How good are we ,really ?

[blade too long]

Liverpool 2. Bournemouth 1
SHEFF Utd 2 Bournemouth 1
Sufc 1. Brighton 1
Wolves 0 Brighton 0
Arsenal 1 West ham 0
Sufc 1 West ham 0

Our results are as good as our competitors
All this doubt is self inflicted

 

[petcharlie]

For a lot of today's game we were almost back to where we were in the autumn, in terms of style of play. It petered out at the end and we ended up defending deep to protect a 1-0 lead, which we very nearly lost despite that, against the team who are bottom of the league. That's probably why the OP felt it was a bit of an anti-climax, I thought so myself a bit.

I think we all realise our problem is converting our own chances, a slight improvement on that front would make games like today a whole lot easier to bear towards the end.

We are bottom of the shots at goal table but that isn't the way the side plays. Despite a low number of shots at goal we're 4th in the PL for "big chances missed". That's because we get in a lot of crosses (we're 4th in the league on that stat too), and those are usually from good positions, not hopeful long diagonals.

Sharp's goal today is, I think, only the third headed goal we've scored all season (?)

I still think we're over-performing and it's fantastic what the players and coaching staff have managed to achieve. It's a proper team and for that I am grateful, even if I think with the current squad our level is actually a couple of places below where we currently are in the league.

I agree with you.The reason we might be a shade higher than maybe we should be is the fact we have the best goalie in the Prem.He must be worth a good few points to us.I think as you say it is the goal scoring department that is our weak point.We do not have a 15 to 20 goal striker and if Henderson was to go back to Manchester we could be in a less favourable position. It is our defence and the goalie who have got us where we are today and not our strikers.Lets hope come the summer we are able to put that right.

 

[TJ blade]

According to some norwich. Were a bunch of trolls. Dirty and would sooner have their model.

Also on there message board they say there much further forward with there football than us if that's what they call progress I think it's time they gave Specsavers a bell

 

[Camden Blade]

Ag

I agree with you.The reason we might be a shade higher than maybe we should be is the fact we have the best goalie in the Prem.He must be worth a good few points to us.I think as you say it is the goal scoring department that is our weak point.We do not have a 15 to 20 goal striker and if Henderson was to go back to Manchester we could be in a less favourable position. It is our defence and the goalie who have got us where we are today and not our strikers.Lets hope come the summer we are able to put that right.

The defence is exceptional the midfield trio are very very good. Apart from Billy upfront is where we seem to be falling short. We probably need a £30-40 millon striker to be top 4. McBurnie is a favourite but he doesn't score enough goals for an out and out forward.

 

[Willie Carlin]

Came away today even though we won , feeling a little flat at the performance , especially second half, which is crazy taking into account the journey we are on and the fantastic achievements so far .

Since the Man City away game at Xmas I think we have been a stop start team with moments of brilliance and longer periods of ordinary.

The pundits have been very very complimentary to us (in the main) and we are the darlings of the prem but our recent performances haven’t been up to the standards we have been used to .

Walking back to the car I spent time talking to some Norwich supporters who said we are great at what we do which , they say , is closing down and pressing opposition but without too much flair / I then defended us by saying that our football has been excellent and that most people still associate us with the Warnock and Bassett era even though I must admit that since Xmas our performance levels have been around 70% of earlier season form . They looked at me as if I was taking crap as they associate us with string arm in your face tactics .

Question is

How good are we really ?

We are very good! and have been since Chris and Alan took over. Long may it continue

 

[Elvis Legs]

Let's twist it round and ask 'how good are Norwich'? They were decent last season, won promotion and went with a similar squad to the one that got them promoted. This season they're dog shit. They leak goals, don't score a great deal and prance around as though they're better than they are. Deservedly bottom of the league, they're fucking shit and I hope they go down.

Us on the other hand, kept the majority of our squad, added a couple of good signings, are still playing the same football and are fucking great. We mix it up with the physical, that we're really good at actually, and moments of sublime football that are a joy to watch. We're not 6th because of a fluke, we're there on merit and any disappointment from our fans is way off the mark.

Norwich and their fans can fuck right off, after that bollocks at the Lane a couple of seasons back they have no right to criticise any team. If they'd have scored first today they'd have been at it again so sorry, no sympathy from me.

Onward and upward. UTBFTP!

 

[Booker4]

10th clean sheet of the season
Out on our own in front after fast fading Liverpool leaked yet another goal .How shit are theyView attachment 73227

Far too many white boots in there! I wonder what Paul Stancliffe would think!?

 

[Harrisblade]

Ag

The defence is exceptional the midfield trio are very very good. Apart from Billy upfront is where we seem to be falling short. We probably need a £30-40 millon striker to be top 4. McBurnie is a favourite but he doesn't score enough goals for an out and out forward.

And of course, all PL teams start off with at least one £30/40m striker in their first PL season.
Let's just wait and see what we do in a couple of seasons time.

 

[PokerBlade]

I watched one of our players flick it over the head of a defender, bring it down, and almost score. After I rubbed my eyes I realised it was our fucking centre back. And people want to talk about our lack of flair?

I get it. We aren't doing that all game long. Sometimes we graft, sometimes we grind out a half, but really Norwich had one good chance in that second half and they couldn't take it with Hendo making a fantastic double (triple?) save and our centre forward clearing off the line.

The thing that people overlook is that while we don't have much in the way of outstanding skill, a Sheffield Ronaldinho or something, our players are incredibly technically well rounded. They move between multiple positions on the pitch through a game never once looking out of place. The wing backs are out and out wingers one minute and then dropping back to cover a centre half the next. Basham is comfortable centre back, full back, midfield. Fleck switches between defensive and attacking midfield, drifting out wide and through the middle. So maybe they don't have that much "flair" but there aren't that many players both technically rounded enough and also intelligent enough to play the way we play.

It's all built on a foundation of incredibly hard work but it's so much more than that. And it has us in the top half of possibly the toughest division in the world.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Room for improvement - and that is being ultra critical.

We need 2 quality players in the summer - not my words, the Princess words a few weeks ago. He's correct.

The game today should have been out of sight by half time - it wasn't and we nearly let Norwich back in it. A team like Wolves would have scored in the 2nd half - perhaps even two.

We are at the moment great at holding a lead -but a second goal puts the game to bed so we have to look to solving that problem next season for us to progress.

Sill, it's one game at a time - good win at Reading - good win at home to Norwich.

We move on.

UTB

 

[Punk Blade]

Agreed. Both Mousset and McBurnie have lost form at the same time and McGoldrick needs that (Premier League) goal. Fortunately there are goals from midfield and of course we have Billy Sharp.

I think we create the chances (quality rather than quantity) for a clinical finisher who can also create for himself to get 25-30 league goals, but they are in short supply and cost a lot at this level.

We’ve seen players in the current XI improve year-on-year under the current management so I’m hopeful of getting more out of McB and Moose next season. I also hope the draw of CL or EL football plus the money they bring will open up some better opportunities in the transfer market.

 

[Camden Blade]

Room for improvement - and that is being ultra critical.

We need 2 quality players in the summer - not my words, the Princess words a few weeks ago. He's correct.

The game today should have been out of sight by half time - it wasn't and we nearly let Norwich back in it. A team like Wolves would have scored in the 2nd half - perhaps even two.

We are at the moment great at holding a lead -but a second goal puts the game to bed so we have to look to solving that problem next season for us to progress.

Sill, it's one game at a time - good win at Reading - good win at home to Norwich.

We move on.

UTB

I think we should sign Meghan Markle. Princess.

 

[petcharlie]

I think we should sign Meghan Markle. Princess.

Thats not the type of scoring we are on about

 

[sufcboy95]

Was a weird game, one where we were poor for 70 minutes of it, but could’ve easily won 3/4-0

 

[dronny_blade]

When we win the premier league and champions league I can’t wait for the ‘...yeah but be we don’t shoot enough ‘

Agreed. Both Mousset and McBurnie have lost form at the same time and McGoldrick needs that (Premier League) goal. Fortunately there are goals from midfield and of course we have Billy Sharp.

‘McBurnie has lost form..’ if you actually genuinely think this then sorry but watching football and specifically watching Sheffield United really isn’t for you

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Came away today even though we won , feeling a little flat at the performance , especially second half, which is crazy taking into account the journey we are on and the fantastic achievements so far .

Since the Man City away game at Xmas I think we have been a stop start team with moments of brilliance and longer periods of ordinary.

The pundits have been very very complimentary to us (in the main) and we are the darlings of the prem but our recent performances haven’t been up to the standards we have been used to .

Walking back to the car I spent time talking to some Norwich supporters who said we are great at what we do which , they say , is closing down and pressing opposition but without too much flair / I then defended us by saying that our football has been excellent and that most people still associate us with the Warnock and Bassett era even though I must admit that since Xmas our performance levels have been around 70% of earlier season form . They looked at me as if I was taking crap as they associate us with string arm in your face tactics .

Question is

How good are we really ?

Look at the league table. It doesn’t lie.

I know what you mean about the performance today. There were periods of great football, particularly the opening10 minutes, and periods where we seemed to be standing off and moving the ball around too slowly, but that’s normal for most teams. Very few occasions when you see a team at it full pelt for 90 minutes. The game ebbs and flows and both teams have their moments.

The good news for us is we have more good moments than bad ones.

 

[PokerBlade]

Room for improvement - and that is being ultra critical.

We need 2 quality players in the summer - not my words, the Princess words a few weeks ago. He's correct.

The game today should have been out of sight by half time - it wasn't and we nearly let Norwich back in it. A team like Wolves would have scored in the 2nd half - perhaps even two.

We are at the moment great at holding a lead -but a second goal puts the game to bed so we have to look to solving that problem next season for us to progress.

Sill, it's one game at a time - good win at Reading - good win at home to Norwich.

We move on.

UTB

A team like Wolves is level on points with us having played a game more.

 

[bonobo]

You could argue that defensively, we are one of the 10 best teams in the world...

 

[Fulwood Blade]

A team like Wolves is level on points with us having played a game more.

fair comment - but they have played a lot more games than us with the Europa league.

It's a message our club should bear in mind IF we should qualify for that competition next season.

UTB

 

[MalvernBlade]

I see most opposition move the ball around neatly until they get to the final third then lack the quality to threaten our very well organised defence.

We sometimes work it through the thirds, sometimes go more direct, but when we get it down the flanks in the final third we knock it around and play someone in behind with relative ease, pen teams in and exert a lot of pressure. Our lack of quality is mostly in front of goal rather than in the build up, but Billy has shown his worth in this department yet again.

To answer the question, we are better than most realise or acknowledge, including plenty of our own supporters.

It's funny how so many comments are made about us being well drilled and hard working as if this is something new and beneath a 'proper football team '. When in reality all good teams are those who do exactly this and those teams struggling suddenly have a brain wave of getting their defence sorted and building from there. Easy this football lark. Thank goodness we have someone in charge finally doing this over the past 4 seasons.

 

[JayGreen17]

Watched the match personally we controlled the game if we scored the 2nd it could have been more quite easily were unique how we play

Were, is that we used to be and not any more

 

[Bladezz]

We are like Atletico Madrid not the most pleasing to watch but we continue to grind out results on a very regular basis. Work rate gets you a lot further than people think.

 

[JayGreen17]

Also on there message board they say there much further forward with there football than us if that's what they call progress I think it's time they gave Specsavers a bell

THEIR

 

[8lade]

When we win the premier league and champions league I can’t wait for the ‘...yeah but be we don’t shoot enough ‘

‘McBurnie has lost form..’ if you actually genuinely think this then sorry but watching football and specifically watching Sheffield United really isn’t for you

A delicate header into the keeper's hands today concluding 7 games without a goal and he almost fluffed the last goal he scored are not a striker on top form. Get that ball back on your nose and start clapping.

 

[TJ blade]

THEIR

Sorry teacher it want happen again

 

[BladesOnToast]

A delicate header into the keeper's hands today concluding 7 games without a goal and he almost fluffed the last goal he scored are not a striker on top form. Get that ball back on your nose and start clapping.

Weirdly, scoring goals isn't a particularly important characteristic for a striker in this team. Can't believe i just said that but it seems to be true. We've got 10 points from the last 4 games where McB has started every game yet failed to score, but who would you really drop him for the next one? I doubt CW will.

 

[zablade]

I think currently we are about the 6th or 7th best side in England.....

 

[Barnette]

Uniquely brilliant ... what was Bash doing with the overhead flick, and George doing on the left wing on the second half - that team today was 10 of the players from our Championship team - all this talk of spending mega bucks money makes me laugh

 

[nickwr37]

Came away today even though we won , feeling a little flat at the performance , especially second half, which is crazy taking into account the journey we are on and the fantastic achievements so far .

Since the Man City away game at Xmas I think we have been a stop start team with moments of brilliance and longer periods of ordinary.

The pundits have been very very complimentary to us (in the main) and we are the darlings of the prem but our recent performances haven’t been up to the standards we have been used to .

Walking back to the car I spent time talking to some Norwich supporters who said we are great at what we do which , they say , is closing down and pressing opposition but without too much flair / I then defended us by saying that our football has been excellent and that most people still associate us with the Warnock and Bassett era even though I must admit that since Xmas our performance levels have been around 70% of earlier season form . They looked at me as if I was taking crap as they associate us with string arm in your face tactics .

Question is

How good are we really ?

Need a clinical finisher...Maupay or the likes. Shoot more rather than try to stroll it in. That's my view. McB..jury still out for me.

 

[dronny_blade]

A delicate header into the keeper's hands today concluding 7 games without a goal and he almost fluffed the last goal he scored are not a striker on top form. Get that ball back on your nose and start clapping.

‘Almost fluffed the last goal’ ...brilliant, but he didn’t did he? Centre forwards are not there just to score goals, they create distraction,they create uncertainty, they create diversion...the game is slightly more complex than...Gerrit it in the goal,
But hey each to their own, I think he’s been a massive contributor to the best Blades team in living memory, clearly you don’t, that’s football fans opinions.