pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Impressive, dominating win for United tonight. We looked the better team throughout against a Swansea team bereft of ideas and tactical nous and who resembled the chaotic shambles we were versus Blackburn when we were bummed into the Stone Age by the same result. Swansea's incapability to gain momentum, thread passes or even threaten with any potency was brought about by a combination of pleasing interplay, great pressing and some individual performances worthy of a promotion chasing team. When you think this was largely the team who readily coughed up results last year it is a tribute to Heckingbottom, Lester and McCall and the modified 5-3-2 (minus Wilderball, mostly) and his influential use of key players.
Back came Billy in attack for all the right reasons and the midfield looked, on paper possibly the best we will get out of any combination of available players. The back three obviously unchanged with George regaining his RWB role and RND on the other flank which to me, works. The start was fluid and with intent and we put Swansea under some telling pressure which they clearly looked uncomfortable with. It was only a matter of time before we scored and it has been a long time since we felt that. When the goals came, they were as a result of deliberate, determined and directed play and were executed well. Sure we beat a bereft Peterborough last year but we have never shown this level of confidence and purpose in recent years since the first burst in the PL where we surprised a lot of teams with our belligerent, 'come on then, you fucking cunts' attitude. Today we deserved everything about the win and had it not been for some shitstoppingly gash finishing, it could have been a lot more. Big shame, because as this 4-0 pasting of Swansea is something we can take into Wednesday's game, a 7 or 8-0 drubbing (which is should have been) would actually make Blackburn stop and think 'how do we stop these twats from scoring?' Instead, they'll take stock from Hull and Huddersfield and play careful, patient football and hope to defeat us on the break.
But let's not take anything (much) away from the three points and the fact that we are on an upward trajectory. All areas were good today with some better, some needing polish to finish. If we hope to secure an automatic we need them honed and if we need to get through the gin-trap of the playoffs we need them shining
Foderingham 7/10: Doesn't get any more simply because although he picked the ball off the deck and came and caught when needed, he really didn't have a difficult save to make, testimony of the capability of the defence in front of him. Rewind six months and tell me a different story, why don't you?
Baldock 7/10: Good work from George and a simply fucking thunderous goal, in off the crossbar. Quite what the fuck he needs to be doing picking up yellows and fronting up to risk another is only his guess. Shame he's injured and I hope for a speedy recovery what with Bogle seemingly stricken
Basham 6/10: Not exactly sure what has happened to Mr Reliable, but last two games he has been anything but. When everyone else is playing like shite, Bash usually stands tall to 'Do the Right Thing'. Being as everyone else has now upped their game, he seems to have relapsed. One too many take ons, bad passes and sometimes positionally questionable (if out of position when Baldock went off and he covered at RWB), every bad thing he does - that he doesn't usually do - is noticeable. That 'tackle' he received near the end was savage, and we know, he's not the sort to feign injury. Get well soon Bash.
Egan 7/10: Steadfast snuffing out of anything Swansea had up front
Robinson 7.5/10: Another pretty flawless outing for JLT. Good defending, intercepting and hopping forward either out of the line to press, chase and harry or joining the attack with
RND 7.5/10: Slowly improving and securing his place in front of the now forgotten (for all the right reasons) Enda Stevens. Great run and ball across the box for Baldock's Thunderbolt.
Berge 7/10: A pretty decent show from him if still not breathtaking. He was pretty pivotal and Swansea feared his deftness, but really, his end product wasn't scintillating, was it? And loses a whole mark for receiving a pass from their keeper and dawdling badly. If that chance was the difference between a loss or a draw today, we'd be kicking the arse out of Berge no matter what deft dribbles he'd done or bits of possession play he'd displayed
Norwood 7/10: Would have been 8 ... even more ... had he simply sidefooted the open goal into the net rather than cracking it into the kop and made the most of the Swansea defence being all over the shop two minutes later with a free hit from the edge of the box. But ... as much as I criticise Norwood for his squandering via the hollywood pass, today, his ball to MGW was simply flawless. Elsewhere he was busier, more involved in gong forward and defending if typically clumsy in the challenge hence the daft yellow. Without this and his sitters, he's on a 9/10.
Fleck 6.5/10: Decent 'Johnny' Fleck game today from Jon Fleck. Connected well in midfield if not showing much in terms of developing attacking play threatening the Swansea goal
MGW 8/10: Very good game for the loanee if fraught with individual errors which cost him a whole point, such as the daft backheel and the squandered header. He is very much someone we need to break the bank and target at the end of this season because he fits so well into our team. We need to learn the lessons from the past of loanees who can definitely do a job for us who we've simply let go back in the past. He is the top of my purchase list. Fucking buy him. Sell the numpties and steer the cash in to get MGW. His first goal was fucking sublime and his second brilliantly executed.
Sharp 7/10: Usual graft from the club captain. Absolutely nailed on Billy Sharp goal (pay attention ... again ... Fallowfield, you chimp) and elsewhere better occupied making Swansea's defence work fucking hard when pressed.
Goode 7.5/10: Big fucking lad, isn't he? Showed pleasing levels of control and playmaking. His cross to the area in the second half was JOC levels of excellent
McBurnie 5/10: Not really much cop was he?
Jebbison unmarked. Didn't get much involvement
Onwards to the Blackburn game. Now in the playoffs, and people talking of automatics. Beat Blackburn on Wednesday and even I will start believing.
pommpey
Back came Billy in attack for all the right reasons and the midfield looked, on paper possibly the best we will get out of any combination of available players. The back three obviously unchanged with George regaining his RWB role and RND on the other flank which to me, works. The start was fluid and with intent and we put Swansea under some telling pressure which they clearly looked uncomfortable with. It was only a matter of time before we scored and it has been a long time since we felt that. When the goals came, they were as a result of deliberate, determined and directed play and were executed well. Sure we beat a bereft Peterborough last year but we have never shown this level of confidence and purpose in recent years since the first burst in the PL where we surprised a lot of teams with our belligerent, 'come on then, you fucking cunts' attitude. Today we deserved everything about the win and had it not been for some shitstoppingly gash finishing, it could have been a lot more. Big shame, because as this 4-0 pasting of Swansea is something we can take into Wednesday's game, a 7 or 8-0 drubbing (which is should have been) would actually make Blackburn stop and think 'how do we stop these twats from scoring?' Instead, they'll take stock from Hull and Huddersfield and play careful, patient football and hope to defeat us on the break.
But let's not take anything (much) away from the three points and the fact that we are on an upward trajectory. All areas were good today with some better, some needing polish to finish. If we hope to secure an automatic we need them honed and if we need to get through the gin-trap of the playoffs we need them shining
Foderingham 7/10: Doesn't get any more simply because although he picked the ball off the deck and came and caught when needed, he really didn't have a difficult save to make, testimony of the capability of the defence in front of him. Rewind six months and tell me a different story, why don't you?
Baldock 7/10: Good work from George and a simply fucking thunderous goal, in off the crossbar. Quite what the fuck he needs to be doing picking up yellows and fronting up to risk another is only his guess. Shame he's injured and I hope for a speedy recovery what with Bogle seemingly stricken
Basham 6/10: Not exactly sure what has happened to Mr Reliable, but last two games he has been anything but. When everyone else is playing like shite, Bash usually stands tall to 'Do the Right Thing'. Being as everyone else has now upped their game, he seems to have relapsed. One too many take ons, bad passes and sometimes positionally questionable (if out of position when Baldock went off and he covered at RWB), every bad thing he does - that he doesn't usually do - is noticeable. That 'tackle' he received near the end was savage, and we know, he's not the sort to feign injury. Get well soon Bash.
Egan 7/10: Steadfast snuffing out of anything Swansea had up front
Robinson 7.5/10: Another pretty flawless outing for JLT. Good defending, intercepting and hopping forward either out of the line to press, chase and harry or joining the attack with
RND 7.5/10: Slowly improving and securing his place in front of the now forgotten (for all the right reasons) Enda Stevens. Great run and ball across the box for Baldock's Thunderbolt.
Berge 7/10: A pretty decent show from him if still not breathtaking. He was pretty pivotal and Swansea feared his deftness, but really, his end product wasn't scintillating, was it? And loses a whole mark for receiving a pass from their keeper and dawdling badly. If that chance was the difference between a loss or a draw today, we'd be kicking the arse out of Berge no matter what deft dribbles he'd done or bits of possession play he'd displayed
Norwood 7/10: Would have been 8 ... even more ... had he simply sidefooted the open goal into the net rather than cracking it into the kop and made the most of the Swansea defence being all over the shop two minutes later with a free hit from the edge of the box. But ... as much as I criticise Norwood for his squandering via the hollywood pass, today, his ball to MGW was simply flawless. Elsewhere he was busier, more involved in gong forward and defending if typically clumsy in the challenge hence the daft yellow. Without this and his sitters, he's on a 9/10.
Fleck 6.5/10: Decent 'Johnny' Fleck game today from Jon Fleck. Connected well in midfield if not showing much in terms of developing attacking play threatening the Swansea goal
MGW 8/10: Very good game for the loanee if fraught with individual errors which cost him a whole point, such as the daft backheel and the squandered header. He is very much someone we need to break the bank and target at the end of this season because he fits so well into our team. We need to learn the lessons from the past of loanees who can definitely do a job for us who we've simply let go back in the past. He is the top of my purchase list. Fucking buy him. Sell the numpties and steer the cash in to get MGW. His first goal was fucking sublime and his second brilliantly executed.
Sharp 7/10: Usual graft from the club captain. Absolutely nailed on Billy Sharp goal (pay attention ... again ... Fallowfield, you chimp) and elsewhere better occupied making Swansea's defence work fucking hard when pressed.
Goode 7.5/10: Big fucking lad, isn't he? Showed pleasing levels of control and playmaking. His cross to the area in the second half was JOC levels of excellent
McBurnie 5/10: Not really much cop was he?
Jebbison unmarked. Didn't get much involvement
Onwards to the Blackburn game. Now in the playoffs, and people talking of automatics. Beat Blackburn on Wednesday and even I will start believing.
pommpey
