What is it?

[sheffielder]

Can anyone put their finger on exactly what the problem is? A few managers have tried and failed and I have to admit I am concerned that Clough hasn't worked out what the problems are and we are becoming worse than the team he picked up (cup games not counting).

A few blame Long and say he is regressing, however this guy got 20 odd clean sheets last season so is he a victim rather than the cause.

A few like myself blame the likes of Doyle, Collins etc; however they get played by manager after manager. Are they the victim or the cause.

Some say the club is rotten and it's all McCabe's fault.

Personally, if you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do, and the board and manager do by saying changes are coming sooner or later (well now) the players are going to believe you. We are giving these guys free passes yet expect them to get us out of the shit.

We all need to buckle up and find the solution. because the blame game is only going to get us relegated. The only thing we can change now is how we play. You can get 5 shiny new strikers but they are not going to score if we don't create anything.

Yesterday, I was disappointed to see Scougall and Coady play in midfield and I thought yesterday either McGinn would play next to Coady or we would play a 3. I am thinking that it doesn't matter who we play in midfield, 2 is not enough because we don't have 2 who are good enough to run the midfield.

Baxter needs to be pushed up to play as a striker alongside Paynter or drop back into a midfield 3 and play 2 strikers ahead of him. At the moment he is stuck between a rock and a hard place, neither use nor ornament.

I think we need to ditch the wingers are they are a luxury we can't afford and move to 3-5-2


........................Long
..............Maguire Collins Hill
..Brayford McGinn Coady/Doyle Harris
......................Baxter
.............Paynter Murphy (or loan haha)

 

[JohnDenver]

Talking about formations and tactical tweaks is window dressing I'm afraid. They simply don't have the correct attitude to succeed.

 

[Harry's Game]

You need to keep things simple at this level and play a solid 4 4 2 with a couple of pacey / powerful strikers able to get 30 plus goals a season between them, ideally these strikers need to have the ability to create chances for themselves as the creative ability of midfielders at this level is generally hit and miss or poor.

We have nothing upfront and haven't had since Ched got sent down that's the main problem and it hasn't been addressed for six transfer windows now.

 

[axel smeets]

So now it's the fans fault?

 

[sheffielder]

Talking about formations and tactical tweaks is window dressing I'm afraid. They simply don't have the correct attitude to succeed.

We need something to work for us now. A midfield 2 doesn't seem to work, 2 wingers don't work etc; I am not sure we play to anyone's strengths right now.

 

[sheffielder]

So now it's the fans fault?

That's the one line you pick up?

 

[axel smeets]

Without the fans, there would be no club. So yes, I think its pretty important to single out the fans.

 

[sheffielder]

Without the fans, there would be no club. So yes, I think its pretty important to single out the fans.

So I singled out fans in that comment? Can you explain how?

 

[Chezzy Blades]

We need power and pace down the spine of the team, although Brayford and Harris may well be decent signings, full back was not a massive priority in the last window.

Central defence, central midfield and up front were. We're crying out for some big lads who can run, and a big midfielder to battle with the other big fuckers in this league. For all Scougall and Coady tried yesterday the number of times Aneke and Grant gaffered them off the ball by just using their body was embarrasing.

 

[highpeakblade]

For me the key to success in this league is the combination of Physical players with pacey / flarey type players and for me we are very much missing the physical element therefore we are very nesh. I don't think Doyle is the messiah in the middle of the park but without him roughing it up in the middle of the park yesterday I honestly think we got turned over in midfield, we had poor shape at times and failed to win a good few first and second balls which disappointed. The same with Porter which says it all if we don't think Doyle and Porter to be good enough, but for me he would have put himself about a bit more and would have done more donkey work than Paynter yesterday because I don't think Billy was relishing that role yesterday or at least didn't look to be enjoying it as much.

I think we need to get our head around the fact that for all Doyle lacks he is still pretty much the best option we have in the middle of the park when it comes to breaking the opposition down and roughing it up a little, he is pretty much our best tackling midfielder and until we make wholesale changes he is going to be an important part of our squad, this season more so.

Whether it be Porter or Paynter, for me we still very much need this pacey, menacing forward to compliment them. I thought Miller did this very well last year in his little stint with Porter, at that point he scared the crap out of opposition back fours and they couldn't handle him, this season however he isn't even a shadow of what he was therefore we need to bring someone in asap. We missed out on Craig Davies whos gone to preston and more me he was a perfect option offering a bit physical and pace and flare.

The putting Matt Hill as CB and pushing Maguire up into a holding midfield role at the minute for me looks a viable option however I worry about his pace.

I know I have rambled on but I think overall we have most of what we need but still need doyle in Midfield or even Maguire for now as well as a striker in asap.

 

[SwissBlade]

sheffielder i think its a combination of everything that you mentioned. I watched Clough's post match interview and it looked like he was extremely pissed off, but perplexed as to how a side can go from playing as well as they did on Sunday, to yesterday's performance.

I've said in another thread that we need that striker, but even when Paynter was coming off yesterday, RS commentator said that he'd not had much to play with, but also didn't do that much when the ball came his way.

I know how you dislike Doyle, but was yesterday the day for a Doyle type? I'm not so sure.

In the FA cup games we've had some fight, spirit and that desire to get in the faces of the PL opposition. Why aren't we doing the same in the League?

I think Clough has to take us back to basics (again). We've gone from becoming a team which is hard to beat but scrapes wins and draws, to a team which is set up in a more attacking manner, yet we get turned over by teams in and around us.

We need to stop conceding again. We need a striker that can play on his own and play off scraps, we need a midfield that has bite AND creativity... So no much to sort between now and April!

 

[axel smeets]

So I singled out fans in that comment? Can you explain how?

You said: "If you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do."

 

[sheffielder]

You said: "If you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do."

"if you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do, and the board and manager do." My only crime is bad English.

my point is that we give them free passes for being shit when they are good enough. We don't need to give these players any more excuses like we the fans, manager and board do presently. These twats need to step up and prove us wrong.

 

[sheffielder]

For me the key to success in this league is the combination of Physical players with pacey / flarey type players and for me we are very much missing the physical element therefore we are very nesh. I don't think Doyle is the messiah in the middle of the park but without him roughing it up in the middle of the park yesterday I honestly think we got turned over in midfield, we had poor shape at times and failed to win a good few first and second balls which disappointed. The same with Porter which says it all if we don't think Doyle and Porter to be good enough, but for me he would have put himself about a bit more and would have done more donkey work than Paynter yesterday because I don't think Billy was relishing that role yesterday or at least didn't look to be enjoying it as much.

I think we need to get our head around the fact that for all Doyle lacks he is still pretty much the best option we have in the middle of the park when it comes to breaking the opposition down and roughing it up a little, he is pretty much our best tackling midfielder and until we make wholesale changes he is going to be an important part of our squad, this season more so.

Whether it be Porter or Paynter, for me we still very much need this pacey, menacing forward to compliment them. I thought Miller did this very well last year in his little stint with Porter, at that point he scared the crap out of opposition back fours and they couldn't handle him, this season however he isn't even a shadow of what he was therefore we need to bring someone in asap. We missed out on Craig Davies whos gone to preston and more me he was a perfect option offering a bit physical and pace and flare.

The putting Matt Hill as CB and pushing Maguire up into a holding midfield role at the minute for me looks a viable option however I worry about his pace.

I know I have rambled on but I think overall we have most of what we need but still need doyle in Midfield or even Maguire for now as well as a striker in asap.

Our midfield gets turned over week in week out and yesterday was the only game Doyle has missed this season. This, the season we have the worst away record in the league. Scougall and Coady playing in a 2 was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[axel smeets]

"if you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do, and the board and manager do." My only crime is bad English.

my point is that we give them free passes for being shit when they are good enough. We don't need to give these players any more excuses like we the fans, manager and board do presently. These twats need to step up and prove us wrong.

I don't think they are good enough at all, sheffielder. I am seriously of the thought now that we will be relegated at the end of the season. I also think that they are not interested in stepping up and proving us wrong.

 

[Wards]

Agree that the spine of the team is where we are lacking the most. We needed a good centre half, a powerful midfielder and a goalscorer. We've not brought any of those in.

 

[Bladesman]

Not sure Clough has managed to change as much as he would like to. I mean there are a few players we all want to see the back of. Then it's replacing them.

 

[oldblade]

Can anyone put their finger on exactly what the problem is? A few managers have tried and failed and I have to admit I am concerned that Clough hasn't worked out what the problems are and we are becoming worse than the team he picked up (cup games not counting).

I think the answer lies in the bit of your post that I have highlighted. There isn't a single problem, there are many problems in almost every position on the pitch. Clough probably does know what they are, but there are simply too many to sort out quickly. The problems have not materialised overnight. They have accumulated over several years and consequently they won't go away overnight.

 

[Rodley]

The team beat Villa and held Fulham. They also outplayed Bradford, albeit were unlucky.

This team has more than enough quality. It's also fragile as fuck. If the fans turn on the players, we'll go down without a whimper. If we back them at home I think we'll pick up enough points to stay up.

 

[Guesty]

"if you keep telling a team it's crap like we the fans do, and the board and manager do." My only crime is bad English.

my point is that we give them free passes for being shit when they are good enough. We don't need to give these players any more excuses like we the fans, manager and board do presently. These twats need to step up and prove us wrong.

I agree with this, I've long thought that the fans have been all too accepting of the dross we've been served up post-Blackwell.

 

[oldblade]

The team beat Villa and held Fulham. They also outplayed Bradford, albeit were unlucky.

This team has more than enough quality. It's also fragile as fuck. If the fans turn on the players, we'll go down without a whimper. If we back them at home I think we'll pick up enough points to stay up.

I agree that it is important to encourage the team, and I also think it does have more than enough ability to stay up. But it often plays badly enough to go down as well, and although it is probably under performing, it is not a strong side even by third division standards.

 

[Rodley]

I agree that it is important to encourage the team, and I also think it does have more than enough ability to stay up. But it often plays badly enough to go down as well, and although it is probably under performing, it is not a strong side even by third division standards.

Agree. We're lower mid table.

But the reality is the only way we can effect anything is to try and create a hostile atmosphere for opposition at The Lane. If the crowd turn we're absolutely fucked.

 

[raul]

Remember, this is a club that has finished lower year on year six out of the last seven. I suspect a 2013 league table would see us relegated in that calendar year, and we've yet to see a three point outcome in 2014. Failure, and more importantly, resigned acceptance of failure seeps out of every nook and cranny in the place. We have, from top to bottom, The Losing Mentality.

No quick fixes available, just years and years of hard work should we stumble across anyone perpared to put it in.

 

[Guesty]

Remember, this is a club that has finished lower year on year six out of the last seven. I suspect a 2013 league table would see us relegated in that calendar year, and we've yet to see a three point outcome in 2014. Failure, and more importantly, resigned acceptance of failure seeps out of every nook and cranny in the place. We have, from top to bottom, The Losing Mentality.

No quick fixes available, just years and years of hard work should we stumble across anyone perpared to put it in.

I'm glad someone else has brought that up, I've leaned on that stat pretty hard on here in recent months but no-one else seems to have noticed or cared. For me it's a hugely alarming statistic, how can that be allowed to stand?

 

[Bergen Blade]

sheffielder

In the FA cup games we've had some fight, spirit and that desire to get in the faces of the PL opposition. Why aren't we doing the same in the League?

David vs Goliath cup games are a bit different to league games though. Have the cup games against Premiership opposition papered over the cracks for us?

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

I get a bit annoyed with this "you can have strikers, but it's no good if you don't create them anything" line. No, but equally it's no good creating chances and you've got nobody who knows how to bloody score. There will be games where we do create chances, and we've got Porter Paynter or Candlestickmaker on the end of em, or are we all expecting to just lose every game 3-0 from now til the end of the season? A quality striker may not have helped yesterday, but i bet he would when we draw at home to Shrewsbury and have 15 shots but only 2 on target..

 

[Foxy]

I get a bit annoyed with this "you can have strikers, but it's no good if you don't create them anything" line. No, but equally it's no good creating chances and you've got nobody who knows how to bloody score. There will be games where we do create chances, and we've got Porter Paynter or Candlestickmaker on the end of em, or are we all expecting to just lose every game 3-0 from now til the end of the season? A quality striker may not have helped yesterday, but i bet he would when we draw at home to Shrewsbury and have 15 shots but only 2 on target..

I don't think the point was that people think we don't need better strikers, more that we need more than better strikers. Speaking specifically about yesterday, we need players all over the pitch to try turning up.

 

[maidmarion]

I think some of the problem may be that against Fulham and Aston Villa the pressure on us to win wasn't there. We were the underdogs and if we had lost then it wouldn't have been a disgrace as we are League One and its'expected'. When we play Crewe, Shrewsbury, Notts County etc, then WE are the team to beat. It's their FACup game if you like.
I have only been to two away matches this season Villa and County. At Villa the crowd were right behind the lads and the atmosphere was fantastic. At County, as soon as things went awry then negative comments were being shouted from the stand. Now I know that these lads are paid a fair wage to play for our beloved Blades. But, could you put up with some of the quite aggressive comments aimed at you in your place of work. I can think of very few jobs where you get yelled at abusively like our fans sometimes do. And no I don't think you can get used to it.

 

[Bulletnut]

I think some of the problem may be that against Fulham and Aston Villa the pressure on us to win wasn't there. We were the underdogs and if we had lost then it wouldn't have been a disgrace as we are League One and its'expected'. When we play Crewe, Shrewsbury, Notts County etc, then WE are the team to beat. It's their FACup game if you like.
I have only been to two away matches this season Villa and County. At Villa the crowd were right behind the lads and the atmosphere was fantastic. At County, as soon as things went awry then negative comments were being shouted from the stand. Now I know that these lads are paid a fair wage to play for our beloved Blades. But, could you put up with some of the quite aggressive comments aimed at you in your place of work. I can think of very few jobs where you get yelled at abusively like our fans sometimes do. And no I don't think you can get used to it.

They take the cheers and the adulation when things are going well, why shouldn't they be informed when we feel they're not cutting it? Blades fans for me are historically a great bunch, humorous, die hard, and over the years have proved to be very patient. Maybe times have changed, maybe the patience has finally run out. The fans can cheer, they can boo, they can do whatever they like but the eleven on the pitch has to take responsibility at some point. This lot are leaderless and spineless, and that is unforgiveable.

 

[maidmarion]

I agree that they are not doing what they are paid for but I cannot believe that anybody can play to the best of their ability when they are being viciously abused. And I know that sounds over the top, but when the alcohol sends you from happy to aggressive then some comments are extremely abusive.
I don't think it has anything to do with being patient either. I think that people paying for anything, be it a football match or a dinner in a restaurant have expectations of how that match or meal should be. The modern way of expressing disappointment in said match or meal often tends to be made in an aggressive manner. Especially where copious amounts of alcohol have been consumed which is very much what happens when attending an away match( I know it often makes it easier to watch United).