Thoughts v Sheff Utd

kirsikka

kirsikka

UTC Legend
Felt like the team needed some fresh legs but Anthony was unlucky to miss out since he was merely mediocre midweek, compared to some of the shockers.

I don't quite get what's happening with Zemura. He can't expect to spend his whole career with the same player in front of him but the way he is 30% less effective whenever Anthony isn't playing is something he needs to work on. Fingers crossed the injury isn't serious and he's back soon.

Dembele has really quick feet but made some poor choices, whilst Christie was terrible on the other side.

First hald, they targeted the long diagonal in behind our fullbacks as a way to get in behind and it was working. Smith and Zemura may need to be a little more circumspect with their runs forward, or L Cook needs to drop into that position if he sees one of them careering forward but leaving a gaping hole behind.

A competitive match with nothing between the two sides. It could have gone either way. The managers should have earned their corn out there since that was a game that could have been won with a clever tactical tweak. Or a a moment of brilliance from an individual.

Haven't actually tested the opposition keeper even once in the last two matches. Going forward there have been openings that could (and maybe should) have developed into real chances but lacked the quality to pick out the right run or play a good ball.

It's a game that was been largely about the midfield battle and yet Billing had one of his mostly anonymous matches. We needed him to impose himself more.

Second half we looked a little better in spells but Parker didn't really change anything. Again, we're suffered from having no viable alternative to Christie. He was poor but there was no option to bring on for him so instead the Dembele-Anthony swap was made.

Massive stroke of good fortune with the penalty that should have been given and a good save from Travers after the Phillips slip. That apart, not all that much happened. It was a battle of a match.

Overall, a point away there is a decent result. The lack of testing the keeper is a concern. I also think SP was a little passive in the way he could have chased the win. Fortune favours the bold, and all that.

Positive performances
Kelly - Much better from him. Marshalled the defence, covered for Zemura at times and was improved on the ball.

Lerma - Compared to his poor showing midweek he was much better, bringing the energy and aggression a match like this needed in midfield.


Room for improvement
Phillips - Slipped to let a SU player through on goal. Absolutely should have given away a penalty. No question the ref dropped a howler. I don't get why he's here. S Cook or Mepham are not an any way inferior as overall packages.

Billing - You saw him get on the ball twice in the second half and SU were terrified of him. Shame he only deigned to get involved twice in 90 minutes.

Christie - Another absolute stinker from him. Really should be rotated out but our lopsided recruitment means we don't have an option.
 
The clamour for Cahill is only going to get louder amongst the support after that.

Travers is such a find.

Flashes of our attack but still not clicking.

I think everyone needs to take a breath and have a rest before a massive Easter weekend.
 
northstandmark said:
The clamour for Cahill is only going to get louder amongst the support after that.
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He’s obviously not fit. During the week he was in the squad and Kris Temple said he didn’t think he was fit. I was a bit skeptical as why would he be in the squad if he wasn’t fit when we have other centre backs available… today he’s left behind.
 
The verdict from an attacking perspective is pretty simple:

-if you stop us from creating overloads in the wide areas then we struggle big time to create anything. Our game is so one dimensional and dependant on this. We have very little variety to our game and not a lot of threat down the middle. Our only striker is constantly isolated and when we do try to go direct to him it is a minor miracle if he is able to hold up the ball vs three centre halves.

-against teams who give us the space to create these overloads out wide (Huddersfield and Bristol City) we will likely win and look like a good side. Against sides who don’t allow us to create overloads we look clueless and are relying on a sporadic individual moment to get a result rather than a cohesive team performance. My main issue with today is that I didn’t at any point feel as though we would create anything, it’s just not enjoyable to watch against certain types of opponents.

A few thoughts on the specifics of the game:

-we definitely deserved to lose. They had all the chances and were denied a blatant penalty.

-Phillips will ALWAYS have one or two moments during a game where he completely messes up. No matter how solid he looks the rest of the time it will likely cost us if he continues to play.

-thank God for Travers. Genuinely think we might be struggling for the play offs without him.

-drop Christie. I’m sorry, but I can’t bear to watch him take even one more long range pot shot. I just can’t.
 
Lucky to come away with a point thanks again, in no small measure, to Mark Travers. They wasted guilt edged chances the best again coming straight down the middle over the top of the defence. Gibbs-White should've scored. Credit to the ref who wasn't really swayed by the loud biased crowd and the constantly whinging UTD players but he did us a massive favour regarding the penalty which probably should have been given. We were pedestrian again at times and slow building up in attack. However, a tough place to go to against a more physical than skillful side and that point could be crucial. Zemura will be missed and we have to hope that Solanke can shake off the obvious injury he is carrying as our goal threat from other quarters is low. The games in hand are getting gobbled up and the potential of being upto 15 points clear in second has dwindled. Tough games ahead , let's hope we are up for the fight !!
 
I'd have to go back and look for sure as my memory was burnt up in dingy London clubs 20 odds years ago, but I think it was against Huddersfield that we switched to playing a lot through the middle and tore them to pieces as a result. Could have been Bristol though.

We can do it. We just don't do it enough.
 
If I’m being pedantic I’d have Travers WAY in the positive performances list despite some wayward kicks. Unreal saves.

Lerma for me wasn’t particularly good at all, I thought Cook was better. Christie dreadful again. Thought Kelly was much improved.

Phillips for me, unfortunately, just doesn’t look that good. There are elements to his game that are good, but he seems unable to listen to and work with his defensive partner & keeper well. He slips an awful lot, is very last ditch in his defending, quite panicky. Bit of an….‘AVE IT!’ throwback defender but not convinced by stuff like his positioning and concentration.
 
Waz afcb said:
The verdict from an attacking perspective is pretty simple:

-if you stop us from creating overloads in the wide areas then we struggle big time to create anything. Our game is so one dimensional and dependant on this. We have very little variety to our game and not a lot of threat down the middle. Our only striker is constantly isolated and when we do try to go direct to him it is a minor miracle if he is able to hold up the ball vs three centre halves.
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This is unfortunately what happens when Billing has one of his anonymous performances. He looked either lost or knackered, could’ve been one to have been rotated out in hindsight.

When he’s on form he’s linking up Solanke and our wingers and we look much more threatening.
 
kirsikka said:
I'd have to go back and look for sure as my memory was burnt up in dingy London clubs 20 odds years ago, but I think it was against Huddersfield that we switched to playing a lot through the middle and tore them to pieces as a result. Could have been Bristol though.

We can do it. We just don't do it enough.
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Why don’t we do it enough? Who’s responsibility is that?
 
dragonm8 said:
Thought a point was ok
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Wouldn't argue with that at all.

I also thought we were very much in the game so it wasn't like it was a terrible performance. However, something isn't right in our final third play as we've gone from being an attacking force to offering no threat. Parker & co now have six days to address it and sought it out.

The way these team swings between extremes is odd.
 
Waz afcb said:
Why don’t we do it enough? Who’s responsibility is that?
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The easy answer is Parker, but then I wonder if it's the players on the pitch either burning bright or switching off. In the same way overloads only work if the players combine well (the difference between Zemura-Anthony and Zemura-Dembele), the central play will only be effective if all the moving parts are doing their job. Right now, some of them aren't.

Where you can point the finger at Parker is not making a change. He's been dogshit since he came here but if you've got him on the bench then Cantwell for Billing was an obvious swap looking at what was happening on the pitch. However, I think SP decided to settle for the point midway through the 2nd half and so preferred having the height of PB out there.
 
The Riverside Rocket's flying through the Derbyshire dales, bringing back a clean sheet with a point wrapped in it. All in all a respectable point, both teams could have gambled on the win and lost. It's that time of the season, longer the match goes on the more likely one goal will win it. So they want to hold what they've got and " muscle" a winner.
Arrived in sunshine, by the end we'd had a shower and it felt perishing. Facilities were basic, stuck in the corner away from our fans but mainly friendly stewards. Not sure if the pies are any good but I would rate Bramell lane close to Deepdale, just friendlier staff and no photographers blocking the view. : )
Ps 5 live updates from St.Marys are raising the spirits : )
 
Good point and would have taken it before the start.matter now of resting and being fresh for the next challenge. Getting to the point now that you expect travers to save the 1 v 1s every time.
 
"one more thing" ( tm. Colombo)
Their fans were much more vocal last time we were there. Yes, they belt out Annie's song, the rest of the time they're reffing the match. Then losing their s*it when it goes against them. 25000 bellowing Yorkies when the ball went out and the lino didn't give it. It's perversely funny when you're away and it goes your way, it's the biggest outrage in modern life, when it goes against you at home : )
It's nuggets like that, almost as much as winning, that keep you going to watch matches : )
 
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