Negative football enough is enough

[Viewfromthepavilion]

A team that has scored 3 goals in 8 league games continues to play 1 man up front.
In my 55 years of watching this team, rarely have i seen such a continual negative attitude when things are not working. If you are not scoring goals, then change the formation. It is crying out for a 2 man front line, regardless who they are, if only to upset the opposition, who these days are only used to playing against 1 forward.
Let's be honest, Hull were poor, like many teams encountered this season & yet they score from limited opportunities.
Let's get onto corners. Again we have numerous, yet once again, we fail to look like we have any plan / idea in what we are doing / hope to achieve. For a team that is failing to create many other opportunities, this is a crucial chance to change your chances of scoring. It is clear that this is something that has been neglected for several years, (under Wilder)
Wilder, blames the players. He sets the team up in this negative formation, which was not / is not working.
Please, try 4,4,2 or 5,3,2. Football is a simple game, made difficult by stubborn managers or coaches.

 

[54yrblade]

Wilder isn't stubborn. He just doesn't have the tactical awareness, character or the tools to do much more.

No plan B has been his problem since the overlapping wing backs was sussed out.

We've gone from exciting football that smashed teams to bits to boring, one dimensional play with players that, in recent years, wouldn't even have been looked at twice.

Imagine this set up if we hadn't bottled the PO final.

We are wedded to a man with serious limitations.

Love what he did 2016 onwards, it was joyous, but the truth is now laid out in glorious technicolour.

We are in a battle of our own making.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Look what Wilder inherited though.
A disjointed team without confidence on a bad losing run.
He has managed to considerably tighten up the defense and you can see that the team is starting to gel.
Thought they played well today particularly in the second half.
Goals are the problem.
Penalty misses don’t help of course, but Campbell isn’t going to score that many and other than Hamer we lack attacking midfielders that know where the net is.
We also don’t seem to have the crucial “game winners” that force the fkr in at all costs.
Also not sure where Lady Luck has gone. She checked out with about 30 mins to go in the playoff final and hasn’t been seen since.

 

[Jan Age]

Tap tap tap tap tap back to the keeper tap tap tap tap in behind play it back tap tap tap shit cross GK catches… rinse and repeat

Booooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrring

 

[coaxingstar71]

I think it's fair to say that nothing is going for us at the moment, particularly in the big moments. Today Gus hits the inside of the post, they score with a shot that would have gone over the bar if it hadn't deflected off Ogbene, there is a massive melee where the ball just doesn't drop for us and it culminates in the missed pen.

Having said that, it seemed to me there was a stark contrast in terms of balls into the box. Our corners and general set plays were poor, Hull scored from a cross from deep but they had at least 4 or 5 players in the box. We, on the other hand, either didn't get the ball in early enough or when it did go in the box, there was hardly anyone there.

I wouldn't disagree that playing two up might improve on that (as long as one of the two isn't Cannon), however we look so fragile in midfield and at the back, that I'm not sure it's a good idea. Add to that is how we play 2 up and Hamer and O'Hare. I can see the logic in playing 5-3-2 with Hamer playing the 'Duffy' role behind the front two, but we couldn't play O'Hare in that set up.

 

[Blade56]

Not about SUFC anymore we’re Wilder fans (or not). If he had an ounce of bladybladeness in him he would retire from the club.

Owners at fault, not having a go at Wilder. They shouldn’t have extended his contract, sacked him, hired Sellés then rehired him. All WRONG decissions influenced by .

Needed and still needs experienced DoF. Might be too late to save this season sadly because they will limp on until Christmas hoping a miiricle will happen just with status quo. It won’t and JTW is to late.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Football isn't a simple game.

 

[DW Blade]

The system we adopt means we can’t get forward quickly. One man up top works the channel. Holds it up and because the whole team are 30 yards behind we naturally have to go backwards. It’s obvious to every fan watching the game. We have good players but we seem to be too worried about our defensive vulnerabilities which is why he sets up the way he does. I think we need to sit some one in and gets Ings and Campbell. Dare I say it, Cannon could even benfit playing in a two. Having just walked in the house back from Hull I thought Hull were terrible, like really terrible and we struggled to get any clear cut chances. Pen was awful, he strikes the ball so cleanly and went the wrong side to what he normally does. Everything we do is wrong at the moment but it can’t go on forever. Stick two up top and something will happen. Praise for Sam McCallam today, had a good game !

 

[DronnieBlade]

A team that has scored 3 goals in 8 league games continues to play 1 man up front.
In my 55 years of watching this team, rarely have i seen such a continual negative attitude when things are not working. If you are not scoring goals, then change the formation. It is crying out for a 2 man front line, regardless who they are, if only to upset the opposition, who these days are only used to playing against 1 forward.
Let's be honest, Hull were poor, like many teams encountered this season & yet they score from limited opportunities.
Let's get onto corners. Again we have numerous, yet once again, we fail to look like we have any plan / idea in what we are doing / hope to achieve. For a team that is failing to create many other opportunities, this is a crucial chance to change your chances of scoring. It is clear that this is something that has been neglected for several years, (under Wilder)
Wilder, blames the players. He sets the team up in this negative formation, which was not / is not working.
Please, try 4,4,2 or 5,3,2. Football is a simple game, made difficult by stubborn managers or coaches.

Been banging this drum for some time.

We are not a 1 up top side and haven’t been for an age. Why we persist god only know.

I saw a positive in our change to 3 at the back to go to a 3 4 2 1 but really need to see that evolve in to a more natural 3:5:2.

Trouble is do we have 2 up top who can perform together consistently ?

I have my doubts and to leave this area of the pitch so threadbare after the window closed is staggering. We needed 3 number 9s to come in to allow Cannon and One to be loaned.

Staggering !!!

UTB

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Football isn't a simple game.

….it’s the fans, innit?

 

[Blade56]

Wilder is blinded by his own self belief. He’s no longer up to the job, Sellés wasn’t (though I prayed he was). The root cause is naivety and poor decision making by inept owners who clearly don’t know what they are doing.

 

[54yrblade]

Look what Wilder inherited though.
A disjointed team without confidence on a bad losing run.
He has managed to considerably tighten up the defense and you can see that the team is starting to gel.
Thought they played well today particularly in the second half.
Goals are the problem.
Penalty misses don’t help of course, but Campbell isn’t going to score that many and other than Hamer we lack attacking midfielders that know where the net is.
We also don’t seem to have the crucial “game winners” that force the fkr in at all costs.
Also not sure where Lady Luck has gone. She checked out with about 30 mins to go in the playoff final and hasn’t been seen since.

Totally get that but last season, when we really needed to perform, we didn't/ couldn't.
PO final, the heads went down after the disallowed goal and it was so utterly predictable that I refused to pay for the day out. I missed the first big game in my supporting life, and I'm not proud or ashamed of it either.
Games against those at the top - just not good enough or fit enough
Poor football, passing sideways and backwards until it got boring, for me.
Couldn't go 90+ as a team or squad, both fitness and mentality wise.
Occasional high points amongst too many 'meh' displays.
It started last season- under Chris.

The old Chris wouldn't stand for it. Now, I'd suggest he has to, unless something dramatic happens in January.

You make your own luck and invite Lady Luck to into the game.

We used to do just that, several years ago but now we can't.

 

[wavy-blade]

We got rid of Moore remember , but tbh that back pass killed him at the club , and its killed our football club really

 

[54yrblade]

We got rid of Moore remember , but tbh that back pass killed him at the club , and its killed our football club really

It's really not fair to pin it all on that.

Moore was part of a team that failed to go up automatically, then blew the final.

The team, squad and management failed. Not just him.

He doesn't deserve that.

 

[Iggledybobittybo]

Wilder couldn't spot a striker if he tried. The clown from Bournemouth, McBurnie was largely useless at the highest level, Brewster a joke and Cannon looks a league 2 player at best. All-in all that's about £60m down the toilet we could I'll afford to have squandered

 

[Champagneblade]

The issue here is that thanks to the ridiculous summer by COH the players are now totally devoid of confidence.

We weren’t bad today. We had twice as many shots as they, over 60% of the ball, worked hard to get it back when we lost it. I wouldn’t say we were negative by design. On that balance we deserved the win more than Hull City.

But, the number of times the players took an extra touch was noticeable and passed sideways and back. A few times we could have crossed or we broke and then players took extra touches and slowed it down. That’s not the tactics, that’s the lack of confidence form the players.

Hopefully this next two weeks can be a big reset we can up fitness a bit and agree and drill tactics into the players.

So frustrating. If the Americans had just slowed the team to be tinkered with a little. Boro and Coventry finished 20+ points behind us. Now 15 and 16 ahead.

Incredibly how stupid the summer was.

 

[1066blade]

Give Potter a call and stick Wilder upstairs

 

[Rodley]

Look what Wilder inherited though.
A disjointed team without confidence on a bad losing run.
He has managed to considerably tighten up the defense and you can see that the team is starting to gel.
Thought they played well today particularly in the second half.
Goals are the problem.
Penalty misses don’t help of course, but Campbell isn’t going to score that many and other than Hamer we lack attacking midfielders that know where the net is.
We also don’t seem to have the crucial “game winners” that force the fkr in at all costs.
Also not sure where Lady Luck has gone. She checked out with about 30 mins to go in the playoff final and hasn’t been seen since.

When we concede a goal the players look lower than a snakes belly and completely deflated. It was the right decision to try and stop the tide.

I agree we now need to switch to 3-5-2 or 4-4-2, but it can’t be overstated how we were getting annihilated every week under Selles.

It’s a huge job now this next fortnight. It’s always a rollercoaster with Dem Blades. On we go and UTB.

 

[UddersBlade]

It's really not fair to pin it all on that.

Moore was part of a team that failed to go up automatically, then blew the final.

The team, squad and management failed. Not just him.

He doesn't deserve that.

Sadly that Play Off Final looks like being the most significant’Sliding Doors’ moment for this club in modern history. No one could have predicted this implosion…..

 

[XADE]

We actually had a few players in the box today surprisingly, none of them can hit a barn door but at least we tried at times.

I watched Birmingham last night and their attacks often ended up with 4-5 players in the opposition box. The amount of time it's just been Campbell on his own this season is insane.

Just play 2 fucking strikers, we have nothing to lose now because playing defensive is getting is relegated.

 

[andy m]

When we concede a goal the players look lower than a snakes belly and completely deflated. It was the right decision to try and stop the tide.

I agree we now need to switch to 3-5-2 or 4-4-2, but it can’t be overstated how we were getting annihilated every week under Selles.

It’s a huge job now this next fortnight. It’s always a rollercoaster with Dem Blades. On we go and UTB.

I think Wilder probably realises we need 2 up front, but with Ings not fit, Cannon utter dogshit, and a kid in One' as our options played it safe with COH

 

[sheepbridge]

Look what Wilder inherited though.
A disjointed team without confidence on a bad losing run.
He has managed to considerably tighten up the defense and you can see that the team is starting to gel.
Thought they played well today particularly in the second half.
Goals are the problem.
Penalty misses don’t help of course, but Campbell isn’t going to score that many and other than Hamer we lack attacking midfielders that know where the net is.
We also don’t seem to have the crucial “game winners” that force the fkr in at all costs.
Also not sure where Lady Luck has gone. She checked out with about 30 mins to go in the playoff final and hasn’t been seen since.

Most managers when they join a club find themselves in a similar situation, managerial changes aren't generally made when everything is going swimmingly.
The difference for Wilder is he has inherited a squad where the majority of the players were here last year with him.

11 of the 20 today were, plus two have left who would probably have been starting in Anel and Souza.

I'm not saying he's not had a difficult situation to try and rectify, but he does have a distinct advantage over the vast majority of new managers and I would certainly have hoped for better performances and results than we've seen so far.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Give Potter a call and stick Wilder upstairs

Harry? Graham Potter isn’t coming to us in a million years.

 

[54yrblade]

Sadly that Play Off Final looks like being the most significant’Sliding Doors’ moment for this club in modern history. No one could have predicted this implosion…..

Doesn't it just?

Just another ride on the Blades rollercoaster.

 

[TJ blade]

Wilder isn't stubborn. He just doesn't have the tactical awareness, character or the tools to do much more.

No plan B has been his problem since the overlapping wing backs was sussed out.

We've gone from exciting football that smashed teams to bits to boring, one dimensional play with players that, in recent years, wouldn't even have been looked at twice.

Imagine this set up if we hadn't bottled the PO final.

We are wedded to a man with serious limitations.

Love what he did 2016 onwards, it was joyous, but the truth is now laid out in glorious technicolour.

We are in a battle of our own making.

Tell sitwell! He thinks we're brilliant

 

[Cheeky Blade]

Maybe Wilder should give Dave Bassett a ring…he wrote a good article on ‘the modern game’ which was posted on here a few days back…

 

[Kevincarterversion2.0]

A team that has scored 3 goals in 8 league games continues to play 1 man up front.
In my 55 years of watching this team, rarely have i seen such a continual negative attitude when things are not working. If you are not scoring goals, then change the formation. It is crying out for a 2 man front line, regardless who they are, if only to upset the opposition, who these days are only used to playing against 1 forward.
Let's be honest, Hull were poor, like many teams encountered this season & yet they score from limited opportunities.
Let's get onto corners. Again we have numerous, yet once again, we fail to look like we have any plan / idea in what we are doing / hope to achieve. For a team that is failing to create many other opportunities, this is a crucial chance to change your chances of scoring. It is clear that this is something that has been neglected for several years, (under Wilder)
Wilder, blames the players. He sets the team up in this negative formation, which was not / is not working.
Please, try 4,4,2 or 5,3,2. Football is a simple game, made difficult by stubborn managers or coaches.

I've been watching us for 35 years and this lot is easily the most immobile, slow, ponderous, one-paced squad I'ver ever seen at the Lane.

I also think that as a fan base, we are avoiding some difficult truths as to why we are really poor - that sit at Wilder's door. And this is coming from a Wilder fan.

Since last season Wilder has not addressed obvious issues with this squad including a lack of pace, a lack of a creative midfield, a lack of wingers in a wingers system. Yes, he gets a pass on the summer transfer window as he wasn't here, but he didn't address these issue last January. I feel that we are perhaps hiding behind a a bad ref at Southampton, the Selles start, the hitting the post in our one shot in 90 mins without looking at Wilder 2.0 / Wilder 3.0 for what it is.... Sh1t football that is now failing massively and he isn't able to arrest the slide. This isn't the Wilder 1.0 anymore. He is long gone.

Do I think Wilder is better than Selles. Of course, no brainer. Do I think Wilder is infallible? No and I am genuinely not sure he will get us out of this mess. He is guilty of doing the same things over and over - which are not working - and expecting different results.

 

[Tom Bott]

Maybe Wilder should give Dave Bassett a ring…he wrote a good article on ‘the modern game’ which was posted on here a few days back…

I missed that, was it about vertical football.

Played on the horizontal plane?

I have no idea what it means but I'm sure its the future - much like garlic bread was, back in the day.

 

[1889]

Why oh why, do we insist on sending Campbell back for defensive corners? He’s no Ollie McBurnie.
To me, that just allows an additional opposition defender to go with him, who quite frankly is far more likely to score than Campbell is to clear it.
But this optimises our risk averse, defence prioritised, style of play. That’s what we’ve always done etc.

Leave Campbell up top and they’ll leave two defenders with him and give us an immediate out ball, if we choose to play it.

 

[Thrice]

The owners have created an absolute mess. Letting Wilder go in the summer was the right choice in my opinion. Bringing in the wrong guy to replace him can happen. But then bringing back the guy you thought needed replacing in the summer was absolute madness.
How do they even salvage that if it doesn't work out which it unfortunately looks like right now? Sack Wilder again? Would a competent manager even accept the job after seeing this kind of incompetence at the top? An absolute mess.