Match Thread Sheffield United v. VfB Stuttgart - 5th August 2023

[Working Class Hero]

Bang on. People were squealing and crying about macatee, then look what happened!!

Two be fair, we can't afford for our signings to take two thirds of a season to get going this year. We need them to hit the ground running to have any chance.

 

[spikeachu]

If I were a Stuttgart tactician I'd be telling them to concede a corner at every opportunity.

 

[JS Blade]

Interesting this! From the first half viewing whilst not pulling trees up stuttgart are clearly an half decent side - they do look a lot better than us if you ask me which isn’t good considering we’re going in to a far superior league. Got to question Wes on the first goal - so you can let that go I suppose because he’s redeemed himself with the one on one.

Sander Berge head and shoulders above the rest of this squad. Don’t understand the criticism.

Larouci is not the answer, Lowe isn’t good enough. Hopefully RND back inside a month and can rediscover form.

Trusty not much of an improvement on Robinson but think he strengthens us for sure.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Fuckinell , don’t tell me he’s worse than Lowe !
If so , warra crap signing.
Shall we play Osborn at LB and give up trying to attack down the left ?

Amazes me that a manager like Heckingbottom, now in the PL, hasn't focused on getting a LWB who is at least solid, especially when we have the Baldock/Stevens template from last time, and especially when the other LWB is Lowe, a poor defender

 

[Alex Cheeseright]

We set up with a flanks very exposed. Baldock is used to this system. Larouche is not. Give him time and decent help, Osborne and JLT have not been great. Stuttgart are no mugs and are playing well. Still not too sure if a three man midfield works with the players we have. Either get in a few midfield players that can create in a three or maybe a rethink. Premier teams will expose us and it'll be a tough season.

 

[CH22]

I understand that it is a friendly, it just seems that none of the players have any grit or determination about playing. There’s no aggressiveness to challenges and no confidence when on the ball. I wonder what Heckingbottom says in training to get them fired up to play?

 

[bakeblade]

Amazes me that a manager like Heckingbottom, now in the PL, hasn't focused on getting a LWB who is at least solid, especially when we have the Baldock/Stevens template from last time, and especially when the other LWB is Lowe, a poor defender

Ryan Manning was the one to go for

 

[Boothy762]

Any chance we could do a Bale with Larouci? Even if he doesn't turn out to be world class, we'd concede less goals if he plays up front

 

[HarryHaslam]

Trusty not much of an improvement on Robinson but think he strengthens us for sure.

Your basing this on what? Watching him for Brum against us last season?

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

In fairness to them they have some half decent players.

Yasser doesn't take prisoners - he'll be just fine in the Prem!

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Defensively Larouici looks hopeless

Did well getting back last minute, did enough otherwise 0-3

 

[Frank the tank]

Ryan Manning was the one to go for

Not on last nights evidence
Seemed more interested in moving into a defensive midfield position amd joining in the one touch short passing to no where bore a thon.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Yasser doesn't take prisoners - he'll be just fine in the Prem!

Sometimes goes in late. He'll pick up some cards

 

[Down the Channels]

Ryan Manning was the one to go for

Did you watch him last night?

 

[bakeblade]

Did well getting back last minute, did enough otherwise 0-3

But he didn't get fully back though, Wes saved us there

 

[Ginger Gnome]

Shame we have too many so-so strikers as their number 9 is brilliant and available but we need to be spending on midfield, Osborn can't be a starter or we don't stand a chance.

Traore looks alright but the lack of anyone to drop deep and run at people like Ndiaye did is obvious and Benie doesn't look like that kind of player. Two isolated strikers with a static midfield three and a defence that's hopeless on the counter-attack is worryingly familiar.

Larouci is amazing though, he's managed to unite everyone in hoping Max Lowe plays next week if nobody else comes in.

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

Sometimes goes in late. He'll pick up some cards

Yeah, that's where I was going....!

 

[bakeblade]

Did you watch him last night?

He'll have a good season for them

 

[Bergen Blade]

We set up with a flanks very exposed. Baldock is used to this system. Larouche is not. Give him time and decent help, Osborne and JLT have not been great. Stuttgart are no mugs and are playing well. Still not too sure if a three man midfield works with the players we have. Either get in a few midfield players that can create in a three or maybe a rethink. Premier teams will expose us and it'll be a tough season.

On occasions all midfielders are pushing up, even Berge, leaving a huge gap behind them. One example:


It seems to be the plan that one of the wide centre halves is going to break out of the backline to press/mark their offensive players on these occasions, but it does look risky to me. The flat three was one of the major reasons for Wilder's problems in the second PL season, and maybe it's good for Hecky to spot the problems returning now in pre season. I think we'll be punished by PL teams if we keep playing this way.

 

[Greystones Blade]

Fuckinell , don’t tell me he’s worse than Lowe !
If so , warra crap signing.
Shall we play Osborn at LB and give up trying to attack down the left ?

Larouche came from Troyes and they got relegated last year - their defence couldn’t have been that good.

 

[bakeblade]

Not on last nights evidence
Seemed more interested in moving into a defensive midfield position amd joining in the one touch short passing to no where bore a thon.

That will be Russell Martins coaching

 

[Toronto Blade]

Most teams who get promoted to the Premier League will have question marks over certain players and whether they can play at that level, but we seem to have a worrying amount of those in our starting lineup (assuming this is it for Saturday) let alone our squad.

Osborn, Berge, Robinson have already been up there and didn't cut it.

Slimane, Traore and Larouci are untried, and the latter looks way off it at the moment.

Osula wasn't even ready for the Championship last year.

Hopefully there are more to come in, but the Palace game is looking very worrying.

Add in Norwood and Fleck to that list

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

First half thoughts;

Getting a footballing lesson.
They are walking through our midfield no one is putting in a challenge.
Being destroyed on the counter pace is killing us which we will face each week in the EPL.
Defence looks all over the place.
Very little movement when Berge is in possession, no out ball having to go sideways.
They could have had more than two we are too open all over the pitch.
Traore trying hard but with little return.
Quality centre forward for Stuttgart the type we need but he will be too expensive.

Guirassy barely cost Stuttgart 10m this summer. Oh well....

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

I’m not saying the lad will amount to anything because he might not but do you all remember how crap JOC looked when he first arrived? It may be he never amounts to anything but to write him off after a few preseason friendlies seems a little too soon to me.

 

[SUFCinks]

Larouci seems decent going forward but defensively he is a bit of a scare, not sure he's a great defender TBH. I do like that he will ltry and look for a pass to retain possession before the old fashioned launching it forward though.

Ousala looks lively, Berge good. Everyone else has been pretty average.

Stuttgart have played some really lovely 1 touch footie. I think we are guilty sometimes of players holding the ball too long and therefore slowing any moves down. We need to zip it round with a bit more urgency if we want to break through them. They look comfortably better than us although we had some moments of quality just without creating anything or causing them many problems.

we need 2 or 3 more creative players in our first 11.

 

[Harry's Game]

Morale looks lower than a corgis bollocks

 

[Esteban Cambiasso]

Sharp and Stevens improve this side

 

[Snowflake]

Two be fair, we can't afford for our signings to take two thirds of a season to get going this year. We need them to hit the ground running to have any chance.

We cannot expect all the signings to be ready. It is the next three who need to be.

 

[originaltrueblade]

0-3 ffs

 

[vas borbokis]

Shame we have too many so-so strikers as their number 9 is brilliant and available but we need to be spending on midfield, Osborn can't be a starter or we don't stand a chance.

Traore looks alright but the lack of anyone to drop deep and run at people like Ndiaye did is obvious and Benie doesn't look like that kind of player. Two isolated strikers with a static midfield three and a defence that's hopeless on the counter-attack is worryingly familiar.

Larouci is amazing though, he's managed to unite everyone in hoping Max Lowe plays next week if nobody else comes in.

Traore looks useless to me. Just gave them their 3rd