Blades v Swindon

[sharrovian]

When we go down there and score the first goal it will knock them right and proper, "keep the faith" its not over yet

[rossyrooney]

Well a decent crowd during bank holiday week, and a lively start but poor refereeing, one piece of bad luck, a gamble and a tactical error cost us (in my opinion)

 

We dominated the first half, without a doubt, until the closing moments, pushed hard, had crosses into the box, but couldn't find the finish, until Kieron Freeman scored.

 

The referees strange decisions started with the blatant hand ball in the box, as has already been said on here. Swindon getting a penalty by going down from a weak challenge in our box, then a stronger challenge on Murphy not been given in theirs, and that strange (and costly) decision to decide to not play advantage, when Done was through on goal, and bring the game back to the half way line. One of the blokes near me has done some reffing and can usually explain why something unpopular has been done, but even he was baffled.

 

So that was the lively start and the poor refereeing.

 

The gamble was leaving Matt Done on the bench. he has been suffering from a few ongoing injuries, mainly a groin strain, and had been having pain killing injections to get him through it. I assume the gamble here was to get through the home leg, use him sparingly if needed in the away leg, and then tell him to grit his teeth and get on with it if we made the final. The difference he made when he came on was immense. Pace, power, leaving his marker for dead and have a perfectly good goal disallowed. Needs to start next game no matter what.

 

The bad luck, was of course, the injury to John Brayford, having to leave the pitch at half time. He had played well up to that point.

 

The tactical error; not replacing Brayford with Alcock, like for like swap. Instead, moving the towering figure of Chris Basham into the back four, and bringing on the 4 foot seven inch tall, Scougall. This meant that Coutts was our only tall player in the centre of the park and Holt and Scougall as his two tiny team mates. Swindon ran straight through the middle of the park from that point on until Scougall went off injured, and Doyle came on.

 

Why Bob Harris was not sat on top of Nathan Byrne all night (their number 3) is a mystery, the fastest man on the pitch (until Matt Done came on) and given acres of space all night, crazy stuff.

 

The second goal (Byrne!) looked like a bad reaction from the keeper, but walking out, I ran into a mate who had been sat in the family stand and he said the ball took a deflection, leaving the keeper too much to do.

 

1-1 would have been a fair score, but the fact is that Swindon look beatable.

 

Davies won most things in the air, provided flick ons and out muscled Swindon when needed.

 

Start Matt Done and if he gets injured, so be it, start Steven Davies because we need the muscle and presence, keep Chris Basham in midfield, because we need the muscle and presence and the surging runs. Flynn and Murphy out wide, Coutts (or Doyle) alongside Basham. Patch up the back four with Alcock and maybe even Magahey or Collins.

 

Start at Swindon how we started at the Lane, get the early goal and it is game on. Bombard their box like the closing 15 minutes last night and anything can happen.

 

No matter the result, first thing on Clough's shopping list has to be two big, nasty central defenders.

 

UTB.

 

Many thanks G. and for the message via C.B.

[Grappler]

Many thanks G. and for the message via C.B.

 

No problem pal

[byeo]

When we go down there and score the first goal it will knock them right and proper, "keep the faith" its not over yet

 

We took the lead tonight and sat back until they equalised, this has happened all season long. Why do you think it'll change now ?

 

Clough, Jim, Gary Sinclair etc... have all been saying raise the roof, get behind the lads etc... we did, but it works both ways and if we are watching negative football, it's tough to get up for it.

 

Sorry but we're not going to Wembley if Clough thinks he can play like we did last night.

[canadablade]

Sorry but we're not going to Wembley if Clough thinks he can play like we did last night.

 

Seems to be a reoccurring theme , score and sit back until the other team scores.

Glad I booked a trip to Dominican Republic and didn't wait for Mondays match to be over and actually entertain the thoughts of coming back for a play-off final.

Looks like our neighbours Chesterfield have bobbed it as well

[byeo]

Looks like our neighbours Chesterfield have bobbed it as well

 

Yeah, Preston away will be very tough for them. I'm surprised you picked the Dominican over exotic/smelly Wembley

[chalga]

You can almost set your watch now for the time when the equaliser will come.............we are that predictable............as well as the almost inevitable fact that it will be a set piece that leads to the goal.

To not address this problem and rectify it is criminal...........I don't think that i have seen such a glaring weakness in a Blades team in all my years following them that has just been left to fester for months while the goals just keep going in...........I don't think I have heard Radio Sheffield even raise a question with Clough that there is a weakness there,so he has to answer it,and I have never heard Clough say that there is a problem,as though there isn't one...........mind you,when you have discarded 2 centre backs then you maybe just don't want the problem area brought up.

The options for Nigel are rapidly diminishing..........failure to take us up automatic leaves him 90 minutes of football away from another window closing.............after that he should have until autumn to get us either in the top 2 or hot on their heels and putting pressure on them...........not miles behind andhaving no hope to catch them like this season............failure to do that and the board have to recognise failure when they see it...........there's too many bad moves been made on and off the pitch this season that lead directly to the managers door...........we have had excuses for the best part of 10 years now,Blades fans deserve better than more excuses,we've had enough of them.

[Mr Bloke]

When we go down there and score the first goal it will knock them right and proper, "keep the faith" its not over yet

Glad to see someone else hasn't given up on them... yet!

 

Listening to some of you, we might as well not bother to turn up then on Monday.

 

It's disappointing so far, but it's only 1 goal.

 

Wait and see. There's nothing that any of us can do to change what happens. It only takes a penalty and an own-goal and we're at Wembley!

 

Keep the faith!

[chalga]

Yeah, Preston away will be very tough for them. I'm surprised you picked the Dominican over exotic/smelly Wembley

 

I actually would not be surprised to see Chesterfield turn this around and go through.

[byeo]

I don't think I have heard Radio Sheffield even raise a question with Clough that there is a weakness there,so he has to answer it.

 

That'll never happen, Clough would get miffed at it and just ban Radio Sheffield from the Lane. It happened years ago with Barnsley. I agree though, they do need to question him, saying that, with one game to go before our season is over. Sod it, just ask him how long it'll take for him to clear his office and get the heck out of Bramall Lane for good.

 

If this does not happen (if we don't go up) I'll not return to the Lane until he does go.

 

---------- Post added 08-05-2015 at 12:42 ----------

 

Glad to see someone else hasn't given up on them... yet!

 

Listening to some of you, we might as well not bother to turn up then on Monday.

 

It's disappointing so far, but it's only 1 goal.

 

Wait and see. There's nothing that any of us can do to change what happens. It only takes a penalty and an own-goal and we're at Wembley!

 

Keep the faith!

 

Honestly, what makes you think this last game will be any different to the dross we've seen all season long ? It didn't change last night, we've lost Brayford and Scoogle, Done can't manager a full game...