Stocksbridge Park Steel 0 v Sheffield United 9
(Billed as First Team)
Saturday 8 July 2017
Twitter @ball_sup
And. We're back. A whopping TWENTY SIX day close season for me. Since England's U20 FIFA (fuck them btw) World Cup win in Suwon, South Korea on 11 June. (Compared to 11 days last year & 12 the year before). It's been a long Summer.
Big season ahead. I'm a Consolidator. Not all my colleagues are. In some circles, a Football Club is defined by how many newspaper column inches are generated by Marquee (read Overpriced) Signings. Or. Today. How many Tweets are generated. In some circles. But, not mine.
David Brooks has caused absolute CARNAGE there. He’s carted one well over the bar. And hit a motorhome parked out the back. Later, the RAC have turned up to repair the motorhome. He’s Billy Big Bollocks now. England Youth Caps. The Lot. Take it out of his wages.
I’m not sure how much we can learn about Brooks in games like this. We know he’s got all the tricks. We know the ball is attached to his feet. But, against lower quality opposition, of course he’s got time. All the time in the world. Fair play. I didn’t see any of it, but at least out in Toulon with England U20, he’s like with like. And, by all accounts, he shone. No change here. Unless United take the big big big step of deliberately playing the young ‘uns, there isn’t an obvious way into the First Team proper for him. He scored twice here. Including a RIGHT FOOTER.
Indeed, I’m not sure what we can learn about any of the players out in Stocksbridge today. Unless, they’re absolute garbage. That’s not to say I’m against Wilder’s approach. He clearly likes a gentle 22 player, all in warm up game. He clearly played the new lads in their square holes. Shifting regulars into unusual positions to accommodate the new lads. It’s all logical & sensible. And all hail that. But, you won’t learn a lot.
The New Lads
George Baldock (ex MK Dons). Wore No. 2. Played wide right wing back. (With Basham, Graham & O’Connell as the back three). In both halves, all the defenders, including the back three had the time & space to get forward out wide. See, you don’t really learn much. George had one close range shot beat out by the keeper. He had a great early cross which Clarke got on the end of. He had a firm hand in the third goal. Running strongly into the box, before the ball eventually fell to Clarke. Towards the end of the first half, Baldock had a good shot after the ball fell loose in his stride, but it was a little too high.
Nathan Thomas (ex Hartlepool United). Wore No. 8. Played wide left wing back. My notes say he drove across goal after a good break. Brodie Litchfield is ex SUFC Futures & Academy, now with Stocksbridge. He actually had a good chance down Thomas’s side. I felt Thomas had pushed a little too far forward and exposed the back three. But I’m picking nits. Both Baldock & Thomas grew quickly in confidence. Nathan finished the half strongly, shook his man off & put in a good wide run with the ball.
Richard Stearman (ex Fulham). Wore No. 19. Set up in the middle of a back three. A tall lad. But, more wiry than stocky. Did all his bits well. Didn’t really have much to do. Once or twice he was caught in possession. But, he was very strong & committed in winning it back. He knew the job. Stearman to Coutts. We’ll be hearing that a lot. MeThinks.
Enda Stevens (ex Portsmouth). Wore No. 3. Set up wide left wing back. To let him in, Lafferty actually played on the left side of the back three. James Wilson was on the right side of Stearman. As an aside. Lafferty actually looked OK at CB. (Reminder - playing Stocksbridge). Again, I felt nothing remarkable from Stevens. Not much for him to deal with. Got forward. Put a few good crosses in. Played a part in link up. He seemed to be in good positions when we didn’t have the ball. And, he got his headers in.
The Young Lads
Great to see that Wilder trusted the ridiculously young Sam Graham to be Centre of a back three in the first half. Basham one side. O’Connell the other. Great experience for him. Man alive. He’s big. Looked just like the others. Tall. Wide shoulders. Legs = tree trunks. I hadn’t really noticed that before. He didn’t have a great deal to do. But, he was up top for corners & the odd “fuck it, I’m having a run” to get on the end of crosses. Jake Eastwood. Had nowt to do. Except keep lively. My head says they’ll be looking to bring someone in now Long has gone & they’re “left” with just Simon Moore. As another aside. Generally, their keeper has done well. Particularly early on, when he made some good point blank saves. He’s clearly had a difficult day.
Bradfield, Yellow Jersey Ale on cask at 4.2% in the Bracken Moor Clubhaouse. (I noticed they had cask Stones on - not sure who makes that…)
500/1054
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