MATCHWATCH : Sheffield United (a)

[Millsy]

Fair play to Sheffield they thoroughly deserved that. Our boys did try to be fair but clearly utterly shattered and just not able to compete with Sheffield.

We move on.

[South Coast Royal]

If we look at the wider picture, 3 points out of 6 away at two tough venues is fine.
We do have to keep the SCL stadium a fortress in the months ahead and if so the mid-table target would be achieved.

The shame is that our best player (on his day) is an enigma which doesn't really work in a team of hard-working limited triers-I wouldn't be surprised to see him leave tomorrow although his injury record might stop WBA or anybody else coming in for him.
Was he trying not to get injured last night?

[YorkshireRoyal99]

If we look at the wider picture, 3 points out of 6 away at two tough venues is fine.
We do have to keep the SCL stadium a fortress in the months ahead and if so the mid-table target would be achieved.

The shame is that our best player (on his day) is an enigma which doesn't really work in a team of hard-working limited triers-I wouldn't be surprised to see him leave tomorrow although his injury record might stop WBA or anybody else coming in for him.
Was he trying not to get injured last night?

I'd be pretty surprised to see him leave now considering our stance over the summer with him and what we can and can't do with any incoming fee for him.

I wouldn't read too much into last night, returning from injury and Ince himself said that he played more minutes against Blackburn than he would have liked so it might have taken it's toll a bit over the last few games. Hopefully we can get this "mystery" striker in to take a bit of pressure off Joao as well and we can get Long involved as well.

[Hound]

I get the comparison, I don't think it's quite the same though. We were absolutely under the cosh with Pauno and always looked a whisker away from defeat. Boro threw a bit at us but Millwall and Cardiff, from recent memory, didn't actually have a great deal of clear cut chances against us. Under Pauno we were just one good finish from the opposition away from crumbling whereas our previous 3 wins, we never really looked in "that" much danger of getting beat.

Bar the Lumley save when 3-0 up against Blackburn did he make an actual save beyond the absolute routine in any of those games?

Doesn’t matter. That level of pressure will regularly lead to goals in the long term, and that little possession will struggle to score goals regularly in the long term.

Did Lumley have many saves to make against Sheffield? He made 3 total, at least one if not more were just routine.

Yeah but he conceded 4 (theoretically all saves to make)

Not having a save but conceding 4 in one game is a lot different to 1 save in 3 matches where we don’t concede

Waffly way of saying the defensive unit has been pretty strong and weren’t really under significant pressure against the 3 teams we beat for a considerable amount of time. Boro maybe a bit more than the other 2 but still didn’t look like conceding particularly

[Hendo]

Those three had shades of the early run in Clowno's first season. Riding our luck, keeping cleansheets we couldn't maintain longer term.

I get the comparison, I don't think it's quite the same though. We were absolutely under the cosh with Pauno and always looked a whisker away from defeat. Boro threw a bit at us but Millwall and Cardiff, from recent memory, didn't actually have a great deal of clear cut chances against us. Under Pauno we were just one good finish from the opposition away from crumbling whereas our previous 3 wins, we never really looked in "that" much danger of getting beat.

Bar the Lumley save when 3-0 up against Blackburn did he make an actual save beyond the absolute routine in any of those games?

Just on this, the Lumley save v Blackburn was 1-0 at the time and was as important as any goal scored that night, imo.

[Hound]

I get the comparison, I don't think it's quite the same though. We were absolutely under the cosh with Pauno and always looked a whisker away from defeat. Boro threw a bit at us but Millwall and Cardiff, from recent memory, didn't actually have a great deal of clear cut chances against us. Under Pauno we were just one good finish from the opposition away from crumbling whereas our previous 3 wins, we never really looked in "that" much danger of getting beat.

Bar the Lumley save when 3-0 up against Blackburn did he make an actual save beyond the absolute routine in any of those games?

Just on this, the Lumley save v Blackburn was 1-0 at the time and was as important as any goal scored that night, imo.

Yes you are quite correct. My old age kicking in

[Franchise FC]

I’m going with the line that I’m not going to get over-excited by the winning run and not going to lose it over some, albeit heavy, defeats

It’s going to be that sort of season IMHO

[CountryRoyal]

I know this is controversial but I think we should be starting Long over Joao. It makes such a difference being able to press from the start with high intensity, like Sheff did to us last night - and we just simply can’t do that with Joao up top.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I’m going with the line that I’m not going to get over-excited by the winning run and not going to lose it over some, albeit heavy, defeats

It’s going to be that sort of season IMHO

Agree, I mentioned this after the Rotherham game that it will end up being a season where we do take a few battering's, simply because our team is not that good in comparison to some at this level.

But if we can keep plugging away at points and wins as the season goes on, then we should be in good shape. If by the halfway stage of the season we have 30 points, we've done pretty well. That's only 18 more points and we have another 16 games until we reach that point. People say that it's just early days and, whilst true, this buffer of points we have now might end up paying dividends come May.

[Stranded]

I’m going with the line that I’m not going to get over-excited by the winning run and not going to lose it over some, albeit heavy, defeats

It’s going to be that sort of season IMHO

Agree, I mentioned this after the Rotherham game that it will end up being a season where we do take a few battering's, simply because our team is not that good in comparison to some at this level.

But if we can keep plugging away at points and wins as the season goes on, then we should be in good shape. If by the halfway stage of the season we have 30 points, we've done pretty well. That's only 18 more points and we have another 16 games until we reach that point. People say that it's just early days and, whilst true, this buffer of points we have now might end up paying dividends come May.

Our next 4 games up to the International break, could be pretty key - there are 3 winnable games in there - if we can pick up 6 or more points from Stoke (H), Watford (A), Sunderland (H), Wigan (A), then we will be sitting fairly pretty. Key thing is getting a result on Sunday, if we can get a win then we go into Watford as another free hit - hopefully we'll actually take a swing this time.

[Franchise FC]

I do think that the all action style is also likely to result in one or two blow outs when the legs get tired

Not in an individual game necessarily, but the cumulative effect

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I’m going with the line that I’m not going to get over-excited by the winning run and not going to lose it over some, albeit heavy, defeats

It’s going to be that sort of season IMHO

Agree, I mentioned this after the Rotherham game that it will end up being a season where we do take a few battering's, simply because our team is not that good in comparison to some at this level.

But if we can keep plugging away at points and wins as the season goes on, then we should be in good shape. If by the halfway stage of the season we have 30 points, we've done pretty well. That's only 18 more points and we have another 16 games until we reach that point. People say that it's just early days and, whilst true, this buffer of points we have now might end up paying dividends come May.

Our next 4 games up to the International break, could be pretty key - there are 3 winnable games in there - if we can pick up 6 or more points from Stoke (H), Watford (A), Sunderland (H), Wigan (A), then we will be sitting fairly pretty. Key thing is getting a result on Sunday, if we can get a win then we go into Watford as another free hit - hopefully we'll actually take a swing this time.

Definitely those 2 home fixtures are tricky, but winnable and you'd like to think we'd go to Wigan and get a result. If we lost to Wigan but won the 2 home fixtures, then it wouldn't be so much of an issue. Difficulty is, I can't see us winning both these home games, I get the feeling we will get beat in one of them. Obviously I'd rather 2 wins and 2 defeats to 1 win, 2 draws and a defeat, assuming Watford is the defeat (and Wigan being the other in the scenario given).

Agree with Franchise as well, operating with 15/16 senior players and playing in a relentless league like this where we've had so many games in a short space of time, it will take it's toll eventually. Hopefully a couple of free agents alongside the Rahman loan will help bolster numbers, it's now just about keeping players as fit as possible, a tall order granted.

[Snowflake Royal]

I know this is controversial but I think we should be starting Long over Joao. It makes such a difference being able to press from the start with high intensity, like Sheff did to us last night - and we just simply can’t do that with Joao up top.

We should be picking them based on the plan and expectation for the game.

If we're expecting to not see much of the ball, be pinned back and need to chase a lot - Long.

If we expect to be competing and and able to press high as a team with plenty of the ball - Joao

Long will press better, certainly on his own. I'd back Joao to score more though.

[Snowflake Royal]

Agree, I mentioned this after the Rotherham game that it will end up being a season where we do take a few battering's, simply because our team is not that good in comparison to some at this level.

But if we can keep plugging away at points and wins as the season goes on, then we should be in good shape. If by the halfway stage of the season we have 30 points, we've done pretty well. That's only 18 more points and we have another 16 games until we reach that point. People say that it's just early days and, whilst true, this buffer of points we have now might end up paying dividends come May.

Our next 4 games up to the International break, could be pretty key - there are 3 winnable games in there - if we can pick up 6 or more points from Stoke (H), Watford (A), Sunderland (H), Wigan (A), then we will be sitting fairly pretty. Key thing is getting a result on Sunday, if we can get a win then we go into Watford as another free hit - hopefully we'll actually take a swing this time.

Definitely those 2 home fixtures are tricky, but winnable and you'd like to think we'd go to Wigan and get a result. If we lost to Wigan but won the 2 home fixtures, then it wouldn't be so much of an issue. Difficulty is, I can't see us winning both these home games, I get the feeling we will get beat in one of them. Obviously I'd rather 2 wins and 2 defeats to 1 win, 2 draws and a defeat, assuming Watford is the defeat (and Wigan being the other in the scenario given).

Agree with Franchise as well, operating with 15/16 senior players and playing in a relentless league like this where we've had so many games in a short space of time, it will take it's toll eventually. Hopefully a couple of free agents alongside the Rahman loan will help bolster numbers, it's now just about keeping players as fit as possible, a tall order granted.

At the moment, we're a bit all or nothing. Wins are obviously a lot better than draws, but I'd like to see us start picking up a few draws as well.

[Cuppliance]

Burnley is greater Manchester, not Yorkshire

Lancashire I think.

Yeah, it’s Lancs

As a Blackburn fan primarily, this made me laugh. We call Burnley fans Dingles as they are very close to Yorkshire and their accent starts to get a bit more Yorkshire. We say they are a small town in Yorkshire which winds them up no end so to see people think they are in Yorkshire tickled me.

[karbota]

Just had to laugh at the Wokie BBC Tim Dellors commentary just before KO = " And as the players take the knee " FAKE NOBODY TOOK THE KNEE FROM EITHER TEAM!
The complaint is in, typical BBC fake news bullsh$t thank God the knee is dead.