Deadbat
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Sorry for the tardiness on the report - went out last night and only just got chance to pen my thoughts....
Report below…..and brief Podcast review here too
United suffered their first defeat back in the Premier League when they were beaten by Leicester City thanks to Harvey Barnes wonder strike. Olly McBurnie had equalised at the Kop End for his first United goal after Jamie Vardy had opened the scoring for the Foxes. The Blades were always in the game and it was a game that could have gone either way but Barnes moment of magic settled things in favour of Brendan Rodgers team.
Manager Wilder made just one change with Luke Freeman in for the injured John Fleck and Ravel Morrison on the bench. Leicester started with a front three of Vardy, Maddison and Perez.
Leicester began the more settled side and Praet had an early shot blocked by his own man. Maddison was busy and nearly threaded in Vardy before United finally got up the other end winning an early corner. Tielemans then dragged a shot wide as Leicester continued to look more fluent. Choudhury was breaking up the play and allowing the talented attacking players in front to probe. They won a free kick with Fuchs sent off target before Vardy glanced wide. United were careless with the ball and twice gave it away leading to half chances.
A rare break saw Lundstram fire well off target before Vardy again playing on the shoulder nearly combined with Perez. United had a good effort when the ball dropped to Baldock whose volleyed effort went straight into Schmeichel’s hands – a few yards either side and it would have been a goal.
On the 38th minute, a mistake from Basham saw him disposed and Maddison played a ball over the top and VARDY was in. He cut in and rifled past Henderson. His Wednesday connections saw him celebrate the goal by cupping his ears to the Kop drawing the ire of the Blades fans. Leicester had been the better side and probably deserved the lead.
United won a corner just before half time but O’Connell, well placed headed well-off target.
After the break, Freeman seemed to be playing higher up the field but Leicester had the first chance when a break saw Perez in but Egan made the block as Leicester looked to get the killer second goal. Wilder opted to change his front two and both Sharp and McBurnie came on for the ineffectual Robinson and McGoldrick on 54 minutes. Lundstram was booked for a late foul as United looked to take up the intensity.
Straight away the new boys linked and led to a corner. McBurnie was holding it up and Sharp was running the channels. Leicester were now getting pinned back and a few balls were coming in with Baldock getting deep into the visiting territory. This tactic worked when just over the hour, Baldock whipped in a cross and MCBURNIE got up and powered his header into the far corner past the flailing Schmeichel. It was his first goal for the Blades and he celebrated in front of the Kop as the noise levels went through the roof.
Buoyed by this, United came again and another cross from Baldock saw Schmeichel put under pressure but the ball was cleared. United now were going for it but Leicester nearly got through on the counter attack. Freeman then had a chance but dithered and was robbed. The ball was transferred over the other way and Leicester won a corner. United cleared the first but could not get out to the second when it was cleared. Fuchs sent over a cross that fell to the edge of the box and BARNES hit an unstoppable half volley giving Henderson no chance at all.
United tried to respond and Schmeichel made a stunning save from Lundstram although the flag went up. Morrison came on for Basham as United sent United kept trying to work it for the crossing opportunity and McBurnie was winning the headers but they could not get another chance. There was four minutes of stoppage time allotted to be played. United won a free kick on the edge of the box when Lundstram was fouled but Norwood’s free kick clipped the wall on the way to going out for a corner. The corner was cleared and United could not fashion another opening before the final whistle came.
United – Mixed for me. A lot are praising us and saying we maybe deserved a draw but I think the score was about right. We played ok and were in the game for all of it but only played well for one half and in the end the bits of quality for them coupled with a mistake led to the goals. At this level you will see quality like the 2nd in most teams and the first was a poor mistake. In a game of few chances that decided the game really. Outside of this I felt they showed most of the technical quality on display but created little. They then got rattled but a bit of an old-fashioned approach from United second half where they got the ball forward quickly and into the box from wide.
They had most of the first half, scored and had nearly all the ball. We were sloppy, gave it away and did not get up the field. Wilder was right – we were very slow and pedestrian in everything we did and kept giving it away. The goal was so poor from Basham but Norwood, O’Connell and others had made mistakes also in the first half giving the ball up. The three up top pinned us back and made sure the centre backs could not push on as they would break on us with the pace. This 3 up top has caused us problems before (recall Bristol City doing it well at the Lane)
We made it easy for them and had no real attacking threat. They probably thought it was going to be a much harder game visiting team. First half we did not really threaten at all and you worried where the chances would come from. You do realise you will only get maybe 2 or 3 chances at this level and you have to take good ones. Today we did not miss any outside of the Lundstram one but Vardy showed the level of clinical play at this level. We made a mistake and they were in.
Then after the break we made changes and it was a different game. We had more intensity and got up the pitch and the strikers made a difference. We got level and then you thought who knows what could happen now. The goal was a great shot and even though Freeman lost the ball, we maybe could have got out to the cross or even the shot, sometimes you just accept it was a great strike. I could live with that more than the opening goal. After this we had a go but we did not get any clear chances outside of the Lundstram one that was offside. Still if we had nicked a point you would not have been surprised. 2-1 was about right. We did not disgrace ourselves and were in the game but it was a bit huffy and puffy rather than real quality from us that got us back in the game. I don’t think we really controlled the game at any point and the midfield were sloppy all game. Still Leicester also were not causing us tons of issues and we did some really good things in terms of the 2nd half in terms of effort, desire and pinning them back.
We moved it quicker and got good balls into the box. I will say that we did not see the team we have seen the last few years in terms of defenders bombing on or interchanging, neat football. We struggled to show much creativity at all and did not play though the lines. It was a lot of old fashioned get it wide and get it into the box that caused the problems and Baldock’s supply was the big threat second half. We played quite a direct style in that sense at times and I did feel creatively there was not much else other than get the ball into the box from out wide. Nothing wrong with that at times but we do need to mix it up. Teams will just sit in and we have to then go wide and cross. We need to maybe at times be a bit cuter. For all the positive improvements, we also did not create that much in the way of chances. You could say neither did they but always felt they looked the more dangerous of the teams going forward even second half we looked at full stretch at times defensively when they broke. Still at 1-1 you felt we may get another headed chance or a ball may drop from a cross again.
For me 2nd half we played better and tried hard but you can clearly see the step up in quality and we have to do better than that to get results over the course of a game. Leicester will be in the top half but it is the sort of game you probably need to take something from really when you consider the likelihood that the top 6 x 2 is 12 games you may not get anything from. It leaves you with 26 games and 13 at home. Those 13 are quite key to your survival hopes really. People may scoff and say we did well but like Wilder said we have to play better than that at this level to pick up points as the game played out in the end. I don’t buy all this talk of if we play like that (basically did not play for 50-55 minutes) we will be ok as if we play like that, we will lose most weeks in this league. A gutsy one-half performance will yield lots of ‘tried hard in defeat’ type shows. That is how high the standards are. Leicester were not amazing but those moments of quality will happen most games at this level where there are players like Vardy, Maddison and Barnes in every team.
As I say a bit like Wilder said, we have to improve and be better in our passing, bravery and pace of play. I think it becomes dangerous to have the mentality if we had played like that, we would beat a lot of other teams. It does not work like that. Villa beat Everton, a team pegged to finish similar to Leicester, and at home I think we need to be on the front foot and show more offensive play than we did for large parts of the game. Next week is a tough game but I don’t want us to have the mentality we had under Warnock where we went away and got done easily at Spurs, Everton, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc the last time we were up there. Most of those games we sat back and were beat before we started, often going a few goals behind early on. We can’t be gung-ho but need to be better with the ball and the front two (McBurnie starting surely) have to hold it up more. We also need to make sure we do not make silly mistakes. In a strange way it may suit us playing a team expected to beat us easily and coming at us more.
Report below…..and brief Podcast review here too
United suffered their first defeat back in the Premier League when they were beaten by Leicester City thanks to Harvey Barnes wonder strike. Olly McBurnie had equalised at the Kop End for his first United goal after Jamie Vardy had opened the scoring for the Foxes. The Blades were always in the game and it was a game that could have gone either way but Barnes moment of magic settled things in favour of Brendan Rodgers team.
Manager Wilder made just one change with Luke Freeman in for the injured John Fleck and Ravel Morrison on the bench. Leicester started with a front three of Vardy, Maddison and Perez.
Leicester began the more settled side and Praet had an early shot blocked by his own man. Maddison was busy and nearly threaded in Vardy before United finally got up the other end winning an early corner. Tielemans then dragged a shot wide as Leicester continued to look more fluent. Choudhury was breaking up the play and allowing the talented attacking players in front to probe. They won a free kick with Fuchs sent off target before Vardy glanced wide. United were careless with the ball and twice gave it away leading to half chances.
A rare break saw Lundstram fire well off target before Vardy again playing on the shoulder nearly combined with Perez. United had a good effort when the ball dropped to Baldock whose volleyed effort went straight into Schmeichel’s hands – a few yards either side and it would have been a goal.
On the 38th minute, a mistake from Basham saw him disposed and Maddison played a ball over the top and VARDY was in. He cut in and rifled past Henderson. His Wednesday connections saw him celebrate the goal by cupping his ears to the Kop drawing the ire of the Blades fans. Leicester had been the better side and probably deserved the lead.
United won a corner just before half time but O’Connell, well placed headed well-off target.
After the break, Freeman seemed to be playing higher up the field but Leicester had the first chance when a break saw Perez in but Egan made the block as Leicester looked to get the killer second goal. Wilder opted to change his front two and both Sharp and McBurnie came on for the ineffectual Robinson and McGoldrick on 54 minutes. Lundstram was booked for a late foul as United looked to take up the intensity.
Straight away the new boys linked and led to a corner. McBurnie was holding it up and Sharp was running the channels. Leicester were now getting pinned back and a few balls were coming in with Baldock getting deep into the visiting territory. This tactic worked when just over the hour, Baldock whipped in a cross and MCBURNIE got up and powered his header into the far corner past the flailing Schmeichel. It was his first goal for the Blades and he celebrated in front of the Kop as the noise levels went through the roof.
Buoyed by this, United came again and another cross from Baldock saw Schmeichel put under pressure but the ball was cleared. United now were going for it but Leicester nearly got through on the counter attack. Freeman then had a chance but dithered and was robbed. The ball was transferred over the other way and Leicester won a corner. United cleared the first but could not get out to the second when it was cleared. Fuchs sent over a cross that fell to the edge of the box and BARNES hit an unstoppable half volley giving Henderson no chance at all.
United tried to respond and Schmeichel made a stunning save from Lundstram although the flag went up. Morrison came on for Basham as United sent United kept trying to work it for the crossing opportunity and McBurnie was winning the headers but they could not get another chance. There was four minutes of stoppage time allotted to be played. United won a free kick on the edge of the box when Lundstram was fouled but Norwood’s free kick clipped the wall on the way to going out for a corner. The corner was cleared and United could not fashion another opening before the final whistle came.
United – Mixed for me. A lot are praising us and saying we maybe deserved a draw but I think the score was about right. We played ok and were in the game for all of it but only played well for one half and in the end the bits of quality for them coupled with a mistake led to the goals. At this level you will see quality like the 2nd in most teams and the first was a poor mistake. In a game of few chances that decided the game really. Outside of this I felt they showed most of the technical quality on display but created little. They then got rattled but a bit of an old-fashioned approach from United second half where they got the ball forward quickly and into the box from wide.
They had most of the first half, scored and had nearly all the ball. We were sloppy, gave it away and did not get up the field. Wilder was right – we were very slow and pedestrian in everything we did and kept giving it away. The goal was so poor from Basham but Norwood, O’Connell and others had made mistakes also in the first half giving the ball up. The three up top pinned us back and made sure the centre backs could not push on as they would break on us with the pace. This 3 up top has caused us problems before (recall Bristol City doing it well at the Lane)
We made it easy for them and had no real attacking threat. They probably thought it was going to be a much harder game visiting team. First half we did not really threaten at all and you worried where the chances would come from. You do realise you will only get maybe 2 or 3 chances at this level and you have to take good ones. Today we did not miss any outside of the Lundstram one but Vardy showed the level of clinical play at this level. We made a mistake and they were in.
Then after the break we made changes and it was a different game. We had more intensity and got up the pitch and the strikers made a difference. We got level and then you thought who knows what could happen now. The goal was a great shot and even though Freeman lost the ball, we maybe could have got out to the cross or even the shot, sometimes you just accept it was a great strike. I could live with that more than the opening goal. After this we had a go but we did not get any clear chances outside of the Lundstram one that was offside. Still if we had nicked a point you would not have been surprised. 2-1 was about right. We did not disgrace ourselves and were in the game but it was a bit huffy and puffy rather than real quality from us that got us back in the game. I don’t think we really controlled the game at any point and the midfield were sloppy all game. Still Leicester also were not causing us tons of issues and we did some really good things in terms of the 2nd half in terms of effort, desire and pinning them back.
We moved it quicker and got good balls into the box. I will say that we did not see the team we have seen the last few years in terms of defenders bombing on or interchanging, neat football. We struggled to show much creativity at all and did not play though the lines. It was a lot of old fashioned get it wide and get it into the box that caused the problems and Baldock’s supply was the big threat second half. We played quite a direct style in that sense at times and I did feel creatively there was not much else other than get the ball into the box from out wide. Nothing wrong with that at times but we do need to mix it up. Teams will just sit in and we have to then go wide and cross. We need to maybe at times be a bit cuter. For all the positive improvements, we also did not create that much in the way of chances. You could say neither did they but always felt they looked the more dangerous of the teams going forward even second half we looked at full stretch at times defensively when they broke. Still at 1-1 you felt we may get another headed chance or a ball may drop from a cross again.
For me 2nd half we played better and tried hard but you can clearly see the step up in quality and we have to do better than that to get results over the course of a game. Leicester will be in the top half but it is the sort of game you probably need to take something from really when you consider the likelihood that the top 6 x 2 is 12 games you may not get anything from. It leaves you with 26 games and 13 at home. Those 13 are quite key to your survival hopes really. People may scoff and say we did well but like Wilder said we have to play better than that at this level to pick up points as the game played out in the end. I don’t buy all this talk of if we play like that (basically did not play for 50-55 minutes) we will be ok as if we play like that, we will lose most weeks in this league. A gutsy one-half performance will yield lots of ‘tried hard in defeat’ type shows. That is how high the standards are. Leicester were not amazing but those moments of quality will happen most games at this level where there are players like Vardy, Maddison and Barnes in every team.
As I say a bit like Wilder said, we have to improve and be better in our passing, bravery and pace of play. I think it becomes dangerous to have the mentality if we had played like that, we would beat a lot of other teams. It does not work like that. Villa beat Everton, a team pegged to finish similar to Leicester, and at home I think we need to be on the front foot and show more offensive play than we did for large parts of the game. Next week is a tough game but I don’t want us to have the mentality we had under Warnock where we went away and got done easily at Spurs, Everton, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc the last time we were up there. Most of those games we sat back and were beat before we started, often going a few goals behind early on. We can’t be gung-ho but need to be better with the ball and the front two (McBurnie starting surely) have to hold it up more. We also need to make sure we do not make silly mistakes. In a strange way it may suit us playing a team expected to beat us easily and coming at us more.