My take ...

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pommpey

THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
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Really disappointing match for us. It is actually all coming home to roost. Our propensity to not win team and individual battles out on the park and defend effectively will add to our anxieties that automatics may be at risk, despite adopting such a commanding lead against the chasing pack. At best this is a blip and we can ride it out. We've been beaten twice in one week home and away by teams up in the top six and despite questionable refereeing, we still have the team and the manager to blame for that. As with most things United do, eventually we get found out and are so wedded to a system it's difficult switch to another system. Millwall simply out fought us today and Bradshaw shows exactly what it's like to get away from a lummox like Egan and score some easy goals to put us down.

I was hoping we'd be much like the Swansea game when they put us under pressure and we emerged and dominated, but save for a vague period when we pressed in the second half, there wasn't one area on the pitch today where we won the game. Next game - Watford at home - the opposition are gonna smell blood and they are simply going to do the same as Boro and Millwall have done and that is out-football us. Millwall were impressive and focussed and picked on our frailties and when our midfield looks so weak and disjointed, the game is there to be lost before kickoff. Sure, we scored two away from home but this is more about the three we needlessly let in, and how Millwall bullied and bossed us and also about some strange refereeing decisions although they didn't much contribute to how we lost.

Foderingham 6/10: Not his best game and looking nervy. Beaten at the near post for Bradshaw's first and slow across his line for the second. He also maybe should have reacted for the cross for the third but I thing Egan has a shout in that
Bogle 5/10: An assist but a whole heap of problems what with Millwall charging up the flanks. He tried today did Jayden but you can see he is suffering from Berge being completely disconnected. He's just got no one to play with and play to.
Basham 5.5/10: I have no idea why Bash is playing today, even though at his age, he did his best. Skinned a few times and at others involved but slow these days
Egan 1/10: A real shocker. Worst game I have seen him play since the PL and he had some bobbar games then. Bullied all over the park, slow to track Bradshaws run for the first, jumping under the ball for the second and totally at blame for the third. Might I say he may benefit from a period on the bench next match?
Robinson 6.5/10: Had a real job coping with combined pace and physicality of Bradshaw and Burke but as ever, gave us a committed if clunky performance
Lowe 5/10: Timid outing. Ran all over at times by Burke and the rest of their flankers
Berge 2/10: A reversion to form for him. Berge isn't firstly worth his transfer fee and secondly suited to the English Championship game. He's dreadfully casual, slow and easy to pick off, his movement on and off the ball is well below what is needed and how the fuck he stays on after half time is anyones guess. If the board are after advertising him for sale and recouping some cost then he's letting that plan down by his dismal, carefree and somewhat nesh footballing
Norwood 5.5/10: Surrounded and robbed a few times but tried and failed to get some or other control. But it's control we lack.
Doyle 5.5/10: Up to his well taken if 'George Longed' free kick I was unimpressed. He grafted but it was more Osborn than Brown.
Jebbison 5/10: Couldn't really get engaged with the game and make the effect he can do. Should do better with one on ones.
McBurnie 5/10: Ran and ran and tried to mix things up but in truth achieved fuck all but winding up the ref. No idea why he was booked.

Osborn 5.5/10: Although he got involved, Osborn is not the answer and certainly not for Doyle who was playing far better than Berge
NDaiye 6/10: See also, hooking Jebbison for NDaiye. If the impetus is to go to 4-3-3 or 5-2-1-2 then get shut of Berge for Osborn and put NDaiye in the false nine or number ten billet to encourage play down the middle of the park. When he did arive NDaiye did at least fight to win the ball
McAtee 6.5/10: Looked a lot better and forward facing than recent games. Took his goal really well

HJ&SMcC 3/10: Poor tactics, poor ability to gain control and typically some daft substitutes in way of 'where's Coullibally?' 'why not stick Clark/Anel on for Bash or even Egan?' and 'what the fuck is a 'Sander Berge'?'

Lastly, two things. Sky TV are cunts. They can't wait for Middlesborough to overhaul us, it's clear. Why don't they just say it? And secondly, the standard of refereeing in this division is dreadful, really dreadful. It needs fixing or VAR is the answer.

Heads up for Fallowfield to wallop Watford

-------------------------------------Foderingham---------------------------------

-----------------Anel------------------Clark----------------JLT--------------------

Bogle--------------Norwood-----------------------McAtee-----------------Lowe

--------------------------------------NDaiye---------------------------------------

-------------------------McBurnie-------------Jebbison--------------------------

pommpey
 



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Not sure the 3 in midfield is working. Sure we have spells, but not enough to win games against better opposition. Maybe if we had three Stuart McCauls in his prime, then it might work. Our midfield isn't good enough to dominate putting pressure on a rapidly worrying defence that is not playing like they can. Two upfront is nice when we have that spell of pressure but not good for the full ninety. Tactics wrong for the last two games.Got to try something to fire up the crowd, players and us keybashers
 
VAR would have given Millwall a penalty first half…but yes the ref was wank again. Influenced by the crowd and oblivious to Millwall’s “dark arts” aka “mixing it up”.
That’s twice now we’ve lost what the media calls a pulsating thriller. Getting tiresome.
The big disappointment is that a hard earned point would have steadied the ship.
We were so open and sloppy at the back for that third goal.
Have we forgotten how to shut up shop.
We’re going to need twenty new players like Forest if by chance we still go up.
 
Over marked purely on that 1st half debacle no one over a 3 for me shocking bottled it performance. You just know it when you see the starting line up. Great read as always makes me even more peed off than I already was.. drop points against Watford and it's shoes off time ... UTB
 
Real test for Hecky now. Not sure in a game where we needed something positive, leaving our two most creative players on the bench (McAtee/Ndiaye) is the kind of positive, up and at "em coaching philosophy that wins things in modern football...

Let's see what he does next...
 
eally disappointing match for us. It is actually all coming home to roost. Our propensity to not win team and individual battles out on the park and defend effectively will add to our anxieties tha
How the hell is it possible for a team to run with the ball from its own 18 yard line into our box before hitting a cracker in without anyone even looking like tackling the ball runner.?? That was their first goal. Sadly things got a lot worse. Berge far too slow on the ball. Basham got skinned for their second and Egan was AWOL for their third. Osborn and Low ineffective. McB and Jebbo tryers but did nothing. Norwood tried hard and got us back on terms for 2-2. Bogle ran down too many dead-ends. Wes not as confident as normal. Robbo average.
 
We are an ageing, mediocre team with ancient tactics and an average manager. We have done nothing of (positive) note in any transfer window that I can remember. We are skint and owned by the poorest Prince in the Saud family and now we are being bid for by a Nigerian cowboy. Doesn't feel great from where I am watching.
 
It's been obvious for about 18 months that we miss pace & physicality at CM and CF. We've addressed neither issue.

That's it in a nutshell. We look a top side when we knock the ball about but when teams press us we aren't tough enough to duke it out with them. We're going back to that slow build up again as well, probably because we don't have the pace to shift it forward quicker and as a result, we create lost of half chances but that's about it.
 
Fair comments and scores. Particularly Berge who I have previously described as akin to a classically trained classical dancer trying to join a hip hop crew. Having said that, with the likes of Bash and Egan it’s more like ‘hip op’ rather than hip hop. Both of them horribly slow and out of position for the second and third goals. Agree entirely about the TV coverage which is on a par with the standard of refereeing we are currently enduring. Thanks for taking the time to write a report - at least someone in our camp can be arsed
 



Fair comments and scores. Particularly Berge who I have previously described as akin to a classically trained classical dancer trying to join a hip hop crew. Having said that, with the likes of Bash and Egan it’s more like ‘hip op’ rather than hip hop. Both of them horribly slow and out of position for the second and third goals. Agree entirely about the TV coverage which is on a par with the standard of refereeing we are currently enduring. Thanks for taking the time to write a report - at least someone in our camp can be arsed
And to think we allegedly kept Berge for our return to the PL
 
For 61 years I have followed the blades my first game at around 4\5 years old the last few years due to health issues I have been unable to go to games
The only thing I can say is in all that time if it wasn't for bad luck we wouldn't have had any luck at all (no doubt someone can quote a instance of good luck)
We can all blame injuries etc but the one person who is glaringly at fault for all this is PA we were sat in the best position I have seen us in for years but he has clearly undermined our promotion push when 2/3 signings would have covered off our squad
I for one hope the man never comes to the club ever again
Maybe it's as said by the conspiracy theorists that the family have said he has to sell
I don't know I should be used to it after all these years
 
Pretty mild that Pommpey. Only listened on Radio Sheffield but sounded
Over marked purely on that 1st half debacle no one over a 3 for me shocking bottled it performance. You just know it when you see the starting line up. Great read as always makes me even more peed off than I already was.. drop points against Watford and it's shoes off time ... UTB
No idea if we will get the season back on track or even go up, but we will beat Watford and Spurs. UTB
 
Thanks Pommps. I didn't even get angry. I just can't believe we're still second.
I'm in a sort of numb state or alternative universe where no-one actually beats us but we contrive to lose, which is what's happened twice this week.
If Boro win (they're looking as wobbly as us as I write this), it's 4 points, with the consequent effect on confidence and pressure. Confidence is low now, and the pressure will only get worse.
I was a fan of Hecky and thought he deserved a big chance, but I'm not sure any more. I'd criticise the tactics but not sure there are any!
 
From the very start we looked far too casual - no sign of determination to bounce back from Boro defeat - I just cannot understand this.
Meanwhile Millwall played with desire , speed & aggression.
They won every loose ball , moved it quickly through our lines and we looked wide open.
Horrendous defending by both our midfield & defence.
We left their attackers in oceans of space - Egan at fault for their first & third.
Surely Clark couldn't do any worse ?
Berge was his typical half hearted ineffective self in midfield where we needed all 3 to be battling.
In possession we move so slowly , wasting time passing it around in our own half or hitting long aimless balls.
They moved up & down the pitch quickly as a team , always outnumbering us in any situation.
We are either not fit enough or don't want it enough to match the opposition in the last 2 games.
I think we have to start Ndiaye when he's available - madness to rest him.
Also Bash shouldn't be starting ahead of Anel.
 
It's been pretty obvious for a while now if you stop Norwood you stop the team, because Burge in midfield is about as much use as a Chocolate tea pot.

Man did we miss out on an opportunity to unload Burge in the last transfer window ,then use the cash to pay off Liverpool and bring in a hard man.
The worse thing is we are stuck with him now, and I bet we don't get anywhere near what we paid for him come the end of season...... :rolleyes:
 
Had written this game off as a loss before the Mboro game when I saw they had 24 hours longer rest and a 12.30 kick off. Our levels of conditioning and training are sub standard not helped by the fact the players still can't train fully on the improved pitches. What is coming home to roost is the manager has been shafted by the powers that be. Not content with delaying the pitch improvements by 6 weeks they incur an embargo and we fail to get targets such as Archer over the line. Both teams we've just lost to strengthened in the JTW.

To-day the players were just not in the right physical condition to play a game less than 2 and a half days since the last one. The FA Cup games have caught up with us and the whole team look physically and mentally knackered.

We concede an early goal and are left chasing the game. Wes at fault for the first shouldn't get beaten at the near post. For the second as the cross comes in JLT is rooted to the spot and allows Bradshaw a free header. Last goal epitomises the fact the team were treading on treacle. The players were just too slow to get back to cover allowing an easy tap in.

The opposition make full use of their 5 subs and again despite the tiring schedule we only make use of 3. Why didn't we give some game time to Clark? Lowe was all over the place and either moving JLT across to LWB or Osborn and additionally bringing Fleck or Coulibaly on in midfield would have provided fresh legs. If you're not giving your subs some game time on a regular basis you can't expect them to perform for a full match.

We are too open at the moment. When we bring flair players on such as Ndiaye and Mcatee we look good going forward. Teams can see the gaps down the flanks behind the wing backs and exploit this on the counter. We are probably 4 weeks away from getting Baldock and RND back, for me first choices, you win games if you stop the opposition scoring.

Its not a disaster at the moment but some things need to change in how we approach and manage games as does some of the personnel in the team. I'm not going to go overboard about PH as he has a lot to contend with off the pitch as the Club is leaderless. We have to put the league games as priority now and treat the Cup as a free hit as far as team selection is concerned. We've got a full week to rest now. Onto Watford
 
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we got exactly what we deserved today nothing millwall bullied us and should have won by more egan and berge were both awful egan made bradshaw look like haarland shocking defending we might as well now go to a back 4 get an extra man in midfield and just go for it against watford this embargo from sheer bad management by our board is gonna cost us a top 2 spot we were crying out for 2 new players in january we could have had o brien and archer but no incompetence in our boardroom is gonna throw all the hard work over the last 6 months away its so dissapointing
 
It's been pretty obvious for a while now if you stop Norwood you stop the team, because Burge in midfield is about as much use as a Chocolate tea pot.

Man did we miss out on an opportunity to unload Burge in the last transfer window ,then use the cash to pay off Liverpool and bring in a hard man.
The worse thing is we are stuck with him now, and I bet we don't get anywhere near what we paid for him come the end of season...... :rolleyes:

Under pressure Norwood folds like cheap Lino. All he does is drop back barely in front of Egan where he achieves very little.

Bash,Egan and Berge were very poor, the lack of physicality was unbelievable. Other than Robinson and McBurnie, we were relying on the two Man. City kids for effort.

Something looks very wrong between players and PH.
 



It's been pretty obvious for a while now if you stop Norwood you stop the team, because Burge in midfield is about as much use as a Chocolate tea pot.

Man did we miss out on an opportunity to unload Burge in the last transfer window ,then use the cash to pay off Liverpool and bring in a hard man.
The worse thing is we are stuck with him now, and I bet we don't get anywhere near what we paid for him come the end of season...... :rolleyes:
Who is this Burge of whom thy speaks of doubly…?
 

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