Nobody likes to lose

[Bayingblade]

Thought Wilder got it wrong tonight and Brooks for Billy at half time was my call as the game was too fast for Billy (IMHO). Thought Fulham were terrific and how they were 17th is beyond me, quality all over the pitch.

BUT.............

I also thought United were terrific. Individual errors cost us dearly, Fulham had the rub of the green when it mattered (but the harder you work and all that...) and both teams contributed to what was a fabulous game. I will be surprised if tomorrow's game on Sky is one tenth as exciting as that one and won't have anywhere near the quality on show.

Roll on Birmingham because if we repeat that performance and cut out the individual errors, we may score 4 again....................

But we won't concede many!

 

[Ricky]

What do you make of Tim Ream ?

Caught my eye at Bolton. And again, thought he was good tonight.

UTB

Rarely seems to put a foot wrong. Seems to have been a consistent performer for the last 2 or 3 seasons.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Rarely seems to put a foot wrong. Seems to have been a consistent performer for the last 2 or 3 seasons.

That’s what I see. Good player.

UTB

 

[Addison]

The annoying thing is the game was still salvageable at 2-3 but we lost our heads and shape & I have to say made the wrong subs, if we had been patient and brought Brooks on for Billy after 55 minutes we could have saved the game & even looked to win But we threw everything forwards at times like headless chickens,

Entertaining but unprofessional.

Spot on summary. We'd had an extra days rest and they looked out on their feet in the last 5 minutes. Learning curve sometimes its best to be patient rather than go gung ho.

 

[Harry's Game]

I have this nagging suspicion that if Fulham had played at Cardiff tonight Cardiff would have ground out a one nil or two one win.

And a Nigel Clough side may only have lost 0-2 tonight and bored everyone rigid.

Are you saying you would rather have Warnock in charge than Wilder?

 

[zablade]

And a Nigel Clough side may only have lost 0-2 tonight and bored everyone rigid.

Are you saying you would rather have Warnock in charge than Wilder?

No of course not.

All I am trying to point out is we got carried away at times and let our lack of experience show. Cardiff were involved in a dog of a game at Barnsley but won and went above us.

At times we need to calm down and think a little more and not throw the kitchen sink at it when just one down with half an hour to go. Perhaps that was one place where we did miss Coutts tonight he could have put his foot on it and slowed it down a bit. It was all a manic at times.

 

[DronnieBlade]

One or two suggesting / hoping Brooks to be a saviour in games like tonight.

Not precisely how I’m seeing it, if I’m being honest !

UTB

 

[Deadbat]

For all the flashes and tricks; we have not seen much of an end product from Brooks - save for Leeds goal.

That's what he needs to work on. Be more decisive in the final third.

He is some player mind.

Imagine combined cost for him and Sessengnon!

 

[zablade]

One or two suggesting / hoping Brooks to be a saviour in games like tonight.

Not precisely how I’m seeing it, if I’m being honest !

UTB

When he played behind the front striker at Hillsboro and Leeds he looked the savoiur and more. Where he should have come on tonight at 2-3.

 

[Liverpool blade]

I couldn't get to the game tonight due to work. It sounds like just one of those crazy games. I'm sure we'll beat Brum and everything will be back to normal!!. In wilder we trust.

 

[DronnieBlade]

For all the flashes and tricks; we have not seen much of an end product from Brooks - save for Leeds goal.

That's what he needs to work on. Be more decisive in the final third.

He is some player mind.

Imagine combined cost for him and Sessengnon!

Exactly as I see it DB.

His development over the next 12-24 months will be interesting !

UTB

 

[true99blade]

At half time I was more stunned that we were actually losing rather than disappointed. Our play was pretty damn good for the most part but Carter-Vickers unfortunately made one of those errors that happens in most defenders’ careers at some point, it had to be tonight. The second goal was beyond fortune in Fulham’s point of view. It was pinball and just so happened to fall in the path of their player supposedly worth tens of millions of pounds. The third was poor, Wright totally isolated with no support - only proper grouch I could have really because the game was good with Fulham, despite barely being in the game, having such pace on the counter, it made it a really intense half.

Second half is where I kind of got annoyed with the tactics - it’s totally admirable for Wilder to be so positive and go for goals when we need them. It’s whats been needed after Adkins, Clough etc. BUT... I can’t simply walk out of a game proud of a performance that’s seen us ship 5 goals at home. I’m disappointed we were SO attack-minded, because a bit more discipline and we genuinely could’ve won that - the 4th and 5th goals were shocking to concede.

It’s mixed emotions because I’ve never seen such a positive Blades side and I’m so proud that I can watch it. But should there be a limit? Especially when coming up against such devastating pace in a side? I’m not slagging Wilder because let’s be honest he’s earned the right to set up however he likes in all honesty - and people leaving at 5-2 it’s a bit poor to walk off in a huff and abandon the team. For all the wonderful attacking on show tonight it’s a bit annoying (as a former defender as weIl) that we pretty much allowed Fulham 5 goals.

Going off on a tangent... it’s a loss, but not a normal loss. I’m neither proud nor devastated or overly disappointed - it’s a bit of a bizarre feeling. Coutts missing was NOT the issue whatsoever I didn’t think either.

 

[diplomat]

(Duplicate post from other thread)

I'm not too disheartened after that. I'm actually quite proud. To feel like that after conceding 5 at home says it all about this team.

Yes there was some bad defending but we caught Fulham on a clinical night. And they do have some very good players. They were due something like this and unfortunately we were on the end of it. It was just one of those strange (and entertaining) games. They were never really 2 let alone 3 goals better than us at any point. We had to chase the game in the second half and they hit us on the counter twice to exaggerate the scoreline.

At 5-2 with many of our pea hearted plebs leaving early it seemed like it might be a heavy defeat, so to fight back like that was satisfying. I know they were ultimately only consolation goals but they weren't flukes, they were merited.

And Leon getting back to back home hat tricks.... beyond belief! That sealed a spectacular defeat.

The team we put out tonight was understrength. We could've done with Baldock for this game more than any. We were obviously without Coutts, and also Basham in his influential RCB role.
But the performance level was there, as it always is. We performed well with the team we had on the pitch.

I'm not concerned about anything based on this match in isolation, but there's no getting away from the fact losing Coutts is a huge blow. I think our hopes of automatic promotion have nosedived. But how funny is it to say that given where we've come from?

Thankfully plenty of fans did bother to stay and the total respect we have for this team was there for all to see at the end. Moments like that stick in the players' minds and strengthen the bond we have.

Exactly my thoughts. Half a dozen of their players collapsed at the end because we never gave up. That's what I take from the game. We will never give up and it's a hell of a quality to have.

 

[Roygbiv]

No of course not.

All I am trying to point out is we got carried away at times and let our lack of experience show. Cardiff were involved in a dog of a game at Barnsley but won and went above us.

At times we need to calm down and think a little more and not throw the kitchen sink at it when just one down with half an hour to go. Perhaps that was one place where we did miss Coutts tonight he could have put his foot on it and slowed it down a bit. It was all a manic at times.

I think you have a point but the reason we all love this side so much is because of how exciting they are. I think if we had set up more defensively and frustrated them as others have this season then we may have come away with a point or maybe even 3. Wednesday beat them away and it doesn't surprise me given how Wednesday play.

The argument is whether we should change our tactics against teams such as Fulham and Cardiff who have the power and pace to exploit our style or carry on playing this way week in, week out.

 

[PeteBlade]

The annoying thing is the game was still salvageable at 2-3 but we lost our heads and shape & I have to say made the wrong subs, if we had been patient and brought Brooks on for Billy after 55 minutes we could have saved the game & even looked to win But we threw everything forwards at times like headless chickens,

Entertaining but unprofessional.

Yes for me, their third goal, and particularly the timing of it, was the desicive one.

We’d just got back in terms, just before half time and then that was a gut punch and our heads went.

Should we go in at 2-2, the second half is a completely different affair.

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

I think the mistakes we made were down to Fulham putting us under pressure, similar to what people were saying about us vs wolves (except that back pass, there was absolutely no pressure there)

Bear in mind Hanson had a header cleared off the line and we should have had 1 maybe 2 pens. Sordell was very good but he should have had a second yellow, ref bottled it twice.

Did Sordell even play?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

But if you are going to lose then do it like that. We now go into Saturday on the biggest high possible following a defeat.

Basic errors tonight cost us. Nothing to with system. Nothing to do with Coutts. Nothing to do with being found out.

Is it to do with losing the dressing room?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think they were easily the best side we've played all season. I thought Sessegnon, Ojo and Cairney were top class. We've played teams with one or two outstanding players in them, but Fulham had these three who were all on top of their game. Really good to watch and well played to them. It made for a great game of football. Hard luck to our lads who I thought deserved a draw and had it not been for a couple of individual errors we would have got one.

 

[borbokis]

Did Sordell even play?

Sorry, didn't mean sordell, i was talking about their number 19

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

The lad on load from Liverpool? He looked dangerous all game, was glad when he went off.