My take ...

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Apart from the Championship being more exciting, I literally cannot think of another reason why we wouldn't want a PL promotion, even if we come straight back down.
Just that last season in the Prem traumatised me a bit
 

Got to agree, plenty of people on here including myself would be lying if we hadn’t have already thought we’re already promoted. However, my opinion is slowly changing because of three things I’ve observed.

We happily allow the opponent to have possession of the ball rather than it being the other way round.

We often get dragged into 50/50 battles, in the middle of the park, due to slow build up play.

We show glimmers of attacking intent without causing any damage for about 15-20 minutes. If we don’t score in that window you get draws.

It’s not like we are suddenly going to lose the automatic promotion spot, but much like watching our current football standards being that of a slow creeping suffocation of a marathon with the occasional highlight provided by Ndiaye, it’s the creeping in the table that will slowly see us 5 points clear with 7/8 games remaining if we’re not careful.
10 points sounds a lot, but can whittle away easily enough.

TBF - we've the best defence in the league, and that isn't a fluke, but we haven't been the real deal going forward for months now and some players need to step up
 
I think that there are only a few who think that this team is good enough for the Premier League, whereas most were pretty confident with Wilder’s team and the defined style that we had. We are about 5 players short, if I’m being generous.
we've got 14/15 players that I'd be happy to take into an EPL squad. Hecky might think 16/17. That means we need to sign between 8 and 11 players in the summer depending on your level of optimism.

Fodderingham, Bogle, Baldock, Anel, Egan, JLT, RND, Lowe, Norwood, Berge, Ndayie, McBurnie, Jebbison, Brewster is the start point

There is a case for both of the Man City lads but they aren't our players. Hecky clearly likes Osborn, Sharp, Fleck and Stevens, when fit so a couple of them might make it as well.
 
Just that last season in the Prem traumatised me a bit
It did us all, but the circumstances that surrounded it won't be the same next time. Whenever we get a chance to sit at that table, we have to take it, even if we don't stay there.
 
I'm going to court controversy as I thought we were excellent up until the edge of their box. Dominated the game, never looked like losing but lacked that spark in the final 3rd...

I'll let all the bed-wetters and Osborn Haters (I thought he did ok, McAtee did better but he can't start every game at his age) work themselves in to a frothing frenzy.

Can't believe all the hand wringing and angst...

By all means, disagree. But 'bed wetters'? Really? Is it not you who have tiddled in your best Transformers pyjamas, soaking right through to the very mattress simply because people don't share the same opinion as you? Hence 'courting controversy'.

Also if you thought Osborn 'did okay' can you define exactly what he did which qualifies that statement? I saw him do one thing. He blocked a shot on the right side in our box for a corner. Everything else he did was redolent of his habitual hustle and bustle and no fucking result schtick which you seem impervious to. Since he signed, save for a few speculative goals here and there he's hardly anchored himself at either LB, LWB, LM or anywhere else for that matter. Frankly I'd rather have Fleck in at LCM and Stevens in at LWB. At least they show some composure and guile. Osborn had two consecutive cross chances in the first half and fucked both up and then went on to commit to a number of errors and miscalculations, beaten for pace or judgement and crocked into Anel in a tackle the Rotherham midfielder got up with the ball and ran up the pitch with. 'Did okay'? Really?

pommpey
 
Some funny Osborn references genuinely made me laugh out loud.

Good stuff as ever 👍
 
By all means, disagree. But 'bed wetters'? Really? Is it not you who have tiddled in your best Transformers pyjamas, soaking right through to the very mattress simply because people don't share the same opinion as you? Hence 'courting controversy'.

Also if you thought Osborn 'did okay' can you define exactly what he did which qualifies that statement? I saw him do one thing. He blocked a shot on the right side in our box for a corner. Everything else he did was redolent of his habitual hustle and bustle and no fucking result schtick which you seem impervious to. Since he signed, save for a few speculative goals here and there he's hardly anchored himself at either LB, LWB, LM or anywhere else for that matter. Frankly I'd rather have Fleck in at LCM and Stevens in at LWB. At least they show some composure and guile. Osborn had two consecutive cross chances in the first half and fucked both up and then went on to commit to a number of errors and miscalculations, beaten for pace or judgement and crocked into Anel in a tackle the Rotherham midfielder got up with the ball and ran up the pitch with. 'Did okay'? Really?

pommpey

Sadly Pompidou it is you who pisses down his leg and let's his blood pressure sky rocket like an exploding geiser should anyone dare to disagree with the font of knowledge Mr P Ompey. You're like one of those Conservative politicians who has one fixed narrative and anyone who dares to deviate is ridiculed and pointed at so all the other cultists can join! How very modern and 2023 of you....

Back to contrary opinion - yes I thought Osborn did 'ok'. A solid 5/10 to use a system you'll appreciate. He didn't give the ball away, stayed in position, certainly ran about a lot (would like to see the km's covered stat as bet his was high) and gave the team some energy (which when Berge and Norwood play together we desperately need). Now by no means did he blow the doors off. He turned back at every opportunity and slowed us down a lot in possession, he passed sideways at best, and certainly the 'successful dribble' stat is one he'll never trouble. Like I say, we played well upto the final 3rd and Osborn typifies that. Comfortable passing it sideways and staying in shape, but gets a nose-bleed when getting close to the danger zone. And is one reason we'll be needing upgrades all over the place if we go up.

In conclusion, had we nicked a goal and won 1-0 we'd all be saying Osborn helped us keep it tight and Hecky had used the squad well. We didn't do that and you need material to dramatize and since Berge played well and Sharp was on the bench, Osborn gets both barrels...
 
The disappointing thing today was that they never tried to win the game. All they did was hoof it to the forwards so They could fall down looking for free kicks. They stuck 2 men on Illi and he was pretty ineffectual, McBurnie was decent with the link up play but bar from Norwood who looked like he knew what he was doing, the rest looked like a disorganised rabble. Berge was really hit and miss, sadly more miss than hit, Osborn continued morphing into Nick Montgomery and Bogle wasted so much possession it was fucking criminal.

We should be happy with an away point and a clean sheet but the performance today was fucking gash truth be told.
Osborn can't lace montys boots, monty was 2 even 3 times the player that this absolute crock of shit is.
 
I think that there are only a few who think that this team is good enough for the Premier League, whereas most were pretty confident with Wilder’s team and the defined style that we had. We are about 5 players short, if I’m being generous.
I wholeheartedly agree when we were promoted 2019 we took some teams by surprise now we won’t they’ll be ready for us and tbh we’ve never been able to replace JOC and we’ve never dealt with midfield properly and don’t have a regular goal scorer even for this division let alone one above. 5 decent Premiership players needed minimum
 
Sharp’s main asset this season seems to be to try and win fouls, which he did when he came on.

The ref had given us nothing all game, and didn’t with Sharp going down easy either, so that inability to read the game is a concern for me for Hecky.

Ndiaye was having no luck, and Bogle was being greedy, there’s a lot of that going on with him and Sharp tbf, when a look up would’ve shown a man free.

The atmosphere was ok (I was there), but some of our fans are an embarrassment, laying into the scapegoats at every opportunity. Why bother going if you’re not going to get behind the team?

We need to unify the support and the team again, instead of sitting nervously waiting to fuck it all up.

Osborn too, a grafter but little to show for it. Some players can be carried as they can be off form but still have those moments of breaking through a defence (Ndiaye, Berge, McAtee), but we can’t carry a player who offers us next to nothing.

Subs too for me we’re far too late and somewhat ineffectual. McAtee gave us an injection for about ten minutes, Sharp was useless. I would hooked Ozzy for McAtee at HT, and maybe Coulibaly for McB, playing Ndiaye as a loan striker with McAtee and Coulibaly behind, with Berge and Norwood controlling the middle.

Leaving the ground it felt like a loss, really disheartening and giving the impression that we have one way to play. If that doesn’t work we’re settling for draws and losses.
 
we've got 14/15 players that I'd be happy to take into an EPL squad. Hecky might think 16/17. That means we need to sign between 8 and 11 players in the summer depending on your level of optimism.

Fodderingham, Bogle, Baldock, Anel, Egan, JLT, RND, Lowe, Norwood, Berge, Ndayie, McBurnie, Jebbison, Brewster is the start point

There is a case for both of the Man City lads but they aren't our players. Hecky clearly likes Osborn, Sharp, Fleck and Stevens, when fit so a couple of them might make it as well.
That’s sensible
 
Sadly Pompidou it is you who pisses down his leg and let's his blood pressure sky rocket like an exploding geiser should anyone dare to disagree with the font of knowledge Mr P Ompey. You're like one of those Conservative politicians who has one fixed narrative and anyone who dares to deviate is ridiculed and pointed at so all the other cultists can join! How very modern and 2023 of you....

Back to contrary opinion - yes I thought Osborn did 'ok'. A solid 5/10 to use a system you'll appreciate. He didn't give the ball away, stayed in position, certainly ran about a lot (would like to see the km's covered stat as bet his was high) and gave the team some energy (which when Berge and Norwood play together we desperately need). Now by no means did he blow the doors off. He turned back at every opportunity and slowed us down a lot in possession, he passed sideways at best, and certainly the 'successful dribble' stat is one he'll never trouble. Like I say, we played well upto the final 3rd and Osborn typifies that. Comfortable passing it sideways and staying in shape, but gets a nose-bleed when getting close to the danger zone. And is one reason we'll be needing upgrades all over the place if we go up.

In conclusion, had we nicked a goal and won 1-0 we'd all be saying Osborn helped us keep it tight and Hecky had used the squad well. We didn't do that and you need material to dramatize and since Berge played well and Sharp was on the bench, Osborn gets both barrels...
To be fair

Even though we have been on this wonderful run and are 10 points clear and haven’t been beaten in months - many on here have been pointing out the dull and insipid way we play football .

Many have indeed not resorted to rose coloured speck syndrome ,even though we are where we are , and have rightly criticised certain players who have been missing in action along with the managers tactics and approach in many recent games .

They have also , in the main , offered evidence

Therefore with respect your comment re winning 1-0 is not true for many .

I watched heckys post match interview expecting to hear and se him a little frustrated but he didn’t appear to be so - happy for a point at Rotherham . This surprises me but when you see the malaise on the pitch you can understand why .

We are all grateful to be where we are but the performances have been drab and we don’t seem to have much zip or energy which is surprising taking into account the riches that are on offer
 

10 points sounds a lot, but can whittle away easily enough.

TBF - we've the best defence in the league, and that isn't a fluke, but we haven't been the real deal going forward for months now and some players need to step up

Agree, however what people also seem to be forgetting is.

The task for Boro isn't just to close a 10 point gap, which is doable.
They would then need to continue maintaining that form and hope that Sheff Utd continue to struggle.

Boro have just won 9 out of their last 11 matches, which is impressive but they now need to repeat that again.

If they go on a run of 18 wins out of 22 matches, then they deserve to be promoted.
However I'm still 90% confident we'll end up promoted. The only spanner in the works is if we start acquiring loads of injuries, esp if it was N'Diaye.
 
Sadly Pompidou it is you who pisses down his leg and let's his blood pressure sky rocket like an exploding geiser should anyone dare to disagree with the font of knowledge Mr P Ompey.

So, 'no, your mum'?

Just have a check back. Gwan. Explain where the 'blood pressure sky rocket like an exploding geiser' stuff is please? I'm hardly the 'font of all knowledge' when it comes to people like Silent, who could even tell you what underpants the physio was wearing in our 0-2 defeat to Tranmere Rovers at the Lane in August 1995, or Roy who catalogues the exact nuances of opposition fans with laser accuracy or Deadbat who seems to have a video memory going on to give you almost a written, kick-by-kick narrative of the game. There are others. I don't possess any of their superpowers, so I think you're a bit rooery about my capabilities there shipmate.

Then you go one to chronicle Osborn's performance v Rotherham and practically reinforce my 3/10 mark with comments like 'turned back at every opportunity and slowed us down a lot in possession, he passed sideways at best, and certainly the 'successful dribble' stat is one he'll never trouble'

Truth is, we didn't nick a goal and the team's performance was sub par, as it usually is when Osborn plays. As you also attest, for a player that isn't as shit as everyone thinks, you figure he'll be booted out at the end of this season. So we agree ... as do most on here ... so you are hardly 'courting controversy'.

Finally, I'd spend time I don't have mocking your online name, if I could give a fuck or if it actually added anything to the debate about football, but I really can't be arsed. Osborn is a better topic to concentrate on, albeit limited. He's shite. And you agree.

pommpey
 
Nice to know people think derby games are easy peasy. Funny as I can never remember running away with any game at Rotherham.

They are not normal games. I came home and watched my first live game this season and watched 2 sides battling hard but cancelling each other out .A typical Derby stalemate. We created only a few chances of note but could have won it Anel with the best of these.
But they are on a run of decent results so take the point and move on.
 
A point away from home will do me! You can't play well every game but saying that I thought we was easily the better side! Take the positives out the game and move on. Next two games at home, hopefully 6 points but we will still be on track for promotion with 4 points !
 
To be fair

Even though we have been on this wonderful run and are 10 points clear and haven’t been beaten in months - many on here have been pointing out the dull and insipid way we play football .

Many have indeed not resorted to rose coloured speck syndrome ,even though we are where we are , and have rightly criticised certain players who have been missing in action along with the managers tactics and approach in many recent games .

They have also , in the main , offered evidence

Therefore with respect your comment re winning 1-0 is not true for many .

I watched heckys post match interview expecting to hear and se him a little frustrated but he didn’t appear to be so - happy for a point at Rotherham . This surprises me but when you see the malaise on the pitch you can understand why .

We are all grateful to be where we are but the performances have been drab and we don’t seem to have much zip or energy which is surprising taking into account the riches that are on offer

The frustrating thing or maybe it's the most promising is

Agree we have long phases where we lose midfield and we struggle to string 3 passes, thankfully our defence is generally very good.
However we also have short spells where we play some great football, great moves with quality passing and/ or dribbling.
So we know it's there......can't understand why Hecky isn't addressing this.

Agree about Hecky, it really reminds me of the Gareth Southgate style.
He never criticises the team and always seems to praise his players whilst bigging up the opposition for making it extra tough for us.
Wilder never did this and was brutally honest in his post match assessments, spoke like a fan which was refreshing.

However the downside of Wilders style was he was very expressive, passionate and over emotional, showing stress when things were against him.
Where as Hecky is (again like Southgate) more like a poker player. All his post match interviews are similar no matter who we play or how we play.
He never gets over excited when we win and play well and he never gets down when we lose or play poorly.

Still wouldn't worry though, agree we've not been convincing but we're been the better team in almost every match we've played this season.
 
Fair assessment Pompey. It’s hard not to be disappointed by that display and some of our other recent performances, despite our excellent position in the league. What is slightly concerning is we have come to the end of a run of games against weak opposition where we’ve been able to take points by showing flashes of quality, defending well and seeing out games. Now we’re heading into a run of games against stronger opposition and we’re going to have to play much better.

The embargo obviously did not help. It beggars belief that a team in our position has weakened their squad when promotion is there for the taking. As a minimum, Hecky should have been allowed to replace Khadra, which he initially said was conditional on allowing him to leave.

Ideally we would have recruited another central midfielder on loan as well. O’Brien would have been perfect. Fleck can’t be relied on, either through form or fitness, Coulibaly is clearly not ready, if he ever will be and Doyle has missed a lot of games through injury. Osborn should not be starting games for a team going for automatic promotion, in my opinion. This is meant with no disrespect to the fella, as he seems a really solid bloke.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned what the effect of the approaching TV and FA cup game could be having on both management and players minds..
Or where Rotherham would be in the league right now without those four points..... :tumbleweed:
 
Rotherham recently beat Blackburn 4-0 and held Watford to a draw, so they are probably better than where their league position says. On saying that, pommpey is pretty accurate with his markings, as usual.

Not sure if Coulibaly is just not 100% fit, or whether Hecky and co just don't like what they see on the training pitch. It's all a bit of a mystery, that one. He was supposed to be a lad with a real engine on him, box to box, and liked to shoot when he got near goal.

I'll take a point, of course, but people saying "a point at away games and a win at home games will see us over the line" can't be watching what Boro are doing. From the poor performances when Chris Wilder was their manager, to third place. Looking at his playing (scoring) history, no one could have predicted Akpom hitting form at 27 years of age, but he has, and they look capable of winning any game they play, which means we can't rely on away draws at all, we are catchable.
 
Fair assessment but we are not going to win every game and there will be more days like today. Hopefully McAtee will be fully fit for Swansea and we will be more creative as a result.
 
Fair assessment Pompey. It’s hard not to be disappointed by that display and some of our other recent performances, despite our excellent position in the league. What is slightly concerning is we have come to the end of a run of games against weak opposition where we’ve been able to take points by showing flashes of quality, defending well and seeing out games. Now we’re heading into a run of games against stronger opposition and we’re going to have to play much better.

The embargo obviously did not help. It beggars belief that a team in our position has weakened their squad when promotion is there for the taking. As a minimum, Hecky should have been allowed to replace Khadra, which he initially said was conditional on allowing him to leave.

Ideally we would have recruited another central midfielder on loan as well. O’Brien would have been perfect. Fleck can’t be relied on, either through form or fitness, Coulibaly is clearly not ready, if he ever will be and Doyle has missed a lot of games through injury. Osborn should not be starting games for a team going for automatic promotion, in my opinion. This is meant with no disrespect to the fella, as he seems a really solid bloke.
Really good post

You’re right - there was a huge sigh of relief at the close of the window when we kept Illiman and Sander , but as the dust settles the realisation that we didn’t at least replace Khadra (not necessarily his position but utilised the investment wisely to reinforce the squad) starts to land .

Seems all our rivals have added to their squads which can invigorate them - whereas we don’t even go with what we had - which is the spin we are asked to swallow as we are Khadra / alternative option / down.

Hope we don’t regret it
 
Another disappointing outcome. United continue to make fucking hard work of easy tasks. Rotherham are truly no great shakes are they? I don't think we've actually played a team yet who have truly outclassed us but we've played a lot who have been allowed by us to make Sheffield United question why they are so many points ahead and looking like automatic anointment to the big time. Okay, again we didn't lose but like many games this season it still didn't reinforce my faith and if anything justifies where our weak areas are for next season. We won't get away with how we play games if we play like we did today and Hecky and his team have a hell of a job hucking out the shite and persuading the new owners what to buy to replace them and provide strength in depth just to finish out of the relegation zone. Rotherham aren't anywhere near the Premier League yet made us look distinctly ordinary and its that propensity for poor sides to make us look equally poor which worries me.

First half we start as we always do straight at them but as we always do (again) we fail to deliver punch after punch after punch which actually lands and puts the opponents against the ropes. True to form Rotherham looked fairly comfortable going in at 0-0 and emerged with a 'just do what you did in the first half' brief in their ears because as we've seen, Hecky is rubbish at change let alone making an early (and crucially the correct) substitution. The midfield today, although showing a slightly improving Berge, failed to take the ball up the middle and we relied too much on pointless, aimless and hopeful punts up the park to the front two who were being mauled under the nose of a shit referee. I have no idea why we don't run forward five yards, five more, lay left, run into space, receive, thread a pass and just keep it on the deck for a change.. It's what the midfield are for and its what chances generally come from. Our midfield has looked like a fucking 1.0 Morris Ital engine dropped into a fucking Sierra Cosworth shell. And other players also didn't pull their weight throughout todays game or failed to make good of the chances we had to come away with three points rather than a meagre one. Discounting the Deadpool Cup Tie (which we have to win if only to give us the chance of going out versus Harry Kane's Spurs FC plc) we have Swansea next week who will make sure we pay for our timid, light-touch output if we let them. And we'll let them, believe me.

Foderingham 6/10: Distribution a bit pish at times. Two good saves and in the right place for some of their attempts on goal
Bogle 4/10: Thought he had a poor game where it seemed his confidence and concentration looked suspect
Anel 4/10: No idea what has happened to him. Since coming back he's looked fragile, uncomposed and not willing to be that vanguard at the back and moving through into attack. As much as Basham is now 58 years old, it might be a good idea to bench Anel for a few games to work on him and restore that spark we know he has
Egan 6.5/10: As ever, marshalled the central of the back three and put a decent, if unremarkable shift. Hugill was a problem for him though
JLT 7/10: Almost Morgan-like in his duties. Committed, no-fucks-given and focussed
Lowe 6/10: Quiet game for him but did his job both high up the pitch and tracking back to defend despite being shirt handed over that side
Berge 6.5/10: A better game for him, if not wholly complete. Actually won headers, got into space and got involved, if with not much to show for it
Norwood 6.5/10: Seemed to be the only midfielder propping things up at times and wasn't unguilty of hoofing it again many times into nowhere
Osborn 3/10: Really dismal. Usual 'big effort' stuff but the footballing output was piss-poor. How he gets the nod over McAtee is a fucking mystery. In May, up or not, he needs to be moved on. I was always suspicious of Wilder buying him in the first place and over a few seasons has never delivered much beyond one-wipe bobbar and a dry trump for me.
NDaiye 6.5/10: As with most games, when we can't get our midfield firing on all three cylinders, it's the drivetrain that ends up struggling and NDaiye needs chances. He did dig out his own but they were scrappy half scuffs and times where he tried at least to take most of their team on.
McBurnie 7/10: Thought he had a decent game to be honest if a small part shithousy but in defence, their defence itself leant on him. Like NDaiye, he's starved of crosses (hang your fucking head in shame Osborn) or threaded balls to put him in. Give him that and we win the game.

McAtee 5/10: gave us a lot more than Osborn. Then again, if I came on at sixty years old now and a fair few stone overweight and unfit as fuck I think I'd do more than the Hecky's Hobbit. At least McAtee kept the ball on the deck and ran at them a bit rather than invite the fans to collectively yell 'Fuck's sake!' on shoutbox, on the terraces, in their living rooms or sat on the shithouse on a stream.
Sharp 4/10: No idea why we took McBurnie off. Sharp gave us fuck all. Hecky - this isn't the last game of the season in Sharp's testimonial year. We need McBurnie on to at least look like we'll score.

HJ&SMcC 5/10: We didn't win, we didn't lose but we did draw. Note the 'but' there. Although Burnleh are hiome and hosed now and Company can effectively send his first team on holiday right now, we are eventually going to start losing matches. And we know what we are like after that, don't we? We seem to be coasting nervously now rather than coasting with confidence. Rotherham should have been a game we come away as 2-0 winners but given the amount of wated effort doing fuck all and the chances we spurned, we need to start stronger against Swansea and kill them off in the first half and not tolerate going on the defence at any time in the game. We need to keep opposition teams moving and guessing rather than knowing we play it to the wingbacks. We need also to be hitting it from distance and testing keepers. When was the last time we scored a worldie?

Good voice from our fans today in a meagre crowd. Although I didn't pay for SUTV also, the club needs to hold those fuckers to account regarding the reliability of their output too.

pommpey
Three points to make :-

1. We were far too slow to move up field once we had regained possession in the second half.

2. Both Sharpe and Bogle were guilty of lack of vision and composure when shooting instead of finding open team mates in the penalty area in the last minutes.

3. The ball must have suffered altitude sickness in this game.
 
For those who believe we'll get automatic promotion based on the 10 point gap .l seem to remember a similar gap between the Blades and the bottom 3 in Warnock's only season in the Premiership (with Utd) & we all know what happened then!
 

First

pommpey

Egan should have had one less point, not his best today.
Osborn (the whipping boy) deserved another two points for his first half performance, MaCtee was a better replacement in the second half, less running but better quality than Ozzy.
We desperately need Berge in the attacking role, driving forward taking on players and delivering the final ball, at the moment he is picking up second balls and doing bits and pieces to break up their play, but that's not his best role.
 

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