Our Glorious Midfielders

[United Aren't Back.]

Blades stats in brackets.


Basham 190-8 (70-2)
Flynn 236-25 (142-11)
Coutts 295-15 (40-0)
Scougall 120-13 (50-3)
Woolford 402-66 (21-1)
Jcr 405-34 (37-4)
Cuvellier 53-7 (13-0)
Hammond 428-40 (19-1)
James Wallace 89-7 (14-0)

A grand total of 22 in 406 games. About 1 every 18 games.

I don't know which depresses me more, that stat or the fact Ryan Flynn has played 142 times for this club

All you name there are worse than Flynn, aside from JCR.

 

[finlaytheblade]

That's what you get when the team as a whole don't have the technical ability to play a high enough tempo and in the rare occasion they get in a position to do so, the midfielders being generally scared stiff to have a shot on goal.

When players have played all there careers as poor marksmen ( goals) it's not surprising we are finding goals hard to find

 

[finlaytheblade]

When players have played all there careers as poor marksmen ( goals) it's not surprising we are finding goals hard to find

 

[finlaytheblade]

Clough brought in the majority it seems he was quite happy winning 1-0 as are Burton.Adkins has had the task of remedying that, so far he's not managed it and will not with that bunch he needs time to put it right

 

[alcoblade]

Not only that, but he hasn't scored in the last 42 league games.

Personally I'm rooting for a full 46 game non scoring run - a whole season. You can do it Ryan!

On a serious note, it would be a god thing once the last crumbs of play off hopes are dashed.

The last thing we need are any of our players having a short term blip in form and winning a new contract.

(Someone please confirm that Flynn's contact is up?)

UTB

 

[Revolution]

On a serious note, it would be a god thing once the last crumbs of play off hopes are dashed.

The last thing we need are any of our players having a short term blip in form and winning a new contract.

(Someone please confirm that Flynn's contact is up?)

UTB

It's classic Flynn to do well when the pressure is off - he's a regular scorer against lower league teams in cups.

His contract is up this summer...but we have an option to renew for a year.

As I have said elsewhere, if this option is renewed I will personally go down the Lane and beat whoever made the decision around the head with a copy of "Sheffield United: the Complete Record". I will use the heavier second edition.

 

[Revolution]

I said a long time ago that midfield was a bigger issue than defence. When we played Swindon in the second leg of the play offs, I lost count of the number of their players who had scored multiple goals during the season, to the few of ours. Love him or hate him, Keith Edwards always said that attacking midfielders should be able to score 10 to 15 goals a season. The last one we had who could do that was Lee Williamson!

I have been talking about this like a broken record for 3 years on this board (and was talking about it in our relegation year). We are forever assembling teams without looking at the bigger picture.

Someone has to score goals. We seem to go out of our way to sign midfielders who can't do this. Clough even had a penchant for strikers who can't do this.

Unless we have a fabulous defence (and we don't!) we need at least 75 goals to go up.

I am still amazed that some people don't see this for themselves. Given what a number of ITK people are saying about how the club is run, it is embarrassing - but not surprising - that people who are paid to build and manage football teams also don't see this.

And for those who would defend that deal, this is why Jamie Murphy was so valuable to us. We sold 12 goals (and heaven knows how many assists) and replaced it with..one goal, in a defeat.

 

[Davie Blade]

Blades stats in brackets.


Basham 190-8 (70-2)
Flynn 236-25 (142-11)
Coutts 295-15 (40-0)
Scougall 120-13 (50-3)
Woolford 402-66 (21-1)
Jcr 405-34 (37-4)
Cuvellier 53-7 (13-0)
Hammond 428-40 (19-1)
James Wallace 89-7 (14-0)

A grand total of 22 in 406 games. About 1 every 18 games.

I don't know which depresses me more, that stat or the fact Ryan Flynn has played 142 times for this club

A few more depressing stats!

5 of that bag of S**e were bought by Clough
That 5 have a grand total of 9 goals from 213. A goal ever 24 games. Under 2 goals a fecking season per player from the midfield.
Is this the most damning stat of the legacy of Clough?

Clough did inherit ONE goal scoring player who aged 19-21 had a goal scoring record with a cracking 11 goals in 105 appearances.
A goal every 9.5 games.
Our goal scoring machine and sorely missed centre Harry McGuire.

 

[Davie Blade]

I have been talking about this like a broken record for 3 years on this board (and was talking about it in our relegation year). We are forever assembling teams without looking at the bigger picture.

Someone has to score goals. We seem to go out of our way to sign midfielders who can't do this. Clough even had a penchant for strikers who can't do this.

Unless we have a fabulous defence (and we don't!) we need at least 75 goals to go up.

I am still amazed that some people don't see this for themselves. Given what a number of ITK people are saying about how the club is run, it is embarrassing - but not surprising - that people who are paid to build and manage football teams also don't see this.

And for those who would defend that deal, this is why Jamie Murphy was so valuable to us. We sold 12 goals (and heaven knows how many assists) and replaced it with..one goal, in a defeat.

Well said mate.

Some of us understand the utter toxic depth of the legacy of Clough!! Barely a goal or assists in his signings.
He inherited McGuire, Coady, Baxter and Murphy all decent goal scorers/ providers and brought in Wallace, Coutts, Basham, Scougall .
Is it any wonder we are where we all.
Adkins has a hell of a job on repairing the damage and I've said all along it is going to require a good deal of time.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Well said mate.

Some of us understand the utter toxic depth of the legacy of Clough!! Barely a goal or assists in his signings.
He inherited McGuire, Coady, Baxter and Murphy all decent GOAL SCORER/ providers and brought in Wallace, Coutts, Basham, Scougall .
Is it any wonder we are where we all.
Adkins has a hell of a job on repairing the damage and I've said all along it is going to require a good deal of time.

Maybe fans will get off Atkins back and give him the time to do this,what is the alternative!!

 

[Blade56]

Jeeeeeez. Woolford is the pick of the bunch, he's more prolific than the rest, how bad are we?

Wonder what the stats are for the likes of Woody and TC by comparison?

 

[Davie Blade]

Jeeeeeez. Woolford is the pick of the bunch, he's more prolific than the rest, how bad are we?

Wonder what the stats are for the likes of Woody and TC by comparison?

Or the alternative view is, Woolford is a better player than currently shown in a poor side and Adkins does recognises what needs to be addressed, and it is part of a transition which will take time.

 

[Revolution]

Or the alternative view is, Woolford is a better player than currently shown in a poor side and Adkins does recognises what needs to be addressed, and it is part of a transition which will take time.

I hope I am wrong but I actually think that Woolford has fallen off a cliff, form wise. He is genuinely as bad as we've seen and there will be no rebound from him.

 

[Blade56]

Or the alternative view is, Woolford is a better player than currently shown in a poor side and Adkins does recognises what needs to be addressed, and it is part of a transition which will take time.

Wot?

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I'm not absolving our defence of blame but as a goalkeeper has to trust his centre backs, the defence has to trust it's midfield. That is where the problem lies, midfield should and always be the first line of defence. They should add that all important buffer to give the defence time to read the game better and make the important tackles. But the defence are just getting battered.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Maybe fans will get off Atkins back and give him the time to do this,what is the alternative!!

The situation we are in didn't happen overnight - its been building for a long time and there is culpability at all levels in the club for letting it happen. There are ongoing systemic failures in the club which have to be addressed if we are to have a positive future. Turning to Saint Clough, giving him the car and house keys was only the final act which compounded what has been happening. I have given up all thoughts of the play-offs but, sad to say, for me this season will have been worth it if the clear-out happens and we start to build a proper team that strives and plays for each other and Sheffield United. For me the club as a whole needs to re-define its purpose (coherently and in football terms) and anything or anyone who compromises or does not add to realising that purpose should go.

Maybe it takes the kind of meltdown the club appears to be going through to kick-start some real positive change in the way the club is run and its ethos. The Southampton model is at least an option which stops everything in the club going tits up if there is a change of manager, but there are others. Equally this could be our swansong and nosedive into oblivion if the club, from the Owners down, bottle it.

The alternative is we sack Adkins, make him the scapegoat for everything that is wrong, scrabble round for 6 weeks trying to find someone half way decent to come, stick Deano in temporary charge as an act of desperation whilst that happens, go through a summer of uncertainty with a higher percentage of current players given new contracts than should be as the new manager settles in, re-discover that certain players are inadequate, only here for the money and it wasn't all down to Adkins after all, lurch into another crisis as another manager tries to sort the place out only to find that player power and private agendas in the club railroad him out.

Even if Adkins isn't the man to lead us into a brave new world he needs to stick around long enough to get rid of the crocks, has beens, wanna be's and poisonous characters in the dressing room. At least that would give him or a new manager a fighting chance. He cannot have known what a toxic mess he was walking into at SUFC or he surely wouldn't have taken the job. I know I wouldn't. Dooley must be turning in his grave.

sorry - rant over.

 

[Karaoke Blade]

Jeeeeeez. Woolford is the pick of the bunch, he's more prolific than the rest, how bad are we?

Wonder what the stats are for the likes of Woody and TC by comparison?

For the Blades (all competitions)
Woody :640 appearances / 193 goals = 1 in 3.3
TC : 377 apps/ 68 goals = 1 in 5.4

Think I'll go and watch that wonderful tribute to Woody on youtube, I need cheering up.

 

[Finnieston]

The situation we are in didn't happen overnight - its been building for a long time and there is culpability at all levels in the club for letting it happen. There are ongoing systemic failures in the club which have to be addressed if we are to have a positive future. Turning to Saint Clough, giving him the car and house keys was only the final act which compounded what has been happening. I have given up all thoughts of the play-offs but, sad to say, for me this season will have been worth it if the clear-out happens and we start to build a proper team that strives and plays for each other and Sheffield United. For me the club as a whole needs to re-define its purpose (coherently and in football terms) and anything or anyone who compromises or does not add to realising that purpose should go.

Maybe it takes the kind of meltdown the club appears to be going through to kick-start some real positive change in the way the club is run and its ethos. The Southampton model is at least an option which stops everything in the club going tits up if there is a change of manager, but there are others. Equally this could be our swansong and nosedive into oblivion if the club, from the Owners down, bottle it.

The alternative is we sack Adkins, make him the scapegoat for everything that is wrong, scrabble round for 6 weeks trying to find someone half way decent to come, stick Deano in temporary charge as an act of desperation whilst that happens, go through a summer of uncertainty with a higher percentage of current players given new contracts than should be as the new manager settles in, re-discover that certain players are inadequate, only here for the money and it wasn't all down to Adkins after all, lurch into another crisis as another manager tries to sort the place out only to find that player power and private agendas in the club railroad him out.

Even if Adkins isn't the man to lead us into a brave new world he needs to stick around long enough to get rid of the crocks, has beens, wanna be's and poisonous characters in the dressing room. At least that would give him or a new manager a fighting chance. He cannot have known what a toxic mess he was walking into at SUFC or he surely wouldn't have taken the job. I know I wouldn't. Dooley must be turning in his grave.

sorry - rant over.

The best common sense post for ages. No silly stats, no sarcastic jokes or bad language or knee jerk reactions.
Ide like to know out of the 20,000 that attend our games what the percentage is that comment on here and of those that ring in on praise and grumble. Bearing in mind that the majority are repeat posters and callers, I bet it is very low indeed. Hardly a barometer for change. Just a thought.

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

Well said mate.

Some of us understand the utter toxic depth of the legacy of Clough!! Barely a goal or assists in his signings.
He inherited McGuire, Coady, Baxter and Murphy all decent goal scorers/ providers and brought in Wallace, Coutts, Basham, Scougall .
Is it any wonder we are where we all.
Adkins has a hell of a job on repairing the damage and I've said all along it is going to require a good deal of time.

remember he brought in Holt on loan who scored for fun - but let him go again

 

[Bartleby]

For the above - the only lad weighing in more is Sammon ; We've all seen how shit he is. For charity, I'll happilyp box him and knock him out. Especially at Bramall Lane - so special

you aren't Curtis Woodhouse are you by any chance?

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

I know its really worrying how bad our midfield is, they are not creative or any good defensively. Best example is when we had Basham,Hammond and Coutts in midfield, you honestly couldn't get a more immobile midfield it was terribly slow and dull to watch them, how on earth Adkins thought it was going to win us games I don't know.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I said a long time ago that midfield was a bigger issue than defence. When we played Swindon in the second leg of the play offs, I lost count of the number of their players who had scored multiple goals during the season, to the few of ours. Love him or hate him, Keith Edwards always said that attacking midfielders should be able to score 10 to 15 goals a season. The last one we had who could do that was Lee Williamson!

Who would hate Keith Edwards? Bit strong that one?

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

I hope I am wrong but I actually think that Woolford has fallen off a cliff, form wise. He is genuinely as bad as we've seen and there will be no rebound from him.

That post is a bit like the seagulls will follow the trawler .

UTB

 

[Grappler]

Who would hate Keith Edwards? Bit strong that one?

I love him, some people say he moans all the time (he has good cause to, usually)

Maybe I should have said "love him or love him slightly less"

 

[Deadbat]

The stats on Basham, Reed, Coutts, Scougall, Wallace are quite frankly laughable.

6 players. 225 games and 5 goals. Break it down further and we have 4 midfielders who have never scored a goal for SUFC>

The fact 4 midfielders have played 105 games and never scored is laughable.

Don't give me this 'different kind of midfielder' guff either. I am not Collins biggest fan but even he's knocked odd goal in. Thing is for most of those 4; I can barely recall any efforts of note on goal in those games. Yes granted footballers do lots of things and have different strengths but strewth think I might even have miskicked one in at some point. Pathetic.

Basham (70-2)
Scougall (50-3)
Coutts (40-0)
Cuvellier (13-0)
James Wallace (14-0)
Reed (38-0)

 

[Bladesince59]

Goals from midfield this season:

Baxter 4
Basham 2
Woolford 1 (in a defeat)
Hammond 1 (in a defeat)
Everyone else 0

Pathetic.

Oh, and everyone forgot Reed - no goals in 35 league games, and no goals in fifty odd games overall.

Wow - shit in spades.

 

[Bladesince59]

Reed had a shot in anger once at the kop end versus Spurs. That's about it

 

[maidmarion]

We've not had a decent midfield in years. Remember Brown, McCall and Tongue, they had a glorious season playing together.

 

[blade67]

The best common sense post for ages. No silly stats, no sarcastic jokes or bad language or knee jerk reactions.
Ide like to know out of the 20,000 that attend our games what the percentage is that comment on here and of those that ring in on praise and grumble. Bearing in mind that the majority are repeat posters and callers, I bet it is very low indeed. Hardly a barometer for change. Just a thought.

interesting question. About 100 vote on the player rating page at home game so maybe 200 active posters which is 1% of the attendance. overall that's not a bad opinion poll, except of course a site like this is likely to attract a number of people with an agenda

 

[Bladesince59]

I know its really worrying how bad our midfield is, they are not creative or any good defensively. Best example is when we had Basham,Hammond and Coutts in midfield, you honestly couldn't get a more immobile midfield it was terribly slow and dull to watch them, how on earth Adkins thought it was going to win us games I don't know.

He didn't either.