My take ...

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pommpey

THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
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Business as usual then for us up at Ayesome Park tonight. Can't remember us being lucky at that ground recently anyway (remember that 'offside goal' that never was?) and Warnock marshalled his big old fellers well and simply pushed us aside. Frankly, if we can't put a dent in Warnock and Blackwell's outfit with what is still essentially our Premier League arrangement, we have big fucking problems. This wasn't West Brom buttfucking us four nowt like a few weeks ago. It was us just doing what we have done so well since the lockdown ended and that is deflating like a sad party balloon.

We started okay I thought. First five with what looked like a slightly more robust left side and Enda/Fleck/Osborn playing neat triangles maybe we'd take something out of the game then we let them attack, lost marking and concentration and Watmore curls one over Olsen completely unchallenged. So. Fucking. Easy. After that we just looked clumsy and desperate. Boro even let us have the ball, so confident were they we'd do nowt with it, and we didn't, save for one lovely ball from Baldock right into the inside channel for Ndaiye to run onto and hit the upright with. He deserved more, and did not deserved to be substituted, in fact as he was out greatest threat.

Elsewhere we just looked increasingly pointless and clueless. Sloppy passing, players sitting beside or behind their markers and no one looking up and moving and we got trapped in that crossing zone swamp too many times, fucking about passing, passing, passing trying to find something worthy to get an eventual poor cross in with their defence just drinking it up and asking for more.

I have taken a shitload of flak on 'My take ... ' for my criticisms of various players, particularly Norwood. I say this again. Unless we bleach Chris Wilder out of this side - and that means many of his disciples and signings as well as his style of play which still manifests itself even though we play 4-2-3-1 now - we are stuck in this division, maybe even humiliatingly fighting for a credible place above half way. Tonight showed us all we need to know about the fight that is going on in SJs head. He has a shitload of expensive duds in the side alongside players whose best days are well over and a thin smear of talent in the shape of some loanees. And they are all mostly pre-programmed to do one thing, play Wilderball. He is trying his best to stop them doing it but they still sometimes lose their direction and start playing it again. It's negative, backwards facing, ponderous, easy to overcome and above all else, beatable. As Roy has now declared, all teams have to do is allow us the ball and press us and we cough it up or even when we look brave enough to venture up toward their goal, can't fucking score for toffee. I don't actually count the Peterborough game now because to me, we may as well have played Oldham that day. We scored six against a really shit side and even let two past us. The writing was on the wall for me on Saturday when we struggled like fuck to break down ten man Derby who defended well, but given what we have in playing staff, we still had to rely on a mistake and a converted penalty to get the win.

We have Bournemouth on Saturday. My chance of a ticket for the Vitality has unfortunately fallen through, and there's something inside which makes me unregretful about that, because if we play like we did tonight, we are gonna get sodomised with a four step run up and bone dry, with a cry of 'Geronimo!'

Olsen 5/10: Maybe should have done better for the second. Dived a bit Ramsdale. I am not happy with our 'play it out from the goalkick schtick either
Baldock 5.5/10: Moderate game for him. I think he is still adapting to the role of RB and the different task he has
Davies 5/10: Sixes and sevens for their first goal and a horrifically underhit pass which he managed to rescue. I'm still unconvinced he is the answer
Egan 4.5/10: I still think he struggles in a back four without players he 'knows' alongside him. Tonight he looked ragged and at times, all over the shop in the box
Stevens 5/10: A bit more robust going forward in the first half. Second half was under quite a bit of pressure and is still nowhere near what he used to be
Fleck 2/10: Jimmy's back. He was pretty abject all game to be honest. First five was 'okay' but as the game went on, error prone and dispossessed easily and not progressive enough for anything good to happen
Norwood 2/10: One decent ping which found Osborn in the first half and a few interceptions in the box but was characteristically nowhere when Watmore collected the ball, three steps behind him and watching him do exactly what Norwood himself should be fucking doing
Osborn 5.5/10: He still runs, he still grafts, he still works hard and he still achieves fuck all
Ndaiye 7/10: Our only threat. He works fucking hard and bustles through challenges and runs that inside channel well. Evident by his excellent run across the park to get onto Baldock's pass and hit the post. Bafflingly substituted, unless it was because of his recurring inability to complete ninety, which needs working on
Gibbs-White 4.5/10: Undoubted skill and foresight but tonight wasn't his game and he was outfought on too many occasions
Sharp 3/10: Low mark, because as much as his aged legs tried and his Bladey Heart beat hard, he got fuck all service

McGoldrick 6/10: Showed his undoubted class when he came on, in positioning, passing and power with the half volley. We need more of him.
RND 4/10: Not much of an improvement to be honest and a substitute in an area that wasn't needed at the time
Hourihane 4/10: I am wondering why we signed him now. He's not much of a threat for our midfield and seems a bit lightweight and exposed

Slav 4/10: Warnocked.

pommpey
 

Yep pretty spot on there pommpey. Beaten by a better organised and committed side who, unlike us, knew their roles and carried them out well. I like Slav and really hope he will stay with us and transform us from the Wilderstein monster we have become to something resembling a decent Championship outfit. Yes, I have dropped my aspirations from Premiership outfit because I’d like to see us achieve something in my lifetime. Tonight SJ seemed lost - not so much marshalling the troops, more like herding cats. Bloody old, scabby cats in many cases

I just can’t see us achieving anything under any manager or any system if it pivots on Jimmy and Mr Pointy. They were both truly woeful tonight and seemingly incapable of switching off their respective autopilots that are set to ‘crash and burn’ for almost every game. It’s such a soft centre and it’s crippling the team

In Slav we trust, we go again Saturday. Absolutely clear now it’s a rebuild and not a renaissance this season. I can cope with that (as if I had a choice). Just hope Slav sticks with us for the long haul
 
I'll Keep on saying it,you can't win football matches without a midfield. I don't think Jimmy went away, Peterborough doesn't count and Norwood decent Saturday back to normal tonight.
Keith Andrew's said it after the game in the nicest possible way the players are still programmed to Wilderball, transfer window is the only way to get rid.
 
More or less spot on. Last two games we had the rub of the green and got the result. Tonight we slipped back to Wilderstyle too often, with the expected result from this negative play. They had the rub this time, worldy goal, misshit shot that went in the corner, worldy save against McG. We were not good enough in final third as usual, nor fast enough forward most of the game. Got what we deserved at this least favourite hunting ground. God help us on Saturday if we continue in this way. There are signs of a change, but SJ has his work cut out when Wilder remnants continue to start and play in the old way.
 
As daft as it might sound, I think we needed to pick a taller and more physical team tonight. McBurnie up top, Didzy in the middle of the 3 behind with Ndiaye and MGW either side of him, Hourihane and Guedioura as the midfield anchors and the back four as it was. Perhaps even Bash should have had a run out as either one of the anchors or in place of Davies, who despite being better than Robinson, is not exactly commanding.

We looked like a bunch of 10 year olds trying to get our ball back off the big boys.
 
The last time we won at Middlesbrough was 5th October 1997, when we beat them 2-1 with an impressive performance shown live on TV. Deane and Whitehouse were the scorers against a very strong Middlesbrough side that had just been relegated from the Premier League and went straight back up, while our team was dismantled halfway through the season.

Since then we've only managed 1 point there, a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the 2009-10 season. Including tonight there have also been 5 defeats there, including the last 4 in which we've not even managed to score (0-1, 0-3, 0-2, 0-2).
 
January will be interesting to see who is moved on. Fresh players at reasonable prices are needed with a blend of creativity and physicality. Given how tight the league is I still think with some tweaks the lads can challenge for the playoffs.
 
The last time we won at Middlesbrough was 5th October 1997, when we beat them 2-1 with an impressive performance shown live on TV. Deane and Whitehouse were the scorers against a very strong Middlesbrough side that had just been relegated from the Premier League and went straight back up, while our team was dismantled halfway through the season.

Since then we've only managed 1 point there, a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the 2009-10 season. Including tonight there have also been 5 defeats there, including the last 4 in which we've not even managed to score (0-1, 0-3, 0-2, 0-2).
That was my first away game I think.
 
Careful Barney. Sitwell reads 'My take ... ' religiously.

You'll end up with slapped legs with words like that against Norwood.

pommpey
Ha, sitters is already aware of my opinion on Norwood. When we placed 9th in the prem, Norwood made a grand total of 2 assists all season. Stat from premier league website. Said before the game I thought we should have started Hourihane in midfield tonight
 
Ayresome Park? What channel were you watching, UK Gold?

Not unreasonable markings though Except Sharp, had little service as you say, spent to much time running the channels. (Probably haunted by the time he played under the twat stood next to Warnock). Thought the commentators were too generous about our performance early on. Centre midfield weak again.
 
It’s a big worry, the pattern is emerging, teams are happy to give us possession and let us pass the ball about, hit us on on the break
We are so light weight in midfield and lack creativity, so many poor final balls
At the moment you would say we might get into the playoffs, possibly
 

Result flatters Boro - apart from two quite lucky 1/4 chances that went in they did nothing much at all. That’s why they’ve been losing. Flickers of excellent play from us but too much time and attacking momentum wasted getting Baldock / Osborne into position for a cross to nowhere. Berge will improve us a lot but we need to sort the soft centre for Bournemouth or it’s our ass that’ll be cherry red.
 
Careful Barney. Sitwell reads 'My take ... ' religiously.

You'll end up with slapped legs with words like that against Norwood.

pommpey
Fair play. The horse I backed ran poorly last night. Still offers more than Fleck. I noticed you spotted the pass of the match and goal saving interception. At least you now appear to be watching players instead of spouting generic bollocks about them week in, week out.

pommpey.
 
Business as usual then for us up at Ayesome Park tonight. Can't remember us being lucky at that ground recently anyway (remember that 'offside goal' that never was?) and Warnock marshalled his big old fellers well and simply pushed us aside. Frankly, if we can't put a dent in Warnock and Blackwell's outfit with what is still essentially our Premier League arrangement, we have big fucking problems. This wasn't West Brom buttfucking us four nowt like a few weeks ago. It was us just doing what we have done so well since the lockdown ended and that is deflating like a sad party balloon.

We started okay I thought. First five with what looked like a slightly more robust left side and Enda/Fleck/Osborn playing neat triangles maybe we'd take something out of the game then we let them attack, lost marking and concentration and Watmore curls one over Olsen completely unchallenged. So. Fucking. Easy. After that we just looked clumsy and desperate. Boro even let us have the ball, so confident were they we'd do nowt with it, and we didn't, save for one lovely ball from Baldock right into the inside channel for Ndaiye to run onto and hit the upright with. He deserved more, and did not deserved to be substituted, in fact as he was out greatest threat.

Elsewhere we just looked increasingly pointless and clueless. Sloppy passing, players sitting beside or behind their markers and no one looking up and moving and we got trapped in that crossing zone swamp too many times, fucking about passing, passing, passing trying to find something worthy to get an eventual poor cross in with their defence just drinking it up and asking for more.

I have taken a shitload of flak on 'My take ... ' for my criticisms of various players, particularly Norwood. I say this again. Unless we bleach Chris Wilder out of this side - and that means many of his disciples and signings as well as his style of play which still manifests itself even though we play 4-2-3-1 now - we are stuck in this division, maybe even humiliatingly fighting for a credible place above half way. Tonight showed us all we need to know about the fight that is going on in SJs head. He has a shitload of expensive duds in the side alongside players whose best days are well over and a thin smear of talent in the shape of some loanees. And they are all mostly pre-programmed to do one thing, play Wilderball. He is trying his best to stop them doing it but they still sometimes lose their direction and start playing it again. It's negative, backwards facing, ponderous, easy to overcome and above all else, beatable. As Roy has now declared, all teams have to do is allow us the ball and press us and we cough it up or even when we look brave enough to venture up toward their goal, can't fucking score for toffee. I don't actually count the Peterborough game now because to me, we may as well have played Oldham that day. We scored six against a really shit side and even let two past us. The writing was on the wall for me on Saturday when we struggled like fuck to break down ten man Derby who defended well, but given what we have in playing staff, we still had to rely on a mistake and a converted penalty to get the win.

We have Bournemouth on Saturday. My chance of a ticket for the Vitality has unfortunately fallen through, and there's something inside which makes me unregretful about that, because if we play like we did tonight, we are gonna get sodomised with a four step run up and bone dry, with a cry of 'Geronimo!'

Olsen 5/10: Maybe should have done better for the second. Dived a bit Ramsdale. I am not happy with our 'play it out from the goalkick schtick either
Baldock 5.5/10: Moderate game for him. I think he is still adapting to the role of RB and the different task he has
Davies 5/10: Sixes and sevens for their first goal and a horrifically underhit pass which he managed to rescue. I'm still unconvinced he is the answer
Egan 4.5/10: I still think he struggles in a back four without players he 'knows' alongside him. Tonight he looked ragged and at times, all over the shop in the box
Stevens 5/10: A bit more robust going forward in the first half. Second half was under quite a bit of pressure and is still nowhere near what he used to be
Fleck 2/10: Jimmy's back. He was pretty abject all game to be honest. First five was 'okay' but as the game went on, error prone and dispossessed easily and not progressive enough for anything good to happen
Norwood 2/10: One decent ping which found Osborn in the first half and a few interceptions in the box but was characteristically nowhere when Watmore collected the ball, three steps behind him and watching him do exactly what Norwood himself should be fucking doing
Osborn 5.5/10: He still runs, he still grafts, he still works hard and he still achieves fuck all
Ndaiye 7/10: Our only threat. He works fucking hard and bustles through challenges and runs that inside channel well. Evident by his excellent run across the park to get onto Baldock's pass and hit the post. Bafflingly substituted, unless it was because of his recurring inability to complete ninety, which needs working on
Gibbs-White 4.5/10: Undoubted skill and foresight but tonight wasn't his game and he was outfought on too many occasions
Sharp 3/10: Low mark, because as much as his aged legs tried and his Bladey Heart beat hard, he got fuck all service

McGoldrick 6/10: Showed his undoubted class when he came on, in positioning, passing and power with the half volley. We need more of him.
RND 4/10: Not much of an improvement to be honest and a substitute in an area that wasn't needed at the time
Hourihane 4/10: I am wondering why we signed him now. He's not much of a threat for our midfield and seems a bit lightweight and exposed

Slav 4/10: Warnocked.

pommpey
Agree with all that,Pommpey,spot on as usual.
 
Result flatters Boro - apart from two quite lucky 1/4 chances that went in they did nothing much at all. That’s why they’ve been losing. Flickers of excellent play from us but too much time and attacking momentum wasted getting Baldock / Osborne into position for a cross to nowhere. Berge will improve us a lot but we need to sort the soft centre for Bournemouth or it’s our ass that’ll be cherry red.
Really??

'Boro didn't need to get out of second gear to beat us, we were gash.

Whats the point of playing to get crosses in when there's Billy in there at 5ft 7, Ndiaye at 5ft 9 and MGW at 5ft 8? Sol Bamba's still laughing at that plan.

Totally agree about the "soft centre" needing to be sorted, either that or I hope the team take plenty of lube down with them on Saturday.
 
How can Baldock ,Stevens ,MGW and Sharp get more than 2 ? In fact apart from Ndaiye how can any of them ?
 
Fair play. The horse I backed ran poorly last night. Still offers more than Fleck. I noticed you spotted the pass of the match and goal saving interception. At least you now appear to be watching players instead of spouting generic bollocks about them week in, week out.

pommpey.

So United play shit (again) and lose, regardless of the generic bollocks you spout and you've been forced to fall on your sword. Norwood was that bad he was hooked rather than Fleck at half time, worldy pass aside. I noticed that. Clearly you didn't.

How fucking ironic.

So, to 'give and take' (which is what you do) at least you have the potatoes to show your face in 'My take ...' when we lose, humiliating as it is for you.

Cheeseboard
 
To be fair to the people who defend Norwood most are happy to hold their hands up when he's wank and he certainly was yesterday.
 
Agree with the 4th paragraph I noticed when things were not going to plan the old ways crept in.

Strangely I quite enjoyed the game apart from the lack of shots/scoring as a) it was a loss but not a loss like last season and b) it was on Sky, kiss of death we rarely do well when its on Sky. Just chalk it down to a missed opportunity and we will beat them next time.

The telling thing for me was about 8/10 mins from the end shot of Slav, just gazing thinking, then looks down at the ground and lets out a massive sigh. As if to say they just arent listening to me/its Wilderball again.

Keep your head up Slav believe us you are doing wonders with what you have to work with.

Roll on Bournemouth (not on Sky)
 
Agree with the 4th paragraph I noticed when things were not going to plan the old ways crept in.

Strangely I quite enjoyed the game apart from the lack of shots/scoring as a) it was a loss but not a loss like last season and b) it was on Sky, kiss of death we rarely do well when its on Sky. Just chalk it down to a missed opportunity and we will beat them next time.

The telling thing for me was about 8/10 mins from the end shot of Slav, just gazing thinking, then looks down at the ground and lets out a massive sigh. As if to say they just arent listening to me/its Wilderball again.

Keep your head up Slav believe us you are doing wonders with what you have to work with.

Roll on Bournemouth (not on Sky)
Skys fault ,Wilders fault ?
I didnt see him doing wonders last night ,I saw negative boring tactics ,the usual poor subs ( a straight left back swap at 2-0 ??) Bullied ,out thought and out fought by a 77 year old man with a poor side. How could you enjoy that.
 

Business as usual then for us up at Ayesome Park tonight. Can't remember us being lucky at that ground recently anyway (remember that 'offside goal' that never was?) and Warnock marshalled his big old fellers well and simply pushed us aside. Frankly, if we can't put a dent in Warnock and Blackwell's outfit with what is still essentially our Premier League arrangement, we have big fucking problems. This wasn't West Brom buttfucking us four nowt like a few weeks ago. It was us just doing what we have done so well since the lockdown ended and that is deflating like a sad party balloon.

We started okay I thought. First five with what looked like a slightly more robust left side and Enda/Fleck/Osborn playing neat triangles maybe we'd take something out of the game then we let them attack, lost marking and concentration and Watmore curls one over Olsen completely unchallenged. So. Fucking. Easy. After that we just looked clumsy and desperate. Boro even let us have the ball, so confident were they we'd do nowt with it, and we didn't, save for one lovely ball from Baldock right into the inside channel for Ndaiye to run onto and hit the upright with. He deserved more, and did not deserved to be substituted, in fact as he was out greatest threat.

Elsewhere we just looked increasingly pointless and clueless. Sloppy passing, players sitting beside or behind their markers and no one looking up and moving and we got trapped in that crossing zone swamp too many times, fucking about passing, passing, passing trying to find something worthy to get an eventual poor cross in with their defence just drinking it up and asking for more.

I have taken a shitload of flak on 'My take ... ' for my criticisms of various players, particularly Norwood. I say this again. Unless we bleach Chris Wilder out of this side - and that means many of his disciples and signings as well as his style of play which still manifests itself even though we play 4-2-3-1 now - we are stuck in this division, maybe even humiliatingly fighting for a credible place above half way. Tonight showed us all we need to know about the fight that is going on in SJs head. He has a shitload of expensive duds in the side alongside players whose best days are well over and a thin smear of talent in the shape of some loanees. And they are all mostly pre-programmed to do one thing, play Wilderball. He is trying his best to stop them doing it but they still sometimes lose their direction and start playing it again. It's negative, backwards facing, ponderous, easy to overcome and above all else, beatable. As Roy has now declared, all teams have to do is allow us the ball and press us and we cough it up or even when we look brave enough to venture up toward their goal, can't fucking score for toffee. I don't actually count the Peterborough game now because to me, we may as well have played Oldham that day. We scored six against a really shit side and even let two past us. The writing was on the wall for me on Saturday when we struggled like fuck to break down ten man Derby who defended well, but given what we have in playing staff, we still had to rely on a mistake and a converted penalty to get the win.

We have Bournemouth on Saturday. My chance of a ticket for the Vitality has unfortunately fallen through, and there's something inside which makes me unregretful about that, because if we play like we did tonight, we are gonna get sodomised with a four step run up and bone dry, with a cry of 'Geronimo!'

Olsen 5/10: Maybe should have done better for the second. Dived a bit Ramsdale. I am not happy with our 'play it out from the goalkick schtick either
Baldock 5.5/10: Moderate game for him. I think he is still adapting to the role of RB and the different task he has
Davies 5/10: Sixes and sevens for their first goal and a horrifically underhit pass which he managed to rescue. I'm still unconvinced he is the answer
Egan 4.5/10: I still think he struggles in a back four without players he 'knows' alongside him. Tonight he looked ragged and at times, all over the shop in the box
Stevens 5/10: A bit more robust going forward in the first half. Second half was under quite a bit of pressure and is still nowhere near what he used to be
Fleck 2/10: Jimmy's back. He was pretty abject all game to be honest. First five was 'okay' but as the game went on, error prone and dispossessed easily and not progressive enough for anything good to happen
Norwood 2/10: One decent ping which found Osborn in the first half and a few interceptions in the box but was characteristically nowhere when Watmore collected the ball, three steps behind him and watching him do exactly what Norwood himself should be fucking doing
Osborn 5.5/10: He still runs, he still grafts, he still works hard and he still achieves fuck all
Ndaiye 7/10: Our only threat. He works fucking hard and bustles through challenges and runs that inside channel well. Evident by his excellent run across the park to get onto Baldock's pass and hit the post. Bafflingly substituted, unless it was because of his recurring inability to complete ninety, which needs working on
Gibbs-White 4.5/10: Undoubted skill and foresight but tonight wasn't his game and he was outfought on too many occasions
Sharp 3/10: Low mark, because as much as his aged legs tried and his Bladey Heart beat hard, he got fuck all service

McGoldrick 6/10: Showed his undoubted class when he came on, in positioning, passing and power with the half volley. We need more of him.
RND 4/10: Not much of an improvement to be honest and a substitute in an area that wasn't needed at the time
Hourihane 4/10: I am wondering why we signed him now. He's not much of a threat for our midfield and seems a bit lightweight and exposed

Slav 4/10: Warnocked.

pommpey
Good assessment agreed with what you said about Wilders mates from your previous Take.
Cant agree with you though on Didsy still has a nice few touches but no energy or presence if we want to struggle play him but to me he’s finished.
 

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