Thoughts from the Peterborough game

[sheffielder]

Games today show you why you don't sell your best players, especially the difference makers. I hope no fucker comes on here and tells me Murphy begged to join Brighton.

 

[Grappler]

Think the rhetoric from the club is it's unlikely that they'll be incoming movement until we cut the squad down from 40ish.

I suspect Flynn to Chesterfield could be a go-er but expect he'd have to take a big wage cut. Hopefully someone will take Higdon as well as he's out of contract in the summer. Again he'll be on 3 or 4 times what he'd get elsewhere so it's questionable whether he'd move unless he gets a 2-year deal.

If we can't offload Higdon then send Sammon back because Higdon can actually score with his feet AND his head.

 

[sheffielder]

I felt a bit sorry for Sammon today simply because of how poor he was. It was embarrassing watching him at times

I am very surprised he started to be honest. Was hoping to see Baxter from the off. We need to get someone in quick

 

[Rodley]

If we can't offload Higdon then send Sammon back because Higdon can actually score with his feet AND his head.

Higdon is atrocious. He's a pub player.

 

[Grappler]

Higdon is atrocious. He's a pub player.

Exactly my point Rodders! We are paying his wages and (I presume) contributing towards Sammons wages. We need to be spending our money wisely. Both are no good for SUFC, but one is contracted to us and the other is a loan.

 

[Grappler]

Think the rhetoric from the club is it's unlikely that they'll be incoming movement until we cut the squad down from 40ish.

I suspect Flynn to Chesterfield could be a go-er but expect he'd have to take a big wage cut. Hopefully someone will take Higdon as well as he's out of contract in the summer. Again he'll be on 3 or 4 times what he'd get elsewhere so it's questionable whether he'd move unless he gets a 2-year deal.

After banging 7 goals in today, I don't think Chesterfield need anyone from us Rodders.

 

[Grappler]

I am very surprised he started to be honest. Was hoping to see Baxter from the off. We need to get someone in quick

But Baxter was terrible when he came on pal. As bad as Adams. With Sammon, Adams and Baxter, it was just like poor old Billy playing alone up front. What a waste.

 

[sheffielder]

But Baxter was terrible when he came on pal. As bad as Adams. With Sammon, Adams and Baxter, it was just like poor old Billy playing alone up front. What a waste.

Yep, we need to someone new in alongside Billy. Totally agree

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Defence aint good enough and hasn't been since Maguire was sold 18 months ago. We keep a clean sheet today and we've won 2-0. A dominant centre half, who wins all the first balls would be a massive boost to any hopes of promotion.

I just wish Adkins would hurry up and sign one because I'm fucked off with typing the same stuff week-after-week for the past 18 months.

 

[UnitedBlade]

I don't think we deserved to win after the 2nd half display. Didn't even look like scoring 2nd half. Surely the team who defend better and take their chances are the team that deserves to win? We weren't that team today.

Exactly. The sort of side we always struggle against, quick in midfield, prepared to drive through our centre, prepared to shoot.

As well as we played in parts in the first half, they always looked more likely to score from open play.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Games today show you why you don't sell your best players, especially the difference makers. I hope no fucker comes on here and tells me Murphy begged to join Brighton.

Our big problem is that Murphy and McDonald looked ordinary watching them over the holiday but apart from Brayford you could argue they were our better players.

No wonder we're stuck in the third when they are some peoples shinning lights.

 

[grafikhaus]

I would have left Sammon on, Grafikhaus as I think poor as he was, he was better than Adams and Baxter. I would have liked to have seen JCR come on too, their left back was struggling against Billy so I'm sure JCR would have given him even more to think about.

Not so sure, crucial. It was only when those two came on that we realised (well, I think we knew before but NA didn't) that Baxter is not a forward and is better placed further back providing supply to our...forward. And Che? Still naive but always with the promise of something happening. Unlike Sammon. There were times when it was obvious that a United player looked up, saw that Sammon was the only option and decided to pass elsewhere. I hate singleing (sp?) players out for criticism but Sammon is an exception. He's an utter liability. Agree about J C-R. Chasing a game again and NA leaves him on the bench. Poor stuff again, NA.

 

[metalblade]

Well having slept on it do I feel any better about the defeat to Peterborough ? NAH do I phuck as like, if anything today I feel worse, see last nights beer has worn off and my dodgy knee after walking to the ground from the Decathlon car park is now throbbing like a porn stars cock end. I am beginning to wonder if it is worth the hassle of going to games to see clubs from the back waters of football take the piss at Bramall lane. Add Peterborough to the growing list of Bury, Shrewsbury (both from league two last season) and a poor Millwall who have easily it has to be said gone away from the lane with 3pts. If that is the best we can do defending then I really do fear a huge embarrassment next weekend, Christ we made a very average Posh team without a few of their regulars look good going forwards even our one man attack had their defenders in a panic at times. I don't blame Long for any of the goals we went back to the defending in the second half that in hindsight made Mark Howard look a poor shot stopper, let players shoot in from the edge of the penalty box and the best keeper in the world will get beaten.
What makes things worse is I for the life of me can't see where it will get any better in the foreseeable future we are already being fed soundbites from Adkins that the only business done this month will be outwards which would be no bad thing if we brought in a few bits of quality but all I see is us making do with yesterdays starting eleven for the rest of the season, a horrifying thought. We have two live abroad co-owners who can't or will not put anymore money into the club, neither seem to give a fuck or have a clue as to how we get out of league one in a upward trajectory and I'm beginning to wonder if the manager has a clue either when you look at the players he has brought in, only Billy Sharp looks half decent and I still have my doubts about him. Hammond loses his runner every other game costing us goals, Woolford has two just about average games and my God that is a huge improvement and then we have Sammon the man who makes me wish we still had Chris Porter, the man who for us older fans makes Chris Guthrie look the complete centre forward. If he was playing for the opposition we would be pissing ourselves laughing at his efforts, his feet and the football resemble opposing magnets the way they shoot apart, the only person I have ever seen who seems to gets smaller when jumping (usually nowhere near the ball he is attempting to head) surely Adkins only plays him for his nuisance value or in the hope centre halves will be helpless laughing at the useless lump. And this guys is what we are stuck with until June at least by that time I'll be 61, I gave up on the idea of ever seeing this club lift a trophy a while back and I'm starting to give up on the idea I will ever see us in the top division again. I have not even seen us in a cup final in my lifetime even the shit from S6 have been in 3 and won one and are looking much more likely to have a shot at getting into the premiership when only a few years back they were on the verge of being shut down. We are the original DAMNED UNITED

 

[Woodwardfan]

Positives:

Plenty of signs yesterday that the consistency of team selection is aiding the team to play with more fluidity and method.

Best players in order: Basham immense, Edgar won so many balls, Coutts for an hour, Woolford for 1st half, Sharp as usual, Brayford going forward.

Not incisive enough in final third, too many players very good until they get in sight of goal and only one who has goals in his mind, not until Baxter and Adams came on anyway.

Negatives:

After Hammond and McEveley get their usual yellow card they are neutered in the tackle and our bite vanishes.

The midfield has qualities but mobility, pace and incisiveness in the final third are weaknesses.

Sammon needs a rest again for his own sake.

Adams has a lot of work to do on various areas of his game when the opposition is lying deep. His touch on the ball is poor in confined spaces.

I still maintain our needs are 1. striker 2. mobile midfield player 3. defence. I hope Long responds well to a challenging afternoon.


* * * *

I didn't know their third goalscorer but commented he must be from the Premier League, real quality every time he touched the ball; he was from West Ham of all places. We need a couple of players with pace, mobility and directness in their play, a couple like him in fact; one up top and one in midfield would transform us. One like that Maddison ( No.11) would help and what a shift he put in. a player like him alongside Sharp would be ideal; he was strong, direct, fast, intense and energetic. I'm afraid McNulty does not add pace unfortunately.

Crowd did well.

How this forum misses Deadbat's reports when he is away.

 

[Dkc]

I agree that Baxter wasn't great when he came on, and looked a bit overweight, but for me it's a positive that he hasn't been frozen out for good and remains an option. He was involved in plenty of attacks but as others have said, was too far forward to play his midfield playmaker game.

 

[grafikhaus]

Losing with Brighton, tho I take your point. Just like Blackman scored another for Reading. Cant look back, gotta look forward

Yes, the past is the past. But the least you can do is learn from the past which - in our case - should be don't sell your better fucking players.

 

[spongebobblade]

I felt a bit sorry for Sammon today simply because of how poor he was. It was embarrassing watching him at times

And to think Adkins wants to keep him to the end of the season you have to ask yourself;
Is he really the best we can get/ afford?
He is one of at least 6 squad players we could ALL agree on is not good enough to help get us out of this division

 

[grafikhaus]

As well as we played in parts in the first half, they always looked more likely to score from open play.

Correct. As 'slick' as we looked in the first half, how often did we test their goalie? A lot of what United do is 'shadow play' whether it's pretending to want the ball from a throw (when their body language is screaming 'I don't want it!') to the hesitancy to shoot because they don't believe in their own ability, to the half-hearted tracking back and utterly shit use of dead balls. It must be a cinch to scout United as we always set up wrongly and are incapable of enforcing what should be home advantage. When the board went up with '6' on it, it seemed to cause unnecessary excitement. It could have fucking said '60' and we wouldn't have scored. Our goals? A penalty and a bizarre own goal.

 

[spongebobblade]

Well having slept on it do I feel any better about the defeat to Peterborough ? NAH do I phuck as like, if anything today I feel worse, see last nights beer has worn off and my dodgy knee after walking to the ground from the Decathlon car park is now throbbing like a porn stars cock end. I am beginning to wonder if it is worth the hassle of going to games to see clubs from the back waters of football take the piss at Bramall lane. Add Peterborough to the growing list of Bury, Shrewsbury (both from league two last season) and a poor Millwall who have easily it has to be said gone away from the lane with 3pts. If that is the best we can do defending then I really do fear a huge embarrassment next weekend, Christ we made a very average Posh team without a few of their regulars look good going forwards even our one man attack had their defenders in a panic at times. I don't blame Long for any of the goals we went back to the defending in the second half that in hindsight made Mark Howard look a poor shot stopper, let players shoot in from the edge of the penalty box and the best keeper in the world will get beaten.
What makes things worse is I for the life of me can't see where it will get any better in the foreseeable future we are already being fed soundbites from Adkins that the only business done this month will be outwards which would be no bad thing if we brought in a few bits of quality but all I see is us making do with yesterdays starting eleven for the rest of the season, a horrifying thought. We have two live abroad co-owners who can't or will not put anymore money into the club, neither seem to give a fuck or have a clue as to how we get out of league one in a upward trajectory and I'm beginning to wonder if the manager has a clue either when you look at the players he has brought in, only Billy Sharp looks half decent and I still have my doubts about him. Hammond loses his runner every other game costing us goals, Woolford has two just about average games and my God that is a huge improvement and then we have Sammon the man who makes me wish we still had Chris Porter, the man who for us older fans makes Chris Guthrie look the complete centre forward. If he was playing for the opposition we would be pissing ourselves laughing at his efforts, his feet and the football resemble opposing magnets the way they shoot apart, the only person I have ever seen who seems to gets smaller when jumping (usually nowhere near the ball he is attempting to head) surely Adkins only plays him for his nuisance value or in the hope centre halves will be helpless laughing at the useless lump. And this guys is what we are stuck with until June at least by that time I'll be 61, I gave up on the idea of ever seeing this club lift a trophy a while back and I'm starting to give up on the idea I will ever see us in the top division again. I have not even seen us in a cup final in my lifetime even the shit from S6 have been in 3 and won one and are looking much more likely to have a shot at getting into the premiership when only a few years back they were on the verge of being shut down. We are the original DAMNED UNITED

............... And breathe..........

Though I know exactly how you feel. The only current solution is to indulge in more pop BEFORE the game. It's not a cure but makes it easier to forget the shit bits

 

[metalblade]

And to think Adkins wants to keep him to the end of the season you have to ask yourself;
Is he really the best we can get/ afford?
He is one of at least 6 squad players we could ALL agree on is not good enough to help get us out of this division

And to think he wants to make Hammond permanent too, this wanker costs us goals every other game by losing his runner too old too slow too expensive send him back to his club likewise Sammon

 

[spongebobblade]

And to think he wants to make Hammond permanent too, this wanker costs us goals every other game by losing his runner too old too slow too expensive send him back to his club likewise Sammon

Strange as I've said our current midfield lacks creativity and is too defensive yet they become invisible when the oppositions midfield runs at them

 

[super_pig]

our weaknesses are the positions taken up by the loan players IMO

 

[Woodwardfan]

Strange as I've said our current midfield lacks creativity and is too defensive yet they become invisible when the oppositions midfield runs at them

It's a personal and collective lack of pace and mobility in midfield. Only Basham has the pace to stay with runners with Coutts and Hammond lacking mobility too. Coutts doesn't last 90 minutes and Hammond loses his effectiveness when he picks up a booking.

It is not good enough against better teams. We did beat Coventry but we were very fortunate.

 

[metalblade]

This is what you get by bringing in players from a higher level who's careers are on a downwards path, If you look at the Peterborough side quite a few of their team were plucked from non league, two of their scorers came from Gateshead and Dulwich hamlet

 

[Woodwardfan]

Collins up front won three headers in 10 minutes that I can remember. How many did Sammon win while he was on?

 

[sheepbridge]

Sick and tired of watching us huff and puff to create half a chance and then the opposition get a goal with a few moves.

This is a major problem for us. With the exception of Sharp, we seem to need an open goal before we are prepared to shoot, and even then we (Sammon) can contrive to miss them. Yesterday we got in some great positions to shoot and didn't. Our goals came from a penalty and an extremely lucky own goal that should have been buried by our player without the need for their player to score for us.
We would never have scored the 3 goals they did because we would not have even attempted the shot.

 

[Woodwardfan]

our weaknesses are the positions taken up by the loan players IMO

What an interesting comment.

I've always believed a manager's eventual success is determined by his signings.

 

[Bartleby]

Number 4 mate, how many times did we have chances for players to just go for it, but instead, panicked and looked to pass (Woolford, who should have shot, ...

Woolford was really poor, wasted lots of chances and wouldn't shoot cos it was on his left peg

 

[Grappler]

Correct. As 'slick' as we looked in the first half, how often did we test their goalie? A lot of what United do is 'shadow play' whether it's pretending to want the ball from a throw (when their body language is screaming 'I don't want it!') to the hesitancy to shoot because they don't believe in their own ability, to the half-hearted tracking back and utterly shit use of dead balls. It must be a cinch to scout United as we always set up wrongly and are incapable of enforcing what should be home advantage. When the board went up with '6' on it, it seemed to cause unnecessary excitement. It could have fucking said '60' and we wouldn't have scored. Our goals? A penalty and a bizarre own goal.

The crazy part is, on the couple of occasions that I have seen the team warm up pre-game, (usually away games) Woolford bangs them in from all angles, 100% of the time, but come the kick off, he goes back in his shell when approaching goal.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Sammon was awful but we have no other option just now.

Which in itself suggests the "overgrown, bloated squad" line is bollocks.

Yes, it's bloated in some areas but not in others.

No excuse for not spending the Murphy Millions (& the latest tranche of planned princely investment) to improve where we need to improve.