Midfield rested

Bury 1 v Sheffield United 3

League 1

Monday 2 January 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

It’s becoming a standard day now. Some nice beers & a Blades win. Get them chickens counted. Sort of a first there. Wilder resting players down to the bench as games come thick & fast. Coutts & Duffy both named as Subs. It didn’t look as fluid as recent games. But, partly, I couldn’t tell. I had a very low seat. And, Gigg Lane has a walkway in front of the seats. A big following, means a lot of standers & associated bollocks. That’s OK. I’ve done worse in me time. But, it was all a bit distracting down there on Row C. Once the turnstile had clicked it’s last click. The tally showed more United fans than Bury fans. They could have sold more to United as well. The far end was effectively empty.

Anyway. Not as fluid. I’ll admit to getting the jitters at one down. A nice wonder strike from our old friend Jacob Mellis. You remember him. He was with us as a lad. Sold for big money to Chelsea. Binned out for letting a flare off at Chelsea training. Fittingly, his goal was greeted with a blue smoke bomb from the Bury fans on our left. Salute. #NoPyroNoParty.

But, it didn’t take long for United to get back into it. Although we had to wait until the 72nd minute to go ahead. Ground it out. I think the modern term is. There will now follow a good bit of palaver & disruption as the January Transfer Window opens.

Old haunt. The ‘spoons Edwin Waugh in Heywood. And, under new management. The Gun Inn in Hollingworth.

The Orkney Brewery, Clootie Dumpling on cask at 4.3%.
Brimmer Brewing, Kawasaki Red Ale on cask at 5%.
Caledonian, Cold Comfort on cask at 4.5%.

426/874
49

Coutts the Octopus

Sheffield United 1 v Bury 0

League 1

Tuesday 22 November 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

Righto. 90+3. Against 9 men. Unbeaten in 14. Top 2. I'm off to India for three Test matches. Don't shag it up while I'm gone.

Two games running where the opposition have finished with nine men. This season gets weirder. The halfway line tackle on Done looked like a fair decision Red to me. Done did seem to jump. And that sent him spinning. But Mellis has put the lot through.

You remember Mellis. Came through United's Youth system. Went to Chelsea for big money. Did things in their Youth system. But barely made the Seniors. Let a smoke bomb off at training. Got the sack. Superb. Bad tackle here. But, I'll always give the fella the time of day.

The later tackle on Basham looked bookable to me. And the Buraryans had been pratting around for yonks. So, he'd already been booked for “some other caper”.

I thought Bury defended well throughout. I know there'll be bantz about Parking The Bus. But they essentially kept The Blades to long shots. With players having to run laterally. Bury also did all the heroics stuff. Clearing off the line. Point blank blocks etc.

In a way, Wilder sets up a pattern that should break that down. Width. No Freeman tonight. Basham took that role. Midfielders & Ebanks-Landell filling in behind & wide. Sharp looking for space out there.

Chapman looked sharp didn't he? Nearly always looking to take the man on. Love that. Here's summat I've noticed about Coutts. When the opposition have the ball in his bit. When he's closing down over 6 yards or so. He's like a flipping octopus. In a good way. Gets there quickly. Legs everywhere trying to block. Salute.

Two nice beers to break me’sen in pre match.

Toolmakers, Sonic 2 on cask at 4.2%.

Yorkshire Heart, The Hop Cycle, November, Rakau on cask. I didn't get the abv (amateur).

407/833
46

Ché Adams tele

Bury 1 v Sheffield United 0

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

Today’s Adkins quotient - 4/11 = 36% (I’ve chucked him Che in (plucked from non-league) to help a Brother out).

I went Rambling today. In the revamped Railway Hotel on Bramall Lane. Back in the Day, I was a Shreddie. So, The Railway was not a natural habitat for me. Given it was basically falling down, I assume they’ve done a good spruce. It’s still “homely”.

More importantly, a good range of cask on. Four was it? Carling present. Craft Lager on keg. And some major Craft Bottles (although nothing too interesting). I had Bradfield Brewery, Brown Cow on cask at 4.2%. Have to say, that was superb. Not one off note. Fresh, bright, right temperature. Lovely head. And tasted great.

Which was more than could be said of the Upham Brewery, Punter on cask at 4% in The Edwin Waugh (Wetherspoons) in Heywood. Something not quite right about that one. Couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It wasn’t sour. Maybe just a too flowery tone. I didn’t enjoy it.

Which can be said of the game. I didn’t enjoy that either. It is getting Toxic now. Latish in the game, Che & Brayford essentially had efforts cleared off the line. And, some of the Kids are in. Which I have been clamouring for. It was only one nil. So, they might have nicked a point “on any occasion”.

But really. We were poor. George Long was under pressure a lot. And made some good saves. Louis Reed looked OK, comfortable in the central midfield role. Busy. Dom did himself no favours. he wasn’t bad. He just wasn’t in it. There is a sub-plot. I (dare I say we) are willing to cut the Kids some slack if they’re not up to it. In a way that we (correctly) won’t cut slack to the overpaid, here today gone tomorrow, journeymen.

It might still be shit. But, it’s less Toxic with the Kids in.

As a collective, they just don’t seem to be doing the basics. Get tighter. Particularly out wide. And particularly on the Second Ball. Track Back. Run your arse off. Link Up. It’s Isolation out there. Full back to Centre Half to Wide Midfield to Centre Midfield. Maybe another Lap. Then a long hopeful cross field ball. Hoping for Che, Dom, Sharpy (or whoever the cast list is) to work something out. No. Link Up. Nothing there tonight.

And. With so few attacking ideas. Get the set pieces sorted. Hopeful at best. Oh you know. Beat The First Man. And while we’re on the subject. Someone tell Che two things. Firstly, stop watching football on his tele. Because, secondly, he can’t keep going down like they do on the TV & hoping for a free kick in this league. He’s got to stay strong & try and get a shot or pass off. I know he’s running at pace. I know he’s getting nudges. But, he ain’t getting free kicks. It’s a waste.

277/574