Well here we are with Sheffield making their second league visit in as many years to the Greenhous Meadow. Form Guide (League Pos in brackets), last 8 games ---Team - - - - - - - - - - Pld - W - D - L - F - A - GD 16 Sheffield United (20) -- 8 - - 2 - 2 - 4 - 8 - 10 - -2 - WdWlDlLl 22 Shrewsbury Town (18) -8 - - 1 - 3 - 4 - 7 - 9 - - -2 - lDlWDlLd Shrewsbury have had a dull start to the season with many a draw that could have been a better result and the same could be said for the losses. Having opposition fans tell you that 'you are the best team we have seen so far' is no consolation when you have lost three points to a become a draw or a loss! We need to be more clinical with our goal scoring opportunities and hope that the 'shot's on target' is in double numbers and some of them have been converted into more goals than the opposition! Sheffield, dead cert for auto promotion last season seem to have stumbled and stubbed a toe in the summer leaving them sat in 20th in the league. They have lost a manager and gained Nigel Clough, thankfully they have played a good game against Crewe and won so we don't have that jinx standing ready to pounce on us. Top scorers are Maguire, Collins and Doyle. Both teams have a GD of -2 in the last 8 games, although in total we have a better GD than the Blades. Injuries wise we seem to have a few getting injections for groin strains, and hopefully things will be okay for Saturday to give GT a full squad. Sheffield have signed Aidy White, defender, on loan. We really need a decent win and Saturday will bring a big crowd and hopefully our strike force will have been inspired by St Jude's (the patron saint of lost causes) visit this week and we will some 99mph shots on the opposition goal that are on target and avoid their goalies hands on the way to the back of the net! Come on you Blues/Shrews breath on 'em Salop!
well done matster a great post. sadly town are playing utd who may be finding form and have a manager capable of turning things round. town need to come out on Saturday with all guns blazing and undaunted by the big club opposition. I believe it will be tight and betaj365 goes for a 1-1 draw in front of 6099. scorer macalinden
I notice Mcginn provided two assists against Crewe (who looked a poor side defensively). Sheffield United at home was the low point last season with us only being able to field Doble up front. I am looking on the positive side as our opponents do seem to have gone backwards from last season. We may need to change our style slightly to pass (as opposed to lump) the ball forward quicker as most sides look pretty comfortable when we play the ball around (however prettily) in front of them. I have no idea who will start up front but, if we have a more positive mindset I can see us getting a 2-1 win. There may be a good crowd of away fans but I suspect many occasional home fans will stay away until we can show more in the goals for column. Interesting to read the rumbling on Blue and Amber about crowd negativity at home - I am sure crowds at other clubs are far more critical than we are but lets get fully behind the lads because we will probably drop into the relegation zone if we lose this one.
Nigel Clough's record as a manager against Shrewsbury is abysmal. Shrewsbury 4 Blades 0 Lopez 2 Taylor 2 Attendancr 6589
I just loved the last win at Derby (apart from the last 18 minutes!) Perhaps his luck may change, or having the assistant he has perhaps it hasn't! STFC 2-2 SUFC Taylor and Bradshaw 6,262 reasonably happy fans who have one eye on the drop zone (both sides that is....us and them!!)
Nice result from a game I expected little from. Wonderful goal by Jacobson and hope is is not injured and out for long. Until the goal town looked patchy, passes going wrong and too many mistakes. Possession is great, but an opposition team would welcome an away point, so watching the back line pass it around can work against us in the long run. Wroe looked good in cm alongside Wildig who puts some other players to shame, including Taylor, by looking up before choosing where to pass the ball. Lopez did a lot less running than Bradshaw, is that good or bad?? Lopez should have gone off earlier and Turner did his usual thing of getting a player stripped off and then waits ten minutes before subbing them on. I think we have some good players in Woods and Goldson. Taylor either had instructions, was kept stifled by their players or just had an off day. Ref made some odd decisions, I think more against Sheffield but still some ones against us. Bradders needs to stop looking at the ref each time he falls over as that can look like he is doing it to get a foul. Anyway great result and will give the squad a boost.
16 points from 15 games and a decent gd, it has to be onwards and hopefully upwards. well done gt and the squad. floreat salopia!
We are still only 3 points from the relegation zone and need to consolidate points over the next few games against teams beneath us in order to widen that gap and put them in the crud.
Atcham, I admire your optimism but 16 points from 15 games is probably borderline relegation form if kept up over the whole season. It was one of those days when things went for us with Jacobson's worldie setting the tone. Considering the awful conditions we played some good stuff with Wroe's sound judgement and unfussy but effective play catching the eye. I was also very impressed by Goldson who I think is worthy of a long run in the side at right back now we have a settled and very promising centre back duo (with Tam having his best game so far for us). We do need to press on and win a few more games at home - the man sat next to me who was not a regular commented on how few players we were throwing forwards when 1-0 up against 10 men- and I think a slightly negative mindset has cost us a fair few home points this season. I am a bit worried about Taylor (who seems to have lost the ability to go past the full-back on the outside) and Bradshaw who was being pushed off the ball or falling over while complaining to the ref all the time but hope it was just one of those days for them.
Atcham, I agree GD is good but it is so frustrating watching a team which is only one decent experienced striker away from being a solid mid-table outfit when it appears there is still little inclination from the management to actually do something about the problem.
