Last three home performances.

[Deaneandagana]

Kevin Gage made some astute observations in his column last week, he talked about creating overloads whereby our wide players out number the opposition defenders and thus pull players out of position & create space.

For that to happen the 2 wing backs need to play further up the pitch - Freeman does this more than Lafferty and we also need to move the ball quicker, one & two touches not three & four.

Minor moan - Coutts & Fleck whilst looking extremely composed on the ball rarely play a defence splitter, they tend to play square or to the wide players.

Overall, we're doing ok just lacking quality in front of goal.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Putting results aside the last three home games have created the beginings of a worry for me, namely teams have worked us out, we struggled to break Bury and Shrewsbury down and Walsall employed exactly the same tactics and also had the advantage of keeping 11 on the pitch and made us look very ordinary at times tonight.

We need a bit of a rethink with our home tactics, a bit more paced and movement, we looked very one pace until Chapman came on.

It's not the first time this has happened since we've been in this f**king division. Obviously, rewriting of history apart (as seems to be the case with both the Wilson and Clough eras), we had this in the second half of Wilson's second season when we couldn't buy a home win and were dreadful at times (this was the reason Wilson was sacked and seems to have been conveniently forgotten in recent times). We also had similar with the second Clough season as we struggled to break teams down at the Lane.

Let's hope last night was a one off rather than becoming a regular feature. I'd say better quality crosses from wide areas would help, as would the return of Ched Evans in January. I'd also suggest a plan B should be used, to be reserved for games just like last night, where the team is prepared to mix it more. Not advocating go long all the time, but a few balls over the top (obviously with the correct forwards up top, I'd suggest Clarke to win the headers and Done or Lavery with their pace to take advantage around the back) would pose a different problem to the opposition.

 

[andy m]

Kevin Gage made some astute observations in his column last week, he talked about creating overloads whereby our wide players out number the opposition defenders and thus pull players out of position & create space.

For that to happen the 2 wing backs need to play further up the pitch - Freeman does this more than Lafferty and we also need to move the ball quicker, one & two touches not three & four.

Minor moan - Coutts & Fleck whilst looking extremely composed on the ball rarely play a defence splitter, they tend to play square or to the wide players.

Overall, we're doing ok just lacking quality in front of goal.

I think that the system is causing the problem with the overloads at home.

We are playing with 2 strikers who main assets are finding space in the box and finishing but we find it difficult to get quality balls into the box because neither wingback can beat a man and the only players overlapping are the centre halves who are not the best technically.

We need to find a way or a system to play Chapman from the start especially at home.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

We need to be getting off to better starts, like we did v Shrewsbury. We've looked sluggish and a bit one-paced v Bury & Walsall in the first halves, & then the tension ramps up...

But looking back, we were excellent first half v Shrews - the problem was different in that one in that it all unravelled a bit while we were seeking to put 5 or 6 past them.

 

[anglian blade]

We have had 75 shots 26 on target in those 3 games. Personally not worried at all

 

[Darthblade]

We have had 75 shots 26 on target in those 3 games. Personally not worried at all

But only three of them counted ..........

UTB & FTP

 

[JohnDenver]

We need a bit of a rethink with our home tactics, a bit more paced and movement, we looked very one pace until Chapman came on.

This is key. If a defending team is as organised and committed as those we've seen, then the value of a player who can beat a man is huge.

The Walsall game was like a 5-a-side match in that they had 10 players marking our 10, and as long as every one of them concentrates, it's going to take some very smart passing to get through. But Chapman breaks that all up by waltzing past his man. It only takes one defender to be beaten to free up space for our other lads.

More minutes for Chapman needed.

 

[GrayBlade]

We have had 75 shots 26 on target in those 3 games. Personally not worried at all

Agreed mate..

I'd be more concerned if we were having a handful of shots a game and just 1 or 2 on target like last season, and lest we forget, how many games in Clough's second season did we have to wait until well into the second half to even register our first decent shot?

We definitely need to tweak it for now (maybe by starting Chapman at home), and then recruit a couple of players in January, but if we keep on creating chances, we'll start s scoring goals again. Another striker needs to start scoring regularly though, we depend far too much on Billy every game and that's my main concern.

Apart from that, I think we're as good as anything in this league, but I suspect the way that we've seen players putting their bodies on the line as if their lives depended on it in the last 3 home games, we might have to be better than the rest if we really want to dominate the second half of the season. Chris will know that and hopefully the board will.

 

[nicksufc]

We've had a total of 75 shots over the past three games, had three disallowed goals and missed two penalties. But we're struggling to break teams down? Really?

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

We've had a total of 75 shots over the past three games, had three disallowed goals and missed two penalties. But we're struggling to break teams down? Really?

Well, yep. In the last 2 & a half games at home we've scored one single goal (despite averaging about 65-70% possession).

Not that it's terminal, just a problem that very much needs overcoming.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We need to be getting off to better starts, like we did v Shrewsbury. We've looked sluggish and a bit one-paced v Bury & Walsall in the first halves, & then the tension ramps up...

But looking back, we were excellent first half v Shrews - the problem was different in that one in that it all unravelled a bit while we were seeking to put 5 or 6 past them.

That's the key, an early goal makes all the difference. Having said that, we've had the chances to take early leads in the last 2 home games and not taken them so again, we're not a million miles away.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

I get you, but we still created enough chances/moments to win the game comfortably.

The opposition also hardly got a sniff.

We lost the game.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Midfielders Fleck and coutts need to take more responsibility getting into the box and having a shot. To many side wards passing . I also felt we looked a little tired , but I still think we deserved something from the game. Second half we were much better than them but are build up play was a little slow at times, giving them time to get back in numbers.

Tired? Why? What kind of life are these overpaid twerps living?

 

[Bladey McBladeface]

We lost the game.

Thanks.

 

[Antonb]

Tired? Why? What kind of life are these overpaid twerps living?

Well I don't know how much they are on, or if they are twerps, because I don't know them personally .

 

[BushBlade]

Well I don't know how much they are on, or if they are twerps, because I don't know them personally .

I'm assuming when you say 'tired' you mean the kind of muscle fatigue athletes get when they perform at high level on a frequent basis without sufficient recovery time rather than because they've had a couple of late nights.

 

[GrayBlade]

We lost the game.

It happens from time to time, that's football. The key now is that we now regroup and win a few.

 

[Antonb]

I'm assuming when you say 'tired' you mean the kind of muscle fatigue athletes get when they perform at high level on a frequent basis without sufficient recovery time rather than because they've had a couple of late nights.

Spot On.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

So frustrating how many times it's happened in the past 3 home games. I'm hoping now we have a break of some sort Wilder irons out the issues on the training ground. It's obvious that almost every side are going to come and sit back now but we have to find a way round it. I recall teams doing it to us in the triple assault season around January when teams seemed quite frightened of us. We struggled for a few games then too but managed to overcome it.

The Swindon game is huge. The pressure will be on big time

That season we had a plethora of striking options to mix it up (Asaba, Peschisolido, Chief, Onoura [shudder]), Ten Heuvel [shudder], Windass, Kabba, Mooney, Boulding).

We also had Michael Brown getting 20 from midfield.

What was good about our striking options is that we usually started with 2 from 3 of Asaba, Windass and Kabba and when we needed a goal, had a ready made partnership of Pesch and the Chief. Out of what we have, I think the nearest we can do to that is starting with SHarp and Done and Chucking Clarke and Lavery on as the replacements.


The thing is though, out of the strikers we have, none are as good in the air as the chief was and only Clarke offers any aerial prowess and none have the sort of pace Kabba did. Lavery and Clarke seem to have been brought in as these 2 types of options but I'm not sure they offer enough of what they are supposed to offer. If we could unearth another Kabba type, I would be a lot happier with our options.

 

[JJBlade]

It's the same old United way

It's pointless getting too carried away with a few good results because when it really comes down to the crunch, when it really matters,when it really enables us to get into A1 position we will fuck it up

The loser mentality and the "play offs is a good season" mentality is still within this club and it will never ever ever go away

 

[I should coco]

The loser mentality and the "play offs is a good season" mentality is still within this club and it will never ever ever go away

Desperately sad but I can' say it;s not true. I'd love to put an upbeat coherent argument to that but I'm struggling.

So sad that after 50 odd years as a Blade, this is what I'm conditioned to.

I love United but fucking hell, they've given me plenty of lows.

Back to the whisky and thank fuck I'm in a B&B in Bath with no gas oven......

 

[United Aren't Back.]

It's the same old United way

It's pointless getting too carried away with a few good results because when it really comes down to the crunch, when it really matters,when it really enables us to get into A1 position we will fuck it up

The loser mentality and the "play offs is a good season" mentality is still within this club and it will never ever ever go away

Am sorry to say you have encapsulated SUFC right there.