SwindonBladeJnr
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2014
- Messages
- 1,021
- Reaction score
- 2,607
Fortunately for me, I didn't have too far to trudge home. I feel very sorry for any Blades there today who have a long journey back home ahead of them.
Today's game was the first one that I have attended, having previously only seen the game against Bristol City on the box.
I'm feeling pretty concerned to be honest. This from someone who has been quietly confident that we have a squad capable of challenging for a top two position. That may still materialise but I'm now hoping rather than expecting.
Thoughts on the game:
Swindon were impressive, they play a short passing game and keep possession well. They played from the back and were happy to keep the ball with sideways and backwards passes around halfway and just inside their own half. As soon as we lost shape or discipline with one or two players coming out to close the ball down, they were quick to exploit the gaps either with an incisive pass or with a burst of pace with players carrying the ball. We struggled to cope with a number of their players when they ran at us - several times a Swindon man was able to beat (or run through) 3 or 4 of our players. The penalty we gave away was a prime example.
The only player in our back four today that deserves any credit is McEveley. The others were poor and looked leaden footed, struggling to make meaningful challenges, or even get close to their counterparts. The only time we coped well with an attack was when it was an aerial one.
Scougall was too deep all game to do what he does best; take the ball at pace and beat people. Murphy was disappointing in the first half but as I commented on another thread, he was only ever receiving the ball very deep with 50 yards and two or three Swindon players in front of him. Good dribbler he is, Messi he is not. In the second half, when we briefly rallied to bring it back to 3-2, the whole team had been able to push up meaning that Murphy finally could receive the ball near the Swindon penalty area but even then, all too often he was snuffed out.
Christ Basham was woeful. Absolutely useless. I honestly don't take any pleasure in talking about a Blades player like this but I'm afraid there is no getting away from it. People have pointed out that he is carrying out the 'box to box' role for us. It is all well and good having the engine to get up and down but when you have no composure, awareness, vision or technical ability the most you can ever be is a nuisance to the opposition. He wasn't even that today. He lacks aggression and for a man of his height, doesn't ever seem to be near an aerial challenge in the middle of the park.
Doyle was not much better in the first half but in the second did improve. Younger, fitter and quicker players in the middle for Swindon by and large got the better of him though.
Davies was ineffective in the first half but instrumental in our good spell in the second half. His crossing from the right caused all sorts of issues for Swindon and of course he got his goal. As I mentioned with Murphy - the whole team had managed to press up the pitch 20 yards or so in the second half which allowed him to receive the ball in more dangerous positions where his crossing becomes a weapon.
Flynn and Reed both did well when they came on and made us look a much more capable footballing outfit than previously (not particularly difficult today though admittedly).
My favourite player for us today though was McNulty. I think he really did well today given a lack of service and the fact that he was often isolated (more so in the first half). He has a good touch, is confident in holding possession and turning his man to get them facing their own goal. Lacks real pace but he isn't slow. I think we've got a good player there. We just need to get the likes of Flynn, Baxter and Scougall close enough to him to play and get the best from him.
I'm an optimist usually and I consider myself very patient with managers and players in comparison to most fans I come across on forums such as this. Today has however really worried me; continue to play like that and we will not make the top six let alone the top two. Hopefully with the likes of JCR, Wallace and Baxter to come back into the team, and with a couple of good loan acquisitions, this performance turns out to be an exception rather than a rule.
Today's game was the first one that I have attended, having previously only seen the game against Bristol City on the box.
I'm feeling pretty concerned to be honest. This from someone who has been quietly confident that we have a squad capable of challenging for a top two position. That may still materialise but I'm now hoping rather than expecting.
Thoughts on the game:
Swindon were impressive, they play a short passing game and keep possession well. They played from the back and were happy to keep the ball with sideways and backwards passes around halfway and just inside their own half. As soon as we lost shape or discipline with one or two players coming out to close the ball down, they were quick to exploit the gaps either with an incisive pass or with a burst of pace with players carrying the ball. We struggled to cope with a number of their players when they ran at us - several times a Swindon man was able to beat (or run through) 3 or 4 of our players. The penalty we gave away was a prime example.
The only player in our back four today that deserves any credit is McEveley. The others were poor and looked leaden footed, struggling to make meaningful challenges, or even get close to their counterparts. The only time we coped well with an attack was when it was an aerial one.
Scougall was too deep all game to do what he does best; take the ball at pace and beat people. Murphy was disappointing in the first half but as I commented on another thread, he was only ever receiving the ball very deep with 50 yards and two or three Swindon players in front of him. Good dribbler he is, Messi he is not. In the second half, when we briefly rallied to bring it back to 3-2, the whole team had been able to push up meaning that Murphy finally could receive the ball near the Swindon penalty area but even then, all too often he was snuffed out.
Christ Basham was woeful. Absolutely useless. I honestly don't take any pleasure in talking about a Blades player like this but I'm afraid there is no getting away from it. People have pointed out that he is carrying out the 'box to box' role for us. It is all well and good having the engine to get up and down but when you have no composure, awareness, vision or technical ability the most you can ever be is a nuisance to the opposition. He wasn't even that today. He lacks aggression and for a man of his height, doesn't ever seem to be near an aerial challenge in the middle of the park.
Doyle was not much better in the first half but in the second did improve. Younger, fitter and quicker players in the middle for Swindon by and large got the better of him though.
Davies was ineffective in the first half but instrumental in our good spell in the second half. His crossing from the right caused all sorts of issues for Swindon and of course he got his goal. As I mentioned with Murphy - the whole team had managed to press up the pitch 20 yards or so in the second half which allowed him to receive the ball in more dangerous positions where his crossing becomes a weapon.
Flynn and Reed both did well when they came on and made us look a much more capable footballing outfit than previously (not particularly difficult today though admittedly).
My favourite player for us today though was McNulty. I think he really did well today given a lack of service and the fact that he was often isolated (more so in the first half). He has a good touch, is confident in holding possession and turning his man to get them facing their own goal. Lacks real pace but he isn't slow. I think we've got a good player there. We just need to get the likes of Flynn, Baxter and Scougall close enough to him to play and get the best from him.
I'm an optimist usually and I consider myself very patient with managers and players in comparison to most fans I come across on forums such as this. Today has however really worried me; continue to play like that and we will not make the top six let alone the top two. Hopefully with the likes of JCR, Wallace and Baxter to come back into the team, and with a couple of good loan acquisitions, this performance turns out to be an exception rather than a rule.
Last edited: