Well what did you expect?

[BladeFisher]

It is understandable people are less than impressed at today's result and performance, but what really did you expect?

With a side losing some of its better players (Brayford, Coady and Maguire) and injured Flynn (note he is the whipping boy again - very unfair) and with a shed load of newbies I was amazed at the optimism shown on here regarding atomatic promotion. Pre-season results seemed pretty ropey tbh.

I think United will struggle and probably finish below last season's position unless Clough really does have the same qualities that his dad possessed. Last season he took a team that had done well the previous season but was devoid of plans and confidence into a bloody good side. But his trick this season is to repeat it.

The concern surely is that blending the loss with the new will take time and I am not sure we could get auto promotion if it takes until November for us to click.

I like Clough and think he suits United but this is a tough ask, and he's gonna need need to produce that inspirational leadership of last year to get this team motoring.

Unlike some the Capital One/JPT cups gives us game time to bring this about.

Let's give Cloughie the support he deserves, otherwise we are in for another bloody merry-go-round of managers and probably declining fortunes.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Didn't think it was that bad tbh.
Goals conceded from poor positioning which I'd already said we should expect for the first few matches. That apart I thought we did ok and we need to work on balls into the box. Onward and upward.

 

[davidpinder]

Didn't think it was that bad tbh.
Goals conceded from poor positioning which I'd already said we should expect for the first few matches. That apart I thought we did ok and we need to work on balls into the box. Onward and upward.

I think it was the fact we were so poor 2nd half after finishing the 1st so strongly, there was only one winner at half time based on the 1st half performances but we came out a different side.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Agreed, but I think we were always at our most vulnerable in the first half a dozen games.
We've a new defence to bed in and new players in the final third too.
It was a brave and good starting 11, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water after one disappointing result.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

Not surprised at all, i said first earlier in the week that the few months until the team gels, anywhere in the top half would be decent.
The main people getting carried away were the bookies and mug punters.

 

[Torrix1889]

The performance was exactly what I expected but i hoped we might have scraped a draw. Personally i think we will start slow and wont get going for another 7 or 8 games, the team has changed dramatically and Cloughy needs to establish his preferred line up. After today there are certainly a few who should be worried.

The only real positive was Alcock, Magahey looks raw, Basham was ok, Murphy, Scougs and Flynn were poor, Higdon will get better with fitness. If we had taken one of our chances in the first half, been a bit luckier with Murphy's effort that hit the post and McNulty hadn't stuck his boot out we would have been happily supping our Satdi night pints musing over a 3 or 4-2 win.

Don't panic, its VERY early days, we will get it right.

 

[Rollerball]

If as some have said we saw league one champions today, then league one is a very poor league indeed, on today's (yesterday's) showing neither team will be top 6.
Having said that I believe both teams will get stronger and better. Both teams fielded a team of 5 or 6 new arrivals, and in truth the game could have gone either way, a draw would have been a pretty fair result, we had first half they had second.
Now onto the blades, any team not wanting to lose has to have a more or less settled defensive unit, considering all pre season and yesterday we have had several defence permutations, I think a few positives can be taken.
Alcock and Harrison were a little shaky but if that's the central pairing they did show signs of being strong and pretty mobile, Harris and Davies were ok at times but drifted in and out of the game, get the back four settled and we will see a much more solid defence.
Midfield again I think are good enough to tear any defence apart just lacking a little confidence, which with games and wins will come.
Higdon with fitness will score goals and hurt other teams plus give scougal Flynn and murphy time to join him , he's strong and will hold up the ball, in a two up top mcnulty/Baxter with higdon will destroy defences I think.
On the whole disappointing but by no means as bad as some are suggesting, a little improvement and understanding is all we need to kick on, give the players time and support to see a marked improvement.
UTB

 

[grafikhaus]

I think it was the fact we were so poor 2nd half after finishing the 1st so strongly, there was only one winner at half time based on the 1st half performances but we came out a different side.

And I'll repeat what I posted yesterday. After a slow start, we came back strongly and should have been ahead until...that cunt Little changed the entire game with his illegal and unpunished assault. He'd already 'made his mark' and continued to do so until the ref. finally booked him. The fact that he saw two examples of 'simulation' by United as meriting equal punishments shows how poor he was.

I reckon Little was under orders from Cotterill to be the 'enforcer' (easier being a small guy with a permanent 'What me, guv?' attitude) and allowed gamesmanship to cost us the points.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

We need another proven goal scorer that's not just a giant unit!

After watching FLS this morning I will say with confidence today that United will struggle to get top 2.

Most of the favourites have got a pool of quality goalscorers to choose from, we have a fat scouse unit, a scottish umpa loompa and Chris Porter.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

On another day we could easily have won that game. As others have said, we had a completely new defence today and it showed at times, unfortunately, crucially as it turned out. Plenty to like about the way we played, particularly in the 30 mins prior to half time and no reason to suggest when the defence is settled and the likes of Higdon, Flynn get up to full fitness that we won't be up there challenging. We have a few tough weeks coming up and as NC predicted pre-season, it may take us a few weeks before things start to take shape.

 

[blader]

Not surprised at all, i said first earlier in the week that the few months until the team gels, anywhere in the top half would be decent.
The main people getting carried away were the bookies and mug punters.

That's the main thing. All pre-season people jus bang on about 'the bookies are seldom wrong'. What, the same bookies that had us favourites in our first 2 seasons and second favourites last season? We are favourites simply due to weight of betting. A) we have more fans so more people back their own club. B) people who support non-league 1 clubs see 'sheffield united' and bac us based purely on our name with no knowledge of the side. The only reason we're short odds is so the bookies can cover their arse. I thnk any blade capable of looking at the situation objectively knew this.