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Post by Trotter on Aug 3, 2016 13:54:55 GMT
Well here we go another season albeit in League 1 which I hope is for one season only, new manager new players new philosophy as well I hope so to start the first game on a positive not knowing much about Sheffield Utd or even how our new look team will play I am going for a moral boosting 2-1 win.
Bolton Wanderers 2 Sheffield United 1
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Post by whitesince63 on Aug 3, 2016 17:06:17 GMT
Great to have the match threads back trotter and like you I don't know a lot about Utd but like us they are under new management so will be looking for a good start. Without a true goal getter though I can only see a1-1 draw for us but as long as we don't lose and get a point on the board I'll settle for it. I hope though, that I'm being overly pessimistic and our boys surprise me with your 2-1 score line instead. COYWM.
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Post by greydad on Aug 3, 2016 17:39:41 GMT
Positives for Saturday... good back-up for Amos, if he is given the starting role..Howard has looked impressive pre-season. Wilson and Moxey have looked the part at full back, Beevers has impressed alongside Wheater, and Derik is fit again to augment defence or midfield. Spearing, Trotter, Pratley, Mark Davies and Vela have looked fit and capable pre-season, and Taylor has showed some good touches and a willingness to get the ball in the box. Our midfield SHOULD be capable of rivalling any in the division. Woolery and Clayton have the potential to cause problems for defenders, but need to translate that into consistency of end product. Madine has been effective holding the ball up, and could be a threat in this league. Clough, when fit, will enhance attacking options considerably. A genuine striker remains a necessity, I don't know whether Proctor fits the bill, I have yet to see him play. Hopefullyas the season progresses more youngsters will come through and develop.
I would like to have seen Collins signed up, and cover for both full backs, but P.P. is obviously trying to address these issues. I feel optimistic for Saturday, and I really hope there is something for the home fans to get excited about after the demoralising disappointments of last season...Roll on kick-off time!
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Post by riochforthereebok on Aug 3, 2016 21:16:16 GMT
I'm up for a 1-0 win and a truly awful game but 3 points is an absolute must
We simply cannot afford to open the season with defeat, it can not and should not happen.
Pre season is hardly a flavour of how the season will pan out but we hardly had the net bulging and that still worries me
Let's see
Best wishes Phil Parkinson
COYWM
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Post by whitesince63 on Aug 3, 2016 22:48:59 GMT
Not just that rftr, what worries me most is that there has been no settled side and I'm not sure even PP knows what it is. I'm sure that he was hoping to have had one or two more signings and a couple of loans but they haven't materialised despite Holding going and the money coming in. That's worrying as we still don't know where the goals to win games are going to come from. Hopefully the defence should be much firmer but that alone will only give us draws, which these days are worth very little. I hope the guys we have can surprise me or even maybe a breakthrough for someone like Samizade but then I'm probably just clutching at straws. Still see a 1-1 at best I'm afraid.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 18:43:53 GMT
I will be at the game on Saturday and I can say I am looking forward to an open game full of chances for both teams 3-1 win good start I hope.
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BL2
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Post by BL2 on Aug 4, 2016 20:11:20 GMT
When the fixtures came out I thought we'd been given a real tough opener - Sheff Utd being one of the big name clubs in this division. But on their forum a lot of them think it will be their toughest game of the season and they don't fancy their chances. Lets hope their pessimism is well founded.
I may be affected by a bit of new season euphoria but I have a good feeling about this game and I'm going for a 2-0 win.
There should be a good atmosphere too - they are bringing around 4000.
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Post by BWFCTILIDIE on Aug 5, 2016 20:18:48 GMT
2-2
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Post by davidm on Aug 6, 2016 18:15:46 GMT
A great result, albeit a strange performance.
The team was set up extra defensively. A right back in right midfield – very negative. A 5 man midfield with just Madine isolated up front.
If the manager played like this because we were playing the supposed best team in the league, well that’s OK but if we see this sort of tactic in the next 22 home games, I’ll be seriously concerned. Of course, If those 22 home games bring 22 1-0 victories that would be OK but unlikely. We must attack the poorer teams in this league.
We effectively sacrificed all attacking intentions with the plan to get a clean sheet. It was more like an away performance. Beevers and Wheater were magnificent in keeping Sheff Utd out.
Sheff Utd had 3 great chances in the first half – how Clarke headed wide is anyone’s guess while we had a poked Pratley shot and a wonderful shot from Spearing.
We happily conceded possession and Sheff Utd were ultimately poor with rank bad centres and hopeful long shots. The fact that they had 0 shots on target tells a tale. We defended the last 10 minutes well with 10 men.
I am very happy with a win but we must play with a more attacking intent against the poorer teams in the league.
Howard - 7 Very steady. He punched poorly a couple of times but seems quite confident. The fact that Sheff Utd had no shots on target helped.
Buxton - 6 For someone who only arrived yesterday, he did well. He missed out a couple 50/50 tackles early on but did quite well.
Beevers - 8 Very good. No messing – just basic clearing. An attacking danger from long throws.
Wheater - 9 Excellent. Rock solid. He and Beevers thwarted Sheffield’s attack a lot in the first half.
Moxey - 6 Steady. Hardly got forward but I assume this was under instructions from the manager.
Wilson - 6 Not a right-sided midfield player. He worked hard and did reasonably well with Buxton but never a midfielder.
Spearing - 7 Excellent shot for the goal. He should have shot also in the second half but chose to pass. Presumably under orders to hoof the ball the away from danger as there was little elegance to his game.
Pratley - 7 Usual endless running and the usual silly niggling unnecessary fouls conceded but he worked hard. He was badly fouled for his injury.
Taylor - 5 A bit disappointed with him. He didn’t really get involved with t he attack and his defensive duties put Moxey in trouble a few times.
Vela - 6 Steady but not spectacular. Didn’t get much chance to pass the ball about but worked hard.
Madine - 6 I felt very sorry for Madine. Stuck on his own up front with no support. He headed the ball on a few times but there was just no one up with him.
Proctor - 5 I felt he needed to work harder from the front particularly when we were down to 10 men.
Davies - 6 Stuck on the left in a withdrawn role when he came on. Again, presumably under orders to defend the lead.
Trotter - 6 Couple of loose tackles but some good defensive work late on.
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Post by andyl on Aug 6, 2016 18:20:52 GMT
That was so much better. A triumph of tactical organisation, timely subs and fitness
We haven't played a game with such spirit and order for ages!!!
We could have gone a couple down too but crosses were missed and Beevers and especially Wheater made strong interceptions. We were firm,confident ,good in the air and centrally commanding. In the end we kept them down to one shot. I really liked the air of calm about keeper and defence and this with Moxeyy looking a bit dodgy.
Of course at this level mistakes or switch offs can go unpunished but they weren't. We cut off most crosses and were more or less impenetrable. Wow!!
And we may have seen the goal of the season in the opening game what a volley. And Pratley was only denied a second when his glancing header from Moxey's long throw was magnificently saved
OK that's the good. Creatively we were limited. There was no one bringing the ball out of defence and for quite a while Wilson,Pratley Taylor and Vela struggled to get into the game. Howard ignored roll outs. And we had no width. And we had no strike power nor goal threat etc. But for all that we tried hard even Madine and his replacement Proctor hounded the defenders superbly so much so that even down to 10 after Pratley's worrying injury we weren't threatened
I'll take it though and I bet most of the 17000 odd fans enjoyed it. Sheff Utd impressed me too. That was way harder than many games last season?
Howard 6 Buxton 7 Beevers8 Wheater9 Moxey 5 Wilson 6 Spearing 8 Pratley6 Taylor5 Vela5 Madine7 .
Mark Davies was the least impressive of the subs. Trotter and Proctor defended really well.
As a postscript to the game I found myself standing next to Ken Anderson at a train station and hour or two after the match and he was happy to exchange a word or two.. He was clearly.pleased with our organisation and commitment during the game and I think dead chuffed with the victory and the manner of it - as well he might be.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 22:03:33 GMT
A very workman like win against a well organized team before we scored we could have been 3-0 down but we rode our luck and a superb strike from Spearing and some good defending gave us 3 points. Just one point Madine is shit and I don't think Proctor could be the man to score the goals but non the less a good start.
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Post by greydad on Aug 7, 2016 10:21:06 GMT
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the type of performance that was woefully lacking last season..yes, the problems re: scoring goals remain, as does the lack of creativity in midfield, although I still feel that there should be more to come in that area. If indeed Sheff. Utd are one of the stronger teams in League 1 then a very good result has been achieved, and in front of a decent crowd...the atmosphere was on a different plane to most of last season, so well done the Whites. The new signings other than Taylor did very well, but it wasn't a game for a his type of winger. A consistent run of similar results might not please in terms of purist football, but how long have we bemoaned the lack of fight and genuine defensive strength and overall commitment? Madine at least worked hard, and he and Proctor are what we have to work with at the moment...yesterday would not necessarily have been the game for a Clayton or Clough, but ultimately the performance was a vindication of the team selection on the day...how often could we say that last season.
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Post by andyl on Aug 7, 2016 10:22:11 GMT
I do think we may have to scale down our expectations of what to expect in terms of attacking play and creativity for the first part of the season. And it may take a while to gauge what in general will be the standard of footballing skills on offer. But blood and guts games like yesterday are very watchable. In respect of worries : We were too open on our left to start with and this could have cost us the game. Moxey is too easily passed; Vela played in an advance position battles well but is just too slow; and playing Buxton and Wilson in harness covered any fitness problems in Buxton and also doubled up on what looked to be a dangerous opponent..If only previous managers could have thought in this way..Can we keep it going? Too early to tell
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Post by OohMac on Aug 7, 2016 10:56:48 GMT
Delighted to start with 3 points but slightly worried that we seem to be applauding PP for what we hated Previously from Dougie Freedman.
Playing with a sole striker and relying on a 1-0 win from a set piece. Leon Clarke scores and is there anything in that performance to suggest that we'd come back to win?
On this occasion plan A worked, against the league favourites(why they are favourites im not quite sure and whether being favourites is any indication of how it will pan out also remains to be seen). I am worried that were not creating enough and haven't done in years now and the football just isn't fluid enough.
Let's see when Clough comes back in and see if we can get Clayton more involved.
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Post by greydad on Aug 7, 2016 13:25:12 GMT
Not so much applauding that which we hated from a previous manager, but lauding the fact that we have seen a team achieve a result that would in all likelihood have been impossible last season, and with far less in terms of resources (particularly in attacking and creative terms) than the squad available to D.F. when his teams all too often failed to inspire. Last season was demoralising in the extreme, but what a difference a few attritional 1-0 wins early in the season might have made to it's outcome.
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