Was Saturdays loss the be all and end all?

[Robbie]

Well come on people,

There is a lot of people on here who say "oh it's only one game, there is 45 to go" etc..... and yes that is fact.

But it's not the fact that we lost Saturdays game that I'm bothered about, it was our abject defensive performance.

I do understand the approach in the first instance, of being wary in the first half.

However we shouldn't be scared of going to any team in this league and looking for the win. Because if we do, what we going to be like when we get to where we want to be?

As me and Daz were saying last night to each other, Birmingham was there for the taking. Even with such a timid approach in the first half, we looked like we was settling for the draw. All that was needed was an attacking approach in the second half, and we could have come away with 3 points rather than 0.

By not using a 3rd sub also shows that Blackwell was content with a point. Which to me is ridiculous.

Yes a point away at Birmingham is a decent point, but thats all it is. So what if not many teams will go there and get something, we should be one of the teams that are approaching like we can get something.

By playing for the draw, it was our own downfall, it's a risky game holding for the draw, and so it proved in this case.

As I say, the result at this time of the season can be deemed as a minor stumbling block, but if this is a sign of things to come, we will be in for another year of disappointment.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Mmmmmmm! So one game, one performance and one result ARE important! Must set the tone for the rest of the season!!


Hands up all those who think the grunters are going to win the league????

 

[Robbie]

Mmmmmmm! So one game, one performance and one result ARE important! Must set the tone for the rest of the season!!


Hands up all those who think the grunters are going to win the league????

How we about is important.

If we're going to Brum for a draw, what other places will we look for a draw?

 

[Mousey]

I don't read much into the 1st game of the season really. Some players played well and there were no huge negatives to take from the game so that's good.

Just a little point, when Reading won the Championship with 106 points, they lost their 1st game at home to Plymouth

 

[Foxy]

How we about is important.

If we're going to Brum for a draw, what other places will we look for a draw?

If you were going out purely to draw which scenario would you employ?

Scenario 1 - Bring off two slow largely ineffective strikers and replace with faster alternatives who offer more in terms of movement and play from outside the box. Encourage them to gamble on knockdowns/defensive mistake and to take the ball from midfield and create their own chances.

Scenario 2 - Bring off any combination between 2 ineffective strikers and 2 ineffective midfielders. Replace them with a central midfielder and an experienced centre back.

I don't think for a minute Kevin Blackwell had resigned himself to the fact we'd try for a draw. I think he employed tactics which he thought would restrict the opposition, but also put us in with a good chance of winning the match ourselves.

I also don't see how the one match is a sign of how the rest of the season will pan out. Even if Blackie did play for a draw, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that we'll ever do it again.

There is a very fine balance between not being scared of a team and completely ignoring what threats they pose. Even the best teams in the world don't go every week with a complete disregard for what the opposition is likely to do/how they need to play against individuals.

Had we gone with Cotts on the wing from the off and been battered 3-0 (Birmingham, like it or not, have the firepower to do this), some would be sat here now saying that we showed complete disregard for how dangerous they could be and that we played them wrong.

 

[Billyblade]

I don't read much into the 1st game of the season really. Some players played well and there were no huge negatives to take from the game so that's good.

Just a little point, when Reading won the Championship with 106 points, they lost their 1st game at home to Plymouth

Good point.

Also Reading won the Championship playing the game their way, dictating the game and not really giving a shit how good the opposition were because they thought they were better. This is how I thought we would be post Warnock/Robbo. This is not a slur on Blackwell because I still think he will do the business, I'd just like to see us play with a bit more arrogance.

 

[beightonblade]

There will be more 'applecarts upset' throughout this season the loss at Brum will soon be forgot, Blackie made a balls up, hung out for a draw and the Blades paid for it.

When does the QUALITY arrive ?

 

[Robbie]

If you were going out purely to draw which scenario would you employ?

Scenario 1 - Bring off two slow largely ineffective strikers and replace with faster alternatives who offer more in terms of movement and play from outside the box. Encourage them to gamble on knockdowns/defensive mistake and to take the ball from midfield and create their own chances.

Scenario 2 - Bring off any combination between 2 ineffective strikers and 2 ineffective midfielders. Replace them with a central midfielder and an experienced centre back.

Perhaps we shouldn't have been playing with 2 slow strikers to start with.

Perhaps we shouldn't be expectant of them to come collect it from midfield.

Perhaps the team selection wasn't right in the first place.

Just because he changed his 2 strikers who weren't doing nothing, doesn't mean he was looking for the win.

If he was looking for a win, we all know who should have been coming and possibly even starting.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

As usual, supporters tend to read too much into one game/incident/signing/sale/appointment.

Cast your minds back to before the game. Most observers/experts/pundits were saying Brum were the favourites to win the league. Supporters on here were saying that this will be the toughest away game of the season, and I for one would probably agree with that. As a manager going into that game I would be setting my stall out to try and not lose that game, given all the information and it being the first game. In the end an unfortunate, very late goal deprives them of a point. Had they gone gung-ho for the win and lost 3-0, imagine the reaction on here and elsewhere then? Gallows in the car park, shoes off and everything!!

As it is, Blackie is probably saying to the squad, 'Hey boys! That was the best that this division has to offer, and you know what? They aint all that! So we can go for it in every game!'

 

[Robbie]

As it is, Blackie is probably saying to the squad, 'Hey boys! That was the best that this division has to offer, and you know what? They aint all that! So we can go for it in every game!'

We shall await and see, but I doubt it.

 

[Foxy]

Perhaps we shouldn't have been playing with 2 slow strikers to start with.

As they have other attributes, I was infering that the difference in pace with a slowing (half injured) defence would have more of an impact in terms of attempting to score.

Perhaps we shouldn't be expectant of them to come collect it from midfield.

No, but the whole point in successfully using substitutions is you've noticed a weakness/pattern in the game and want to exploit it/do something to combat it. Having seen that a lot of the time the strikers were having to collect the ball outside the box, coupled with the fact that the Brum defence was tiring, surely it sounds like a good plan to add players with this ability who will do that job?

Perhaps the team selection wasn't right in the first place.

Maybe so, thats why i'd imagine you'd decide to make changes at all? At that stage, you have the benefit of having seen how things are going, rather than guesswork as to how the game will pan out.

Just because he changed his 2 strikers who weren't doing nothing, doesn't mean he was looking for the win.

No, but neither does it suggest in the slightest that we were playing negatively and going for the draw. My point was, if he was doing what most seem to think he was, wouldn't he have made other changes available to him to hold on?

If he was looking for a win, we all know who should have been coming and possibly even starting.

It's alright saying that, but thats all our opinion. He's paid to work day in day out with the players at his disposal. Had one of our few chances gone in it would have worked flawlessly. We all have the benefit of hindsight and the presumption that no other issues were at play.

Personally I would have brought Cotts on and I'd have thought Blackwell would have too. Or maybe Spring. With the lengths he's gone to to get him in and the comments he's made. I wouldn't say it meant we were playing for a draw though.

 

[Robbie]

I wouldn't say it meant we were playing for a draw though.

You're too nice for your own good

 

[TonyAgana]

There's a difference between playing for a draw and settling for a draw.

I think that the number of chances that we created compared to Birmingham clearly shows we didn't set out to draw. However, 70 - 80 minutes in, we hadn't had a single lucky break and I think most Blades would've been happy to go home, reflect for a while and then be happy with a well-earned and deserved point - which not many other teams will leave St. Andrews with this season, I'm sure!

But no, an unbelievable turn from a notoriously spozzy but never-the-less great striker, and mis-hit shot (by his own admission) that snuck into the tightest of corners left us with nothing and it's a kick in the teeth - which some of us simply can't take on the chin as well as others.

 

[Come from away]

I know we are all at our best as managers when we know the outcome of a game, but even then it pays not to over-analyse. One thing you can't coach is luck - somtimes the mis-kick goes in your net, sometimes in theirs, you can't do anything about it, just accept it. Somewhere on this site somebody pointed out the shitty start we had last year against poor teams. It's way too early to diagnose anything.

 

[Come from away]

For fun, and depression, I looked at the start of last year. It worked out to about one league win per month for the first three months, now that's depressing. Let's hope this week is turnaround time.

 

[Kev Gee]

What i dont understand is Blackwell going on and on about being positive, taking the game to the opposition, Getting crosses in the box & then when we play we dont do any of that. Well not effectivley anyway :lol:

 

[rachyblade]

Robbie do you enjoy reading BU?

 

[Robbie]

Robbie do you enjoy reading BU?

Can't access BU I'm afraid.

 

[rachyblade]

Can't access BU I'm afraid.

Just thought you would fit in well there

 

[Robbie]

Just thought you would fit in well there

Why's that?

Because I think that the performance on Saturday is in need of improvement on the attacking front?

 

[RaWW]

To me KB got it nearly spot on. I like a lot of others imagined that Birmingham would be more at us and create more chances. But we did a great defensive job and made sure they didn't get a sniff.

Only problem for me though is that i think he could have brought Cotterill on for the last 15 mins and really give them something to think about.

At least we didn't go playing 4-5-1 and at least Robson isn't in charge.

It was a game that could have gone either way and TBH I'm not to dissapointed with the end result. Just think we could have offered more in an attacking sense.

 

[TonyAgana]

To me KB got it nearly spot on. I like a lot of others imagined that Birmingham would be more at us and create more chances. But we did a great defensive job and made sure they didn't get a sniff.

Only problem for me though is that i think he could have brought Cotterill on for the last 15 mins and really give them something to think about.

At least we didn't go playing 4-5-1 and at least Robson isn't in charge.

It was a game that could have gone either way and TBH I'm not to dissapointed with the end result. Just think we could have offered more in an attacking sense.

Sensible opinion.

 

[happyhippy]

To me KB got it nearly spot on. I like a lot of others imagined that Birmingham would be more at us and create more chances. But we did a great defensive job and made sure they didn't get a sniff.

Only problem for me though is that i think he could have brought Cotterill on for the last 15 mins and really give them something to think about.

At least we didn't go playing 4-5-1 and at least Robson isn't in charge.

It was a game that could have gone either way and TBH I'm not to dissapointed with the end result. Just think we could have offered more in an attacking sense.

Far too sensible

 

[Come from away]

But how quickly we forget.

 

[rachyblade]

Why's that?

Because I think that the performance on Saturday is in need of improvement on the attacking front?

No cos you are so negative

 

[Robbie]

No cos you are so negative

Where and when have I been negative?

It's United who were negative duck

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Where and when have I been negative?

It's United who were negative duck

Is this a new version of toilet duck? Instead of getting right under the rim, it gets right under your skin and pretty soon you've lost the will???

 

[RaWW]

Far too sensible

Sensible opinion.

The RaWW of old would've thought these 2 are being sarcastic.

But after a very stressful past few months I've decided to wind my neck in a bit and try to be a bit more calm and collected, so I think it was a sensible opinion, therefore thanks for the remarks.

 

[silverfox]

The RaWW of old would've thought these 2 are being sarcastic.

But after a very stressful past few months I've decided to wind my neck in a bit and try to be a bit more calm and collected, so I think it was a sensible opinion, therefore thanks for the remarks.

You're getting old mate!

 

[RaWW]

You're getting old mate!

I'll always be behind you though!! oo'er sailor!!

That and being a family man now pal, got no.2 on the way now!! And this one (hopefully) isn't going to be another split-arse, HE'S going to become a Blades legend, as when he grows up the Blades will be a top Premiership side