Match Report: Bramall Lane trip shows how far City have come

[Olé]

For the penultimate trip on the road and one of their toughest, City highlighted both how near they've come to becoming one of the division's top sides - but also how far away they are - after largely controlling a second game in four days, this time up at Premier League bound Sheffield United, yet despite dominating in two of the three thirds, a lack of a final ball remains the achilles heel and the hosts eventually found their late winner. 

City's end of season flourish seems to solely consist of going to some of the best sides in the league and controlling the game while in their own half and then breaking at pace but wasting the final ball into the box. After total control at Watford in 2-0 defeat, City faced their biggest trip besides Sunderland - and on a Tuesday night, 26,000 at Bramall Lane as Pearson's men ran the game for over an hour but without ever finding a cutting edge.

The away side were organised and worked the ball quickly up the field but despite good work from Nahki Wells leading the line and a few moments of danger where Sam Bell got into the box, City didn't add up to the sum of their parts - their attacks never troubling the home keeper. Oli McBurnie was well wide in limited responses in the first half but in the second half City eventually ran out of steam and spare man James McAtee capitalised.

That was not the script for over an hour as a packed Bramall Lane was silenced and City, in their light yellow and green took the game to their nervous hosts. Zak Vyner won the ball off an opponent on ten minutes and did well to pick out Wells who couldn't find the through ball. Next Andy King did brilliantly to tidy up and send Wells away off the left to centre for Harry Cornick to control well and force a sharp save. City at their very best. 

Another trademark counter attacking break got City down the right but from their cross Bell appeared to be bundled over just inside the box but the visitors kept it alive from the opposite flank where Jay DaSilva steered a return ball back into the box that Bell, back on his feet, glanced inside the far post, only for a defender to deflect behind. In response the Blades had moments around the half hour, but like Saturday it was largely all City. 

Twice in close succession Oli McBurnie went wide of Max O'Leary's goal first dragging a shot wide after good work by Iliman Ndiaye, then heading well past the far post off Jack Robinson's cross - the visitors closing down any clear cut threat and reduced the Blades to playing on the break. The game settled to a battle of attrition though in injury time City again worked it well - King doing brilliantly from DaSilva's cross to force the corner.

Sheffield United couldn't be as anonymous in the second half and while City continued to look organised and purposeful following the break, they were even less effective with the ball in the final third - as the the balance of play began to shift. Cam Pring earned the first booking of the match for hacking down McAtee's break and after the hour Sander Berge curled a dipping shot just over the bar in the Blades first sustained spell of pressure.

City needed fresh legs and threw on Tommy Conway and the returning Mark Sykes for a tireless Wells and Cornick. Still it was all City probing for an opener while the hosts relied on the break, although there was a warning of the developing threat from the high flying hosts as Tommy Doyle fired wide, while next King - impressive at both ends - was forced to nod behind as the Blades, with their fans finally waking up, began to turn the screw.

So although City were full value for at least a point, it was no real surprise minutes later as United overloaded their opponents half, working the ball and pulling the visitors thus far tireless and well organised back line out of position before McAtee was left as spare man on the left - where Tanner was getting increasingly exposed - and Ndiaye fed the midfielder who swept in unerringly into the bottom corner past a helpless O'Leary. 

By now Alex Scott was on for Bell and taken down right on the edge of the box from his first touch in front of the pocket of travelling fans, it threatened an instant response but his set piece was straight into the two man wall allowing the hosts to break away. They almost had their second after a deep cross had O'Leary clattered just beyond the back post, allowing an easy tap in inside, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.

Up at the other end the irrepressible DaSilva combined well with Sykes on the left, Scott's outside of the foot cross to George Tanner with space and time returned straight out of play, the full back hauled off immediately for Anis Mehmeti. By now the Blades had taken belated control of the game and were on the front foot. In injury time sub Billy Sharp went close before Daniel Jebbison's tap in was skied over just yards out with the goal gaping.

On what was largely expected to be a tricky midweek trip up to Bramall Lane, Pearson's men actually dominated another parachute payment side for long periods - and looked in control at the back led by Zak Vyner while slick working the ball through midfield with a series of quick touches. But once again they lacked quality in their final ball in advanced positions, Andi Weimann especially rushed, allowing the Blades to eventually take over.

 

O'Leary 7

Tanner 6

DaSilva 7

Vyner 8

Pring 6

King 8

James 7

Weimann 6

Cornick 6

Wells 7

Bell 6

 

Conway 5

Sykes 6

Scott 6

Mehmeti 5

[Fordy62]

Mark Carter disagrees. 
 

(I should point out that I’m not Mark Carter because it is entirely plausible that Mark Carter refers to himself in the third person. Fordy would never do that!)

Edited April 19, 2023 by Fordy62

[Major Isewater]

57 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

Mark Carter disagrees. 
 

(I should point out that I’m not Mark Carter because it is entirely plausible that Mark Carter refers to himself in the third person. Fordy would never do that!)

[Bodiesaffer]

King looking good now fit.  

[phantom]

5 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

Mark Carter disagrees. 
 

(I should point out that I’m not Mark Carter because it is entirely plausible that Mark Carter refers to himself in the third person. Fordy would never do that!)

I had the complete misfortune of seeing one of his tweets recently, the guy clearly watches a different game to everyone else

[REDOXO]

It was a Rugby tackle on Bell. It was a red card event and the referee bottled it. The only discussion is was it in or out of the penalty area. In my opinion the foul started outside the box and continued into it…..

However as Pearson says, we don’t get penalty’s and it’s pointless constantly pointing out, but this was worse, a clear opportunity denied by a player hurling himself at the player who got behind him showing the defender a clean pair of heels. 
 

 

[2015]

43 minutes ago, phantom said:

I had the complete misfortune of seeing one of his tweets recently, the guy clearly watches a different game to everyone else

You only have to go through his Twitter feed to see what an utterly miserable Human being he/she/whatever is

[maxjak]

7 hours ago, Olé said:

For the penultimate trip on the road and one of their toughest, City highlighted both how near they've come to becoming one of the division's top sides - but also how far away they are - after largely controlling a second game in four days, this time up at Premier League bound Sheffield United, yet despite dominating in two of the three thirds, a lack of a final ball remains the achilles heel and the hosts eventually found their late winner. 

City's end of season flourish seems to solely consist of going to some of the best sides in the league and controlling the game while in their own half and then breaking at pace but wasting the final ball into the box. After total control at Watford in 2-0 defeat, City faced their biggest trip besides Sunderland - and on a Tuesday night, 26,000 at Bramall Lane as Pearson's men ran the game for over an hour but without ever finding a cutting edge.

The away side were organised and worked the ball quickly up the field but despite good work from Nahki Wells leading the line and a few moments of danger where Sam Bell got into the box, City didn't add up to the sum of their parts - their attacks never troubling the home keeper. Oli McBurnie was well wide in limited responses in the first half but in the second half City eventually ran out of steam and spare man James McAtee capitalised.

That was not the script for over an hour as a packed Bramall Lane was silenced and City, in their light yellow and green took the game to their nervous hosts. Zak Vyner won the ball off an opponent on ten minutes and did well to pick out Wells who couldn't find the through ball. Next Andy King did brilliantly to tidy up and send Wells away off the left to centre for Harry Cornick to control well and force a sharp save. City at their very best. 

Another trademark counter attacking break got City down the right but from their cross Bell appeared to be bundled over just inside the box but the visitors kept it alive from the opposite flank where Jay DaSilva steered a return ball back into the box that Bell, back on his feet, glanced inside the far post, only for a defender to deflect behind. In response the Blades had moments around the half hour, but like Saturday it was largely all City. 

Twice in close succession Oli McBurnie went wide of Max O'Leary's goal first dragging a shot wide after good work by Iliman Ndiaye, then heading well past the far post off Jack Robinson's cross - the visitors closing down any clear cut threat and reduced the Blades to playing on the break. The game settled to a battle of attrition though in injury time City again worked it well - King doing brilliantly from DaSilva's cross to force the corner.

Sheffield United couldn't be as anonymous in the second half and while City continued to look organised and purposeful following the break, they were even less effective with the ball in the final third - as the the balance of play began to shift. Cam Pring earned the first booking of the match for hacking down McAtee's break and after the hour Sander Berge curled a dipping shot just over the bar in the Blades first sustained spell of pressure.

City needed fresh legs and threw on Tommy Conway and the returning Mark Sykes for a tireless Wells and Cornick. Still it was all City probing for an opener while the hosts relied on the break, although there was a warning of the developing threat from the high flying hosts as Tommy Doyle fired wide, while next King - impressive at both ends - was forced to nod behind as the Blades, with their fans finally waking up, began to turn the screw.

So although City were full value for at least a point, it was no real surprise minutes later as United overloaded their opponents half, working the ball and pulling the visitors thus far tireless and well organised back line out of position before McAtee was left as spare man on the left - where Tanner was getting increasingly exposed - and Ndiaye fed the midfielder who swept in unerringly into the bottom corner past a helpless O'Leary. 

By now Alex Scott was on for Bell and taken down right on the edge of the box from his first touch in front of the pocket of travelling fans, it threatened an instant response but his set piece was straight into the two man wall allowing the hosts to break away. They almost had their second after a deep cross had O'Leary clattered just beyond the back post, allowing an easy tap in inside, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.

Up at the other end the irrepressible DaSilva combined well with Sykes on the left, Scott's outside of the foot cross to George Tanner with space and time returned straight out of play, the full back hauled off immediately for Anis Mehmeti. By now the Blades had taken belated control of the game and were on the front foot. In injury time sub Billy Sharp went close before Daniel Jebbison's tap in was skied over just yards out with the goal gaping.

On what was largely expected to be a tricky midweek trip up to Bramall Lane, Pearson's men actually dominated another parachute payment side for long periods - and looked in control at the back led by Zak Vyner while slick working the ball through midfield with a series of quick touches. But once again they lacked quality in their final ball in advanced positions, Andi Weimann especially rushed, allowing the Blades to eventually take over.

 

O'Leary 7

Tanner 6

DaSilva 7

Vyner 8

Pring 6

King 8

James 7

Weimann 6

Cornick 6

Wells 7

Bell 6

 

Conway 5

Sykes 6

Scott 6

Mehmeti 5

So we have approached and played two games at Watford and Sheffield, and have come away with no goals and no points?   We have mostly been the superior side in possession and passing ability....so what does that tell us?    It appears reading through most opinions, that people seem to believe that we are ok up  front and need to recruit at the back. and in midfield?  Whilst agreeing that we need a midfield enforcer and cover at the back, i also feel we are in desperate need of a strong, tall capable forward, who can hold the ball up and bring others into the attacking formation, and is also capable of scoring some goals?   Conway and Bell are excellent young forwards, who given time will prove to be great assets.....but next season we are in need of a seasoned goal scoring forward who can take some of the chances that we continue to squander, during games that we dominate, but cannot finish off.

If Scotty goes......surely it will become a priority to recruit such a forward?   While i fully appreciate the need to be realistic in our wages and finances, it seems essential to me, that a fit, strong goalscorer, alongside a ball playing midfielder,  is a necessity to our  ongoing progress?   I do not believe i am being unrealistic in this wish, as i am certain such players exist?   Next summer our recruitment is absolutely paramount to our chances of breaking into the top six?   After coaching and motivation.....the recruitment of the correct players is an absolute 100% imperative to success?