Chris Wilder: “It was a gritty performance, we just felt we were a bit better than them in both boxes.”
As loathed as I am to admit it, he’s nailed it yet again. In every sense.
Sheffield United are better than us in both boxes, generally, and were better than us in both boxes yesterday.
What happens in between both boxes is, for us purists at least, important because football is meant to entertain and excite – and I love the fact this City team is so adept at passing A to B to C and back to A again with such ease and grace – but until they start awarding points ‘Dancing on Ice’ style, then City are going to struggle when playing away.
The margins remain fine of course – before anyone reminds me – especially on the road, but for City to fall foul of them continually is not just down to misfortune. Wilder knew if the Blades could get a lead, then his defence is good enough and solid enough to hang on for a 1-0, just as Wilder knew if his men could generate a period of sustained pressure and sling enough hopeful crosses into the box, something would drop.
As it transpired, nothing needed ‘to drop’, as tends to be the case if you leave Billy Sharp unmarked from six yeards and give John Lundstram enough time and space to self-isolate before delivering a cross.
Wilder’s far removed from a mug and will have known that City have scored a paltry six away goals in the Premier League all season or, to put it another way, one goal in every two and a half games.
That’s not going to keep you up, unless you have an almost unblemished home record.
We don’t have anything like an unblemished home record.
Yet still, in truth, it was a more spirited City performance than I had anticipated. The physical and mental toll of Wednesday night was significant and I’d half-expected one of those after-the-Lord-Mayor’s-show offerings, in which we tend to specialise… but it wasn’t.
Okay, so the Blades too had a midweek FA Cup tie that went to extra-time but had an additional 24 hours to recover plus an excitable and chirpy Bramall Lane crowd to help get them over the line.
If City’s situation were not so stark it would have been one to take on the chin and move on, but with games running out we simply don’t have that luxury. Every point counts. A scrappy, ugly point from deepest, darkest Sheffield would have been a godsend.
The optimists will point to City’s position not worsening as a result of yesterday’s defeat, with other results going our way, while those of a less sunny disposition will point to a gap that’s not closing with now fewer games left to bridge it.
Take your pick.
All I know is, if Villa win at Leicester on Monday night the table will look more than a little sorry, with City set adrift at the bottom, with the worst goal difference in the division, so with effectively a seven-point gap to close with just nine to play.
Yet part of me still wants to believe, as illogical as that is. With only the merest shreds of evidence to back it up.
It’s unlikely but not beyond the realms, that from home games against Southampton, Brighton, West Ham, Burnley and Everton we could, say, win four (no way can we win every one), giving us 33 points. The crux is, based on all of the above, from where the hell do we muster another five or six points when we have to go to Arsenal, Watford, Chelsea and Man City?
*furrows brow*
But credit to Daniel Farke for trying to mix it up yesterday and no-one on this occasion could accuse of being reactive rather than proactive. To go two up top and revert to a – dare I say it – Lambert-style diamond was worth a go even if it didn’t work. We just had a few who were off-colour on a day when, to get anything, we needed everyone firing. Against sides who are strong and physical, we’re still ill-equipped to properly match them and certainly unable to go toe-to-toe.
There is always the Sheffield United factor to consider and, despite Farke and Wilder having seemingly made their peace after getting off on the wrong foot, I can’t think of a worse team and bunch of supporters to evolve into your latest bogey team.
Gracious in victory they most certainly aren’t, and right now they’re edging Leeds out at the top of the charm league. Of all the irritations of yesterday, that yet again we gave them something to crow about is well up there.
But, there’s no escaping, as primitive as their style of play is, it’s extremely effective. And fair play. They’re having the season we can only dream of, and should even start preparing for a Europa League campaign.
Wilder had the opening word, so it’s only fair that Farke has the final say…
“It’s a big setback in the fight to stay in this league but it’s also important not to lose nerve and to stay calm.”
As ever, he’s right.
OTBC
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While you’re here, a little reminder about an event that’s taking place this week which will be perfect for those City fans of a certain age… any age in fact.
Accurate but a hard to read piece Gary.
Yesterday was a prime example of what happens when one owner chooses to invest in their club to a modest degree and the other chooses to cling on to ownership at all costs.
Narrow margins lost on the powers that be!
JohnF, it’s not quite as you suggest – their owners have not invested anything, not recently at least.
Sheffield United actually boosted their cash position last autumn by charging out to Macquarie Bank their future TV cash receipts due from the Premier League central funds. They’ve effectively spent now monies that weren’t due to be received until 12 to 24 months time.
Thanks Gary, if only our owners were as committed.
There’s only really so many times we can say, ‘this weekend’s results don’t really change anything,’ as the games left are diminishing fast.
Our away form has been truly shocking and that paltry return of just six goals and six points in fifteen has absolutely killed us without doubt – I simply cannot see us getting the requisite four or five additional points needed, always assuming City can do the business at home. That’s no given either.
Feels like we’re going through the motions knowing that it’s a matter of time before the inevitable happens.
Spot on Gaz …. as always. Agree with that
I’ll make up the unholy trinity. Spot on Gary F.
Hi Gary
After the early result of LIVARPOOL beating Bournemouth I was hoping the football gods would shine a little luck down on city but that didn’t happen.
As you say nothing gained but also nothing really lost we all stay as we are.
Villa v Leicester on Monday will be an interesting game can BF get them firing on all cylinders, will Vardy return and start scoring or will Villa take heart from the Wembley display and start to win games that was expected from their expensively recruited squad.
Chris Sutton coined the phrase that city will be the best team to get relegated, yes we have played some really good stuff at times and at others not turned up so the question is will we be the best team to get relegated and it will not be a title to be proud of or will it??, some would even say they would prefer to be regarded as the worst team to avoid relegation.
Shankly once said the league doesn’t lie you are where you are at the end of the season be it with good or bad luck or how you play how would he or Fergie, Bill Nicholson or any of the other great managers have coped with the variables of VAR we will never know.
City are where they are due to circumstances beyond Webber/Farke’s control Financially out of depth, and major injuries putting the squad at a disadvantage but the big question can they retain most of this squad for next season which ever league we are in time will tell.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Bullied again by a quicker, bigger team and as ever no amount of pretty passing will break that last line for us. I have never liked the one up front model right back to Earnshaw’s time. If your striker has a bad game you lose unless others chip in with goals. Bottom line is we lack quality in key areas. If that means selling one of our jewels to address this then like Maddison before that is what we should do. Six away goals tells you everything you need to know.
Never give up. We have just beaten Leicester and Tottenham, and had the 120-minute ordeal of Wednesday hanging over us. If you had said to me after Wolves what the next three results would look like then I would have happily have taken them. If Pukki had done his business and Henderson not done his we would have won that game despite some bullying. Some of the team are now only just reaching their prime and if Pukki can get his touch back and the midfield be far more assertive we can do this. The crunch games are now.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. I cannot be the only one thinking this, but Pukki is so short of form and confidence that he brings nothing to the team at the moment. We all love him dearly and he deserves it, but it’s time to drop him for Drmic, starting next week against Saints.
My Nephew who travelled thought he would be pleased if he see Norwich score a goal, so I had little optimism given our default away day form – in the league at least – and that Sheffield United are a much better side. And smart. If they find something isn’t working, then most of the time they’ll find a way of making it right.
That got me thinking of a post I made here a couple of years back when ‘Farke ball’ was not working. I suggested – not unreasonably – that Norwich City weren’t consistently good enough to play the football that Farke wanted them to play. Play to the squad, not the system.
Now, for most of last season, I was proved utterly wrong and we romped home. So who was I to argue?
I’m a Farke fan.. I’ve previously mentioned that in my opinion he hasn’t been supported enough by our hapless majority shareholders, but I’ll park that to one side for a paragraph or two to avoid repetition,
We must learn that we are too easy to play against because we play one way. Farke has gone on record to say ‘his players’ can only play one way, so in that sense, they are a scouts delight. Too often we can be snuffed out by a dog cocking his leg up against a tree, metaphorically speaking.
Back when Lambert was hot, you never quite knew what side or formation he was going to play – and that was for us fans, so what did opposition make of it? It made us difficult to play against and if something wasn’t working, we could often make sure we did. Hang on, isn’t that Sheffield United?
Farke to be fair did try and change formations yesterday, but more out of desperation and hope than anything else. Maybe the realisation is creeping in that to thrive and survive in this league on the (lack of) budget he has at his disposal, you really have to place idealism to one side at times and have the players that can work on more than one level.
Farke’s way last season was the right way, but with the every likelihood of relegation, will the squad and management that remain have the enthusiasm next season to go back to the league where it did not work?
Danile Farke may have to change his philosophy a little bit, but much more importantly the majority shareholders will have to too. Because when you dine at the top table, you don’t turn up in jeans and a t-shirt because you know the outcome…