Nice one Leon

[YES Blade]

I'll give you that Ricky.

It's given the defenders extra and unnecessary workload every time that clowns feet pillock loses possession in dangerous areas.

Times many this happens. Each and every game.

The mentality of a large section of our support baffles me. I'm not alone, but for sure it's a minority.

Anyone that claps and cheers when clowns feet wins a header that goes STRAIGHT (do not pass go, do not collect £200, fucking STRAIGHT) to an opponents feet defies logic, explanation and, IMHO, a fundamental flaw in basic football understanding / knowledge.

Now.

If one of the clappers / cheerers in this scenario can explain why they do indeed clap and cheer when clowns feet does exactly this, I will willingly, attentively and with an open mind, listen to what is being said.

As the old saying goes, you learn something new every day !!

UTB

I can only put it down to United fans loving a trier and it's what the "gerrit forward" brigade like to see.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Tactical masterstroke, Cov were stopping us playing out and there was only one target to hit, so bring Leon on drop Billy deeper, totally confused the Cov players,

What a management team we have

You mean - bring Leon on and take ineffective Billy off surely?

I know it hurts but it's the truth!

 

[Stretch]

Some good points made above. I think all of us appreciate Hanson's work rate and the way he occupies the opposition back line but for me a striker has to find the net reasonably often. It's not entirely his fault though because I don't think we have used him enough as a target man in the oppositions box, i.e from really effective crosses. We seem more content to use him as a deeper target for other players to feed off. Either way we have kept winning so there isn't an issue right now but I completely agree that it will be next season. Sharp will notch a few goals in the Championship, maybe 10 + but nothing like this season's tally. Finding a prolific goalscorer to partner him will be right up at the top of the shopping list, along with a CB and some more pace, I would imagine.

 

[Harry's Game]

You mean - bring Leon on and take ineffective Billy off surely?

I know it hurts but it's the truth!

Well it's not, cos that's not what he did.

But hey let's not miss a chance to bash our 25 goal striker..


FFS.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

That's how it actually was. FACT.

The folks that cheer and clap raucously when Hanson wins a header that goes straight to an opponent obviously live in a parallel universe.

"Hanson was excellent tonight". Fuck me backwards.

UTB

Ok

Em kcuf.


How's that?

 

[DronnieBlade]

I can only put it down to United fans loving a trier and it's what the "gerrit forward" brigade like to see.

Yes he tries. An admirable quality. Is he effective ?

All that chasing defenders down. Pressing from the top of the pitch. An absolute necessity in any Tufty team. Again often to rapturous applause from the masses, who appear to love the effort and commitment.

Does he ever actually get there ? Does he ever knick the ball ?
Would he do better conserving energy (not all the time obviously) to use in a more effective way ? He is painfully slow so why task him with chasing down !!!

UTB

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Well it's not, cos that's not what he did.

But hey let's not miss a chance to bash our 25 goal striker..


FFS.

Correct.

It was a few minutes later when Billy made way for O Shea. Who did more in 10 minutes than Billy did all night.

I'm not bashing our 25 goal striker. I'm saying it as it was. Sharp was ineffective all night and Clarke was a big improvement when he came on.

I think Billy's brilliant but he hasn't been in the last few games and unlike you I don't have a problem in saying it when it's the truth.

 

[Harry's Game]

Correct.

It was a few minutes later when Billy made way for O Shea. .

27 minutes.

 

[Bladesway]

Correct.

It was a few minutes later when Billy made way for O Shea. Who did more in 10 minutes than Billy did all night.

I'm not bashing our 25 goal striker. I'm saying it as it was. Sharp was ineffective all night and Clarke was a big improvement when he came on.

I think Billy's brilliant but he hasn't been in the last few games and unlike you I don't have a problem in saying it when it's the truth.

What was the score when Billy made way?

 

[Bladesway]

No never played in a team.
Never kicked a football.
Never obtained any coaching Quals.
Never coached and managed.
Eaten lots of Prawn Sarnies instead.
Maybe I should stick to Tennis ?

UTB

Then this perhaps your following comment....

Yes he tries. An admirable quality. Is he effective ?

All that chasing defenders down. Pressing from the top of the pitch. An absolute necessity in any Tufty team. Again often to rapturous applause from the masses, who appear to love the effort and commitment.

Does he ever actually get there ? Does he ever knick the ball ?
Would he do better conserving energy (not all the time obviously) to use in a more effective way ? He is painfully slow so why task him with chasing down !!!

UTB

He doesn't have to nick the ball. The entire idea is to push and press them into making a mistake when in possession. You don't play as accurate a pass with someone pressing you as you do when you have as much time as you need. So Hanson may not indeed win the ball but you only need to see our phases of play to see how effectively we turn the ball over in advanced areas of the pitch. Secondly we get it wide into interesting areas around the corners of the area. The amount of times I see overlapping options this season is probably the most I have ever seen. Then the ball can either go down the line or (and it has happened often this season) cut inside for a shot or pass.

Is he the answer to propel us to the Premiership, probably not but he plays a part in a team that is winning game, after game.

Most players hate chasing defenders down because it is not directly rewarding. It doesn't normally result in them scoring but good players understand why it's essential. You don't usually see the ball yourself but if you and the players behind you are all doing this the rewards come. Barca at their best did exactly that.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I like Hanson for what he offers and tonight, I enjoyed what Clarke did. However, when these two are involved, Billy has to pull out of position to get on the ball and quite often ends up on the left wing. That, in my humble opinion, is why Billy has stopped scoring.

In previous spells at the Blades he was forced to do too much work out wide and scored fewer goals as a result. The problem being that he is unselfish and for this club he will do as he's asked regardless of personal gain, so a shift out wide although making him look a worse player may give the team a win and he is happy.

 

[Pinchy]

This scares me now. The fact that so many fans would choose a 1 in 11 striker over the top scorer in the country. The reason Sharp isn't scoring is because the only service he currently gets are flick ins and knock downs. How many times do we have to try this to know that is of no use to sharp whatsoever.

We need to find a way to play to our best striker's strengths, this isn't alongside Hanson, as much as some people want it to be. In my opinion, Hanson has 5 starts left in a Blades shirt. We then need to find a perfect match for our natural goal scorer.

How many chances in and around the box did Billy get today? We know what a goal scorer Billy is, why some fans still thinking he is the fault here? The guy next to me hammered Billy all game, for everything. What does he need to do to prove himself?? You can't criticise Billy for not getting chances when we are only providing him with flick ons. It's like getting a cat and slating it for not barking. Madness.

This "Billy can do no wrong" stuff is wearing a bit thin. There are times when he plays poorly. Let's retain the prerogative to say so.

 

[Pinchy]

Wilder signed Hanson because he was pissed off with his strikers
We were creating a dozen chances a game at the time and the strikers were not putting games to bed
He brought Hanson in and since then we haven't had that problem

We are top and about to be promoted more than likely as champions if Billy his game for the good of the team then surely as captain he should be happy to do so

And if he isn't, tough. We're United; not FC Billy Sharp.

 

[Etchysketchy]

Posted this elsewhere but i'll weigh in on this same debate again.

Hanson needs to score more and is technically average.
BUT he contributes loads to our attacking and defensive play, including occupying and wearing down defenders - creating space for others to score. This has happened loads since hes come in, including both goals last night.

 

[Fanny magnet]

Can only put it down to youthful ignorance
Fast pacy players catch the eye much like a Fisher price toy but the more discerning knowledgeable football supporter will see the effectiveness both offensively and defensively of a player on his teammates and oppononents

Hanson does a job ,when he came in teams had sussed how to play us and even against the teams we were outplaying we were wasting chance after chance and not getting our just rewards


The manager decided that what was needed was James Hanson and I don't think it's any coincidence the ship has been steadied since he came in and we have looked much more clinical

 

[EddieColquhoun]

I can pretty much guarantee the strikers goal drought will be the major discussion point between Wilder and Knill at this time.

I doubt they will be so hysterical and will have noted that one of the strikers scored against Coventry and another had one wrongly disallowed.

 

[Houso]

Leon fucking Clarke...

 

[BrayfordsBushyBeard]

A big fat bump . What a goal !!!
As ever UTB !

 

[blade too long]

lean mean goal scoring machine

fit hes definitely an asset

 

[PittsburghBlade]

Our starting strikers, Sharp and Hanson, now have 0 goals between them in the last 5 games.

If folks don't see that as a concern / issue, than more fool them. While obviously beneficial, relying on RBs and CBs for the majority of your goals is, quite obviously, a recipe for disaster going forwards.

I can pretty much guarantee the strikers goal drought will be the major discussion point between Wilder and Knill at this time.

There is a link above, where Wilder is going off on one about how unreliable (Sharp aside) his strikers have been in front of goal. Just about managed to stop short of calling them out as goal shy wasters.

Has 1 in 11 Hanson improved this ?

How about the 0 in 10 version ?

Has 0 in 5 Sharp ?

How long till Wilder goes off on one again ?

UTB

PS unashamedly nicked from another poster (TylerD I think), the clues in the name fellas. STRIKER !

He really is just as bad as he used to be, them wednesday fans not got a promotion push to worry about??

 

[LenTednTony]

And then some.

Did Sharp not receive the ball in the LB spot last night near the end of the game (just before he was hooked) ? He was definitely behind Lafferty at the time and we were in possession so he wasn't tracking a runner. And plenty of folks don't see this as an issue !!!!

UTB

Dunno how and where Billy played today as I havent been but, Billy does need to play as THE centre forward to have a chance of getting on the score sheet. Hes not a winger or attacking mid, he's a centre forard, end of. A couple of games back where he should be and it'll be 200 up. He will, though, play anywhere for his (and our) beloved blades!

 

[SUFCinks]

To all those who ridiculed me for saying hes better than hanson for the fact he could score more goals than him, no more than perhaps 3/4 weeks ago - hahaha, whos the idiot now!

 

[Seanshoreham]

Seems to becoming an icon for us Blades does Leon

 

[Captain]

Was up the home end fantastic strike from Leon nearly ripped the bloody net!

 

[blade too long]

goal of the season contender

 

[nopigfansintown]

Fantastic goal. Hit it perfectly.

 

[Lard_Lad]

Not a bad finnish

 

[SUFCinks]

Ive re-watched it about 20 times. Take a bow leon!

Edit: just seen this has already been posted feel free to remove.

 

[tomtheblade]

When Wilder said earlier in the season that Clarke would still have a big role to play at the end I thought he was just putting a positive spin on it, and that in all probability he would be out for the season

Shows what I know!

 

[loyalblade95]

what a goal made damm good contact with it