Strikers

[Niceguyeddie]

Not sure whether to bite or not.

Not sure whether to bite or not.

Nah

I'm not trolling
He was lazy and innefectual and wilder was constantly shouting at him to get involved

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

If he was lazy and ineffectual, what were the two that started?

 

[Niceguyeddie]

If he was lazy and ineffectual, what were the two that started?

Innefectual

 

[Carlton Blade]

Everyone is shit
Everyone is good
Everyone should be sold
Everyone will come good

 

[Bruce Wayne]

BILLY SHARP

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

For me, all the signs point back to a side looking to play Tuftyball, but lacking the chance to do so.

• Henderson is still making fantastic saves
• Stevens and Baldock are still getting forward, but at times they are our only threat.
• The back three are still solid, if not much more cautious in getting forward.
• Norwood is playing his typical role and looking for a cross field ping when he can, although his only options are usually the wingbacks.
• Fleck has upped his game even further and often looks to be trying to make things happen on his own.

We look lost without an attacking midfielder link between the midfield and the front two. The passing triangles are gone, the cycle of overlap between wide centre back, wing back and attacking mid is gone, the high volume of balls cut back into dangerous areas are gone. The midfield are solid but uninspiring, whilst the forwards are isolated with no link from attacking mid.

Whilst I don't think McBurnie and Robinson have started awfully well, I also don't think we've started in a way that allows them to shine. They aren't pacy, they won't be running in behind and just because McBurnie is the tallest of the bunch, he won't be holding the ball up any time soon. He's not a target man.

Play how we know we can and we'll give the Watfords and whoevers of this division game and we'll make best use of the best possible Duffy replacement we could've got in Freeman, and we'll play to the strengths of all of our strikers.

 

[Grappler]

Last season we drew with bottom of the table Ipswich, at their place, and the season ended ok didn't it?

City put 8 past Watford, but we are not City are we?, the top teams in our league spend more on one player than we spent on all our summer recruits.

CW and AK (and the rest of the management team) had a fixed budget for buying players and the wages paid to them. When Maupay seemed it was not going to happen, most on here had fingers crossed for McBurnie coming in, on the back of one really good season at Swansea, and one decent season at Barnsley.

Because he is quite skinny, he looks taller than he actually is, the Watford defenders had no problems dealing with crosses into the box, jumping higher and heading clear.

His goal on TV against us, last season, away, came with his constant running in between the two defenders, straight at goal, that is probably how he wants the ball, to his feet, not his head all the time.

Robinson looked decent at Preston, but I can't honestly say I saw enough of him to know if he can really make a go of it at this level. He was a 10-goals-a-season (on average) Championship player.

I was as frustrated as anyone yesterday, that we didn't make all that possession count, but we are in the worlds best league and without anyone who has masses of experience at this level, and the majority of our players are the league one and championship players who have given us so much to be proud of over the last three years.

Not sure why Luke Freeman isn't getting a start, or being brought on, and it sounds like Ravel Morrison is not showing enough to be considered.

Would Duffy have been able to make the step up?, hard to say, I would like to think so, but we'll probably never know now.

 

[robbiez666]

For me, all the signs point back to a side looking to play Tuftyball, but lacking the chance to do so.

• Henderson is still making fantastic saves
• Stevens and Baldock are still getting forward, but at times they are our only threat.
• The back three are still solid, if not much more cautious in getting forward.
• Norwood is playing his typical role and looking for a cross field ping when he can, although his only options are usually the wingbacks.
• Fleck has upped his game even further and often looks to be trying to make things happen on his own.

We look lost without an attacking midfielder link between the midfield and the front two. The passing triangles are gone, the cycle of overlap between wide centre back, wing back and attacking mid is gone, the high volume of balls cut back into dangerous areas are gone. The midfield are solid but uninspiring, whilst the forwards are isolated with no link from attacking mid.

Whilst I don't think McBurnie and Robinson have started awfully well, I also don't think we've started in a way that allows them to shine. They aren't pacy, they won't be running in behind and just because McBurnie is the tallest of the bunch, he won't be holding the ball up any time soon. He's not a target man.

Play how we know we can and we'll give the Watfords and whoevers of this division game and we'll make best use of the best possible Duffy replacement we could've got in Freeman, and we'll play to the strengths of all of our strikers.

I think it's easy to overlook the fact that we only used to get overloads on the wings when the CBs could easily get forward. When they don't we often end up with a similar situation to teams like Liverpool who get their fullbacks forward. Neither of our wingbacks has electric pace and as they're being less adventurous, it's rare to get early crosses in. At the same time, our strikers are playing against international, if not world class, centre backs. Many of whom are also units and good on the ground.

When we played Duffy, he would help out with the overloads; linking up the play and allowing us to get behind the fullbacks. Even when we get the ball forward, we're being matched one for one as we're often so slow in doing so and most opposition players are athletes. The problem is, if we play a AMC then we're lighter in midfield and I don't think Norwood is up to doing the defensive side of his role. Players tend to easily run past him.

We looked most dangerous yesterday when Bash stayed forward. Whilst he did, he was unmarked and it led to two of our better chances, and one of their best counter attacks!

 

[Working Class Hero]

I think it's easy to overlook the fact that we only used to get overloads on the wings when the CBs could easily get forward. When they don't we often end up with a similar situation to teams like Liverpool who get their fullbacks forward. Neither of our wingbacks has electric pace and as they're being less adventurous, it's rare to get early crosses in. At the same time, our strikers are playing against international, if not world class, centre backs. Many of whom are also units and good on the ground.

When we played Duffy, he would help out with the overloads; linking up the play and allowing us to get behind the fullbacks. Even when we get the ball forward, we're being matched one for one as we're often so slow in doing so and most opposition players are athletes. The problem is, if we play a AMC then we're lighter in midfield and I don't think Norwood is up to doing the defensive side of his role. Players tend to easily run past him.

We looked most dangerous yesterday when Bash stayed forward. Whilst he did, he was unmarked and it led to two of our better chances, and one of their best counter attacks!

Norwood would still have Fleck at the side of him, and we had the best defensive record in the Championship with this two in CM. I don't think it would be a problem. At the very least it would be more entertaining.

 

[super_pig]

It might sound negative but the important thing was not to lose today IMO. Every point is valuable and the draw keeps them pegged to the bottom of the league with no wins in 8. We had to change our system from last season or we’d be like lambs to the slaughter. Look at Norwich, they have stuck to their principles and are having to score 3 to be in with a chance of getting a result. Today could prove to be a great point later in the season

disagree totally
liverpool and citeh are one thing but we don’t need to be ‘solid’ against the current watford 11

 

[The Vicar]

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is interested in Brentford striker Ollie Watkins and will bid about £15m for the 23-year-old Englishman

According to the SUN!

 

[BushBlade]

disagree totally
liverpool and citeh are one thing but we don’t need to be ‘solid’ against the current watford 11

That’s what Unai Emery thought. Made him look like Dick Emery.

 

[Maidenhead]

Neither McBurnie nor Robinson look up to it at the moment but neither are the kind of player who will create much themselves. Whilst it would be easy to point the finger in their direction, they're not getting many chances. Playing 3 in the middle has made us more solid but at the expense of our attacking options.

I guess it's the stick or twist gamble but a game like today for crying out for Freeman to come on and cause them a few problems.

I'm not sure we have the money to bring in a striker who will be able to create for himself so something has to give.

Agreed.

I think at the moment our emphasis is on keeping it defensively tight as we can't lose if we don't concede, but this has come at a cost in the attacking department.

The front two are getting almost no service and it grinds my gears that people are moaning that they're not good enough when all they have to feed off is long balls and scraps.

Didsy is a big miss at the moment because he can not only make things happen at the top end of the pitch, but he can link the play and get his team mates into good areas with the ball too.

If we start to conceed then the lack of cutting edge will become a bigger issue but as far as I'm concerned, it's so far so good for this season.

 

[Akinbiyi]

His goal on TV against us, last season, away, came with his constant running in between the two defenders, straight at goal, that is probably how he wants the ball, to his feet, not his head all the time.

Try telling JL94x4 that. He said we have to play a ‘certain way’ for McBurnie to look well. He couldn’t articulate what that style was (didn’t know what he was talking about) but he said ‘not to his feet put it that way’ alluding to him being nothing but a big daft header of the ball. He likes, and is much better, having the ball to his feet.

 

[Maidenhead]

All these people on here moaning that McGoldrick should be starting do realise that he's injured, don't they?

It's not like he's a viable option at the moment.

 

[Withington Blade]

disagree totally
liverpool and citeh are one thing but we don’t need to be ‘solid’ against the current watford 11

Try telling that to Norwich

 

[super_pig]

Try telling that to Norwich

Norwich are unbalanced the other way.. they have no defence (and 10 players out injured)

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

It might sound negative but the important thing was not to lose today IMO. Every point is valuable and the draw keeps them pegged to the bottom of the league with no wins in 8. We had to change our system from last season or we’d be like lambs to the slaughter. Look at Norwich, they have stuck to their principles and are having to score 3 to be in with a chance of getting a result. Today could prove to be a great point later in the season

Goal difference of Watford and Norwich are worth an extra point to us.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

From my first view of McBurnie in a Blades shirt I thought he looks an 'average' Championship striker at best and today my comment of him looking like a £20m flop got slated in certain quarters.
My view has not changed!

On the other hand, Robinson looked like an exciting prospect a few weeks ago however now he looks completely lost and almost unsure of what his role is!

The bottom line is that our current starting strike partnership isn't good enough at this level and the second string, Mousset apart, aren't much better.

Nowt to do with football but McBurney's beard looks shit, looks like Chris picks him up on the way into work from Walshes front door.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

For me, all the signs point back to a side looking to play Tuftyball, but lacking the chance to do so.

• Henderson is still making fantastic saves
• Stevens and Baldock are still getting forward, but at times they are our only threat.
• The back three are still solid, if not much more cautious in getting forward.
• Norwood is playing his typical role and looking for a cross field ping when he can, although his only options are usually the wingbacks.
• Fleck has upped his game even further and often looks to be trying to make things happen on his own.

We look lost without an attacking midfielder link between the midfield and the front two. The passing triangles are gone, the cycle of overlap between wide centre back, wing back and attacking mid is gone, the high volume of balls cut back into dangerous areas are gone. The midfield are solid but uninspiring, whilst the forwards are isolated with no link from attacking mid.

Whilst I don't think McBurnie and Robinson have started awfully well, I also don't think we've started in a way that allows them to shine. They aren't pacy, they won't be running in behind and just because McBurnie is the tallest of the bunch, he won't be holding the ball up any time soon. He's not a target man.

Play how we know we can and we'll give the Watfords and whoevers of this division game and we'll make best use of the best possible Duffy replacement we could've got in Freeman, and we'll play to the strengths of all of our strikers.

Good post

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Mousset and McGoldrick up front v Arsenal. That's what I'd like to see anyway.

McGoldrick being out of the team has given me a reminder that despite his sometimes wasteful finishing, what an important role he plays linking midfield with attack.