Sheffield United pre match chat.
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Top 2 clash on Monday after a dramatic late win vs 4th placed Sunderland.
An opportunity to really cement our place in the promotion mix and put a gap between us and 2nd place as well as everyone else.
We travel to Bramall Lane and meet Sheffield United.
The previous fixture saw mixture of a really good performance from us and a baffling tactical setup from Chris Wilder with us coming out comfortable winners.
More of the same be nice!!!!!
But Sheffield United deserve flowers as well, they would have the same amount of points as us without the points deduction.
And 71 points is one of the highest points totals at this stage in recent seasons as well (just not as good as us).
In terms of form they've won 4 from 4, 7 of the last 8.
2nd best home form of the season, all be it strangely the home form recently has dipped a bit.
2 defeats in 8, 5 wins, doesn't sound bad but it's 8th in the form table.
In terms of tactics, usually a 4-2-3-1 from Wilder as he seems to have generally moved away from that back 3.
Not a massive possession based side, average just over 50% with home games tending to see a touch more in the early 50s.
Comfortable on the ball but not obsessed I'd say.
The midfield pair tend to do more holding than attacking, the occasional burst forward Is possible but they generally protect and let the full backs get forward instead.
In possession they are generally middle of the road in terms of approach, neither a heavy focus on one type of passing style (long or short) nor on a particular creative element (switches or through balls for example). They are pretty flexible in that respect in terms of approach.
But effective at getting it to the box regardless of possession with top 4 for touches in the box.
They do stand out as the best team in the league for take ons that lead to a shot.
Quite effective at stopping players running with the ball, top of the league for that and top 3 for defensive third tackles.
Don't conceded huge amounts of chances with bottom 6 for shots against per game and relatively effective at creating (top 6 again).
Pretty effective then offensively and defensively overall with a top 6 goals scored and bottom 3 goals conceded.
However is an element of luck in the underlying numbers.
They are slightly over performing the xG scored, the players are making slightly better of the quality of chances they create. Not massively tbf and we are as well.
But defensively is where it really shows, goalkeeper Michael Cooper is performing minor miracles and opponents are letting them off the hook.
Still defending well overall with a bottom 3 xG against, but they should have conceded 9,10 goals more.
In fairness to them if we bring those numbers up should also say it isn't making a huge difference position wise, should be 3rd not 2nd if you put stock in that sort of thing.
But points wise it's huge, 10-15 points less they should have the analyst teams will tell you.
And I think objectively speaking you can see that over the last few games where maybe they were somewhat fortunate to win.
But teams find a way, and resilience is a key part of winning promotion as well.
And should say injuries have been very unkind this season as well(Hamer, Arblaster, Cannon and Moore all missed Luton for example) so Wilder has done well to do what he has even if it's been maybe at times a bit smash and grab.
In terms of key players.
Having mentioned all that need to mention goalkeeper Michael Cooper, only conceded 23 goals. Overall just very effective, one of the top goalies for everything basically, saves, goals prevented, high claims, a very good player.
Brazilian tank Vini Souza is another very important player, a big miss for Sheffield United when he was injured. In games he's started they have lost 2 of 24, in games he hasn't it's 3 of 9. A big strong midfield destroyer type, not poor on the ball, most Sheffield United attacks go through him passing it out from the back or making a drive forward into space before laying it off and dropping back. But his bread and butter is breaking up attacks, very effective at that and protecting the defence.
Finally the star man of the side overall (or atleast the headline grabber) is box to box midfielder Gustavo Hamer (all be it he plays further forward these days). Often deployed from the left cutting in he's the main attacking threat (assuming he's fit). 7 goals and 5 assists, his ability to find space and eye for a pass make him a real threat.
So that is them.
A solid side not short of flair but equally happy mixing it up with a number of very big physical players in the side.
Capable of moving from defence to attack quickly with sharp passing triangles, or equally happy with a long ball to turn the opposition and a chase for one of the pacey attackers.
Overall a very solid side offensively and defensively but one that maybe has had an element of good fortune at times this season or an exceeding of performance from an individual player.
Defeats to us Sunderland and Burnley show they aren't unbeatable by any means.
But they also beat Sunderland, beat Blackburn, beat Bristol City, teams who we did struggle with at times.
Big game for both, a win for us puts daylight between us and them.
A win for them in front of a passionate home crowd puts them top.
In terms of ourselves.
The impressive cameos of Struijk and Rothwell will inevitably lead to calls for a recall? But Ampadu is Captain and Farke likes Gruev away from home.
Any other changes? Joseph had a decent cameo , would his energy be useful?
James and Solomon due a rest?
An opportunity to really cement our place in the promotion mix and put a gap between us and 2nd place as well as everyone else.
We travel to Bramall Lane and meet Sheffield United.
The previous fixture saw mixture of a really good performance from us and a baffling tactical setup from Chris Wilder with us coming out comfortable winners.
More of the same be nice!!!!!
But Sheffield United deserve flowers as well, they would have the same amount of points as us without the points deduction.
And 71 points is one of the highest points totals at this stage in recent seasons as well (just not as good as us).
In terms of form they've won 4 from 4, 7 of the last 8.
2nd best home form of the season, all be it strangely the home form recently has dipped a bit.
2 defeats in 8, 5 wins, doesn't sound bad but it's 8th in the form table.
In terms of tactics, usually a 4-2-3-1 from Wilder as he seems to have generally moved away from that back 3.
Not a massive possession based side, average just over 50% with home games tending to see a touch more in the early 50s.
Comfortable on the ball but not obsessed I'd say.
The midfield pair tend to do more holding than attacking, the occasional burst forward Is possible but they generally protect and let the full backs get forward instead.
In possession they are generally middle of the road in terms of approach, neither a heavy focus on one type of passing style (long or short) nor on a particular creative element (switches or through balls for example). They are pretty flexible in that respect in terms of approach.
But effective at getting it to the box regardless of possession with top 4 for touches in the box.
They do stand out as the best team in the league for take ons that lead to a shot.
Quite effective at stopping players running with the ball, top of the league for that and top 3 for defensive third tackles.
Don't conceded huge amounts of chances with bottom 6 for shots against per game and relatively effective at creating (top 6 again).
Pretty effective then offensively and defensively overall with a top 6 goals scored and bottom 3 goals conceded.
However is an element of luck in the underlying numbers.
They are slightly over performing the xG scored, the players are making slightly better of the quality of chances they create. Not massively tbf and we are as well.
But defensively is where it really shows, goalkeeper Michael Cooper is performing minor miracles and opponents are letting them off the hook.
Still defending well overall with a bottom 3 xG against, but they should have conceded 9,10 goals more.
In fairness to them if we bring those numbers up should also say it isn't making a huge difference position wise, should be 3rd not 2nd if you put stock in that sort of thing.
But points wise it's huge, 10-15 points less they should have the analyst teams will tell you.
And I think objectively speaking you can see that over the last few games where maybe they were somewhat fortunate to win.
But teams find a way, and resilience is a key part of winning promotion as well.
And should say injuries have been very unkind this season as well(Hamer, Arblaster, Cannon and Moore all missed Luton for example) so Wilder has done well to do what he has even if it's been maybe at times a bit smash and grab.
In terms of key players.
Having mentioned all that need to mention goalkeeper Michael Cooper, only conceded 23 goals. Overall just very effective, one of the top goalies for everything basically, saves, goals prevented, high claims, a very good player.
Brazilian tank Vini Souza is another very important player, a big miss for Sheffield United when he was injured. In games he's started they have lost 2 of 24, in games he hasn't it's 3 of 9. A big strong midfield destroyer type, not poor on the ball, most Sheffield United attacks go through him passing it out from the back or making a drive forward into space before laying it off and dropping back. But his bread and butter is breaking up attacks, very effective at that and protecting the defence.
Finally the star man of the side overall (or atleast the headline grabber) is box to box midfielder Gustavo Hamer (all be it he plays further forward these days). Often deployed from the left cutting in he's the main attacking threat (assuming he's fit). 7 goals and 5 assists, his ability to find space and eye for a pass make him a real threat.
So that is them.
A solid side not short of flair but equally happy mixing it up with a number of very big physical players in the side.
Capable of moving from defence to attack quickly with sharp passing triangles, or equally happy with a long ball to turn the opposition and a chase for one of the pacey attackers.
Overall a very solid side offensively and defensively but one that maybe has had an element of good fortune at times this season or an exceeding of performance from an individual player.
Defeats to us Sunderland and Burnley show they aren't unbeatable by any means.
But they also beat Sunderland, beat Blackburn, beat Bristol City, teams who we did struggle with at times.
Big game for both, a win for us puts daylight between us and them.
A win for them in front of a passionate home crowd puts them top.
In terms of ourselves.
The impressive cameos of Struijk and Rothwell will inevitably lead to calls for a recall? But Ampadu is Captain and Farke likes Gruev away from home.
Any other changes? Joseph had a decent cameo , would his energy be useful?
James and Solomon due a rest?