Sheffield United v Derby County

[Mr Tibbs]

Gary Rowett's decision to instruct Scott Carson to go up for that free kick was one of the worst managerial decisions I've ever seen. 

We'd already been lumping the ball to Curtis Davies for the past 6 minutes no to avail, why did he think it would work this time? Fair enough if it was a free kick/corner where a delivery into the box was certain, but a hopeful punt wide in hope of a header back across goal to your goalkeeper is borderline insane IMO. If Carson doesn't go up, they don't score and kill the game (might have been dead already, who knows) but that decision made it certain we would lose. There may well have been a chance to win back the ball and try again but obviously that wasn't to be. 

That decision is exactly what we are at the minute, a percentage playing team. No clear plan, no transitions from defence to attack, just hopeful, long, aimless punts in hope of something coming off. 

Really frustrated after all the chat we've been fed. Think I'll have a couple of hours off before I comment on the whole match. 

[Mick Brolly]

Well well well even by our recent standards that was absolutely shocking , felt embarrassed walking back through Sheffield, as I said last week we learnt absolutely nothing from the Bolton game , we beat a dreadful team and everyone's on here banging on about how good we are and heaping praise on players that most of the time are awful, against any half decent team we will struggle , the movement of the ball was pathetic , from throw ins no one wanted it , lack of effort , piss poor passing , no passion , no bite in the tackle , no one firing the team up , no creativity , good job the silk mill love in wasn't after this shambles , let's just hope Garry can ship some more overpaid deadwood out before the window closes , and if we can't bring anyone else in play the under 23's  at least they might put up a bit more of a fight.

[Tamworthram]

2 minutes ago, Mr Tibbs said:

Gary Rowett's decision to instruct Scott Carson to go up for that free kick was one of the worst managerial decisions I've ever seen. 

We'd already been lumping the ball to Curtis Davies for the past 6 minutes no to avail, why did he think it would work this time? Fair enough if it was a free kick/corner where a delivery into the box was certain, but a hopeful punt wide in hope of a header back across goal to your goalkeeper is borderline insane IMO. If Carson doesn't go up, they don't score and kill the game (might have been dead already, who knows) but that decision made it certain we would lose. There may well have been a chance to win back the ball and try again but obviously that wasn't to be. 

That decision is exactly what we are at the minute, a percentage playing team. No clear plan, no transitions from defence to attack, just hopeful, long, aimless punts in hope of something coming off. 

Really frustrated after all the chat we've been fed. Think I'll have a couple of hours off before I comment on the whole match. 

If that's one of the worst managerial decisions you've ever seen, you need to watch more football.

 

Whilst it hardly ever works (one exception being Poom against us I believe) it's not uncommon to send the keeper up for one last ditch attempt to salvage a point. It was the 98th minute after all and the game was almost certainly lost by then unless, by some fluke, Carson's presence had contributed towards an equaliser. 

[DRBee]

41 minutes ago, loweman2 said:

Can it really be manager after manager can not get the best out of our squad ?

McClaren

Clement

Wassall

Pearson

Powell

McClaren

Rowett

have all had a crack at it or is it that we have a few bad apples in the mix that have been there since the start,

something is inherently wrong !

mitchell

forsyth

shackell

keogh

hanson

bryson

thorne

martin

russell

bennett

bent

add onto those

Johnson

butterfield

is it the manager or is it the squad

Try the owner cos it is his accumulated errors that have caused this problem. Those in another thread speaking so positively about the comments made at the Silk Mill Fans Forum really need to ask if what they heard addresses our issues?

We have a manager who wants us to judge his success in the transfer window by what he TRIES to do rather than the actual outgoings and incomings. We have a finance director praising the success of the incoming transfers  - when we sold our 2 most creative players supposedly to be replaced by players of quality according to our manager, something we have most  visibly failed to do.We have an owner who has certainly made a few big errors telling us how hard it is to run the club because with our size and financial resource we have real choices to make.

I don't mind being told we can't bring in quality players because we can't afford it , its the spin and compulsory positive glow on offer at the forum that makes me want to throw up.

 

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

This isn't about this player & that player being good enough its about the team cheating the fans..................It's about a team that deep down think they are better than all in the division (how may players have you heard say words to the effect of "hopefully our quality will shine through & win it for us"). Until they realise that they have to work harder than the other team they are going nowhere. The strange thing is they ARE a very talented bunch, just a shame they have a collective infectious laziness about them.

[RoyMac5]

1 hour ago, reveldevil said:

Not Really, just said the players didn't fight enough, or didn't apply the game plan he'd provided. 

 

I'm starting to wish he'd make up a game plan to fit the players rather than vice versa...

[G STAR RAM]

18 minutes ago, Athelwulf said:

I'd say that it's more about the Blades having nothing to lose. There's no pressure on them, you see. They're not going for gold (literally). They can play with a wanton abandon which Derby can't. They haven't coughed up what Derby (or Wednesday) have. We're both hamstrung by our own expenditure. We're so scared of not getting the ball in the pocket that we miss or neglect to consider where the cue ball's going to wind up. United are also underestimated and an unknown quantity. Nobody's figured out yet what their achilles heel is.

 

P.S. I told you that Billy was an Anthony Blunt. 

Not sure I agree with this. 

There are seldom teams in this division that are not under pressure when playing at home.

I'm sure Sheffield United fans think that they are just as big a club as us.

Didn't Clough get sacked there despite taking them from bottom 3 to play offs and to 2 cup semi finals? That to me would indicate that they see Championship as their rightful place aso a minimum.

[Pottig]

8 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

If that's one of the worst managerial decisions you've ever seen, you need to watch more football.

 

Whilst it hardly ever works (one exception being Poom against us I believe) it's not uncommon to send the keeper up for one last ditch attempt to salvage a point. It was the 98th minute after all and the game was almost certainly lost by then unless, by some fluke, Carson's presence had contributed towards an equaliser. 

 

[GenBr]

3 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Not sure I agree with this. 

There are seldom teams in this division that are not under pressure when playing at home.

I'm sure Sheffield United fans think that they are just as big a club as us.

Didn't Clough get sacked there despite taking them from bottom 3 to play offs and to 2 cup semi finals? That to me would indicate that they see Championship as their rightful place aso a minimum.

I know club size isn't purely based on attendances, but so far this season Shef Utd have a higher average attendance than us.

[RoyMac5]

13 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Whilst it hardly ever works (one exception being Poom against us I believe) it's not uncommon to send the keeper up for one last ditch attempt to salvage a point. It was the 98th minute after all and the game was almost certainly lost by then unless, by some fluke, Carson's presence had contributed towards an equaliser. 

Occasionally at corners maybe, but really it's better to have the keeper where he belongs. Who knows how much longer the ref would have played - Man City played and scored in 9 minutes of 5 minutes of time added on.

[ollycutts1982]

2 hours ago, Alpha said:

The Good

On the counter Huddlestone's passing was ridiculous. Vydra and Weimann drove forward ok. Olsson too. Final ball was always done with eyes closed though

 

The Bad

We surrendered the whole pitch to defend our box. And we didn't defend it well. Never got go grips with Sheff United's system. They too were wasteful with more regular promising positions. At one point a simple pull back of 10 yards would have lead to a tap in. He chose to cross to the back post. Why? No idea. But they got in behind us constantly. Fair enough when we're chasing the game but it happened when we set up camp on our goal and refused any challenge unless it had Last Ditch!! written all over it. 

The Ugly

Russell's og. If you kick the ball really hard the way you're facing and you're facing the goal from 15 yards then there's no real surprise if it end in a goal is there? 

 

 

Not a terrible performance but one of the least composed efforts you'll see. Panic at every opportunity. Often panic for no reason. 

Russell + ball + 15 yards out = the last place I would expect it to go is in the back of the net. 

[irobinson]

We had plenty of time to fix this match - stop clutchin at straws

 

does it make a difference now?

 

we lost - can't play worse - move on 

[Coneheadjohn]

Fair play to Wilder,out coached us.

[wingfieldram]

Not read any post match comments (will do shortly, with a nice strong pint)....but I have to say, that was very very poor.

The day started so well with some lovely beer in the Devonshire Cat....what a pub!. Turned pretty s**** thereafter. We were dismal. I cannot remember any part of the match in which we showed any promise. It truly is going to be a year of transition with, most likely, a mid table finish. I just hope we start to play in a more entertaining style. It's been dull for a long time. 

The Lady wife, normally a calm and considered person, declared that she wasn't going to any more away matches this season. I think she is just starting to come around again.

Must admit, as I walked back through Sheffield, I was slightly envious of all the home fans enjoying their post match beers in various bars. They were buzzing. Think we have a long way to go before we start to experience that buzz again

[ollycutts1982]

5 minutes ago, irobinson said:

We had plenty of time to fix this match - stop clutchin at straws

 

does it make a difference now?

 

we lost - can't play worse - move on 

Please do not set these players a challenge. 

[RoyMac5]

1 minute ago, ollycutts1982 said:

Please do not set these players a challenge. 

Surely that's the safest thing you can do.

[Curtains]

Well that went well.  

Gifted the opposition 3 goals. 

 

Derby played poorly though. 

[HuddersRam]

I'm probably echoing everybody else but wow that was dreadful. Such sloppy mistakes throughout the game and bar a small handful, players just looked devoid of ideas. Vydra wasted decent breaks and took way too long to get efforts in at goal. Weizmann tried but that was all, Olson gave it a go but constantly did too much. Thought both Nugent and Martin had very little to go off, it's just worrying how we create so little still after all these years.

I do have sympathy for Russell for the goal but even not including that, he was hiding way too often and almost looks consigned to getting subbed off on the hour. On the whole, massively disappointing and against a bang average Sheffield United side aswell. Would anyone swap a Butterfield/Johnson/Bryson for a Coutts? He was MOTM today and it just shows how little we've actually grown since 2012.

All these complaints without even mentioning I was stuck sitting with the home fans... grim afternoo, grim people. 

[Comrade 86]

3 hours ago, DcFc Dyycheee said:

Terminating Russell's contract should be the very next thing Gary does in my opinion. 

I've gone a step further and emailed Mel to suggest Russell be ritually disemboweled and then force-fed his severed entrails.

That should teach him! 

[DcFc Dyycheee]

Andre Wisdom says the game was lost after 20 minutes, says the rest of the squad felt that as well. Think that says everything about the mentality of the group. Same old, same old..