[Albion] Were we poor or did Sheffield United make us look poor?

[Weststander]

Fortunately many other teams in the league wouldn't be able to do it as well as sheff united. Outstanding first season back in the prem for them. Their fans absolutely bouncing at the station post game, and who can blame them

They were pre match too. Haven’t lost an away match for the best part of a year.

There was something annoying Eddie Howe about their manager and ultra confident team, every player a giant, they had our number in every possible way and knew it. Were loose at Bramall Lane imho.

 

[BN41Albion]

They were pre match too. Haven’t lost an away match for the best part of a year.

There was something annoying Eddie Howe about their manager and ultra confident team, every player a giant, they had our number in every possible way and knew it. Were loose at Bramall Lane imho.

Yeah, they're like our new Huddersfield I reckon. Have our number on speed dial . but then they seem to have sussed everyone out!

 

[Stato]

Sheff Utd were very well organised, athletic, and more than occasionally, cynical. They do what they do well. They give the opposition no space, and our lot, Webster in particular were flustered by it. The annoying thing was that we had the key sat on the bench in the first half. Had Connolly's pace over the top given them something to worry about, they wouldn't have been so sure that they could squeeze high and there would have been more space to play in. By the time he was brought on, they already had the lead and defended well against a team that finds it hard to break down a defence that sits in. When they were sat in was when we could have done with Trossard's invention.

A wasted opportunity to build on Monday's good performance, but we have to remember that Potter is still a relative novice in English football. His determination for improvement in all areas will mean that lessons should be learned. The fact that Chris Wilder can get results in the Premier League using the likes of Luke Freeman and David McGoldrick speaks very highly of him, but I just get the feeling that, when one or two teams work them out and give them a stuffing, others will quickly follow the example.

 

[wellquickwoody]

A team which can pass and use the ball like we did against Palace does not become a crap team five days later. Sheffield did a job on us, they rattled us and all credit to them for it.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

They reminded me of Wimbledon, lots of balls over the top and the most cynical team i have seen since we've been in the premier league. Its effective though so you cant blame them, completely knocked us out of our stride.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

A bit of both I reckon.

They weren't responsible for the host of unforced errors we made - Ryan flapping and fumbling, Webster being unable to defend, the lack of movement, the heavy touches and the misplaced passes - but likewise when we were ostensibly on top in the second half we had no idea how to break them down and that was down to them. We never looked liked scoring whereas they did, repeatedly.

I was impressed by them, a really well organised, hardworking, decent football team. Far, far better than the two teams they came up with and well deserving of their position ensconced in the top half of the table.

 

[ShanklySeagull]

Definitely a bit of both - though a marked contrast to Monday night as others have said. The team coming out 15 mins late pre match might be significant...warm up timings are carefully prepared...why the change yesterday?
At least he was bold enough to change things up second half - just a shame so many players turned in below par performances...

 

[Robinjakarta]

A bit of both I reckon.

They weren't responsible for the host of unforced errors we made - Ryan flapping and fumbling, Webster being unable to defend, the lack of movement, the heavy touches and the misplaced passes - but likewise when we were ostensibly on top in the second half we had no idea how to break them down and that was down to them. We never looked liked scoring whereas they did, repeatedly.

I was impressed by them, a really well organised, hardworking, decent football team. Far, far better than the two teams they came up with and well deserving of their position ensconced in the top half of the table.

Agree except maybe they kind of forced the unforced errors to some extent at least by closing us down so quickly when we were on the ball.

 

[BN41Albion]

A team which can pass and use the ball like we did against Palace does not become a crap team five days later. Sheffield did a job on us, they rattled us and all credit to them for it.

Spot on. I'm confident we'll bounce back quickly.

 

[Muzzy]

Reminded me of THAT England vs Iceland game... they made us look poor and we were suckered into forgetting how we can pass.
CW certainly takes a lot of credit for that.

We do have lots of possession but we still do not seem to create decent chances to score.

I’m convinced things will improve. GP will get where he wants us to be in time.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

A bit of both I reckon.

They weren't responsible for the host of unforced errors we made - Ryan flapping and fumbling, c being unable to defend, the lack of movement, the heavy touches and the misplaced passes - but likewise when we were ostensibly on top in the second half we had no idea how to break them down and that was down to them. We never looked liked scoring whereas they did, repeatedly.

I was impressed by them, a really well organised, hardworking, decent football team. Far, far better than the two teams they came up with and well deserving of their position ensconced in the top half of the table.

This is pretty much where I'm at. Yes they pressed us, but we're good at passing out of the press, it's how we play. Yesterday we didn't do that well, made too many mistakes. A reminder that this is all a work in progress.

 

[neilbard]

We were awful, 9 shots 2 on target, 69% possession and did feck all with it. Potter got it wrong and at times is tactically naïve, Wilder on the other hand got it right.

As an aside Burn is not a fecking winger and can't cross the ball also Potter removes Montoya and Gross who can cross the ball and brings Murray on?

 

[BN41Albion]

We were awful, 9 shots 2 on target, 69% possession and did feck all with it. Potter got it wrong and at times is tactically naïve, Wilder on the other hand got it right.

As an aside Burn is not a fecking winger and can't cross the ball also Potter removes Montoya and Gross who can cross the ball and brings Murray on?

Such a weird decision, that one. As much as we all love the guy, Murray's time is up really.

 

[mune ni kamome]

They are 5th in the league and unbeaten away. Nine other teams have had the same problem. We were probably not awful.

 

[Don Tmatter]

They are 5th in the league and unbeaten away. Nine other teams have had the same problem. We were probably not awful.

We were.

 

[Guinness Boy]

We were awful, 9 shots 2 on target, 69% possession and did feck all with it. Potter got it wrong and at times is tactically naïve, Wilder on the other hand got it right.

As an aside Burn is not a fecking winger and can't cross the ball also Potter removes Montoya and Gross who can cross the ball and brings Murray on?

The Dan Burn at left back experiment should end yesterday. Absolutely no reason not to play Bernardo there or even Alzate. Either would also let us move back to 3 CBs if we want. Point of order though - Burn can cross the ball. He just cannot make space to do so, nor can he beat anyone decent. But given five yards of space he's the best left footed crosser of the ball in the club and has shown it earlier in the season. Teams have sussed that and closed him down. Going back to overlapping from left CB or receiving it deeper and at a straighter angle might sort that problem out.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

We were abysmal first half. Second half we lacked the guile to break down a massed Championship level defence. Therefore, IMHO, we were poor overall.

That is a bit unfair on United.

Our defence is a championship defence. The only one who has played higher is Montoya who although played for Barca..only had a handful of games.

We have a team mostly made up of championship players.

Until we can compete financially with the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool, which will be never, our business model and that of most of the teams in the premiershite to buy championship or equivalent foreign players, and hope to get them into a prem side.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That is a bit unfair on United.

Our defence is a championship defence. The only one who has played higher is Montoya who although played for Barca..only had a handful of games.

We have a team mostly made up of championship players.

Until we can compete financially with the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool, which will be never, our business model and that of most of the teams in the premiershite to buy championship or equivalent foreign players, and hope to get them into a prem side.

Have to disagree there Publius. OK, the United defence was well-drilled but IMHO were nothing special. There were however about eight of them.

Apart from their no 17 McGoldrick, who to me looked the best player on the pitch yesterday, we look to have a far better player base for becoming a top ten team than they do. Major upgrades needed obviously, but Potter has only been here five minutes, Wilder's had three years to mould his team. I know which one I'd back over an equivalent term.

 

[Swansman]

Easiest poll to answer that ive seen here.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Both. We were terrible. The huge amount of unforced errors was embarrassing. On the flip side Sheffield United just schooled us. Tight, disciplined and organised, they controlled the game from the outset. We may have had the lion’s share of possession but we played where Utd wanted us to play. Wilder had the better of Potter today, credit where credit is due, the best team won.