Just back from the game

[Kahnee]

Thought we were poor in the first half. Gerrard was off his game, Krompkamp was shocking and Zenden is no central midfielder. On the up side, Agger was superb, and Speedy is definitely up to the physical challenge of the Prem.

Second half, we battered them, but passes were still going astray and we seemed intent on trying clever flicks and tricks when the simple things would have been the better option.

Bellamy ran his socks off, but never seemed to get the ball at his feet. Fair play to him as well for trying to take the pen ahead of Robbie. He'll learn

Kromkamp seemed to do better in the second half, but I'm still left with the feeling that he's done a Josemi - started well, but is now going backwards rather than forwards.

As a club, Sheffield are hilarious. Feckin Star Wars music when their team come out of the tunnel, mascot penalty shoot-out at half time, and playing feckin' music when they score (and then hurridly switching it off when they realise it's been ruled out for off-side).

Overall, not a great start given we've already had two competative matches, but I think a point was fair. Especially when it could have been three but for a goal post

[Guest Sabre]

Kromkamp was abysmal. Looked like he was 4 leagues out of his depth.

[oakie bob]

you had money on Kronkamp to score didnt you Kahnee.........surprised he is still alive

[Kahnee]

Kromkamp was abysmal. Looked like he was 4 leagues out of his depth.

 

Totally. Got to hope Finnan is as solid and injury-free as last season

[Guest Sabre]

Totally. Got to hope Finnan is as solid and injury-free as last season

 

The difference between the two is phenomenal. Kromkamp can play a cute pass occasionally, but his positional play was all over the shop (although I don't think he and Gerrard were communicating and Gerrard didn't help him out defensively very much). When Reina was chipping it to him and he was then heading it back where it came just made me cringe.

[owenthomas]

i've thought at times - in equal measure - that Kromkamp looks a decent player or totally s***.. he wasn't very good today and you're right, we've got to hope Finnan stays as solid as he was last season.. we're definitely gonna need some back up there just in case Jan's got the Josemi's!

[Gunga Din]

i thought too many players werent at the races today. as has alreadt been mentioned, Krompkamp was awful, but he wasnt alone. Penalty aside, Robbie was awful, Zenden not much better either. but it was our first game in the post Traore era, and i thought we coped with the loss of this champions league winning megastar admirally.

 

i thought Aurelio "did a good game" as rafa would say, as did Aggar Bellamy, who were busy and got tore in. the final ball wasnt there today, it just didnt run for us today, and you get days like that from time to time. i still thought we were the better team, despite playing poorly

Edited August 19, 2006 by big wayne

[Guest onejimmymelia]

with hindsight it just seems like such a stupid decision to leave out alonso. If he had been playing we would have walked that game, sheffield utd weren't up to much but we didn't have the quality and control in midfield. Even sissoko was made to look pretty average because he wasn't playing alongside someone who could help him out. It just pisses me off, especially seeing a lot of other teams drop points today, to think how easily we should have dealt with that game. oh well, at least they didn't kick us up in the air all game and injure all our players for tuesday...

[Guest Portly]

This was always going to be a very tough fixture, and I am quite happy with a point.

[Wazz]

What the f*** was Rafa doing playing Gerrard Right midfield?? Understandable to accomodate Alonso, but Zenden???? Jesus wept.

We were crying out for someone to take hold of the game in the middle of the park. If Alonso aint fit fair enough, Stevie G should be partnering Momo. The only attacks we were having came through Gerrard drifting into the middle.

Crouch scores 2 midweek then doesn't get a game, WTF.

You can blame injury hampering substitutions, but play your best team from the start. If your cruising then take them off to rest them.

[Gunga Din]

What the f*** was Rafa doing playing Gerrard Right midfield?? Understandable to accomodate Alonso, but Zenden???? Jesus wept.

We were crying out for someone to take hold of the game in the middle of the park. If Alonso aint fit fair enough, Stevie G should be partnering Momo. The only attacks we were having came through Gerrard drifting into the middle.

Crouch scores 2 midweek then doesn't get a game, WTF.

You can blame injury hampering substitutions, but play your best team from the start. If your cruising then take them off to rest them.

 

 

Gerrards best form for us is when he is on the right. in the middle he pulls us out of shape too much, allowing teams to run though our midfield, particularly away from home.

 

maybe he is keeping Crouch for a game on tuesday night?

 

the sytsem was right today, we just had no luck, we didnt get the run of the ball, we let in a sloppy goal from a dead ball, but Reina never had a save to make apart from that.

 

but lets just knee jerk, sack rafa, Burn zenden and behead Parry just for the sake of it

[Andy @ Allerton]

For me the main point is that Rafa had a plan.

 

That plan was destroyed when he was forced to make two subs he didn't want to make

 

Further destroyed when he only had 1 slower member of the defence experienced in the Prem.

 

Cut them some slack.

[windy city red]

For me the main point is that Rafa had a plan.

 

That plan was destroyed when he was forced to make two subs he didn't want to make

 

Further destroyed when he only had 1 slower member of the defence experienced in the Prem.

 

Cut them some slack.

 

are you saying rafa isnt flexible and experienced to change plans in the middle of games? Unacceptable.

 

[Gunga Din]

B*llocks, Wayne. How the feck does it pull a team more out of shape to have a player roaming all over the park from the right than from the centre. The same kind of performance plenty lambasted beckham for in the infamous Greece game.

 

I swear, some people want to paint him as a Rui Costa kind of player who just leaves a big gaping hole in midfield. You are never gonna find an attacking midfielder who gives as much defensive steel to the midfield as Gerrard. They are just not around.

 

I really don't get it. Before he was moved right, you had people exploding at the thought of moving him there. 'you don't move the best central midfielder in the world to the wing. it's just not done'. He moves out right and, quelle surprise, he shows himself to be as good at it as all the other times he has played there previously in his career. And all of the sudden, he is not as good in the centre anymore.

 

It boggles the mind.

 

 

last season he won player of the year. playing where? yep, you guessed it, on the right of midfield. he doesnt pull us out of position on the right, in the centre he trys to do too much, and he ends of leaving our central midfield area exposed. look at our results when he plays RM and CM and you'll see a huge difference

[Maldini]

B*llocks, Wayne. How the feck does it pull a team more out of shape to have a player roaming all over the park from the right than from the centre. The same kind of performance plenty lambasted beckham for in the infamous Greece game.

 

I swear, some people want to paint him as a Rui Costa kind of player who just leaves a big gaping hole in midfield. You are never gonna find an attacking midfielder who gives as much defensive steel to the midfield as Gerrard. They are just not around.

 

I really don't get it. Before he was moved right, you had people exploding at the thought of moving him there. 'you don't move the best central midfielder in the world to the wing. it's just not done'. He moves out right and, quelle surprise, he shows himself to be as good at it as all the other times he has played there previously in his career. And all of the sudden, he is not as good in the centre anymore.

 

It boggles the mind.

Ronaldinho

[Andy @ Allerton]

Largely agree with that.

 

I reckon we took too many gambles for an away game: Fowler up front AND Zenden in CM AND Kronkamp at RB with no Alonso or Finnan on the bench.

 

 

Rafa was trying stuff out - the last thing he expected was to be reduced to 1/4 experienced players at the back and 2 subs to be lost in the first half.

 

I think the first half was experimental - which would have reverted to a better lineup in the second.

 

s*** happens - you've got to roll with these things.

 

Could have been worse - we may not have fought our way back and even Warnock said Liverpool deserved 'at least a draw'

[Guest Anders Honoré]

he played the majority of the games last year on the right out of neccesity and did a splendid job of it. he did a splendid job playing centrally before that. end of.

Edited August 20, 2006 by Anders Honoré

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

I think Sheff utd will prove to be a poor side.

 

I wasn't expecting to steamroller anyone george it's just that we have to win now because that's how we were out of it before it began last season. We have to view those games as 3 points

Not really. He's in the squad to be a crouch alternative/goalscorer. If he isn't that then we shouldn't have bought him or should sell him because he won't be doing his job.

we'll see soon enough, I think they play last season's top 4 in their first 6 games.

 

If they take something from Chelsea & another, then that point won't seem so bad

[Guz]

For me the main point is that Rafa had a plan.

 

That plan was destroyed when he was forced to make two subs he didn't want to make

 

Further destroyed when he only had 1 slower member of the defence experienced in the Prem.

 

Cut them some slack.

 

A plan for Sami to get skinned everytime a division 1 player got the ball and tried to run at him?

 

Yes the injuries were unfortunate but we were s**** before they both went off anyway and thats why we've been w***ing over our squad depth for the past month. There doesn't need to be a line of excuses made, we played poorly, end of that. Doesn't mean we're going to fall apart or we should be suicidal or anything.

 

I can only assume that's cos Zenden has looked fit and sharp and has been playing well with Sissoko, but neither of them took enough responsibility on the ball. Plenty seemed to forget that Crouch wasn't playing

 

He hasn't though. He's looked one of our worst players in pre-season in terms of fitness and sharpness. I think thats the only reason Rafa started him vs Chelsea so he could improve his fitness even more. Yesterday kind of reminded me of Everton away 2 years ago when Rafa played Diao instead of Xabi. It's wasnt as shambolic as that day but I think Zenden will struggle against teams who are compact and will be tight in the midfield. Zenden is good for keeping the ball moving and keep the team ticking over. But he was under constant pressure yesterday and really looked out of his depth.

 

Dont think Kromkamp was as bad as some have suggested either. He got zero support from Gerrard and the two looked like they had no idea how to play together on the right side.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Ronaldinho

 

gives as much defensive steel to the midfield as gerrard...?

[Gunga Din]

he played the majority of the games last year on the right out of neccesity. he did a splendid job playing centrally before that. end of.

 

 

end of?

end of what you fecking tosspot?

[Guest Anders Honoré]

end of?

end of what you fecking tosspot?

 

that it really is that simple. It's pointless to try and argue that he is better on the right or centre. He will be the best midfielder on the field regardless of where he plays. The only consideration in that regard has to be whom he plays alongside (momo or pennant at the moment, I'd assume).

[Gunga Din]

that it really is that simple. It's pointless to try and argue that he is better on the right or centre. He will be the best midfielder on the field regardless of where he plays. The only consideration in that regard has to be whom he plays alongside (momo or pennant at the moment, I'd assume).

 

 

i think it entirely depends on the opposition. do you think thats it possible Gerrard started on the right yesterday to offer some protection to Krompkamp, something that Pennant wouldnt have done?

Edited August 20, 2006 by big wayne

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Sure, that's possible. That also comes down to what players he is playing with mostly though, not neccesarily where he gives the best performances.

[Guest Sabre]

i think it entirely depends on the opposition. do you think thats it possible Gerrard started on the right yesterday to offer some protection to Krompkamp, something that Pennant wouldnt have done?

 

If that were the case then he did a s*** job