sooner or later

[davidpinder]

GS is going to have to change his tactics and team, people say what else do we have? Yesterday Yeates, Boggy and Ward all on the bench all attacking players yet we line up with the same blackwell 4-5-1 even though the guys on RS said before we kicked off with that 11 it can only be 4-4-2, no we still went 4-5-1 (again RS reporting, if someone at the game can confirm different then i will stand corrected). We still started with 3 defensive midfielders again which is not working surely everyone can see this but not speed. We went into that game looking for 0-0 just like we did Middlesborough and got the same scoreline. We have a tricky away game tuesday and a very difficult home game Saturday, if we got 0 points from those to games then we have a very serious problem. We are 18th now with the lowest goals for and that includes Palace who haven't scored away. The way we are going we will be in a relegation battle not promotion and with that squad we could end up :thumbdown:

 

[alcoblade]

I think all realistic Blades, and the slashers, will agree that if we're in any sort of battle it will be a relegation one. Even Dunc will have us slipping into second place right now.....

You're right that we're going to have to open up and sooner or later the penny will drop that Evans is rubbish. Then we'll progress. Until it does we could be in trouble.

UTB

 

[SwissBlade]

I agree dp, he'll have to change his tactics, but we need to get stability first then we can start tinkering.

Yesterday Speed showed that although he started with a safe formation, he wants us to attack and wasn't afraid to make us a more attacking force 2nd half

 

[DuncDisorderly]

Even Dunc will have us slipping into second place right now.....

Automatic is out of reach. It has been this season since we changed manager. To be fair it was before we changed the manger too.

I know that a few of the usual suspects are playing the 'R' card with that kind of assumption 'of course we're in a relegation battle', but this is cock really. We are in no such thing. We aren't far from a decent upper mid-table season, but goals scored is the obvious problem. Whether Boggy is the solution or Hendo when he gets back, or maybe some midfield changes to give us more chances, we are only one good performance away from a bit of form. We have to trust Speedo and Carver to get us going...

 

[Micalijo]

Automatic is out of reach. It has been this season since we changed manager. To be fair it was before we changed the manger too.

I know that a few of the usual suspects are playing the 'R' card with that kind of assumption 'of course we're in a relegation battle', but this is cock really. We are in no such thing. We aren't far from a decent upper mid-table season, but goals scored is the obvious problem. Whether Boggy is the solution or Hendo when he gets back, or maybe some midfield changes to give us more chances, we are only one good performance away from a bit of form. We have to trust Speedo and Carver to get us going...

Enlighten me then Duncs, what are the little adjustments which you think will make us score a few goals? You make it sound all so easy which is not like you, saying all we need to do is score a few more goals is a poor comment in my opinion. It's true obviously but it is a major, major problem not somat that can be fixed with a little tinkering for me. What can speed do about it? I don't see what the options are - what are the midfield options? Drop Monty and play who out wide? Yeates and that horrible little tosser Ward? I think Speed has an impossible task if you ask me.

 

[raul]

Automatic is out of reach. It has been this season since we changed manager. To be fair it was before we changed the manger too.

I know that a few of the usual suspects are playing the 'R' card with that kind of assumption 'of course we're in a relegation battle', but this is cock really. We are in no such thing. We aren't far from a decent upper mid-table season, but goals scored is the obvious problem. Whether Boggy is the solution or Hendo when he gets back, or maybe some midfield changes to give us more chances, we are only one good performance away from a bit of form. We have to trust Speedo and Carver to get us going...

Dunc, yesterday

 

[alcoblade]

Enlighten me then Duncs, what are the little adjustments which you think will make us score a few goals? You make it sound all so easy which is not like you, saying all we need to do is score a few more goals is a poor comment in my opinion. It's true obviously but it is a major, major problem not somat that can be fixed with a little tinkering for me. What can speed do about it? I don't see what the options are - what are the midfield options? Drop Monty and play who out wide? Yeates and that horrible little tosser Ward? I think Speed has an impossible task if you ask me.

Between Yeates, Ward, Monty, Ertl, Williamson and Britton I don't accept that there isn't the makings of a decent championship midfield.

Between Evans, Cresswell and Ward I'd say we're in trouble. I can't include Bogdanovich because we haven't seen him.

Our problems are up front and in accepting that we've squandered £3M and £1M per year of a league 2 striker.

UTB

---------- Post added at 08:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:53 PM ----------

Automatic is out of reach. It has been this season since we changed manager. To be fair it was before we changed the manger too.

I know that a few of the usual suspects are playing the 'R' card with that kind of assumption 'of course we're in a relegation battle', but this is cock really. We are in no such thing. We aren't far from a decent upper mid-table season, but goals scored is the obvious problem. Whether Boggy is the solution or Hendo when he gets back, or maybe some midfield changes to give us more chances, we are only one good performance away from a bit of form. We have to trust Speedo and Carver to get us going...

It's a fine line though isn't it Dunc. Any team that can't score is in trouble. Decent strikers are expensive. Finding one could make or break the season.

UTB

 

[Worksop II]

or Hendo when he gets back

Hang on a minute, Hendo is the answer to our lack of goals, sfunny, you used to argue that it wasn`t his job to score goals ....... you know, when he didn`t score goals

Of course I am not allowing for the Bramall Lane conumdrum of "the longer a player is out of the side, the better he gets"

 

[SteelCity Blade]

I honestly think we're stuck with things the way they are for now. We simply have to battle on and trust GS to put out his strongest team every game. Until Willo and Hendo get back we've got nothing else and I cant see us signing anyone capable of making a real difference in this loan window. Make the best of what we've got - thats Speedo's remit for the time being.

In other words, we have to find some goals (and some wins) in this group of players available or we're going to be in trouble. Simple as that. I would be delighted to stay mid-table and clear of trouble by christmas. That way we can have a realistic crack at things for the rest of the season if (big if) Speed gets some financial backing.

I'm 100% behind the club, the manager and the players but they have got a lot of issues to address or we're going to be flirting with danger. Come on you Blades!

 

[DuncDisorderly]

Hang on a minute, Hendo is the answer to our lack of goals, sfunny, you used to argue that it wasn`t his job to score goals ....... you know, when he didn`t score goals

I dont recall ever saying such a thing.

What we seem to be short of is a bit of 'sticky up top', being able to hold the ball up and bring others in to the play. Our poor retention of the ball in the final third is the problem when it comes to scoring, in my view. It isn't so much that we can't score, its that we can't keep the ball long enough to score. We're easy to defend against.

Cresswell can do this, But Hendo can do this better, so long as we dont boot the ball to his head, and he doesn't focus on wrestling with the centre backs...

 

[Revolution]

I know that a few of the usual suspects are playing the 'R' card with that kind of assumption 'of course we're in a relegation battle', but this is cock really. We are in no such thing. We aren't far from a decent upper mid-table season, but goals scored is the obvious problem. Whether Boggy is the solution or Hendo when he gets back, or maybe some midfield changes to give us more chances, we are only one good performance away from a bit of form.

I didn't know how anyone can have seen United play this season and sincerely hold these views.

We have a poor team. I see 2 good players - Britton and Simonsen. No one else is above average. All of the "strikers" are poor or playing poorly and 2 or 3 of the midfielders are poor. We have a decent defence but it persists in conceding goals via unforced errors.

The manager talks a good game and there a some signs that we want to pass the ball more but so far he has in the main picked cowardly, defensive lineups against mediocre sides, and he would appear to have forgotten what wings are for.

There is no money to spend, apparently, and no will to put any money in. So no good players will be coming our way.

Our next two games are against teams playing in good form at the moment, and one of them is away, which more or less guarantees a 0-0 draw is the best we can hope for.

I have seen nothing to make me believe that this team is capable of scoring even an average of a goal a game this season.

Things are worse than they have been at any time since Heath was manager. Unless we get better players in, or our existing players do a hell of a lot better, this is a bottom 6 team.

Don't tell me everything is alright. It plainly isn't.

 

[davidpinder]

I am going to up that rev to our next 3 games because Burnley will be no push overs.

 

[Kenilworth]

It's Not Sticky Up Top It's The Quality of the Delivery and Crossing

What we seem to be short of is a bit of 'sticky up top', being able to hold the ball up and bring others in to the play. .

Actually Dunc I believe that what we are actually short of is any quality delivery at all to the the striker(s) in terms of crosses or through balls. Most golas are scored from crosses into the danger area - Utd seem to have forgotten that. The tactics deployed so far this season neglect width and neglect any sort of quality of delivery - save for the odd free kick and the quality of delivery from those is woefully poor too. We have got rid of any player with pace and the ability to play wide, bar Yeates - who never plays anyway. It's still stale, sterile, not very entertaining and a recipe for failure

Ward, despite stating that he prefers to play wide, is not a winger and does not beat his man (even though he may be much quicker) with any regularity to put in a decent delivery. I am not convinced his crossing is that good either. If he cannot provide from wide areas then why persist in playing him there in the first place?

Even if there is a cross from the flanks there is normally two or three defenders competing with one, lone striker for the ball so there is a cat in hells chance of us grabbing the lead (critically important since we will not turn around a one goal defecit employing our current tactics). This is plainly evident from the lack of goal scoring opportunities created in just about every game and absolutely clear from the lack of effort required by most opposition goal keepers. They could bring a deck chair and smoke a pipe - only getting up to take goal kicks after a long punt has gone out when we get fed up of passing it back and forth across the defence.

If Budgie has to persist with the squad he has then he needs to get them into a formation that gives us a chance of getting a goal. Being over cautious of the opposition or playing to negate the oppositions strengths merely serves to hand them the initiative and innevitably lose us the game. If the personnel there are not capable of playing 4-3-3 with any success then they have to sort out a style that will bring results.

4 goals in 9 games tells a very, very sorry story - especially when you consider we probably still have a wage structure in excess of 80% of the other teams this division. FFS even Hartlepool only recorded their first home win of the season at teh weekend. We all know the only other game they won before that.

 

[Revolution]

Actually Dunc I believe that what we are actually short of is any quality delivery at all to the the striker(s) in terms of crosses or through balls. Most golas are scored from crosses into the danger area - Utd seem to have forgotten that. The tactics deployed so far this season neglect width and neglect any sort of quality of delivery - save for the odd free kick and the quality of delivery from those is woefully poor too. /

United's repeated failure to get the ball over the first defender on a corner would be laughable if it weren't so annoying.

Even if there is a cross from the flanks there is normally two or three defenders competing with one, lone striker for the ball so there is a cat in hells chance of us grabbing the lead (critically important since we will not turn around a one goal defecit employing our current tactics).

There was a perfect illustration of this at the end of the first half on Saturday. Calve overlapped and put in a decent centre which went over the head of Evans and his marker and...there was no one else in the box.

Cresswell is doing absolutely nothing on the wing as far as I can see. He may as well be shoved into the box.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I don't think much has changed since last week, it's not the tactics it's the personnel trying to carry them out. I still say that with a decent left sided midfielder such as Bannan or Halmosi and Willo back we may see a different story.

 

[super_pig]

we've been crap for ages.. it is just that some of us have only just woken up to the fact.. i hope GS sticks by his principles and doesn't go back to hoofball just to shut the moaners up

 

[Revolution]

I don't think much has changed since last week, it's not the tactics it's the personnel trying to carry them out.

It's both but the bigger problem is the fact we have bad players, I agree.

But there is a strong argument that 2 lousy forwards are more likely to score than one, and no forward can score unless someone gives him the ball.

I still say that with a decent left sided midfielder such as Bannan or Halmosi and Willo back we may see a different story.

This is irrelevant given that we show no signs of signing a decent left sided midfielder and I will believe Williamson is fit when I see it.

 

[broomhillblade]

I've been away 'down-under' since the start of the season and only got back just over a week ago. I'd been following things via the web of course and had been reading of encouraging signs about the change of style. The lack of goals was a worry but we were creating chances and sooner or later someone would get a thumping. Or so I thought.

I watched the Leeds game via the internet. Transmission was a bit jerky, but I could see what was going on.

Frankly, I was dismayed. I saw very little to get optimistic about.

I expect more of the same tomorrow night. I just hope I'm proved wrong.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

I've been away 'down-under' since the start of the season and only got back just over a week ago. I'd been following things via the web of course and had been reading of encouraging signs about the change of style. The lack of goals was a worry but we were creating chances and sooner or later someone would get a thumping. Or so I thought.

I watched the Leeds game via the internet. Transmission was a bit jerky, but I could see what was going on.

Frankly, I was dismayed. I saw very little to get optimistic about.

I expect more of the same tomorrow night. I just hope I'm proved wrong.

I think all was going well until Scunny scored last week Broomers. I don't know whether confidence was knocked (manager and players) by that result but the chances have certainly dried up in the last 2 games although we are still trying to knock it around which is encouraging. I think Speed is still trying to get results first and formost which is why he's playing with Ertl and Monty in the middle and we've looked defensive, as you say it'll probably be the same tomorrow. It's just a case of sticking with it at the moment, hoping he can bring a couple of players in and hopefully, we'll pick up a few wins to keep us ticking over.

 

[Ted Danson]

I don't think much has changed since last week, it's not the tactics it's the personnel trying to carry them out. I still say that with a decent left sided midfielder such as Bannan or Halmosi and Willo back we may see a different story.

I would have to agree with that. Id also back Dunc up as I dont think we're far off a decent team and dont think we'll be anyware near the bottom 3 come the end of the season. Got to admit I didnt hear any of the game on Sat but from the highlights it looks like Ertl could of scored and If Jordan hadnt made that cock up we'd be just out of the top 6 on goal difference.

We may be 18th but we're still closer to the playoffs than to relegation.

 

[davidpinder]

I would have to agree with that. Id also back Dunc up as I dont think we're far off a decent team and dont think we'll be anyware near the bottom 3 come the end of the season. Got to admit I didnt hear any of the game on Sat but from the highlights it looks like Ertl could of scored and If Jordan hadnt made that cock up we'd be just out of the top 6 on goal difference.

We may be 18th but we're still closer to the playoffs than to relegation.

You may have to revise that last quote after the next 3 games. We maybe closer to the playoffs on points but i'm not sure if were heading in the right direction with the 11 speedo keeps putting out. 4 goals in 8 games tells me that.

 

[Ted Danson]

Yes I may but so may all the doom mongers. 3 games could be 9 points better off could be none but at the moment we are closer to the playoffs than relegation.

I bet we get more than 4 goals in the next 3 games

 

[davidpinder]

Yes I may but so may all the doom mongers. 3 games could be 9 points better off could be none but at the moment we are closer to the playoffs than relegation.

I bet we get more than 4 goals in the next 3 games

If he keeps playing the same 11 i doubt it.

 

[Kenilworth]

Ted Danson;277921] If Jordan hadnt made that cock up we'd be just out of the top 6 on goal difference. [/quote]

Actually Ted if you look at the passage of play after the Jordan air shot you will notice that we had plenty of opportunities to cut out any cross and prevent the goal. All the Jordan mis-kick did was to put them in an attacking position. Who was picking up Johnson when he tapped in? Why did Nos stay on the line and not attack the ball coming across. Why did someone pull out of a challenge and allow the cross to come through? There were at least three or four more errors after Jordan sliced.

Problem is that when you play in such a way that you create nothing going forward then the rickett you make at the back will almost certainly cost you all three points.

 

[Ted Danson]

As I said I've only seen the highlights briefly on the Beeb and at first glance it looked like it was Jordans mistake that cost us, I'll have to have another look. Still its 1 goal and 1 bit of woodwork that kept us from being up there and in the running.

Yeates will have to start next game because of Ward and I think he's going to shine as he's got a point to prove, just a shame we're going to lose our only player with real place.

 

[Kenilworth]

I bet we get more than 4 goals in the next 3 games

How do you figure that Ted? Is it really likely that we will score as many in the next 3 games as we have in 3 times that many prior?

We have Forest away tomorrow night, therefore, we will play defensively (as usual because we are away from home) and score - nothing. Forest are bound to win by the odd goal because we are not set up to create any suitable number of chances and the after match blx on the RS interview will serve out the same tripe - a mistake cost us - we must be more of an attacking threat - we were unlucky, etc. etc.

We then have two home games, one agaisnt the prolific and free scoring Watford and the other against a steady but less prolific Burnley.

Watford look very confident this season under Malky MacKay and will attack us straight from the start so we are more likely to be one or two down before we start thinking about getting any shots on (or off) target. That looks like a disaster written all over it to me.

Burnley will be less positive under the ex Piggy Laws and I expect he will set them up not to lose. They still have players to hurt us on the counter though and I fully expect them to deploy that tactic. Iwelumo always scores against us as well so not looking too bright there either.

Cannot see us scoring more than one in these next three games.

Predictions:

Forest (A) lose 2-0
Watford (H) lose 1-3
Burnley (H) draw 0-0 or they will nick one to win it by 1

If nothing changes then there is no evidence whatsoever that points to anything other than these types of results.

Our play this season to date points much more to looking over our shoulders than chasing rainbows.

 

[alcoblade]

As I said I've only seen the highlights briefly on the Beeb and at first glance it looked like it was Jordans mistake that cost us, I'll have to have another look. Still its 1 goal and 1 bit of woodwork that kept us from being up there and in the running.

It's really not just that that's keeping us from being up there. If we were still playing Leeds now we wouldn't have scored. I don't share the general pessimism about how poor we are on the whole, but we have real problems up front. No matter how near of far we are from being half decent, unless we score it counts for nothing. If we don't make changes up front then I will bare my arse on the town hall steps if we score 4 goals in the next 3 games.

If Speed doesn't open up, occasionally play 2 up front, and drop the flop Evans then all the goodwill his appointment was greeted with will be overwhelmed by the reality of a relegation fight. The comments from Speed / the board that the squad is "good enough" are extremely alarming.

UTB

 

[davidpinder]

It's really not just that that's keeping us from being up there. If we were still playing Leeds now we wouldn't have scored. I don't share the general pessimism about how poor we are on the whole, but we have real problems up front. No matter how near of far we are from being half decent, unless we score it counts for nothing. If we don't make changes up front then I will bare my arse on the town hall steps if we score 4 goals in the next 3 games.

If Speed doesn't open up, occasionally play 2 up front, and drop the flop Evans then all the goodwill his appointment was greeted with will be overwhelmed by the reality of a relegation fight. The comments from Speed / the board that the squad is "good enough" are extremely alarming.

UTB

Agree with all of that can't really say anymore.

 

[Ted Danson]

I bet we get more than 4 goals in the next 3 games

To be honest I said that just to stir a little but footballs a funny old game and we're due a few goals so I'm going to say we'll get 3 against Watford and at least 1 from either of the other 2

As for the Leeds game, I've already said that I've only seen the highlights but Ertl did hit the bar and they only won by 1 goal which to me looked like it was Jordans mistake which could have been avoided. As for the team being almost there I think when we add some decent pace on the wings we will be creating a lot more scoring chances so as Jim said it'll be a different story. 1 or 2 players is nearly there for me.

Also again I didn't hear the interview with Speed but I don't see any point in him coming out and stating that all our players are crap and not good enough because he's stuck with them like it or not and all that would do is make their confidence even lower

 

[alcoblade]

To be honest I said that just to stir a little but footballs a funny old game and we're due a few goals so I'm going to say we'll get 3 against Watford and at least 1 from either of the other 2

As for the Leeds game, I've already said that I've only seen the highlights but Ertl did hit the bar and they only won by 1 goal which to me looked like it was Jordans mistake which could have been avoided. As for the team being almost there I think when we add some decent pace on the wings we will be creating a lot more scoring chances so as Jim said it'll be a different story. 1 or 2 players is nearly there for me.

Also again I didn't hear the interview with Speed but I don't see any point in him coming out and stating that all our players are crap and not good enough because he's stuck with them like it or not and all that would do is make their confidence even lower

Ward finding form and a left sided wide man will make a difference. Evans still wont finish enough, so a new striker is a must if we've written off Bogdanovich. I don't expect Speed to say the players are crap - but at every stage I can remember over the last decade the stock line has been that we're always on the look out for new players. I'm concerned that the powers that be are allowing our finances to convince themselves that our squad is up to it.

If we don't replace Evans we're in the lottery of a bottom 5 finish.

UTB