough to be player of the season, never mind man of the match.

Put it this way, if football was war (and I mean real war), Terry Kennedy is the lad you want beside you when you come under fire. The heart of a lion.

Not sure we need him to be scoring goals or making killer passes!!!! Thats other peoples job! Agree with you 100% that he has been solid as a rock since he's come in to the side

 

[sitwell]

Commiserations



I'll give them to Mrs Sitwell

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Not sure we need him to be scoring goals or making killer passes!!!! Thats other peoples job! Agree with you 100% that he has been solid as a rock since he's come in to the side

His through ball to Murph v Swindon wasn't bad !

Bloke behind me last night kept calling him Morgs

 

[Sharrowblade]

Yes, it wasn't pretty.

Although my little un's were impressed when I caught the ball in the second half when everyone was shouting 'handball'

 

[sitwell]

Little things make me laugh ,when Coutts had a shot and it hit the top of the stand and landed in the box ,a bloke near me shouted 'play on' ,still makes me laugh now.

 

[Grappler]

Little things make me laugh ,when Coutts had a shot and it hit the top of the stand and landed in the box ,a bloke near me shouted 'play on' ,still makes me laugh now.

It's like whenever McEveley gets the ball and starts to run towards the half way line, some lads behind me always start shouting "shoot!", because of that thundering goal he scored recently. The same lads will often shout "hand ball", if the match is going through a quiet patch, for no particular reason.

 

[Taramasalata]

One fewer than Rodders then.

To be fair, the beard does need a certain amount of grease to keep it in shape

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Little things make me laugh ,when Coutts had a shot and it hit the top of the stand and landed in the box ,a bloke near me shouted 'play on' ,still makes me laugh now.

After everything that's been said about idiots in our crowds the thing that still keeps me coming back time and again are those little things that are unique to Blades' humour. Always dead-pan. Always dry. Always minimalist.

Like the bloke that was always a syllable behind on every song on the kop.

Like the tiny bloke at the bar in and amongst the biggest, meanest, ugliest looking South Yorkshire blokes you could imagine - desperately trying to get past without spilling his pint or upsetting anyone - and his mate offering helpful advice like "Steve, why dun't thi try tipping some of it down that bloke's coo-at - oh, my mistake, thi has already".

Or the guy at Wembley after the semi-final who was following the platform announcer around and getting another line of Greasy Chip Butty over the tannoy every time he switched the mic on.

 

[Foxy]

I'm still smarting from conceding the goal, given that just before kick-off I went 2-0 Blades, McNulty first scorer at 40/1