Cambridge (A) match thread Sep 23rd

[Portvale4]

I keep saying it, and I can’t stress this enough, Ollie Arblaster is an absolutely marvellous footballer. I’d happily go as far as saying he’s the best we’ve seen in 20+ years. I’m in awe watching him play football, or maybe even in love… 

Overall, decent point. Perhaps a little disappointed not to pick up all three but I’ll always snatch your hand off for a point away from home.

 

[philmpv]

I think he's a big part of Sheff United's future but if they didn't want him he would definitely be out of our price range! All we can do is enjoy him for however long we have him.
Him and Ojo is a truly wonderful combination. Wasn't long ago we had to endure Conlon and Pett.

Wasn't that much longer ago it was Pugh and Tonge. Getting slightly better over the years

[smithie]

46 minutes ago, SFBT said:

I find I have to listen so carefully to Crosser being interviewed.

He says loads, and detailed breakdowns of so many things.

Quite a masterclass. 

I'm learning all sorts of stuff!!

He's our smartest gaffer since JR and I pray he'll be here a long time. 

[Mellor!]

45 minutes ago, Portvale4 said:

I keep saying it, and I can’t stress this enough, Ollie Arblaster is an absolutely marvellous footballer. I’d happily go as far as saying he’s the best we’ve seen in 20+ years. I’m in awe watching him play football, or maybe even in love… 

Overall, decent point. Perhaps a little disappointed not to pick up all three but I’ll always snatch your hand off for a point away from home.

 

You obviously can't remember Neil MacKenzie 😍

[leedsvaliant]

I find I have to listen so carefully to Crosser being interviewed.
He says loads, and detailed breakdowns of so many things.
Quite a masterclass. 
I'm learning all sorts of stuff!!

His knowledge of football and tactics is brilliant and very reassuring. He talks about things that I'd never heard of and really understands what he wants his team to do and also the deficiencies of other teams. Cambridge fans saying we were a good team and probably better than them.

[vale victory]

I keep saying it, and I can’t stress this enough, Ollie Arblaster is an absolutely marvellous footballer. I’d happily go as far as saying he’s the best we’ve seen in 20+ years. I’m in awe watching him play football, or maybe even in love… 
Overall, decent point. Perhaps a little disappointed not to pick up all three but I’ll always snatch your hand off for a point away from home.
 

Agree with this , I’ve been going to vale for 40 years and I have to say that he’s probably as good as anything I have seen pull on a vale shirt definitely at his age anyway

I love watching him play , he’s worth the entrance fee alone

[Brian Johnson]

4 hours ago, Valiiant said:

I think he's a big part of Sheff United's future but if they didn't want him

Make no bones about it, the Blades see him very much of their future

[Guest]

On break at work and thinking Dan Jones with his excellent variety of passing can find Devine I'm.sure of it .

Arblasters very good his speed of thought and passing is forwards and superb he makes very good angles .

Ojo controlled majority of that game yesterday I think we miss a big bugger head everything in as Sang certainly to me seems whip decent balls in what haven't been capitalised on yet .

Grants quality and Plants energy if we could combine the two that be good aswell .

A few tweaks and we can continue this great start for sure .

UTV 

[Guitar Ray]

12 hours ago, saintvaliant said:

Draw was a fair result in a game where we missed two sitters but equally they hit the post and missed the pen. 

First half we were the better side but didn’t make enough of our chances. Ripley has one save to make, which he did superbly from a good downward header.

Second half we weren’t at it for me. The goal was another horrible one to concede with Sang in no man’s land at the start of the move and Cass then backing off way too much and allowing an easy cross to come in. Shortly before that we had what looked a good shout for a pen on Arblaster but the officials gave us nothing all day.

Massey then inexplicably messes up a complete gift from their centre back, fluffing both his 1 on 1 and then the simple ball to Chislett for a tap in. He simply isn’t good enough and shouldn’t be anywhere near the side.

The pen came from a stuffy deflection on the cross and looked stonewall. Ripley made a fairly routine save once he had gone the right way.

Another point to the total and another game of this side coming together. I do think we are a forward away from being able to compete for top ten. For all his nice touches at times Wilson isn’t mobile enough and his movement is virtually non existent. 

Fair assessment but rather than simply saying we weren’t at it second half I’d give them a bit of credit with the changes, which clearly had a big impact both lifting the team and the crowd.  Have to say I felt we took our foot off the gas after the goal but you could argue we still made chances.

On the Massey debate, this season his general forward play is good but he seems to have a rush of blood anywhere near goal, so for me it’s composure he lacks not, as some are saying, ability.

The main takeaways were the same as normal, lack of a clinical finisher and switching off in our own box, yet again their goal scorer left unmarked.  Support was terrific again.

[soothsayer]

12 hours ago, saintvaliant said:

Draw was a fair result in a game where we missed two sitters but equally they hit the post and missed the pen. 

First half we were the better side but didn’t make enough of our chances. Ripley has one save to make, which he did superbly from a good downward header.

Second half we weren’t at it for me. The goal was another horrible one to concede with Sang in no man’s land at the start of the move and Cass then backing off way too much and allowing an easy cross to come in. Shortly before that we had what looked a good shout for a pen on Arblaster but the officials gave us nothing all day.

Massey then inexplicably messes up a complete gift from their centre back, fluffing both his 1 on 1 and then the simple ball to Chislett for a tap in. He simply isn’t good enough and shouldn’t be anywhere near the side.

The pen came from a stuffy deflection on the cross and looked stonewall. Ripley made a fairly routine save once he had gone the right way.

Another point to the total and another game of this side coming together. I do think we are a forward away from being able to compete for top ten. For all his nice touches at times Wilson isn’t mobile enough and his movement is virtually non existent. 

I totally agree with this account. Just to add that I thought their subs improved their side and ours didn’t which meant we lost the control we had for about 50 minutes. 
As many thought at the start of the season, our achilles heel is at centre forward. Wilson has done well to be fair although I suspect three games in a weeks a struggle for him but there’s just no competition in that area at the moment. 
I actually feel sorry for Massey, he does work his socks off but he’s not a centre forward!

I must say some of the football we play at times is great to watch - if only we had another quality striker.

[Warren]

12 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

Fair assessment but rather than simply saying we weren’t at it second half I’d give them a bit of credit with the changes, which clearly had a big impact both lifting the team and the crowd.  Have to say I felt we took our foot off the gas after the goal but you could argue we still made chances.

On the Massey debate, this season his general forward play is good but he seems to have a rush of blood anywhere near goal, so for me it’s composure he lacks not, as some are saying, ability.

The main takeaways were the same as normal, lack of a clinical finisher and switching off in our own box, yet again their goal scorer left unmarked.  Support was terrific again.

I thought Cambridge scored a good goal. Clinical at the back post. The reason I can forgive that one is that it was difficult to cross the ball to that position to score. Once the crosser succeeded in that the attacker was always favourite and not least because the goalkeeper has been taken out of play. 

Composure is part of skill. But anyway, Massey doesn't have it at the other end. Yes he does work hard and is a team man willing to play in many positions. He's pretty good, but not as a main striker in the shooting department. 

[soothsayer]

16 hours ago, Doha said:

Massey as 1 up front on his own says it all. Said 3 strikers wasn’t enough during the summer and it’s still true.

Super Connor Ripley in goal. 

Playing one up front I think three would be enough but they need to be fit and good enough and that’s the problem.

[Guitar Ray]

7 minutes ago, Warren said:

I thought Cambridge scored a good goal. Clinical at the back post. The reason I can forgive that one is that it was difficult to cross the ball to that position to score. Once the crosser succeeded in that the attacker was always favourite and not least because the goalkeeper has been taken out of play. 

Composure is part of skill. But anyway, Massey doesn't have it at the other end. Yes he does work hard and is a team man willing to play in many positions. He's pretty good, but not as a main striker in the shooting department. 

I’d have to watch it again but thought at the time Yak was ball watching and simply lost his man.

My thoughts are that we allow way too many crosses to come into our box, but without being a master tactician I’d say it’s often because we’re trying to play quite intricate football and when things break down we’re caught out of position, plus we are susceptible to a bit of pace, although I do think when we’re pressed back we could close the ball a bit quicker round our box at times.  We’re going to have to be rock solid defensively given the apparent lack of a goal machine, hopefully someone will step up in that regard, Garrity?

[Warren]

12 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

I’d have to watch it again but thought at the time Yak was ball watching and simply lost his man.

My thoughts are that we allow way too many crosses to come into our box, but without being a master tactician I’d say it’s often because we’re trying to play quite intricate football and when things break down we’re caught out of position, plus we are susceptible to a bit of pace, although I do think when we’re pressed back we could close the ball a bit quicker round our box at times.  We’re going to have to be rock solid defensively given the apparent lack of a goal machine, hopefully someone will step up in that regard, Garrity?

I agree with all of this. The ultimate human limitation in football is that a defender often can't watch the ball and player being marked simultaneously. So error proneness is built in. 

I was watching the Man Utd game at Burnley last night. What a goal from Fernandes on the volley and what a ball to him from Evans. Up pop the pundits. It's because he got between the central defender and the left back who should have got closer to him. Well they were in typically good positions that would often be sufficient throughout the game. But all defenders can be beaten if the attack gets it spot on. 

[Doha]

1 hour ago, soothsayer said:

Playing one up front I think three would be enough but they need to be fit and good enough and that’s the problem.

We haven't recruited like Man City. Chislett and Garrity aren't going to be do it every week. There are times, like against Burton, where we need to be flexible in changing to two up front.

I've heard the Flitcroft interview about the ridiculous money for Armstrong/JCH etc, I know we were in for Stockton etc and the reason why the deals didn't come off wasn't funding. I understand why we didn't recruit that Proctor replacement, and I'm not attacking the club for it, but it's something I hope we are poised to rectify in January because it is a significant vulnerability. 

We've got one permanent forward in contract past January. 

Wilson's OOC and has an awful injury record.

Thomas is subject to recall.

It's got to be priority no 1 when the next window opens.