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Thread: United 2 Reading 1 - report

  1. #1
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    United 2 Reading 1 - report

    Sorry for late report – went for a few beers post game in town and was very tired when I got in……
    ----
    United’s superb start to the season continued as they beat Reading 2-1 at Bramall Lane. It was another game where United came roaring out of the blocks and for the first 70 minutes they were excellent dominating a side that had made the playoff final last season. An individual strike of quality from Paul Coutts was matched by an exquisite team goal finished off by Billy Sharp to see United in complete control but after Sharp had missed a chance to seal the game, the Royals came back into the game. A late Roy Beerens goal saw Reading given a lifeline and they put the home side under real late pressure but the Blades did enough to see out the game and make it back to back home wins since the international break. United’s rivals at the top won but they remain in third place and well set for consecutive away games at Leeds and QPR.

    Manager Wilder made two changes with Paul Coutts back in for Jon Lundstram with George Baldock coming in for the injured Kieron Freeman. Reading had a mix of youth and experience but the fact they could feature a player who cost 7.5 million in Sonny Aluko showed their spending power.

    The weather was markedly different to the previous Saturday with rain and wind accompanying the players as they came onto the field. Reading resplendent in a bright orange outfit were pinned back early as United made their customary powerful start kicking unusually towards the Kop first half. Clarke’s work rate was giving Reading problems and his play won a free kick in the right-hand corner. The ball came over and O’Connell headed wide when he maybe got up too early. The pressure continued on the Royals as Coutts and Fleck dictated midfield and United swarmed all over Reading. United won two corners and then Clarke and Baldock linked before Duffy had a shot blocked. More clever football nearly put Sharp in and then Stevens burst down the left but his cross was cleared. Another lovely move saw Stevens cross and Clarke poked wide via a deflection.

    It seemed inevitable that the Blades would score and they did just before the 20-minute mark. Baldock and Duffy set up the cross and then Clarke wrestled the ball back from a defender and although it was half cleared, COUTTS came onto it and hit a beauty of a shot from the edge of the box that went into the top corner. It was a superb striker and gave the keeper no chance. The players ran to congratulate the scorer as he ran towards the Kop with cries of ‘Coooooouuuuuttttttssssss!’ echoing around the ground to accompany the goal.

    United kept coming and Reading did not have an answer in a game that was being played almost exclusively in Reading’s half. A clever set play saw Coutts and Basham link up with a short free kick but Reading made a block at the last moment. United continued to press and harry with Clarke again chased down a defender to win another spell of possession. Duffy then nearly found another opening but the second goal was not long coming. It was a superb move and involved several players with the final part seeing Baldock feeding Duffy with a clever ball and then the cross was perfect for SHARP to finish easily at the back post.

    It had been total domination and finally Reading came out and won a corner before Beerens had a shot that went not far wide but United were back onto it and forced Reading back again with more controlled football after some great pressing again. The half time whistle saw a huge ovation for a brilliant first half performance from the Blades.

    The second half saw Reading have a different formation again. They had changed it twice already in the first half in an attempt to somehow get a foothold in the game! They seemed to now have a 4-3-3 formation and wanted to get Aluko more involved and early on he had one good run but was well stopped by Stevens.

    McShane came on for Blackett who had struggled all afternoon and the shape changed again with a 4-3-2-1 now being employed by the visitors! United continued to keep the ball well and Coutts and Fleck were still influential. The third goal should have come on 54 minutes from Duffy’s in swinging free kick but Sharp from point blank range hit Mannone’s legs and O’Connell was crowded out on the rebound. Sharp and then Basham had half chances not long after as United sought the killer goal but the game went through a quiet spell after this with both teams struggling in difficult conditions.

    Swift came on for Aluko and the formation seemed to change again! Reading were having more of the ball but had not created anything of note really. They did have a few half chances with a shot wide, McShane heading not far wide and then Gunter getting forward but being denied by Basham. The game was starting to open up and United were now not quite having the same control they had and was more even with 20 minutes to play.

    Brooks came on for Duffy for United and then Reading made another change with Clement coming on for Bacuna and slowly Reading started to have more of the ball. United were looking a bit weary as maybe the efforts of the first 75 minutes were starting to take its toll.

    Lundstram replaced the skipper Sharp as the game entered the final ten minutes and United seemed to have done enough to stem any possible comeback but then out of nothing came a goal with just under 5 minutes left.

    Carter Vickers header lacked purchase and Barrow drove down the left and played a nice ball across and BEERENS managed to get between his men and finish easily at the far post in similar fashion to Sharp in the first half. The Reading players scooped up the ball and knew they had 5 minutes plus stoppage time to steal something from the game. They put McShane up front and were now pressing United back and twice O’Connell had to clear. It was now all hands-on deck and Basham then made a smart interception to deny Swift. The game entered five minutes of stoppage time and Reading were now piling bodies forward and a game that United had controlled for so long, looked in some doubt.

    United then broke though with Brooks playing in Clarke and beating the offside trap. He was in on goal but maybe took too long and his shot was saved by Mannone. Soon after Clarke returned the compliment and sent Brooks through but he also took too long and was crowded out. Still as the ball was cleared by United soon after, they won a free kick and the final whistle went not long after this and it was another victory for the Blades.

  2. #2
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    United – For most of the game we were superb again. We controlled the game on and off the ball. It was relentless from the off with the ball being zinged about, players bombing forward from all over the place and us pinning back Reading. We played some super stuff and it was a joy to watch. As a team we pressured and harried and won the ball back and chased in packs. Reading could not keep the ball and it seemed like most of the game was played in their half, so dominant we were. When we had it, we played as a team also, getting men close to the ball and playing lovely little triangles.

    We scored two superb goals, of different types admittedly but both special goals. The only complaint is we did not create tons of chances in the game despite the domination and maybe even overplayed a bit in the last third! Still it was all United and the first half was as good as anything we saw last season or this. It reminded me of the Scunny/Bolton games last year where the opponent was just out footballed into submission.

    The effort players put in when they did not have it was phenomenal with Clarke leading the way in terms of sheer toil. Reading had no answer and they just kept coughing up possession. United’s intensity of play was a joy. The defence came onto the ball and were surging out, Coutts and Fleck controlled midfield, Duffy was buzzing around, Sharp was busy and the two wing backs were effectively extra strikers playing as wingers. Despite tricky conditions, United played great football and were picking off Reading all over the pitch and then turning defence into attack very quickly. For sheer weight of play and possession, United should have been out of sight at half time but as I say did not maybe create the chances to match their domination.

    Second half we were still on top and if Sharp scores it goes onto to be maybe 4 or 5 but we still worked hard and knocked it around well. A few players tired and we made changes but Reading slowly came back into it and started to force United back in the last 15 minutes. They were always going to have a spell and United became a bit sloppy but as a I say I think they had just put so much effort in that they started to flag somewhat. Reading got a sloppy goal from United’s point of view and then threw men forward and had a lot of the ball and pressed us back. You feared for all the domination that they may nick a ridiculously undeserved point but despite lots of balls into the box, United held firm and managed to prevent any clear chances. Indeed, Brooks and Clarke had chances on the break to make it more comfortable. You can nit-pick the last 10-15 minutes and say we gave it away too much or sat back but credit to Reading for finally having a go after being completely second best for most of the game.

    It was another well-deserved win for United. Currently watching the side is really enjoyable. You cannot wait for the games to come and that is testament to how Wilder has got them playing. They are beating sides and outplaying them for long spells. There is no let up at all and if they keep this level of intensity up (a challenge I will admit) then United will remain up near the top. I think the key is to get to 50 points and see where we are in January and then there may be some pressure on the board to add 2 or 3 real quality players (I don’t mean Devante Cole) in key areas, centre back and centre forward for me despite how well the players are doing in this area. Some may say you would leave it if they are doing well and don’t change things that are working but some real pace and goal scoring up top would make us even better for me. That is for further down the line though; the current attitude must be just to think about the next game. Leeds in front of a big crowd, on TV and under the lights will be tough but I have seen Leeds a few times and they are a real mixed bag and can be very good or very bad. If United play like they have been doing, I have no fear we can go there and get a result. We then have games against mid to lower sides in QPR, Hull and Burton. All games where if the performance levels carry on we can get more points.

    Currently things are going great at the Lane. Things can change and an injury or a bad defeat that knocks confidence could happen, but I think as fans we just need to enjoy what is happening at the moment and revel in the moment. It is brilliant at the moment and long may it continue. Wilder has done something that I never thought would happen with a group of players that has not cost that much and many from the lower leagues; he has got us winning and playing superb football with an intensity of effort I have not seen at the Lane for a long time; maybe ever in my lifetime.

    Reading – They were awful for 70 minutes but United made them look so bad and giving so much of the credit to the Blades for them being so poor. We pressed them back and won every individual battle. They were second to the ball and could not get out. The brightest thing about their performance was their kit which was fluorescent orange. They must have changed the formation at last 4 or 5 times. They seemed to match up with us at first, then went to a four, then back to a five and then had a 4-3-3 and then some weird 4-3-2-1 formation -this last one actually worked but too late! Teams are coming and changing formations to match up with us and this is happening every week. They are petrified of being over worked in midfield and putting a three in the middle but this is still not working. The positive for me is teams are preparing for us as they will do (Stam talked about having watched us all week and being prepared for us and how we play but then he admitted after the game they were not ready for what we did and did not match what we did!) but we are still surprising teams with effort and play.

    They tried everything but it did not see them having any more control of the ball and to be honest the game should have been done long before the late comeback. When they scored, they chucked men forward and were knocking it about well and United were nervous but it would have been daylight robbery if they had got anything from the game. 2-1 flattered them really in a game they were second best by a long way. To see Reading players slumped to the floor at the end was funny as they looked gutted too have lost and the body language seemed to be that of players who sensed they felt hard done by not to get anything but the reality was that they were battered for most of the game and the late comeback made it seem more of a game than it was.

    The first half really was so one side and it was incredible how they just kept getting the ball taken off them and just kept backpedalling towards their own goal. Stam kept to his principles and they kept trying to play it out but it was not working. They could not handle the pressure and intensity of United’s play. We looked fitter, hungrier and better footballers. That last point is key. It is not just about pressure and effort but when we have it we are outplaying teams.


    They of course made the playoff final last year which was a bit of a surprise as Jaap Stam did a remarkable job to get them into the top 6 and very close to the Premier League. They of course were fancied as one of the front runners again this year and had most of the same squad bar the keeper who moved on and the defender Williams who went to Huddersfield. However, they brought in an experienced keeper in Mannone and the Icelandic striker Bodvarsson. They also signed Aluko from Fulham for a lot of money and have lots of experience in the side. They started the season badly and have not quite got going. Their win at Leeds was much needed as talk was Stam is under pressure which seems ridiculous after the season they had last year. Sometimes when you surpass expectations it creates extra pressure the season after. They still will probably move away from the bottom places and I feel will finish around midway.

    Opposition Man of the Match: I thought he fouled a lot and was outplayed first half but the lad van den Berg actually was a decent footballer when he got on the ball. I also thought Aluko looked lively at times but no one really looked interested for the first 70 minutes or so. They then started playing and everyone improved. Beerens who scored, started to get into little pockets and players wanted the ball but it was too little, too late. However, their best player was maybe the lad Swift who came on, got on the ball and changed the way the game was going for them. He looked excellent.


    Opposition Weak link: Take your pick from an abysmal first half performance where they constantly gave the ball away, barely got in our half and looked clueless how to deal with an excellent United side. The defence kept trying to play it out despite it playing into our hands. The lads at the back were given a torrid time; Ilori and Blackett were maybe the two stand outs for ineptitude. Moore was also poor. Some of their experienced players like Edwards and Gunter were also passengers for long spells.

  3. #3
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    Blackman 7/10 – Did not have much to do and had no chance on the goal as it came across the box and he could not get to the cross or the tap in at the back post. Did not have one other shot to save I do not think? He punched one away and then apart from that watched (very calmly – too cool?!) a few shots/headers drift wide. His kicking remains bizarre as he punts it so high in the air but does not get the same distance on it. He needs to work on his trajectory!

    Baldock 8/10 – Thought both wing backs were excellent today. They defended well and were going forward at every opportunity. Both came onto the ball first when they could and were so determined to set us on the attack. Their play was one of the keys to our domination first half. Baldock is a really good athlete, he is quick, better in the air than you think and mobile. He was involved in a lot of our good play as we attacked first half and had a big part in the second goal. He has been a brilliant signing and when Freeman is back fit they will have a real fight for that slot but I think Baldock might be even better and that is harsh on Freeman who was superb last season but have to say it how I have seen it.

    Stevens 8/10 – As above really. He has been another super signing. A real athlete and so fit. He gets up and down, always so positive and good in the defensive part too. Wins tackles, comes away with the ball and a proper footballer too. There must be some good full backs in the Ireland squad if he cannot get in that side. I am not sure he will be without recognition for long in this capacity and surely like Coutts and Fleck, these countries must see how well they are playing.

    Carter Vickers 6.5/10 – He was ok but still for me our weakest player and that is not that he was bad. He did the basic defending ok, kicking it away and heading it clear but he is a bit ponderous on the ball and is not as comfortable in possession as the others at the back. Always feel like he will make a mistake a game. On the goal his header was not great originally and then he was slow to pick up his man down the left channel.

    O’Connell 7.5/10 – Loses half a mark for the goal as he was slow to react to the cross and if he had been more alert he would have intercepted or even been closer to his man. Outside of this he was excellent. He won so many headers and at the end it seemed the ball was magnetised to him. He just kept heading it away and is so determined. He came forward quite a bit first half and twice he was our most advanced player in general play. Our centre back! He keeps overlapping the overlapper and his fitness levels are really good too. Seems to just keep better and better. I look at the likes of Mawson who have stepped up the Premier League no problems and that worries me as teams will surely be looking at him.

    Basham 7.5/10 – Another solid, no frills performance. He is another that has been so consistent. He just plays well wherever he plays in the team. Today he defended well, came onto the ball and made some good runs forward too, winning a few free kicks and moving us up the field. He just goes about his business in a no nonsense but effective way. He made some good tackles and interceptions today. He is another playing so well every week and is someone that has to play no matter where it is in the team, although right centre back is his best position for me.

    Fleck 7.5/10 – Played against some decent players and made them look so poor. David Edwards, an International midfielder, was made to look so poor. Fleck won the tackles, moved it on and seemed to be all over the place first half. We looked superb in the middle of the park both on and off the ball. He covered a lot of ground but when he got the ball rarely wasted it and played some clever balls down the left flank, including a few inside the full back. After a slow start to the season, his levels of performance now are really high and it is fair to say he has completely adapted to this new level. Loved the moment when one of their players did a trick and got away from two United players and Fleck came onto the ball and absolutely took the lot out booting the ball away. The Reading player just completely bottled the challenge. That was a statement about United’s collective and it was as if Fleck was saying ‘you don’t do that to my mates!’

    Coutts 8.5/10 – Great to have him back as well as Lundstram did last week to full in. Coutts was once again orchestrating most of our play. He showed his range of passing and ability to keep the ball. He moves it short and long and just keeps it moving on. He really is a quality player and a joy to see him pinging it around. Also, very strong on the ball and takes some shifting despite being quite slight. It is not surprising he has the most successful passes out of anyone in the division. He loves to get on the ball and make us tick. His goal today was a gem. The main knock on our superb midfield duo is they do not get enough goals and that is a fair criticism more because they are so good on the ball, they should get more goals. There was simply no saving that shot that fairly arrowed into the top corner. He tired at the end and a few times him and Fleck lost runners as we started to lose the midfield but to be fair we had completely controlled this area for most of the game.

    Duffy 7.5/10 – Very good first half performance in keeping with the rest of the side. He showed some neat touches, lovely drifts away with the ball and always looking to get onto it. He is so hard to pick up and at times he seems almost unplayable as nobody knows where he will go as he has a licence to roam where he wants. Made the second goal with a good run and delightful ball to Sharp. Working harder at the moment too as he knows players can come in and take his place. As the game went on he did give it away a bit more than last week and some of his balls although clever and ambitious in intent did not quite find our men today. Tired second half and did not have same influence and was taken off.

    Sharp 7/10 – He scored a poaches goal and missed a good chance but in general play he was much better than last Saturday and seemed more energised. His effort and chasing down was good all day. He was not always involved in play but he did keep working hard and two or three times showed some good touches and hold up play bringing in others. Still looks a bit slow at times compared to the running and intensity of others. Knows now that although he is captain there is real depth at the top of the pitch so has to keep his performance level high. Today was better from him and he scored of course.

    Clarke 8.5/10 – My man of the match maybe just nosing out 4 or 5 other excellent performers. He may not have scored and did miss a good chance at the end when maybe he had too much time. Also a few times he did not quite get it under control when the ball came up to him but outside of that he was tremendous. It is odd as someone like Coutts had so much of the ball and Clarke maybe did not but I have to give him the nod for his attitude and application. His effort and determination all game was a sight to behold. I have never seen him work so hard in a game ever. He ran and chased absolutely everything. The centre backs at the end slumped to the floor they were that exhausted from playing him. He gave them a torrid time, in the air and on the floor. He just kept going and going and his running and pressure saw us get the ball back so many times. He never gave them a second to settle and he was involved in most of our better attacks. His play set up the first and then at the end he could have assisted for a few more and could have scored one himself. He was shattered at the end and you could see why. I have been critical of him before saying he was lazy and immobile but this season he has been nothing like that. With more strikers coming in he seems determined to be the focal point and at the moment you cannot leave him out as our better performances have been when he has played. Big appreciation for his desire for the cause and setting the tone for the phenomenal work rate of the whole side.

  4. #4
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    Subs:

    Brooks – Bit mixed and I felt he could do more and has done in other games. We needed more from him off the ball and other players were urging him to do the defensive stuff. I saw his man come off him twice and run away down the left and he did not go with him. He also was a bit sloppy when he had it although took it to the corner once. He could have scored with a chance at the end but got blocked out. He also played a lovely ball to Clarke who also should have finished. Duffy is playing well at the moment so he may have to remain as an impact player off the bench but with two away games coming up then he may get a start in one of them.

    Lundstram – Came on for Sharp with 10 minutes to go as we had lost midfield for the first time in the game. He won a few headers and tackles but hard for him as momentum had shifted at that point. He knows when he does play he will have to be outstanding to dislodge Coutts or Fleck from the side.

    Manager: Wilder 9/10 – Team was the same bar the changes at right wing back and Coutts coming back which he clearly got right. Also in the game the subs he made were the right ones at the time. Some would say our performance started to drop after Duffy came off but you could sense the visitors having more of the ball so I understand why he made the change/s. We did get a bit deep at the end but that happens and as I have said teams will always have a spell, you cannot dominate like we did for 90 minutes. Have to acknowledge the high intensity start again. We surged all over an opponent yet again and they could not get out. We set the tone from the off and the pattern of games are then laid in motion. At the moment he deserves so much credit for the consistency of effort, football and approach to games. He has us totally prepared and ready every week. He is getting such a high level of performance and massive credit to him and his coaching staff. Cannot say anything bad about him at the moment. His stock keeps rising and rising.

    Officials – David Coote. Some of my friends felt the ref was ok; I thought he was a bit mixed but I suppose there were no major decisions he got wrong. He tried to let things go for the most part which was good but then he gave a few odd decisions. I felt Clarke was getting man handled at times and did not get much protection. The officials seemingly were letting players (for both teams) take throw in’s from wherever they wanted and they could take said throw in’s how they wanted (so many foul throws). Free kicks also were taken from the wrong places and the ball was moving on three occasions (he penalised one). He booked Brooks for kicking the ball away yet Aluko did exactly the same (after a foul) and was not even spoken to. Van der Berg was booked for kicking Duffy; just after he had been kicked twice before that by two others who escaped a card. McShane then booted O’Connell down the left wing and was rightly booked for a really poor tackle. Outside of this cannot recall too many other really bad tackles. They were quite niggly though with lot of fouls in an attempt to break up play. 5 minutes at the end seemed a long time as I cannot recall many stoppages apart from the subs. He ended up playing nearer to 6 also according to my watch!

    Crowd – Another healthy crowd of over 26,000. Reading put on free coach travel but did not bring that many really for a Saturday afternoon (1,150). They were probably stunned how one sided the game was for most of it and only came to life when their side did in the closing stages. United fans were again appreciative of another excellent performance and the ovations at half and full time were well deserved. No Gary Sinclair either (who goes on holiday in the middle of the season!) but the replacement was not as bad as the ones we have had before- just said the names and announced the scorers. No fuss. He was fine. You sense if things carry on with half season tickets being sold etc, that the crowds will keep pushing up and with some sides like Hull and Birmingham who will fill the lower tier, you sense we will approach 30,000 in coming weeks. Great to see the Lane so full and so full of belief and positivity.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadbat_DB View Post
    Subs:

    Brooks – Bit mixed and I felt he could do more and has done in other games. We needed more from him off the ball and other players were urging him to do the defensive stuff. I saw his man come off him twice and run away down the left and he did not go with him. He also was a bit sloppy when he had it although took it to the corner once. He could have scored with a chance at the end but got blocked out. He also played a lovely ball to Clarke who also should have finished. Duffy is playing well at the moment so he may have to remain as an impact player off the bench but with two away games coming up then he may get a start in one of them.

    Lundstram – Came on for Sharp with 10 minutes to go as we had lost midfield for the first time in the game. He won a few headers and tackles but hard for him as momentum had shifted at that point. He knows when he does play he will have to be outstanding to dislodge Coutts or Fleck from the side.

    Manager: Wilder 9/10 – Team was the same bar the changes at right wing back and Coutts coming back which he clearly got right. Also in the game the subs he made were the right ones at the time. Some would say our performance started to drop after Duffy came off but you could sense the visitors having more of the ball so I understand why he made the change/s. We did get a bit deep at the end but that happens and as I have said teams will always have a spell, you cannot dominate like we did for 90 minutes. Have to acknowledge the high intensity start again. We surged all over an opponent yet again and they could not get out. We set the tone from the off and the pattern of games are then laid in motion. At the moment he deserves so much credit for the consistency of effort, football and approach to games. He has us totally prepared and ready every week. He is getting such a high level of performance and massive credit to him and his coaching staff. Cannot say anything bad about him at the moment. His stock keeps rising and rising.

    Officials – David Coote. Some of my friends felt the ref was ok; I thought he was a bit mixed but I suppose there were no major decisions he got wrong. He tried to let things go for the most part which was good but then he gave a few odd decisions. I felt Clarke was getting man handled at times and did not get much protection. The officials seemingly were letting players (for both teams) take throw in’s from wherever they wanted and they could take said throw in’s how they wanted (so many foul throws). Free kicks also were taken from the wrong places and the ball was moving on three occasions (he penalised one). He booked Brooks for kicking the ball away yet Aluko did exactly the same (after a foul) and was not even spoken to. Van der Berg was booked for kicking Duffy; just after he had been kicked twice before that by two others who escaped a card. McShane then booted O’Connell down the left wing and was rightly booked for a really poor tackle. Outside of this cannot recall too many other really bad tackles. They were quite niggly though with lot of fouls in an attempt to break up play. 5 minutes at the end seemed a long time as I cannot recall many stoppages apart from the subs. He ended up playing nearer to 6 also according to my watch!

    Crowd – Another healthy crowd of over 26,000. Reading put on free coach travel but did not bring that many really for a Saturday afternoon (1,150). They were probably stunned how one sided the game was for most of it and only came to life when their side did in the closing stages. United fans were again appreciative of another excellent performance and the ovations at half and full time were well deserved. No Gary Sinclair either (who goes on holiday in the middle of the season!) but the replacement was not as bad as the ones we have had before- just said the names and announced the scorers. No fuss. He was fine. You sense if things carry on with half season tickets being sold etc, that the crowds will keep pushing up and with some sides like Hull and Birmingham who will fill the lower tier, you sense we will approach 30,000 in coming weeks. Great to see the Lane so full and so full of belief and positivity.
    Another great read DB, big thanks.

  6. #6
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    Mark Duffy is just a sheer joy to watch,my man of the match yesterday,he gets a 10 from me,having 3 or 4 players around him no problem to Duffmeister,he simply twists and turns out of the way

  7. #7
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    Cheers as always DB. Thought we were utter class for 70 minutes yesterday. If Sharp buries that header early in the 2nd half it could've gone on to be a rout because they had totally thrown the towel in.
    I agree that Duffy was tiring and they were kicking lumps out of him but boy wonder Brooks had an off day and it didn't help us when wee could've done with him skinning players and causing havoc to take the pressure off

  8. #8
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    Carter Vickers is still a very young kid thrust into a very,very demanding environment in a team that has an almost telepathic understanding.
    Cut him some slack DB. He's younger than Brooks and playing in a position where a mistake costs us a goal. Not a position where showboating is fine.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by seanbeanstattoo View Post
    Carter Vickers is still a very young kid thrust into a very,very demanding environment in a team that has an almost telepathic understanding.
    Cut him some slack DB. He's younger than Brooks and playing in a position where a mistake costs us a goal. Not a position where showboating is fine.
    I agree re;CCV Sean mi owd pal,he looks a very good prospect to me,someone at Stocky on Monday said he wasn't the finished article yet,well if he was he wunt be here.Motm for me was very difficult to choose,Couttsy,Duffy,Flecky,Enda,George and Leon were all brilliant.I notice DB knocked Jack half a mark for their goal,which i agree he was at fault for but dint knock our off for Leon missin a one on one,very very very interestin. Cheers for the report DB.UTCB

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by seanbeanstattoo View Post
    Carter Vickers is still a very young kid thrust into a very,very demanding environment in a team that has an almost telepathic understanding.
    Cut him some slack DB. He's younger than Brooks and playing in a position where a mistake costs us a goal. Not a position where showboating is fine.
    I actually preferred him in that central role because he isn’t easily turned and does have some genuine pace to cover when needed.

    He needs to work on his heading (distance and accuracy) but I think he’s coming along fine.

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