We can turn this around

[Bergen Blade]

But only if we get things spot on, tactically, also when we suffer a blow like losing Brayford. I liked the starting eleven tonight, but....

Clough, standing up against their midfield, winning that battle is THE key against Swindon. Moving Basham away from midfield was a dreadful mistake. Up front is not Swindon's strongest position and we should have put Alcock back there, kept Basham in midfield and put on Scougall for Holt. Holt, sorry, his goals have been nice, but we can't afford a passenger in midfield, he does not do enough. I was also disappointed in Coutts tonight, especially first half, but I think we have little choice but to keep him.

Consider Collins. We conceded from a header again and struggled with Smith's height all game.

Done must start, what a superb appearance and great to see him back. We may have to play 4-4-2, as with Scougall out, we're running out of midfield options. Let's give it a real go.

 

[Foxy]

Said it for a long time and before half time when Brayford was struggling... We absolutely needed Bash to stay in midfield. We need him there on Monday. Can we clone him please?

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

Moving Basham away from midfield was a dreadful mistake. QUOTE]


We've been doing that all season.

 

[davidpinder]

Said it for a long time and before half time when Brayford was struggling... We absolutely needed Bash to stay in midfield. We need him there on Monday. Can we clone him please?

Therefore Alock should have come on or Collins should have been on the bench.

 

[Rodley]

Bergen hits the nail on the head every time.

Too many static passengers in midfield. We've got a big squad but ironically not many players who fit our system.

 

[Harry's Game]

£10 on it?

 

[super_pig]

we re too small as a team.. having no cb s merely compounds that

 

[Lane Ender]

But only if we get things spot on, tactically, also when we suffer a blow like losing Brayford. I liked the starting eleven tonight, but....

Clough, standing up against their midfield, winning that battle is THE key against Swindon. Moving Basham away from midfield was a dreadful mistake. Up front is not Swindon's strongest position and we should have put Alcock back there, kept Basham in midfield and put on Scougall for Holt. Holt, sorry, his goals have been nice, but we can't afford a passenger in midfield, he does not do enough. I was also disappointed in Coutts tonight, especially first half, but I think we have little choice but to keep him.

Consider Collins. We conceded from a header again and struggled with Smith's height all game.

Done must start, what a superb appearance and great to see him back. We may have to play 4-4-2, as with Scougall out, we're running out of midfield options. Let's give it a real go.

Agreed Basham was the boss in midfield tactical error by Clough worth a gamble with Alcock.
Thanks for saving the pen Howard but you should have got nearer their second.
We got out of the blocks though better finishing game over.
Gutted

 

[Bladebri]

I was proud of the way we played, unfortunately the ref spoiled the show.

 

[Rusty view]

No chance. If we play like we do before we score yhen yes. But once we scored tonight we changd. Murph was tearing them a new one until we scored.

 

[super_pig]

we play well usually until we score

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Agreed Basham was the boss in midfield tactical error by Clough worth a gamble with Alcock.
Thanks for saving the pen Howard but you should have got nearer their second.
We got out of the blocks though better finishing game over.
Gutted

Tonight we could not fault the players IMO . Tactical big mistake . Why have Alcock on the bench if you have no intention of playing him in the first place .

We cannot blame the ref for the result . Seen a lot worst this season

Could Monday be Cloughs last game in charge or do we build again for a league 1 assault if we don't make it.

Not over yet , but our weakness all season is evident , and doesn't change for the play off games.

Always UTB

 

[Coily]

Another performance that encapsulates our season. For a side built on retaining possession we didn't keep very much of it.

Once again our lack of strength at centre half has weakened midfield where we were OK if not convincing. Losing Brayford was tough, but isolate the changes, don't piss about with midfield where we were competing.

We can use the frankly incompetent referee as part excuse but once again this squad has shown its inability to keep things tight, again not made the most of the opportunities available.

I want to believe in them so much, but time after time they let me and us down.

They have one more chance. I'd love to be confident they will produce the goods.

 

[alcoblade]

But only if we get things spot on, tactically, also when we suffer a blow like losing Brayford. I liked the starting eleven tonight, but....

Clough, standing up against their midfield, winning that battle is THE key against Swindon. Moving Basham away from midfield was a dreadful mistake. Up front is not Swindon's strongest position and we should have put Alcock back there, kept Basham in midfield and put on Scougall for Holt. Holt, sorry, his goals have been nice, but we can't afford a passenger in midfield, he does not do enough. I was also disappointed in Coutts tonight, especially first half, but I think we have little choice but to keep him.

Consider Collins. We conceded from a header again and struggled with Smith's height all game.

Done must start, what a superb appearance and great to see him back. We may have to play 4-4-2, as with Scougall out, we're running out of midfield options. Let's give it a real go.

I was going tgo post something very similar.

It hinges on getting Basham in the middle, and Done up front.

They are better than us, but it's a cup tie. Clough can surely (surely....)draw no other conclusion about the midfield now. Done's fitness is another issue.

UTB

 

[Bladesman]

That was bollocks. You give anyone that much space then they will have a shot.

No proper defenders left now Clough, what are you going to do?

I expect them to fuck us over like last time at their ground.

 

[Davie Blade]

Clough's fall out with Butler & Collins which left us without proper CB's has finally come back to hit us so hard.
Rarely do we keep clean sheets.

I really felt the lads tonight, as nearly every 'close call' referring decision went against us.
Plus he missed a fair bit of ermm thuggery.

 

[Bladesman]

Clough's fall out with Butler & Collins which left us without proper CB's has finally come back to hit us so hard.
Rarely do we keep clean sheets.

I really felt the lads tonight, as nearly every 'close call' referring decision went against us.
Plus he missed a fair bit of ermm thuggery.

For once no conspiracy bullshit of stuff going against us this season.

It's ALL on Nigel Clough and his total fuck up of the defence.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

4-4-2
Howard
Freeman Collins McCeveley Harris
Flynn Coutts Basham Murphy
Davies Done

Should be big and strong enough down the spine to dominate and perform better at set pieces.

Murphy, Flynn, Done and Davies + attacking full backs should be able to carve out enough chances between them.

 

[Bladesman]

4-4-2
Howard
Freeman Collins McCeveley Harris
Flynn Coutts Basham Murphy
Davies Done

Should be big and strong enough down the spine to dominate and perform better at set pieces.

Murphy, Flynn, Done and Davies + attacking full backs should be able to carve out enough chances between them.

That's the team we probably should have played tonight with the Beard in for Freeman.

Not sure how effective Collins could be for us considering he has not played with any of them for a while.

Although this is just wishful thinking because we all know Collins wont be seen in a Blades shirt again.

 

[metalblade]

Well you can't be critical of the fans or the players but deary me WTF was Clough thinking bringing on Scoogs for Brayford ? Moving Bash into the back four immediately surrendered midfield to Swindon. How fucking long will it take for him to realise you can't play two little uns in the centre of midfield especially when up against a set of big thugs who know the ref is weak and they can get away with spoiling tactics. Talking of the ref that has to be one of the worst refereeing displays I have ever seen the only surprise being he didn't send one of ours off, still the defeat has to go down to Clough's error on the substitution. The goals against us, one yet another free header from a set piece and two Howard not good enough again. Clough's failure to sort out the CB positions looks like costing us again just as it has all season long. One game left to save his job for me but I can't see us doing much on Monday

 

[Bladesman]

Well you can't be critical of the fans or the players but deary me WTF was Clough thinking bringing on Scoogs for Brayford ? Moving Bash into the back four immediately surrendered midfield to Swindon. How fucking long will it take for him to realise you can't play two little uns in the centre of midfield especially when up against a set of big thugs who know the ref is weak and they can get away with spoiling tactics. Talking of the ref that has to be one of the worst refereeing displays I have ever seen the only surprise being he didn't send one of ours off, still the defeat has to go down to Clough's error on the substitution. The goals against us, one yet another free header from a set piece and two Howard not good enough again. Clough's failure to sort out the CB positions looks like costing us again just as it has all season long. One game left to save his job for me but I can't see us doing much on Monday

The logical move would have been brining on Doyle for the Beard.

Eventually he brings Doyle on but only once Scoogs is crippled.

 

[Toronto Blade]

Well you can't be critical of the fans or the players but deary me WTF was Clough thinking bringing on Scoogs for Brayford ? Moving Bash into the back four immediately surrendered midfield to Swindon. How fucking long will it take for him to realise you can't play two little uns in the centre of midfield especially when up against a set of big thugs who know the ref is weak and they can get away with spoiling tactics. Talking of the ref that has to be one of the worst refereeing displays I have ever seen the only surprise being he didn't send one of ours off, still the defeat has to go down to Clough's error on the substitution. The goals against us, one yet another free header from a set piece and two Howard not good enough again. Clough's failure to sort out the CB positions looks like costing us again just as it has all season long. One game left to save his job for me but I can't see us doing much on Monday

They just need a dull boring draw we are good at those.

 

[Wards]

Moving Bash tonight was a mistake and Clough has to take the blame for that one.

I do question what some were expecting tonight though...we were playing a side who finished comfortably above us and we were never going to roll them over to give us a comfortable lead. It was always going to be tight, they're a good side but we're still massively in this tie. Get the first goal on Monday and they'll shit it.

 

[Guesty]

I was proud of the way we played, unfortunately the ref spoiled the show.

I agree the ref was terrible - the decision to pull it back for our free kick on half way when Done got in down the channel might be the worst I've ever seen - but he can't take all the blame. He didn't tell us to shit it as usual once we went ahead and surrender all the initiative. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the ref's fault we gave their number 3 the freedom of the park all bloody night despite the ample warnings.

 

[UnitedBlade]

That was bollocks. You give anyone that much space then they will have a shot.

No proper defenders left now Clough, what are you going to do?

I expect them to fuck us over like last time at their ground.

So do I.

I can see them running at us early on, scoring and that's goodnight vienna.

Even decent sides we've had previously have never won an away game in the playoffs (I think).

I just can't see us having enough given the injuries, defensive mistakes and our repeated giving the ball away.

Shame because Done starting would probably have made a difference and in small patches we did look threatening.

We are what we are, which is not good enough.

Not sure our current board will trust Clough with any more money. The squad is unbalanced which means more surgery this summer.

 

[Bladesman]

So do I.

I can see them running at us early on, scoring and that's goodnight vienna.

Even decent sides we've had previously have never won an away game in the playoffs (I think).

I just can't see us having enough given the injuries, defensive mistakes and our repeated giving the ball away.

Shame because Done starting would probably have made a difference and in small patches we did look threatening.

We are what we are, which is not good enough.

Not sure our current board will trust Clough with any more money. The squad is unbalanced which means more surgery this summer.

Surgery he should have got done in January.

 

[UnitedBlade]

Surgery he should have got done in January.

He should have done it last summer.

He thought he had done it in January - he's recently been talking about how much closer to the top two we'd have been if he'd had January's squad in August.

He's needs to look at results since January - they are no better.

 

[Bladesman]

He should have done it last summer.

He thought he had done it in January - he's recently been talking about how much closer to the top two we'd have been if he'd had January's squad in August.

He's needs to look at results since January - they are no better.

He really does live in his own little world does Clough.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Moving Bash tonight was a mistake and Clough has to take the blame for that one.

I do question what some were expecting tonight though...we were playing a side who finished comfortably above us and we were never going to roll them over to give us a comfortable lead. It was always going to be tight, they're a good side but we're still massively in this tie. Get the first goal on Monday and they'll shit it.

Wards , Yes it was tight , but at the end of the day , yet again we beat ourselves . If who plays were on the pitch , was left up to the players on the pitch , and not the management ( when Brayford got injured ) , we would have won that game .

Us fans knew the outcome moving Bash out of midfield . A wasted opportunity , for a game that was there to be won. Swindon are not that good and are beatable . Us , Club , Clough has a second chance on Monday .

Bergen and that David from Bolton on RS is the new management team for me. Both appear more tactically astute.

UTB

 

[secretchief]

Holt, sorry, his goals have been nice, but we can't afford a passenger in midfield, he does not do enough.

Wow, Holt was playing?