Swansea City vs Sheffield United

EFL Championship Matchweek 28 - Tuesday 21st January 2025 - 19:45 - Swansea.com Stadium
Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Player Ratings:
Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/match-day/match/swansea-city-vs-sheffield-united.725/

Officials:

Referee: Dean Whitestone
Assistants: Daniel Leach and Michael Webb
Fourth Official: Paul Howard

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​

 

[HarryHaslam]

I didn't start this argument - wet flannel did - how can you think I'm taking the win badly ?
It came from the changes I was advocating at HT !
What I'm taking badly is being told not to make criticism when it's deserved.

If the manager had made the right decisions at the start , we wouldn't have suffered that first half.

And they weren't rocket science.

Will we get a midfielder in by Friday ?

No argument from me I was just responding to you quoting me. I’ve not said you or anyone shouldn’t have criticised Wilder for the first half, but what I did say is those people who are just waiting for any excuse to have a dig at him were awfully quiet when he rectified it and got us 3 points. Strange that.

Pep who is widely regarded as the greatest manager of recent times often drops clangers with selections, experimenting by playing players out of position and when realising he makes subs at HT to change it and then gride out results. Every manager does, Wilders no different, not one manager is perfect but we are sat on top of the league and done it with a thread bare squad, amazing job he’s done and is still doing.

I’d like to think we will get a midfielder in but will be a struggle to play Friday I reckon.

 

[Keen Blade]

Oh the i


KB, serious question, are you happy with what CW has achieved so far?

Of course - no other manager could have put a team together with limited resources and made them top the league.

But I am talking about one single match in which I could not understand his starting selections & positioning.

It led to a terrible first half which came as no surprise to me for the reasons I have given.

At this point in the season we can I'll afford such mistakes.

Then at HT he did what he should have done in the first place - the players looked more competent and we won.

I am so surprised he could have started off this game with what seemed to me to be so many red flags in the setup.

Without Hamer on Friday , we are in real difficulty.

If nothing changes on the injury front and we don't recruit a midfielder , I still don't think Burrows coped well in midfield and see him at LB (or LWB in a 532).
I don't trust RND and don't see how he can start.
Maybe 5 at the back
Seriki Alfie Anel Robbo Burrows
Then 2 of McCallum Brooks O'Hare Brewster , either side of Peck.
And Campbell BBD up front.

I think that's all the senior players we have , unless I've missed someone.

 

[Mendi]

Good win

 

[KiwiBlabe]

Of course - no other manager could have put a team together with limited resources and made them top the league.

But I am talking about one single match in which I could not understand his starting selections & positioning.

It led to a terrible first half which came as no surprise to me for the reasons I have given.

At this point in the season we can I'll afford such mistakes.

Then at HT he did what he should have done in the first place - the players looked more competent and we won.

I am so surprised he could have started off this game with what seemed to me to be so many red flags in the setup.

Without Hamer on Friday , we are in real difficulty.

If nothing changes on the injury front and we don't recruit a midfielder , I still don't think Burrows coped well in midfield and see him at LB (or LWB in a 532).
I don't trust RND and don't see how he can start.
Maybe 5 at the back
Seriki Alfie Anel Robbo Burrows
Then 2 of McCallum Brooks O'Hare Brewster , either side of Peck.
And Campbell BBD up front.

I think that's all the senior players we have , unless I've missed someone.

Fair enough, when reading your posts it is not clear this is the case. They come across as very angry and reactionary. Maybe when our manager makes mistakes (he will make more) we give him a little leeway because of his credit in the bank? And also give him credit for rectifying these mistakes.

 

[petcharlie]

So are you playing alongside Peck on Friday ?

they can't afford me

 

[Harrisblade]

I doubt I'm the only one tonight.
If you can't see the ludicrous managerial decisions which led to that first half , how else do you explain the second half recovery once he'd reversed them all to what would have been a much better starting lineup ?
Try to think logically.

Well, we could always play every first team player continuously until they drop and forget all this modern trendy stuff about recovery time, muscle strain and physiotherapy ?

 

[Keen Blade]

Well, we could always play every first team player continuously until they drop and forget all this modern trendy stuff about recovery time, muscle strain and physiotherapy ?

No need.
Don't play RND
Put Burrows at LB
Put Hamer in MF
Put Brooks on LW
Put Seriki on RW (who looked great ÷ produced the equaliser).

 

[Keen Blade]

Fair enough, when reading your posts it is not clear this is the case. They come across as very angry and reactionary. Maybe when our manager makes mistakes (he will make more) we give him a little leeway because of his credit in the bank? And also give him credit for rectifying these mistakes.

During and immediately after a game , thoughts tend to be expressed with some emotion.

 

[Keen Blade]

I gave him a 4/10 on the match ratings system. The players played wank first half and weren't much better in the second, he takes some of the blame for that as manager. His selection didn't work.

Notice how I've criticised him without claiming he's thick as fuck, clueless or a moron. I didn't speak as though I know better than him, or that he could have done loads of blatantly obvious things to easily win. Given I don't have all the information (who is fit, who's trained well, who's feeling ill, who needs a hernia op, how many minutes Campbell can safely play) I restrain myself rather than look like a muppet.

Criticise him all you want, but at the same time have the necessary context in your mind: THIS MANAGER HAS US TOP OF THE LEAGUE, HE'S DOING A BETTER JOB THAN EVERY OTHER MANAGER.

I never said thick as fuck , clueless or moron.
I did say stubborn.
I did highlight why his decisions didnt work , with which you now seem to concur.
I didn't comment during the game , which many others did , in much stronger terms than i did.
We all express ourselves differently , especially immediately after a match , when emotions are involved.
Telling me I look like a muppet is hardly the best example of the self-restraint in which you take such pride.

Have a look at Deadbat's typically objective report - most of what I said is corroborated in there.

 

[AWetFlannel]

I never said thick as fuck , clueless or moron.
I did say stubborn.
I did highlight why his decisions didnt work , with which you now seem to concur.
I didn't comment during the game , which many others did , in much stronger terms than i did.
We all express ourselves differently , especially immediately after a match , when emotions are involved.
Telling me I look like a muppet is hardly the best example of the self-restraint in which you take such pride.

Have a look at Deadbat's typically objective report - most of what I said is corroborated in there.

You have repeatedly suggested he made obviously bad decisions in this game and at other times this season. You knew before the match how obviously bad they were, he's just too stupid to see it. And stubborn, and clueless etc.

Football management must just be like a lottery. Random blokes get the opportunity to manage big clubs, even if they are tactically inept and useless and being a manager. Every team will likely have hundreds of fans who know more than the manager, despite not having access to any of the relevant information.

If Deadbat says or implies our manager is shit at his job, or that he could do better, then he's also a muppet.

I don't take pride in self restraint generally. But I have self restraint when I'm talking about things I'm unsure of. Imagine criticising a decision made by a professional and slagging off the professional only to find out that the player you thought should have played wasn't fit? I also have clueless people telling me how to do my own job when I'm at work, it's frustrating.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Fair enough, when reading your posts it is not clear this is the case. They come across as very angry and reactionary. Maybe when our manager makes mistakes (he will make more) we give him a little leeway because of his credit in the bank? And also give him credit for rectifying these mistakes.

It's not the case, just read back the same complaining on nearly every match thread by the same poster. Every win, they're complaining about something Wilder is too stupid or stubborn to change.

 

[Keen Blade]

You have repeatedly suggested he made obviously bad decisions in this game and at other times this season. You knew before the match how obviously bad they were, he's just too stupid to see it. And stubborn, and clueless etc.

Football management must just be like a lottery. Random blokes get the opportunity to manage big clubs, even if they are tactically inept and useless and being a manager. Every team will likely have hundreds of fans who know more than the manager, despite not having access to any of the relevant information.

If Deadbat says or implies our manager is shit at his job, or that he could do better, then he's also a muppet.

I don't take pride in self restraint generally. But I have self restraint when I'm talking about things I'm unsure of. Imagine criticising a decision made by a professional and slagging off the professional only to find out that the player you thought should have played wasn't fit? I also have clueless people telling me how to do my own job when I'm at work, it's frustrating.

What's frustrating is that CW never accepts any responsibility for his mistakes.
Listen to his interview.
Blames the players 100%.
Mentions Burrows having to go in midfield which was clearly a weakness for us first half.
Just not true , he didn't have to go in midfield - Hamer is a talented midfielder and could have played there.

Why do you think all the talk of now "having no midfielder for Friday" stems from Hamer's ban ?

It would be fairer to the players and fans if - alongside saying the players were poor - he could be humble enough occasionally to admit some of his own errors - which he had to correct at HT.

When he did , the performance was way better. QED.

Anyway , you & I will never agree on this so please stop calling fellow posters Muppets and let's drop it.

 

[NAnstonblade]

I'm more than happy with what went down in Swansea. Poor first half but rectified in the second. Hamer will certainly be missed. When is Souza due back? Oh and the pitch reminded me of Graves Park circa 1968!

 

[Balham]

I know we rode our luck at times with an awful first half performance but we can consider ourselves a touch unlucky to concede given that Bianchini was about a foot offside when the initial header was made. That is not a difficult decision to make for the assistant.

 

[AWetFlannel]

What's frustrating is that CW never accepts any responsibility for his mistakes.
Listen to his interview.
Blames the players 100%.
Mentions Burrows having to go in midfield which was clearly a weakness for us first half.
Just not true , he didn't have to go in midfield - Hamer is a talented midfielder and could have played there.

Why do you think all the talk of now "having no midfielder for Friday" stems from Hamer's ban ?

It would be fairer to the players and fans if - alongside saying the players were poor - he could be humble enough occasionally to admit some of his own errors - which he had to correct at HT.

When he did , the performance was way better. QED.

Anyway , you & I will never agree on this so please stop calling fellow posters Muppets and let's drop it.

He often doesn't announce his mistakes, you're right. He's not particularly humble, I agree.

Is this uncommon in managers? I can't think of many that come out regularly and explain all their mistakes and take the blame, especially when they're top of the league.

 

[Northyorksblade]

No need.
Don't play RND
Put Burrows at LB
Put Hamer in MF
Put Brooks on LW
Put Seriki on RW (who looked great ÷ produced the equaliser).

Well Hamer won't be playing Friday

 

[Rocket Man]

Home league table.

Only Oxford and Burnley we haven't played yet away from home in the top 12.

 

[Rocket Man]

Away table.

Only Leeds and Boro we haven't hosted in the top 8

 

[Keen Blade]

Well Hamer won't be playing Friday

I'm talking about Tuesday

 

[Keen Blade]

He often doesn't announce his mistakes, you're right. He's not particularly humble, I agree.

Is this uncommon in managers? I can't think of many that come out regularly and explain all their mistakes and take the blame, especially when they're top of the league.

I wouldn't expect it regularly but last night's first half was so bad (which he acknowledged but blamed players) ,
I think he could have taken a moment perhaps to say his choice of starting lineup could have been better.

Anyway , he has a mountain to climb on Friday.
I might be tempted to have 5 at the back ,
Seriki , Alfie , Anel , Robbo & Burrows
In midfield , we need 3 not 2 , to help Peck so ,
have Peck in the centre of a 3 , the other 2 from McCallum , BBD , O'Hare , Blacker.
Then Campbell & Brewster up front.

If JJK & Cannon have arrived , they might help.

It's probably the biggest selection challenge he'll face all season but I don't want him to risk Vini if he's not fully recovered - we want Vini to be properly fit for the run-in and there's a free week after Friday.

 

[blade too long]

I know we rode our luck at times with an awful first half performance but we can consider ourselves a touch unlucky to concede given that Bianchini was about a foot offside when the initial header was made. That is not a difficult decision to make for the assistant.

View attachment 202519

I thought he was off at the tme and the central attacker just to the side of Bianchini is holding down the defender stopping him jumping

 

[Tom Bott]

Mentions Burrows having to go in midfield which was clearly a weakness for us first half.
Just not true , he didn't have to go in midfield - Hamer is a talented midfielder and could have played there.

Though there is a huge difference between an attacking and a defensive midfielder.

 

[Keen Blade]

Though there is a huge difference between an attacking and a defensive midfielder.

I accept that but imo Hamer has the quality & experience to make a better job of DM than young Burrows , as shown in the second half.

 

[Cappy]

 

[WestYorksBlade]

Gustavo Hamer F.C.