Four Three defeat specialists

Sheffield United U23 3 v Charlton Athletic U23 4
U23 Professional Development League
Monday 2 September 2019
Played at Bramall Lane

SUFC 2019/20 Game 18

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Second four three defeat on the bounce for the Young Blades. That felt like a mad game in real time. Charlton scored twice within minutes of United goals. I'll check later, but it felt like every goal was a deflection. And, there were belting crunching tackles going in from both teams.

Let us start with the hero from Chelsea on Saturday - Lys Mousset. I'm not sure of the plan, Stan. But, Lys did a comfortable full 90 minutes. Beginning with a neat cameo before the start. He had a conflab with twin striker Sammy Ompreon & midfield general George Broadbent. Lots of hand signals & pointing. As they got to grips with who would be doing what. Best thing I've got on Lys is - he played like you'd want an expensive first teamer to. Taking full responsibility & playing a full part. He was often with his back to goal, looking for the ball, taking it off one of his teammates. In his first team "impact" appearances, it has felt a bit - get ball, run with ball, shoot. This time out, albeit against Development level opponents, it was all more measured & all round.

Lys actually started a little sluggishly. Outjumped for his first two headers. But, as early as 15, he really should have put us one up. Ompreon playing him in one on one with the Charlton keeper, who made a great spread yourself block. Lys carved out another chance on 19. He met a great ball in from Kieron Freeman with one of those airborne, horizontal volley things. He got stuff on it. But, the keeper made another good save. United were very much on top at that stage. Heaven knows where they'd practiced it, but United scored from a worked free kick on 21 minutes. Very clever from George Broadbent to drill it low to Mousset. He had the time & skill to get his shot off. Blocked. Lys clobbered the rebound, it took a deflection. In all honesty, it was looping in. But, Reece York, didn't fancy leaving it to chance. So, correctly followed it up & poked it home. One. Nil.

I'm going to fast forward to 60 minutes. By that stage, it was three two to Charlton. This time, Mousset stayed strong & tricky on the edge of the box. Quick feet got it a yard or two forward to Reece York (again). He put it right into Sammy Ompreon's stride on the penalty spot. Sammy calmly tucked home the equaliser. (To be subbed before the restart by Jake Young).

I'll not say much about the other first team squader Kieron Freeman. He played a full 90, and a full part as well. Committed & up n down. Right wingback as you'd hope.

Maybe I'll move on to Callum Gribbin. Presumably still on trial. Also played last week against QPR U23s. Recently released out of Manchester United's system. Callum played 75 minutes. And was then standing up subbed (by Zak Brunt), looked planned, no issues. He more or less continued where he left off. It was just about his goal on 50 minutes which made it two each. Strong work on the right hand side of the box kept it alive. Callum got a strong shot off. Who knows where it was going without the deflection. But, with the deflection, it left the Charlton keeper stranded.

Callum merely confirmed he's got that effortless thing going on. He doesn't look lazy. He just moved easily & is comfortable on the ball. Moving right to left across midfield, making ground, playing his wingback (Harry Boyes) in. Leaving Charlton markers for dead. Making them resort to hauling him down. Look. He wasn't - my word, outstanding. But, in patches, he was running the show. Nothing flash. Everything effective.

The second trialist, named on the bench, was Florent Hoti. I'm not sure what's going on there. Google has him signing his first professional contract at Rochdale only in May 2019. (Worth noting that Rhys Norrington-Davies is at Rochdale, maybe we're developing a tie-in). He's a big fucker with a beard (for an 18 year old). He replaced Reece York. He set up in midfield. Bright & lively. And very quick to push forward & support attackers. He was looking for the ball and to play give n go.

Look. It was a mad game. As well as the seven goals. Bars were hit. Lines were cleared off. Last ditches were tackled. You couldn't stick your neck out & say there was some shit defending. But, the Young Blades in particular, need to get it all tightened up and sorted out. But, it was entertaining. We chucked the lot in for the last ten. Freeman marauding down the right. Slipping it inside to Harry Boyes, the fucking left wingback trying to get up inside him. In another attack, it was Keenan Ferguson looking for it in the box.

The Standout Beer Of The Day was;
Hopcraft, NZ Hopped Super Pale on cask at 4.2%.

I really liked that one. It was a great hoppy pale. The hop bitterness began a little salad leaf. But grew & developed. Packed with hops. Even coming across a little anaesthetic in the mouth.

Stats
I have now Blogged from 843 games in 1,840 days

Cross To Cantrill

Charlton Athletic U23 1 v Sheffield United U23 0

U23 Professional Development League

Monday 23 April 2018

SUFC 2017/18 Game 85

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That defeat blows the Young Blades Play Off chances. Connor Hall’s Bolton have secured a berth. And, it'll be one of Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday for the other spot. Crystal Palace & Charlton have qualified for the Play Offs from the Southern Group. However, Utd U23 still have it all going on - a semi final of the national knockout U23 Cup - called the Premier League Cup. Although rumours are rife, there is still officially no date for that SF away at Swansea.

I see that Hopstuff Brewery now have three Taprooms. One opening in May, in Ashford. One in SE8 - let's call it Deptford. However, today, we've made a repeat visit to Taproom SE18 - in The Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. It's a very good set up. A handful of handpulls. And, a double handful of craft keg lines. All nicely mixed between their own stuff & guests.

Hopstuff, Renegade IPA on keg at 5.6%.
There was a lot of malt sugar on that one. Which made it taste quite nice. Not sickly sweet. But, Man, where was the Hop Action.

Wylam, Last Shot At Heaven, Quad Hop Pale on keg at 5.3%.
Some tinned pineapple came through. It's full of flavour. But, the Hops don't seem to be adding much bitterness.

Tiny Rebel & Siren Craft Brew Collab, Didgeridank, Double IPA on keg at 8.4%.
Gloopy. But a very good hit of Hop Forward bitterness. Effervescent & refreshing. Bitterness lingers & lingers. Great beer.

That was a nip & tuck game. But, I felt Charlton were just about worth it. They took a well worked goal. Hit a post. And had other chances. SUFC were right in it though. Trialist Olly Crankshaw hit the foot of the post with a header with just 10 left. Travis chucked the lot at it near the end. Pushing wingbacks all the way - well in front of the midfield. Encouraging Centre Backs to get forward & stay forward. We also had a number of back stick chances. Crosses or shots, don't care, someone, anyone needed to get something on one of 'em.

I'll give a special mention to George Cantrill at this point. I'm tempted to say Poor George Cantrill. He seemed to be there or thereabouts on four or five balls across the box in a short period in the first half. He took one right old Binnion rant on the chin, as he failed to quite make enough ground to get on one. Poor fella. Anyway, you've got to buy a pint to get shitfaced. Credit George for going at it. Up. Down. Non stop the Young 'Un. He had an awful lot of the ball. His GPS Tracker must have needed it's own fucking NASA Satellite.

Sam Graham was around. But, only made the bench. Pressed into service on 70. Sam replaced Harvey Gilmour, who had taken a knock in the build up to Charlton's goal. Callum Semple had gone off five minutes beforehand. Utd had started with Jordan Doherty as the centre of a back three with Ferguson & Semple. In the first half, it was a little tricky to see exactly what they were doing up top & attacking midfield. Tyler Smith looked like a lone striker at times. And, he was constantly getting dragged wide right to get possession. Fair do. He's a threat coming off that wing at pace. But, it was mainly his cross shots which were being nearly George Cantrill'ed at the rear of two sticks.

I think they'd had a Council Of War at HT. We were set up & playing much further up the park as the 2nd kicked off. Trialist Olly Crankshaw (Colne FC) had another lively game (see Crewe away Blog). He was part of the assist effort for United's first real chance on 14 mins. Robbing his man & working it well to & with Ty Smith. Before the inevitable cross maybe shot vaguely in George Cantrill's direction. Just before HT, Crankshaw linked up well with Harvey Gilmour & got a long range shot off which was blocked.

Taking his cue from Trav’s minor strop throwing at Cantrill, Ty Smith had a right old go at Crankshaw on 78. Yeah, alright, maybe Olly was a bit greedy & could have played Ty in. Greedy strikers/attacking mids ain't always a bad thing. Tyler has gone proper garrity though. All in the game.

The second trialist, Luke Yates, presumed Alvechurch, has been a bit off the pace. Don't get me wrong. He had a couple of moments. Got a good shot off from the edge of the box just before half time. But, overall, he didn't stand out & struggled to make an impact.

Charlton bagged it on 62. A well worked cross field move got worked our wide right. It looks like he's got a side foot tap in. But, Hugo Warhust has done really well. He got an awful lot of contact on it. But, basically, the ball has held up just short of the line. And he's rolled it in on the second attempt.

647/1343

Mullered Right

Sheffield United U23 0 v Charlton Athletic U23 3

Monday 26 September 2016

U23 Professional Development League 2, North

Played at Stocksbridge

Twitter @ball_sup

Odd. United got mullered down our right, their left. All the goals, second half, effectively swept in from that side. Here’s a thing I feel I’ve noticed last two games. Travis Binnion looks to me like he’s trying to get them to play the same “style” as the First Team. He’s certainly on at the midfield & forwards to press onto their opponents. Badger. Badger. Badger. And, at times, it looks a bit three at the back with the man wide right (ala Freeman) getting forward. And, so, we got mullered down that side.

It didn’t work for me. Jo Cummings started in that nominal right back spot. He’s more often seen at centre back. Alex Brown was left back, Sam Graham & Callum Semple as CBs. At the beginning of the second half, due to right side mullering, Cummings nipped inside & Sam Graham had a stint out there. It all seemed very disruptive. Maybe they could/should have steadied the ship with a more conventional back four. For George Long goal kicks, Cummings (as right back) pushed way up the right touchline. With Trialist Cameron Stewart sitting in deep to cover him.

Charlton would just deal with it, get it forward down their left, our right. Cummings & Stewart would then struggle to get back. I was baffled by it for a bit.

Cameron Stewart

I felt all that made it a bit difficult for Stewart. Wilder & Knill turned up just a little bit after kick off. Stewart didn’t impress AGAIN for me. He looked a bit fitter/sharper than last week. But, he wasn’t busy, wasn’t creative & was getting caught out by this mad right back thing. He ran a few channels into blind alleys. And, once in the first half, he gave the ball away & Charlton should have taken the lead from it. He wasn’t awful, by any means. But, anonymous at times.

Set up wide right midfield. Drifted forward at times.

It was a poor lacking lustre show by the U23s anyway. Nobody really got anything going for Utd. Stewart just blended in with the rest of them. Me, I’m not seeing it.

James Wallace

You know. By a distance the most comfortable player out there for SUFC. Great first touch. Ball under control. Puts himself in. Won’t be out muscled. Wins his headers. Disappointingly, not particularly incisive nor creative. But, got football written all over him. We all know the jokes. “By the time you are reading this Tweet that James Wallace is playing, he’ll be off injured”. Looked to be blowing a bit from 75 onwards. Stopped tracking. But, lasted the full 90. If there is a way. He’d be a great asset to the First Team Squad. Maybe it’s all to do with his Pay Up. Everyone assumes he’s playing to attract someone's eye. He’d be a great asset - if……

SL1 Beer Trail

SL1 is the SuperTram Link bus that goes from the Middlewood Tram Stop to Stocksbridge. I’ve decided I’m doing a season long beer trail. Today - Blue Ball Inn, Wharncliffe Side. “Standard” Thwaites house. Right on the main road, SL1 stop three strides from the door. Gotta love that. Nice, bright, clean. Two handpulls. Sigh. One turned around. So, a fairly decent pint of Thwaites, Lancaster Bomber at 4.4% as the only show in town. Just ever so slight off tones in the smell.

382/797
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