My take ...

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pommpey

THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
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Well, it had to happen some time and in truth, it's been coming. Boro, our biggest threat to promotion, came to BDTBL tonight and spanked us thoroughly. After a crisp start, the usual pattern of losing the stiffy after ten pumps took place and we spent the rest of the match with the team in Osborn mode, chasing about and getting fuck all traction.

Great, if fortunate start from us with JLT lobbing in McBurnie's opener ... or Anels ... whoever ... I don't care. It went in and it looked like we may add to it with a flurry of chances but we have been playing this 'go soft' game for many months now, in particular at home. It's disappointing but we need to break free of this and start putting teams under concerted pressure. It would help if we could get the midfield to function correctly mind. Norwood had last season's boots on, Berge vanished back into Mr Light Grey and McAtee tried but failed. We tried optimistic but pointless punts up the pitch expecting McBurnie to 'do summat wi it' and did our usual schtick of getting bogged down in the kill zone wide outside the penalty areas. If we did break through, a lively but now misfiring N'Daiye failed to capitalise and across the pitch Boro, although pretty decent and well disciplined made the ten point gap look hollow and undeserved. They have some great players who turned us over all over the pitch and refused to ease up. It was a comprehensive 'job' on United and one the now suspended Hecky needs to learn from. Their goals were avoidable and as a result of basic footballing errors. A snoozing and rather naive defence for the first, lack of ability to control the game for the second and coughing up possession in advantage for their third. Boro simply punished that and we didn't respond, not even with some guilt-edged chances.

Foderingham 7/10: Possibly our best player. No chance with the goals and did what he could when asked, including picking the ball out of the net
Bogle 6/10: Good going forward at times but part of a sometimes calamitous right side and asked to do so much what with Berge on holiday
Anel 6.5/10: Good in parts but still showing critical vulnerability and lack of judgement at times. Key tackle in the second half which gets him a whole point
Egan 6/10: Trying to shepherd Archer and Akpom out on his own at times
JLT 5/10: Exposed and run at by their three man front line. Got into a verbal tangle at the end with one of our fans in the JSS
Lowe 5.5/10: Fairly vanilla game for him. Tried forays up the line but had his hands full too much traking back as they quickly broke to have any real effect
Berge 4/10: Disappointing game. It seems he only switches on when the ball is near him. His off the ball work tonight was poor, even after a promising start
Norwood 4/10: Poor game, telegraphing balls and coughing up possession. Boro simply cancelled him out
McAtee 5/10: And only just. Out muscled somewhat and frustratingly clumsy on the ball tonight
N'Daiye 6/10: Plenty of graft and industry but some disappointing finishing
McBurnie 6/10: he can only do what he can do with the ball in front of goal. Tonight he was a bit 'last year'

Jebbison 5/10: Brought on to go 4-3-3 then 4-4-2. Spooned a sitter header over the bar when we really needed a goal
Osborn 5/10: No fucking idea why he is the answer when Coullibally is sat on the bench. No real effect. Again.

HJ&SMcC 3/10: Aside from Hecky's daft red card we didn't change the game at half time and go on the attack. And the substitutes were characteristically late and misplaced. We can't afford to lose the game v Millwall, so need consistency and the ability to open teams up. Boro were technically much better than us tonight, especially capitalising on chances and working the counter attack into chances. We don't do that and it shows. Tonight was a lesson and it was predictable. It needs not be the start of our slide.

pommpey
 

Well, it had to happen some time and in truth, it's been coming. Boro, our biggest threat to promotion, came to BDTBL tonight and spanked us thoroughly. After a crisp start, the usual pattern of losing the stiffy after ten pumps took place and we spent the rest of the match with the team in Osborn mode, chasing about and getting fuck all traction.

Great, if fortunate start from us with JLT lobbing in McBurnie's opener ... or Anels ... whoever ... I don't care. It went in and it looked like we may add to it with a flurry of chances but we have been playing this 'go soft' game for many months now, in particular at home. It's disappointing but we need to break free of this and start putting teams under concerted pressure. It would help if we could get the midfield to function correctly mind. Norwood had last season's boots on, Berge vanished back into Mr Light Grey and McAtee tried but failed. We tried optimistic but pointless punts up the pitch expecting McBurnie to 'do summat wi it' and did our usual schtick of getting bogged down in the kill zone wide outside the penalty areas. If we did break through, a lively but now misfiring N'Daiye failed to capitalise and across the pitch Boro, although pretty decent and well disciplined made the ten point gap look hollow and undeserved. They have some great players who turned us over all over the pitch and refused to ease up. It was a comprehensive 'job' on United and one the now suspended Hecky needs to learn from. Their goals were avoidable and as a result of basic footballing errors. A snoozing and rather naive defence for the first, lack of ability to control the game for the second and coughing up possession in advantage for their third. Boro simply punished that and we didn't respond, not even with some guilt-edged chances.

Foderingham 7/10: Possibly our best player. No chance with the goals and did what he could when asked, including picking the ball out of the net
Bogle 6/10: Good going forward at times but part of a sometimes calamitous right side and asked to do so much what with Berge on holiday
Anel 6.5/10: Good in parts but still showing critical vulnerability and lack of judgement at times. Key tackle in the second half which gets him a whole point
Egan 6/10: Trying to shepherd Archer and Akpom out on his own at times
JLT 5/10: Exposed and run at by their three man front line. Got into a verbal tangle at the end with one of our fans in the JSS
Lowe 5.5/10: Fairly vanilla game for him. Tried forays up the line but had his hands full too much traking back as they quickly broke to have any real effect
Berge 4/10: Disappointing game. It seems he only switches on when the ball is near him. His off the ball work tonight was poor, even after a promising start
Norwood 4/10: Poor game, telegraphing balls and coughing up possession. Boro simply cancelled him out
McAtee 5/10: And only just. Out muscled somewhat and frustratingly clumsy on the ball tonight
N'Daiye 6/10: Plenty of graft and industry but some disappointing finishing
McBurnie 6/10: he can only do what he can do with the ball in front of goal. Tonight he was a bit 'last year'

Jebbison 5/10: Brought on to go 4-3-3 then 4-4-2. Spooned a sitter header over the bar when we really needed a goal
Osborn 5/10: No fucking idea why he is the answer when Coullibally is sat on the bench. No real effect. Again.

HJ&SMcC 3/10: Aside from Hecky's daft red card we didn't change the game at half time and go on the attack. And the substitutes were characteristically late and misplaced. We can't afford to lose the game v Millwall, so need consistency and the ability to open teams up. Boro were technically much better than us tonight, especially capitalising on chances and working the counter attack into chances. We don't do that and it shows. Tonight was a lesson and it was predictable. It needs not be the start of our slide.

pommpey
Wevs

pommpey
 
Let's keep the discussion factual/stats based. I'd love to see the stats on distances covered by their midfield compared to ours, and the number of hard runs.

It was like the second PL all over again where we were just so second best physically all over the pitch. Watching JLT struggle with their attackers was like seeing my grandad chase my 11 year old round the back garden...

Massive wake up call, if not just Hecky but Tom Little and his team!
 
Let's keep the discussion factual/stats based. I'd love to see the stats on distances covered by their midfield compared to ours, and the number of hard runs.

It was like the second PL all over again where we were just so second best physically all over the pitch. Watching JLT struggle with their attackers was like seeing my grandad chase my 11 year old round the back garden...

Massive wake up call, if not just Hecky but Tom Little and his team!
Yeah I said that. We got outrun and out fought. At about 75 mins our players lost belief as they seemed fitter and full of more energy.
 
The rest of the season will go as we wish or badly wrong very quickly. Saturday is absolutely huge. Win or draw and we stabalise. Lose and frankly I have little confidence in the manager driving us over the line. Will be beyond happy to be proved wrong.
 
Well, it had to happen some time and in truth, it's been coming. Boro, our biggest threat to promotion, came to BDTBL tonight and spanked us thoroughly. After a crisp start, the usual pattern of losing the stiffy after ten pumps took place and we spent the rest of the match with the team in Osborn mode, chasing about and getting fuck all traction.

Great, if fortunate start from us with JLT lobbing in McBurnie's opener ... or Anels ... whoever ... I don't care. It went in and it looked like we may add to it with a flurry of chances but we have been playing this 'go soft' game for many months now, in particular at home. It's disappointing but we need to break free of this and start putting teams under concerted pressure. It would help if we could get the midfield to function correctly mind. Norwood had last season's boots on, Berge vanished back into Mr Light Grey and McAtee tried but failed. We tried optimistic but pointless punts up the pitch expecting McBurnie to 'do summat wi it' and did our usual schtick of getting bogged down in the kill zone wide outside the penalty areas. If we did break through, a lively but now misfiring N'Daiye failed to capitalise and across the pitch Boro, although pretty decent and well disciplined made the ten point gap look hollow and undeserved. They have some great players who turned us over all over the pitch and refused to ease up. It was a comprehensive 'job' on United and one the now suspended Hecky needs to learn from. Their goals were avoidable and as a result of basic footballing errors. A snoozing and rather naive defence for the first, lack of ability to control the game for the second and coughing up possession in advantage for their third. Boro simply punished that and we didn't respond, not even with some guilt-edged chances.

Foderingham 7/10: Possibly our best player. No chance with the goals and did what he could when asked, including picking the ball out of the net
Bogle 6/10: Good going forward at times but part of a sometimes calamitous right side and asked to do so much what with Berge on holiday
Anel 6.5/10: Good in parts but still showing critical vulnerability and lack of judgement at times. Key tackle in the second half which gets him a whole point
Egan 6/10: Trying to shepherd Archer and Akpom out on his own at times
JLT 5/10: Exposed and run at by their three man front line. Got into a verbal tangle at the end with one of our fans in the JSS
Lowe 5.5/10: Fairly vanilla game for him. Tried forays up the line but had his hands full too much traking back as they quickly broke to have any real effect
Berge 4/10: Disappointing game. It seems he only switches on when the ball is near him. His off the ball work tonight was poor, even after a promising start
Norwood 4/10: Poor game, telegraphing balls and coughing up possession. Boro simply cancelled him out
McAtee 5/10: And only just. Out muscled somewhat and frustratingly clumsy on the ball tonight
N'Daiye 6/10: Plenty of graft and industry but some disappointing finishing
McBurnie 6/10: he can only do what he can do with the ball in front of goal. Tonight he was a bit 'last year'

Jebbison 5/10: Brought on to go 4-3-3 then 4-4-2. Spooned a sitter header over the bar when we really needed a goal
Osborn 5/10: No fucking idea why he is the answer when Coullibally is sat on the bench. No real effect. Again.

HJ&SMcC 3/10: Aside from Hecky's daft red card we didn't change the game at half time and go on the attack. And the substitutes were characteristically late and misplaced. We can't afford to lose the game v Millwall, so need consistency and the ability to open teams up. Boro were technically much better than us tonight, especially capitalising on chances and working the counter attack into chances. We don't do that and it shows. Tonight was a lesson and it was predictable. It needs not be the start of our slide.

pommpey
Agree more or less.
The LHS defence was often outnumbered and useless against a slick moving Boro midfield bolstered by their irritating No. 29 who shafted us all night. Very naive defending, lacking in anticipation. JLT has qualities but against a slick moving midfield we needed someone on that side to marshal the defence better. Unfortunately he was an unused sub. Clark imho is probably the best we've got at that.
Nil desperandum. It's the Blades way after all.
 
We were poor and outplayed. Boro tonight we’re better than any team I’ve seen at this level since Wolves away in the Coutts injury wrecked season.

No Complaints, lost to a side who even if they don’t catch us will be in the Premier League next season as they will breeze though the play offs If they are in them
 

We were poor and outplayed. Boro tonight we’re better than any team I’ve seen at this level since Wolves away in the Coutts injury wrecked season.

No Complaints, lost to a side who even if they don’t catch us will be in the Premier League next season as they will breeze though the play offs If they are in them
Nobody ever breezes through the playoffs…
 
Well, it had to happen some time and in truth, it's been coming. Boro, our biggest threat to promotion, came to BDTBL tonight and spanked us thoroughly. After a crisp start, the usual pattern of losing the stiffy after ten pumps took place and we spent the rest of the match with the team in Osborn mode, chasing about and getting fuck all traction.

Great, if fortunate start from us with JLT lobbing in McBurnie's opener ... or Anels ... whoever ... I don't care. It went in and it looked like we may add to it with a flurry of chances but we have been playing this 'go soft' game for many months now, in particular at home. It's disappointing but we need to break free of this and start putting teams under concerted pressure. It would help if we could get the midfield to function correctly mind. Norwood had last season's boots on, Berge vanished back into Mr Light Grey and McAtee tried but failed. We tried optimistic but pointless punts up the pitch expecting McBurnie to 'do summat wi it' and did our usual schtick of getting bogged down in the kill zone wide outside the penalty areas. If we did break through, a lively but now misfiring N'Daiye failed to capitalise and across the pitch Boro, although pretty decent and well disciplined made the ten point gap look hollow and undeserved. They have some great players who turned us over all over the pitch and refused to ease up. It was a comprehensive 'job' on United and one the now suspended Hecky needs to learn from. Their goals were avoidable and as a result of basic footballing errors. A snoozing and rather naive defence for the first, lack of ability to control the game for the second and coughing up possession in advantage for their third. Boro simply punished that and we didn't respond, not even with some guilt-edged chances.

Foderingham 7/10: Possibly our best player. No chance with the goals and did what he could when asked, including picking the ball out of the net
Bogle 6/10: Good going forward at times but part of a sometimes calamitous right side and asked to do so much what with Berge on holiday
Anel 6.5/10: Good in parts but still showing critical vulnerability and lack of judgement at times. Key tackle in the second half which gets him a whole point
Egan 6/10: Trying to shepherd Archer and Akpom out on his own at times
JLT 5/10: Exposed and run at by their three man front line. Got into a verbal tangle at the end with one of our fans in the JSS
Lowe 5.5/10: Fairly vanilla game for him. Tried forays up the line but had his hands full too much traking back as they quickly broke to have any real effect
Berge 4/10: Disappointing game. It seems he only switches on when the ball is near him. His off the ball work tonight was poor, even after a promising start
Norwood 4/10: Poor game, telegraphing balls and coughing up possession. Boro simply cancelled him out
McAtee 5/10: And only just. Out muscled somewhat and frustratingly clumsy on the ball tonight
N'Daiye 6/10: Plenty of graft and industry but some disappointing finishing
McBurnie 6/10: he can only do what he can do with the ball in front of goal. Tonight he was a bit 'last year'

Jebbison 5/10: Brought on to go 4-3-3 then 4-4-2. Spooned a sitter header over the bar when we really needed a goal
Osborn 5/10: No fucking idea why he is the answer when Coullibally is sat on the bench. No real effect. Again.

HJ&SMcC 3/10: Aside from Hecky's daft red card we didn't change the game at half time and go on the attack. And the substitutes were characteristically late and misplaced. We can't afford to lose the game v Millwall, so need consistency and the ability to open teams up. Boro were technically much better than us tonight, especially capitalising on chances and working the counter attack into chances. We don't do that and it shows. Tonight was a lesson and it was predictable. It needs not be the start of our slide.

pommpey
As I’ve said before we ain’t that good
 
Schooled tonight by a fitter more up for it team. One touch passing and the desire to drive forward at us in the middle exposed our weaknesses. Akpom won't have an easier game all season. We never got to grips with him dropping off the forwards. Management have to take some blame for not addressing this. Then there's Archer a player we should have been going for in the JTW but we all know why we didn't. He's likely to fire them to promotion.

Midfield apart which was non existent after 20 minutes tonight showed why we miss Baldock and RND at wing back against the better teams. JLT has done well but his limitations were exposed tonight. Clark has to be given some game time now. As others have said bolstering midfield was a better tactical option as Egan and JLT in a two was never going to work. Problem was we never won a second ball all second half and when you are starved of the ball you don't win games.

You don't mind a loss if you go down fighting but the manner of the second half fadeout was concerning.
 
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A bad performance. Boro was better than us and had all the luck and some help from the usual crap referee. a few changes need to be made against Millwall after tonight's game.
 
A lack of any energy or pace in midfield tonight Carrick stuck 5 in midfield and simply forced us to go hoof to the front two. Of course we coughed up posession and their pace murdered us. Ndiaye looks like he badly needs a rest I'd have hooked him at HT or dropped him back into midfield to match Boro's formation, I don't see the point of bringing Osborn on. Ndiaye, Berge, Norwood and McAtee were all very poor and when Norwoods panic tackle turned into a lovely pass for Boro's 2nd the writing was on the wall. Of course Mariner the ref had to give Boro a helping hand how was that not a foul and pull back on McAtee and not pulled back when we gained no advantage surely he can't say there wasn't a foul and shirt pull there? Next thing we know they have four on three to wrap the game up.

No need to panic just yet but we have made the season a whole lot harder, a lot will say with recent performances that this result was coming and it is hard to argue against that view.
 
A lack of any energy or pace in midfield tonight Carrick stuck 5 in midfield and simply forced us to go hoof to the front two. Of course we coughed up posession and their pace murdered us. Ndiaye looks like he badly needs a rest I'd have hooked him at HT or dropped him back into midfield to match Boro's formation, I don't see the point of bringing Osborn on. Ndiaye, Berge, Norwood and McAtee were all very poor and when Norwoods panic tackle turned into a lovely pass for Boro's 2nd the writing was on the wall. Of course Mariner the ref had to give Boro a helping hand how was that not a foul and pull back on McAtee and not pulled back when we gained no advantage surely he can't say there wasn't a foul and shirt pull there? Next thing we know they have four on three to wrap the game up.

No need to panic just yet but we have made the season a whole lot harder, a lot will say with recent performances that this result was coming and it is hard to argue against that view.
Agree with all that but I'd be happy to lose at Millwall if we'd won tonight. Can't see us getting much there on Saturday. Let's see how the manager delivers when the pressure is relly on. Win Saturday and all is well. Lose and we are only going one way.
 

Mostly agree with the take, although I thought JLT was our best player first half, snapping into tackles, shepherding players wide, driving forward where he could. First 15 mins we were on it, they then sussed us out and we had no answer. 2nd half one of the worst performances a blades team has put in since Adkins. No complaints about the result, Boro were comfortably the better side, they've done to us what we've done to plenty of sides this season, not a nice experience. Huge moment in the season, need a response on Saturday. Feel I'm one of the few blades fans who thinks Bogle really flatters to deceive.
 

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