Bramall Lane

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OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
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Bramall Lane

Post by OUFC4eva »

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United head to Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United on match day 5 of the 2016/2017
season looking to heap more misery on bottom of the table Blades
managed by former gaffer Chris Wilder.

United add new midfielder Ryan Ledson to the squad and could be set to
change to a three man midfield after the young Evertonian signed a three year
deal at Grenoble Road.

Wilder is busy trying to bring in new recruits in defence and attack
before Saturday but Millwall have stated that centre back Byron Webster
is not for sale. Wilder is hoping to bring in Sheffield Wednesday forward
Caolan Lavery who has netted against the U's for Plymouth two seasons ago.

Wilder has already been busy bringing new players this summer
with John Fleck, Mark Wilson, Mark Duffy, Leon Clarke, Jack O'Connell
Harry Chapman, Chris Hussey and 'keeper Simon Moore joining
former U Jake Wright.

Last meeting at Bramall Lane FA Cup 12th November 2011

Blades 3-0 U's:

Clarke; Batt, Whing, Wright, Kinniburgh ; Heslop, Leven, McLaren, A.Hall; Smalley, Franks.

Att:7,991.

Last U's win v Blades - 26th March 1999. Goals from Andy Thomson
and a late Nicky Banger free kick gave United a 2-1 win under Mal Shotton.

Played for both: includes Billy Whitehurst, George Long, Georges Santos, Bobby Ford
and Dave Kitson.
OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
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Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: Bramall Lane

Post by OUFC4eva »

Wilder issues a warning ahead of U's clash:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football ... -1-8091621
OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2369
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: Bramall Lane

Post by OUFC4eva »

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The old adage that goals change games could not have been more truer
as United took their foot off the pedal and allowed their under
pressure hosts to take the ascendancy and net two second half
goals. Poor defending though from the U's on both occasions.

In truth there was not much in it but United need to
control games far better. The team is operating under an
open 4-4-2 shape with wide midfield players and fullbacks
devoid of attacking pace.

United struggle to dominate and get up the pitch enough
and deploying two strikers can be viewed as a luxury
when home teams have the ball and play at a tempo.

Image

I thought United ran out of energy - or certain players did -
around the hour mark and once the blades equalised
I felt worried. Two poorly conceded goals did for us
and an ordinary Blades outfit saw it out relatively
untroubled in truth.

I am not sure that there are enough solid partnerships
developing within the side in the key areas of
central defence, central midfield and in attack.
MacDonald, for all his industry is not producing any
attacking quality and Sercs and Lunny are not playing
well enough as a pair - in mitigation there is not an "out ball"
The front two pairing disappointed me
as the game wore on and substitutions we're made
ten minutes too late. Thomas and Hemmings
ran out of steam and were not sharp enough after the break.

I trust Appleton but he has a lot on his plate to put right.
Injuries do not help but the cut and thrust
and the "fizz" we had last season has long
disappeared. I want a couple of incoming transfers
before 11 o'clock Wednesday night. We need
pace out wide for sure and defensive cover if
Skarz is now sidelined.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by GodalmingYellow »

For the first half hour, we were pretty much in control without playing outstanding football. Then Sheffield began to get back into the game.

Our goal was well finished and we had plenty of chances to score more. Had we done so, I would have been confident of taking all the points home.

We've now had 7 competitive games plus pre-season. That's enough to begin to see a pattern, but nowhere near enough to draw firm conclusions.

Here are some patterns:
Regular under-achievers so far are: Lundstrom, Sercombe, Martin, Ruffels, Thomas, Crowley, T Roberts.
Regular performers so far are: Eastwood, Skarz, Macdonald, Maguire, Taylor

The rest fall somewhere between or I've not formed enough of a view yet. Thomas gets the first category as although he has scored a couple of fortunate goals and a couple of tap ins, his team contribution does not justify a regular starting place. Taylor gets the second category as although he is yet to score, our front play is so much improved when he plays. He deserves a starting place.

Our major problems at the moment though are a combination of not being able to hold the ball up front long enough for midfielders to join in, and central midfielders playing at well below par so our defence is regularly exposed. With the defensive line being chopped and changed every game, it is hardly surprising that they have not settled.

Lundstrom's passing on Saturday was wayward to say the least. If we don't have even his passing, I struggle to see on what grounds he deserves to be in the team. He was caught in possession numerous times as well, and because he is playing deeper this season, the positions in which he is caught tend to be dangerous ones.

Sercombe seems interested only in the attacking side of his game, and that is not enough.

It is clear to me that the strikers at this level are the biggest difference from League 2. The conversion rate is much higher and the number of shots released is also. That equates to more goals conceded. Sadly we do not appear to have invested in League 1 standard strikers (at least not fit ones), although Hemmings pedigree would suggest he needs more time and a striker to receive and lay off to get him scoring regularly.

Sheffield was a wake up call to the management, or it should have been. Prior to Saturday, Sheffield's only point had come against struggling Rochdale, whose only point was from the same game. We lost and by the end looked noticeably second best.

Too much meat was taken from the bone in close season.

So no conclusions drawn yet, but the team need to begin gelling quickly.
neilw
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by neilw »

If only we had a player who could show much needed leadership, whilst also filling that gap in the left side of defence. Someone like that Wright bloke at Sheffield Utd.
Myles Francis
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by Myles Francis »

GodalmingYellow wrote:Lundstrom's passing on Saturday was wayward to say the least. If we don't have even his passing, I struggle to see on what grounds he deserves to be in the team. He was caught in possession numerous times as well, and because he is playing deeper this season, the positions in which he is caught tend to be dangerous ones.
This is something which comes as no surprise to me. As last season went on, it was clear that our opponents had largely twigged that when you put opponents in Lundstram's face he tended to drop deeper to find space. Against League 2 opposition, his better skill levels meant that he could often work around this, but now he's against a better quality opposition, it looks as though he has been "found out" to an extent.
Too much meat was taken from the bone in close season.
No arguments here. Too much revolution rather than evolution.
Matt D
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Location: Stayed at the Manor.

Re: Bramall Lane

Post by Matt D »

I enjoyed my trip to bramall lane, football aside. the football was a troubling experience. even before skarz was injured, the defence looked suspect to me, making basic mistakes with little or no pressure applied. skarz and ruffels can be excused as they were playing out of position, but once we introduced a centreback for a makeshift centreback, those mistakes seemed to increase in frequency. worrying and a solution needs to be found for that backline. sheffield won the game as they started to take advantage of those mistakes.

ruffels was the one who looked most at sea, moreso once skarz went off and wasn't there to fill in for him. lundstrum was another guilty party now, and I liked what I saw of my first real chance to watch rothwell. i'm definitely in the 'drop lundstrum' camp now.

very frustrating as a point and probably more were there for Us.

still, enjoyed the barnsley bitter in the railway hotel and the rutland arms was good too.

I shan't be going tonight and am unimpressed with the club's call that this is a question of supporting them and we shouldn't worry that this could lead to a change in the league format. perhaps not but I don't want to take that chance. I hope attendances tonight up and down the country tonight deliver a clear message about what the consensus is amongst supporters about the nonsense the league has made of what was the JPT and the possibility of premiership b teams being included in this and any other competition we take part in.
neilw
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by neilw »

Can Martin really be so shite that we are playing with a makeshift left centre half and left back in order to avoid playing him in his natural position? Did we let Mullins, and/or Wright, go in order to accommodate a player whom is already being regarded as not good enough? Or is he simply injured / not match fit?
Isaac
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by Isaac »

A guy I work with is a Coventry fan and he says Martin is very good and a lot of the fans were confused as to why he was let go so that suggests he either injured (hopefully not permanently) or not match fit rather than not up to it, seeing as he played for a team who were near the top of this league for most of last season.
Matt D
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Re: Bramall Lane

Post by Matt D »

Isaac wrote:A guy I work with is a Coventry fan and he says Martin is very good and a lot of the fans were confused as to why he was let go so that suggests he either injured (hopefully not permanently) or not match fit rather than not up to it, seeing as he played for a team who were near the top of this league for most of last season.
the report I got from the cov watcher I know was that he is a good, footballing centre back, but prone to one major mistake every game or so.
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