United 5 Bournemouth 3 - report

[Deadbat]

Sheffield United remain unbeaten after they finally saw off plucky Bournemouth at Bramall Lane in an eight goal thriller. Despite going behind after sloppy defending led to a free header from Tommy Elphick; United moved into a 3-1 lead at half time courtesy of a quick fire Ryan Flynn double and sublime individual goal from John Cofie. Indeed United could have had further goals as Kevin McDonald and Cofie had hit the frame of the goal before the interval. More poor defending saw a further free header from Lee Barnard reduce the arrears but the returning Richard Cresswell headed home soon after his introduction after more good work from Flynn. That seemed to be it but another goal late on from the visitors courtesy of a strike from Marc Pugh threatened the verdict again. However in stoppage time Nick Blackman won and converted a spot kick to finally ensure the three points remained in Sheffield.



United made one change with the departing Stephen Quinn replaced by Flynn. Cresswell was back in the squad; beginning on the bench that was largely filled by youngster again. There was no place yet for newcomer Dave Kitson who was sat in the directors’ box amongst some of the new supposed Nigerian ‘investors.’ The Cherries had brought in a number of new faces in the summer and had experienced performers such as Barnard, Richard Hughes, Miles Addison and former Blade Simon Francis in their ranks. They also had former Rotherham man Lewis Grabban in their attack and for a league one side had lavished a fair amount of funds out in anticipation of a season where they would be expected to contend for the playoff places at least.



After Jessica Ennis’ Mum and Sister were introduced as part of the unveiling of the newly named stand at the Bramall Lane end; the game kicked off with the Blades making the early running. Cofie looked dangerous early on with his enthusiastic running and showed some neat touches but he was crowded out from an early chance. United had a diamond formation with Doyle at the base and Flynn and McDonald inside and McAllister more advanced but it caused problems when we lost the ball.



United’s marking was poor as a cross came in and a free header from Grabban was glanced wide. McMahon and Maguire remonstrated with each other but soon after another half chance came and went as United looked less than secure at the back. Despite this the home side were enjoying most of the ball and from a neat move they won a corner which saw Collins fire over when he really ought to have done better.



It had been an even game so far but after United’s promising start, Bournemouth had come back into things and after Grabban shot wide it was not a huge surprise when they scored. It seemed like United were trying to get back to a more natural 4-4-2 but as they tried to reorganise, Hill was given little chance as a two on one overlap came about after a corner and the cross from O’Kane was unopposed as was the header in the middle as ELPHICK got between Collins and Maguire to finish with a powerful header.



It was poor defending and United were behind despite playing the better football. Still undeterred they came again and after neat move they nearly got level immediately. McDonald eventually advanced and cracked a low drive that hit the inside of the post and bounced out. It was a great effort and had deserved a goal but United retrieved the rebound and were able to move down the left with Hill helping the ball back in and McAllister nodded back across goal for FLYNN to finish from close range from Jalal.



United now seemed more determined and after the scare of the goal they were now looking the more likely and it was not long after when they went in front and it came from the same source as their first goal. The ball from McMahon looped up off Addison and over to the left wing position and with the right back nowhere; FLYNN picked up the ball, moved forward in the inside left position and then using the defender as a shield curled in a clever finish inside the keeper’s left hand post. It had been two opportunistic finishes from the Scottish winger that had helped turn the game around.



United were now suddenly in the ascendancy with McDonald controlling the game and Bournemouth unable to get close to him. Cofie had looked lively and earn a couple of free kicks with his pace and strong running. After hesitancy in the middle of the field, McDonald and COFIE stole possession and the Man Utd loanee ran from just inside half way towards the Bournemouth goal. He kept running and then from around 25 yards he hit a tremendous powerful shot that seared into the top corner of the goal with Jalal nowhere near it. It was a superb individual goal and one that would not have looked out of place in the Premier League.



Cofie had been a real nuisance and the Cherries seemed unsure whether to back off due to his pace or close him down with his shooting ability and this dilemma came to the fore again just before the break. He got the ball ran at them and then hit another powerful shot from a long way around that cracked off the bar and away to safety. He was on fire and seemed like something would happen whenever the ball went towards him.



At the break Bournemouth made a change and MacDonald came off to be replaced by the former Pompey man Hughes who had clearly been charged with the responsibility of picking up Kevin McDonald who had been the architect of much of United’s best play.



Some incredibly sloppy defending though saw the away side back into the game not long after the break. United had several opportunities to clear as Maguire’s low clearance lacked authority and then Doyle could have cleared. McMahon also maybe should have hacked the ball clear but eventually a corner resulted when Doyle bundled the ball out. From the delivery, United’s dreadful marking from the first half continued as BARNARD was able to find space and lose his marker Collins and headed into the net giving Howard no chance.



It was an odd game that United seemed in control in terms of general play but the score line and the awful defending meant that in actual fact they were never actually in any kind of control. It was reminiscent of the Exeter game at the Lane last season when you felt like both teams might score whenever they went forward with neither defence covering themselves in glory.



Cofie seemed to have picked up a knock and had looked at the bench a few times before he finally was brought off with the new player coach Cresswell coming on in his place. It surely must have been an injury as Cofie had been the far more impressive of the two frontmen and had caused the visitors all sorts of problems. McQuoid also came on for Partington for the South Coast side.



Cresswell’s first header from a long ball saw him head it out of play but this initial piece of rustiness was followed by a classic piece of centre forward play as his next contribution led to a goal just before the hour mark. Flynn had impressed with his running, touch and link play all day and again he picked up the ball and went at the defender before coming inside, crossing to the far post. CRESSWELL managed to gain a yard on his man and used his strength to hold him off and head expertly into the top corner as the ball looped away from the despairing dive of. There may have been a slight suspicion of a foul as the defender remained prone on the deck as the Blades celebrated but there were few appeals from many of the other players and perhaps it was just a case of the veteran using his experience to ensure he won the header. It was a goal reminiscent of the one he scored at the back end of last season against Stevenage.

 

[Deadbat]

Fogden came on for O’Kane but United now finally seemed to have some sort of semblance of control and a few neat moves led to chances for McAllister and Cresswell with Blackman having his best spell of the game laying on both chances. McDonald was now controlling matter with the change of Hughes who had been detailed to mark him; not really working. McDonald had a shot deflected wide as United looked for more goals and were playing some nice football in the bright sunshine.



The game seemed to be petering towards the final whistle but suddenly out of nowhere more sloppiness saw the verdict back in the balance. They had been given a warning when Doyle lost the ball and Grabban miskicked at the back post but soon after another mistake saw the ball in the net. Once again the home side gave the ball away and it eventually fell to PUGH, who was given too much time and lined up a shot from the edge of the box. His low drive had too much power for Howard and nestled into the net. It was very much a case of game on again as the groans from the home side confirmed yet another sloppy goal had been given away. There were still three minutes of normal time left and any stoppage time; which was signalled to be four additional minutes for United to hang on.



The crowd became anxious and from a Hill mistake a cross came over and McMahon almost put the ball in his own net but somehow got it over his own bar as it looked all the world like a leveller would result. The corner was scrambled clear and after a spell of keep ball in the corner, BLACKMAN then motored into the box and was clearly pulled down. The linesman put his flag to his chest and after some token appeals from the defenders, Blackman got the ball and after a stutter at the end of his run up cooly rolled the ball into the right hand corner of Jilal’s goal and finally saw that three points were sealed. It was not long after before referee Miller signalled the end of a thoroughly entertaining afternoon of football that would have been more positive for the supporters than perhaps either manager whom will need to a great deal of work with their defenders in the weeks to come.



United – Strange performance. It was much, much better than Shrewsbury from an attacking sense and the football we played was quicker, more fluid and created more chances. We scored 5 and could have had 8 or 9. We had some stand out players such as Cofie, McDonald and Flynn and few of the goals were excellent. We passed it well at times and there were some neat moves reminiscent of last season. I thought Blackman and McAllister were quiet and Doyle was sloppy but all three still contributed towards the attacking elements of our play. We moved it from side to side, linked well and were patient. We made chances with simple but neat play and it was at much higher tempo than the Shrews game. We lacked wingers but have two neat and tidy footballers in McAllister and Flynn to compensate and the interchange at times between all the players was good. We looked like getting chances and scoring goals despite not really having what I would call an out and out scorer.



However, the other side of our game; defensively (not just the defence but the whole side) we were really, really poor and as bad as anything last season (remember Oldham and Exeter at home?!). Blackman and Cofie gave the ball away at times and did not chase back; we had a formation that started the game where no one seemed to know where they were playing and led to two on one’s for both full backs and wingers for Bournemouth as we in affect had no wingers with Flynn and McDonald inside, McAllister advanced centrally and Doyle at the base of a diamond. It was ok when we attacked but when we lost it, we were all over the place.



What was worrying was how many free openings they had with players constantly unmarked in the middle. It was not the defence I remember from last season and it was more the middle than the full backs that were not really great but not to blame as much. You could not really blame the keeper for the goal either. We gave the ball away and at times gave them chances when the ball should have been cleared from hesitancy or overplay. Overall there were so many worrying things in this side and the away fans/team probably could not believe we were nearly as bad as them at times.



Still it was three points and the crowd were entertained despite the amateurish defending and the game at times resembled a basketball game. We were the better side for the most part and for long periods seemed in control, once we got level, but then chucked a daft goal away. It should have been comfortable but it never was. We need to try and get back to solid play of last season defensively and if we can get some performances from the attacking players like that today then maybe we might be ok despite all the departures (fair to say we have lost 4 of best 6/7 players last season).



Just a word on the developments yesterday. It was no surprise that Quinn went as he can clearly play at a higher level. I think he could have got a better move (no offence to Hull – every offence to Steve Bruce). He seemed genuinely choked when he was interviewed which was good to hear that he has such feelings for the club. Also Nick Montgomery who has divided opinion but is another has been a great servant to the club and good luck to him and his family. Both players have been loyal to the club and been part of the furniture but due to finances it was time for them to move on. I would have liked Quinn to stay but it was not be and it was inevitable really. He will be missed from a playing side as despite his critics; he was a clever play who was central to many of our better performances. I do not think Montgomery will be.



Hopefully we can get in a wide man next week and maybe another midfielder in the central area. We certainly need some pace down the flanks and some more creativity. Be interesting to see where Kitson fits in as with the strikers we already have, we seem now to be overflowing in this area but is it a case of quantity over quality? From Wilson’s comments it seems that it was a move initiated by the McCabe family (his son knows Kitson apparently) so not sure how it sits with him despite Wilson’s welcoming comments yesterday on the signing.



At least now we can say no one really should be on ridiculous wages really as all the so called high earners have now gone. We in affect should have bottomed out at least in terms of playing squad wages and can in affect now start again with sensible budgeting/wages but one that still should be in excess of most at this level and thus ‘should’ mean we can attack the top 6 again this season if we can get a few more in. The division is a poor one and despite all my concerns the results so far suggest even despite our weaknesses we will still be stronger than a good many of the league.



As for the Nigerian link; well after reading everything; looking at his background and listening to McCabe; I do not think there is anything to be excited by. We are not suddenly going to have funds for the football club. It is all a bit of a non-story to me.

 

[Deadbat]

Bournemouth – They spent quite a bit of money towards the end of last season and this summer and have a smattering of talented players (such as Pugh who I do like) and some experienced performers too. They maybe lack a real out and out scorer as talents like McQuoid, Thomas and Tubbs have maybe not quite done it at the higher level after promise lower down the leagues. They are a fairly big side and competed well from set plays. I can see them being strong at home but like a lot of teams at this level may struggle away. They scored a few well-made and taken goals and looked decent when they did go forward although United made some poor mistakes that contributed to some of their opportunities.



In terms of football at times they did play some decent stuff but at others they tossed away the ball under little to no pressure. At the back they were dire. We scored a few decent goals but easily could have had 2 or 3 more and some of the mistakes they made were stuff you would not expect to see at Graves Park on a Sunday morning. Every time Cofie went at them they panicked and the centre backs looked slow and cumbersome. Simon Francis was worse than I remember as Flynn gave him a torrid time. Indeed Francis is the first defender I have seen Flynn beat for speed and skill (more than once too).



Unsure where they will finish. Shrewsbury actually looked a better side but could not finish where Bournemouth do have more goals in them. My prediction would probably be similar to last season and they will be around the middle of the division. I expect to see better sides than them but they will probably be a lot worse without their attacking threats (scored 3 away at one of favourites after all) but they simply have to defend better than that.



Howard 6/10 – I felt both headers were things he could do little with; they were far enough away from his goal that he could not come. He caught a few crosses in the first half and then missed a few (flapped) a few in the second half. Maybe he could have done a touch better with the third as it did go under him but was well struck. To be honest he got little protection today but felt both centre backs had off days and seemed unsure who they were marking. The communication between then all seemed off and he and the defence need to improve in this aspect. His distribution was impressive again; with long kicks and some good throw outs.



Hill 6.5/10 – He was steady enough and maybe the best of the defenders. He was given an impossible task at the start as our formation meant he often had the winger and full back running at him. He did alright today and the only mistake he made was at the end when he sliced it and they nearly levelled (when McMahon cleared) Despite all the criticism he gets, he mostly is quite steady and at this level is probably better than most. Look at the two full backs for them today who were quite poor; especially Simon Francis who showed why he never made it at the Lane (the top level) originally with a shambolic display.



McMahon 6/10 – He is steady defensively and much like Hill he does not offer much going forward but stays relatively close to his man and does tackle well. He lost his marker on the far post twice though as his fellow defenders and he did not communicate. Also a few pieces of overplay or sloppy touches led to half chances in the second half. He got forward a few times but never saw him put any real crosses of danger in and once when he finally got deep into the Bournemouth half; McAllister played a poor ball and over hit it.



Maguire 6/10 – He was another that in general play was ok with solid headers and tackles/blocks. He passed the ball well and kept it nice and simple. However, along with Collins, their communication and marking was awful. They lost men time after time and we did not win the headers we should win. They had one big guy in Barnard and then Grabban who is not known for his heading but they seemed to win an awful lot of headers. Two goals from crosses saw unopposed finishes and they had been a few more aside from these. Need to tighten up as a pair as they looked nowhere like last years standards.



Collins 5/10 – In the two games so far this season at home I do not feel he has got to the standards of last season and sadly looks a bit more like the Collins of a few years ago. Maybe that is harsh but his touch, control, marking and general defending has been off for me and we looked so susceptible down the middle today (from high balls too!) and it looked a world away from last season. Maybe it is due to a new keeper or a new right back but we should have shut up shop a few times today and we lacked the solidity of last season.



Doyle 4.5/10 – As with Collins I do not think he has got to the good standards he set last year. He did some neat and tidy things and won a few tackles early on and showed his usual niggly, but effective side of his play. However I lost count of the number of times he gave the ball away or overplayed or tried to do too much. They scored one because of it and maybe could have had a few more. He did not really act a shield and there was too much space between the defence and midfield; an area where we were strong last year. We were basically way too open and Doyle did not do the job he was in the side to do. His actual attacking play at times was ok with some decent passes but he needs to get back to what he is good at and give it to those that can play rather than trying to be too clever.



McDonald 8/10 – The best midfielder on the pitch and at times he ran the game. Everything good we did came through him. His touch, balance, vision and the way he switches play so effortlessly was a joy to watch. He still flits out of the game a bit too much and could do even more but that is being ultra-critical. They tried to get tight to him but he continually found space. Central to any chances we have of success this year and in my opinion way too good for this division.



Flynn 8/10 – Thought that was his best ever all round game in a red and white shirt. Scored two and assisted on another. I may have not been his biggest fan as those who read my reports will testify but today he did all the good things he did but did more. There was the hard work, cover full back (after he was switched to the left – after initial formation did not work) and get up and down and linked well with teammates. There were also things we have not seen much of. Two impressive finishes (the second a gem), a number of crosses coming in and also some trickery, pace and some strength as he beat his man a few times and caused problems down the flank all game. If he plays like that every game then he will be a big asset at this level but needs to show this consistency; he has set his standard now. Excellent today.



McAllister 5.5/10 – Not sure about him still; at least in this position. He put a shift in and made a few neat and tidy passes (assisted on the first goal too) but I felt much of the game just passed him by. He never really got involved enough and does not look like he knows where to stand or move to playing in the unnatural wide position. He is doing a job for us but ultimately I feel he will probably give way or play more in the centre when a more orthodox wide man comes in (hopefully on loan next week).

 

[Deadbat]

Blackman 6/10 – Felt he was ordinary for 70-75 minutes of the game and was overshadowed by his strike partner, Cofie and then Cresswell. He did not get that involved and seemed to lack the hunger of the first game. His touch was not the best and nothing stuck up to him. He seemed to get frustrated and then got a knock and came off and limped back on. However, to be fair to him he played a few neat passes towards the end and then made and won a penalty with an individual run. His penalty was also calm and sealed the win. Both he and Cofie do seem inconsistent at the moment with often one playing well and the other out of sorts. I suppose that is what it is like with young players.



Cofie 7.5/10 –Very good for the hour he played. He ran at the defenders, he showed a good touch, he held it up when he could and linked with others. He looked more like the player I saw at Rotherham (admittedly not been to the two league away games) and his pace and rawness frightened the defenders. His goal was superb and he really does pack a powerful shot; he nearly scored another soon after when he hit the bar. Defenders were unsure whether to back off (due to pace) or get tight (due to shooting) and were probably relieved when he came off. Still got a lot to learn; such as where to run and when to release the ball etc and needs to work harder off the ball but there is some real talent in the boy that is for sure and with proper coaching and a good work ethic he has a chance to be very good. I am sure he will be up and down for us but with Cresswell, Miller, Porter and Kitson we do have some options up top now. Hopefully we can get some wingers in to create now.



Subs



Cresswell – His first header ballooned out of play and another touch came off his shin. Between this he scored a great strikers goal. This was a typical Cresswell goal as he held his position, pinned down his man and headed superbly home. It was the sort of goal, that with no offence. Blackman and Cofie would probably not score. He nearly scored again after a run from Flynn and showed the nous we will need despite some of Cressy’s critics (including myself- but in a way if he has restructured his contract and is coaching then we have two assets so is a sensible move).





Officials – Nigel Miller. Thought for once I actually thought we had a bit of a ‘homer.’ I rarely say that and feel for a big club (at least this level) we never seem to get the kind of decisions others get at higher levels respectively (Man Utd etc). Today I felt we got more decisions although there was never anything massively controversial just quite a few of the niggly ones went out way. There were a couple of appeals for pens for pushes on Maguire and Cresswell with the latter maybe being a better appeal but after he had let pushing and shoving go for the Cresswell goal I felt it was a fair enough. He booked three visitors and only one I felt was a yellow card with the other two fairly innocuous.



Crowd/Atmosphere – Crowd as over 18,000 again but was probably due in part to the cheap tickets on offer. Bournemouth brought only a couple of hundred and generally the atmosphere was flat despite so many goals. It was an odd atmosphere and like the first game all seemed a bit ‘practice match’ in its feeling. The game lacked any really bad tackles or controversy but had some very good goals and I felt the crowd were a tad quiet despite such quality play; even if the defending was not the best at either end.



As an aside; my personal feeling on the Jessica Ennis stand is that whilst it is a nice tribute and I am as proud of her as any other Sheffielder (great girl, very humble, tremendous athlete and proud of her roots); she perhaps should have left it the Council to make their decision. She is not really anything to do with the club and despite her family/boyfriend being Blades and her admitting she is a Blade; I think even she would admit she is not a rabid fan or someone who has any real ties with club. Maybe I am a killjoy and it was a good sign that 5 of the 8 goals came at that end! Still be good to see her at a game at some point in the future (maybe they could let all School Kids in for free or very cheap and actually fill it as a one off!).

 

[Latters]

I think you're very generous to Hill who was at fault for at least two of their goals due to his lack of positional sense. He was nowhere to be seen when their winger was picking out his crosses.

Conversely, I think you're harsh on Doyle, who was fine for me, playing some nice football and Blackman, who caused them problems, ran his bollocks off and won the penalty which he converted with great composure.

Flynn was my man of the match though. Keep that up and we might not miss Quinny, who I rated very highly.

 

[diplomat]

I couldn't make it today unfortunately so thanks for the report Deadbat. I think we carry a fair amount of threat. If we can continue to out score the other team I'll take more days like today.

 

[jt64]

nice read

best i've seen us play in quite a while. cofie looks very good and appears to be the sort of player that can attack opposition defences that we've been missing. blackman continues to impress, thought flynn played well, amazing what a goal or two will do for confidence. with kitson brought in to challenge for places, and cresswell returning, it should create nice competition for places.

jessica ennis stand? is mccabe pissed? quite possibly, the scoreboard op clearly was telling us the pigs were 2-0 down at derby, then later 2-0 down at palace

hill looked pretty isolated at times, seemed like everything they had came down the right and he badly needed help. dunno how best to tweak things but to go "we've scored 5, who cares" when looking at defensive deficiencies won't really work when we concede twice to free headers and don't get that many at the other end

thought the ref let a lot go. could quite easily have booked a lot more, bournemouth seemed fairly dirty as opposed to last season where they seemed to play some decent football, also he missed a stonewaller midway through the second half when their centre back hauled down our player evra on jelavic style, which'd have put the game to bed completely

 

[sheffielder]

Doyle has pissed me off more than anyone so far this season. He seems half hearted to me and the drive and conviction which brings belief should come from your captain.

In regards to the crowd, we need to remember there are no rivals this year and because of this it's going to be a hard slog however well we play

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Pretty fair report, Doyle's mark is a bit harsh though. We were good going forward and took our chances which was pleasing. McDonald was fantastic, Flynn also. We need to tighten up a bit in certain areas, we look very narrow at times and need to replace Quinn for that reason. Flynn is the only natural wide man we now have amongst the senior players and unless he plays like that every week we could have a problem. The lack of width and cover for the full backs gave McMahon and Hill a lot to do on occasions.....I thought they coped fairly well considering.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I think you're very generous to Hill who was at fault for at least two of their goals due to his lack of positional sense. He was nowhere to be seen when their winger was picking out his crosses.

Conversely, I think you're harsh on Doyle, who was fine for me, playing some nice football and Blackman, who caused them problems, ran his bollocks off and won the penalty which he converted with great composure.

Flynn was my man of the match though. Keep that up and we might not miss Quinny, who I rated very highly.

I liked Quinn, but i think for a long time his career had stalled with us, and i'm not all that disappointed to see him go to be quite honest.

With you on Hill, just seem to have signed on two shit left-backs in him and Williams, can't wait for Lesc to get back.

The other point about Ryan Flynn is that he is a classic out and out winger, he will drift in and out of games, some games he will be unplayable, others anonymous, seen loads like him over the years.

 

[Deadbat]

I think you're very generous to Hill who was at fault for at least two of their goals due to his lack of positional sense. He was nowhere to be seen when their winger was picking out his crosses.

Conversely, I think you're harsh on Doyle, who was fine for me, playing some nice football and Blackman, who caused them problems, ran his bollocks off and won the penalty which he converted with great composure.

Flynn was my man of the match though. Keep that up and we might not miss Quinny, who I rated very highly.

Which two do you blame Hill for? The first he had 2 on 1 and yes cross came from his side but was left exposed due to silly diamond formation we began with. The thrid came when Doyle kicked out under no pressure. Both goals still had a lot to do but were free headers. The third came when Doyle let again failed to close down play.

I like Doyle but he was poor today and gave the ball away constantly in the second half.

I thought Blackman was ok but not as good as the opening game and Cofie carried the greater threat. If we get them both playing well together then we may have a good strikeforce and unsure how Kitson, Porter, Miller fit in?

 

[upton blade]

good report deadbat. cant fault the effort of the lads today i think we were sloppy at times but great to watch in the main.

 

[stannyblade]

I thought the ref was too leanient on their thugs. Definate penalties on harry and cresswell missed.

 

[super_pig]

good report and agree with all of the points.. nice to see flynn finally show what he is about. the goal worked wonders for his confidence but as usual KMac was head and shoulders above the others.. if i was being ultra critical i thought blackman did well because although not in the game he puts himself about and puts the defenders under pressure. i like the fact that he has a bit of attitude and won't be pushed around
i'm worried about doyle and collins though.. they seem to have gone back to their Micky Adams form
good win though.. very enjoyable game.. a bit like the Exeter game but we won

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

nice report again Deadbat. Thanks. Funny how the beers taste better on a Satdy after a decent win.

 

[Kev Gee]

Good report as always DB! Thank you!

 

[Houso]

Cheers Deaders.

Agreed with a couple of others above though in the harshness of the mark on Doyle and the generosity with Hill.

While the latter was exposed at times, he was terribly tentative at times and seemed to confuse himself whether to go for a ball or close down an attacker.

I'd go with:

Howard - 5/10 (worries me with his lack of communication and tendency to flap)

McMahon - 7/10 (thought he looked solid in defence and really good going forward)
Hill - 5/10 (the flip of a usual Hill performance - good going forward, poor in defence)
Maguire - 5/10 (all over the shop)
Collins - 5/10 (also all over the shop)

Flynn - 8/10 (outstanding, showed the great touch that we've seen before, but used the ball brilliantly and went past defenders a number of times)
McAllister 5/10 (sadly, he's not living up to expectations - seemed slow to the ball, slow with the ball and missed a chance he should have buried)
Doyle - 6/10 (battled hard and used the ball well enough)
K-Mac - 8/10 (little needs saying about him. He's an absolute class apart. So much time on the ball and will be make or break as to whether we go up).

Cofie - 7/10 (would have got a higher mark had he stayed on the pitch. Bournemouth were terrified of him and while he's raw, I think this point has been overstated. He did consistently good things with the ball today.
Blackman - 7/10 (worked hard, held the ball well, had a couple of good runs and took his penalty well)

Cresswell - 7/10 (mixed bag and good to see him on the pitch. He gets an extra point for his excellent header. He needs to realise he can't outrun other players these days though!)

All in all, really enjoyed it. My first time on John Street in years and I really don't know how you season tickets cope on there. May have been just the people I was sat around, but dear christ, one old dear was the one woman McDonald hate campaign - "get it forward McDonald, you've done nothing", "you're rubbish McDonald", "I've not been impressed with anyone today!"

 

[Paulus]

All in all, really enjoyed it. My first time on John Street in years and I really don't know how you season tickets cope on there. May have been just the people I was sat around, but dear christ, one old dear was the one woman McDonald hate campaign - "get it forward McDonald, you've done nothing", "you're rubbish McDonald", "I've not been impressed with anyone today!"

This made me laugh, I was on the Westfield corner and I had a right bunch of classic mardy chuffs behind me (Row O 205-208 if you want to know) among a constant negitive barrage from start to finish my LOL moment came shortly before half time when one bloke said to the moaner in chief " Shall I get you a beer then?" Long pause, sigh, "Oh, I suppose so"
So, Blades winning, great goals, entertaining play, cheap to get in, mate offers to buy you a beer and he's STILL bloody miserable. What the hell do these blokes want?

 

[JohnDenver]

A bloke behind me on the South Stand was berating Wilson for starting without a left winger. Moments later, Flynn came across, popped in a couple and set up another. **silence**

 

[upton blade]

This made me laugh, I was on the Westfield corner and I had a right bunch of classic mardy chuffs behind me (Row O 205-208 if you want to know) among a constant negitive barrage from start to finish my LOL moment came shortly before half time when one bloke said to the moaner in chief " Shall I get you a beer then?" Long pause, sigh, "Oh, I suppose so"
So, Blades winning, great goals, entertaining play, cheap to get in, mate offers to buy you a beer and he's STILL bloody miserable. What the hell do these blokes want?

i sat in south stand and had two blokes behind me constantly moaning about cofie and blackman and their lack of "touch" lol. i just had to turn around when cofie put that shot in the top corner and laugh at them . the lane is full of them!!!!

 

[sitwell]

I couldnt disagree more about Doyle ,just watch the first 20 minutes again if you get chance ,he won the midfield and gave Macdonald and Flynn the room to play in later in the game as their midfield players really didnt fancy it. H wins almost every 50/50 going and he has a good left foot. Macdonald will catch the eye because of his great football ability but today you have given Doyle a massive disservice.

 

[Paulus]

Thanks for the report, in general I agree with your views. I thought we set up poorly at the start and you are quite right to point out that Hill was sadly exposed in the opening minutes because he had zero cover in front of him. Moving Flynn onto the left changed the game.

The front two definitely have potential but they contribute to our apparent defensive weakness by not working back effectively enough when the opposition have the ball, I also think that Blackman improved after Cresswell replaced Cofie, despite their individual attributes Blackman and Cofie are not looking anything like a partnership as yet and the experience of Cresswell in terms of positioning and movement helped Blackman.

Conceding the Bournemouth goal after half time was very poor, we seemed to be very late back on the pitch and the players appeared to have left their brains back in the changing room - no-one had switched on at all.

I wonder whether we might be improved by Cresswell starting on the left as he has a number of times in the past and moving Flynn on to the other flank at the expense of McAllister, This might adversely effect Flynn who definitely seems to fit in better on the left but the overall cohesion of the team might improve.

 

[Deadbat]

Doyle was the man who completely lost his runner on the first goal (free header) and knew it from his reaction when it hit the net (watch the replay). Of course the cross should not have come over unopposed (Hill faced a two on one) though.

As for Doyle breaking up the play; I saw a few niggly fouls and pulls (lucky to get away with one piece of play) when their man strangely got booked and he did do ok for this period but in the second half he gave the ball away half a dozen times and two or three led to direct chances and then finally the corner from they scored. He made another awful rick when he lost the ball and Grabban sliced badly wide. This was a time when we needed to keep the ball and he needed to protect the defence with calm, not constantly give it away as he did in the second half.

I like Doyle and always been a fan (one of our key men last year) but been very ordinary in the first two home games; as has Collins. Worryingly their form is more of the players I remember under the disastrous Adams tenure.

Still cannot understand the criticism of Hill; he was given an impossible task for the opening spell (faced two players) and for the rest of the game I cannot remember the winger skinning him too much or him making any real mistakes? He made one at the end when he sliced it and they nearly scored when Barnard's cross was deflected over by McMahon.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

I thought Hill played ok, and his cross led to the first goal. Of the 2 full backs he was superior to McMahon IMO.

For the first 15 minutes we were a shambles on the left McDonald seemed to start out there, then there was no-one on the left wing, and they scored their goal as a direct result of that and Hill being left 1 on 2 for that period of about 5 minutes. Then we woke up and Flynn moved to the left and we looked much better.

I actually prefer Flynn on the left than the right even though he's right footed. He rarely goes round the back of fullbacks (be it a pace or confidence issue), but cutting in from the left wing opens him up to more crossing opportunities, and he played very well after the first 15, and his second goal was taken very nicely.

Maguire and Collins just generally had below average games, and the defence as a unit was poor. In attack we surprised and created a ton as well as the goals, and since we all thought goals would be the problem this year, I'd much prefer to be worried about the defence at the moment than going forward.

And I would have given Blackman at least a 7/10 he absolutely worked his balls off, especially in the 2nd half and showed a lot of nice touches. I think he really deserved his goal.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

On Doyle, I think he had a poor first half and contributed to our lack of control of the game. But as we got on top in the second half I thought he really improved, there was a period of about 5 minutes in the middle of the 2nd half where Bournemouth couldn't get out of their half because Doyle kept winning it when it got to midfield. McDonald once we had better control of the game looked a class above again, but it is a true midfield pairing where we need Doyle to be dominant for KMac to be able to do his stuff.

 

[axel smeets]

Thoroughly enjoyed the game. True, we did have defensive deficencies, but it was great to watch United score 5. Bournemouth to their credit came to win the game, which I never complain about. A lovely day, coupled with a defeat for the FFF at Selhurst, the beer tasted great afterwards!

 

[Swanseablade]

McMahon 6/10 – He got forward a few times but never saw him put any real crosses of danger in and once when he finally got deep into the Bournemouth half; McAllister played a poor ball and over hit it.

Thought McMahon crossed for Flynn's second goal, or was that McAllister???

 

[Houso]

If you watch the Sky highlights, apparently it was Hill who hit the post and the subsequent goalscorer was Rooan Flynn or something.

But yep, I think it was McMahon who crossed it. And I thought he was really quite good for us throughout. Didn't have much support going forward in front off him as McAllister wasn't great, but he still contributed in attack and was very solid in defence.

 

[blade too long]

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,26947_8045089,00.html
highlights include Cofies other effort

 

[DeepcarBlade]

If you watch the Sky highlights, apparently it was Hill who hit the post and the subsequent goalscorer was Rooan Flynn or something.

But yep, I think it was McMahon who crossed it. And I thought he was really quite good for us throughout. Didn't have much support going forward in front off him as McAllister wasn't great, but he still contributed in attack and was very solid in defence.

and we played Colchester in mid-week and the cross bar is now a post!!!