United 0 Crawley 2 - report

[yorkshirecoast]

The vast majority of fans were excellent last night - despite yet another woeful performance by a team that doesn't give a toss. When you have 18,600 people together there's bound to be a few idiots - whether it's at a football match or anywhere else. Personally, I didn't hear any racist abuse - yes, Forte was booed off but to be honest he deserved it - as did the entire team when they were booed off at the end. The gulf between the fans and players is widening match by match. I love the Blades but it's hard to get behind the current team because they give nothing in return.

 

[moDtheGod]

I have to post now, as you've marked Flynn highly. I always do when you knock him unnecessarily. Only fair.

 

[Houso]

The amount of times McDonald plays the ball backwards or sideways is baffling. Yes he is a very good player but he's not doing his job properly and hasn't all season.

You realise he can't play the ball forwards because there's sod all movement right?

And in a set up like ours, playing it sideways to the flanks and even back to the defence is a means to actually create space.

 

[cooperblade]

Kitson - Tired. Wanting to argue with officials all night. The decisions aren't going for you, don't stop, chase the loose ball.

Having said that. If Flynn or Doyle are a couple of inches the other way we don't hit the post we take the lead and it's a different game.

Kitson is rapidly turning into Darius Henderson - too much fighting with centre backs and arguing with referees and not enough contributing to the team.

Thought Flynn could've done better with the rebound from Doyle's shot against the post and the headed chances that Collins and Porter had were very presentable indeed. We should've scored last night.

 

[mattbianco1]

Kitson is rapidly turning into Darius Henderson - too much fighting with centre backs and arguing with referees and not enough contributing to the team.

Thought Flynn could've done better with the rebound from Doyle's shot against the post and the headed chances that Collins and Porter had were very presentable indeed. We should've scored last night.

Agreed!

 

[DazBlade88]

You're spot on about Kitson. I sent a text to my mate during the game last night that said "If Kitson tried to play football instead of looking for a foul he might get somewhere".

I think if Kitson says he's fit - he plays. I'm starting to wonder if it's written into his contract after Wilson's comments on Saturday and then for him to get the start ahead of Porter last night. And speaking of Porter, I'd drop Doyle and strip him of the captaincy for his reaction to Porter missing that chance last night. What sort of leadership is that from a captain?

As for the defence, I agree with Grecian2000. Collins, Maguire etc. are under constant pressure to keep a clean sheet because we are never going to score. Eventually something has to give and that was the story last night.

The selection in defence again, was crap. I said the same on Saturday and I still can't see why we are selecting the back 4 that we have because of McMahon's suspension. Hill has done very well at right back and you can see that he does actually give a shit about what happens to us. But why is he having to play there when Darryl Westlake is on the bench? We're playing two people out of position when we have a natural right back on the bench. What is the point? Why sign him if you're not going to play him?

McFadzean comes on, influences the game at Walsall and then wasn't starting last night, Ironside came on against Carlisle, influenced the game and hasn't been seen since. Surely they have to start wondering what they have to do to get a real opportunity ahead of players who aren't performing? Why should they bother?

And lastly, I'm now sick of the attitude at the Lane with regards to the club suggesting it's the lack of atmosphere causing problems at home. Whether it's the ticket offer, Wilson's comments and Gary Sinclair's before the game. I'm sorry, we are paying CUSTOMERS, not supporters as the numbers they have given on our tickets tell us. We're paying money to watch a bunch of overpaid pansies look like they don't give a shit and we're at fault. They have to start taking some f*cking responsibility, because I'm absolutely fed up of going to watch it. I can handle us being crap, but I can't handle the sheer lack of passion and desire that I'm witnessing from alot of our players at the minute.

I'm reluctantly renewing my season ticket tonight just to make sure I don't talk myself out of it.

 

[Revolution]

McFadzean comes on, influences the game at Walsall and then wasn't starting last night, Ironside came on against Carlisle, influenced the game and hasn't been seen since. Surely they have to start wondering what they have to do to get a real opportunity ahead of players who aren't performing? Why should they bother?

Whilst agreeing with your general point, I thought Ironside looked like a boy amongst men against Carlisle. Whilst he did lay on the best chance of the game for Forte, he would have scored himself if he were any good. He simply has not shown he is a likely scorer in his (albeit limited) opportunities.

 

[stannyblade]

I'm reluctantly renewing my season ticket tonight just to make sure I don't talk myself out of it.

Im waiting to see what happens in the next two games. Dont mind losing games if we try to play and at least give their keepers more to do than we are. Opposition teams could play an outfield player in goal and we wouldnt test him.

 

[DazBlade88]

McFadzean comes on, influences the game at Walsall and then wasn't starting last night, Ironside came on against Carlisle, influenced the game and hasn't been seen since. Surely they have to start wondering what they have to do to get a real opportunity ahead of players who aren't performing? Why should they bother?

Whilst agreeing with your general point, I thought Ironside looked like a boy amongst men against Carlisle. Whilst he did lay on the best chance of the game for Forte, he would have scored himself if he were any good. He simply has not shown he is a likely scorer in his (albeit limited) opportunities.

I see what you mean. He should have done better and I do believe if he had another yard of pace and/or had already scored for the first team he may have taken the chance. The encouraging thing for me in that scenario was that he still kept the chance alive even if he didn't take it himself, and his all round play was good when he came on.

I'm sure he'll improve with games, as any player at that age should.

 

[Revolution]

I hope you're right Daz. He reminded me of Lewis Killeen against Walsall in 2002 more than anything else though.

 

[Hodgyman]

"Kitson is rapidly turning into Darius Henderson - too much fighting with centre backs and arguing with referees and not enough contributing to the team."

"And there's the rub. The defence is under enormous pressure due to the front end of the team not scoring. Any goal against is a virtual guarantee that we won't win. That pressure cannot be resisted every game.
Mistakes by the defence are part and parcel and if you're scoring your fair share then they aren't fatal. With the lack of anything approaching a goal threat we can't afford to concede at all and that is an impossibility even at our modest level. "

I agree heavy heartedly with the two posts above.

Why does Danny persist in playing Forte down the middle with Kitson when he can't anticipate a pass when he gets one. If he does, he'll bottle it when it comes to shooting. It beggars believe when we play Murphy out of position on the wing when he seems to be as quick as Forte, he reads what his strike partners is doing and he can find the target. SIMPLES!!!!

 

[Ollessendro]

Spot on with the report Deadbat. Agree wholeheartedly with the way you saw things. There were a few small things that I disagree with you on.

I think we should give Crawley more credit. We made them look good, but I thought they were decent. Like most teams that visit BDTBL they clearly thought, after 20 mins, fook me these guys are shite ... we can win this! Crawley played some good stuff. They got the ball out wide, they used their pace and ran at our defence, they showed some neat touches and passed the ball well. Clark was a handful and they worked the keeper. They thoroughly deserved the victory.

Whilst I agree that Kitson spends too much time looking for a foul, I thought he was ok last night. He won a fair bit in the air, but the useless Forte did not help him. Forte's lack of anticipattion, lack effort, nesh-ness and lack of a footballing brain often meant that Kitson's hard work came to nothing. Don't get me wrong, I would not have started Kitson. Porter changed the game by all accounts at Walsall, yet he did not start. Wilson has to take the blame for shocking team selections and sticking with out of form/duff players. Same goes for McFeazden who should have started. Murphy is simply terrible too. Who the fuck said this guy had promise?! Shows how shite football is in Scotland. He is like that O'Hallarhan fella: pur pace, but no composure. He is fast, but he is a headless chicken. No touch, can't pass and cannot cross. Garbage.

Hill was decent, as was Long. I thought Collins played well and showed some passion and commitment, but his mistake was criminal. Flynn played well first half and it was nice to see him attack his full back. He was unlucky not to score. He faded 2nd half, but he showed some commitment and fight. The others were terrible. Doyle as captain was simply awful. Other than his Van Basten volley (where did that come from?) he was off the pace and crap.

I thought the atmosphere was pretty flat to be honest. Not blaming the fans, but thought it was pretty quiet. The fans got behind the team a little in the 2nd half and they were patient, but thought the atmosphere was poor.

Howard Webb from Matalan was a strange ref. He let some strong challenges and blatant fouls go early on, but pulled up some really picky stuff. I soon lost interest and forgot about him though (when the game settled down a bit after 30 mins) which is a good sign. He did seem to miss some real obvious fouls (both ways) and gave us several decisions that were not fouls. Hill, Kitson and Forte all gave 5.9 dives that he fell for.

For me it was another pleasent evening ruined by the footy. I arrived on the train and had an ale in the Tap with the old man. We started with a Swift Nick and Royal Standard. Both classic bitters, the latter having a real caramel taste. Short walk to the Rutland where was had a Black Horse porter and I had a really strong, hoppy and dry pale ale (cannot remember the name). Quick stop in the Rutland and then off to the Tap again. We had a few halves of Jaipur, Seaforth, Liberty, Chocolate Marbles (probably my favourite - a dark well balanced ale, with real chocolate flavours. Slightly sweet, but great for a half) and Yakima to finish before getting the train. We were trying to numb the pain. My mum joined us, she'd been to Showroom to watch Trance and I genuinly wished I had been there with her!? I finished the evening with a single malt when I got home, but I could not get the bitter taste out of my mouth.

 

[Swanseablade]

I can't go 1 minute these days on the Kop without wanting to smack somebody!

What was the chant? Idiots the lot of them

You can imagine.
The 2 or 3 involved were nowt but youts tbh. One of the more sane blades told em to fck off home and not come back. But they were wanting to feight everybody in sight; all testosterone and Primark joggers! Stewards got rid of em in the end but there was scrapping on the way out and around the back. It's sickening whenever you hear rascist bollocks like that, but aimed at one of your own?! FFS......

 

[LSF]

Must have been one of your easiest reports to write DB as we were so appallingly shite.
Couple of observations - As much stick as Forte's getting, and deservedly so, I think Murphy was far worse. He looks so far out of his depth its untrue. Pace, yes, anything else, a resounding no, a complete waste of 100K.
I felt a bit for K McD too last night, he tried to inject something with a few powerful runs, but it was like a viagra fuelled bloke in a nunnery .... nobody ready to receive....

 

[Guesty]

I agree about Murphy, I've not seen much from him at all. Either the fullback takes it right off him or he runs out of pitch.