Reply With QuoteOur current form is really poor (4th lowest in league in terms of points accumulated last 12 games and relegation form really) and now we simply have to steady the ship and get a few goals and wins (we are not only not winning but not scoring – outside the Norwich game we have scored 1 goal in 5 games at Derby) and simply do not look the same side with the energy levels on and off the ball missing. We need to stop the rot and quick as if we have another month like the last one we will be in the bottom half. We do not look like putting a run of wins together at all and the performances even when decent has still seen us fail to win (Bristol City, Derby, Villa, Birmingham). Wilder has a huge week. He needs to bring Duffy back next week and needs to get back to basics of earlier in the season – pressing high up the field, winning the ball and then attacking with pace and fluidity. Everything we have done has been slow on and off the ball and we look a tired side that lacks belief. The coaching staff have a huge week to restore confidence after two crushing defeats this week that has really hit the side hard.
Wolves – They lost to Forest recently in an off day and of course we beat them at the Lane but today they showed why they will win the league at a canter. They are technically miles better than anyone else; they attack at will and are superb in the final third; where it matters. They played some lovely moves and scored two wonderful goals; one individual and team. They could have had a lot more. They worked hard and pressed when they did not have it to compliment the good stuff they played.
Not sure how the expenditure fits into the financial fair play rules although they have been smart with loans etc to compliment the 2 or 3 big money ones also. It does seem off that a second-tier team with income you would think in line with ours and many other clubs (crowds similar etc) can spend so much money within the rules but when you have legitimately rich owners; there is always a way round it.
It is a bit maddening to see them spend money on former Champions League players (Porto’s former captain) and players of huge pedigree when we have spent a year trying to sign Southend’s captain for half a million tops. However, that is where we are at. They will go up and will do well next year. They may spend more. Good luck to them. They are having a proper go. It may mean spending a lot of money but is yielding results and they will get Premier League football. You say today what great football they play. Without significant investment we are a long way off that.
Opposition Man of the Match: Take your pick. They are a proper side. Jota was the man of the match though and at times unplayable. They all work hard and defend properly as well as attack. Jota and Neves are the stand outs of course. They are great players but they have athletes and runners all over the side. The British lads like Coady, Douglas, Bennett and Ruddy do their jobs but it is the foreign contingent that make them so good. Even the defensive players like Boly, N’Diaye and Cavaleiro can pass the ball and move off the ground so quick. All three of these are massive units. The lads in front are special though. Costa, Jota and Neves are something else. Costa was a diving so and so but he is a good player who would be even better if he stopped looking for fouls and stayed on his feet. However, Jota and Neves are something else. The former is superb on the ball and very strong for a small man. He made our players look like cones at times. A joy to watch. The latter is a great technical player too. The fact they have likes of Bonatini and Afobe on the bench sums up depth. Both would walk into our team and most others at this level.
Opposition Weak link: None. They beat us easily. No one played bad and they all won their own individual battles. The lad Boly looks a bit clumsy but we did not test him.
Moore 4/10 – He was maybe a 6 in the game with no chance on the goal, maybe could have done a bit better on the second and then some regulation saves but most misses just went wide or over. He was left badly exposed as they broke at numbers. The red card was moronic. Not sure he had to come and if he did he needed to either make sure he got there quicker and got on the ball or hold his ground. He just came out and missed the ball by miles and booted their man in the guts. It was awful and an easy red. We have gone mad over some really bad tackles this year such as Wallace, and the ones the Burton and Leeds players did. Moore’s was as bad as these. He went in very dangerously and could have seriously injured the player. It was awful. Lucky to only get 3 games really. If I was a Wolves fan I would be furious as he could have seriously injured our star man. Now with doubts over Blackman, young Eastwood may have to play a pressure cooker derby for his first league start. Fuming at Moore tonight. If Blackman does get back in and does ok; he should stay in as that was completely unprofessional.
Baldock 6.5/10 – Maybe our next best player to Holmes and I thought he was not great! Defensively at least a lot of their attacks came down our side early on and he left some space. He did get forward well at times and won some free kicks and at least tried to turn the defenders but no decent final balls came in. He too looked stretched by the end.
Stevens 4/10 – Poor again. Sloppy with his marking and sloppy when he defended. He often just lumped it or played it blind to no one in particular. He also was slow to react to things and failed to stop the cross. He fouled a lot and was just really slow all game in everything he did. He is badly out of form at the moment and not sure how he has stayed in the team. Only the fact Lafferty is probably even worse has saved him but that should not be a reason to not make a chance. He has been shocking now for 2 months and keeps getting picked.
Basham 5/10 – Another poor performance. He was made to look a mug by more skilled and quicker players on a number of occasions. They got away from him two or three times due to his immobile play and his inability to react. Felt he could have done better twice on the second goal. Did a bit better in midfield but still gave it away a lot and never really got amongst it. We were stood off all game. Summed him up second half when he played that pass straight to Baldock clearly offside. Is a trier but looks way off standards of top of the table players at this level at the moment and one we may need to upgrade if we want to stay in the upper end of this league as great as he has been for the club.
O’Connell 6/10 – He had an ok game and we lost 3-0 and the defence was at full stretch. At times made to look daft by good skill but often he was having to chase back or turn and try and run with nimble players. Kept plugging away and one of the few whose head did not drop. Ended up with a back four and not sure we were any worse. They created quite a few chances with a 3 and quite a few with a 2 but maybe most came when it was ten men.
Stearman 6/10 – I thought he tried manfully but as with the other defenders could not live with the movement but much of this was in front of him and the defence had no protection. He looked at full stretch at lot but good players do that. Not sure I could blame him too much for the defeat; and I could say same about O’Connell. They broke at speed and skill and hard when defenders are turned the other way; something we do not do.
Evans 6/10 – Not as good as the other night as Wolves passed it around our midfield and we looked like statues at times. He did ok in spells but did not influence game that much attacking or defensively. Off the ball they had so much time and space and the midfield did not communicate meaning they just picked us off with one pass with a big gap in behind. When we got it, we played it sideways and backward and never really looked like moving it into the last third. It was so slow and whilst him and Fleck did not give it away lots, they did not advance the ball and eventually someone just pumped it long or played an errant pass. I was hoping for some athleticism, power, running or goals in midfield or failing that a real hard nut that protected the back four and have us a base. Not sure any of the three (Leonard and Lundstram) give us any of that from what I have seen so far but early doors. We have spent say 2 millon approx. combined on those three but they all do look much of a muchness. As I say still time though and we will wait and see.
Fleck 5/10 – One of his poorest games for the Blades. The Wolves players picked off his intentions too easy and read his jink backs or square passes. He was really slow and sloppy all game. I felt that we needed him to be at his best to have a chance and he put in a stinker for me. Love Fleck but he is not the same players without Coutts and Duffy. Today he looked tired and lacked the drive and belief we have seen. He seemed to know that we were not going to have the ball in key areas and just sort of played it safe. It was all very conservative and we never got into their last third consistently all game.
Holmes 7/10 – Our best player by a long way. He got on the ball and tried to run at players or make things happen. Only white shirt who tried to penetrate or actually get on it and make things happen. Not everything worked for him and he had two wild shots but at least he had efforts. His work rate surprised me as he really got up and down. Not sure why he came off. He looked more energised than the rest of them so fatigue could not be an excuse? Maybe Wilder was saving him for next week?
Originally Posted by abbobrom
