Matchday Thread: Blades vs Tranmere

[s4-blade]

Is it game over for us after the draw against the Manc twats? Well we definitely need a win today against the scouse twats, but with our strikeforce, who's gunna score? IMO NC's got to drop the likes of Porter, Murphy and Mcginn but what other changes will he make...

• Who will be dropped?
• Will we have 3 or 4 at the back, and 1 or 2 upfront?
• Who will start up top, Taylor, Miller, or Scapegoat?
• Where will Baxter play?

We got a bit to confident Boxing Day, and plummeted down to earth with a bang.
I still think we'll win tho, i'm saying a scrappy 1-0, Jose getting the goal.

COYRAWW

 

[Small Mendonca]

To be honest, I don't know what changes could be made from the team on Thursday, it's just changing crap players for crap players. I would start Flynn over Murphy though. Although they're both not great, at least Flynn does better defensively. The thought of Porter up front doesn't excite me but if he has a good game then Miller will probably have a good game as well. I don't know who would replace Mcginn if he was dropped but he has been ok when he's played bar Thursday. Don't really know about the back line either, I thought Maguire was shaky on Thursday as was Long but they're the best we have so we haven't really got a choice.

I think NC will have us a bit more fired up than the other day so I'll go for 2-0 Blades

 

[CloughLove]

My changes would be Taylor for porter, Jose in millers position and florent cuvelier in the Baxter role.

 

[Silent Blade]

My changes would be Taylor for porter, Jose in millers position and florent cuvelier in the Baxter role.

Taylor isnt experienced enough on holding the ball up or strong enough in the air to play in the lone striker role. He is better playing off a target man (I am not a fan of Porter but he and King are the only players in the squad who can play in a lone striker role) in a 442 formation. If we play 4411 or 4231 with Taylor up front then it will make it easier for Tranmere to keep our scoring chances to a minimum

 

[blader]

Long
McMahon Maguire Collins hill
Brandy Doyle Baxter Flynn
Porter miller

Would be my team, with a diamond midfield. I realise Brandy wont play, just offering an opinion on what I would play. Our team drastically lacks pace, and in a game we need to win, I would pick our only option of pace and trickery.

Think he will just swap Flynn with murphy though

 

[wardonia_blade]

It's like re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

I think Flynn in for White and howard in for Long.

 

[bricktop]

Long
Hill Collins Maguire McMahon
Murphy Doyle McGinn Flynn
Baxter
Porter

The only reason is why Porter gets a game is that he is the best striker we have got at the club at the minutes which is more a statement of how woeful the rest are rather than any glowing endorsement of his footballing ability.

Wouldn't pick Brandy for a start yet as he still needs to earn a place in the side, and the same goes for Cueliver who many want given a go but I don't think he has shown anywhere near enough to warrant a start, and I would also like to see Taylor given half an hour as well.

We are unbeaten in 7 games now and the aim has to be to stay hard to beat, as that is half the battle won, and by staying unbeaten it will increase confidence and hopefully allow us to become more attacking and adventurous

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Really need a win tomorrow. It's good that we have been unbeaten for a while but let's not forget we have played some of the poorer teams recently. We should have been looking for 6 points against Stevenage and Oldham - two draws and one goal is a poor return. We need to be more positive and get at them from the start.

 

[sheffielder]

Why are these not in the match day section?

Long
McMahon Maguire Collins hill
Brandy Doyle Baxter Flynn
Porter miller

Would be my team, with a diamond midfield. I realise Brandy wont play, just offering an opinion on what I would play. Our team drastically lacks pace, and in a game we need to win, I would pick our only option of pace and trickery.

Think he will just swap Flynn with murphy though

If you don't mind me saying, that midfield is suicidal.

 

[sheffielder]

Long
McMahon Maguire Collins Hill
McGinn Coady Doyle Flynn or Murphy
Miller Baxter

Your number 9 doesn't have to be a target man and Miller's movement will cause much more problems to Tranmere's 6'5 centre backs than Porter.

I am not sure it matters what team we put out to be honest anyway. You could pick any 11 from 28 and still see roughly the same performance.

 

[Silent Blade]

Long
McMahon Maguire Collins Hill
McGinn Coady Doyle Flynn or Murphy
Miller Baxter

Your number 9 doesn't have to be a target man and Miller's movement will cause much more problems to Tranmere's 6'5 centre backs than Porter.

I am not sure it matters what team we put out to be honest anyway. You could pick any 11 from 28 and still see roughly the same performance.

Afraid we need a target man. If we play two small strikers, then Tranmere will play deep, getting at least 8 men behind the ball when we have the ball knowing that high crosses would be pointless for us (when we have corners they will mark Maguire and Collins very tight and not worry about the others) and if we lose possession they will have quick counter attacks. I remember Dave Watson (he was well over 30 at the time) saying how easy it was for Everton (they won 2-0) when they played a match against Liverpool about 14 years ago who opted for Owen and Fowler up front cos Liverpool would have to play on the floor whenever they attacked and their defenders had to play higher up the pitch

 

[sheffielder]

Afraid we need a target man. If we play two small strikers, then Tranmere will play deep, getting at least 8 men behind the ball when we have the ball knowing that high crosses would be pointless for us (when we have corners they will mark Maguire and Collins very tight and not worry about the others) and if we lose possession they will have quick counter attacks. I remember Dave Watson (he was well over 30 at the time) saying how easy it was for Everton (they won 2-0) when they played a match against Liverpool about 14 years ago who opted for Owen and Fowler up front cos Liverpool would have to play on the floor whenever they attacked and their defenders had to play higher up the pitch

I think Baxter and Miller would be more like Beardsley and Lineker than Fowler and Owen (who were both poachers).

Porter wins nothing in the air so I am all up for trying something different.

 

[Silent Blade]

I think Baxter and Miller would be more like Beardsley and Lineker than Fowler and Owen (who were both poachers).

Porter wins nothing in the air so I am all up for trying something different.

Poor man's Beardsley and Lineker! I have noticed that in the last 25 years it is getting more difficult for a team to win a match when they have two small strikers (also remember our midfielders are small too!) unless the opposition press up high and the two small strikers can be useful for counter attacks. I think Tranmere will play more defensively than us tomorrow so we need a target man (Porter wins quite a few in the air when it comes to long balls from Long or from our back line but is poor on attacking swift crosses from thee wings)

 

[CamelBlade]

I agree 100% with Silent. We need a target man and realistically its either Porter or Taylor for that role. I like Taylor and would like him on instead of Miller actually (thought he was poor last game) and then when Porter and the defender tire after 65+ minutes bring Miller on. I think Coady for Mcginn as well for today. I would drop Captain Fantastic but we all know that isn't going to happen.

 

[CloughLove]

Clough has made us tough to beat but needs to integrate a bit of quality and finesse in the final 3rd instead of relying on porters 'strength' in the air and 'ability' to hold the ball up. I'd go with Baxter alongside Taylor with cuvelier just behind would create far more than we are doing. Clough opted to leave Baxter out while we toughened up defensively and think he'll eventually integrate cuvelier in there too as like Baxter he is a quality player in this league.

 

[zablade]

I think with the lack of options upfront we should go back to 4-4-1-1 formation, with Baxter playing just behind Carthorse and the two banks of four keeping it tight behind them and hoping we can nick an odd goal to win it.

We desperately need the three points by hook or by crook today.

 

[Jehovah]

The main change for me would be to get Howard in for Long after his embarassing performance boxing day.

 

[Jack Jarvis Esquire ⚔]

well if its by crook zablade lets expect a goal off king

 

[Jehovah]

Im stuck at work so will be following the twitter feed. Murphy and Flynn both start for White and Miller.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Clough has made us tough to beat but needs to integrate a bit of quality and finesse in the final 3rd instead of relying on porters 'strength' in the air and 'ability' to hold the ball up. I'd go with Baxter alongside Taylor with cuvelier just behind would create far more than we are doing. Clough opted to leave Baxter out while we toughened up defensively and think he'll eventually integrate cuvelier in there too as like Baxter he is a quality player in this league.

Strength & Ability , if I didn't know you better I would suspect you're taking the pee.