Sheffield Utd 1-0 West Ham Utd (10/01/20)

Relive every moment of every first team game since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Our archive of matchday threads originally posted in the General Discussion Forum.

Moderator: Gnome

Post Reply
User avatar
Albie Beck
Posts: 9648
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:42 am
Has liked: 617 likes
Total likes: 639 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Albie Beck »

bubbles1966 wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 1:44 pm It's as though they have money to burn over paying for over the hill footballers.
And are disproportionately influenced by a small cabal of agents of those players.
prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:14 pm We are run by boneheads, basically. Real boneheads, who think that Barry Silkman still has his finger on the pulse.
mmmm...
User avatar
the pink palermo
Huge noggin
Posts: 45058
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:00 pm
Location: The Notorious Gate B @LS
Has liked: 759 likes
Total likes: 2940 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by the pink palermo »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:17 pm I am beginning to wonder whether this phrase has some kind of ctrl+function on your keyboard, you poor sod.

Serious question, when would you say we were last even close to 'our best', on our travels? Has it happened this season?
Away at Saints Proph.Playing 4-4-1-1, Antonio with the high press, Haller dropping to cover the centre circle at the front, Noble and Rice either side of it.

A proper plan,with the personnel capable of delivering it.

I'm loathe to get too stuck in to the team at the moment as the issues really are elsewhere , the fact that good professionals like Noble and Zabaleta are seeing their hard won reputations getting shredded because the club lacks a coherent plan is sad.

The fact we are even contemplating signing the nearly 30 year old Joe Allen , or a keeper we sold a few years back tells the story of where we really are.
Crouchend_Hammer
Posts: 26349
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:31 am
Location: Forest Gate
Has liked: 137 likes
Total likes: 2357 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:14 pm I actually think that even this recommendation alone would have made quite a big difference. Perez was possibly earning a lot, but he would have been a much better option than Ajeti, given that we were also contemplating the integration of Haller from the Bundesliga.

We are run by boneheads, basically. Real boneheads, who think that Barry Silkman still has his finger on the pulse.
The trouble is, we seem unable to keep squad players happy.
Perez, Obiang, Hernandez, Adrian maybe Fernandes, all of them wanted to leave as they weren't playing very much
You can hardly blame Lucas Perez for wanting to leave, he was about 4th choice striker at one point, getting the odd 30 mins here or there

I don't know how other clubs seem to manage, but our squad players often get pissed off quite quickly
ornchurch ammer
Posts: 1273
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2017 6:49 pm
Has liked: 133 likes
Total likes: 47 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by ornchurch ammer »

the pink palermo wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:47 pm
The fact we are even contemplating signing the nearly 30 year old Joe Allen , or a keeper we sold a few years back tells the story of where we really are.
:thup: This. With knobs on.
Fishdo
Posts: 2615
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:23 pm
Has liked: 105 likes
Total likes: 33 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Fishdo »

I never saw the Bournemouth game as any indicator as to what was and is to come.... I have no doubt if we had lost that game Moyes would have talked about settling in and not having a chance to suss out the best options etc..

But last night was that indication of what is to come... for me anyway....

As soon as Moyes was appointed I just felt the board had bottled it.... a bit like a kid deciding to go on the roller coaster after hours of watching it and others getting on it.. and finally deciding that today was the day and waiting in line ... getting to the coaster itself... sitting in it and putting on the seat belt... and as they look down at the height realising he had just been kidding himself and was taken a step too far and today wasn’t the day and shouting out to get off.. unbelting and running back down the way he came to go back to his favourite spot just watching the ride... telling himself he just wasn’t feeling up to it today and would definitely try again tomorrow...!!

That to me is what the board have acted like...

We are going back to the old way ... if we do stay up this time round and I do think we can... then we know without any doubt now that our ambition is gone... the best we can expect will be premiership football with the odd little but not excessive cup run...!

The moment our board decided to sack Pelligrini they just stopped thinking with any idea of ambition they scampered back to 2016...

I think under these owners we just watched our club and any hope of ambition die ...!!
Crouchend_Hammer
Posts: 26349
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:31 am
Location: Forest Gate
Has liked: 137 likes
Total likes: 2357 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

the pink palermo wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 1:59 pm Far from at our best last night, and we need to be clear, we're running out of winnable games.Liverpool twice, Leicester away, Man Utd and City away, Arsenal and Spurs away, are 7 games unlikely to yield very much at all.Everton at home ? Hardly a banker is it.

So, in my mind, a survival target of 38 points means we may need to take 16 points from the other remaining 9 games.Villa at home on the final day could be the 6 pointer to end all six pointers.

Moyes has apparently not won a game away from home against a team in the top 8 at kick off in the last 25 attempts!
That doesn't give us much to work with given our away fixtures!
User avatar
prophet:marginal
Posts: 43564
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Engels l;vin, necessary pence
Has liked: 836 likes
Total likes: 1980 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by prophet:marginal »

the pink palermo wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:47 pm Away at Saints Proph.Playing 4-4-1-1, Antonio with the high press, Haller dropping to cover the centre circle at the front, Noble and Rice either side of it.

A proper plan,with the personnel capable of delivering it.

I'm loathe to get too stuck in to the team at the moment as the issues really are elsewhere , the fact that good professionals like Noble and Zabaleta are seeing their hard won reputations getting shredded because the club lacks a coherent plan is sad.

The fact we are even contemplating signing the nearly 30 year old Joe Allen , or a keeper we sold a few years back tells the story of where we really are.
The strange thing here is that whilst I can see your point that the Soton away victory was a decent result, with the players available in mind, we failed to replicate it, in the following games, against Palace (where I hear we were terrible first half), or Leicester, where a weakened version of our opponent's first eleven schooled us. Why are we so incapable of any kind of consistency?
User avatar
bubbles1966
Posts: 66972
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:01 pm
Location: I'm holding onto nothing, and trying to forget the rest
Has liked: 2437 likes
Total likes: 4293 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by bubbles1966 »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 3:46 pmWhy are we so incapable of any kind of consistency?
I'd say we are incredibly consistent.

We can beat teams that are going to go down, or who will go close to going down - and we can occasionally do it against those who think themselves much superior to us technically and who will allow us an opportunity to play.

We can't do it, over 90 minutes, against any team that blends a degree of physicality with a better than bottom 6 standard of football.

With 17 to go I'd imagine that Man City and Liverpool (x2) are write offs.

H - Southampton, Villa, Watford, Burnley, Brighton, Wolves,Chelsea, Everton
A - Norwich, Spurs, Arsenal, Man U, Leicester, Newcastle.

It all depends on we have available to play against these teams. I don't look at any of them and think we have no chance, if we have the right players available.
User avatar
prophet:marginal
Posts: 43564
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Engels l;vin, necessary pence
Has liked: 836 likes
Total likes: 1980 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by prophet:marginal »

If you were right, you'd surely have expected us to have beaten Villa and Brighton, but we didn't. I suppose if we took the kindest view of those games, we might have done so, but, well, we didn't. We got 2 points, instead of 6. I'd say that, from your concept of the relegated and those running close to the trapdoor, we'd also include Burnley and Newcastle, but they slotted half a dozen goals past our defence.

I think, too, that I wouldn't just write off Liverpool and Man City games, as much as it seems pessimistic to do this. Leicester, Spurs and Arsenal away are also games that Moyes where will be sitting with an abacus and a league table, fretting over goal difference. I'd be stunned if he generated 3 points across those 3 games and catatonic if he actually won at any of those venues.

So, the victories that we can expect get thinner on the ground, the closer I look.

We could of course undergo some kind of conversion, which takes in the emergence of an U-23 or two, especially given their generally decent form to date, but Moyes has sent out Holland on loan, so perhaps not? We could perhaps bring in a body or two, maybe on loan, given the skinflint attitude to rolling the dice otherwise demonstrated by the board in other winter windows.

As it stands, with Martin, Zabaleta and Noble all looking likely starters, we are stuck in some kind of terrible loop, where the stellar cast of Steve Bruce, Dean Smith even Daniel Farke will feel confident they can not just match us 11v11, but better us (again).
User avatar
the pink palermo
Huge noggin
Posts: 45058
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:00 pm
Location: The Notorious Gate B @LS
Has liked: 759 likes
Total likes: 2940 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by the pink palermo »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 3:46 pm Why are we so incapable of any kind of consistency?
Take the first dozen games this season , how many times did we field the same back 5 in consecutive games ? How often do we play the same way week after week, and even when we do, are the personnel in the second match capable of playing like the ones who featured in the preceding match did ?

Fredericks and Zabaleta have nothing in common, nor do Cresswell and Arthur.

Week after I week I read on here that Diop is worth £40m plus, and is our best CB, yet he can't get a game.

We have no like for like replacement for Haller, and worse still, no significantly different option if the Manager wants to change how we play

In short our recruitment is a mess, we are paying the price for having our 8th Manager in a decade, a lack of footballing philosophy, a lack of continuity in the professional aspects of the club, and a Chairman who thinks he knows more than people he is paying millions of pounds to every year for their opinions.
User avatar
bubbles1966
Posts: 66972
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:01 pm
Location: I'm holding onto nothing, and trying to forget the rest
Has liked: 2437 likes
Total likes: 4293 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by bubbles1966 »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:34 pm If you were right, you'd surely have expected us to have beaten Villa and Brighton, but we didn't.
Image

Not a perfect match - but definitely in the ball park.
User avatar
Samba
Posts: 21811
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2017 3:36 pm
Location: David Sullivan's least favourite fluffer.
Has liked: 2484 likes
Total likes: 895 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Samba »

My only real gripes from last night was that it was a pretty sh*t game overall, their crowd was far quieter than I thought they'd be & they only won because of a really pisspoor goal, gifted to them, which was STILL nearly saved. We still played better than under Pelboy (not that he's a terrible manager, it just didn't work for us/him here), for most of this season.
They're getting excited about qualifying for the Europa (well, they've got a good chance to) but they REALLY need to be careful about what they wish for..that ain't no prize.
User avatar
prophet:marginal
Posts: 43564
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Engels l;vin, necessary pence
Has liked: 836 likes
Total likes: 1980 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by prophet:marginal »

bubbles1966 wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:04 pm

Not a perfect match - but definitely in the ball park.
I'm being dense; are you saying you expect us to beat the teams presently below us...but only them? Or are my selections on your list, too?
User avatar
bubbles1966
Posts: 66972
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:01 pm
Location: I'm holding onto nothing, and trying to forget the rest
Has liked: 2437 likes
Total likes: 4293 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by bubbles1966 »

prophet:marginal wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:17 pm I'm being dense; are you saying you expect us to beat the teams presently below us...but only them? Or are my selections on your list, too?
Not really.

I'm saying that if any team from about 7th down loses to us (ie big 6 excluded), they're likely to be a relegation struggler - not a euro challenger.

Look at that little bundle between 7th and 13th. Defeat after defeat after defeat. Southampton the sole exception.

I have a little rule of thumb that if we play well, and certain players player well, that we can almost be sure that the opposition is in for a tough old season, and may well be a championship club in waiting.

Most of our players are incapable of excelling against any club that isn't bottom 6 standard.

Obviously not scientific, just a feeling.
Last edited by bubbles1966 on Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
westhamerica
Posts: 7532
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 5:52 pm
Location: waxed vaxxed coastal elite america
Has liked: 56 likes
Total likes: 43 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by westhamerica »

the pink palermo wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:36 pmIn short our recruitment is a mess, we are paying the price for having our 8th Manager in a decade, a lack of footballing philosophy, a lack of continuity in the professional aspects of the club, and a Chairman who thinks he knows more than people he is paying millions of pounds to every year for their opinions.
A beautiful, almost Keatsian, collection of words
User avatar
Vic_Watson
Posts: 8033
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:25 pm
Location: Brazil
Has liked: 167 likes
Total likes: 259 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Vic_Watson »

Burnley Hammer wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 1:43 pm Anderson was the only player driving forward from a deep position yesterday. It shouldn't be all down to him... lanzini and noble should be doing a lot more
Rice looked mint when driving forward at the end. Maybe my tongue-in-cheek "New Bryan Robson comment wasn't so far off.
Crouchend_Hammer
Posts: 26349
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:31 am
Location: Forest Gate
Has liked: 137 likes
Total likes: 2357 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

I would love to see Rice given more of a licence to drive forward.
He is good at it
Obviously we need to buy a defensive midfielder to enable him to do that
User avatar
Puff Daddy
Gone for a Burton
Posts: 42250
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: Westham Way
Has liked: 248 likes
Total likes: 1160 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Puff Daddy »

bubbles1966 wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:04 pm Image

Not a perfect match - but definitely in the ball park.
That fixture list. Not for the faint hearted
User avatar
prophet:marginal
Posts: 43564
Joined: Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Engels l;vin, necessary pence
Has liked: 836 likes
Total likes: 1980 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by prophet:marginal »

I can't see many more than 18 points out of that lot, tbh, and that's with fingers crossed, both hands.
User avatar
Jon
Posts: 3063
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 6:31 pm
Location: Still in the past..
Has liked: 102 likes
Total likes: 142 likes

Re: Sheffield United v West Ham United: Match Thread

Post by Jon »

I would love to see Rice given more of a licence to drive forward. - Crouchend

Agreed but it's a failure of recruitment to be in this situation. Rice is turning into Scott Parker. He was our best defensive midfielder and attacking player rolled into one.

I said on another thread, Anderson, Haller and Lanzini should be making that same run. They don't so the Youngster has to do it.
Post Reply