Away Match Day Thread 03/02/2026 - MDT: Sheffield United v Oxford United

[Peterdev]

It'll be Bromley rather than the Olympic Stadium but it'll be more enjoyable. More chance of winning and promotion and a repeat of the scenes in town that we saw in 2024.

We'll be back (if the panic spending doesn't hurt us).

Also Salford and Swindon to look forward to. Along with Bolton maybe and Reading. Will be tough that’s for sure.

 

[Osei Yaw]

You can never turn down a promotion but I feel we have to build to come up with a stronger team, while the pay off victory was great we got in to the play offs on the final day and crept past a pretty average Peterborough, we were small margins a way from not going up. Coming up with that sort of team has hampered us and caught up with us once the promotion momentum died down. We need to build a team that can be up challenging for the automatics in league one and learn lessons from going up this time to come back stronger, feels like we are just putting sticking plasters over gaping wounds up here at the moment.

This is pretty much where I've been at for a while, although I'm by no means resigned to jacking it in and accepting we go down (not saying that's what you're saying either).

I think our best chance at long term survival and sustained success at this level would've been to take a good run up and arrive at the level with a squad full of younger players on the way up in their careers who can then make the step up. Players like Currie and Peart-Harris, or in previously years those like Lundstram, Roofe, Rothwell etc.

To do that I think it's reasonable to expect a few windows of recruiting before you get the conveyor belt of players come through. Appleton's first window didn't see these types of player arrive, but by the end we were being linked to Harvey Barnes, McBurnie etc, having had the benefit of some of the others mentioned above.

We had a decent recruitment team lead by Mark Thomas, but he left in February 2023. Presumably pissed off at being ignored and overruled by Robinson, whose control had seeped into many areas it shouldn't. I can't believe the guy who helped unearth players like McNally was advocating giving Findlay a 4 year contract or chasing Jerome Sinclair through he summer. 'The Model' had been dismantled and it's no surprise we haven't generated a large player sale since.

Unsurprisingly that season was a disaster as Karl had totally lost the plot. His last game in charge was part of a 17 game run where we picked up 6 points (all draws). The first team we were able to field was clearly a lot better than the bottom end of League 1 and had been badly mismanaged, but the squad wasn't great. There was no 'succession planning'. O'Donkor's development was getting ruined as he had to play as Sam Baldock's body was broken etc.

As you say you can never turn your nose up at a promotion, but our promotion squad still had Karl's fingerprints on it and wasn't in a great position to handle the step up. Obviously you get a chance with the summer window but we were behind with our preparation before kick off at Wembley, let alone after we had won. Then we gave ourselves a transfer embargo. We survived last season by becoming hard to beat, having a player who could throw the ball very far and Brannagan or Goodrham occasionally sticking one in the top corner. Job done but it's not like we regularly blew teams away.

That made last summer all the more important but as soon as our budget changed then we were setting ourselves up for another struggle. I actually like the look of all the January recruits I have seen so far, so I have hope. I just wish we had been able to get them in summer but that's a question Williams is never going to answer for.

We didn't arrive at this level in the best position possible for survival, but there's no point focusing on how we fix that next time until it's mathematically impossible to stay up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that McDonnell, BdK, Currie all return soon and the rest of the cavalry is an improvement like Mokasso looked last night. There are definitely still glimmers of hope and we're not a lost cause.

 

[yellowbow]

I think people are really underestimating just how prominent a figure Ed Waldron is in the current hierarchy of the club. He’s driving everything to do with the playing side.

In his recent interview, just after Bloomfield was appointed, he intimated that it was very much a long term appointment. Whatever happens this season, they have to ensure that we are at least competitive, otherwise that long term plan will be under significant pressure, from the outside if not within the club.

 

[SouthOxonOx]

There is a reasonable chunk of our fan base who have never witnessed a relegation and have only seen a rise up the leagues in the last 16 years. As most on here know it's a terrible experience going down a division and we should be doing all we can to avoid it. I just don't buy into this go down and come straight back up again theory.

 

[holdsteady]

Yeah. Wasn't so much about us on here steeling ourselves for the possibility, more those suggesting the club itself should do so.

L1 is full of mediocrity always but could easily include Luton still in final year of parachute payments, a reset Wednesday, Bolton continuing to get their act back together, Baggies and their 20k+ home gates and even Leicester if they get hit hard on the points deduction.

Even at a practical level I don't really know how preparation for L1 next season would work on the playing side. If it happened we'd be losing half the permanent squad out of contract, all the loans and wouldn't be triggering the options we have on others. There's not really anyone to prepare!

Ach - I'm fearful too but won't go there until I have to.

Thats fair enough. You would hope the club has a plan for whatever happens, its only two eventualities so if they don't, considering its actually someones full time job, then they really deserve the sack. Thats why I never buy into a club being disadvantaged by finding out what division they are in slightly later after promotion from the play offs, no excuse for being that underprepared.

I don't expect to bounce straight back, to much work to do, but the squad clear out might well be in our favour, we know a lot of these players won't help you win games and score goals (both of which you need to do a lot more of to be succesful in a league rather than just scrap for safety) in the championship, not certain they are going to be that good at it a league lower either so not being stuck with them for another season could be a good thing. Plus with player turn over so high anyway its not massively unusual, we won't be the only club with a nearly new team next season.

 

[holdsteady]

This is pretty much where I've been at for a while, although I'm by no means resigned to jacking it in and accepting we go down (not saying that's what you're saying either).

I think our best chance at long term survival and sustained success at this level would've been to take a good run up and arrive at the level with a squad full of younger players on the way up in their careers who can then make the step up. Players like Currie and Peart-Harris, or in previously years those like Lundstram, Roofe, Rothwell etc.

To do that I think it's reasonable to expect a few windows of recruiting before you get the conveyor belt of players come through. Appleton's first window didn't see these types of player arrive, but by the end we were being linked to Harvey Barnes, McBurnie etc, having had the benefit of some of the others mentioned above.

We had a decent recruitment team lead by Mark Thomas, but he left in February 2023. Presumably pissed off at being ignored and overruled by Robinson, whose control had seeped into many areas it shouldn't. I can't believe the guy who helped unearth players like McNally was advocating giving Findlay a 4 year contract or chasing Jerome Sinclair through he summer. 'The Model' had been dismantled and it's no surprise we haven't generated a large player sale since.

Unsurprisingly that season was a disaster as Karl had totally lost the plot. His last game in charge was part of a 17 game run where we picked up 6 points (all draws). The first team we were able to field was clearly a lot better than the bottom end of League 1 and had been badly mismanaged, but the squad wasn't great. There was no 'succession planning'. O'Donkor's development was getting ruined as he had to play as Sam Baldock's body was broken etc.

As you say you can never turn your nose up at a promotion, but our promotion squad still had Karl's fingerprints on it and wasn't in a great position to handle the step up. Obviously you get a chance with the summer window but we were behind with our preparation before kick off at Wembley, let alone after we had won. Then we gave ourselves a transfer embargo. We survived last season by becoming hard to beat, having a player who could throw the ball very far and Brannagan or Goodrham occasionally sticking one in the top corner. Job done but it's not like we regularly blew teams away.

That made last summer all the more important but as soon as our budget changed then we were setting ourselves up for another struggle. I actually like the look of all the January recruits I have seen so far, so I have hope. I just wish we had been able to get them in summer but that's a question Williams is never going to answer for.

We didn't arrive at this level in the best position possible for survival, but there's no point focusing on how we fix that next time until it's mathematically impossible to stay up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that McDonnell, BdK, Currie all return soon and the rest of the cavalry is an improvement like Mokasso looked last night. There are definitely still glimmers of hope and we're not a lost cause.

Thats a very good post, probably the best summation of where we have come from and where we are at now I have read.

 

[90syeIlow]

It’s painful reading comments from those comfortable with seeing us relegated withoit a fight.

When I think back to the pure euphoria and achievement of the playoffs/wembley, I cannot fathom how some are happy to let us go back to how we were before that special time and to see all the incredible work done from the club undone.

 

[Sarge]

This is pretty much where I've been at for a while, although I'm by no means resigned to jacking it in and accepting we go down (not saying that's what you're saying either).

I think our best chance at long term survival and sustained success at this level would've been to take a good run up and arrive at the level with a squad full of younger players on the way up in their careers who can then make the step up. Players like Currie and Peart-Harris, or in previously years those like Lundstram, Roofe, Rothwell etc.

To do that I think it's reasonable to expect a few windows of recruiting before you get the conveyor belt of players come through. Appleton's first window didn't see these types of player arrive, but by the end we were being linked to Harvey Barnes, McBurnie etc, having had the benefit of some of the others mentioned above.

We had a decent recruitment team lead by Mark Thomas, but he left in February 2023. Presumably pissed off at being ignored and overruled by Robinson, whose control had seeped into many areas it shouldn't. I can't believe the guy who helped unearth players like McNally was advocating giving Findlay a 4 year contract or chasing Jerome Sinclair through he summer. 'The Model' had been dismantled and it's no surprise we haven't generated a large player sale since.

Unsurprisingly that season was a disaster as Karl had totally lost the plot. His last game in charge was part of a 17 game run where we picked up 6 points (all draws). The first team we were able to field was clearly a lot better than the bottom end of League 1 and had been badly mismanaged, but the squad wasn't great. There was no 'succession planning'. O'Donkor's development was getting ruined as he had to play as Sam Baldock's body was broken etc.

As you say you can never turn your nose up at a promotion, but our promotion squad still had Karl's fingerprints on it and wasn't in a great position to handle the step up. Obviously you get a chance with the summer window but we were behind with our preparation before kick off at Wembley, let alone after we had won. Then we gave ourselves a transfer embargo. We survived last season by becoming hard to beat, having a player who could throw the ball very far and Brannagan or Goodrham occasionally sticking one in the top corner. Job done but it's not like we regularly blew teams away.

That made last summer all the more important but as soon as our budget changed then we were setting ourselves up for another struggle. I actually like the look of all the January recruits I have seen so far, so I have hope. I just wish we had been able to get them in summer but that's a question Williams is never going to answer for.

We didn't arrive at this level in the best position possible for survival, but there's no point focusing on how we fix that next time until it's mathematically impossible to stay up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that McDonnell, BdK, Currie all return soon and the rest of the cavalry is an improvement like Mokasso looked last night. There are definitely still glimmers of hope and we're not a lost cause.

Excellent post ^^

 

[Roge]

The situation this time last year. Derby escaped Cardiff got relegated. Still everything to play for in my opinion

16	Oxford United	31	9	10	12	34	45	-11	37
17	Swansea City	30	9	7	14	32	42	-10	34
18	Stoke City	30	7	11	12	28	37	-9	32
19	Cardiff City	30	7	10	13	33	51	-18	31
20	Portsmouth	30	7	9	14	36	52	-16	30
21	Hull City	30	7	8	15	31	40	-9	29
22	Derby County	30	7	6	17	32	41	-9	27
23	Luton Town	30	7	6	17	30	49	-19	27
24	Plymouth Argyle	30	5	10	15	29	63	-34	25

 

[McXal]

I’m not really on board with criticising Brannagan that much. I won’t argue he played particularly well last night. But in the ground you could SEE how frustrated he was getting at Sheff Utd just swarming all over us with no outlet or release.

Personally I think he absolutely is Championship quality. And he’s the driving heartbeat of our team. But what he isn’t is particularly athletic or mobile. And he’s also quite fragile. So what works well for us is when we surround him with legs in midfield. That was true even when we were in L1. In a midfield with the likes of BDK, or McDonnell who have athleticism, are more mobile and can take the burden off him, he’s much better.

What has been proven to fail over and over and over and over and over and over and over (and over!!!!!) again since we’ve got promoted is Cam and Vaulks as a two. It does NOT work. Neither is mobile enough. Neither can get around the pitch well enough. It leads to us being overwhelmed in the middle and/or completely bypassed.

It’s why the system/selections last night were so utterly bad. Just plain bad. Bloomfield got it way wrong, and Sheff Utd mopped the floor with us. Wilder called it right in his interview - we are at a ‘different level’ than his team, and indeed most of the Champ. Unfortunately unless we can get a whole pile of players fit, and a whole host of our new signings miraculously gel and hit the floor running (the likes of Donley, Jin-Woo, Emakhu for instance) then that ‘different level’ is League One. We looked like a non-league team there to park the bus for a cup tie last night - with a few exceptions (MPH, Lankshear, Makosso, Helik)

 

[werthersoriginal]

I’m not really on board with criticising Brannagan that much. I won’t argue he played particularly well last night. But in the ground you could SEE how frustrated he was getting at Sheff Utd just swarming all over us with no outlet or release.

Personally I think he absolutely is Championship quality. And he’s the driving heartbeat of our team. But what he isn’t is particularly athletic or mobile. And he’s also quite fragile. So what works well for us is when we surround him with legs in midfield. That was true even when we were in L1. In a midfield with the likes of BDK, or McDonnell who have athleticism, are more mobile and can take the burden off him, he’s much better.

What has been proven to fail over and over and over and over and over and over and over (and over!!!!!) again since we’ve got promoted is Cam and Vaulks as a two. It does NOT work. Neither is mobile enough. Neither can get around the pitch well enough. It leads to us being overwhelmed in the middle and/or completely bypassed.

It’s why the system/selections last night were so utterly bad. Just plain bad. Bloomfield got it way wrong, and Sheff Utd mopped the floor with us. Wilder called it right in his interview - we are at a ‘different level’ than his team, and indeed most of the Champ. Unfortunately unless we can get a whole pile of players fit, and a whole host of our new signings miraculously gel and hit the floor running (the likes of Donley, Jin-Woo, Emakhu for instance) then that ‘different level’ is League One. We looked like a non-league team there to park the bus for a cup tie last night - with a few exceptions (MPH, Lankshear, Makosso, Helik)

Yes we were plucky Dagenham and Redbridge, excited to score a goal and not be disgraced. We need at least three in midfield to give it a proper go!

 

[Symp59]

But is 'brand Oxford' five centre halves?

What is brand Oxford ,because the one we have is Crap .

 

[WE Yellow]

It’s painful reading comments from those comfortable with seeing us relegated withoit a fight.

When I think back to the pure euphoria and achievement of the playoffs/wembley, I cannot fathom how some are happy to let us go back to how we were before that special time and to see all the incredible work done from the club undone.

I don't think this has ever happened to be honest. We got lucky that Des took us on a run at the end of that season despite the lack of support from board level. I'm not sure there has been an improvement off the field since Ferguson/Williams have been in charge.

 

[Upthecowboys]

To be fair, it’s a problem well down the list of problems but this season Jamie Cumming has not reached his heights of last season*

If we had to be creative with getting money in then I’d consider summer offers for him and / or he at least needs proper competition. I really don’t think Ingram is good enough.

*Though I did think his kicking was quite good last night, particularly out to Sam Long who in turn controlled those passes well.

 

[holdsteady]

It’s painful reading comments from those comfortable with seeing us relegated withoit a fight.

When I think back to the pure euphoria and achievement of the playoffs/wembley, I cannot fathom how some are happy to let us go back to how we were before that special time and to see all the incredible work done from the club undone.

Don't really get this?

No one is comfortable with us getting relegated, not one of us on here wants it to happen. Some just think, after 30 games this season and with the position we are in that is the most likely scenario. Hopefully we can turn it around but at the moment its not looking likely.

What do you suggest people do? I will be at games supporting the team, I don't boo or get on their backs, but if I am giving my opinion then it will be the honest one that I don't think we can get out of this situation.

 

[Symp59]

And if Brannagan is championship quality people are watching a different game ,yes he is about 25%of games but the championship is relentless ,more speed ,fitter ,combative more passes etc.I don't see that consistently from Cam yes he wears his heart on his sleeve and is very much Mr Oxford but is he now really at championship level.

 

[yellowbow]

The situation this time last year. Derby escaped Cardiff got relegated. Still everything to play for in my opinion

16	Oxford United	31	9	10	12	34	45	-11	37
17	Swansea City	30	9	7	14	32	42	-10	34
18	Stoke City	30	7	11	12	28	37	-9	32
19	Cardiff City	30	7	10	13	33	51	-18	31
20	Portsmouth	30	7	9	14	36	52	-16	30
21	Hull City	30	7	8	15	31	40	-9	29
22	Derby County	30	7	6	17	32	41	-9	27
23	Luton Town	30	7	6	17	30	49	-19	27
24	Plymouth Argyle	30	5	10	15	29	63	-34	25

It’s interesting to see that MB is in pretty much exactly the same position as he was this time last year! He nearly pulled it off last year, hitting form after a sticky start. Let’s see if he can go one better this time, having hopefully learned some valuable lessons from last year.

 

[38yearsofpain]

One of these three things must have occurred during the lengthy and thorough interview process:

1. Waldron discussed Bloomfield's tactical intentions at length. Bloomfield lied, said he'd play 4 at the back.

2. Waldron discussed Bloomfield's tactical intentions at length. Bloomfield was honest that he's married to 5 at the back. Waldron had no issue with that.

3. Waldron failed to discuss Bloomfield's tactical intentions at any length.

They're all awful.

Looking from afar, we dont appear to have any long term recruitment plan. We change manager, then change the plan. Out glaring weaknesses are creativity and scoring. You could argue we have done nothing to address that, we havent seen Donley and he may help. BDK started as a real find but he looks like the intensity week in week out may be too much for him. As for goalscorers, only Lankshear looks really up to it. But he needs quality balls to score though.
As the season goes on, our inability to keep the ball, means the physicality required to stay in games means we literally collapse because of the running requird to match superior opponents.
We have taken a number of calculated risks in thie last window but it still feels curcumstancial because the fundamental issues have not been addressed.
I equally accept the argument that we do not have the financial capacity to address these issues in this division.

 

[Basham Wonderland]

Don't really get this?

No one is comfortable with us getting relegated, not one of us on here wants it to happen. Some just think, after 30 games this season and with the position we are in that is the most likely scenario. Hopefully we can turn it around but at the moment its not looking likely.

What do you suggest people do? I will be at games supporting the team, I don't boo or get on their backs, but if I am giving my opinion then it will be the honest one that I don't think we can get out of this situation.

Exactly, nobody is saying they're "happy" to see us relegated and nobody is arguing we shouldn't "fight", whatever that means.

Just a load of sentimental, sabre rattling old twaddle - of course everyone wants us to stay up.

 

[Northernyellow]

Bloomfield is doing ok, but I can't really see what he's doing that's much different from Rowett. Last night the team set up was almost exactly what we'd have had with Rowett. I wish Bloomfield well, but I'm almost certain he'll take us down. Let's hope he starts well next season-otherwise this will follow exactly the same pattern we saw at Luton. I'm still not sure why people were so keen to see Rowett go tbh.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

I don't think any of us expected our new manager to be a more defensive version of Rowettball. The first question needed at the new manager interviews should have been what plan do you have for us to score more goals. We seemed to have ended up with a worse version of what we were meant to be getting away from.

Having said that, 5 points from 5 games given that the level of opposition was tough is not too bad even if the spectacle has been fairly ugly. And we have new players ready to come in from this weekend and it could improve, well it must improve. Its not results in away games against Cov, Sheff U, Stoke or Boro that is going to define the rest of our season. We need a good 14-15 points from our home games against Norwich, Sheff W, Blackburn, West Brom, Charlton, Watford. And scramble a few more from somewhere else. Hopefully MB has earmarked these games as ones we must win. It will be telling what formation we play against Norwich next midweek as to the direction of the new manager. It does feel like he has been finding his feet first few games weighing up what we have got, when we don't really have time to do that. We already did that in August when we virtually threw away the whole month because we weren't ready to start the season and gave the whole league a head start on us as a result.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

Bloomfield needs time but he hasn’t really got it has he.

 

[Mateo Corbo's Tackle]

This is pretty much where I've been at for a while, although I'm by no means resigned to jacking it in and accepting we go down (not saying that's what you're saying either).

I think our best chance at long term survival and sustained success at this level would've been to take a good run up and arrive at the level with a squad full of younger players on the way up in their careers who can then make the step up. Players like Currie and Peart-Harris, or in previously years those like Lundstram, Roofe, Rothwell etc.

To do that I think it's reasonable to expect a few windows of recruiting before you get the conveyor belt of players come through. Appleton's first window didn't see these types of player arrive, but by the end we were being linked to Harvey Barnes, McBurnie etc, having had the benefit of some of the others mentioned above.

We had a decent recruitment team lead by Mark Thomas, but he left in February 2023. Presumably pissed off at being ignored and overruled by Robinson, whose control had seeped into many areas it shouldn't. I can't believe the guy who helped unearth players like McNally was advocating giving Findlay a 4 year contract or chasing Jerome Sinclair through he summer. 'The Model' had been dismantled and it's no surprise we haven't generated a large player sale since.

Unsurprisingly that season was a disaster as Karl had totally lost the plot. His last game in charge was part of a 17 game run where we picked up 6 points (all draws). The first team we were able to field was clearly a lot better than the bottom end of League 1 and had been badly mismanaged, but the squad wasn't great. There was no 'succession planning'. O'Donkor's development was getting ruined as he had to play as Sam Baldock's body was broken etc.

As you say you can never turn your nose up at a promotion, but our promotion squad still had Karl's fingerprints on it and wasn't in a great position to handle the step up. Obviously you get a chance with the summer window but we were behind with our preparation before kick off at Wembley, let alone after we had won. Then we gave ourselves a transfer embargo. We survived last season by becoming hard to beat, having a player who could throw the ball very far and Brannagan or Goodrham occasionally sticking one in the top corner. Job done but it's not like we regularly blew teams away.

That made last summer all the more important but as soon as our budget changed then we were setting ourselves up for another struggle. I actually like the look of all the January recruits I have seen so far, so I have hope. I just wish we had been able to get them in summer but that's a question Williams is never going to answer for.

We didn't arrive at this level in the best position possible for survival, but there's no point focusing on how we fix that next time until it's mathematically impossible to stay up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that McDonnell, BdK, Currie all return soon and the rest of the cavalry is an improvement like Mokasso looked last night. There are definitely still glimmers of hope and we're not a lost cause.

Great post.
I thought as I went to bed last night: “is this really, generally, genuinely fun?”
I couldn’t answer “yes”, and I don’t think many of us could.
Elevation in the pyramid is one thing, but entertainment, hope and positivity trumps it. I still have the second, but Leicester aside, I am struggling with the other two.

 

[Mike_H]

Yeah. Wasn't so much about us on here steeling ourselves for the possibility, more those suggesting the club itself should do so.

L1 is full of mediocrity always but could easily include Luton still in final year of parachute payments, a reset Wednesday, Bolton continuing to get their act back together, Baggies and their 20k+ home gates and even Leicester if they get hit hard on the points deduction.

Even at a practical level I don't really know how preparation for L1 next season would work on the playing side. If it happened we'd be losing half the permanent squad out of contract, all the loans and wouldn't be triggering the options we have on others. There's not really anyone to prepare!

Ach - I'm fearful too but won't go there until I have to.

Lets hope then that L1 next season includes Wednesday, Baggies and Leicester. Excuse me if I don't worry about our L1 preparation in that scenario.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Great post.
I thought as I went to bed last night: “is this really, generally, genuinely fun?”
I couldn’t answer “yes”, and I don’t think many of us could.
Elevation in the pyramid is one thing, but entertainment, hope and positivity trumps it. I still have the second, but Leicester aside, I am struggling with the other two.

Yes this season has been hard going. I expected to lose quite a lot of games but I also expected us to be much more spirited and hard to beat. I also expected more tactical ingenuity from our manager(s) - we've used a lot of players and spent a lot of money so can't just point to 'little Oxford'. We need to see a big improvement with the new players if Bloomfield is to stay beyond this season.

 

[Trevor L]

Trevor

Not sure it works like that anymore. What is the average shelf life of a manager?
Just say Gary Rowett had carte Blanche in the summer to bring exactly the players he wanted into the club some loans but say four on 3 year contracts.
Then after 3 months we are in a position where GR gets the boot. In comes the new man and he then gets in another 6 players who he wants in the January window.
All of a sudden you have 4 players on 3 year contracts who maybe surplus to requirements.
It seems to me that Ed Waldron has a list of players who the manager whoever he is has to work with.

You're probably right. However, no disrespect to Ed Waldron, but the manager is the one who carries the can for failure, yet the recruitment team seems to carry serenely on without being questioned. Doesn't seem fair to me, but what do I know?

 

[Symp59]

I don't think any of us expected our new manager to be a more defensive version of Rowettball. The first question needed at the new manager interviews should have been what plan do you have for us to score more goals. We seemed to have ended up with a worse version of what we were meant to be getting away from.

Having said that, 5 points from 5 games given that the level of opposition was tough is not too bad even if the spectacle has been fairly ugly. And we have new players ready to come in from this weekend and it could improve, well it must improve. Its not results in away games against Cov, Sheff U, Stoke or Boro that is going to define the rest of our season. We need a good 14-15 points from our home games against Norwich, Sheff W, Blackburn, West Brom, Charlton, Watford. And scramble a few more from somewhere else. Hopefully MB has earmarked these games as ones we must win. It will be telling what formation we play against Norwich next midweek as to the direction of the new manager. It does feel like he has been finding his feet first few games weighing up what we have got, when we don't really have time to do that. We already did that in August when we virtually threw away the whole month because we weren't ready to start the season and gave the whole league a head start on us as a result.

Can anyone else see us getting enough points from our home games when we can't even score a goal .Let's hope new players in for the weekend but we need them performing asap ,roll on to Saturday forever hopefully

 

[Osleroad]

You're probably right. However, no disrespect to Ed Waldron, but the manager is the one who carries the can for failure, yet the recruitment team seems to carry serenely on without being questioned. Doesn't seem fair to me, but what do I know?

We are not privy to performance review from an HR perspective no nor wd we be either for any layer of the business.The proof in the pudding is whether staff leave or are let go as it were.

 

[Victor1986]

I’m not really on board with criticising Brannagan that much. I won’t argue he played particularly well last night. But in the ground you could SEE how frustrated he was getting at Sheff Utd just swarming all over us with no outlet or release.

Personally I think he absolutely is Championship quality. And he’s the driving heartbeat of our team. But what he isn’t is particularly athletic or mobile. And he’s also quite fragile. So what works well for us is when we surround him with legs in midfield. That was true even when we were in L1. In a midfield with the likes of BDK, or McDonnell who have athleticism, are more mobile and can take the burden off him, he’s much better.

What has been proven to fail over and over and over and over and over and over and over (and over!!!!!) again since we’ve got promoted is Cam and Vaulks as a two. It does NOT work. Neither is mobile enough. Neither can get around the pitch well enough. It leads to us being overwhelmed in the middle and/or completely bypassed.

It’s why the system/selections last night were so utterly bad. Just plain bad. Bloomfield got it way wrong, and Sheff Utd mopped the floor with us. Wilder called it right in his interview - we are at a ‘different level’ than his team, and indeed most of the Champ. Unfortunately unless we can get a whole pile of players fit, and a whole host of our new signings miraculously gel and hit the floor running (the likes of Donley, Jin-Woo, Emakhu for instance) then that ‘different level’ is League One. We looked like a non-league team there to park the bus for a cup tie last night - with a few exceptions (MPH, Lankshear, Makosso, Helik)

Excellent post.

 

[Oufcrealist]

I’m not against three at the back at all, but what I don’t like is playing it when you clearly haven’t got the personal to do the formation justice.

To my mind the two wingbacks are critical to success when playing three at the back.

If Rowett had sent out the last two starting elevens with the tactics employed he would be getting absolute pelters. Some would be saying he was trying to ‘prove a point’ or implying he was deliberately setting us up to lose.

Three at the back may well be Bloomfield/Waldron’s preferred formation and it might possibly be successful in League One next season, but it wasn’t the right call for last two games when Championship survival is paramount, certainly not with the players available.

I think it was more like five at the back and we were playing to nick a point. The fact we took the lead was a bonus for Bloomfield. We then inevitably conceded and came out second half trying to hang on to that point. It was never going to work. The difference in quality was obvious. Hamer strolled through the game and ran the show.
I think Sheffield could still make the playoffs, especially if their recent additions stay fit. We just have to keep trying to compete and grind out results. Hopefully all the recent additions can get fit PDQ and make a difference plus Currie is a big miss at the moment .

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

There is a reasonable chunk of our fan base who have never witnessed a relegation and have only seen a rise up the leagues in the last 16 years. As most on here know it's a terrible experience going down a division and we should be doing all we can to avoid it. I just don't buy into this go down and come straight back up again theory.

I wouldn't worry too much.

I get the distinct impression that those saying such things are only doing so because they won't be materially affected by relegation themselves - after all, there is negligible difference between watching us at Vicarage Road or at The Pirelli Stadium when it is via a dodgy firestick.