United 0 Scunthorpe 4 - report

[Deadbat]

Sheffield United's recent resurgence came to a crashing end at Bramall Lane on Tuesday evening as managerless Scunthorpe continued their recent hoodoo over the Blades. The game was a bizarre one in which United controlled large stages of the contest and had most of the football but an inability to take their chances, bad luck, poor referring and shambolic defending all contributed to the rather strange looking score line.

Credit must go to Scunthorpe who have now beaten United on four out of five occasions since they returned to the Championship and the Iron were clinical in front of goal and showed a ruthlessness the Blades simply do not possess currently.

The style of football in terms of the new passing approach remained for the Blades and for that the crowd remained appreciative but they must be concerned about the lack of punch up front and the worrying way they continue to ship goals with seven now conceded in three home games and two crushing defeats. The score line and result will undoubtedly be a major wake up call for new manager Gary Speed who now will be looking nearer to the bottom of the table than the top as United’s tipsy curvy season continues.

Gary Speed opted to name an unchanged line up after back to back victories which meant club captain Chris Morgan was on the bench once again. Scunthorpe who had caretaker manager Ian Barrowclough in charge following Nigel Adkins departure to Scunthorpe included former Blade Jonathan Forte in their starting eleven.

The game began with the Blades very much in the ascendancy with Britton looking to get on the ball at every opportunity. Calve was also influential and made numerous bursts down the right flank. One piece of combination play saw the latter have his goal bound shot blocked by Canavan. Not long after the Blades were unfortunate not to take the lead. Calve’s raking ball was breasted down by Cresswell to Jordan whose cross was met first time by Ward. The strikers shot hit the base of the post and rebounded away before Scunthorpe blocked another goal bound effort shortly afterwards. Ertl then headed wide from a good delivery from Britton and United were in complete control showing patient and attractive possession with the football. United hit the woodwork for the second time when Evans worked an opening and hit a low shot that hit Murphy’s post and was then scrambled clear.

United must have already feared it was going to be one of those nights and so it proved as on the half hour with virtually their first effort of the game the visitors took the lead. A suspected hand ball in the build up was ignored by the referee and as the play was switched to DAGNALL; the striker was given far too much time to line up a shot and hit a precise finish down past Simonsen’s left hand side.

Undeterred United continued to attack and Creswell was played in on goal by Ward’s delightful flick but could only hit the legs of keeper Murphy. Bartley then met a corner but his header was cleared off the line as United continued to be frustrated. Indeed right on half time Montgomery’s foul on O’Connor led to an opportunity for Scunthorpe right on the edge of the box but the free kick was floated over Simonsen’s goal to the relief of the Blades fans.

The second half started in the same vain as the first with United keeping the ball well and looking to advance into the Scunthorpe final third but Forte’s break saw his effort saved by Simonsen as United’s defence once again switched off. Calve then cut in on goal but his cross was poor and was scrambled clear before United had the ball in the net when Jordan’s delivery was converted by Ertl but the referee saw an offence in the box and disallowed the effort. Byrne’s effort from a corner was cleared away from under his own bar by Montgomery before Forte fired wide. The former Blades man was also clumsily upended by Bartley who was booked for the challenge.

Disaster struck though just after the hour mark as Scunthorpe doubled their advantage. It came from a near post corner as self confessed Blades fan MIRFIN met the ball on the full to powerfully flick home. It was sloppy marking and a poor goal to concede but once again clinically taken by the visitors.

United had been trying to make a substitution even before the goal and finally could make that change with Yeates coming on for Montgomery as Speed looked to inject some creativity. The new acting skipper Cresswell may have thought he had a clear case for a penalty when Byrne baulked him inside the box. However, with the referee at close proximity no appeal was forthcoming. It certainly looked greater contact then the one that saw United have a goal chalked off not long earlier.

The game was up for the Blades though with just under 20 minutes to play as DAGNALL managed to evade Nosworthy and cleverly slot home to leave the Scunthorpe fans behind the goal in dream land. This was the signal for many Blades fans to exit the ground and after this the side became worryingly ragged.

Cresswell and Bogdanovic, now on for Evans, had weak headed efforts towards goal before Cresswell was denied again by a goal line clearance from Wright as it seemed certain to be a goal. As the game entered stoppage time, United’ s players probably just wanted the nightmare to end but to rub further salt into their wounds, the Iron managed to unbelievably score a fourth goal. Simonsen’s attempted clearance did not find its target and WOOLFORD cleverly rolled the ball home from almost 40 yards to compound the Blades misery. Cresswell had another effort ruled out; this time for offside before Referee Swarbrick finally ended the game moments after and those United fans that had remained in the ground were left bewildered as they made their way home at what had transpired to in the end look like their side had been well and truly hammered.

 

[Deadbat]

Ratings

United – A very odd night. The performance was a mixed bag in that overall we passed the ball fairly well; we kept possession, looked calm and tried to create things. We actually were pretty decent for the most part as hard is that for many to believe when we lost 4-0 at home to Scunthorpe! We also had quite a few chances and really ought to have scored 4 or 5 goals. However, in simple terms we are not scoring goals and do not look like keeping them out at the other end. For all the decent play football is about those simple things.

Scunthorpe had an incredible amount of luck, help with decisions but they still made and took their chances. I felt first half we were excellent and should have led 3 or 4-1 at half time. However, after the break we did not create as much and the second goal (a routine header from a corner) pretty much killed the game. We were incredibly naive in our play and particularly our defending which meant we gave them chances at will in the second half. To be honest they had as many chances as us second half. They had kind of worked us out by the hour mark and with no pace/or aerial threat realised we could not play through them. I admired the neat passing stuff but also felt we needed to mix it up a bit and would have made changes long before we did with Yeates, Bogdanovic and Quinn all probably used.

I felt they were positives in the likes of Ward and Britton who always tried to get on the ball and make things happen but they were some players who had poor nights too. The defence, with Nosworthy and Bartley in particular, were poor all night and just were not switched on at vital times when they did have things to do. I felt Forte and Dagnall made them look very poor with movement, pace and good finishing but they were aided and abetted by sloppy marking and inability to get to the ball first. We really missed Morgan tonight and no doubt he will come back in Saturday. Who for is a toss up as they were both as bad as each other. The two full backs also were not as impressive as in their opening game/s for the Blades and showed real weaknesses defensively; even if they offer us threats going forward. Simonsen also had not looked totally convincing since his return and whilst you could argue he could not have done too much with a few of the goals; I felt he could have done better on a couple too and the balls are flying past him at an alarming rate at the moment.

It is disappointing to not build from 2 good wins and performances but the reality is that it will take time and those expecting us to keep winning whilst still changing the style and being easy on the eye were probably sadly mistaken. Teams will still come to the Lane and be organised and make us beat them which is the same whatever style of play we use. The formation we have been using does seem more effective for away games with the defensive orientated three in midfield and also only having one central striker and one badly out of form at that, in Evans.

Portsmouth will be a difficult game Saturday as despite their less than impressive start to the season they now have added Kitson, Lawrence and resigned Kanu and Rocha. They still have plenty of experienced players like Brown, Mullins and Nugent and it will not be easy. they are bound to get going sooner rather than later. Just hope it is not on Saturday.

Scunthorpe - I am always a little concerned when a manager leaves but felt with a caretaker it may not have the same effect as when a new manager is appointed in terms of galvanising the side. How wrong I was although if a few of the early chances had gone it could easily have been the Blades celebrating a 4-0 win.

They did tremendously well to stay up last year but losing Hooper, Hayes, Williams etc will be hard for them to recover but they have had a fairly decent start this season and could stay up again this year. The Adkins departure is obviously a massive loss as he took on the initial good work of Laws and did a superb job but maybe Barraclough can continue the good work in the same way Adkins did. It has certainly worked before for them promoting from within.

Just as they had done with Sharp, Patterson and Hooper, they may have found another gem in Dagnall. He scored lots of goals at lower level and looked really sharp and if we had him up front tonight things would have been different Forte does seem to have had a renaissance somewhat this season. He always had raw pace but did not seem to have much end product. I am glad to see he is now getting a run in the side. He gave Nosworthy a torrid time in the second half and seems to have added strength to his pace. He caused some real problems.

As for the rest of the side they are organised and committed and have some other underrated players. I have always rated the keeper Murphy and he evidenced it again tonight. They won’t have as much luck as they did tonight in other games but credit to them for some great finishing and doing what they had to. Thankfully we only have to play them once more this season as we seem incapable of getting results against them!

Simonsen 5.5/10 – Made a couple of decent saves and had little chance on the first goal. Being ultra critical he may have done better on the second and third; header that went in at the near post and then seemed to go to ground too easily for the third but it was more down to the defending in front of him. The fourth goal was obviously a bad mistake. He is not really at the same level he was last year for me and balls are flying past him a little easily at the moment.

Calve 6/10 – Started the game well and was a real threat going forward with some good runs and crosses. Looks good on the ball and composed in possession. Unfortunately he was slow to react defensively and was not tight enough to his man. In the second half, along with the rest of the defence, I felt he was poor offering little as an attacking threat and looked vulnerable defensively.

Jordan 6/10 – He too began the game well, getting forward and making his man go the other way but he got sloppier as the game went on and a few bad touches led to us losing possession. He faded badly and gave his winger too much room. Also did not offer anything in an attacking sense in the second half.

Nosworthy 3/10 – Had little to do in the early stages but then lost his man a few times and started to overplay once again in the second half. I just want him to stick to his man, head it, clear it and play it simple. He has not proved he can do these basics yet and you realise why he has not been in the plans of Sunderland in recent seasons. Forte was too strong and quick for him second half and got away from him more than once. More than this though was his inability to make men and gave players far too much room.

Bartley 4.5/10 – Marginally better than Nosworthy but he too did not have a good night. Let Dagnall get away from him too frequently and any time your man scores two goals in open play you have to be concerned. It is frustrating with him at the moment as he seems to have one good game, then one bad one but I suppose he is young and will have ups and downs. Just unfortunate he is in affect ‘learning on the job’ in the centre of our defence in the cut and thrust of the championship.

Montgomery 5/10 – Felt he was our poorest midfielder. He won a few balls and tackles and generally tried to keep it simple but his touch was often woeful and he also made some silly, unnecessary fouls that stopped attacks or put us under pressure. He still panics too easy on the ball and with Erlt playing it is difficult to see why we need both in there. Hopefully it will not be long before Williamson comes back as I think he would thrive in a three with Britton and one of Montgomery or Ertl.

Britton 7.5/10 – Our best player for me. He always looked to get on the ball and showed a great appetite for the game. Got up and down, made passes of varying length and style and generally looked the part. Felt sorry for him that we had little up front that he could ‘hit’ or any fellow midfielders that could link or read some of his play. Only feel Ward has the football brain (and Ertl to a far simpler degree) to link with him and make things happen.

Ertl 6/10 – Did the basics and kept it simple but offers little as an attacking force (although he did have the goal disallowed) and I am never convinced he can score us a goal or make us a goal. Not quite as effecive tonight as in previous games and I did wonder whether we needed, in effect 3 defensive midfielder, playing against Scunthorpe at home. I certainly would have taken him off when it went 2-0 and brought maybe Quinn on.

Cresswell 5/10 – I know he scored a vital winner on Saturday but his performances have been on the whole ineffective this season I feel. Granted he was unlucky on a few efforts but his finishing was also poor at times and should have done better with a few headers and the chance in on goal when he hit the keepers legs. I am unsure whether he is a striker or a midfielder/winger. At the moment his decisions with the ball have also been poor.


Evans 4/10 – It is just not happening for him. Granted there appears more effort from him but the reality is he does not hold the ball up, is not really looking a goal threat and when he does have efforts he is not taking them. I felt in the first half he was involved in some of our football and of course was unlucky to hit the post but too many times when the ball goes to him it does not stick. His touch is poor and without any kind of physical power or pace; it is hard to see what they is to work on. More worrying is his basic lack of football understanding and awareness. He does not seem to run into the right areas you would expect of a forward or know how to create space. I admire some fans patience with him but mine is running out. His goal scoring record and overall contribution to the team is not good enough and even now with a different style of play I do not see him offering any more.

Ward 7/10 - Speed stated he would be playing more down the middle but that has not really happened yet but he did come inside a lot more from his wide position and first half I felt he was excellent; linking well with others, showing direct running and looking a threat. He faded in the second half and when it went 2-0 he was barerly in the game after that as Scunthorpe defended deeper and in numbers. They knew Ward was our only real threat in terms of pace/running and were able to bottle him up after he had been free to roam in the first half. I do think he has been one of bright spots this season and is one of players that in a more footballing orientated approach can do even better.

Subs –

Bogdanovic – Not really worked out for him thus far. Not had a start in games and when he has come on and has looked lethargic and ineffective but did get a bit more involved tonight. I did wonder about this signing when we made it and was concerned whether the commercial gains won out over a playing decision. I am unsure quite how he fits in and not sure if he is any better than what we already had. However despite this we won’t really know until he has a run of games or can start and with Evans poor form at the moment he deserves a chance on Saturday.

Yeates – Both Blackwell and Speed raved about him but he remains a sub and is used more of an impact player. I would like to see him start some games at home as think his direct running and crossing offers us something different and feel he could be played wide with Cresswell up top with Ward on the other side if we are going with a three. He came on and tried to make things happen but the second goal had gone in just before he eventually did come on and thus the game was being chased

Officials – Neil Swarbrick. Felt he did not do us any favours and the key decisions went completely against us. From the probable handball in the build up to the opening goal, to the strong appeal for our penalty, to the disallowed goal. It seemed most 50/50’s or debatable decisions did go Scunthorpe’s way. Still he had no part in the other 3 goals and thus it is all too easy to blame the officials when things go badly. Of course if the goal has been allowed to stand at 1-1 then I do feel the game would have been completely different. It was a turning point without a doubt. Many of the other decisions later on may have seemed worse as fans and players became frustrated as it seemed the whole world was against us and we became a bit desperate (fans and supporters) near the end shouting for everything. I do agree with Speed though when he says we have not had the best of luck with decisions so far this season and the two home games have been casing points. We should have probably had at least 2 or 3 penalties in these games in my opinion.

Crowd – The disappointing crowds continue but unfortunately as I suspected many voted with their feet and cash in the summer and despite Blackwell finally going and a supposed new change of style and attitude, it will not bring people coming back instantly. I think regardless of fans being fed up with the style and with Blackwell there was always going to be a drop this season. The Premiership factor has well and truly worn off and despite some excellent season ticket deals still; many now are feeling the pinch of the economy.

With match by match prices seeing tickets around £26 at the lowest price for most games it is going to be hard for fans to come back. Maybe if they plug the half season ticket at Xmas then we may get a few coming back but I fear we will see crowds of 18-22,000 for most of the season save for the big games like Leeds; most teams do not being any more than 500-1,000 so if we have sold 14-15,000 season tickets then the crowd figures will remain relatively stagnant I feel.

In terms of how the fans supported us; well they were very patient and certainly did not get on the players backs, at least not until it went 3-0. They continued to be supportive and saw it was an odd game but fans paying good money for 0-3 and 0-4 reverses are not going to be happy and things have got to improve in terms of results.

I am pleased with the improvements in play and can see that there is a dedication to changing the style but we do need to scrap out a few results as the lack of goals up front means we are going to struggle to win many games at the moment as is proving by our goals for record and points tally which sees us worryingly nearer the bottom than top. It would be great if we could have attractive, passing football and results but at the moment I would gladly settle for the latter in the first instance.

 

[Sensiblade]

The 4th goal did actually go out for a throw in on the John street side of the pitch which wasn't given but should have been.
So the Ref / Linesman did affect 2 out of the 4 goals not just the first one.

 

[norfolkblade]

All I can say is, why the hell is Yeates not being given a start? At least he will run at defenders and give them something to think about, generally leading to mistakes and potentially goals, I just don't get it!

 

[Guesty]

Yeates has only put in one good performance for us so far, against and Ipswich side that had apparently already gone on Holiday.

 

[ListerBlade]

The 4th goal did actually go out for a throw in on the John street side of the pitch which wasn't given but should have been.
So the Ref / Linesman did affect 2 out of the 4 goals not just the first one.

there were a few instances of the ball going out that side and not being given throughout the match, for and against us.

first goal was clear handball too, it was like the penalty that wasn't v QPR, unmissable except to the one person that is paid to see it.

nozzy was awful-first game i've seen him play this season but every time i have seen him before i'm just waiting for him to drop a bollock and forte was laughing at him by the end of the night.

 

[sitwell]

I really can't see how Wards warrants a 7 ,maybe becuase he is Jamie Ward. I thought the 3 in midfield controlled that area of the pitch and played OK but its easy to point at Monty and Ertl. They had no options or movement up front with the woefull Evans Cresswell and Ward and little support behind with the suspect defence. The ref may have only cost one goal but his mistakes were pivotal in effecting the pattern of the game and ultimately the result was 90% down to him.

 

[Guesty]

To offer a bit of balance re the ref, Bartley could have seen red when he brought down Forte, I doubt there was any catching him if he'd got away.

 

[sitwell]

He might have done us a favour the way Bartley was playing.

 

[norfolkblade]

Yeates has only put in one good performance for us so far, against and Ipswich side that had apparently already gone on Holiday.

Holiday or not, you still have to put the effort in to get a result. He is direct and runs at defenders, as does Wardy, those 2 on the flanks gives us huge potential in getting the ball in the box to try and score, I'll even take tap ins at the mo to be quite honest!

 

[Deadbat]

Ward

I felt Ward at least offered movement and tried to get on the ball and make things happen. His flick to Cresswell that led to the one on one; the interchange in th early stages and the decent effort that hit the post are all three moments off the top of my head. He did fade in the second half but I watched his moment in particular and ability to link with the lieks of Britton and he offered far more than Cresswell and Evans. These two are often stood, stagnant, dont move off the ball and are slow to anticipate things. They are easy to play against as lack movement, touch, pace, stenght and ability. I lost count if the number of times the pair were on the floor for no apparent reasons.

As for the comment about the referee? 'Ultimately the result was 90% down to him.'

I cannot agree with that. Sure he could have given a handball for their goal but the other decisions weretoss ups. I felt we maybe should have had a penalty but many have since said (after I did mt reporT) there were 2 fouls in the box by BNritton and Bartley when Ertl's goal was disallowed. To pin the defeat 90% on the referee is really wearing red and white spectacles somewhat!

 

[AlienWoodward]

I felt Ward at least offered movement and tried to get on the ball and make things happen. His flick to Cresswell that led to the one on one; the interchange in th early stages and the decent effort that hit the post are all three moments off the top of my head. He did fade in the second half but I watched his moment in particular and ability to link with the lieks of Britton and he offered far more than Cresswell and Evans. These two are often stood, stagnant, dont move off the ball and are slow to anticipate things. They are easy to play against as lack movement, touch, pace, stenght and ability. I lost count if the number of times the pair were on the floor for no apparent reasons.

As for the comment about the referee? 'Ultimately the result was 90% down to him.'

I cannot agree with that. Sure he could have given a handball for their goal but the other decisions weretoss ups. I felt we maybe should have had a penalty but many have since said (after I did mt reporT) there were 2 fouls in the box by BNritton and Bartley when Ertl's goal was disallowed. To pin the defeat 90% on the referee is really wearing red and white spectacles somewhat!

I always enjoy your posts deadbat,but I think you are way off on Ward. He was def in a 2-3 last night.

 

[cooperblade]

United’s tipsy curvy season continues.

Tipsy curvy? My favourite sort of woman

 

[Deadbat]

Tipsy curvy? My favourite sort of woman

Damn spellchecker. Keeps changing Bartley to Bartlett too!