[Football] Potter

[BN41Albion]

No way. Booing at HT totally out of order.

I only heard a few boos, but enough to be audible. Vast majority stunned silence.
We in the stands were as poor as the players on the pitch, imo. Shocking atmosphere. A bad day all round.

 

[Elipsis]

Not turning on Potter at all by what I'm about to say. The philosophy he is instilled into our players in such a short space of time is incredible. The fact that he has taken Alzate and Connolly from the youth and turned them into Premier League players in one summer is absolutely genius. In that sense his man management is brilliant.

In another sense, I feel the one thing Potter needs to work on is personnel. His player choices are somewhat erratic. Sometimes we finish games with 6 defenders on the pitch. Murray can't even buy a couple of minutes in some games, in others he's called on for 45 minutes and expected to be at peak level. And Duffy clearly needs to come in for Webster. I don't think he will hamper our overall style and I think Lewis would surely appreciate his sidekick back in defence.

Like Potter and like the style. A little more pragmatism and conventionality may not go a miss in games like today though.

I think you've completely nailed it. Full marks for GP to the integration of Alzate and Connolly, and the style of play is on the whole attractive. I do wish he'd be more pragmatic when the occasion suits. As others have said this game was tailor made for Duffy. Webster appears to be easily bullied by more robust centre forwards so GP needs to have a plan B for these type of games. We look a nice side but not one that is going to pick up the ugly 1-0s that are needed over the course of a season.

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[Blue3]

Having watched the game yesterday and now the highlights on MOD and the pundits comments after I agree that Sheffield United were more hungry they were working for each other chasing lost causes stronger quicker more organised and deserved the win, apart from that I thought we played quite well, I chastised Stephens yesterday on here but in hindsight he did a least chase his mistakes whereas Webster just trotted after his mistakes, Trossard was completely invisible as was Gross again in hindsight a game for Duffy Dunk to boss the defence time to give Webster a break and the team as a whole to take a long look at just how much harder Sheffield United worked for each other.

All in all a bad day at the office but maybe a wake up call we need if we are not going to repeat the second half of the season like we did last year

 

[Perry Milkins]

Wilder has been with Sheffield United three and a half years. In that time he's been able to sign players who suit his style of play, as well as having the confidence that comes with a promotion to the Premier League two seasons after a League One title. Looking at those players he had yesterday, there's not a stand out star among them yet they are a complete team, organised, confident and fairly cynical. But there are areas we can definitely learn from. Both their wing backs are WAY better than anyone we've got at fullback. Lundstram is an absolutely collosal midfielder. McBurnie (shame we didn't sign him) bullied Webster all day. Ollie Norwood has finally found a system that suits him. They used those players in particular yesterday. But there were weaknesses for me to. McGlodrick cannot finish. They had no width. And Connolly pushed them back in the second half which would have been an interesting proposition if it had been 0-0. I am disappointed we didn't exploit those.

So why am I talking about Wilder on a Potter thread? Because Potter has had six months. Because he has a lot of the shite he inherited from CH (Jahanbaksh talking up a squad place, Montoya / Greyhound competing for right back, Propper and Gross with snail like pace, though they have other qualities, two strikers who had to be loaned out) and a nearly relegated club low on confidence. Give Potter a few more months and more suitable players and he could take us to a very similar place.

We probably don't want to do a lot of business in January because Tony never does. It's an inflated market in general and quite panicky. A shame, because there are obvious areas for strengthening. Fair enough if we're not going to play Duffy because he doesn't suit but then at least recall White and give the awful Webster time to find his feet in the U23s. A centre midfielder with pace would be nice. Two new full backs as well, or one and then either trust Bernardo or turn Alzate in a to a full blown wing back. And a striker. Murray clearly focussing on his media career now. He always did need a game or two to get going and he's not going to get that. Bringing on players to push the opposition was right but Murray was a million miles off the pace.

But it is close. We battered Palace 1-1, just a couple of different finishes away from three points. We've stuffed Spurs at home and Arsenal away and given Liverpool an almighty fright. And all that is WITH the above limitations. Stick with Potter and give him a bit of backing and I still think things will work out very well indeed.

That is some insightful post sir. With the exception of managing Webster at £20m in the stiffs I am in total agreement.

 

[Icy Gull]

Wilder has been with Sheffield United three and a half years. In that time he's been able to sign players who suit his style of play, as well as having the confidence that comes with a promotion to the Premier League two seasons after a League One title. Looking at those players he had yesterday, there's not a stand out star among them yet they are a complete team, organised, confident and fairly cynical. But there are areas we can definitely learn from. Both their wing backs are WAY better than anyone we've got at fullback. Lundstram is an absolutely collosal midfielder. McBurnie (shame we didn't sign him) bullied Webster all day. Ollie Norwood has finally found a system that suits him. They used those players in particular yesterday. But there were weaknesses for me to. McGlodrick cannot finish. They had no width. And Connolly pushed them back in the second half which would have been an interesting proposition if it had been 0-0. I am disappointed we didn't exploit those.

So why am I talking about Wilder on a Potter thread? Because Potter has had six months. Because he has a lot of the shite he inherited from CH (Jahanbaksh talking up a squad place, Montoya / Greyhound competing for right back, Propper and Gross with snail like pace, though they have other qualities, two strikers who had to be loaned out) and a nearly relegated club low on confidence. Give Potter a few more months and more suitable players and he could take us to a very similar place.

We probably don't want to do a lot of business in January because Tony never does. It's an inflated market in general and quite panicky. A shame, because there are obvious areas for strengthening. Fair enough if we're not going to play Duffy because he doesn't suit but then at least recall White and give the awful Webster time to find his feet in the U23s. A centre midfielder with pace would be nice. Two new full backs as well, or one and then either trust Bernardo or turn Alzate in a to a full blown wing back. And a striker. Murray clearly focussing on his media career now. He always did need a game or two to get going and he's not going to get that. Bringing on players to push the opposition was right but Murray was a million miles off the pace.

But it is close. We battered Palace 1-1, just a couple of different finishes away from three points. We've stuffed Spurs at home and Arsenal away and given Liverpool an almighty fright. And all that is WITH the above limitations. Stick with Potter and give him a bit of backing and I still think things will work out very well indeed.

All valid points but I think what happened yesterday is far simpler. We were bullied, especially at the back and our defenders and keeper weren’t good enough on the day. The pressing of United resulted in players hurrying their passes and throwing us out of our rhythm. In short United didn’t let us play. It reminded me of Wimbledon when they were in the top division and I gather that quite a few PL teams have put in their “worst performance of the season” against these tactics.

Really disappointing day but absolutely not the time to suggest our players are now not good enough, they have proved they are in other games. Replacements will come in but probably not until the summer and we’ll just have to hope we have enough to stay up. Talk of the top 10, which many on here have suggested, is premature. Just staying up with this new entertaining style is the best we can hope for.

I think GP fecked up by not playing Duffy, this was a game that cried out for his no nonsense style and yes I write that in retrospect and am aware many have been calling for it for a few games now. Let’s see what GP does against Spurs, a team with a totally different style and re born under Mourinho.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Most of our games probably suit Webster and Stephens but today was crying out for Duffy and Bissouma (with some hindsight granted). I thought Potter's whole thing was tailoring selection and formation to the opposition not sticking rigidly to a regular team.

 

[WilburySeagull]

SU had done their homework, they knew if they close Brighton down and stop their passing game then our game is screwed. Clearly things were made worse by several players having terrible games.

What we missed was anyone running with the ball which is the only tactic that you can deploy when your passing game is broken. We had no one doing that. Bissouma tried a bit but by then we were panicky and chasing the game.

a) I think we learnt that you cannot have Gross and Trossard on at same time
b) You can't stick Trossard on the wing and then not get the ball to him.
c) if you are going to play 3 strikers you must practise that and give people specific roles. Murray got in Connolly's way twice in very good positions.

This, particularly running with the ball which is how you beat the press. No one seemed to want to do that today. Trossard especially who is normally good at it. We need to have a plan b as well as plan a otherwise every other team has a ready made way to stop us. It was also v worring that we are getting beaten in the air in defence and there is a case for Duffy to start ahead of Webster who needs to rsst and get his confidence back.

 

[boik]

SU fans find it hilarious that every other pl team has it's "worst game of the season" against them. Knowing how they're going to play and having the quality to counter it are 2 different things.

 

[Acker79]

Having slept off my initial frustrations over yesterday, I'm back to the frustrations that have been with me all season. Potter's tactics expose it more than Hughton's and that is our inefficiency in the final third. Under Hughton we were so defensive our attacks were too often few and far between, but when you only get a couple of chances, you can't expect a lot of goals. Under potter, when we dominate teams like Palace and Newcastle for 70+ minutes and only manage to score a combined 1 goal in both those matches, it exposes just how poor our goal scoring game is. We can attack, but we can't finish them off. Yes, defensively yesterday we were as poor as we've been in a long time, but I can accept that as a one off. We have been consistently poor at goal scoring all season. We will only win games if we dominate for a large enough portion of the game. Gone are the smash and grabs, the clinical disciplined performances like Sheffield United's - discipline in defence, but with occasional forays in attack that are threatening and worthy of a win without being considered smash and grab.

If we were better in that final third, we could have got something from yesterday. There was a ten minute period in that second half where we were camped on the edge of Utd's penalty area and didn't do enough with it. We lack creativity to make something happen, courage to take chances, awareness of options (especially those that are fleeting options that need to be taken now not 'well, lets see what the other options are, we'll come back to that one and oh no, the defender has moved and covered that gap now). It would be nice to have a left back who can cross the ball. All the while Burn is in that role, defenders can let him have the ball out wide, he won't do anything with it except lay it off to Mooy or Trossard who may or may not cross it, but it means we'll often have two men out there reducing the number of options in the middle.

We need to be able to win games in which we're only on top for short periods, by being more clinical and efficient. Then when we do dominate, we can rack up the goals (such as v Watford and Tottenham) and create an aura that helps us in future games.

I know, that's easier said than done, but that's what I see as being the biggest issue with us at the moment. That's where coaching/better personnel is most needed.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I thought yesterday's game was tailor made for Shane Duffy. We badly needed his solidity and strength to stand up to the Sheffield United strikers and their direct tactics.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Potter was let down by individual and collective pisspoor performances from too many players today. Bad day at the office, not going to vilify him for it.

Ryan, Webster and Stephens at least all had probably their poorest games this season, if three key players have stinkers you’re fooked against a team as organised as United were.

And let’s face it no one played to the standards we’ve seen and come to expect this season...they should have scrapped the MOM award....even Dunk who was awarded it had a poor game relative to his ability.

Bad day at the office as you say

 

[Weststander]

And let’s face it no one played to the standards we’ve seen and come to expect this season...they should have scrapped the MOM award....even Dunk who was awarded it had a poor game relative to his ability.

Bad day at the office

With a mischievous mind, in yesterday’s dire circumstances, I’d love it if they’d sarcastically chosen Webster as MOTM.

Nothing against him, but just for the reaction.

 

[LamieRobertson]

With a mischievous mind, in yesterday’s dire circumstances, I’d love it if they’d sarcastically chosen Webster as MOTM.

Nothing against him, but just for the reaction.

Lol....might have got some reaction from the crowd ....or maybe not

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

All valid points but I think what happened yesterday is far simpler. We were bullied, especially at the back and our defenders and keeper weren’t good enough on the day. The pressing of United resulted in players hurrying their passes and throwing us out of our rhythm. In short United didn’t let us play. It reminded me of Wimbledon when they were in the top division and I gather that quite a few PL teams have put in their “worst performance of the season” against these tactics.

Really disappointing day but absolutely not the time to suggest our players are now not good enough, they have proved they are in other games. Replacements will come in but probably not until the summer and we’ll just have to hope we have enough to stay up. Talk of the top 10, which many on here have suggested, is premature. Just staying up with this new entertaining style is the best we can hope for.

I think GP fecked up by not playing Duffy, this was a game that cried out for his no nonsense style and yes I write that in retrospect and am aware many have been calling for it for a few games now. Let’s see what GP does against Spurs, a team with a totally different style and re born under Mourinho.

A good appraisal, as per usual.

 

[BensGrandad]

Lol....might have got some reaction from the crowd ....or maybe not

Probably not as people on here would have bigged him up to say that he deserved it.

 

[Silverhatch]

I thought yesterday's game was tailor made for Shane Duffy. We badly needed his solidity and strength to stand up to the Sheffield United strikers and their direct tactics.

Get Duffy back in the middle and play Webster at Right Back if needs be. Shane Duffy is not as good a footballer as Webster but he's probably the best header of a football in the entire PL, and he's ****ing big and he's talismanic. And, by the way, Harry Kane is excellent in the air and a **** of a lot more lethal than the marauding but goal shy David McGoldrick.

 

[BensGrandad]

This marauding goal shy McGoldrick has caused us problems ever since he first played against us for Ipswich.

 

[BensGrandad]

Get Duffy back in the middle and play Webster at Right Back if needs be. Shane Duffy is not as good a footballer as Webster but he's probably the best header of a football in the entire PL, and he's ****ing big and he's talismanic. And, by the way, Harry Kane is excellent in the air and a **** of a lot more lethal than the marauding but goal shy David McGoldrick.

Or I would prefer to play a back 4 of from right to left Montoya....Dunk.....Burn....Bernardo. But we all know that Webster is undroppable.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Get Duffy back in the middle and play Webster at Right Back if needs be. Shane Duffy is not as good a footballer as Webster but he's probably the best header of a football in the entire PL, and he's ****ing big and he's talismanic. And, by the way, Harry Kane is excellent in the air and a **** of a lot more lethal than the marauding but goal shy David McGoldrick.

McGoldrick may well have been 'goal shy' as you put it yesterday, but he still had one heck of an influence on the game. He was quick and he was direct, and caused us an awful lot of problems.

 

[Weststander]

This marauding goal shy McGoldrick has caused us problems ever since he first played against us for Ipswich.

The 2 Mc’s, reminded me of Woods and Barnes tearing our defence apart back in February. Power, some pace, directness, a big nuisance factor. Dunk seemed so far from being an England starter yesterday, all at sea.