Team for Man City

[puppet]

I don't think anybody looked at the line-up last night and gave us a chance. Ampadu still on the left, a 38 year old Jags who has ghosted in so late for challenges in his previous cameo appearances, it made his signing look like a nostalgic shirt filling exercise, different wing backs , again, and the five up the middle who got us promoted, half empty bench. No chance.
However, we were all thankfully wrong. Jagielka's performance reminded me of the very brief but brilliant appearances by Paul McGrath when he marshalled Holdsworth and Tiler magnificently during Nigel Spackman's brief tenure as Blades boss.
I think Saturday against Man City, we should field the same team and play the same system. Basham and Ampadu can do the leg work and Jags can read the game from the centre spot, Baldock and Bryan can play deeper defensive roles again, getting forward when they can, with Fleck, Norwood and Lunny holding the line just in front. Let Sharp and McGoldrick get busy harrying up front and looking for a ball in from Norwood, throwing Burke on after an hour to run at them when their defence has had an hour of scrapping with Billy and Goldie.

So basically last night, on repeat please. Long term, swap Egan and Basham round, coach Bash up for the centre spot role, with licence to go forward, in the style they're accustomed to playing. We might not have got forward as much last night but we played that game near flawlessly. Much as I love our maverick style, we showed great tactical nous and professionalism last night. It wasn't like the two homes games against Newcastle, where they packed the penalty area with eight players for 89 minutes, it was great to watch us go toe to toe with such a great forward line of stars and completely negate them. We blasted a few balls up to nowhere a few times but getting the ball away from the danger area is hardly a crap tactic, especially when you find yourself marooned at the bottom like us.

UTB

 

[S64 Blade]

I would like to see some consistency in our team selections (obviously this has largely not been possible this season), so would agree with that. That is assuming Jagielka can walk by then.

 

[Mumbo]

I don't think anybody looked at the line-up last night and gave us a chance. Ampadu still on the left, a 38 year old Jags who has ghosted in so late for challenges in his previous cameo appearances, it made his signing look like a nostalgic shirt filling exercise, different wing backs , again, and the five up the middle who got us promoted, half empty bench. No chance.
However, we were all thankfully wrong. Jagielka's performance reminded me of the very brief but brilliant appearances by Paul McGrath when he marshalled Holdsworth and Tiler magnificently during Nigel Spackman's brief tenure as Blades boss.
I think Saturday against Man City, we should field the same team and play the same system. Basham and Ampadu can do the leg work and Jags can read the game from the centre spot, Baldock and Bryan can play deeper defensive roles again, getting forward when they can, with Fleck, Norwood and Lunny holding the line just in front. Let Sharp and McGoldrick get busy harrying up front and looking for a ball in from Norwood, throwing Burke on after an hour to run at them when their defence has had an hour of scrapping with Billy and Goldie.

So basically last night, on repeat please. Long term, swap Egan and Basham round, coach Bash up for the centre spot role, with licence to go forward, in the style they're accustomed to playing. We might not have got forward as much last night but we played that game near flawlessly. Much as I love our maverick style, we showed great tactical nous and professionalism last night. It wasn't like the two homes games against Newcastle, where they packed the penalty area with eight players for 89 minutes, it was great to watch us go toe to toe with such a great forward line of stars and completely negate them. We blasted a few balls up to nowhere a few times but getting the ball away from the danger area is hardly a crap tactic, especially when you find yourself marooned at the bottom like us.

UTB

Something clicked last night that ain’t clicked for months,probably Jags hips after MOTM dispay.He stayed put in position No1 resisting temptation to go walkabout
and it worked brilliantly as he was able to Marshall our defence and offered Ramsdale much needed protection.
So yeah,unless there is a forced change it’s same again.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Egan and Burke in for the 2 Vets.

Not based on negative displays. Far from it.

Dids Bill and Burke to be unleashed on the Albion in an absolute must win game next week.

UTB

 

[ancientblade]

Egan and Burke in for the 2 Vets.

Not based on negative displays. Far from it.

Dids Bill and Burke to be unleashed on the Albion in an absolute must win game next week.

UTB

yes would agree with that egan will definetly come back in at the ethiad and burke for billy

 

[mattbianco1]

Egan and Burke in for the 2 Vets.

Not based on negative displays. Far from it.

Dids Bill and Burke to be unleashed on the Albion in an absolute must win game next week.

UTB

It's West Brom - Fulham this weekend. What do we want?

Draw is the obvious result, but a Fulham win is the worst case.

 

[Micky Narker]

I would go with the same again never change a winning team and all that, but shifting things around with one eye on Albion makes sense too.

 

[DronnieBlade]

It's West Brom - Fulham this weekend. What do we want?

Draw is the obvious result, but a Fulham win is the worst case.

Not sure a Fulham win is tbh.

Bottom line is we have to draw back against 3 other teams to finish 17th. 35 - 38 points could and perhaps should do it this year.

30 to go !!

8 or 9 more wins.

Blue sky thinking. It's achievable. Stretching but achievable.

Imagine the party in May if we pull this off

UTB

 

[mattbianco1]

Not sure a Fulham win is tbh.

Bottom line is we have to draw back against 3 other teams to finish 17th. 35 - 38 points could and perhaps should do it this year.

30 to go !!

8 or 9 more wins.

Blue sky thinking. It's achievable. Stretching but achievable.

Imagine the party in May if we pull this off

UTB

Suppose.

The target is Brighton, and maybe even Newcastle looking at how shit they are. Fulham or WBA winning doesn't let them overtake Brighton.

I keep looking at it like this - we need to beat those teams above and then better them in the run in.

WBA (3pts above) - beat them, we go above + the run-in.
Fulham (5pts) - beat them and better their run-in by 3 pts.
Brighton (10pts) - beat them and better their run-in by 8pts.
Newcastle (11pts) - beat them and better their run-in by 9pts.

It's a tough ask, but we need to achieve 3 out of 4 of those targets. We need some of last season's belief and swagger... Go a goal in front and defend like we did last night

 

[Dnblade]

Egan and Burke in for the 2 Vets.

Not based on negative displays. Far from it.

Dids Bill and Burke to be unleashed on the Albion in an absolute must win game next week.

UTB

Agree, bring Egan and Burke back for Bill and Jags, although I can see us playing deep, so maybe Jags could do a similar job v City if needed.. We need that pace up top though that Burke offers.

 

[SilkyBlade]

Agree Egan and Burke to come in. What about LWB is Bryan injured? Left side has been a real curse; JOC, Robinson, Stevens, Osborn, Lowe, Bryan all injured at some point. Big shout out to Bogle switching sides and doing an immense job .

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I don’t think we should worry too much about team selection against Man City. Nobody upon nobody would have scribbled down that starting 11 as their ideal team to beat Man U at Old Trafford.

 

[TJB.]

Jags
Jags Jags Jags
Jags Jags Jags Jags Jags
Jags Jags

 

[Argentinemanager]

Watching the after game video, burke looked in some pain with his back, anyone know if hes ok

 

[Torrix1889]

No way could Jags play again on Saturday so Egan will come back in. I think we need a bit of pace up top from the start to give them something to think about so I would say Burke but possibly even Moose ahead of Billy.

 

[SilkyBlade]

No way could Jags play again on Saturday so Egan will come back in. I think we need a bit of pace up top from the start to give them something to think about so I would say Burke but possibly even Moose ahead of Billy.

Wilder said Moose can only do 10-15mins so it won’t be him. Love him but now getting ridiculous

 

[benn5712]

Totally different game saturday. City peel oranges in their pockets and get where water can't. And a sweeper keeper.
Think we'll spend most of the game pressed into our half.

 

[Snowflake]

It's West Brom - Fulham this weekend. What do we want?

Draw is the obvious result, but a Fulham win is the worst case.

Doesn’t matter. We need to catch at least three by winning games regardless of what those around us do and then it will fall into place.
Until the end of the season you cannot tell what result would have been best

 

[bongleblade]

We need to go same team again... with a big caveat

If we concede early on, or we don't look up to pace in defence, we take Jags off for Egan, 10, 20, 30 mins in, it doesnt matter, just agree this with Jags as a pre-match plan.

Feel like Jags will be knackered after Weds anyway, so i doubt he will start, great to have renewed confidence in a backup CB either way.

 

[DronnieBlade]

No way could Jags play again on Saturday so Egan will come back in. I think we need a bit of pace up top from the start to give them something to think about so I would say Burke but possibly even Moose ahead of Billy.

Mickey Mouse ?

Minnie ?

Anyone but ?

F
M
D.

UTB

 

[Yoonited]

Not sure a Fulham win is tbh.

Bottom line is we have to draw back against 3 other teams to finish 17th. 35 - 38 points could and perhaps should do it this year.

30 to go !!

8 or 9 more wins.

Blue sky thinking. It's achievable. Stretching but achievable.

Imagine the party in May if we pull this off

UTB

I'm picking 32 points to survive. This season's anomolous.

If we're out of lockdown and have cause to go phookin mental can we use the pitch do ya think ?

Amazing what an epic victory can do for the imaginationUTB

 

[Houston_Blade]

With the trouble that Mousset caused their defence with pace last season I’d play Burke for Sharp. No issue with Sharp but we need pace to start with.

Egan for Jags, there’s no way he isn’t playing Egan.

 

[ancientblade]

if weve no lwbs available bogle will have to go in there might not be bad actually both silva and mahrez like to come back inside if burkes fit he has to come in up front if not i would put brewster in in any case its a completely free hit if anybody had said we would be coming back from manchester this week with 3 points we would have snatched their hands off

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

City are a much better side and squad than Man U. Man U is basically De Gea, Maguire, Fernandes, Rashford and any of the others who fancy turning up that week. City is a style of play and ethos throughout the squad.

I'd being Egan in and stick with the same front two.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Totally different game saturday. City peel oranges in their pockets and get where water can't. And a sweeper keeper.
Think we'll spend most of the game pressed into our half.

Is it particularly difficult to peel an orange in your pocket???

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Reward the magnificent 11 from Wednesday with an unchanged starting line up.

 

[benn5712]

Is it particularly difficult to peel an orange in your pocket???

Picking locks, I meant to say. Easy slip.

 

[Yoonited]

With the trouble that Mousset caused their defence with pace last season I’d play Burke for Sharp. No issue with Sharp but we need pace to start with.

Egan for Jags, there’s no way he isn’t playing Egan.

Jags will be on his knees in a corner somewhere at Shirecliffe

 

[Varkanoid]

Feels like a Cup Final tomorrow.

 

[JPSharpy93]

They

City are a much better side and squad than Man U. Man U is basically De Gea, Maguire, Fernandes, Rashford and any of the others who fancy turning up that week. City is a style of play and ethos throughout the squad.

I'd being Egan in and stick with the same front two.

Agreed, however, Villa matched them the other week and should’ve come away with a point. When their ethos isn’t going well, they turn to KDB and Aguero to pull something off....without those two, they are beatable and anything is possible!