Sheff Utd v MK Dons

[BetterCallSaul]

first game without Karl Robbo, going to be strange not seeing on the touchline. We've not been bad away from home this season but think we will lose this one.

Sheffield United 3-1 MK Dons

 

[Sheffsteel]

We're the most in form team in league 1.

Last 10 matches, won 7 drawn 3 lost 0

There were a lot of new pre season signings and as expected we're gelling and gradually getting better with out last 4 matches being particular impressive.
It's a bit similiar to our 1st season down here when we thought we just had to turn up to win.

However I'm going for a 1-1 draw.

The 3 reasons are
1: We are well overdue a below par performance.
2: MK are a bit of a bogey side for us. We always seem to have off days or unlucky when ever we play them.
3: There is a massive confidence and happiness flowing throughout the whole club. Most Blades (unlike previous seasons) believe we have a great chance of top 2, which is unusual because most Blades are pessimistic bunch.
No doubt there will be some Blades going to their first match of the season tomorrow full of interest and high expectation. Over the years I've seen it so many times, when we start thinking we've cracked it then we play badly and lose bringing everyone down to earth with a big bump at yet another false dawn.

 

[codaplenty]

We're the most in form team in league 1.

Last 10 matches, won 7 drawn 3 lost 0

There were a lot of new pre season signings and as expected we're gelling and gradually getting better with out last 4 matches being particular impressive.
It's a bit similiar to our 1st season down here when we thought we just had to turn up to win.

However I'm going for a 1-1 draw.

The 3 reasons are
1: We are well overdue a below par performance.
2: MK are a bit of a bogey side for us. We always seem to have off days or unlucky when ever we play them.
3: There is a massive confidence and happiness flowing throughout the whole club. Most Blades (unlike previous seasons) believe we have a great chance of top 2, which is unusual because most Blades are pessimistic bunch.
No doubt there will be some Blades going to their first match of the season tomorrow full of interest and high expectation. Over the years I've seen it so many times, when we start thinking we've cracked it then we play badly and lose bringing everyone down to earth with a big bump at yet another false dawn.

Hey Sheffsteel, I think you have already put the mockers on this game, agree with you draw 1-1 !

 

[Sheffsteel]

Blades 2 MK Dons 1

Neither keeper had that much to do.
MK Dons looked a really classy side, a poor mans Barcelona but their attacks were slow meaning they had to work hard for all their chances. Also it seemed most of the MK Dons players were obsessed with keeping possession just for the sake of it. Some brilliant build up play but hardly any chances created or long shots taken.

However the irony is although MKD looked the better side it was Sheff Utd that created most of the chances, had more corners and looked the team more likely to score.

Most would say that SU just about deserved their win but I think a draw wouldn't have been an unfair result.

Last week I heard Karl Robinson confidently predict MKD will still finish in the top 6 this season
And to be honest I can see what he means. MKD are like a team full of high quality 5 a side footballers,
They all seem very comfortable on the ball and love keeeping possession playing intricate short passes
But they are guilty of over playing it, trying to walk the ball in the net and have no penetration.

Glad we got them out of the way and once they click I expect MKD will shoot up that table.
SU looked a strong organised side with a will to win but we failed to dominate like in recent matches, probably because we couldn't get enough of the damn ball to build up a head of steam ha ha.

 

[Camdenite]

Fair summary that. We all know it's fixable (in January) but the loss of Wootton (a proper first ball centre half) and a mis-firing Maynard and lack of real pace up top to stretch teams is the reason we're struggling. That'll change with whoever comes in. Whether it's too late to make a play off run is debatable, but I've seen very little quality in this league so far. We've managed to beat ourselves in the large majority of those eight league defeats.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Camdenite,

Felt a bit sad watching MKD, your football in and around the centre circle was PL standard
But you struggled to create hardly any chances because your team were always waiting for our defence to
Get back in position then you'd patiently probe trying to play through our defence.
MKD play a continental style of football and it's so difficult to gain success from that in the lower divisions

A few years ago our Chairman announced we are going to base our style of play (culture) on a Swansea/ Southampton style of football and we appointed Weir, Clough and Adkins who ALL tried to play a patient passing keep possession game. Although we often looked good we hardly created chances.
Many of our fans didn't like it, said it's not SU type of football and demanded we abandon the football philosophy and go back to a Warnock "up and at em" quicker tempo more direct style.

We've appointed Wilder and we have changed our style of play.
We stil pass the ball but we're much quicker and take more risks trying to score goals.
We might lose possession more but always look more likely to score and the players give 100%
Trying to play a high pressing game.

So do you think MKD will abandon their tippy tippy keep possession at any cost philosophy?
Barcelona were the model style everyone wanted to emulate 6 years ago
But now it's seems the latest fashion is the fast high octane pressing Bayern/ Dortmund/ Liverpool style.

 

[Camdenite]

I can't see much changing TBH in terms of the football. Whoever comes in will only get the job if they make assurances that the style of football continues. It runs right through the club from the age of 8 upwards. That has huge benefits for us in terms of player progression and developing capable footballers. We regularly get beaten heavily at youth level and our club reads nothing into it because it's not what it's about for them. You only have to read the teamsheets and line up to see that everything is about experimentation and playing players out of position to improve their understanding of the game, pushing lads up two or three age groups, working in unfamiliar formations etc. It's all about taking youth players out of their comfort zone in order to progress them. I always chuckle when you see oppo fans go "oh, our under 15's team spanked the Franchise 7-2. They must be brilliant! Our future looks bright" but what they fail to realise is that they fill their teams with the biggest, strongest & quickest lads, and their lack of technique holds them back once the decision has to made at eighteen over their future. Meanwhile we have developed exactly what the top clubs all want; a technically proficient young lad, who can play in tight situations, has a degreee of footballing intelligence, and can go on and have a career in the game. Such a policy and the subsequent transfer income is the lifeblood of a club like us.

As for the first team, you're right about the lack of pressing from us (although I'd argue that Barca always did it too. They worked a lot harder than many gave them credit for in the "golden age" of Tika Taka) ) and that we'll take a while to find an opening, but when you have a system that has proven to work with the right personnel then it's understandable you want to strive for that again. We don't have the energy levels at the top end of the pitch right now to make it work, but We're not a million miles away. Confidence is a huge factor too. Those passes get quicker and sharper if you're leading in a game. Once we hit a rhythm we'll be fine.