Match Day Thread Sheffield United vs Norwich City

6 points from the next 4 fixtures minimum

 

In my search for highlights of today's game, I found this

 

I was there in the River End - happy days!!

 

Buy a new keeper because Grimshaw is terrible, sign a striker that can't get first team experience in a top league & perhaps a defender that can play left back

Dig deep.Attanasio .

 

But don't forget, he's only busy because he's the weakest player on our team and therefore targeted by the opposition Isn't that right Robbie?

 

What year was that, 1962? How good was Bly, 1950?

 

What was also surprising is that we had 56% of the possession overall. Our quick passing progressions were impressive. Clement wants the ball passed in under 2 seconds and we were doing that throughout.

 

Forson at the end, though​

 

Genuine question, Rick (and others welcome) what do you think Manning was asking of them?

 

Were they adhering to his system, and his system was so bad? Or were they rebelling against a system they never believed in? We have seen these players can pass the ball quickly and with some accuracy. Nothing has changed..so?

 

1959 famous cup run. Bly went to Peterborough after us and scored 52 goals one season.

 

Those were the days eh, GE? Lots of goals scored in those days. Like Boxing Day was it 1963 or 1964 when 66 goals were scored just in Division 1!

 

I think it was ‘63

 

I wish I’d been a youngster then. Football was great, The Beatles, all of it, and you could even pat someone on the bum as a sign of acclaim without being sectioned.

 

Where's the "sticking out tongue" emoji when you want it? But judging by last night's ratings, Hairy, that would indeed appear to be WhoScored's view. Of our starting eleven, only young Springett got a lower rating than Mattsson! And the Blades's Tangana got MOM? As I was saying, WhoScored ratings are a joke ........

 

Here's Manning's explanation:

"In terms of the team aspects, out of possession, we want to be on the front foot, we want to be aggressive. We want to be hard to beat. In possession, for me, we’re in an entertainment industry so you want people to be excited by the team. Of course we want the ball. If we have it the opposition can’t score, but I want us always to attack, to create opportunities and to score goals. They are probably the fundamentals of how we work. We want players to be open to learning. To be coachable. We will give them everything we have got, in terms of understanding their roles when they step out on that pitch, in terms of creating that alignment and clarity. Instead of focusing on outcomes, we tend to put all our energy into the day-to-day. I would say I am ‘principle’ driven not ‘system’ driven. All those game elements, in possession, out of possession, transitional moments, we want control. How do we control possession or how do we control the way we press or control those transitional moments? We don’t give the players patterns, we try to give them solutions, and then it is on the players to own those decisions. Mentality is important. Maintaining discipline and focus."

That sounded good before the season started, but it unraveled very quickly. I had hoped that the quality of our players would make it work, but with so many new players coming in, it started badly and players lost confidence and the discipline and focus drained away as well. I don't think it was Manning's fault, it was just the wrong approach at that time. By contrast, Clement has brought in a more disciplined set of 'principles' based on quick passing and positional play developed through intensive training and introduced in stages so the players aren't overloaded.

 

The ratings certainly aren't perfect as they tend to favour attackers and defenders. Clement has given Mattsson a new role similar to that of Olly Skipp or Alex Tetley aimed at breaking up opposing progressions whilst also keeping the ball moving with quick short passing. It isn't a glamorous role and won't make the highlights, but it's very effective and a big part of our improvement. Chris Goreham highlighted this in an article in the EDP. By the way, Springett is only 11 months younger than Mattsson at 23.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/25679866.norwich-city-chris-goreham-column-pelle-mattsson/

 

1959 Cup Run. Beaten by Luton in the Semi-final. Like all previous generations of players Bly was very good in that era but in todays game - questionable. IMO the only player in that team who might have adapted to the modern game was little Jimmy Hill.

 

Like all nostalgia you always remember the good bits and forget about the games spent standing on a cold windy terrace when it was p***ing down with rain to watch City lose 1-0. In those days the only seating was in the old wooden main stand and only the Barclay end had a roof over it. Bit like steam trains. We love them now but we hated them in the old days when after every trip you ended up smelling like a coal bunker. As for the roads - no motorways and few dual carriageways or by-passes. In the early sixties we went by car to Bristol for a cup game. Took us forever to get there only to find the game postponed because of a frozen pitch - no car radios in those days.