Newcastle United vs Sheffield United

v.
EPL Week 31 - Sunday 21st June 2020 - St James Park​

Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php?match-day/match/newcastle-united-vs-sheffield-united.494/

Officials:

Referee: David Coote
Assistant Referee: Gary Beswick
Assistant Referee: Nick Hopton
Fourth Official: Darren England
Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Harry Lennard

Coverage:

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Live TV Coverage:

 

[HammerInPeace]

It might be that the break hasn't done you any favours & so far, you haven't been able to pick up where you left off.
You still got stuff to play for though, so don't chuck in the towel yet.

 

[A Storm of Blades]

The same players and formation have done us great this season, duh.

Defensively - yes.

 

[bromtom]

Newcastle have a few decent players, I think it was disrespectful before the game to be honest, I wasn't expecting a win at all. Saint Maximin is up there with Traore for handfuls you can't get the ball off, he's so unpredictable, he just hasn't got the end product of Traore.

They're pretty tight at the back too and our strikers this afternoon were sent out to die really, they've already played Newcastle together and looked a bit toothless. I know why they started against Villa, that was fair on form, but the Villa performance should have shown that we needed pace up top.

We have a serious creativity and aggression shortage since coming back, everyone looks scared to play forwards, nevermind take a man on.

Fleck came back and I hardly noticed, Bash was the only player who attempted to drive us forward.

 

[Bladebri]

Missing the twelfth man imo

 

[HeySethUTB]

Its clear that the attack was chosen in mind of the fact Newcastle will probably sit deep. It’s clear a number of players are no where near upto speed. It’s clear that the midfield was set up to control possession. It’s clear by doing this (flat 3) leaves us with no creativity. Its clear playing balls into the channel or to McBurnie to head onto a striker that is a yard short of pace against defenders doesn’t help.

Saying all of that, it’s clear we have had a fu*king brilliant season in which we have performed above all expectations. Today reminded me of Hull away 1st season in the championship “the players have maxed out, that’s us“ comment.

 

[SB_90]

hate to critical of wilder as he's worked miracles last 4 yrs. as 6th is championship is over achieving but that 2nd half was very disappointing & how we spiralled from the red card but then 20 mins in. if there is a tell of a sheff utd bad performance is coming. its when we are being our worst enemy wasteful in possession in our own half. because i seen too many times over the years. vardy goal back in 2nd home game great example. so 20 mins in i was dreading the rest of this game

we need to be getting back to being more fearless in attack like we have been. 2 shots on target in both games is shocking & villa til 3-0 Newcastle im not sure we had a chance in open play. Stevens had footballing yips. 2 strikers screaming was scared to get it in for some reason (which led to the mad 5 mins as he doesnt cross lose the ball & egans exposed). i was always say striker is only as good as the service he gets. its very little at moment. even Aguero Cavani Lewandowski would struggle with 1 chance a game

i hope we get a much changed team v man utd as defense is great but for manager that goes for it. we settling for far too many 0-0s

 

[petcharlie]

Well that was not the Blades team we have been used to.Far to slow nothing down the left hand side same as the Villa match .Only Basham looked up to speed.Norwood kept giving the ball away which is not like him.Stevens look out of sorts again not like him,Berge just a passenger and Ollie again looked useless.To much tip tapping at the back.Egan was his worst own enemy may be he was not fit same as Fleck.Apart from that not to bad

 

[LJBlade]

Makes you wonder whether we have overdone the intensive fitness training.

It looked like we hadn’t done any fitness training. That’s two games now where we’ve looked a lot slower and a whole lot more unfit than the opposition

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I think we would have won today if Egan hadn't been sent off.

Egan should have held back on the second yellow incident because Basham was coming across to cover.

The first goal was just a very uncharacteristic mistake by Stevens.

Overall 3-0 makes it look like we took a hammering but I don't think it was that clear cut.

I wouldn't put it past us to beat Man Utd on Wednesday.

One thing that has been consistent through Wilder's reign is that we always bounce back with aplomb.

 

[HammerInPeace]

The view from the 'orrible South..
I've only seen the highlights on motd2 (& you really can't judge a game just on those).
However, I will anyway! I didn't think it was as bad as some of you made me think it was..
The first yellows for the pair, were not yellows & so Egan wouldn't have been sent off later.
Getting him sent off on 50 minutes is what really did you, imo.
The Stevens incident was just a fluke; probably just rustiness. 999 times out of a 1000, he cuts it out, no goal.
Second goal just caused by the loss of Egan. The extra space that gave Ritchie, meant that it effectively was a one on one where the defender couldn't really risk committing himself, so was backpedalling, praying for extra cover to arrive. By the time a second Blade had got back to him, it was too late as he was already getting his fierce shot away.
The third, just a regulation tap in as you were probably knackered by then.
So, not exactly a disaster, imo.
If it had stayed 11 v 11 I could have well seen it ending 0-0.
I don't need to tell you that you might need to strengthen your attack. Same as us, in that respect.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

 

[bromtom]

I think the fact that it's a shock says a lot.

The reaction is like a diet Watford beating Liverpool, or Norwich doing City over (not saying we're as good as Liverpool and Man City obviously) but it's on the same spectrum.

It just doesn't happen, and it happened. We've not been stuffed with Deano in the net since Middlesbrough last season, second game in (I think) and that was with a new Egan bedding in and the game brought forward.

At the end of the day, we still have to play a few of the team's around us so it's in our hands if we want to achieve something on top of the achievement of our season not being a constant struggle so far.

We should be 2 points better off and level with Wolves and Man U too, an away stuffing under normal circumstances with no Covid break would be disappointing but easy to move on from - as the second game of basically a new season, and having suffered the biggest refereeing error of the last however many years in midweek after a somewhat flat performance, it's hard to be positive.

Hopefully it focuses the players and management, we need a scrappy win, a 2-1 at QPR to get us off the mark. Hopefully it comes soon, but just a performance reminiscent of our pre lockdown selves at Man U would be a big step, even if we don't get the result.