It's all about the center backs........isn't it?

[alcoblade]

Before everyone gets too fixed on signing center backs as our panacea, this table tells you something about where Clough has gone wrong, tactically.

http://www.soccerstats.com/timing.asp?league=england3

Given our woeful first half position, it's clear that when we've opened up and gone for it in the 2nd half we've clearly done well. This is without changes to the defence.

Take note Mr Clough. It's been glaringly obvious ALL season and you've missed it. The penny has to drop, and soon.

UTB

 

[wizadry]

Very telling stats. There is only 2 teams who have scored fewer than us in the first half and they are Yeovil and Colchester, alternatively there are also only 2 teams scored more than us in the second half and they are Bristol City and Mk plastics. Relegation form first half and automatic form second half hence our lack of consistency and why we finished just as close to the bottom as we did the top even though we finished 5th.

 

[sitwell]

This goes directly against the popular belief and the Derby fans predictions that we go 1-0 up and shut up shop in the second half.

 

[Caseh]

This goes directly against the popular belief and the Derby fans predictions that we go 1-0 up and shut up shop in the second half.

To be fair, he has tried that several times, but we can't defend.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Definitely not about the center backs....might be about the centre backs though!

 

[alcoblade]

This goes directly against the popular belief and the Derby fans predictions that we go 1-0 up and shut up shop in the second half.

The facts are the facts though. Perhaps the two aren't mutually exclusive.

We have witnessed first hand what happens when we do go in front. Perhaps the disappointment of throwing a lead weighs disproportionately on the conscience.

UTB

 

[alcoblade]

Definitely not about the center backs....might be about the centre backs though!

Ah yes, the important stuff.

Your application for the role of unpaid Internet bulletin board spellchecker is in the pile.



UTB

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Ah yes, the important stuff.

Your application for the role of unpaid Internet bulletin board spellchecker is in the pile.



UTB

Quite important, unless you are American in which case humble apologies. If not, change your spellchecker to English (UK).

Interestingly enough, you never find an American getting their version of the language wrong.

 

[alcoblade]

Quite important, unless you are American in which case humble apologies. If not, change your spellchecker to English (UK).

Interestingly enough, you never find an American getting their version of the language wrong.

To be honest fella (sp? ), I think life's a bit too short. But each to their own.

As for your 2nd point, I clearly know a different set of Americans to you.

UTB

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

To be honest fella (sp? ), I think life's a bit too short. But each to their own.

As for your 2nd point, I clearly know a different set of Americans to you.

UTB

Really?

I've never come across an American who doesn't write color, center, fiber, flavor, humor, traveler, defense, catalog, pretense. They may make many spelling mistakes but I've never found one yet who uses the English equivalent to an Americanized spelling. Pride in the language? Good schooling? (Hardly) Or are you just a..........

 

[alcoblade]

Really?

I've never come across an American who doesn't write color, center, fiber, flavor, humor, traveler, defense, catalog, pretense. They may make many spelling mistakes but I've never found one yet who uses the English equivalent to an Americanized spelling. Pride in the language? Good schooling? (Hardly) Or are you just a..........

Apologies. I meant Americans who make the odd spelling mistake and appreciate that life's too short.

To be fair, I have my acceptance window too. When I read text type I think - "Are you a Tosser?".

When I read people publicly picking up on the position of an apostrophe, or the slip of an Americanism, I think - "You are a complete tosser".

UTB

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Apologies. I meant Americans who make the odd spelling mistake and appreciate that life's too short.

To be fair, I have my acceptance window too. When I read text type I think - "Are you a Tosser?".

When I read people publicly picking up on the position of an apostrophe, or the slip of an Americanism, I think - "You are a complete tosser".

UTB

The apostrophe thing is a difficult rule, several variations and more than a few chances of getting it wrong, therefore I wouldn't become a pedant over it. English spelling or American spelling of a word has no such variant, one or t'other. Only slightly excusable if someone has the spellcheck setting wrong. Not tossers, just sad twats, pretending to be something they aren't.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Apologies. I meant Americans who make the odd spelling mistake and appreciate that life's too short.

To be fair, I have my acceptance window too. When I read text type I think - "Are you a Tosser?".

When I read people publicly picking up on the position of an apostrophe, or the slip of an Americanism, I think - "You are a complete tosser".

UTB

Why do you think that?

Isn't the correct usage of language and grammar important?

Just curious

 

[Wards]

Like I said the other day, if we'd played the majority of matches with the freedom we did second half on Monday night then we'd have won a lot more than we have. The problem is we're afraid of losing.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Like I said the other day, if we'd played the majority of matches with the freedom we did second half on Monday night then we'd have won a lot more than we have. The problem is we're afraid of losing.

Agree, but then again the play-safe, let's not lose isn't just a Blades thing. Mourinho has always had this pragmatic approach to the game. Difference is, he has the players to play out a 1-0 win when required.

 

[Wards]

Absolutely, and it takes a certain type of player with a type of mentality to do it. Asking 3rd division players to perform duties with that level of concentration is ridiculous really.

 

[Gibbo89]

All it really shows is that we have a team which performs best once the game starts to open up in the second half. As we've had little useful presence at set pieces that would seem predictable.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

All it really shows is that we have a team which performs best once the game starts to open up in the second half. As we've had little useful presence at set pieces that would seem predictable.

Nothing wrong with keeping it tight and giving nothing away for 60 minutes of the game and then start to exploit the space as the game opens up. Bit difficult to do, if every time the opposition get a corner or free-kick they score.

 

[Torrix1889]

This goes directly against the popular belief and the Derby fans predictions that we go 1-0 up and shut up shop in the second half.

Ah but that is the plan Sitters. Our primary objective for each and every game is not to lose, hence the negative formations both home and away and the very defensive performances, (despite not having a very good defence!) particularly in the first half of a game. 10 men behind the ball at all times, home or away, playing against top or bottom teams. If we then manage a goal playing in this fashion then we defend that goal, how many times have we gone ahead and sat deeper and deeper, trying to protect the lead...

But what happens instead is we start off slowly and cautiously with the intention of not conceding but at some point we do ship a goal and then have to chase the game.....hence being amongst the lowest first half scorers and the highest second half.

Approach the game positively from the off.........but no, not negative Nigel.

 

[JohnDenver]

Agree with the OP. Promotion not only requires the capacity to defend, but also an abandonment of our passivity. A top two side must dominate games at home. I can't think of any exceptions.

 

[sheffielder]

This goes directly against the popular belief and the Derby fans predictions that we go 1-0 up and shut up shop in the second half.

Keeper off form, no CB's and no shield infront of them. I think we all know why we can't shut up shop.

 

[The Bohemian]

Before everyone gets too fixed on signing center backs as our panacea, this table tells you something about where Clough has gone wrong, tactically.

http://www.soccerstats.com/timing.asp?league=england3

Given our woeful first half position, it's clear that when we've opened up and gone for it in the 2nd half we've clearly done well. This is without changes to the defence.

Take note Mr Clough. It's been glaringly obvious ALL season and you've missed it. The penny has to drop, and soon.

UTB

Conceding the initiative has been a season feature, however, there are several reasons which point strongly to our lack of centre half resource being key to our failure this season:

1. We have conceded too many goals, given the style of play pursued by Cloughie.
2. We have conceded too many goals from set-piece headers.
3. We have scored too few goals from corners.
4. We have created too many second ball situations in our own half by failing to command our own air space (which our lightweight midfielders then struggle to cope with).
5. We have played two of our better players out of position to compensate.
5.1 This indirectly resulted in one of those picking up a serious injury and missing the second-leg of the Play-off semi and possibly most of next season.
6. We have lost games directly as a result of being unable to cope with a big, target-man, type centre-forward (e.g. Bradford at home).
7. Tell me a time when we have succeeded without at least one strong, dominant stopper!

This is Cloughie's least forgivable error.

 

[alcoblade]

Why do you think that?

Isn't the correct usage of language and grammar important?

Just curious

Not really to me, on an internet bulletin board. The message is important, not the setting of some spellchecker (or no spellchecker at all in my case) on the other side of the internet.

It's clearly important to some. SEB (and perhaps you) think that I should have had better schooling, I think he's coming across as a pedantic fool.

UTB

 

[Crofton Blade]

I think its strange that for most of the season we've mostly moaned about not having any strikers (that were any good, anyway), but as the season wore on it was realised that by most fans that the real problem lay with the defence not being good enough. Clough would like us to play "defensively"- i.e. men behind the ball, one lone striker, then hit the opposition on the break. If we get the first goal then its up to the opposition to attack us, we then hit them again on the break. Nothing wrong with those tactics, they worked well for his dad, but the defence was not good enough all season to defend either the 1-0 lead or even the 0-0.
I think Cloughie needs to have a long hard look at the teams who have been promoted automatically. They did it with attacking football, goals and more goals.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Sheffield United goals - first half 27.3% second half 72.7% - big difference.

 

[Darthblade]

Before everyone gets too fixed on signing center backs as our panacea, this table tells you something about where Clough has gone wrong, tactically.

http://www.soccerstats.com/timing.asp?league=england3

Given our woeful first half position, it's clear that when we've opened up and gone for it in the 2nd half we've clearly done well. This is without changes to the defence.

Take note Mr Clough. It's been glaringly obvious ALL season and you've missed it. The penny has to drop, and soon.

UTB

I think its quite simple really........
We played ALL season without two dominant centre halves.
We played until the end of January with no strikers.
We played ALL season with miniature midfield players who cannot physically compete in this Division.
Not really a surprise then that we fu**ed it up, is it.
UTB & FTP

 

[Bladesway]

Why do you think that?

Isn't the correct usage of language and grammar important?

Just curious

Important to a point but when it becomes pedantry for the sake of it to lessen someones point on a forum then it's over the top.

We all have differing degrees of grammatical ability but that shouldn't mean someones point is less thought of because of it.

Text speak however........

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Why do you think that?

Isn't the correct usage of language and grammar important?

Just curious

There is no correct usage, just conventions?

This is the age old Prescriptivist v Descriptivist debate.

Fwiw I do think you should generally use written language carefully.

For me misspellings, greengrocer's apostrophes and the like can be seen as a lack of respect for the audience. Though this really does depend on the context.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Important to a point but when it becomes pedantry for the sake of it to lessen someones point on a forum then it's over the top.

We all have differing degrees of grammatical ability but that shouldn't mean someones point is less thought of because of it.

Text speak however........

I agree generally (especially txtspk ...) but it does puzzle me why people get so defensive about it, as if it actually isn't that important.

Which I think it is but then that's just my generation I guess

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

There is no correct usage, just conventions?

This is the age old Prescriptivist v Descriptivist debate.

Fwiw I do think you should generally use written language carefully.

For me misspellings, greengrocer's apostrophes and the like can be seen as a lack of respect for the audience. Though this really does depend on the context.

It looks silly for a start!