Deadbat_DB
Vital Squad Member
Podcast links and then report below….
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nd8S05dQ89xhFpSX3SOnL
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/id1508158343?i=1000542889699
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It was the rare feeling of a win for the Blades who got a vital three points to lift the pressure on the manager and side, after a difficult period leading up the trip to the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening. After United had been the better side in another poor 45 minutes of Championship football, they took the lead just before the hour when Bogle coolly converted McGoldrick’s centre. After a real scare when midfielder John Fleck went down nowhere near a challenge, that saw the game stop for over 10 minutes, the Blades managed to do enough in a game that ended up lasting 103 minutes due to the extra time played. Wes Foderingham only had one save of note to make all game and the Blades in the end deserved the three points. It was not a fantastic performance but an improvement, albeit versus a very poor Reading side whose fans booed them off at the end.
Manager Jokanovic made more changes as his ever-changing carousel starting line up policy continued. In came Norwood, Brewster and McGoldrick and out went Hourihane, Sharp and Ndiaye. The latter was not even on the bench. Sander Berge at least finally returned to the match day squad.
Veljko Paunovic has had difficulty with injuries/players unavailable but had a smattering of quality and experience in his first eleven with the likes of Dann, Swift and Drinkwater supplanted by new signing Andy Carroll on the bench.
United started on the front foot and won a corner with their first attack after McGoldrick looked to create a chance. The corner came over and was knocked back at the far post from McGoldrick – it was half cleared and Gibbs White tried to acrobatically volley towards goal but skewed his effort badly.
The away side were controlling the early tempo and seemed to be playing with more urgency than previous games and were well up the pitch. They won two more corners in quick succession and McGoldrick again at the back post knocked it back but should have done better as it hit the keeper on the way back. It had been a good start with Norwood and Fleck involved and Gibbs White looking to work with McGoldrick and Brewster.
On 10 minutes Reading did come out finally after being dominated but they were unable to produce anything meaningful and United were soon back on the attack.
Brewster was felled leading to a chance from a free kick from 25 yards. Gibbs White took it and it his the struck the top of the bar with the keeper Southwood beaten. The ball bounced out but Basham and then Brewster could not fashion another chance from the rebound.
Reading broke and Fleck slipped before cynically chopping his man down leading to a booking for the Blades man. Reading then had a better spell with Swift coming through two challenges to find Yiadom whose ball across was cleared from Egan. Dann headed the corner over in Reading’s first meaningful effort of the game.
The next spell was mired in midfield with little moments of quality and became more even with the Blades creating little after a positive opening. Reading started to find more of the ball and Drinkwater’s dangerous cross evaded everyone with Foderingham less than convincing coming out and then staying home.
Norwood took himself out of the play twice by going to floor and Reading now were more in control of the ball with Swift influential. Basham gave a needless corner away but Gibbs White cleared and the home side were caught offiside.
Bogle was well forward and won a free kick that Norwood wasted before the wing back sent an equally poor cross out of play.
The half drifted away with little other incidents occurring and the home fans booed their side off. In truth United had not been much better and had failed to build on a better opening. Neither keeper had a save to make and only Gibbs White for United and Dann had come remotely close to scoring.
United began the 2nd half in a similar vein to the first half with Gibbs White having an effort over the bar before Norwood was slack in possession in midfield. On 50 minutes the Blades had their best chance when a long ball saw McGoldrick flick on, Brewster cleverly flicked over his head to Gibbs White who fed Bogle but the pass was slow and he took too long to get his shot away with Southwood making the point blank save.
It was the first effort on goal of the whole game and the set up was from a direct ball but some clever interchange finally in a game that had lacked any kind of quality up to that point.
Brewster found himself well positioned out wide but blazed his cross shot well over/wide. Egan than took out Swift but United’s offside trap saw off the free kick. Stevens then did well to come across and Dele-Bashiru nearly got in.
The opening goal came from the Blades that they probably merited for shading proceedings and opportunities. It came from McGoldrick coming inside and his cross was right into the path of BOGLE but he still had a lot to do but cushioned a lovely volley into the net. A well-made and taken goal.
United started to move the ball around nicely and worked space down the right with Bogle again heavily involved. Carroll came on for Dele Bashiru for Reading who were looking for some life in a disappointing performance.
Gibbs White showed some lovely skill to come away from his man who brought him down but the Blades coughed up possession from the free kick and Reading had spell on the ball for the first time after the break.
On the hour mark, there was a real moment of worry for United as the ball was at the other end but a number of Blades players gestured for urgent medical treatment as Fleck went down. The midfielder seemed to be in some distress as medics rushed on. The United’s players reaction showed the level of worry for their teammate. After almost 10 minutes of treatment, the crowd reacted to Fleck getting to his feet and clearly being conscious. He was helped down the tunnel and taken straight to hospital according to the commentators.
Hourihane came on for Fleck as the game restarted. Reading did start to get it forward after this and Carroll appealed for a foul after he clashed with Stevens but the ball was not cleared properly and Reading switched play leading to a dangerous Swift cross but Puscas could only get his studs on it and it went wide. The marking was really poor.
McGoldrick’s lofted cross was poor and Brewster then took too many touches and had to race back to recover his mistake but only succeeded in bringing his man down and was booked for this challenge.
The cross from the left was dangerous but Egan did well to clear under the challenge from Carroll as Reading now sensed they had an extra threat at the top of the field.
United had not really got going after the stoppage but a better piece of play saw McGoldrick find Bogle again and his cross was sliced wide for a corner. McGoldrick and Egan went for the corner and it came off the striker’s shoulder and looped over. It was a good set play from Hourihane.
Sharp came on for Brewster but Reading had their first effort on goal when the ball dropped to Carroll who hit a powerful left footed shot that Foderingham did well to beat away.
The game moved into the final 5 minutes of normal time but the Blades knew in reality there was over quarter of an hour left to play with the stoppage.
Reading got it wide down the left and won two corners in succession but Foderingham punched one away. Bogle then was indecisive with the ball bouncing and left it to his keeper and led to a corner. United cleared again but there was finally some pressure building on the Blades.
The game moved into 13 minutes of stoppage time and the first significant action saw Gibbs White foul his man and try and play on after the whistle leading to a yellow card for timewasting. Carroll headed over from a deep cross as United worryingly started to drop back.
Halilovic came on for the home side as they tried to find opportunities. Stevens gave away a cheap ball leading to a long throw in coming in. The ball was cleared but on the other side a dangerous cross was headed goalward by Puscas with Swift the architect again but it was straight at the Blades keeper. United put-on Osborn for McGoldrick and managed time out well keeping the ball for a period before Gibbs White won the ball in the corner. The final punt forward was cleared and the full-time whistle came soon after leading to a vital win for the Blades.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nd8S05dQ89xhFpSX3SOnL
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/id1508158343?i=1000542889699
---
It was the rare feeling of a win for the Blades who got a vital three points to lift the pressure on the manager and side, after a difficult period leading up the trip to the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening. After United had been the better side in another poor 45 minutes of Championship football, they took the lead just before the hour when Bogle coolly converted McGoldrick’s centre. After a real scare when midfielder John Fleck went down nowhere near a challenge, that saw the game stop for over 10 minutes, the Blades managed to do enough in a game that ended up lasting 103 minutes due to the extra time played. Wes Foderingham only had one save of note to make all game and the Blades in the end deserved the three points. It was not a fantastic performance but an improvement, albeit versus a very poor Reading side whose fans booed them off at the end.
Manager Jokanovic made more changes as his ever-changing carousel starting line up policy continued. In came Norwood, Brewster and McGoldrick and out went Hourihane, Sharp and Ndiaye. The latter was not even on the bench. Sander Berge at least finally returned to the match day squad.
Veljko Paunovic has had difficulty with injuries/players unavailable but had a smattering of quality and experience in his first eleven with the likes of Dann, Swift and Drinkwater supplanted by new signing Andy Carroll on the bench.
United started on the front foot and won a corner with their first attack after McGoldrick looked to create a chance. The corner came over and was knocked back at the far post from McGoldrick – it was half cleared and Gibbs White tried to acrobatically volley towards goal but skewed his effort badly.
The away side were controlling the early tempo and seemed to be playing with more urgency than previous games and were well up the pitch. They won two more corners in quick succession and McGoldrick again at the back post knocked it back but should have done better as it hit the keeper on the way back. It had been a good start with Norwood and Fleck involved and Gibbs White looking to work with McGoldrick and Brewster.
On 10 minutes Reading did come out finally after being dominated but they were unable to produce anything meaningful and United were soon back on the attack.
Brewster was felled leading to a chance from a free kick from 25 yards. Gibbs White took it and it his the struck the top of the bar with the keeper Southwood beaten. The ball bounced out but Basham and then Brewster could not fashion another chance from the rebound.
Reading broke and Fleck slipped before cynically chopping his man down leading to a booking for the Blades man. Reading then had a better spell with Swift coming through two challenges to find Yiadom whose ball across was cleared from Egan. Dann headed the corner over in Reading’s first meaningful effort of the game.
The next spell was mired in midfield with little moments of quality and became more even with the Blades creating little after a positive opening. Reading started to find more of the ball and Drinkwater’s dangerous cross evaded everyone with Foderingham less than convincing coming out and then staying home.
Norwood took himself out of the play twice by going to floor and Reading now were more in control of the ball with Swift influential. Basham gave a needless corner away but Gibbs White cleared and the home side were caught offiside.
Bogle was well forward and won a free kick that Norwood wasted before the wing back sent an equally poor cross out of play.
The half drifted away with little other incidents occurring and the home fans booed their side off. In truth United had not been much better and had failed to build on a better opening. Neither keeper had a save to make and only Gibbs White for United and Dann had come remotely close to scoring.
United began the 2nd half in a similar vein to the first half with Gibbs White having an effort over the bar before Norwood was slack in possession in midfield. On 50 minutes the Blades had their best chance when a long ball saw McGoldrick flick on, Brewster cleverly flicked over his head to Gibbs White who fed Bogle but the pass was slow and he took too long to get his shot away with Southwood making the point blank save.
It was the first effort on goal of the whole game and the set up was from a direct ball but some clever interchange finally in a game that had lacked any kind of quality up to that point.
Brewster found himself well positioned out wide but blazed his cross shot well over/wide. Egan than took out Swift but United’s offside trap saw off the free kick. Stevens then did well to come across and Dele-Bashiru nearly got in.
The opening goal came from the Blades that they probably merited for shading proceedings and opportunities. It came from McGoldrick coming inside and his cross was right into the path of BOGLE but he still had a lot to do but cushioned a lovely volley into the net. A well-made and taken goal.
United started to move the ball around nicely and worked space down the right with Bogle again heavily involved. Carroll came on for Dele Bashiru for Reading who were looking for some life in a disappointing performance.
Gibbs White showed some lovely skill to come away from his man who brought him down but the Blades coughed up possession from the free kick and Reading had spell on the ball for the first time after the break.
On the hour mark, there was a real moment of worry for United as the ball was at the other end but a number of Blades players gestured for urgent medical treatment as Fleck went down. The midfielder seemed to be in some distress as medics rushed on. The United’s players reaction showed the level of worry for their teammate. After almost 10 minutes of treatment, the crowd reacted to Fleck getting to his feet and clearly being conscious. He was helped down the tunnel and taken straight to hospital according to the commentators.
Hourihane came on for Fleck as the game restarted. Reading did start to get it forward after this and Carroll appealed for a foul after he clashed with Stevens but the ball was not cleared properly and Reading switched play leading to a dangerous Swift cross but Puscas could only get his studs on it and it went wide. The marking was really poor.
McGoldrick’s lofted cross was poor and Brewster then took too many touches and had to race back to recover his mistake but only succeeded in bringing his man down and was booked for this challenge.
The cross from the left was dangerous but Egan did well to clear under the challenge from Carroll as Reading now sensed they had an extra threat at the top of the field.
United had not really got going after the stoppage but a better piece of play saw McGoldrick find Bogle again and his cross was sliced wide for a corner. McGoldrick and Egan went for the corner and it came off the striker’s shoulder and looped over. It was a good set play from Hourihane.
Sharp came on for Brewster but Reading had their first effort on goal when the ball dropped to Carroll who hit a powerful left footed shot that Foderingham did well to beat away.
The game moved into the final 5 minutes of normal time but the Blades knew in reality there was over quarter of an hour left to play with the stoppage.
Reading got it wide down the left and won two corners in succession but Foderingham punched one away. Bogle then was indecisive with the ball bouncing and left it to his keeper and led to a corner. United cleared again but there was finally some pressure building on the Blades.
The game moved into 13 minutes of stoppage time and the first significant action saw Gibbs White foul his man and try and play on after the whistle leading to a yellow card for timewasting. Carroll headed over from a deep cross as United worryingly started to drop back.
Halilovic came on for the home side as they tried to find opportunities. Stevens gave away a cheap ball leading to a long throw in coming in. The ball was cleared but on the other side a dangerous cross was headed goalward by Puscas with Swift the architect again but it was straight at the Blades keeper. United put-on Osborn for McGoldrick and managed time out well keeping the ball for a period before Gibbs White won the ball in the corner. The final punt forward was cleared and the full-time whistle came soon after leading to a vital win for the Blades.
