Sheff Utd 2-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Wolftone]

Hwang wasnt 'terrible'.
Played two nice 'one touch' one-twos with Cunha and with Semedo.
Also made the move that ended with him slicing his shot and Ait Nouri not converting.
We had chances to take the lead in the first half and failed, ultimately that is what cost us the game.
If we had taken the lead, the game would have opened up and we would have won comfortably.
Great strike by Archer for their goal, no blame attached to Sa.
Penalty was harsh and should have been overturned, but 'clear and obvious' gets the ref off the hook as usual.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'd be surprised if we don't have periods of looking over our shoulder all season tbh; it's the nature of being a mid/lower-mid table side, which we undoubtedly are.

In a normal season I'd agree, I don't think this will be a normal one though. After 11 games we have twice the points the team 4th from bottom do. Another 18 will definitely keep us up, probably not as many as that

 

[Lycan]

The most disappointing thing about yesterday for me was the weak mentality. Sheffield United's 2nd half change wasn't a stroke of tactical genius, they just pressed us higher and we completely shat it. Considering how badly they were playing it should've been easy to weather the storm for 5/10 minutes and regain control of the game but when you had idiots like Sá causing complete panic in our own back line a little bit of pressure quickly turned into an onslaught.

Even the equaliser was a complete stroke of luck, it came out of nothing and even though we probably deserved a point based on the chances we created in the first half at 1-1 it felt like we'd gotten away with something. We were playing a team who clearly had 0 confidence going into the game and had already been beaten 2-1 after leading 1-0 going into added time this season, we should've been completely on top. Instead we wilted under the slight pressure of a semi-boisterous crowd, a disorganised press and a bit of rain. Silva blubbing at the end over losing a point in a meaningless game in the middle of a meaningless season just summed us up yesterday.

O'Neil might have some interesting ideas and we've got some quality players in key areas but this squad will never achieve anything significant while they continue to display the same fragile mindset as yesterday.

 

[Jeb01]

Two dubious penalties in consecutive games, and I’m beginning to lose count of the number of points we’ve potentially lost through poor refereeing, and even worse failures of VAR.

However, we haven’t helped ourselves in the last two games, both penalties being conceded by our forwards attempting to clear the ball from our own penalty area.

Not saying they can’t, but there used to be something known as a “forwards tackle” ie a clumsy intervention resulting in a penalty.

I’d be surprised if the team don’t major on this in training this week. Leave the defending to the defenders.

 

[Tony Towner]

They've both come from corners though, so realistically they have to be in the box. Ignoring whether they were penalties or not they are both a product of poor control and failure to clear their lines. That should be the point that needs learning rather than the challenges themselves

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Indeed.

We've seen loads of players break down emotionally when playing football, whether through injury, missing a penalty or realising they've made a giant fuck up that has cost their team.

Feels a bit odd to suggest it isn't anything other than genuine, unless that same cynicism was cast upon Stuart Pearce in 1990 or Gareth Southgate in 96, or hell even Bully on his knees at Burnden Park.

Silva may not be very good, but he is trying, why wouldn't he be upset when he knows he's fucked up?

Absolutely said perfectly

 

[jdrodrigues]

Two dubious penalties in consecutive games, and I’m beginning to lose count of the number of points we’ve potentially lost through poor refereeing, and even worse failures of VAR.

However, we haven’t helped ourselves in the last two games, both penalties being conceded by our forwards attempting to clear the ball from our own penalty area.

Not saying they can’t, but there used to be something known as a “forwards tackle” ie a clumsy intervention resulting in a penalty.

I’d be surprised if the team don’t major on this in training this week. Leave the defending to the defenders.

I haven't managed to watch most of our games, just on and off the highlights after each week, but how many ref mistakes (that cost us points) were expressly admitted by the authorities? Man Utd., Newcastle and this week, wasn't it? That's at least 5 points if I'm counting these right.

Nicely worded letters, apologies, reprimands to the refs are worth jack shit, those points are not coming back and we may regret that at the end of season. We may not be playing that well, but jesus, this is like strapping an anchor to a drowning person and then telling them they are not doing enough to avoid drowning.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The only apology we've had was for the non penalty at Old Trafford (cost us a point)

The decisions against Luton, Newcastle and yesterday haven't and won't get an apology.

It's hard to say how many points they've cost us as you don't know how a game may end up.

Although you could argue:

1 point v United (penalty would have been last kick of game)
2 points v Luton
2 points v Newcastle
1 point v Sheff U

 

[Tony Towner]

Yesterday and Utd are 2 points, the others have too long to go to really substantiate, but I don't think Luton would have scored, they were huffing and puffing without offering a lot. Villa should have had a late penalty, so we got a point back in that one, others will say we should have had a penalty of our own in that game, but I disagree

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Yesterday and Utd are 2 points, the others have too long to go to really substantiate, but I don't think Luton would have scored, they were huffing and puffing without offering a lot. Villa should have had a late penalty, so we got a point back in that one, others will say we should have had a penalty of our own in that game, but I disagree

Yep, agree with all that. Really difficult to say how Newcastle game would have panned out.

GON said 6 points yesterday though, which is in his interests to say.

 

[Haggstone]

Back to the result - I mentioned this in the matchday thread, but beating Manchester City counts for absolutely nothing when you lose to a shower like Sheff Utd a few weeks later. It undos all of the hard work & the feel good vibe that had been created. We’ve got Spurs & Arsenal coming up and we will still be without Pedro. Our default against those kinds of club is to hit them on the break, but set up and play like yesterday and we’ll be comfortably beaten. Sure, there’s a gap between us and relegation at the moment, but it only takes a little run and before you know it, you’re looking over your shoulder again when really, we should have been looking up the table.

We still have the 3 points in the bag from the Man City game. A result that was then a catalyst to a mini run of additional good performances that also yielded points. A run that means we are unlikely to be in any real danger as we head towards Christmas.

We are a lower mid table side that lost to a championship team who were at home, it happens. As I said yesterday, our game management was awful in the second half, we clearly have better players than they do but we lost because of our own incompetence. These things happen all the time, we had multiple similar results under Nuno. Why make things out to be more than they are? Such a strange take on things you have at times.

 

[Carsy]

Yesterday and Utd are 2 points, the others have too long to go to really substantiate, but I don't think Luton would have scored, they were huffing and puffing without offering a lot. Villa should have had a late penalty, so we got a point back in that one, others will say we should have had a penalty of our own in that game, but I disagree

Agreed with this. Obviously you have to assume we score the penalties.

Already been mentioned on here, but clear and obvious is so subjective. My cousin said about having a panel of 10 people looking at it, in separate rooms/locations and going with the majority. But that solves nothing IMO just opens more debate.

Last night isn’t a penalty, but I can see why it was given in real time. Therefore, because you can ‘see why it’s given’ does that mean it’s no clear and obvious?

I’m not sure what the end goal with VAR is anymore in all honesty

 

[Jinky]

We still have the 3 points in the bag from the Man City game. A result that was then a catalyst to a mini run of additional good performances that also yielded points. A run that means we are unlikely to be in any real danger as we head towards Christmas.

We are a lower mid table side that lost to a championship team who were at home, it happens. As I said yesterday, our game management was awful in the second half, we clearly have better players than they do but we lost because of our own incompetence. These things happen all the time, we had multiple similar results under Nuno. Why make things out to be more than they are? Such a strange take on things you have at times.

Agree with a lot of that. Not sure why you felt the need for the personal jibe at the end.

 

[Haggstone]

Agree with a lot of that. Not sure why you felt the need for the personal jibe at the end.

If im down the pub and i think a mate is being melodramatic i say so, why wouldn't I?

 

[Jinky]

If im down the pub and i think a mate is being melodramatic i say so, why wouldn't I?

It's not melodramatic is it? We won't beat teams like Man City regularly. The clubs we need to be beating on a regular basis are the likes of Sheffield United, Luton - and the others in/around us. Something we haven't managed yet. Yes of course we take whatever points we get. The win against City was fantastic, which, as you say - led to a nice little unbeaten run. But a couple more results like the one yesterday and that win gets forgotten very quickly. I've already seen people saying GON has "no credit in the bank".

I probably wouldn't say to my mates in the pub that their take is "strange" because I disagree with them, no.

 

[Tony Towner]

It's not melodramatic is it? We won't beat teams like Man City regularly. The clubs we need to be beating on a regular basis are the likes of Sheffield United, Luton - and the others in/around us. Something we haven't managed yet. Yes of course we take whatever points we get. The win against City was fantastic, which, as you say - led to a nice little unbeaten run. But a couple more results like the one yesterday and that win gets forgotten very quickly. I've already seen people saying GON has "no credit in the bank".

I probably wouldn't say to my mates in the pub that their take is "strange" because I disagree with them, no.

We beat Bournemouth and Everton

 

[Alan]

I'd rather be us this week having lost to Blades than Villa having lost to Forest.

 

[Haggstone]

It's not melodramatic is it? We won't beat teams like Man City regularly. The clubs we need to be beating on a regular basis are the likes of Sheffield United, Luton - and the others in/around us. Something we haven't managed yet. Yes of course we take whatever points we get. The win against City was fantastic, which, as you say - led to a nice little unbeaten run. But a couple more results like the one yesterday and that win gets forgotten very quickly. I've already seen people saying GON has "no credit in the bank".

I probably wouldn't say to my mates in the pub that their take is "strange" because I disagree with them, no.

Ok.

 

[The Bear]

It's not melodramatic is it? We won't beat teams like Man City regularly. The clubs we need to be beating on a regular basis are the likes of Sheffield United, Luton - and the others in/around us. Something we haven't managed yet. Yes of course we take whatever points we get. The win against City was fantastic, which, as you say - led to a nice little unbeaten run. But a couple more results like the one yesterday and that win gets forgotten very quickly. I've already seen people saying GON has "no credit in the bank".

I probably wouldn't say to my mates in the pub that their take is "strange" because I disagree with them, no.

Whilst true, you're never going to beat all the teams you expect to beat, or lose to all the teams you expect to lose to. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Tony Towner]

Whilst true, you're never going to beat all the teams you expect to beat, or lose to all the teams you expect to lose to. Swings and roundabouts.

It's all very Cyber