Overall view on tonight. (1 Viewer)

[Perryccfc]

I don't get to go often as I live 3 hours away and is easily £100 day. Still I try to get to at least 10/15 home and away games a season.

Anyway, firstly I'd like to say the fans that booed at half time were an absolute disgrace. How must that have made the new lads feel. So pathetic it's untrue.

Players:
I thought first half they looked very nervous. Didn't know what others were doing. Obviously with time this will come, and players will start to read each others game, they tended to run into the same space when the full backs had the ball which meant hussey/brown had to turn out and play back. Second half was much better, and the flat ball along the line to Elliot who ran the channels well worked a treat, especially for brown.

Defence I thought looked good all game, brown was the weak link, which Sheffield United realised and utilised that wing well. Malaga and wood looked good, although Malagas pass straight to the stands first half was a head scratcher, I actually looked around the pitch thinking he put it out for an injury.

I hate long ball football, but of we're going to play it we need to play a big man. We had to players under 6 feet jumping with 6'2/6'3 players and they didn't win a header all night. Passing and moving second half made their defence think and constantly pulled them out of position, which when Cody and Elliot spot this, they will start to find the space.

Their danger man was Quinn, he controlled the game at times and popped up everywhere, I think when we're playing a team who have this player we need to nullify him asap. Apart from him I really didn't think there was much to their team. And if they're the favourites then we really should be hoping to win most games this season.

Jennings is a wonderful player to watch. When he doesn't have the ball he's insisting it's kept and short passes are made, he runs into a space and points to the player the ball should be given to, that is a huge boost for a non-footballing centre half such as wood, who first half just played a long ball, second half however he passed it wide with jennings pointing to the wings. Really could be a top player for us.

Overall I thought we looked nervous first half and it really was a dire game of football, second half was a hell of a lot better and the football at times was pleasing to see.

The fans apart from the booing were very good IMO and I thought a terrific atmosphere was created and you could sense a goal coming. If we were like that for 90mins it would gee the boys right up and we experience the kind of footy we did in the second half every game.

Pleased with a point but should have been 3.

Mom: Wood

 

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[Paxman II]

"I really didn't think there was much to their team. And if they're the favourites then we really should be hoping to win most games this season"

...and that about sums up this league and our expectations tbh

 

[Otis]

I thought Sheff Utd looked strong, though they lacked the killer ball and cutting edge in the box. They will definitely be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. in Quinn and McGuire they have two very good players and Kevin McDonald looked a class player at this level too.

The problem I had about last night is that I don't quite accept is this 'played well in the 2nd half' stuff.

If you think back and are honest with yourselves, we came out 2nd half and there was very little improvement for the first 10 mins or so. Only then did we get into our rhythm and start to play well and dictate things. We then scored and looked pretty good for a while. After that though Sheff Utd came back into the game and once again got on top.

When you analyse it all we played really well for 20 mins or so and that was about it. That was the concern for me cos that was exactly what we were doing last season. Still early though and it's only 2 games in, so accept all the gelling that needs to take place and that maybe it will take a while to hit the ground running.

We certainly did not though, play well for the whole 2nd half and at the end we were slightly hanging on at times.

I did predict we would have a slow start to the season and so far it has so proved. A win against Bury and it will all look a lot rosier, but the other main worry for me was all the long high balls we were playing in the first half to two very small strikers. Was this an AT tactic? Did someone forget to tell the players that we have sold Clive Platt? Don't think we won a ball in the air up front all night long.

Encouraged by the 20 min spell, but we need to be so much more consistent and for much longer spells in games.

My MOTM was Jennings. Yep, Wood played well, but people have been pointing to one great tackle he made in the 2nd half amongst other things, where he came back and did a great tackle in our own box to prevent what probably would have been a goal. It did come from his own mistake though where he was caught far too forwards and had to scramble back, so for me that great play was kind of nullified by the mistake in the first place.

 

[Otis]

The other thing I would like to mention that I don't believe has been alluded to yet is that last season we lost a whole stack of points from winning positions.

I sincerely hope it isn't a continuing trend because that is two games in this season and in both of these games we took the lead and were in winning positions.

It it could said we might well have lost 4 points thus far.

We need to hang on to leads and learn to finish teams off or shut up shop.

 

[Covstu]

i thought United were the better side for most of the game however they looked very beatable last night and they are one of the favourites which is encouraging. We again conceeded late which is a theme i was hoping to shed from last season but was a fair result in the end. The first half was one of the poorest halves i have ever sat though, both teams absolutely clueless and so many passes straying everywhere, Brown was appalling and couldnt keep a pass on the pitch in the 1st half! Very encourged by Malaga, i think he could be a bit 'wild' and likely to be prone to a few Ben Turneresque howlers but got stuck in whoch was good. Not sure about Barton though...

 

[Otis]

Thought Barton's class showed through at times, but there were other times where he seemed to disappear

Brown was shockingly bad. Lost count of how many times he gave the ball away or lost possession. Malaga should be prove to be a good acquisition.

 

[stupot07]

Nicely summed up Otis - I thought Quinn looked head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch. Thought Doyle had a good game too and pretty much kept baker in his pocket for the majority of the game. I thought they looked a strong confident team.

I don't think it was our intention to play long ball but sheff utd pressed high, and with lack of movement in midfield meant that their was few options so Hoof because the easiest option.

It wasn't an awful performance but like Otis says we played well for 20 mins.

 

[ajsccfc]

I didn't hear any booing at half time, where was it coming from?

 

[Macca]

I didn't hear any booing at half time, where was it coming from?

The minds of the "city fans are the worst in the world" theorists

 

[Stevec189]

So Otis you forget about Woods two on line clearances in the first half instead concentrating on his one mistake. Jennings was very good but did mis place the odd pass - for me Wood was solid all game and the only player to come out of the first half with any credit.

Good job football is about opinions eh ;-)

PUSB

 

[torchomatic]

The Telegraph stand. Not sure why though.

I didn't hear any booing at half time, where was it coming from?

 

[castlevaleskyblue]

The other thing I would like to mention that I don't believe has been alluded to yet is that last season we lost a whole stack of points from winning positions.

I sincerely hope it isn't a continuing trend because that is two games in this season and in both of these games we took the lead and were in winning positions.

It it could said we might well have lost 4 points thus far.

We need to hang on to leads and learn to finish teams off or shut up shop.

very good point I was thinking this last night, how many times did we throw away a lead at the ricoh last season. We don't seem to be able to kill a game which is worrying.
Overall I enjoyed the game was good to be back at the ricoh and really think this squad is good enough to make the play offs.

 

[oldskyblue58]

I am hoping that the players and coaches/manager have learnt from tonight ........ specifically that there is nothing to fear in this division and that playing on the front foot higher up the pitch as we did in the second half is the way to go...... have the confidence and belief that we can, the results will come. Sitting back round our own box inviting pressure on is a risk and will cost us.

As AT keeps saying "give it a good go" .......... well go on then, believe in ourselves believe in winning and do it. There is nothing to fear in this division even if it wont be easy.

 

[DH - Sky Blue]

I didn't hear any booing at half time, where was it coming from?

The Telegraph stand. Not sure why though.

Plenty of booing in block 18 too

 

[sky_blue_up_north]

I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. These guys just need games now. For the 20 minute period in the second half was some the best we have played for a long time. Wood was outstanding at the back, but for me Jennings was the MOTM, his control of the middle of the park and how he got us moving was outstanding. Looking forward to getting Fleck back, as this will make us even stronger, and add McGoldrick we will be a force in this league. Lets start and get a few wins under our belt and the confidence drive us on.

 

[ajsccfc]

I only heard the odd dissenting voice (the same ones I expected to hear unless they moved seats over the summer) with the usual groans any time a ball wasn't passed forward or when it was and didn't hit the target.

 

[Covstu]

the booing made me laugh, i heard so much abuse to some of our players particuarly Hussey but then the world was a brighter place when we scored and AT and the boys were legends again! amazing how one goal change change the opinion on the whole team isnt it!