Marks out of ten

[pommpey]

Long: 6/10. All goals, no chance. Good save second half to stop Clarke's hat-trick.

Hill: 4/10. Looked lost.

Maguire: 4/10. Lost Clarke for the first and third goals because he was playing his own game of dicking about, "I'm doing what I wanna do ... look at me ... I'm Harry 'Beckenbaur' Maguire" instead of marking. Lucky not to be red carded.

Collins: 3/10. Candidate for the shit-bin. Paceless and past his best. Skinned badly by all.

Westlake: 3/10. Parks footballer. Shit defending. Shit moving. Shit everything. In fact 2/10.

Brandy: 6/10. At least he showed he wanted it a bit. I do like Brandy. If he grew a foot, maybe he'd get on the end of Maguire's accurate 40 yard, crossfield balls, hit at 100mph.

Doyle: 1/10. Fuck off 'Micky' Doyle. I tried watching him for a while, but lost interest, as there was a game of football going on around him.

Coady: 4/10. Low marks, because of that fucking header. My granddaughter could have scored then. And he lost their second goal for us.

Flynn: 3/10. Was he playing? I saw him with the wing opened out in front of him too many times and then pull back, lose it or just fuck up the way forward. Glad he went off.

Baxter: 4/10. No ... 3/10. If you have a free kick eight yards outside the box and centrally placed and do not make the keeper work for a save, then you are a useless cunt. FA Regulations. Rule 16 para 3(a)(ii)

King: 6/10. He must be thinking, "I have played for some clubs, but this lot is the pigs tits. What a bunch of useless wankers."

Taylor: 8/10. Impressed.

McGinn: 7/10. Impressed.

Hall: 7/10. Impressed.

Strange how once we'd gone 3 behind and the Blades fans (9/10) started taking the piss we suddenly started attacking. And let's face it, Coventry aren't in Div One for fuck all. They aren't really that good.

All we need now is a deck of cards, and someone who can clear out the shit ... like Collins and Doyle (amongst others) and we'll be up knocking on the door of the playoffs.

pommpey

 

[DronnieBlade]

Swap King and Coadys marks around and thats about right.

How you can make King (joint) MOM of those that started beggars belief.

IMHO.

 

[Wards]

Halls last game of his loan spell. Should we extend it? Reckon we saw enough to suggest so.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

4 for Maguire? That's about 3 too many. He was shocking - and was more of a liability than Doyle today.

 

[Putney Blade]

King was and is crap. Squad player at best.

 

[Deadbat]

Think you have been kind!

Long 6/10 - As you say no chance on goals and badly exposed all game. Made one decent save.

Westlake 4/10 - Awful player. Dawdling around and sort of lollops as if it just something to do to pass a few hours. No desire/football brains at all. Did make goal though and sadly for as bad as he was defensively put a few shifts forward in and by default was best of back four.

Hill 2/10 - Appalling. Slow from minute one when they got to the ball first and nearly scored. He was beaten several times by being just slow. All over the place in terms of continually falling over. Looked like he was wearing ice skates. His play on the ball was Sunday League as he shinned it out or kicked it to nowhere in particular. My take on him as a steady pro last season/one before has changed. He does his best but he is garbage. Sadly as we saw with Lappin, Williams, McGinty etc they are all as bad! How can one club have so many bad players in one position.

Maguire 2/10 - Another shocking display. He was so slow all game and should have been sent off. Had at least 4 yellow card offences. At fault for at least one goal (third). The fact Clarke gave him a sorry time (a journeyman pro albeit decent at this level) says it all. Needs to be dropped but sadly we have no one to take over. Thinks he is far better than he is.

Collins 2/10 - As bad as Maguire if not slightly worse. Looked pathetic as Wilson kept running away from him often after giving him a 5 or 10 yard start. He looks wretched at the moment and his lack of pace combined with never getting tight enough to men means he is a liability. At fault for first as he was half asleep. Clarke and Wilson gave those two a torrid time but not first time it has happened in recent months. Look at Pompey, Yeovil, Stevenage last year and most strike forces this year. They are losing battles week after week whatever issues in rest of team and cant even do the basics any more. For me he is nearly done and the fact we have him for another season after this one is worrying.

Brandy 6/10 - Put some effort in. He did little when on the ball but at least tried and once or twice controlled or passed the ball. Straight away this made him better than most.

Doyle 2/10 - Pretty dire. At fault for the first as he got beat easily as he fell on the floor like a sack of shit. He then gave the ball away constantly and was not able to have any positive impact all game as likes of Moussa, Baker etc controlled midfield.


Coady 4/10 - Better than Doyle. That's about it. At least got in some good positions but 2 woeful headers when he should have scored both. Not sure if he is good enough even for league one. At least he runs about a bitt more than Doyle!

Flynn 2/10 - Was he even playing as others have said? Telegraphed a cross first half and missed a good chance second. Did nothing else. A woeful player in a battle to be the worst Scot in the squad; he might be winning with the competition fairly tough (Murphy, Collins etc)


Baxter 3/10 - Never really touched the ball. Wellied a free kick over and then went off injured. He has regressed since a decent first game.

King 5/10 - Tried hard but no service and he seemed frustrated with some of balls/efforts to get it to him

Subs -

Taylor: 8/10. Impressed. Showed some effort. Looked a goal threat and hopefully give him the lift he needs.

McGinn: 8/10. Good and made the difference in the middle by getting on the ball and making us tick.

Hall: 7/10. Also made a difference as he got crosses in and attacked.

 

[OllyBlade]

Flynn 2/10 - Was he even playing as others have said? Telegraphed a cross first half and missed a good chance second. Did nothing else. A woeful player in a battle to be the worst Scot in the squad; he might be winning with the competition fairly tough (Murphy, Collins etc)

Identifying a worst Scot in this squad concedes that there may be a best Scot, which is unthinkable. Pondering the tartan contingent in this rabble is about the quickest way to a lifetime of nihilism.

 

[pommpey]

King got 6/10 from me because I am very aware that if we had decent wingers and a good attacking midfield, he would have a fucking hatful by now. He's nothing but a shit-lining finisher, but I think that is what we need. At no time in the first half did we give him any chance to impose although his movement suggested he would be in the right place if something worthy came toward him. First half, Flynn passed a hospital ball to him and his face said it all when it never made it to him.

pommpey

 

[IOM Blade]

I know it's the in thing to knock 'Micky', but how he's kept a shirt for 40 odd consecutive games when all around him have beeb dropped is beyond me. Saw the run of Clark for the first but just couldn't keep up and dumped on his arse by the faintest of dummies for the second.

Made all the difference when McGinn came on cos we finally had two competent centre mids on the pitch.

 

[Bergen Blade]

King got 6/10 from me because I am very aware that if we had decent wingers and a good attacking midfield, he would have a fucking hatful by now. He's nothing but a shit-lining finisher, but I think that is what we need. At no time in the first half did we give him any chance to impose although his movement suggested he would be in the right place if something worthy came toward him. First half, Flynn passed a hospital ball to him and his face said it all when it never made it to him.

pommpey

Bit generous to give him a decent performance score based on what he could have done though?

Seconds before the pass you mention Flynn got to the byline (for once) but didn't pass it back out to King who was in a good position to finish.

 

[blade too long]

the marks if they were given at half time would have been very consistant 1 s all round

1st half v crawley no one tried , here again no belief in their ability at all , Weir it seems had achieved total break down , only when 3 came on who hadnt had the belief knocked out of them did some look the part
Thank God hes left , hed stripped them all of their confidence

King was every bit as good as Collins , ie toss, looked pedestrian saw nothing to enthuse over

 

[Ladybladey]

What score would you all give the blades fans today? I've been going to matches for years, and am really sad to say I was embarrassed at times today. 'Fans' slagging individual players off by name, personal insults within their earshot - yeah, really useful. If I was a player I wouldn't want to set a bastard foot on the pitch in front of some of our lot. Interesting how as soon as the lads were playing opposite end of the park their play improved. Good on the blokes who moved down the stand after half time to drown out some gobby whinger with a bit of support. Could be wrong, but if it's gonna piss you off so much to see them lose, why bother going? Stay at home and gob off there, it's cheaper. it's absolutely desperate to be in the position we're in at the moment, and don't get me wrong I get frustrated ... I know players get paid shed loads, mans game etc etc la la la. I don't believe that most of the players don't care - maybe I'm being optimistic. Perhaps they feel they are shit because that's what they hear every week, nothing like slapping a man when he's down.

I'm cold, hungry and been up since before 5am - I'm devastated that my Blades are so dire, but I'm gonna shout them on because they're my team and that's my choice. If you're not gonna get behind them, find another team to support ( 'til that team hits the shit, at least).

Respect to everyone who went today and gave their support.

Rant over.

 

[blade too long]

Its fine being critical , after a game , in playwe should remain loyal , no matter how hard it is at times , today first half , like the Crawley first half would test a saint true , but theres a time and a place to be vocal in condemnation like in here

 

[pommpey]

Its fine being critical , after a game , in playwe should remain loyal , no matter how hard it is at times , today first half , like the Crawley first half would test a saint true , but theres a time and a place to be vocal in condemnation like in here

Said this before, and I'll say it again. We all have the right to criticise, be it in here, or be it on the terraces. If they want fans and followers, they have to take the rough with the smooth. It is part of being a professional footballer. No doubt one day after a tidal wave has swept in and washed all these dog turds into the River Don, one day we will be back and booting opposition teams all over the park. I seem to recall a certain defender cracking in a 25 yard free kick in December last year away at Crawley and there being an fucking massive pile on in front of us 1200 jubilant Blades supporters. He stood up and personally saluted and acknowledged our frenzied celebrations and we sung our hearts out with 'Jingle All the Way'. That's what makes fans happy. If you expect them to grumble lowly into their scarves when very well paid individuals put in abject performances (and take their money home as pay) then I am afraid you may have seriously misjudged Sheffield United and it's supporters. Don't forget, it is only ten years ago we toasted Liverpool at Bramall Lane in the cup. A lot of us remember us being good. And we want it back. If those poor souls out there can't take encouragement, then groans of displeasure, then boos and then abuse to motivate them into winning then tough shit, say I. They don't deserve to play for a club I support. If they expect us to clap them off and forgive them for being shit then frankly they are in the wrong game, and certainly in the wrong team. Booing isn't nice. So isn't being bottom of the third fucking division.

pommpey

 

[BladeFisher]

Said this before, and I'll say it again. We all have the right to criticise, be it in here, or be it on the terraces. If they want fans and followers, they have to take the rough with the smooth. It is part of being a professional footballer. No doubt one day after a tidal wave has swept in and washed all these dog turds into the River Don, one day we will be back and booting opposition teams all over the park. I seem to recall a certain defender cracking in a 25 yard free kick in December last year away at Crawley and there being an fucking massive pile on in front of us 1200 jubilant Blades supporters. He stood up and personally saluted and acknowledged our frenzied celebrations and we sung our hearts out with 'Jingle All the Way'. That's what makes fans happy. If you expect them to grumble lowly into their scarves when very well paid individuals put in abject performances (and take their money home as pay) then I am afraid you may have seriously misjudged Sheffield United and it's supporters. Don't forget, it is only ten years ago we toasted Liverpool at Bramall Lane in the cup. A lot of us remember us being good. And we want it back. If those poor souls out there can't take encouragement, then groans of displeasure, then boos and then abuse to motivate them into winning then tough shit, say I. They don't deserve to play for a club I support. If they expect us to clap them off and forgive them for being shit then frankly they are in the wrong game, and certainly in the wrong team. Booing isn't nice. So isn't being bottom of the third fucking division.

pommpey

Yeah I share your sentiments but get real.

Let's assume these players are wank. Now they are only playing for us because we are crap, therefore we employ crap players. You seem to forget that the better ones have either left, 'cos they thought we were shit or were sold, for dosh, often on McCabe's instructions as we needed the money.

If they were any better they'd go to a club they thought was better. They wouldn't play for us.

Your sentiments ought to be towards Mr McCabe, Winter and all the other well paid directors who employed the managers under the conditions that brought this crap in.

At the moment, I'd say confidence is the problem and the defence is definitely dire-rear!

Don't have a go at dick heads because they're dick heads, blame the people who brought the dick heads in.

 

[pommpey]

Yeah I share your sentiments but get real.

Let's assume these players are wank. Now they are only playing for us because we are crap, therefore we employ crap players. You seem to forget that the better ones have either left, 'cos they thought we were shit or were sold, for dosh, often on McCabe's instructions as we needed the money.

If they were any better they'd go to a club they thought was better. They wouldn't play for us.

Your sentiments ought to be towards Mr McCabe, Winter and all the other well paid directors who employed the managers under the conditions that brought this crap in.

At the moment, I'd say confidence is the problem and the defence is definitely dire-rear!

Don't have a go at dick heads because they're dick heads, blame the people who brought the dick heads in.

Then who? It's obvious McCabe doesn't give a fat dog's cock about what the supporters think. He sacked Warnock (after effectively disabling any strategy to stay in the Premier League) then appointed a piss-head in his place who effectively squandered any financial compensation we had from the drop and then failed to see that appointing successive underperformers with depleting resources (and where has the Tevez money gone, exactly?) has seen us slide from being a force to be reckoned with to a side sat on top of the trapdoor into the bottom league of English football. At least Pompey have some sort of excuse for that. We are just shitola with a chairman who is as inept as he is not a Sheffield United man. If he appoints anything other than an experienced former PL manager this time (given we have just brought a supposed cash cow on board, haven't we?) and gets spending in the January window then Blades fans all over the planet may as well resign themselves to Div Four football next season with zero chance of changing that in their lifetimes. Premier League? Fucking forget it. Championship? Not a fucking hope. This lot out on the pitch bear a heavy burden of responsibility because they are playing for Sheffield United, one of two teams from one of the biggest cities in Britain, with a large and loud fan base. They are the people who ship goals and head the ball over the bar from six yards. McCabe is the facilitator of that shitness. The only way they'll understand is what we say from the terraces and the only way McCabe will understand is what we say in the car park.

We can't allow them to get away with it any more. There is no place for hiding.

pommpey

 

[Darren]

Then who? It's obvious McCabe doesn't give a fat dog's cock about what the supporters think. He sacked Warnock (after effectively disabling any strategy to stay in the Premier League) then appointed a piss-head in his place who effectively squandered any financial compensation we had from the drop and then failed to see that appointing successive underperformers with depleting resources (and where has the Tevez money gone, exactly?) has seen us slide from being a force to be reckoned with to a side sat on top of the trapdoor into the bottom league of English football. At least Pompey have some sort of excuse for that. We are just shitola with a chairman who is as inept as he is not a Sheffield United man. If he appoints anything other than an experienced former PL manager this time (given we have just brought a supposed cash cow on board, haven't we?) and gets spending in the January window then Blades fans all over the planet may as well resign themselves to Div Four football next season with zero chance of changing that in their lifetimes. Premier League? Fucking forget it. Championship? Not a fucking hope. This lot out on the pitch bear a heavy burden of responsibility because they are playing for Sheffield United, one of two teams from one of the biggest cities in Britain, with a large and loud fan base. They are the people who ship goals and head the ball over the bar from six yards. McCabe is the facilitator of that shitness. The only way they'll understand is what we say from the terraces and the only way McCabe will understand is what we say in the car park.

We can't allow them to get away with it any more. There is no place for hiding.

pommpey

It all depends what you want I suppose. If you want to vent your frusstration at the absolute crap we are being served up without any consideration for the consequences, go ahead and boo and shout abuse to your heart's content. If you don't want to further reduce the confidence of players whose confidence is already on the floor, don't.

 

[super_pig]

What score would you all give the blades fans today?

probably a 9.. even the sky pundits were impressed.. my basic philosophy is if you don't want the fans to moan at you then don't be shit at your job.. fans don't pick out scapegoats deliberately.. most of us have played the game at some (albeit low) level so we know enough to see who the shirkers and crap bastards are.. if you don't want to be the scapegoat. IMPROVE

 

[pommpey]

It all depends what you want I suppose. If you want to vent your frusstration at the absolute crap we are being served up without any consideration for the consequences, go ahead and boo and shout abuse to your heart's content. If you don't want to further reduce the confidence of players whose confidence is already on the floor, don't.

That's my point though. How will positive feedback work here? Are you saying we should remain silent and acquiescent when faced with dire performances? You don't reward bad behaviour, just as much as we are contracting (effectively) this football team to go out on a Saturday and entertain us with some sort of matchwinning strategy and game play. If they fail to do that, then what? They are hardly going to understand how we feel if they trudge off the pitch, having been beaten at home by Hartlepool (for example) to rousing applause for nil effort and nil result. They don't deserve praise or even ambivalence for shit output. We expect wins ... or if it is a loss, a fucking good effort not to lose.

Can you say that is what we have been seeing this (and other) seasons?

Why are you so concerned about the player's feelings? They drive home with a fat paycheck, far and above much of those stood on the terraces.

Sympathy? Betwixt shit and syphillis in my dictionary.

pommpey

 

[super_pig]

personally i don't give a monkeys about their 'feelings' the poor dears.. they're pulling in five grand a week some of them.. if you can't take the heat and all that.. find a new career

 

[Darren]

That's my point though. How will positive feedback work here? Are you saying we should remain silent and acquiescent when faced with dire performances? You don't reward bad behaviour, just as much as we are contracting (effectively) this football team to go out on a Saturday and entertain us with some sort of matchwinning strategy and game play. If they fail to do that, then what? They are hardly going to understand how we feel if they trudge off the pitch, having been beaten at home by Hartlepool (for example) to rousing applause for nil effort and nil result. They don't deserve praise or even ambivalence for shit output. We expect wins ... or if it is a loss, a fucking good effort not to lose.

Can you say that is what we have been seeing this (and other) seasons?

Why are you so concerned about the player's feelings? They drive home with a fat paycheck, far and above much of those stood on the terraces.

Sympathy? Betwixt shit and syphillis in my dictionary.

pommpey

It's not about sympathy or otherwise. It's about the likely effect that booing and abuse will have on the players. In any walk of life, telling people going through a bad spell and lacking in confidence that they are crap is hardly going to increase their confidence.

I don't know about you, but if someone was working for me and not performing well, but I thought was fundamentally ok at their job (as I think these players are fundamentally ok at 3rd division football), I wouldn't throw abuse at them, I would try to work out what the problem was and reach a solution in the hope that their confidence would build up again and they would start performing.

Obviously, it's the job of the coaches to get them performing. It's our job, I suggest, as supporters to provide encouragement as and when appropriate. That doesn't mean we appalaud them when they are crap, but it does mean that mindless and virulent abuse is out.

They aren't stupid. When we lose 1-0 at home to Hartlepool, they know they have been crap and they know the supporters are unhappy. When all is said and done about it being a man's game etc etc, these players are by and large young men with all the fragility that goes with youth. As I say, if all you want out of football is a vent for your anger and frustrations with no concern as to the consequences of that, go ahead and boo and abuse to your heart;s content. If you actually want the players to perform better, then that is counter productive.

 

[pommpey]

personally i don't give a monkeys about their 'feelings' the poor dears.. they're pulling in five grand a week some of them.. if you can't take the heat and all that.. find a new career

True. I have clapped United off the pitch after 90 minutes having been beaten, but having put up a phenomenal effort to prevent that happening. The crowd were standing and clapping then from the pitch.

Can't say I think this season has seen any of that.

"Crowd are a bit quiet at the final whistle, Harry."

"Yep. Never mind, 'Micky'. Bottom of the league. Fancy a pint?"

pommpey

 

[Ladybladey]

Yeah - above all noted... however is this 'bad behaviour' or more a case of bad performance. I'd go for bad performance, and as others have suggested, there are a whole load of issues which effect performance. Also performance is different to effort. A poor performance is disheartening (to say the least!), but someone not trying is whole different matter.... and even though a huge lump of me is screaming that someone not trying is totally unacceptable, I cant help but think that as a fan, by shouting a wee bit of support, I might just play a tiny part in making one of those players consider for a split second that they might actually want to try a bit harder.

I know the players get paid shed loads and our situation at the moment is dire and yes, we do have plenty to moan about but there are acceptable and non damaging ways of doing this. If I was a player and heard someone slagging me off, I personally dont think it would inspire me to play better, probably just make me want to fight the arse who was giving me the abuse. We all have the right to be angry, it's what we do when we're angry that matters. I heard such personal and nasty comments made to OUR players, and know that at smaller grounds like Sixfields they must be able to hear too... this does not sit comfortably. I'm sure that receiving abuse goes with the job for most footballers, but then I look the tradgedy of the loss of Speedy, and think of the pressure he must have felt he had to carry. We've got a number of youngsters in our team, I'd like to see them encouraged to reach their full potential rather than crushed to the point of quitting or worse.

 

[pommpey]

... what she put ... quote]

It's a fair argument LB but for me doesn't auger too well with their jobs. They are paid handsomely to play 90-odd minutes of football ... a career of choice rather than necessity (as for most supporters) every Saturday for eight out of twelve months of the year. During the week, they will be required to train for that game, be it fitness (with the best of the best fitness gear and medical/physio support the club can buy) technique (with the club's own defensive/goalkeeping/whatever coaches) or tactics (see before) five days out of the remainder, and no more than four hours in total. Some personal appearances may be needed on behalf of the club's identity of good name, but a pic in the papers works both/all ways. They play for a position in the team, an appearance, goals, clean sheets usually attracts a monetary bonus.

Supporters, generally have 40 hour a week jobs in positions far from what one would call a 'dream job', and many work for companies who are adept at hiring/firing at will. Average wage is bewteeen £21-31k (for full time) and some are on two thirds of that for part time. A season ticket costs them a significant fraction of that and if you are a die hard, away travel and admission (and food, and drinks, and fuel) costs a heap more.

Do you think it is then justified for supporters to criticise players, regardless of their youth/inexperience or sensitivities? Admittedly, personal/racist/homophobic diatribes are to be discouraged and not entertained, but to call Flynn a waste of fucking atoms/nesh/lightweight wanker/cash thief isn't surely wandering too far from the path of truth?

pommpey

 

[Darren]

No-one disputes that the players have it much better than most supporters.

As I keep saying, whilst it might be the truth that Flynn is a lightweight/wanker etc etc, the issue is what good do you do by telling him that. If it makes you feel better and that's all you care about, then fine. If you want to get him to play better, I suggest it is counter-productive,

 

[Bladesway]

No-one disputes that the players have it much better than most supporters.

As I keep saying, whilst it might be the truth that Flynn is a lightweight/wanker etc etc, the issue is what good do you do by telling him that. If it makes you feel better and that's all you care about, then fine. If you want to get him to play better, I suggest it is counter-productive,

I would suggest you are right. Football is usually a bit more black and white than that though and we probably all say and do things at the football we may think twice about in the street. It's acceptable to say David Weir is a passionless arsehole who doesn't know what he is doing when you are in a crowd of thousands doing the same thing. You probably wouldn't do the same to his face however.

For what its worth I wish there was less of the reactionary booing and shoes off crap, but that's the way it is. I don't generally partake in the abuse of our own players but I don't see it ever stopping to be honest with you.

 

[Darren]

I would suggest you are right. Football is usually a bit more black and white than that though and we probably all say and do things at the football we may think twice about in the street. It's acceptable to say David Weir is a passionless arsehole who doesn't know what he is doing when you are in a crowd of thousands doing the same thing. You probably wouldn't do the same to his face however.

For what its worth I wish there was less of the reactionary booing and shoes off crap, but that's the way it is. I don't generally partake in the abuse of our own players but I don't see it ever stopping to be honest with you.

Oh, I agree, it's all part of the culture of football and it's unlikely to stop (mind you people said that about the automatic monkey noises black players got in the 70;s and 80's).

But let's not kid ourselves that when Ryan Flynn hears something like "you;re a fucking useless cunt., Flynn, my granny could do better than you" coming from someone in the crowd, that his comparative wealth insulates him from the effect most of us would feel if someone spoke like that to us.

 

[mida]

Having seen that dire performance yesterday there have to be wholesale changes on the playing side (i.e. sell/giveaway the entire permanent first team squad ASAP - they're not promising young players, they're total cack). It's no wonder we struggle to find a decent manager nowadays - they know about the players we have and the thought of trying to shape that shower into a winning team probably terrifies them.

 

[themaninblack]

I thought the better players on Sunday were the ones that Weir brought in.

 

[shorehamview]

What about threats rather than abuse? Instead of "XXXXX, you're a useless wanker and shite captain!" You could try "XXXXX, if you don't buck your ideas up I'll find out where you live and eat your dog! Raw!"

Is that allowed?