New Years Day
Hillsboro
Sheffield
1730 1st Jan 2020
That's 5.30pm Wicklow/ Dixie
5.30 in the evening
After partaking in a couple of drams, it's probably expedient to get the match thread out of the way before it becomes too difficult.
Wednesday have a myriad of problems being manager less and already 6 points deducted - isn't it funny how Tony Pullis keeps getting employed?
Derby's last game was a spectacle long promised and finally delivered - one of those games where you felt comfortable about the outcome and were able to predict the outcome with gay abandon. 0-4 it was and it would be nice to see a similar confidant performance at FIVE THIRTY on Friday.
Will be interesting to see the team - Waghorn is available as is Lawrence and .....er.... Ibe
Happy New Year Everyone - see you on the other side and remember it's THEM not YOU xxx
Team news:-
Marshall
Wisdom
Forsyth
Shinnie
Bielik
Jozwiak
Byrne
Kazim-Richards
Clarke
Sibley
Knight
Subs: Roos, te Wierek, Bird, Whittaker, Evans, Buchanan, Watson, Gordon, Hector-Ingram
Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 0 Derby County
posted on 2/1/21
Horror vacui. It had to be said
posted on 2/1/21
comment by Sloppy implementer of heroic ideas (U20845)
posted 2 hours, 8 minutes ago
Derby were by far the better team in the first half and I dont think anyone could have argued had you been two up. Wednesday were slow and struggled to do the basics right. The second half was much closer. I felt the difference was that we closed your midfielder (Bielik?) down which seemed to stop you playing. You also didn't seem to have much urgency going forward even in the later stages of the game. You also appeared to lack quality from then bench.
Its worth pointing out that we lost both our best keeper and our best performing centre half before the game which could explain the slow start as it was yet another different centre back pairing.
Good luck for the season. I hope we both manage to get out of the mess we find ourselves in.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disappointing result, but not totally disheartened given the performance. It does seem like we're not taking the opportunities presented to us in the form of weakened opposition, Implementer says they were missing a couple of players and in the Bristol City we should have taken advantage but didn't.
As good or as highly as we rate our Academy players, are they ready this season to make an impact from the bench? Whittaker doesn't seem to be able to do that and I know he's been hooked having come on as a sub.
Holmes was our most experienced attacking threat off the bench for a few games with Waggy and TL missing, yesterday our most experienced attacking threat off the bench became Whittaker and Hector-Ingram.
Along with a striker I really wouldn't mind Grosicki on loan. Add to our Polish contingent and offer attacking threat. With Ibe pricing (so far) to not be ready to resurrect his football career we possibly need to get someone as an alternative with experience.
posted on 2/1/21
After sleeping on it, I've come to the conclusion I got carried away by a good result against an extremely poor team. Despite them having a new pairing at the heart of their defence we were only able to create a few opportunities to score, and weren't clinical enough to take any of them.
All it took to nullify us as an attacking force was a team that tried hard and stuck to their plan.
Perhaps no coincidence that most of our better performances have come against teams who expected/wanted 3 points and enabled us to play on the counter?
posted on 2/1/21
We certainly lack individual creativity. Only Jozwiak and possibly Sibley of yesterday’s team has the ability to beat a man so if we concede first it’s going to be a struggle as has been the case all season. Who else in the squad has a bit of guile or skill in his boots? Ibe might have the potential to be a game changer but if he doesn’t get a runout against Chorley we can probably forget him as an option. Maybe Lawrence might have made a difference yesterday - chasing a game we could maybe sacrifice Shinnie or Knight and play either TL or Sibley in a number 10 position.
posted on 2/1/21
We're as of yet to see the prospect of Jozwiak, TL and Ibe playing together which on paper would be a great attacking trio behind CKR or possibly El Turk.
Not convinced that's going to be likely.
As suggested above like to see Grosicki or the return of Will Hughes to help with the creativity. Both would depend on our budget, which based on the current news in DET would imply we have a small figure or MM wants to spend nil amounts due to this never ending 'impending takeover'.
posted on 2/1/21
Will Hughes! Not heard that one other than whispers on here. If only.........and for VC!
posted on 2/1/21
To me, all the signs of late point to the TO not happening.
posted on 2/1/21
If so Mel will have to open the piggy bank...........
posted on 2/1/21
'We're as of yet to see the prospect of Jozwiak, TL and Ibe playing together which on paper would be a great attacking trio behind CKR or possibly El Turk.'
But just who wins the ball back for them, Desi ?
posted on 2/1/21
Maybe as an alternative when chasing games we could take a bit of a chance and lose one of the current midfield three. When the opposition is sitting in protecting a lead then having three ball-winners becomes a bit excessive.