Punching above your weight

[Rodley]

But good luck to the lad and to Bristol, don’t really hold much malice towards them. There’ll be there or there abouts this year.

 

[Dnblade]

Yeah,both teams will make the top six...They've probably played better than that and lost..not that they were poor,but we deserved the win last night.. that's how it goes sometimes.
Agree with the sending off Fordy,but as i've said on another thread..no intent from Fleck to do him.

 

[Roygbiv]

We're on a run right now where everything is going against us but we can't carry on playing that well and losing games. Bristol City were poor last night but ground out a result somehow which is something we have yet to do. Every game we have won this season (minus maybe the first game) has been totally deserved.

As others have said Bristol City will play much better than that and lose. I just hope we will play a lot worse and win some time.

 

[Esablade]

I'm not a violent man,but I would really like to take a baseball bat to your managers head

Ah...the classic's...

 

[Punk Blade]

When we get it right I doubt there’s as good a team going forwards as us (except maybe Wolves)

I guess you haven’t seen Fulham yet. They’re the only team I’ve seen at our standard.

Fair enough you only see each team once as a home attendee, but I’m baffled as to how Bristol City are top six and I also wish everyone else would stop assuming they have to lose to Wolves just because they spent the most money. Just go out and play them, they’re nothing special!

 

[B.Lade]

Morning all,

Punching above your weight was how I viewed your boys before last night. Don’t get me wrong, that’s my view of us too, we’re both doing better than our wildest dreams might have predicted. But I hadn’t seen any of your football prior to last night.

I thought you were a good side. On paper what might read a journeyman front two looked dangerous and well drilled. The marauding centre half - I really liked him, and the gingery blonde lad caused us all sorts of issues... boy was I glad when Wilder made the inexplicable decision to substitute him on about 75 mins.

The game as a spectacle (from your perspective) was ruined by the red card - which lets face it is a red all day long. Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg. We clearly made the numerical advantage count, although complete credit that it didn’t stop you from causing us all sorts of problems.

8 times out of ten you’d have beaten us playing like that so all due credit. I can certainly see why you don’t draw many games and all respect to Wilder for throwing the kitchen sink at us with his substitutions, it’s evident he’s a gamble or bust kinda guy - which isn’t the worst thing in the world when you compare the difference between 3 points and 1 point and 1 point and no points. Although Wilder does come across as a very bitter man - although given the nature of your defeat I suppose I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to him.

I’ll watch your progress with interest. You’re a good team there and hopefully you’ll take some point off our rivals at the top. I imagine we’ll both be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

Well done, chin up and keep punching above your weight.

Oh, and for anyone still doubting the red...

Fair assessment. I have to say your keeper is the least likely looking footballer I've ever seen. Looks like a bloke who's just wandered down from the pub and found himself standing between the posts by mistake. Just a shame he didn't play like that!!

 

[derfblade.3]

6-2 would have been a fair reflection on the game. Brizzle were taken apart by some breathtaking football and only the football gods saved them from a real hammering. To say we are punching above our weight is ridiculous. We are a very good team with players more than capable of being a match for most teams in this division. Make no mistake Fordy, we will get the results our performances deserve. Wilder will act quickly in January to get the repairs needed to push us on.

 

[Roygbiv]

6-2 would have been a fair reflection on the game. Brizzle were taken apart by some breathtaking football and only the football gods saved them from a real hammering. To say we are punching above our weight is ridiculous. We are a very good team with players more than capable of being a match for most teams in this division. Make no mistake Fordy, we will get the results our performances deserve. Wilder will act quickly in January to get the repairs needed to push us on.

Just read a quote on their forum about how we have been found out. We have just made them look hopeless on national TV and somehow the guy has concluded that WE have been found out!

 

[stringer]

United are punching above their weight, and Lee Johnson’s a good bloke.

 

[Caveblade]

United are punching above their weight, and Lee Johnson’s a good bloke.

Lee Johnson strikes me as a reasonable guy who is a good manager. I disagree on the punching above your weight phrase. It is just a cheap throw away cliche that is always thrown out when a club does unexpectedly well.

United and Bristol (see what I did there!) Both have good squads and good forward thinking managers. The cliche is generally dragged out by people who don't have any knowledge of other squads, apart from the usual under researched predictable rubbish from the media.

We have degenerated the game to a point where predictions are based upon how much money has been spunked or how big a club is, often with little serious understanding or evidence to back it up. Hence the often spouted rubbish like " villa are nailed on for an auto spot" or "Boro" are going to walk the league because they spent £50 million". Both examples ignore the short comings of their respective managers and players.

United are not punching above their weight, they are fulfilling the obvious potential that the squad clearly demonstrated last season.

 

[mattbianco1]

Another one of those "on another night.. " games. Woodwork 4 times. Fantastic opening strike and we're behind.

Sky highlights are 5mins long and shows 3 chances for Brizzle

 

[stringer]

Lee Johnson strikes me as a reasonable guy who is a good manager. I disagree on the punching above your weight phrase. It is just a cheap throw away cliche that is always thrown out when a club does unexpectedly well.

United and Bristol (see what I did there!) Both have good squads and good forward thinking managers. The cliche is generally dragged out by people who don't have any knowledge of other squads, apart from the usual under researched predictable rubbish from the media.

We have degenerated the game to a point where predictions are based upon how much money has been spunked or how big a club is, often with little serious understanding or evidence to back it up. Hence the often spouted rubbish like " villa are nailed on for an auto spot" or "Boro" are going to walk the league because they spent £50 million". Both examples ignore the short comings of their respective managers and players.

United are not punching above their weight, they are fulfilling the obvious potential that the squad clearly demonstrated last season.

They’ve spent three quarters of fuck all and are fourth in the Championship. That’s punching above their weight. As the manager says, budget-wise his side should be where Millwall are. The fact they’re not is testament to players, staff and manager but in the first season back, after six years in the Pub League, fourth is punching. A top half finish after spending circa £1.5m on key players, against teams paying defenders £50k a week, would be remarkable

 

[Fordy62]

I guess you haven’t seen Fulham yet. They’re the only team I’ve seen at our standard.

Fair enough you only see each team once as a home attendee, but I’m baffled as to how Bristol City are top six and I also wish everyone else would stop assuming they have to lose to Wolves just because they spent the most money. Just go out and play them, they’re nothing special!

We’ve played Fulham away. That was one of the games where we showed why we’re play off contenders. We won 0-2.

A lot of people say that about Fulham, but we didn’t see it, just like you didn’t see the real Bristol City last night I guess.

As for Wolves, they’re really good. I’ve seen them several times this season and they’ve ranged from good to unstoppable. And rightly so given that their team is full of £15m ringers!

Fair assessment. I have to say your keeper is the least likely looking footballer I've ever seen. Looks like a bloke who's just wandered down from the pub and found himself standing between the posts by mistake. Just a shame he didn't play like that!!

Yeh. I would counter that with “you don’t get called up to the England team for nothing” but then I suppose pointing out that Jordan Henderson is an England mainstay is an adequate counter to that.

Frankie is having a brilliant season. He gets a lot of stick from our fan base and unfairly in my opinion. Although I absolutely agree he looks like a bloke who’s just stolen a keepers Kit.

 

[super_pig]

who is the wanker with the scabby dreadlocks who looks like the singer from Rage against the machine that sprinted 50 yards to demand a red?? fastest he ran all night

 

[cooperblade]

Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg.

As I've said elsewhere, that tone (booing a player limping off) was very much set by Bristol.

You scored and your entire bench emptied onto the track, turned to the Blades fans and celebrated / gestured wildly. The bloke with the 70s style tache being the worst culprit.

Your manager nearly caused a brawl by appealing that a ball had gone out of play 70 yards away from where he was stood. It was on the opposite side of the pitch and he's barely tall enough to see the touchline he's stood near so it can't have been more than a guess.

When Fleck tackled Smith, your entire team ran to the referee begging for a card.

Etc etc etc.

There didn't look much in the tackle in real time and I firmly believed at the time that your lad had made a massive meal of it. This was backed up by your players doing the 'get the stretcher on' gesture like it was a worse version of David Busst only for the player to then stand up. He'll be back in a week or so I would've thought.

The night had a more than a little feel of the Norwich game which led to similar scenes outside the ground. Thankfully, the police were a bit more switched on this time so (as far as I'm aware) there wasn't a repeat of the serious injuries that Norwich fans sustained.

 

[Punk Blade]

Just read a quote on their forum about how we have been found out. We have just made them look hopeless on national TV and somehow the guy has concluded that WE have been found out!

Nobody could understand how we were top, assumed it was a fluke and we would be ‘found out’. Now we haven’t won in four they now assume they were right all along and we’ve been ‘found out’.

The refusal to observe or acknowledge what we’re capable of began in June and shows no sign of abating.

 

[super_pig]

Morning all,

Punching above your weight was how I viewed your boys before last night. Don’t get me wrong, that’s my view of us too, we’re both doing better than our wildest dreams might have predicted. But I hadn’t seen any of your football prior to last night.

I thought you were a good side. On paper what might read a journeyman front two looked dangerous and well drilled. The marauding centre half - I really liked him, and the gingery blonde lad caused us all sorts of issues... boy was I glad when Wilder made the inexplicable decision to substitute him on about 75 mins.

The game as a spectacle (from your perspective) was ruined by the red card - which lets face it is a red all day long. Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg. We clearly made the numerical advantage count, although complete credit that it didn’t stop you from causing us all sorts of problems.

8 times out of ten you’d have beaten us playing like that so all due credit. I can certainly see why you don’t draw many games and all respect to Wilder for throwing the kitchen sink at us with his substitutions, it’s evident he’s a gamble or bust kinda guy - which isn’t the worst thing in the world when you compare the difference between 3 points and 1 point and 1 point and no points. Although Wilder does come across as a very bitter man - although given the nature of your defeat I suppose I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to him.

I’ll watch your progress with interest. You’re a good team there and hopefully you’ll take some point off our rivals at the top. I imagine we’ll both be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

Well done, chin up and keep punching above your weight.

Oh, and for anyone still doubting the red...

as a city fan fordy you should know exactly where we are coning from because we are doing what you did last season ie playing teams of the park and not getting the results
we are a little naive to the ‘professionalism’ of the championship ie the diving.. time wasting.. etc .. i think your lad will be ok.. unlike our player he wasnt carried off on a stretcher and sent to casualty. thing is though it was a dumb challenge from our lad as players at this level don’t just get up like in L1 .. i believe your manager (who i have a lot of time for) made similar comments earlier this season
we never win ugly if we win it is because we were the best team as we usually have to play the officials as well.. only Cardiff have outclassed us this season at their place.. we bear Wolves quite easily

 

[Sheffsteel]

We’ve played Fulham away. That was one of the games where we showed why we’re play off contenders. We won 0-2.

A lot of people say that about Fulham, but we didn’t see it, just like you didn’t see the real Bristol City last night I guess.

As for Wolves, they’re really good. I’ve seen them several times this season and they’ve ranged from good to unstoppable. And rightly so given that their team is full of £15m ringers!.

Fulham are only good if you play an open attacking game. Sit back and they overplay struggling to break down a defence.
When we played Fulham we attacked them most of the match (like normal) and they kept catching us on the counter attack.
In hindsight we should have tried to frustrate them and been more defensive BUT Wilder has said he’ll always attack and play for the win.

We beat Wolves 2-0 in a really dominant display. Wolves looked very ordinary that night and think only had 1 proper shot at our goal.
Our midfield controlled the game and gave Wolves a bit of a lesson. Although in fairness Wolves had a man sent off, so were always going to find it tough.

Best sides we’ve seen this season have been Brentford (but that was the first game of the season so a bit of a culture shock)
And Fulham (but we played to their strengths and attacked them enabling them to use their fast counter attacking game).

 

[super_pig]

Fulham are only good if you play an open attacking game. Sit back and they overplay struggling to break down a defence.
When we played Fulham we attacked them most of the match (like normal) and they kept catching us on the counter attack.
In hindsight we should have tried to frustrate them and been more defensive BUT Wilder has said he’ll always attack and play for the win.

We beat Wolves 2-0 in a really dominant display. Wolves looked very ordinary that night and think only had 1 proper shot at our goal.
Our midfield controlled the game and gave Wolves a bit of a lesson. Although in fairness Wolves had a man sent off, so were always going to find it tough.

Best sides we’ve seen this season have been Brentford (but that was the first game of the season so a bit of a culture shock)
And Fulham (but we played to their strengths and attacked them enabling them to use their fast counter attacking game).

fulham were a bit lucky as well everything they touched turned to gold

 

[Tyler Durden]

Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg.

Don't worry, I think the injury was caused by the strain from sitting down on the pitch four times with the clock ticking down and generally acting like he was in the final scenes of Platoon.
Maybe a period on the sidelines will teach the little shitbag some humility.

 

[super_pig]

As I've said elsewhere, that tone (booing a player limping off) was very much set by Bristol.

You scored and your entire bench emptied onto the track, turned to the Blades fans and celebrated / gestured wildly. The bloke with the 70s style tache being the worst culprit.

Your manager nearly caused a brawl by appealing that a ball had gone out of play 70 yards away from where he was stood. It was on the opposite side of the pitch and he's barely tall enough to see the touchline he's stood near so it can't have been more than a guess.

When Fleck tackled Smith, your entire team ran to the referee begging for a card.

Etc etc etc.

There didn't look much in the tackle in real time and I firmly believed at the time that your lad had made a massive meal of it. This was backed up by your players doing the 'get the stretcher on' gesture like it was a worse version of David Busst only for the player to then stand up. He'll be back in a week or so I would've thought.

The night had a more than a little feel of the Norwich game which led to similar scenes outside the ground. Thankfully, the police were a bit more switched on this time so (as far as I'm aware) there wasn't a repeat of the serious injuries that Norwich fans sustained.

that’s a good point actually i don’t think i’ve seen us boo an injured player before .. interesting
ah but then he wasn’t injured

 

[Fordy62]

Fulham are only good if you play an open attacking game. Sit back and they overplay struggling to break down a defence.
When we played Fulham we attacked them most of the match (like normal) and they kept catching us on the counter attack.
In hindsight we should have tried to frustrate them and been more defensive BUT Wilder has said he’ll always attack and play for the win.

We beat Wolves 2-0 in a really dominant display. Wolves looked very ordinary that night and think only had 1 proper shot at our goal.
Our midfield controlled the game and gave Wolves a bit of a lesson. Although in fairness Wolves had a man sent off, so were always going to find it tough.

Best sides we’ve seen this season have been Brentford (but that was the first game of the season so a bit of a culture shock)
And Fulham (but we played to their strengths and attacked them enabling them to use their fast counter attacking game).

Ahhh yes. Brentford. Now... think how hard done by you were last night and multiply it by a thousand.

We snatched the most undeserved point ive ever seen in football at their place with a 96th minute equaliser.

They are a really good football team. Really really good. Evidently they struggle with consistency which is probably the mark of the best teams in this league.

I like what your manager has done, taken a bunch of players who are by no means top drawer championship players and is making them play better than the sum of their parts. It’s not dissimilar to ours, only I suppose were a little more established at this level currently.

Have you played Wednesday yet? They’re a fairly decent team too. I bet that’ll be a good derby.

 

[wavy-blade]

Morning all,

Punching above your weight was how I viewed your boys before last night. Don’t get me wrong, that’s my view of us too, we’re both doing better than our wildest dreams might have predicted. But I hadn’t seen any of your football prior to last night.

I thought you were a good side. On paper what might read a journeyman front two looked dangerous and well drilled. The marauding centre half - I really liked him, and the gingery blonde lad caused us all sorts of issues... boy was I glad when Wilder made the inexplicable decision to substitute him on about 75 mins.

The game as a spectacle (from your perspective) was ruined by the red card - which lets face it is a red all day long. Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg. We clearly made the numerical advantage count, although complete credit that it didn’t stop you from causing us all sorts of problems.

8 times out of ten you’d have beaten us playing like that so all due credit. I can certainly see why you don’t draw many games and all respect to Wilder for throwing the kitchen sink at us with his substitutions, it’s evident he’s a gamble or bust kinda guy - which isn’t the worst thing in the world when you compare the difference between 3 points and 1 point and 1 point and no points. Although Wilder does come across as a very bitter man - although given the nature of your defeat I suppose I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to him.

I’ll watch your progress with interest. You’re a good team there and hopefully you’ll take some point off our rivals at the top. I imagine we’ll both be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

Well done, chin up and keep punching above your weight.

Oh, and for anyone still doubting the red...

You would have been hammered if Fleck would have stopped on ! End of .

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

Morning all,

Punching above your weight was how I viewed your boys before last night. Don’t get me wrong, that’s my view of us too, we’re both doing better than our wildest dreams might have predicted. But I hadn’t seen any of your football prior to last night.

I thought you were a good side. On paper what might read a journeyman front two looked dangerous and well drilled. The marauding centre half - I really liked him, and the gingery blonde lad caused us all sorts of issues... boy was I glad when Wilder made the inexplicable decision to substitute him on about 75 mins.

The game as a spectacle (from your perspective) was ruined by the red card - which lets face it is a red all day long. Sounds like you lost your best midfielder to a horror challenge a couple of weeks back, so a little disappointed to hear the boos from the crowd when Korey was substituted, clearly incapable of walking off himself, we can only hope that it’s a few weeks out and there’s no broken leg. We clearly made the numerical advantage count, although complete credit that it didn’t stop you from causing us all sorts of problems.

8 times out of ten you’d have beaten us playing like that so all due credit. I can certainly see why you don’t draw many games and all respect to Wilder for throwing the kitchen sink at us with his substitutions, it’s evident he’s a gamble or bust kinda guy - which isn’t the worst thing in the world when you compare the difference between 3 points and 1 point and 1 point and no points. Although Wilder does come across as a very bitter man - although given the nature of your defeat I suppose I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to him.

I’ll watch your progress with interest. You’re a good team there and hopefully you’ll take some point off our rivals at the top. I imagine we’ll both be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

Well done, chin up and keep punching above your weight.

Oh, and for anyone still doubting the red...

I don't think the boos were - for the most part anyway - directed at Korey Smith; I think it was frustration at the referee suddenly playing by the rule book when he'd fudged several other ones previously. The fact that Smith limped off says it all, no issues with him from me. It was a red card, Fleck can't have any complaints for me either. But the fact remains that it was one of very few decisions that referee got right last night. He started it in the first minute with a clear penalty on Duffy that he turned down. When Duffy was dragged down on the right touchline first half, clear yellow card not given. The big lad (Djuric?) that came on at half time should have walked before Fleck was sent off - could easily have gone for the elbow on O'Connell that he got a yellow for, should certainly have had another yellow anyway for his tackle on Stearman and argy-bargy with Baldock that would have meant the elbow yellow would have seen him go. Every time the ball went up to Sharp or Clarke, Flint and Baker bashed into the back of them - for Clarke, he is strong enough to hold it but Sharp was knocked over at least ten times last night and never got a free kick for it. The ref was a joke up to the red card, suddenly got that decision right and then proceeded to be a joke again for the rest of the night. Djuric high foot on O'Connell - in the build up to Flint's winner - and his hand off into the face of Brooks late on should have seen him given another yellow at least. For me, Fleck red card was right but Djuric could have gone twice before Fleck and once after yet stayed on the pitch to the end.

Loved that Wilder didn't settle for 1-1 and went for it. He vows he does that all the time and last night proved it. Not too fussed about 1 point turning into nothing because both draw/defeat results would be undeserved. We dominated the game, caused problems after the red card, never really looked threatened even with a man less and it took a bit of a lucky cross to drop right on Flint's boot for the goal. United were the better side for the first hour, matched City with a man less (some would say two men less considering the ref) and deserved three points. Calling him a "bitter man" is a joke - he had every right to be annoyed with that referee and had every right to be annoyed that a deserved three points ended up with nothing.

On the evidence of last night, can't see United finishing below Bristol City unless you get that kind of ref every week; I'd be confident against you in a Play Off with a competent referee. If Korey Smith is fit in January, I'd be interested in taking a punt at getting him up here too. How much do you reckon he'd cost us?

 

[diplomat]

It’s a weird one regards “punching above our weight”.
As a club? Certainly not, we expect the PL sooner or later because of our history.

We’ve spent 60 years in the top flight and 42 years in the 2nd tier.
When in the 2nd tier an amazing statistic is that over 80% of those seasons we’ve finished in the top 10. So historically we expect to be challenging for promotion because in this division invariably we always challenge. However based on the current playing staff then I can understand the “punching above our weight” comment. These lower league players shouldn’t be this good but they consistently play well. In fact with the injured Coutts back we probably have the best passing midfield in this league. We outplayed and comfortably beat Wolves not that long back ago (altho they did have a man deservedly sent off).

Bristol City have only spent 9 seasons in the top flight, much lower gates and are historically a smaller club.
Sheffield United are traditionally a top flight club, whereas Bristol City clearly aren’t
Would be nice to see Bristol City in the top flight, don’t mind seeing a new set of fans enjoying some time in the PL.

They’ve spent three quarters of fuck all and are fourth in the Championship. That’s punching above their weight. As the manager says, budget-wise his side should be where Millwall are. The fact they’re not is testament to players, staff and manager but in the first season back, after six years in the Pub League, fourth is punching. A top half finish after spending circa £1.5m on key players, against teams paying defenders £50k a week, would be remarkable

Exactly. Why is everyone getting so precious about a comment like that? If anything it is a compliment. We’re above teams with parachute payments, last seasons play off finalists, serial promotion contenders like our neighbours and Derby. We’ve been away for six years and have a relatively small budget. We completely are punching above our weight. It’s not a dig saying we are lucky. It’s a statement made by an outsider that we are higher than he thought we would be and I took it as a compliment.

We played well. We were unlucky. No one has made us look like a mug this season. We should enjoy it - it’s a special time.

 

[Punk Blade]

I don't think the boos were - for the most part anyway - directed at Korey Smith; I think it was frustration at the referee suddenly playing by the rule book when he'd fudged several other ones previously. The fact that Smith limped off says it all, no issues with him from me. It was a red card, Fleck can't have any complaints for me either. But the fact remains that it was one of very few decisions that referee got right last night. He started it in the first minute with a clear penalty on Duffy that he turned down. When Duffy was dragged down on the right touchline first half, clear yellow card not given. The big lad (Djuric?) that came on at half time should have walked before Fleck was sent off - could easily have gone for the elbow on O'Connell that he got a yellow for, should certainly have had another yellow anyway for his tackle on Stearman and argy-bargy with Baldock that would have meant the elbow yellow would have seen him go. Every time the ball went up to Sharp or Clarke, Flint and Baker bashed into the back of them - for Clarke, he is strong enough to hold it but Sharp was knocked over at least ten times last night and never got a free kick for it. The ref was a joke up to the red card, suddenly got that decision right and then proceeded to be a joke again for the rest of the night. Djuric high foot on O'Connell - in the build up to Flint's winner - and his hand off into the face of Brooks late on should have seen him given another yellow at least. For me, Fleck red card was right but Djuric could have gone twice before Fleck and once after yet stayed on the pitch to the end.

Loved that Wilder didn't settle for 1-1 and went for it. He vows he does that all the time and last night proved it. Not too fussed about 1 point turning into nothing because both draw/defeat results would be undeserved. We dominated the game, caused problems after the red card, never really looked threatened even with a man less and it took a bit of a lucky cross to drop right on Flint's boot for the goal. United were the better side for the first hour, matched City with a man less (some would say two men less considering the ref) and deserved three points. Calling him a "bitter man" is a joke - he had every right to be annoyed with that referee and had every right to be annoyed that a deserved three points ended up with nothing.

On the evidence of last night, can't see United finishing below Bristol City unless you get that kind of ref every week; I'd be confident against you in a Play Off with a competent referee. If Korey Smith is fit in January, I'd be interested in taking a punt at getting him up here too. How much do you reckon he'd cost us?

Thank you for articulating why we were so annoyed at the ref last night. With the red card and late goal I lost track of what else had gone on that wound me up.

I’d add two other correct decisions the ref made: played good advantage leading to both City goals. Of course for the second he missed a dangerous high kick mere moments before. Awful refereeing performance with three correct decisions to hand the game to the opposition. Gutted.

 

[Caveblade]

They’ve spent three quarters of fuck all and are fourth in the Championship. That’s punching above their weight. As the manager says, budget-wise his side should be where Millwall are. The fact they’re not is testament to players, staff and manager but in the first season back, after six years in the Pub League, fourth is punching. A top half finish after spending circa £1.5m on key players, against teams paying defenders £50k a week, would be remarkable

Fair points Danny, but my point is it is not all about money and a lot of people have underestimated the quality of players in our squad. That is testament to Chris Wilder and Alan Knill. I fully expected us to perform well.

 

[Fordy62]

I don't think the boos were - for the most part anyway - directed at Korey Smith; I think it was frustration at the referee suddenly playing by the rule book when he'd fudged several other ones previously. The fact that Smith limped off says it all, no issues with him from me. It was a red card, Fleck can't have any complaints for me either. But the fact remains that it was one of very few decisions that referee got right last night. He started it in the first minute with a clear penalty on Duffy that he turned down. When Duffy was dragged down on the right touchline first half, clear yellow card not given. The big lad (Djuric?) that came on at half time should have walked before Fleck was sent off - could easily have gone for the elbow on O'Connell that he got a yellow for, should certainly have had another yellow anyway for his tackle on Stearman and argy-bargy with Baldock that would have meant the elbow yellow would have seen him go. Every time the ball went up to Sharp or Clarke, Flint and Baker bashed into the back of them - for Clarke, he is strong enough to hold it but Sharp was knocked over at least ten times last night and never got a free kick for it. The ref was a joke up to the red card, suddenly got that decision right and then proceeded to be a joke again for the rest of the night. Djuric high foot on O'Connell - in the build up to Flint's winner - and his hand off into the face of Brooks late on should have seen him given another yellow at least. For me, Fleck red card was right but Djuric could have gone twice before Fleck and once after yet stayed on the pitch to the end.

Loved that Wilder didn't settle for 1-1 and went for it. He vows he does that all the time and last night proved it. Not too fussed about 1 point turning into nothing because both draw/defeat results would be undeserved. We dominated the game, caused problems after the red card, never really looked threatened even with a man less and it took a bit of a lucky cross to drop right on Flint's boot for the goal. United were the better side for the first hour, matched City with a man less (some would say two men less considering the ref) and deserved three points. Calling him a "bitter man" is a joke - he had every right to be annoyed with that referee and had every right to be annoyed that a deserved three points ended up with nothing.

On the evidence of last night, can't see United finishing below Bristol City unless you get that kind of ref every week; I'd be confident against you in a Play Off with a competent referee. If Korey Smith is fit in January, I'd be interested in taking a punt at getting him up here too. How much do you reckon he'd cost us?

I think it’s fair to say that you won’t be spending the sort of money it’d cost to take Korey anywhere.

With regards to Wilder, like I said, full credit to him for going for it, but him making out that the red card challenge was alright pretty much renders anything else he has to say irrelevant. I know it’s his job to protect his team, but what he said - I don’t remember the quote exactly - was plain stupid.

I’m relation to Duric’s ‘elbow’, that yellow card in itself was an awful call from the ref. There was no elbow used at all, he was essentially penalised for being much taller than his opposition. I’ve watched it time and time again I just can’t see it being a foul let alone a card.

But we’re opposition football fans. The nature of fans is to blame the ref and we’ve done it on more than one occasion this season. I actually thought he had a good game, let play flow wherever possible and played good advantage to us in both our goals.

 

[JohnDenver]

On the subject of the ref, I followed a City fan out the ground and he was on the phone relaying his view of the game. Apparently the ref gave us everything.

Funny lot, football fans...

 

[stringer]

Fair points Danny, but my point is it is not all about money and a lot of people have underestimated the quality of players in our squad. That is testament to Chris Wilder and Alan Knill. I fully expected us to perform well.

Let’s be fair, it is a lot about money - hence Wolves at the top at Burton at the bottom. United’s budget is a lot closer to the latter than the former, and Tufty’s worked miracles with it. Punching isn’t an insult. Embrace it.