Blades 0 Brum 0 - report

The Blades drew their first league game of the season as winless Birmingham picked up a point at the Lane. The draw nudged United back into the top 6 but in truth they were fortunate to pick anything up from the game. As unfortunate as they were on Saturday to come away with nothing, tonight the Blades rode their luck as Birmingham hit the home woodwork twice and missed a sitter from a yard. Dean Henderson also made a crucial late save. A badly out of sorts home side created little of note with a Duffy deflected effort, a cross shot from the same man and a Baldock chance saved by Camp; the sum of the opportunities created. It was an incredibly frustrating night with so many key men completely off the pace and in the end the Blades were somewhat hanging on against a Birmingham side that have really struggled so far this season.

Manager Wilder made the surprising decision to change five players from the side at Bristol City. John Fleck came in for John Lundstram but there was a new strike force with Connor Washington making his home debut alongside the returning Leon Clarke. United also opted to change both full backs with Baldock and Johnson coming in for Freeman and Stevens. Whether it was the fact that the Blades had three games in a week or players had picked up knocks; it seemed a radical move to change almost half the side. The visitors handed a start to ****ager Charlie Lakin but fielded a relatively attacking line up with Jacques Maghoma, Che Adams, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Jota all starting. They had veteran Lee Camp starting in goal.

The game started slowly in a rather subdued atmosphere. Norwood looked to get on the ball when he could but Birmingham had a good shape and too often United’s build up was too slow and Birmingham had three solid banks that the home side could not pierce. Early on wing back Johnson put two decent balls in but both strikers were on their toes before Norwood tried an ambitious free kick. The same man wasted two corners that were both too deep and evaded everyone. Washington and Clarke were both struggling to get in the game whilst at the other end Egan and O’Connell were untroubled in a game mostly mired in the middle of the pitch. Fleck and Norwood both uncharacteristically gave it away and things were not coming off for Duffy. Basham tried to spring forward but the Blues were dealing with United rather comfortably in the first half hour. The Blades began to try longer passes but these did not come off and there was some frustration in the crowd.

Finally, United managed to have a little spell and it ended up with Duffy having the first effort with a deflected shot that Camp parried away and O’Connell flicked his header over from the resultant corner. Slowly Birmingham started to come into things with Jota looking a threat when he got on the ball and Jutkiewicz a powerful front man who was holding it up better as the game developed. Indeed, his run after Fleck had lost the ball; saw a long-range effort that clipped the post. Henderson may have got a hand on it and the offside flag went up as Birmingham tried to converge on the rebound. It was not long after the half time whistle went. United had been distinctly average really and the best opportunity had come to the visitors in a game that the home side had enjoyed most of the possession but done little with it.

The second half saw United start quite well with Norwood threading a lovely ball through to Baldock who was in but Camp got his body in the way as he tried to lift it over him. Morrison also may have got a piece of the ball as it was blocked. This was a really good chance and a rare opening. Egan’s headed effort from a deep corner was stopped due to a foul before around the hour mark Washington came off for McGoldrick. He soon had a shot wide after a decent move with Fleck involved but Birmingham were looking dangerous on the break and indeed as the game went on began to have more and more of the possession. Adams had a decent chance but his header was saved and then another half chance saw Jota win a corner. United made two more changes with Sharp and Woodburn coming on in quick succession for Clarke and Duffy but at this stage the visitors were having an excellent spell. Jota’s deep cross saw Jutkiewicz knock the ball over and the sub Bogle somehow contrived to scoop over from a yard. It was a real sitter and a let off for United. More sloppy play from United saw them give the ball away three times in a row and from the final one Norwood chopped his man down. The free kick from 25 yards was hit superbly by Gardner but hit the post and bounced away with Henderson motionless.

United simply could not get anything going and despite Johnson having a good surging run to win a corner, Birmingham broke out again and Mahoney was in on goal and looked set to score but his curling effort was superbly saved by Henderson. O’Connell then had to take his man out as Birmingham advanced again in stoppage time. The final moments saw United have to defend a free kick and in the end; it was definitely the home side who were happier to take the point. Birmingham had hit both posts and missed a few glorious chances and will wonder how their second half performance did not see them taking all three points. The home side will not play much worse than this with few passages of decent play; little opportunity created and none of the free-flowing attacking football that had dismantled Aston Villa.

United – I felt we were not as good as some made out at Bristol. We did well first half and could have been winning but 2nd half was a non-event and we never looked like scoring and conceded possession and territory. I felt it was just a really lethargic performance after we had stared the game so well. We kind of carried that on first half. We had a lot of the ball but did nothing with it. Everything was sideways and backwards and all at such a slow pace. Duffy did not get on the ball and make things happen. Fleck was off the pace and I felt Norwood was so wasteful. Still it was 0-0 and surely, we would see an improvement 2nd half after some words and tweaks from Wilder? 2nd half we got even worse. Again. We were really poor. Baldock had a chance but then after this we did not create a chance of note and the keeper had an easy game. Birmingham’s defence will not have had an easier game all season. We gave it away, we were sloppy in every aspect of our play and to be honest better finishing from them and a bit more luck and they would have won the game. We certainly could not have complained. They had a number of very good chances. We were hanging on at the end. This against a side that has not won a game. Very concerning that we have gone from two rampant displays against Bolton and Villa to an average performance Saturday to a really poor one tonight. Other than maybe Egan and Henderson; no one particularly played well. The wing backs did a few ok things but too often they did not have an end product and defensively both were poor positionally. The strikers who started contributed nothing (there were a few decent balls early on but little after this) and the replacements for them fared no better. Duffy had one of those night and even Fleck was off the pace and lost it several times and put us under pressure.

The most disappointing performer probably was Norwood. Maybe due to how well he has played; but other than one really good ball; he had a bit of a mare tonight. Awful set plays, give aways, cheap fouls and looked a long way from the player he has shown so far.

Too many players were just really poor individually. The touch and passing was woeful tonight and it seemed an epidemic as we just kept giving it away or making poor decisions with the ball. It was really poor. Good players could not do the basics and we just kept turning it over.

Collectively, the passing was pedestrian and allowed them to get men behind the ball. None of the midfield got ahead of the strikers and out whole shape was very passive with the wing backs rarely advancing and the centre backs not overlapping all night. We just had no idea how to break them down. It was not like they were superb. Some say they pressed us but they did not. They just sat off and got in a good shape. They only pressed when we got in their half and then we just panicked and went back and side. Noone really penetrated or tried to go at them – save Johnson a few times and Fleck – who kept losing it!

They were well organised and kept a shape but we did not move the ball about and thus did not move them about and the pace we did things meant they just regrouped and got their shape. I felt whilst the service was poor at times; the front two did not work hard enough. The front lad for Birmingham gave a proper performance in work rate, hold up and chasing. Clarke and Washington just offered nothing to me and we would have been playing till midnight and I am not sure we would have seen either hold the ball up, offer any kind of combination play or even look like scoring. They looked so off the pace. The subs made no difference and although given limited time Woodburn again looked a little boy lost in a mans game. He has to start improving or we may have to jettison this move as we cannot be carrying people.

2nd half I really expected a change in effort, to up the tempo and see some life but we looked a tired side and one that had no energy. They were swarming all over us by the end and only good fortune and poor finishing saw us nick a point. If the game had gone on much longer I felt we would have lost. Tonight, for me was a real wake up call. We still sit handily placed but face a team that will be looking to recover from a bad defeat on Saturday and Preston have a really good recent record against us. Individually and collectively I expect a huge improvement. We will hopefully see a few players returned to the side as the changes tonight did not really work and I felt it was too much. We were not amazing Saturday but 5 changes? I am not sure we are far enough into the season to blame number of games or talk about rotation. Sadly, as I said Saturday the players that come in are not as good as the normal 1st teamers. However, tonight many of our normal key men had poor games. Really poor games in fact.

Birmingham – First half they kept a good shape, restricted us to no real chances and grew into the game and then hit the post. 2nd half they did the same, we had one chance they saved and then they got better and from the hour mark they looked the more likely. They did not have as much of the ball but seemed to break and get through us much quicker than we did. We needed 10 passes or a player needed 5 touches to do the things they started to do with 2 touches or 3 passes. They cut us open a few times near the end and missed some great chances. They hit the woodwork twice and Henderson made a great save right at the end. They will feel they should have won the game and for an away side to create so much and deny the home side to only maybe one chance of note all night suggested they should have won. Monk was right – it was a perfect away performance with organisation, shape and good play on the counter. If they score a couple of goals it would not have been unmerited.

Still, they did not and that is maybe why they are down there as they lack a cutting edge. I expect them to pick up and move up the table on what I saw tonight. As poor as United were; they have enough decent players to be around the middle of the league and expect them to make an upwards trajectory towards that area soon enough.

Opponent man of the match – I thought the two centre backs were good and the front lad Jutkiewicz was handful. Jota flitted in and out and the young lad Lakin did ok. I thought Gardner in the middle was the stand out. Controlled things 2nd half and actually outplayed our much-vaunted midfield trio.

Weak link – I actually thought Che Adams was poor. Did not get in the game and looked disinterested much of the time. A player we did right to move on and has not quite gone on and become the player he thought he was.

Henderson 7.5/10 – Crucial late save when he spread himself well. Also, may have got something on the shot in the first half. Had been very good so far and a commanding presence.

Baldock 5/10 – Looked off the pace to me and just not at it at all. He waited too long when the ball came to him and just seemed to be switched off. Had a great chance but took too long and his effort was quite easily saved. Does not offer the same threat as Freeman and we definitely saw a drop off in this area tonight. He gave away a few cheap fouls and just was slow to react to things tonight and not much of an attacking threat save for that one aforementioned chance. Booked for a pull back – ref went back to him after the chance had gone.

Johnson 6.5/10 – Started the game well and put 2 really good driven balls in that the strikers did not attack. Looked lively down the flank but then faded and his passing and touch was not as secure. He made a few poor decisions and as the game went on struggled and lost his positional sense badly allowing them to get in down this side. Had one strong run at the end to win a corner. People may have seen tonight how decent Stevens actually is. Johnson was ok but he did not seem to know his role and looked a bit lost at times.

Egan 7.5/10 – Our best defender and rivalled Henderson for best player. He was solid in the air and mopped up well. Looked quite dominant at times. Used the ball ok and basically did what he has been bought to do. Has improved game to game since a wobbly start and will have impressed the watching Roy Keane.

O’Connell 6.5/10 – He was ok first half defensively and got forward to put a few decent crosses in that again no one attacked (see Johnson) but second half I felt he lost a few headers and also gave it away quite a bit. Seemed slow to do things and I felt let the attackers get the first ball and hold it up too easily. Booked for a cynical foul when he kind of took one for the team at the end as they broke after more awful play from us to lose it.

Basham 7/10 – See above. I felt he began the game well and was able to get forward when he could but too often ran down blind alleys. Made one excellent tackle. He lost his shape a bit second half and too often they found gaps down the side. There were big gaps down the two sides of our defence towards the end and they got it time after time.

Fleck 5/10 – Not one of his best games tonight at all. He tried to carry it on but three times he lost it and they broke and nearly scored on two of these occasions. He was not the usual thrusting, driving player we see and his passing was mixed too. Towards the end he gave it away a fair bit too. I felt we never really controlled the midfield and certainly the possession we had was safe – sideways and backwards. Maybe he was not fully fit but we lacked those surges or forward passes we see. He kind of just looked off the pace and I felt was not influential at all. Also gave it away in stupid areas too many times and was not secure with his passing.

Norwood 5/10 – He did not hide! That is the positive but he hane tonight sadly. His set plays were appalling. I counted 8 or 9 corners and only one made its way into the box. The others went over the top 3 or 4 times first half and then second half the final 2 or 3 hit the first man. He gave it away so much tonight in general play too. He put us in the mire several times and had to resort to fouling. Think he got booked (match stats say he did not but I thought he was booked for the foul they got the free kick). Always looked for the ball and played the ball of the match for us to Baldock but other than cannot remember much he did right – maybe a few cross field balls with the outside of his foot. He was so sloppy with the ball. One cross he hit about 30 yards over the bar and wide summed up his night. At times he looked like he had put his boots on the wrong feet. Hope this was just an off night as he has set high standards so far but tonight he just kept tossing the ball away again and again it and did not really influence the game much at all; at least positively.

Duffy 5/10 – When he is good, he is really good but he can have some really ineffective games and tonight was one. When he is poor; we generally tend to be poor and it is worrying that his performance tends to reflect on how well United do. Is he that important to us? Also, what can we do differently when he is ‘off’ it. Tonight, he did not see anywhere near as much of the ball as United took too long to get it forward and played it backs and sideways then back and then sideways and he got frustrated. When he had it tried to do too much and often lost it. He stayed on longer than he normally does but 2nd half I barely noticed him.

Washington 4/10 – People will say he did not have much service and they have a point but I counted 5 great balls in from Johnson x 2, O’Connell x 2 and also from Basham where he just was on his heels. Generally, he ran about and tried to chase and harry but after the first half an hour even this stopped and the game just passed him by. Did not link with Clarke at all and as a pairing it did not work. I am not even sure he is that fast; the tall lad Morrison outpaced him on one through ball. Came off on the hour. Not sure I have seen a debut from a United player where someone has touched it less. I got panned by a few for writing him off on Saturday. It was not just about Saturday but the fact we signed a QPR reserve who was not even getting a sniff down there for a poor side. I felt it was a bit desperate and a ‘he’ll have to do’ type move. I stand by that. Tonight, showed he is a long way from being someone who we can expect to be any more than a bit part sub for me. Not sure what his qualities are at all from what I have seen.

Clarke 5/10 – He came back in and sadly carried on his start of season form where he looked off the pace, not holding it up and not even looking like scoring. He did not even have a chance and although some of the crosses/corners were poor; I expect a nuisance value, to run the channels and most importantly hold it up and bring others into play. He did none of that really. We are now 8 games in and he has still not scored and this form looks no nearer to breaking his duck. I watched him twice appeal for non-existent free kicks of tussle with his man instead of just holding it up and bringing others into play. I am sure others may see a striker frustrated by poor play behind him and that may be true but I still expect more. I look at how he played compared to their lad who worked his socks off and toiled all night. It was night and day the levels of effort.

Subs –

McGoldrick – Looked lively when he came on and at least won a few balls, hooked it on or held it up somewhat which is more than the others did. He missed chances on Saturday but he looks our liveliest striker on what we have seen so far this season.

Sharp – Struggled to get in the game. By this stage we were defending more than attacking. Not sure he is really a sub/impact type player. Would rather start him and bring him off it is not happening. Think Wilder made a poor move tonight starting Washington ahead of him.

Woodburn – Did not get long but again sadly looked way out of his depth and off the pace. Got shoved off it twice and just looks very lost when is out there. Last season we had Brooks and Duffy alternating but it is a huge drop off in the area now. When Duff is off his game like tonight we need Woodburn to make an impact but, in the games, he has started or come on; we have seen very little to get excited about. Really disappointed me so far.


Wilder 5/10 – Poor performance. Team selection did not work. We came out flat, it never improved and as the game went on; as with Saturday, we regressed. The changes did not really alter things and we never upped the tempo all game. We could have tried to change the shape, formation or way we played – even maybe got a bit longer or tried to get in behind them and turn them around but carried on playing this sideways and back slow football. We did not get into their half enough and too often lost it and they countered. Too many changes for me and it did not work. Fortunate to get a point. Needs to get a response Saturday.

Referee – Gavin Ward. Not reffed us since we beat Swindon 4-0 in League One. He did ok. I felt he tried to use the advantage when he could both ways but often both teams lost it after he played on. The stats say he just booked O’Connell but I thought Norwood and Freeman got booked too. All deserved to for cynical fouls. Not sure they got any bookings – maybe a few could have got yellows for some of those fouls when he played on but did not go back but that is nit-picking. He was fine. His two assistants were poor. The one on the John St side made a few decisions in our favour whilst the one on the South Stand side did not seem to want to give a decision at all.

Crowd – Really flat. Birmingham brought 1,000 at best and the midweek Sky thing is really affecting away crowds now. It was just really quiet and I could hear the players at times. United gave the home fans very little to shout about it was a really poor atmosphere to match a really poor game.

Many thanks DB. Spot on as always!