Swindon v Blades

[Indian Dan]

Our first big test of the season - and we're 5 men down! Kasim and Stewart on international duty, Thompson, Obika and Hylton all injured.

I'd gladly accept remaining unbeaten at 5 o'clock Saturday but I think we'll get beat.

Should be plenty of goals (again), decent crowd with plenty of hairy-arsed Yorkshiremen.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Big Bird]

Bit worried about our midfield without Yaser but we coped fine last season when he and Mass left for Asia.

Vigouroux

Branco
Williams
Turnbull
BOO

Traore
Rodgers
Stewart

Robert
Smith
Byrne

Possible line up.

Looking forward to it. Shame we have so many out but Sheffield United are missing some players as well. The difference is they have a bigger squad (apart from defensively maybe) while we're down to the bare bones already.

Hopeful we can sneak a draw. 1-1. Robert second half equaliser.

 

[Indian Dan]

Kasim has been poor so far this season - Traore looked biscuits against Sarfend, so no worries there.

It's the RB slot where we'll struggle to cover for Thompson and the midfield does look a bit 'samey' with no particular oomph there.

Smith is a bit of a passenger up front at the moment - so thank God for Froggy Robert, a real classy dude.

 

[blademan89]

Were struggling in defence numbers wise due to a rediculous amount of injuries and now a suspension. We look pretty strong in other areas of the pitch despite once again more injuries and now baxter being suspended. Any repeat of the 1st half against blackpool and we will be punished this time so hopefully theres an improvement on that. Weve asked for a further 200 tickets in the stand behind the goal so should be around 1000 or so of us there.

 

[Indian Dan]

Hope you lot do well this year. Don't think many fans would begrudge you promotion.

I think you've more than done your time down amongst the dead men.

Just don't spoil my Saturday evening!

 

[Agombar stool]

I'm going. First home game of the season. Hope it's as entertaining as my last home game of last season!

 

[SeasideKurt]

I watched your lot a bit last season and Branco is absolutely awful, shocked he's still there.

Turnbull is a great re-signing by the way, he was fantastic towards the end but he really needs to relax a bit during games. Looks like a red card waiting to happen each tackle.

Was Nathan Byrne a freebie or on-loan? Good player.

 

[This Charming Mike]

I watched your lot a bit last season and Branco is absolutely awful, shocked he's still there.

Turnbull is a great re-signing by the way, he was fantastic towards the end but he really needs to relax a bit during games. Looks like a red card waiting to happen each tackle.

Was Nathan Byrne a freebie or on-loan? Good player.

Branco has probably been our best player so far this season. I think he suits a back 4, rather than a 3, particularly now he now longer has to pick up the slack for Byrne's lack of defensive cover.

Byrne was signed from Tottenham after a successful loan spell for a fee believed to be in the region of £100k. However, Spurs have a 50% sell-on clause, just like they did with Luongo.

 

[dh625y]

I agree with just about all of the above:
- we're due a defeat and I think Sheff Utd will be looking for a bit of closure after the play-offs
- I'm also tipping Sheff Utd for automatic promotion and will be happy for them when it happens
- not only This Charming Mike, but the local media too have Branco down as our best player this season. I've always thought there is a great League One defender in there which is now coming out, may be because he's maturing as a player - he's now 25 and one of the oldies in the squad. And his antics against Bristol City last season made him a town great in my eyes. Nothing but big respect for him from me.
- this weekend will also be my first home game of the season

And for what it's worth, we'll lose 0-2.

 

[blademan89]

Thats 2 of you hoping we do well this year very rare to see

 

[Agombar stool]

Thats 2 of you hoping we do well this year very rare to see

Big club whose fans don't have a big club complex (Leeds and Sheff Weds come to mind when they were down at this level) are always welcome.

I'd have no problems with the blades doing well this year, and they should do really given the squad, you have some great firepower for sure.

 

[blademan89]

Big club whose fans don't have a big club complex (Leeds and Sheff Weds come to mind when they were down at this level) are always welcome.

I'd have no problems with the blades doing well this year, and they should do really given the squad, you have some great firepower for sure.

Yeah we looked cracking going forward at pboro last week that showing has give me a lot of confidence for the season. Im coming down on saturday despite saying i wouldnt come again after last year but its quite a good day out get to cheltenham for about 10 am have a few there then get the 12oclock train to swindon. Then back to cheltenham after and the last one home from there which is about 9ish. Exactly what we did last year lets hope we don't let 5 in on this occasion like both times last year though.

 

[Agombar stool]

Yeah we looked cracking going forward at pboro last week that showing has give me a lot of confidence for the season. Im coming down on saturday despite saying i wouldnt come again after last year but its quite a good day out get to cheltenham for about 10 am have a few there then get the 12oclock train to swindon. Then back to cheltenham after and the last one home from there which is about 9ish. Exactly what we did last year lets hope we don't let 5 in on this occasion like both times last year though.

Hope the trains work out ok for you with this Train strike planned by first great western.

I think you'll all be welcome in the hostelries of Swindon, enjoy the day but hope the 3 points stay in Swindon.

 

[blademan89]

Hope the trains work out ok for you with this Train strike planned by first great western.

I think you'll all be welcome in the hostelries of Swindon, enjoy the day but hope the 3 points stay in Swindon.

It is affecting us slightly we have to change at gloucester from cheltenham and the same on the way home its adding about 30 min travel time each way. Hopefully thats all though and theres not too much more disruption on the day.

 

[Agombar stool]

It is affecting us slightly we have to change at gloucester from cheltenham and the same on the way home its adding about 30 min travel time each way. Hopefully thats all though and theres not too much more disruption on the day.

It'll probably take you less time than me from London!

 

[Berniman]

Sheff Utd, good team, good club, now have a good manager = promotion. Like has been said, they have down their time down here, time to finally get up, and I think and hope they will.

I think they will have too much for us today, but there will be goals. 2-3

 

[blademan89]

Already left the ground for the exact reason i didnt want to come. Our fucking fans all sat down all familys thats not my idea of an away day out.

 

[Agombar stool]

Already left the ground for the exact reason i didnt want to come. Our fucking fans all sat down all familys thats not my idea of an away day out.

You haven't missed a lot. Even game, we've had all the possession but blades probably shade it on chances, Sammon hitting the bar with the best chance. Anyone's game this.

 

[blademan89]

You haven't missed a lot. Even game, we've had all the possession but blades probably shade it on chances, Sammon hitting the bar with the best chance. Anyone's game this.

I know i watched the first 35 mins. Im now sat in the tap n barrell. Much better

 

[This Charming Mike]

A deserved win for the Blades. The way they played was not pretty but it can't be argued that it wasn't effective. Solid at the back and particularly threatening when going long, with Sharp feeding off of Sammon's scraps. They'll be up there come the end of the season, as they should be with their squad and budget.

Up until the goal, Town were good but again pretty toothless up front. For all of the neat exchanges and one-touch passes we created very little. Smith looked totally shot of confidence - our style of play has never really suited him but today he stuck out like a sore thumb. The sooner he moves on, the better I think, providing we bring in a suitable replacement and don't have to rely on Miles 'the saviour' Storey. The squad depth is the biggest concern for me; our bench today comprised of players we are actively looking to loan out because of their youthfulness and lack of first team experience. Sure, we have had a bit of bad luck with injuries (Thompson, Obika, Hylton, BOO), but we could really do with a few extra bodies, so we at least have the option to change things up when necessary.

 

[dh625y]

And for what it's worth, we'll lose 0-2.

Oh dear, I was right.

So just back from the game. Sheff Utd will gain automatic promotion. They are well organised, strong and powerful, big, have good players, and a big squad. They've obviously massively benefited from Adkins. They're nailed on.

On to the game itself. If ever the cliche "the first goal is crucial" applies to a game, it was this one. In the first half, with Swindon on top (although Sheff Utd had a couple of good chances and hit the bar), we couldn't score. In the second half, Sheff Utd had us under pressure for about 5-10 minutes before the goal, scored and that was it. They then defended the rest of the game comfortably and hit us on the break with several good chances and the second goal.

If we had scored that first goal when dominating, it would of been a very different game. We didn't, we lost, well done Sheff Utd and good luck for the rest of the season.

Obika and Hylton can't come back quickly enough ...

 

[Indian Dan]

Don't think we ever dominated. Never looked like scoring. Very threadbare squad.

Time for Power to act instead of making PR bids.

 

[plops]

With all the injuries we had we were nailed on to lose. With our budget / squad 50 points remains the target. Make it 53. Blades were odds on and rightly so as they are probably paying more for sharpe per month than we are formthe entire squad.

Points from the game.

Higdon carries the weight of two human beings and would come under inspection from the X-Files.

Claims of time wasting from blades........well pot and kettle.

3 for blades and expect them to push on and go up although hard to judge as we are so depleted right now.

 

[Rory]

Well played United.

 

[dh625y]

Well played United.

Indeed they did play well, they measured the game to perfection, Adkins influence.

 

[Indian Dan]

Vale fans still jerking themselves blind cos they've won 1 out 5 games so far

 

[joethegill]

Yeah but they can pass the ball well.

 

[Agombar stool]

I personally have nothing against Vale but probably 85% of their fans on here certainly have issues for sure.

Fancy yourselves to get into the play-offs this year Joe? I think Gills will do well myself. Dack sounds like a player for sure.

 

[joethegill]

I think we'll end up between 8th and 12th. We're solid at the back and in midfield, but only really have McDonald as a 'goalscorer'. Dack is obviously our standout talent, but we also have John Egan who is an absolute star at centre back and Deji Oshilaja alongside him who is also quality but we only have him til January. When we get to January it's quite feasible we could lose Dack, Egan, Oshilaja and also Jordan Houghton (Chelsea loanee) which would rip the spine out of the side. Play-offs will probably be beyond us this year unfortunately, which is a shame as this is the best squad we've had for years.

 

[Agombar stool]

As for Saturday. We had loads of possession without ever looking like scoring. Mcevely had Byrne in his back pocket and Smith up front was anonymous.

Sheff U were solid, well organised and we had no guile to break them down. Second half we tired a bit, United scored what looked like a fluke and then took control. 0-2 the right score probably.

Having Obika and Hylton out is killing us at the moment, we are powderpuff up front and have barely created anything in the last 2 games.

As for United, they are strong with a good depth of player. I reckon they'll be top 2 this year in what is an average league. For us, the next few days in the transfer window are key, we are so short of numbers if we lost Byrne and Smith (although I can't see him being much in demand based on current form) and brought nobody in then we are Friar Tucked!