The Official Sheffield United Match thread.

[Mr Irrelevant]

Kicked off.

[Optimistic]

sorry didnt see this have posted on match - 1 - 0 to Sheffield

[The Lightning Tree]

1-0 down. Flynn

[Mr Irrelevant]

This was going to be a tough game irrespective of who was in charge.

[The Lightning Tree]

Didn't expect us to get a result today.
Sheff Utd are a very strong side and we'd have to catch them on a bad day to get anything there.
Fooook me, they have James Beattie on the bench!!!

[Optimistic]

2 - 0

[The Lightning Tree]

2-0. Game over.

[born toulouse]

This isn't looking good at all...think we might be in for a severe thrashing.

[Optimistic]

and the Refs a dick, Sheffield players playing him and he's biting, cheating gets

[poolietim]

If there is a positive to take from this then it allows Coops to see exactly what he has to work with and what he needs to do differently rather than mask any inadequacies.

[Optimistic]

Baldwin smashed the cross bar, this kid is going to be a great player for us

[The Lightning Tree]

3-0. This is getting embarrassing!!

[Optimistic]

3 - 0 this is going to be a long match

[born toulouse]

Sounds very easy for them- bollocks.

[pools2011]

Is Barron in charge for this game?

[born toulouse]

I got that impression from another thread but in his interview Cooper clearly thought he was.

[Mr Irrelevant]

Boyd and Brown on. Murray and Baldwin off.

[Optimistic]

Collins off injured Luke James on

[Optimistic]

GOAL!!!! Hartley

[born toulouse]

Good to see we stopped the rot and didn't collapse second half.

[poolieboydave]

Sheff Utd really took their foot off the gas in the second half with the game played at almost friendly pace, so whilst its great that we didn't concede again (and we should have done, when Evans rinsed Collins and crossed for their guy to balloon over the bar), I wouldn't take too much comfort from it.

[BelperPoolie]

A Belper view
A bleak defensive performance in the first half with an unbalanced 4-5-1 line and no true strikers in the side. First goal a comedy of errors with both Collins and Hartley failing to clear. Second goal just as bad with Collins and Austin the culprits. Third Goal a good one Sheff u looked what they are a far better side than us. Second half we played better with Boyd and brown making more impact than Murray in particular, I thought Baldwin was unlucky to make way. I don't agree that Sheff U took their foot of the gas, the still created loads of chances. We played better in the second and with more luck could have run them a bit closer, Good finish from Harters at the end.

Player ratings:

Flinders 7 not at fault with any of the goals plus a couple of good saves
Austin 4 ripped apart wide left and seemed disinterested
Collins 4 he is SO SLOW
Hartley 6 this lad never gives up
Horwood 5 anonymous
Sweeney 5 an indifferent afternoon
Murray 4 Made no impact whatsoever
Liddle 5 A poor display by Gary
Baldwin 6 Surprisingly replaced at half time
Humpreys 6 I kid you not I thought he was about our best outfield player
Monkhouse 5 As a striker he makes a good left sided midfielder
Boyd5 Brown 6

[Optimistic]

what about Luke James how did you rate him Belper when he came on?

[PJ_Poolie]

I'd go;

Flinders 7- Great save second half, couldn't be blamed for any of the goals. His kicking was a bit dodgy but it was the easiest or best playing surface which was a factor

Austin 5- Is not having the best of seasons for me

Collins 4; Was playing against a very good player, but was caught out a lot and went to ground far too easily on occasions. Looks like he'll be out for a while the way he went off

Hartley 5 Out muscled at times today

Horwood 5 What has happened to his set piece delivery?? He can't even take a corner at the minute, keeps going but seems to be lacking confidence

Sweeney 5 Covered a lot of ground but as usual saw very little of the round thing that Sheffield United put in the net three times

Baldwin 6; Did little wrong was half an inch from his first senior goal, withdrawn because we changed to 4-4-2

Murray 3; Slowed the game down, got caught on the ball two or three times putting us in trouble. A season too far. Cannot start on Monday, he's finished.

Humphreys 6; Not sure why he was asked to play on the left, to utilise his searing pace?? He'd have been better up front he'd have at least held the ball up. Actually did ok, some decent passes in the second half. Utter madness playing him on the left when Monkhouse is on the pitch though

Liddle 5; Game passed him by in midfield, struggled a bit when he went to centre back. I also thought he should have been sent off in the first half for a two footed lunge. Good job the ref was fooking clueless.

Monkhouse 4; FFS, he is not a forward and never will be he's a left foooking winger, he's 31 now and all of sudden he's being asking to play with his back to goal. He has no discipline, he drops deep for the ball, drifts left and right and is never the focal point in the area of the pitch that he actually should be in. Why can't the people in charge see this when everyone else can, it's ridiculous. Stop playing him up front....

Subs;

Brown 6 Got stuck in looked up for it, did alright

Boyd 4; Started alright for about three minutes then didn't do a thing right for the rest of the half, I'd still rather see him up front than Monkey though at least he knows how to play up front

JAMES 7; This kid is a player. Quick, direct, skillful and for a little lad doesn't half put himself about. He's got to start Monday.

I'd go

Flinders

Austin Baldwin Hartley Horwood

James Sweeney Liddle Monkhouse

Brown Boyd

[tREE_wiTH_hAMStER]

So is James not a striker?

[BelperPoolie]

With regard to James. He looked pacy and enthusiastic and he actually knows how to tackle. I would find it hard to justify a mark of 7 for someone who was only on the field for half an hour. he does look an excellent prospect as does Baldwin

[PJ_Poolie]

With regard to James. He looked pacy and enthusiastic and he actually knows how to tackle. I would find it hard to justify a mark of 7 for someone who was only on the field for half an hour. he does look an excellent prospect as does Baldwin

I would when they have just turned 17 they've previously played 50 minutes of first team football, and he was playing against a good side in front of 20,000+ he was absolutely fearless. He had a decent pop at goal, skinned the full back about three times, put over a couple of decent crosses also got stuck in. He did more in half an hour than team mates with 1000's of combined professional appearances behind them did in 90 minutes.

[LeicesterPoolie]

I'd go;

Flinders 7- Great save second half, couldn't be blamed for any of the goals. His kicking was a bit dodgy but it was the easiest or best playing surface which was a factor

Austin 5- Is not having the best of seasons for me

Collins 4; Was playing against a very good player, but was caught out a lot and went to ground far too easily on occasions. Looks like he'll be out for a while the way he went off

Hartley 5 Out muscled at times today

Horwood 5 What has happened to his set piece delivery?? He can't even take a corner at the minute, keeps going but seems to be lacking confidence

Sweeney 5 Covered a lot of ground but as usual saw very little of the round thing that Sheffield United put in the net three times

Baldwin 6; Did little wrong was half an inch from his first senior goal, withdrawn because we changed to 4-4-2

Murray 3; Slowed the game down, got caught on the ball two or three times putting us in trouble. A season too far. Cannot start on Monday, he's finished.

Humphreys 6; Not sure why he was asked to play on the left, to utilise his searing pace?? He'd have been better up front he'd have at least held the ball up. Actually did ok, some decent passes in the second half. Utter madness playing him on the left when Monkhouse is on the pitch though

Liddle 5; Game passed him by in midfield, struggled a bit when he went to centre back. I also thought he should have been sent off in the first half for a two footed lunge. Good job the ref was fooking clueless.

Monkhouse 4; FFS, he is not a forward and never will be he's a left foooking winger, he's 31 now and all of sudden he's being asking to play with his back to goal. He has no discipline, he drops deep for the ball, drifts left and right and is never the focal point in the area of the pitch that he actually should be in. Why can't the people in charge see this when everyone else can, it's ridiculous. Stop playing him up front....

Subs;

Brown 6 Got stuck in looked up for it, did alright

Boyd 4; Started alright for about three minutes then didn't do a thing right for the rest of the half, I'd still rather see him up front than Monkey though at least he knows how to play up front

JAMES 7; This kid is a player. Quick, direct, skillful and for a little lad doesn't half put himself about. He's got to start Monday.

I'd go

Flinders

Austin Baldwin Hartley Horwood

James Sweeney Liddle Monkhouse

Brown Boyd

I'd give Monkhouse a 6, it's not his fault he's being asked to play out of position.
I agree he drifts around but he got stuck in .

I'd also swap Liddle and Baldwin in your line up, don't think Baldwin is physically up to playing centre back yet
and is probably more creative than Liddle, in midfield

[alienlife]

I would when they have just turned 17 they've previously played 50 minutes of first team football, and he was playing against a good side in front of 20,000+ he was absolutely fearless. He had a decent pop at goal, skinned the full back about three times, put over a couple of decent crosses also got stuck in. He did more in half an hour than team mates with 1000's of combined professional appearances behind them did in 90 minutes.

While I wasn't there yesterday that is very similar to how I would sum his impact on his debut at home.