I'm staying in the dark behind the couch... a bit like the Boro defence?
UTB,
John
Well that first half was backs against the wall stuff and it seemed only a matter of when Sheff Utd scored - strangely the live feed suddenly jumped from Boro attacking to Giles and Travers tackling each other before they knocked it in the net.
Not feeling confident with Iling-Junior and Ayling-Senior on the right - I thought Junior looked off the pace when he came on against Sunderland and he's continued to look the same and looks like he needs replacing.
Thanks to ref for getting Boro back in the game but Burgzorg has easily looked our best player and converted it well.
Boro need to improve to keep hold of the point never mind take all three.
Abdolutely! We were abysmal for 40 minutes.
While there are few new faces tonight, there are enough in the team that are accustomed to the passing game we like to play. Poor from each of Hackney, Morris and especially the anonymous Azaz in that respect.
Funny how we all get nervous when our keepers have been playing football instead of clearing the lines... now we have one that does exactly that, but it simply invites pressure back as the ball is inevitably falling to the opposition. All about judging when to play the football and when to welly it. Travers is my Boro player of the half. Without him we would be 3 or 4 goals down, instead we have been gifted a golden opportunity.
Not at the races all game, then Hackney has a shot, ref gives us a penalty and back to where we started. The Sheffield player did have a very large handful of Edmundson's shirt to be fair. Why were they watering the pitch at half time when it is raining and the pitch does not look in great shape anyway?
We only had three touches in the opposition box in the first half, they had 20!
We only had three touches in the opposition box in the first half, they had 20!
Five shots on goal, two of them on target, according to Bet 365 (11/5 for SheffU).
No changes at the start of the second half.
Barlaser on for Azaz in the 55th minute.
Two minutes later, CJ:
Sheff Utd penalty appeal
Home fans fuming. O'Hare goes down from Ayling. Leg was dangling, but I think O'Hare was looking for that one. One concern is that Donohue knows he made a mistake first half and looks to level things up. Boro have to beware of giving him many more opportunities as home fans' pressure mounts.
The Blades bag a second in the 75th minute.
CJ:
So easy again. Ayling attempted to play Conway in behind but it's cut out. Then takes just one pass to get Brereton Diaz in behind as Giles is caught too high up. Tidy chipped finish over Travers.
Whittaker & Conway on for Iling-Jr & Iheanacho in the 72nd minute.
Rinse and repeat
The Blades bag a second in the 75th minute.
CJ:
So easy again. Ayling attempted to play Conway in behind but it's cut out. Then takes just one pass to get Brereton Diaz in behind as Giles is caught too high up. Tidy chipped finish over Travers.
Whittaker & Conway on for Iling-Jr & Iheanacho in the 72nd minute.
Make that 3-1 (87th minute)...
Shambolic, on second thoughts it's not that good
@paulinboro have to agree with you. How to make the sum of the parts less than the total
And just like that, we’re down to 9th.
I think we need to acknowledge that Sheffield Utd were just better than us tonight - we desperately need a win from somewhere.
CJ a couple of minutes before the third SheffU goal:
Travers keeps Boro in it
More comedy defending from Boro. Giles and Hackney chase back a ball in behind but leave it for one another, allowing Campbell to run in behind. Travers makes a huge one on one save to deny him. That's awful from Boro.
Then after the goal:
Game over. Poor from Travers. Corner swung in, he comes to collect, but is beaten to the ball by Ahmedhodzic, who heads into the empty net.
🙁
Boro simply not good enough all over the pitch tonight and got what they deserved - yet more unbelievably poor defensive errors and they even got away with the worst one after Giles once more contrived to play the opposition in on goal. Edmundon also showing poor distribution out from defence and Travers made a goalkeeping error for the third.
Basically Boro were a muddled mess from the off with a team lacking coherence after the January reboot saw out-of-form arrivals looking to kick-start their seasons and find some confidence. Not sure how Iling-Junior stayed on the pitch for 70 minutes and Doak can't come back quick enough for me. Granted Sheff Utd are a good side but Boro once again gave away avoidable goals that will ultimately be our downfall as they can't seem to stop the habit.
Down to 9th now and dropping like a stone. I am now convinced that we are not going to the playoffs this season. I’m no longer convinced that Carrick is the man for the job, and Woodgate definitely isn’t.
We got from the game exactly what we deserved - zilch. Second (or even third) best all over the pitch. No attacking threat, no cohesion, can’t defend, can’t pass the ball, lost out on virtually every second ball all evening. Three eminently avoidable goals, yet again, with our new wonder keeper directly at fault for two of them, and our left back also to blame. It’s a cliché, I know, but it did seem as if SU wanted it more.
Well this tells the whole sorrow tale. Boro’s form over the last, 4,6,8,10 and 12 games is highest 16th place and lowest is 20th.
It will be interesting to hear Carrick’s new excuses or will it be just a regurgitation of the old and tired same?
Same as usual.
First goal was a gift- Giles will never be a full back and was at fault with the goal.
Second goal showed how easy it was to cut through the defence( surely Fry must play the next game) This team can’t defend.
Then another shambles giving Sheffield an easy chance they missed.
Then a clanger by the goalkeeper.
Boro have decent players but are not a team and on the last dozen or so games are going nowhere.
Carrick had plenty of time to prepare for this game and months to find a consistent way of playing to win games but it’s just not happening.
Boro are now just one of around 9 teams trying to finish in the top 6. Possibly with the worst points total over the last dozen or so games. Lost 4 of last 5 games.
Listening to Carrick’s post match interview leaves me with the impression he’s not seeing the game as supporters do and gives no confidence that he has the solutions - no surprise when he doesn’t appear to recognise the problems.
Where do the team go from here. Does anybody know.
Philip of Huddersfield
🙁🙁🙁
figures don’t lie.
Boro’s form over whatever number of games you look at says it all.
Philip of Huddersfield
Recent seasons have been blighted by losing streaks that we have seemed incapable of arresting in a timely manner. Where are the wise heads intervening when plans go awry? Surely we can change tactics even if the defensive personnel are limited? ie making ourselves hard to beat, being compact and less open at the back, stopping opposition transitions more effectively and defending as a team? Basically modifying our approach to suit the opposition and being smarter with in game management? Otherwise it is Groundhog Day with supporter goodwill going down the pan. Losing to Sheffield United away is not the problem. Neither is losing games; it is the way we are losing them that is depressing as it is so predictable and avoidable.
Philip, my guess would be that they go slowly but inexorably down the table. Tonight they looked a very poor team that would struggle to beat any other team in the league. The inexplicable failure to strengthen the defence during the transfer window coupled with the endemic inability to stop giving away stupid goals will cost us dearly over the remainder of the season. Meanwhile on tonight’s showing the attacking acquisitions during the window will add little. Overall there is a real possibility that the team will be worse after the window that it was before and they weren’t exactly setting the league on fire then.
There are now real questions about Carrick and the coaching team and they need to show over the next three games against Watford, Stoke and Derby that they can achieve a very significant improvement in performances across the team. More shambles like tonight and a real crisis is on the cards.
Tonight was a massive disappointment - not because we lost but by the nature of our performance. Nevertheless, I don’t think now is the time to change the management personnel - the new players need time to settle in and few teams we are about to play will not be of the quality of Sheffield United.
If you got back to the changing rooms after full time and asked the players to say whether or not they'd played well, I would be surprised if (m)any hands were put up. The defending was shockingly poor. Kriss Boyd on TV was correct - the full backs chasing up the field on the occasions Boro attack are left dangling in thin air when Boro loses the ball. Their first job is to defend. But if the ball is lost there are gaps for the opposition to slip the balls through and Boro then finds itself in trouble with the full backs stranded upfield looking back as the attackers close in on Boro's goal.
Clown defending. Midfield left looking silly. Attackers hardly in the game.
An unpleasant evening watching the game in the pub. I'd love to say I was surprised but I'd be lying if I did. I couldn't see anyone in Boro's team going out in the second half looking as if he thought "We're lucky still to be in this game. Let's get stuck into the 2nd half and make Sheff U pay for it. Let's take advantage of the fact we are level after that first half. Let's do our jobs and be first to the ball. Be UP for it from the start..."
Comment from Chris Wilder
"We reviewed and reflected after the weekend and they've come roaring back, so I'm delighted.
"They've taken on board how we wanted to play. That was more us tonight, there was a real good feel about us."
Does this ever happen with Carrick and Woodgate? Remember they won that game on Saturday. looking at the past few games I wonder why we were so keen to sign Edmundson permanently as he struggles with the way we currently. also who was the driver behind getting Giles back, is it Scott or Carrick?
On another point what is happening with the academy? When was the last time we produced from start to finish a player that could be sold, at a young age, for a large sum like Millwall did with Esse, Blackburn with Wharton, Bristol City with Scott, Birmingham with Bellingham.There are probably others. All of our recent high value transfers have been brought in from other clubs. Also noticed that Isiah Jones was not in the Luton squad last night.
If you play with wing backs rather than full backs, surely you have to play three centre backs that can provide the wide cover when the wing back goes upfield. Playing with two leaves us open to the simple through ball that both Sunderland and Sheffield Utd benefitted from in our last two games.
Like all the pundits were repeating time and time again last night, you start with having a strong defence and if you don't have that, it doesn't matter how good you are as an attacking force, you will drop more points than you win.
@mw-in-darwin I posted sometime ago when this was last discussed, that is Academy Player Evolution.
The only players cited as evolving through the Academy in possibly the last ten years, had been Fry, Hackney and may be Brynn.
An absolute failure in my mind.
@pedro Tavanier, perhaps?
But too few anyway. We seem to buy young players and sell them on profit now. Rogers is the best example.
Up the Boro!