Post by deadbat on Aug 27, 2019 23:12:39 GMT
United made it through to the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup after seeing off Blackburn Rovers on a balmy Tuesday night under the new and improved floodlights at Bramall Lane. Two first off goals from Richard Stearman and Oliver Norwood put the Blades in charge but this was after a really lacklustre opening where they conceded a penalty and had Simon Moore to thank for making a great save including denying the follow up. United were marginally better after the break and introduced Lys Mousset who made a difference but one-time Blades target Sam Gallagher headed home unopposed and then United had to hang on with a late shot cleared off the line.
United had been disjointed and poor throughout much of the contest which was to be expected due to 10 changes and were extremely fortunate to progress. This was a game where the away team had more of the ball, more efforts on and off goal and were the better side on the night.
Manager Wilder made 10 changes with only Oliver Norwood remaining in the side. Oliver McBurnie got a surprise start despite many thinking he would be saved for Saturday. Billy Sharp started up front alongside McBurnie. There were also full debuts for Ben Osborn and Mo Besic. Ravel Morrsion got a start and as did Phil Jagielka alongside Richard Stearman and Kean Bryan.
Blackburn named a relatively strong side including both Bradley Dack and Adam Armstrong.
The game saw the visitors well on top to start with Armstrong curling wide and United giving the ball away constantly in the opening stages. Dack nearly got in after Jagielka was caught out and then a swift attack saw United cut through and Stearman was late on the challenge on Dack bringing him crashing to the ground. Stearman was booked and beat the ground in frustration. It was similar to the tackle he made in United’s last cup game at the Lane against Barnet when the second string were similarly slow out of the blocks. Armstrong took it but Moore dived to his right and made a great save. He did even better to react to the rebound as Smallwood looked to turn it home. From the subsequent corner, Buckley hit a shot over.
United had been woeful to start the game and both Besic and Norwood gave the ball away in quick succession. Sharp and McBurnie were not seeing anything of the ball as the away team continued to poor forward. Bryan took a knock and could not carry on with Stevens replacing him. United changed to a flat back four at this point with Morrison going wide right and Osborn wide left; with Stevens and Freeman playing as orthodox full backs. It was testament to Blackburn that United had to change their formation.
Nymabe’s pace and trickery was causing all sorts of problems and he won a free kick which Jagielka had to head clear. United had no fluency whatsoever although a bit of link up between Osborn and Stevens gave the home side a breather further higher up the field. Rothwell shot not far wide as the pressure continued to come from Rovers. However, despite this, the Blades took the lead against the run of play. It was a poor backpass from Smallwood and led to a corner. The ball came in and Leutwiler flapped badly at Norwood’s driven ball and STEARMAN stooped to head down and into the net.
Blackburn responded and Armstrong was again denied by Moore who was quick out. United had been outbattled and out passed but Besic won a tackle and then Norwood nearly found Sharp. Just before the break, United got a scarcely deserved second goal. Morrison had been quiet but danced round a defender and played it back into the path of NORWOOD who hit a spliced intentional half volley right into the far corner. It was a lovely finish and well-crafted goal and a rare moment of quality for a poor performance. Rovers would not believe they were 2-0 down at the break after being much the better side.
After the break, Wilder changed it putting Luke Freeman on for McBurnie. Morrison seemed to be initially playing off Sharp but both him and Freeman rotated in this role. United did get hold of the ball better and Blackburn had few openings. It settled down into a game of few chances but the home side at least were getting tighter with Besic putting in a few crunching tackles and Morrison showing a few neat touches. It was still not that structured in terms of the pattern of play but at least the defence was looking more solid for a spell. Norwood came off with one eye on Saturday and a debut for Mousset. Freeman played him in and he almost created a goal with an energetic run that drew two defenders but led to a corner.
However, Rovers had made changes of their own and one of the newcomers Gallagher brought them back into the game. Morrison lost the ball and Armstrong was allowed to advance and sent over an unopposed cross that saw GALLAGHER get in between two smaller player Stevens and Osborn to head home past Moore.
United tried to respond and a nice break saw Freeman upended by Lenighan cynically who was booked although why the advantage was not played, I do not know. Rovers had a chance with a few minutes left when another sub Rankin Costello nipped in and rounded Moore and sent his effort toward the net but Stearman got back to clear it off the line. Rovers won a corner as stoppage time began but United managed to clear. The only late drama was when Tony Mowbray was dismissed after he decided to go and have a word with a United ball boy who took too long to return the ball in his opinion. The referee spoke to Mowbray who continued his protestations and his yellow card turned into a red card. Not long after the final whistle came and United, somewhat fortuitously, had progressed.
United – I thought we were shocking for most of the night. We scored a headed goal well made by Norwood and finished by Stearman, a bit of good play by Morrison and a lovely finish from Norwood. We saw a few tackles from Besic and a few neat bits from Morrsion. We also saw Osborn look tidy enough and was maybe our best outfield player. Mousset was also lively when he came on and made a difference. However, outside of Moore I am not sure many came out with much credit other than those bits and pieces. Even those players were very up and down. The defence looked shaky, the midfield had no control of the ball and did not win loose balls and the strikers did not hold it up. As with Barnet last year it was very disjointed. Moore saved us three times and a late goal line challenge also preserved the lead. They had 13 shots to 4 (and more on target) and more possession, corners but did not take their chances and at the other end made a few errors in the lead up to our goals. Suppose you could say that is the difference between some Premier League players and Championship if you are being clinical about it.
Make no mistake United were poor. We have done this last year v Barnet where we changed players and just like that came, we were sluggish, did not compete and gave the ball away all over the field. It could and should have been a defeat really but we got a 2-0 lead and then did improve 2nd half and the game were more even. United did have a measure of control but then gave away a goal and then were hanging on a bit at the end. Not many will have put down a marker to get more game time after that, as with the Barnet game. It seems when we make that many changes, the way we play, with the formation and link between players means you change the lot almost and we look like a team that has never met – which is worrying when some of these have played together preseason, training, the Man Utd game and they looked like strangers. The touch and passing was shocking and we had no cohesion.
Still, we won and you have to take that and just move on. I am concerned that Stevens, Norwood played big chunks of the game and Freeman 45 minutes – three players you all think will start Saturday. I am also not sure of the reasoning between McBurnie starting and then he was subbed – was that the plan all along? Be interesting to see what he does Saturday in terms of the starting eleven.
Ratings:
Moore 8/10 – Made a superb penalty save and then superb to get to the follow up too. He made another save from Armstrong. Considering what was going on in front of him, he did really well. He was given some shocking back passes too and dealt with them the best he could.
Freeman 4.5/10 – Reminded me of the Barnet game when he looked disinterested and lethargic. Defensively miles off his man (as shown on the goal) and offered little going forward. Did not stake a claim at all and spent a lot of the game moaning to the ref. Just not at it and Baldock will not lose any sleep after his performance.
Bryan – Went off injured. He looked a bit slow to start the game as did the rest of the team and got a kick when he dithered over a challenge. His spell at the Lane has not got going at all. Needs some minutes elsewhere really
Stearman 5/10 – Did score but he was not great and made two errors in the first 5 minutes with the second one when he chopped down Dack. Looked very slow and hesitant. He did score the header ad then cleared one off the line but felt he was indecisive with the rest of the defence.
Jagielka 5.5/10 – Thought first half he was very slow and was just kicking it and showed little composure and looked someone who was struggling to keep up with quicker more mobile players but did improved after the break and won a few tackles and blocks. He was at full stretch too much but looked better in a 4 than a 5 after the back. Would concern me if he started looking at that performance as harsh as it sounds but then we changed the whole defence so maybe if he played alongside O’Connell and Egan it would be different.
Osborn 6/10 – Began at wing back but then ended up wider left. He was much better in the more advanced position and linked well with Stevens. Decent on the ball but he was exposed a bit to begin with as the lad Nymabe showed some real power down here and not sure the midfield helped him. Not sure he has the defensive skills to play there looking at what I saw and looks a midfielder to me as he showed when he was neat and tidy when he moved further up the field.
Norwood 5.5/10 – His general play would be much less but he set up the first and scored the second. His passing was quite poor and he gave it away a lot, much like he did Saturday first half and he took too many touches. Improved as the game went on but it was not his best night but not sure he was helped by the ill discipline of the two others in midfield. However, he just kept giving the ball away or dithering when he had it.
Morrison 5.5/10 - Not sure how he got man of the match. Heard a few reports really praising him and he did set up the second goal with a nice run and pass but I felt he did not keep to his shape and went wandering off in all the positions he played. Will defend him that he was asked to play ahead of the midfield, then wide right and then a defensive midfield. However, he was wild in some of his tackles and lucky not to get sent off at the end. Clearly a talent on the ball but he barely saw much of it and then when we needed him to sit in, he started to roving forward. He lost the ball in the lead up to the goal. I saw a few bits from him but not the good performance other saw and as I say playing midfield you have to do the ugly bits when you are not having the ball. I am not convinced he has the discipline to start games and will be used off the bench at the moment.
Besic 5.5/10 – Like with Morrison, heard some saying they were impressed. I did not see it. He made a couple of big tackles at the end and broke out with the ball once to deny a possible chance but he lost his man a number of times. The lad broke off him and nearly made the equaliser at the end. He made quite a few tackles but his first touch often led to these! I was a bit disappointed how poor he was technically actually. Looks like he can get about the pitch and quite athletic but needs to keep his shape and be better and more composed on the ball. A lot will criticise the ratings for the midfield but they did not keep the ball at all, lost the 50/50’s and did not protect the defence all game either wide or centrally.
McBurnie 4/10 -Not sure he touched the ball hardly at all. He chested one down but everything else came off him. He had no service whatsoever but even when it came forward, he was not able to even win a header or even pressure the defence. Looked really poor tonight. Hope he is saving himself for future games but did not see the intensity of the first few games.
Sharp 4.5/10 – Marginally better than McBurnie but not by much. Fouled his man three times and was lucky not to be booked. Got the wrong side of his defender, did not get on the end of anything (poor service – see comments on the midfield for that though) but was not even a nuisance factor. Barely had many touches all night.
Subs –
Stevens 6.5/10 – One of the better outfield players. Did begin by falling over with nowhere near him but then he gave us some stability down this side and we began to play some decent stuff when he was involved.
Freeman 5.5/10 – Not sure he got in the game much at all when he came on. Had a few neat touches but overall, he was not a factor. Had a few chances near the end but took too long to make decisions.
Mousset 7/10 – Another one of the bright spots of the night. He came on and instantly ran at two defenders. Showed good control and link play and good pace. Was just offside on one chance as he hit a powerful shot over. Looks a real impact player and hoping he may be on the bench after the international break. Think he could be used in short spells if we are chasing a game.
Manager Wilder 5/10 – Made 10 changes and we won. Got game time for quite a few but the performance was really poor and not sure many made a claim for future games. He had to change his formation we were that bad to start but even that did not change it. We did get better 2nd half and competed more but it is worrying that the whole way we play and set up completely goes when we make so many changes. You would think the side work at the formation and how we play every week but it did not look like it tonight.
Blackburn – Played well and much better than the two games last year. They should have been well ahead before we scored and even after this had more of the ball and play. They were up for it and sharper to the ball in all areas as shown on the penalty/foul. They probably did not expect us to be so sloppy on and off the ball. However, they made mistakes that led to the corner and the keeper not getting there and then failed to let Morrison run through or close Norwood. After the break they still had a fair bit of the ball but were not as good as they had been. They got their goal and then penned us back. They had a fair few young players playing and will have been pleased with the team collectively and individually even if the result did not go their way.
Opponent Man of the Match – I thought that the lad Nyambe was excellent. Running down the right, he was strong and powerful and always causing us problems. I also thought Rothwell in midfield showed why teams have looked at him higher up. Dack was lively early but felt he faded and was took off. Gallagher was a handful when he came on and is a really big lad who put himself about.
Opponent Weaklink – Leutwiler made a real error with the goal but Smallwood set it up with a poor back pass and also missed the rebound. He was one of the few error strewn Blackburn players and the reaction when he was subbed summed up how Rovers fans feel about him.
Referee/Officials – Geoff Eltringham. Not great. The penalty was the right call and he got most of the yellows right but he could easily have sent Morrison off for a wild tackle near the end. I agreed with Mowbray that he guessed on a few and gave some the wrong way for both teams. He also kept getting in the way. He messed up badly on an advantage when we were going through and brought it back. As for the red card not sure what he said but it seemed a bit of nothing and surely a word would have been enough? I suppose the minute he went and spoke to the ball boy (Academy player Kyron Gordon who is cousin of Tyler Smith) he was putting himself in trouble – not sure why the ball boy was holding onto it though and you could understand why the Blackburn officials/players were a bit annoyed.
Crowd/Atmosphere etc – Just under 10,000. Really quiet as you expect really. The only time they got excited other than the goals/pen save was for the red card with Mowbray at the end. The rest of the night 500 Blackburn fans made a bit of noise but it felt like a reserve game for long spells it was that quiet.
