Sheffield United (A) 22/11 - Match Thread

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Another clean sheet, that makes 4 now, joint best in the league

10 goals conceded, only Wolves, Leicester (both have a game to play) and Spurs are better

Makes a change seeing us top of the table, with positive goal difference

Winning ugly is still winning

Really enjoying this season

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

How nice it is to have an actual functioning centre midfield now, too.

OldCastleSwift

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years said:

Another clean sheet, that makes 4 now, joint best in the league

10 goals conceded, only Wolves, Leicester (both have a game to play) and Spurs are better

And that's having played Liverpool, City, Spurs, Wolves, Leicester and Arsenal. Very impressive defensive improvements.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

How nice it is to have an actual functioning centre midfield now, too.

But this does need cover. An injury to Rice or Soucek and we're back to square one.

steve

Just notiched we are ahead of Crystal Palace before there game how sweet is that

Hammerwombat

steve said:

Just notiched we are ahead of Crystal Palace before there game how sweet is that

And above Leeds 🥰

baracks_a_hammer

These 1-0 wins achieved via hard graft and endeavour are enormously satisfying

alderz

I’m very happy with the season, because I think we have a good blend of being solid defensively and dangerous in attack. We need to be a little sharper without Antonio, but otherwise I’m very happy

BubblesNeverDies

Anyone know the stats on players' distances run this season compared with the last?
When they need help Gotham City has the Batsign, we have the sign

BubblesNeverDies

Because of Covid-19 a bloke gets special permission to take his dog to Bramall Lane.
Another bloke a few seats away says "What a lovely dog".
First bloke says "Cheers, you ought to see him when the away team score".
Sure enough they score and the dog is up barking, jumping on seats, swearing.
2nd bloke says "That's amazing, what does he do when United score?"
1st bloke says "Don't know, I've only had him 4 months".

Stolen from HYS

alderz

BubblesNeverDies said:

Anyone know the stats on players' distances run this season compared with the last?
When they need help Gotham City has the Batsign, we have the sign

Most stats sites don’t carry distance ran. It’s collected by Opta, but their data isn’t publicly available

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

alderz said:

BubblesNeverDies said:

Anyone know the stats on players' distances run this season compared with the last?
When they need help Gotham City has the Batsign, we have the sign

Most stats sites don’t carry distance ran. It’s collected by Opta, but their data isn’t publicly available

So what you're saying is, you haven't been keeping track of distances covered.

Shocking.

BubblesNeverDies

Alderz, nothing like a bucket of cold water to kill the humour.

claretandbluesky

This team for the first time since the Payet side is one where you can actually see us making that leap. It is three things away from being a side that could compete and have a decent hope of winning any match home or away in this league on a consistent basis.

1. A striker
2. A centre back as I feel Baubena is a weak link even though he is playing at the top end of his ability at present.
3. We must keep Rice. He is as much of an influence on our side as someone like Gerrard was to Liverpool.

Expat_Hammer

Hammerwombat said:

steve said:

Just notiched we are ahead of Crystal Palace before there game how sweet is that

And above Leeds 🥰

Wombat, they did us a favour, as the gooners might have been above us now had they of won.

Lukerz

I thought we were very close to comfortably winning this game. It was one of those ‘better decisions, better vision, better execution’ in certain areas would have got us a couple more goals. There was a chance where Fornals just needed to clip a ball into Haller in the second half & he was in one v one with acres of space to make it 0-2. Just one example of many where we just did not make the right call or see the pass.

Haller I thought was a lot better. Not sure if the stats will back that up, but he seemed a lot better at getting on the ball & grew as the game went on. He still had times where he was too easily bundled off the ball when he needed to hold it up, but in the main his touch play was a lot more impactful.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

I wouldn't say we were close to it.... I thought we were very comfortable

Yes, we were all probably anxious as there was only 1 goal in it, but honestly never thought they put us under pressure, thought we were the more likely to score even up to the 94th minute

Very professional performance, kept the ball well and broke up almost everything before they got into the final 3rd

Huttonhammer

Another good performance. Excellent effort and spirit. Always good to win away. Pleased Haller scored a very good goal.

claretandbluesky

Haller' s goal was good but I thought he was very poor, it felt like he needed an extra second all the time that he is never going to be given, so often last to the ball, seemed to stroll at times instead of chase down, and an occasion or two didn't even bother jumping for the ball. Bowen on the other hand just looks always interested and hungry.

I do have sympathy for Haller and I do feel there is ability there but I just want to see him doing more, his body language is not good but I think that's just his manner rather than a real disinterest. I know he is not a great example in other respects but I would love to have in this side the interested and unplayable Arnie that we had for half a season in Moyes first stint, he would make the difference in my view and with him we could take sides like Sheffield apart as all we lacked was attacking bite as we were comfortable and dominant in every other part of the pitch.

I would like to see Antonio back for Villa as we have a real chance to make it three wins out of the last three matches. If we can keep Grielish quiet. It's not quite like Palace but they are a bit of a one man band.

BubblesNeverDies

Just before Haller scored, I was about to say how poor his first touch ball control was. Most of the time the ball just bounces off him.

Yeoldhammer

MOTD were praising him, I don't think he works hard enough and was poor overall. His goal was very well taken but outside of that he wasn't even half effective as Antonio.
I do wonder if he gets the nod against Villa and Antonio gets eased back into the team.

Dodger58

Looking at the Haller v Antonio position for Villa, I think it would be better to bring Antonio back in more cautiously, so start with Haller, then bring Antonio on with 30 mins to go against a tiring defence.

After all, if you were in their defence, who would you prefer to see coming on with 30 mins to go?

IronHerb

Roberto

Kuchinghammer

Haller is gaining confidence. He won most headers and the flick-on usually found a team member. Unlike Carroll and Antonio, I have to say. Bowen is losing confidence , and takes one too many touches before shooting. Which is why they get blocked. All he needs is a goal. Rice seems to have moved up yet another level - he dominated MF. Team performance was first class again. Am I dreaming??

MunichHammer

IronHerb said:

Roberto

You ought to be banned for even contemplating saying that name out aloud! 😉

baracks_a_hammer

Just realised, all our four league wins this season have come via shutouts

#solid

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

I thought Haller was okay. It’s obvious his confidence is low and certain things just aren’t clicking for him. He’s doubting himself and it’s affecting how he does things.

But he showed his quality on three or four occasions, specifically the goal and also his header for Soucek’s chance. He desperately needs players close to him and he needs to build understandings with players, which is difficult to do when you have barely had game time with them all season.

I hope - even after Antonio is back - that he is kept regularly in the fold, keeps getting minutes and keeps building confidence. I think there’s a quality player in there.

alderz

baracks_a_hammer said:

Just realised, all our four league wins this season have come via shutouts

#solid

We only had 7 clean sheets last season, so the fact we've got 4 already is pretty good going.

OutcastLondoner

I think Haller playing a little more withdrawn like Kane has, with Antonio and Bowen flying either side of him, would be great. Plus Soucek running late onto his knockdowns.

Bowen and Coufal need to cross better though.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Outcast 👍🏻

Our attack is looking a bit lopsided at the moment. Cresswell, Masuaku and Fornals are combining and creating much better down the left than Bowen and Coufal are on the right.

alderz

Presumably Cresswell getting forward on the left helps to create an overload down the left, giving them all more time. I think it's natural that our attacks down the right would look different as a result. I think we're capable of slower build up down the left because of the overload, whereas on the right we tend to break quickly. I personally am a fan of that approach.