Don't agree that Lookman is petulant at all. Doesn't sulk or strop despite being kicked on and off the ball. Doesn't have a go at his pretty dire midfield colleagues despite their lack of ingenuity. Seems to me to be pretty levelheaded to be honest. I say enjoy his talent while we can as when he goes where will our pace, skill and threat come from?
I wouldn't have blamed Lookman's if he threw a strop today. He got the shit kicked out of him by a cynical Sheff U side and had little protection from the ref. I thought he did alright today. I think he'd be better playing up top with Magennis though. His crossing can be a bit shonky but he knows where the goal is
United scraped narrow wins against 9 men in their previous 2 matches, their midweek winner was in the 3rd minute of extra time. Coincidentally the same time as our equaliser today!
I think Wilder is right on the money .. it's an honest assessment of his and our team's relative performances .. Blades should have won this .. what he didn't say and (in my opinion) as I wrote above, what cost them was their cynicism and time wasting .. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see us both in the Championship next season
Real poor decision making from our back four for most of the game, Foley and Fox were constantly harrased and Bauer and Pearce defensively were alright but their passing was very confusing
Jackson doesn't have the legs for the wing anymore, I love the guy but he shouldn't play on the wing its not fair on him. Crofts put in a few good tackles but they were usually after he'd lost the ball from buggering up a simple pass. Freddy next to him did ok. Lookman was over flashy at times but mostly really impressed me
I'm really happy about Dillon, apart from nearly kicking the ball into the goal via Leon Clarke he had another really solid day
Ajose was much like a poacher in that he didn't offer much, but then again he wasn't getting much either. Magennis worked hard and caused a few issues for the Blades back four, but once they realised most long balls from Dillon would go to him he was getting marked heavily. Again he worked hard, I like that
Novak was on for a long time but I dont remember him doing much. Botaka won that free kick, so well done. Chicksen brought in pace needed that Jacko lacked but his decision making was also a bit poor.
tl;dr Charlton were poor at the back, badly set-up in the middle and a bit unlucky up front, getting that late equalizer felt great however
Nice to be the mugger rather than the muggee for a change. Any truth in the rumour that the Sheffield defender who should have marked Bauer for the goal tripped on a plastic taxi.
Their number 4 should have been sent - he committed two very cynical fouls one that both warranted bookings but got away scot free on both occasions.
We really need a player like their number 21, but what was really noticeably was how well they played as a team without any real stars. Wilder has really knocked pass and move into them.
Robinson needs to sort out free kicks in the middle of the field as a priority - the number where we ended up going backwards was just plain embarrassing.
Let's not forget Lookman is a 19yo striker playing out of position on the wing, without an overlapping FB. So having often to take on two wide players, cut inside to face a CB and covering MF. How many passing options does he have with Crofts and Jackson barely over the halfway line?
Start with a stat: The first save I remember the Sheffield United 'keeper making was in the 72nd yes 72nd minute from Lookman's shot.
Prior to that I felt as if David Attenborough should have been commentating on the packs of two, three, four blue shirted orange shorted United players fighting for dominance against a solitary red shirted white shirted player when it came to desire for possession and territory.
Yet despite United appearing dominant they too produced comparatively little by way of end product and when they did Dillon Phillips proved himself more than equal to it luckily for us! He more than atoned for that howler in kicking the ball straight at Clarke early in the first half. He had no chance with the goal which you just had to take your hat off and acknowledge what a well worked setpiece and wish ours were as good!
As is so often the case surviving by our fingernails for so long generated a little confidence and the long overdue introduction of a bit of pace via first Chicksen then Botaka stretched the Blades defence and they began to look uncomfortable. Eventually at the death Botaka won us a free kick and a great delivery from Chicksen enabled BFG to force the ball over the line and earn us a fortuitous draw.
Sheffield United are the best team I've seen in this league so far this season and, I'm sure, will be there or thereabouts come May.
Lookman is a young player, who developed outside of the Academy, who is still learning the game. He is naive at times, he makes the wrong decision at times and he tries to do too much at times. I hope he is getting the right coaching and information to enable him to work it out for himself.
I also hope he gets and takes the right advice, because he isn't good enough to get into a Premier League first team yet.
Big PL clubs don't buy 19 year olds to put in their first team (Dele Ali is the exception). He'd be lucky to get a start before he was 22
United scraped narrow wins against 9 men in their previous 2 matches, their midweek winner was in the 3rd minute of extra time. Coincidentally the same time as our equaliser today!
Sour grapes. They didn't do enough to win. Plain and simple
When you are playing away and the home team after scoring 5 goals in their last game only have 1 shot on target in 90 minutes (Josh's left foot shot from an acute angle in 2nd half) and the home keeper does 2 great saves to stop you being 3 nil up, i would say you can count yourself unlucky ?
Second best throughout - they pressed us well - I thought their 21 (Duffy) gave them a bit of quality but they were like a league One Ipswich (of last couple of seasons without that). Very well organised and well drilld as the goal testified to. A bit limited in areas - why they only got one goal but definitely hard to beat. To beat them you need the confidence to play the balls, not hold on for too long and you need to match their work rate. When Botaka came on with 10 to go, it changed the attacking dynamic - maybe because they were tired with the workrate they put in, but they couldn't handle him at all. From being second best for virtuially all of the game, another 5 minutes and I think we would have won it! But we didn't deserve anything so we need to take what we got with gratitude.
Not wanting to be too critical - he has done well for us - but I thought Nugent should have rolled the dice with Botaka about 10 minutes earlier. It felt like a lot of people around me felt the same as I kept hearing Botaka's name being used.
Not wanting to be too critical - he has done well for us - but I thought Nugent should have rolled the dice with Botaka about 10 minutes earlier. It felt like a lot of people around me felt the same as I kept hearing Botaka's name being used.
Didn't help we was stripped off and had been briefed by 73 minutes, but came on in the 82nd
I think he was referring to the Sheff Utd fans spitting at the taxis and snarling some nonsense in a strange northern tongue, no idea what they were saying but contorted ugly frothing at the mouth rubbish, god knows what they were like afterwards!
Any criticism of Phillip for the first goal is very unfair. Essentially a 1 on 1 and the keeper probably assumes the player is going to go for the far post. It kind of unexpectedly came right at him but it was hit hard so I don't think there was a lot he could do. Doubt Rudd would have saved it.
Besides Dillon made a glorious save 2nd half -top draw.
“THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST ROBBERY SINCE DICK TURPIN!” My old neighbour in the Covered End was on his feet in added time, 1-1, screaming at Botaka running down the wing.
We got out of jail today, gentlemen. Sheffield United were an education: they are in the same lowly division, yet planets above us. It was a pleasure to watch players with instant control of the ball, passing accurately, and darting forward. In the first half, Crofts was turned three times by his opponent in midfield, left for dead, man bearing down on our defence.
Their goal was beautiful and simple. And clever. A free-kick just outside our box, two men over the ball. Stadium silent, all players in an expectant scrum. Ref peeps – and instead of anything known, the Blade tapped to his runner ten yards on the blind side, who hammered a cross for the kill. 1-0.
When we next get a free-kick just outside the box, we might just do that; something to practise at Sparrows Lane. Yet, I know nothing will be learned: we will pump a vague, high cross...
Bauer and Pearce boot the ball from defence, clumped agriculturally – to a midfield that simply does not exist. In the second half, when one-nil down, we should be going for the jugular – a sustained assault, battering the bastard opposition to their knees. Yet, in the the entire 45 minutes, all we could muster was an oblique shot from Magennis, more in hope than belief.
We had free-kicks on the half-way line. These were passed sideways – and then back to our keeper. That is stupid and suicidal. When we did finally advance, rushing forward with ball at feet, the Covered End all febrile and sucking them in, the ball was passed slightly behind his partner, so he had to check, to collect.
In that split-second – our lack of basic technical skills is exposed. A pass over to our man puffing up from midfield: he has to break stride for the challenge he will never make. We have no precision, no muscle. Back to the keeper. Long ball to Lookman – and during the trajectory he is ambushed by four defenders.
Sheffield United have ordinary, unknown players, just like Piggot, Poyet, Harriott – yet they are rehearsed and coached to a superb, coherent team. Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot.
Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.
We were outplayed yesterday, front to back, side to side - comprehensively beaten.
All been said really , except with a few minutes to go whilst losing those pesky protestors singing "we want Roland out" weren't getting behind the team and probably cost us victory .
Sheffield Utd's support was brilliant , they've been stuck in this league for some years and to be bringing those sort of numbers to a League One fixture ,180 miles from their home ground , is something we can only dream of . I thought the Last Christmas ditty was good , whatever it was and a bit of "greasy chip buttie" never goes amiss .
0.25% Top two ......... 40% 3rd-6th ......... 50% 7th-12th ......... 9.75%13th-20th .......0% relegation
United ruled the roost today and were the more ‘professional’ side. They had done their homework and obviously decided that Lookman needed to be stopped. This was done by fair means or foul, whatever was required. Just for good measure they done him a couple of times off the ball too.
As for their star player Mark Duffy, he was allowed to roam around with impunity causing us all sorts of problems. Thought we needed to make special arrangements for him, but this was never considered and he continued to operate in acres of space. I was pleased to see him leave the action early.
Funny thing is, as good as they were, I never wrote us off completely. Thought we could catch them on the counter, was delighted with the equaliser and actually a little disappointed we didn’t sneak a winner in the dying seconds when United’s bottle was finally being tested.
I have no issue with Lookman having a bad game. It's like watching a petulant kid dropping his head all the time. He was well marked and needed more protection from the ref. But he needs to keep going, keep fighting and keep trying. If he thinks it's tough, try sitting in my seat and watching the fucking game. That's tougher.
“THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST ROBBERY SINCE DICK TURPIN!” My old neighbour in the Covered End was on his feet in added time, 1-1, screaming at Botaka running down the wing.
We got out of jail today, gentlemen. Sheffield United were an education: they are in the same lowly division, yet planets above us. It was a pleasure to watch players with instant control of the ball, passing accurately, and darting forward. In the first half, Crofts was turned three times by his opponent in midfield, left for dead, man bearing down on our defence.
Their goal was beautiful and simple. And clever. A free-kick just outside our box, two men over the ball. Stadium silent, all players in an expectant scrum. Ref peeps – and instead of anything known, the Blade tapped to his runner ten yards on the blind side, who hammered a cross for the kill. 1-0.
When we next get a free-kick just outside the box, we might just do that; something to practise at Sparrows Lane. Yet, I know nothing will be learned: we will pump a vague, high cross...
Bauer and Pearce boot the ball from defence, clumped agriculturally – to a midfield that simply does not exist. In the second half, when one-nil down, we should be going for the jugular – a sustained assault, battering the bastard opposition to their knees. Yet, in the the entire 45 minutes, all we could muster was an oblique shot from Magennis, more in hope than belief.
We had free-kicks on the half-way line. These were passed sideways – and then back to our keeper. That is stupid and suicidal. When we did finally advance, rushing forward with ball at feet, the Covered End all febrile and sucking them in, the ball was passed slightly behind his partner, so he had to check, to collect.
In that split-second – our lack of basic technical skills is exposed. A pass over to our man puffing up from midfield: he has to break stride for the challenge he will never make. We have no precision, no muscle. Back to the keeper. Long ball to Lookman – and during the trajectory he is ambushed by four defenders.
Sheffield United have ordinary, unknown players, just like Piggot, Poyet, Harriott – yet they are rehearsed and coached to a superb, coherent team. Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot.
Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.
We were outplayed yesterday, front to back, side to side - comprehensively beaten.
Comments
Jackson doesn't have the legs for the wing anymore, I love the guy but he shouldn't play on the wing its not fair on him. Crofts put in a few good tackles but they were usually after he'd lost the ball from buggering up a simple pass. Freddy next to him did ok. Lookman was over flashy at times but mostly really impressed me
I'm really happy about Dillon, apart from nearly kicking the ball into the goal via Leon Clarke he had another really solid day
Ajose was much like a poacher in that he didn't offer much, but then again he wasn't getting much either. Magennis worked hard and caused a few issues for the Blades back four, but once they realised most long balls from Dillon would go to him he was getting marked heavily. Again he worked hard, I like that
Novak was on for a long time but I dont remember him doing much. Botaka won that free kick, so well done. Chicksen brought in pace needed that Jacko lacked but his decision making was also a bit poor.
tl;dr Charlton were poor at the back, badly set-up in the middle and a bit unlucky up front, getting that late equalizer felt great however
We really need a player like their number 21, but what was really noticeably was how well they played as a team without any real stars. Wilder has really knocked pass and move into them.
Robinson needs to sort out free kicks in the middle of the field as a priority - the number where we ended up going backwards was just plain embarrassing.
Start with a stat: The first save I remember the Sheffield United 'keeper making was in the 72nd yes 72nd minute from Lookman's shot.
Prior to that I felt as if David Attenborough should have been commentating on the packs of two, three, four blue shirted orange shorted United players fighting for dominance against a solitary red shirted white shirted player when it came to desire for possession and territory.
Yet despite United appearing dominant they too produced comparatively little by way of end product and when they did Dillon Phillips proved himself more than equal to it luckily for us! He more than atoned for that howler in kicking the ball straight at Clarke early in the first half. He had no chance with the goal which you just had to take your hat off and acknowledge what a well worked setpiece and wish ours were as good!
As is so often the case surviving by our fingernails for so long generated a little confidence and the long overdue introduction of a bit of pace via first Chicksen then Botaka stretched the Blades defence and they began to look uncomfortable. Eventually at the death Botaka won us a free kick and a great delivery from Chicksen enabled BFG to force the ball over the line and earn us a fortuitous draw.
Sheffield United are the best team I've seen in this league so far this season and, I'm sure, will be there or thereabouts come May.
All things considered we got out of gaol.
I think we mugged them !
Our best 1-1 of the season.
...THAT'S what you call a real great robbery
We might even have won it at the death. Unbelievable.
Besides Dillon made a glorious save 2nd half -top draw.
We got out of jail today, gentlemen. Sheffield United were an education: they are in the same lowly division, yet planets above us. It was a pleasure to watch players with instant control of the ball, passing accurately, and darting forward. In the first half, Crofts was turned three times by his opponent in midfield, left for dead, man bearing down on our defence.
Their goal was beautiful and simple. And clever. A free-kick just outside our box, two men over the ball. Stadium silent, all players in an expectant scrum. Ref peeps – and instead of anything known, the Blade tapped to his runner ten yards on the blind side, who hammered a cross for the kill. 1-0.
When we next get a free-kick just outside the box, we might just do that; something to practise at Sparrows Lane. Yet, I know nothing will be learned: we will pump a vague, high cross...
Bauer and Pearce boot the ball from defence, clumped agriculturally – to a midfield that simply does not exist. In the second half, when one-nil down, we should be going for the jugular – a sustained assault, battering the bastard opposition to their knees. Yet, in the the entire 45 minutes, all we could muster was an oblique shot from Magennis, more in hope than belief.
We had free-kicks on the half-way line. These were passed sideways – and then back to our keeper. That is stupid and suicidal. When we did finally advance, rushing forward with ball at feet, the Covered End all febrile and sucking them in, the ball was passed slightly behind his partner, so he had to check, to collect.
In that split-second – our lack of basic technical skills is exposed. A pass over to our man puffing up from midfield: he has to break stride for the challenge he will never make. We have no precision, no muscle. Back to the keeper. Long ball to Lookman – and during the trajectory he is ambushed by four defenders.
Sheffield United have ordinary, unknown players, just like Piggot, Poyet, Harriott – yet they are rehearsed and coached to a superb, coherent team. Our players are buskers, improvising, shuffling around, dim in head and weak in foot.
Nigel Adkins was beyond us: an intelligent man with consecutive promotions from Third to Prem. Instead, we have hired Karl Robinson, aged 36, a man who relegated MacDons below us last year and has a wife who acted in Brookside.
We were outplayed yesterday, front to back, side to side - comprehensively beaten.
Sheffield Utd's support was brilliant , they've been stuck in this league for some years and to be bringing those sort of numbers to a League One fixture ,180 miles from their home ground , is something we can only dream of .
I thought the Last Christmas ditty was good , whatever it was and a bit of "greasy chip buttie" never goes amiss .
0.25% Top two ......... 40% 3rd-6th ......... 50% 7th-12th ......... 9.75%13th-20th .......0% relegation
EFL 2016-17: Last rites and smoke grenades - five things you may have missed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38118830
I reckon Holmes and Magennis weren't too cheap
As for their star player Mark Duffy, he was allowed to roam around with impunity causing us all sorts of problems. Thought we needed to make special arrangements for him, but this was never considered and he continued to operate in acres of space. I was pleased to see him leave the action early.
Funny thing is, as good as they were, I never wrote us off completely. Thought we could catch them on the counter, was delighted with the equaliser and actually a little disappointed we didn’t sneak a winner in the dying seconds when United’s bottle was finally being tested.