Boro v Sheffield United 3-0 (Braithwaite,Flint,Downing)

[Brunners 7,982]

CW: they have top PL championship and international players in there. I know they still want to add. They spent £7m on a sub (Fletcher) then McNair comes on who was £5m.

[estonpidge 1,449]

And his point is....

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

His point is his team is made up of nobodies and our team is made of somebodies. And to be fair to him, we do have the quality of players in our team who should be better than theirs. But it didn't stop them giving us a game last year. If that's going to be his problem this season, they're in for a long hard slog and are going to struggle.

[Foogle 2,104]

I think the momentum from promotion carried them the first 2/3rds of last season, then they started to run out of steam a bit. Think they will struggle this year Sheffield United.

[Brunners 7,982]

Think Sheff Utd have won 8 of 31 competitive games going back to last season.

 

Not the best record like.

[Changing Times 12,343]

I've seen some strange things at matches in my time but I dare say the strangest yet was watching Shotton slalom down the right hand side in the second half beating I think three people as if he was the reincarnation of Adama Traore.  Is it possible that all of this time Traore has been holding Shotton back?  Well, no but it was entertaining nonetheless.

 

Solid performance overall, with an almost perfect start to the game.  Sheff Utd didn't look up to much, certainly not as good as last season and far more open than the corresponding game then.  We played a slightly odd system, it wasn't 3 or 5 at the back as I've seen from a few comments, it was a back four as usual as soon as we lost the ball but without a genuine right hand side midfielder when we had it.  We had a slightly lopsided look but I really wouldn't call it wing backs or rather it might have been with the ball but not without.

 

Set pieces were obviously quite effective for us!  Not much else to say about that really, some good deliveries and people getting in the right place at the right time.  Third goal was another memorable moment with a good delivery from Shotton and what looked like a slightly mi*** shot from Downing but they all count.  

 

Wing looked busy and was constantly looking to make runs off the ball although his teammates were sometimes too slow to appreciate it - Shotton in particular a couple of times.  I can see why Pulis might like him of all the less experienced players because he's a decent size and gets about.   Flint nearly gave away another goal, he's just not in Gibson's class quite honestly but he and Fry mostly did their jobs tonight so that's a plus considering they've hardly played alongside each other.  And of course he got one at the other end so got to take that into account.

 

I thought Braithwaite was good, no idea what it looked like watching at home but I thought the second challenge on him looked like it should have been red as he appeared to just go through the back of him?  Assombalonga worked hard and having Braithwaite up there helped but too often Braithwaite was dropping back to make a five in midfield and that left Assombalonga up on his own.  He ran his socks off in fairness but I hope we can find a way to supply him properly if we remains as our first choice player.  Really everyone was solid tonight and that probably showed in the scoreline as we were comfortable winners.

 

I feel as if I'm missing something out but I can't remember it.  Oh well.

 

Edit - oh yeah, I was a bit disappointed at how often we just launched it when we probably could have got the ball down and played it. I understand it's safety first and probably not Flint's natural game but it was a minor annoyance I guess.

 

:fist: :fist: :fist:

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

Probably right there, Foogle. Just strange as they seemed such a good side. But then there's not many in their side who you'd take, certainly I wouldn't. So he's going to have to work to get the best out of them again really. As I said, a tough slog on his hands. No surprise he really wants to strengthen. He can have that £7m Fletcher if he wants after Hugill comes in. Or maybe we can flog Gestede to him.

[Tom 2,492]

Good summary CT, and wouldn't argue with much from watching at home.

[wilsoncgp 9,283]

I think some of us were surprised one of their lads didn't get sent off in fairness CT. Basham and Evans both flew into him with little to no intention of getting the ball. Another ref could send them both off but this one chose to give them all the benefit of the doubt.

[Brunners 7,982]

Yeah I think the tackle on wing and Bashams one on Braithwaite could both have easily been reds.

 

You could argue the cynical trip of Braithwaite as he went on a counter was borderline too, although I think that one probs would have been harsh.

[Duvel 2,446]

I've seen some strange things at matches in my time but I dare say the strangest yet was watching Shotton slalom down the right hand side in the second half beating I think three people as if he was the reincarnation of Adama Traore.  Is it possible that all of this time Traore has been holding Shotton back?  Well, no but it was entertaining nonetheless.

 

Solid performance overall, with an almost perfect start to the game.  Sheff Utd didn't look up to much, certainly not as good as last season and far more open than the corresponding game then.  We played a slightly odd system, it wasn't 3 or 5 at the back as I've seen from a few comments, it was a back four as usual as soon as we lost the ball but without a genuine right hand side midfielder when we had it.  We had a slightly lopsided look but I really wouldn't call it wing backs or rather it might have been with the ball but not without.

 

Set pieces were obviously quite effective for us!  Not much else to say about that really, some good deliveries and people getting in the right place at the right time.  Third goal was another memorable moment with a good delivery from Shotton and what looked like a slightly mi*** shot from Downing but they all count.  

 

Wing looked busy and was constantly looking to make runs off the ball although his teammates were sometimes too slow to appreciate it - Shotton in particular a couple of times.  I can see why Pulis might like him of all the less experienced players because he's a decent size and gets about.   Flint nearly gave away another goal, he's just not in Gibson's class quite honestly but he and Fry mostly did their jobs tonight so that's a plus considering they've hardly played alongside each other.  And of course he got one at the other end so got to take that into account.

 

I thought Braithwaite was good, no idea what it looked like watching at home but I thought the second challenge on him looked like it should have been red as he appeared to just go through the back of him?  Assombalonga worked hard and having Braithwaite up there helped but too often Braithwaite was dropping back to make a five in midfield and that left Assombalonga up on his own.  He ran his socks off in fairness but I hope we can find a way to supply him properly if we remains as our first choice player.  Really everyone was solid tonight and that probably showed in the scoreline as we were comfortable winners.

 

I feel as if I'm missing something out but I can't remember it.  Oh well.

 

Edit - oh yeah, I was a bit disappointed at how often we just launched it when we probably could have got the ball down and played it. I understand it's safety first and probably not Flint's natural game but it was a minor annoyance I guess.

 

:fist: :fist: :fist:

 

It looked like we started with 4 at the back, that definitly changed to 3 centre backs during the first half (I think after the third goal). We then came out with 4 at the back again in the second half.

[boro-unger 3,870]

Decent game tonight. Especially the first half, we understandably took our foot off the gas in the second but still looked fairly comfortable.

 

Lots of good performances:

- some great collects and saves from randy,

- wing looked composed and tried to drive us forward. Nice pass over their defence early on as well.

- Shotton made since good runs and put some important crosses in.

- howson and braithwaite also very influential

 

Hope this game settles the nerves for the season a bit.

[Changing Times 12,343]

Agree that the stadium looks empty however keep this up and the Brum game will be very different

 

A bloke on another site is complaining that he couldn't get in with his ST card. Had four goes at re-activating it  but failed each time with the queues of people in a similar situation getting larger all the time. He's at home watching it now and not happy.

 

I wonder how many more didn't get in?

 

Yeah there were definitely some issues tonight.

[Brunners 7,982]

flint had a good game. agree with smogdane that Clayton hung him out to dry with the pass that led to his mistake. only thing either of them did wrong for me tonight.

[Changing Times 12,343]

flint had a good game. agree with smogdane that Clayton hung him out to dry with the pass that led to his mistake. only thing either of them did wrong for me tonight.

 

It was poor play from Flint.  He chested the ball yards away from himself, that's just crap play on his part.  Stupid pass from Clayton mind but Flint should have been able to deal with it easily.