HaydnNUFC

In seriousness, probably a 4-3-3. One defensive sitting midfielder, one box to box and one playmaking attacking minded midfielder as the central 3. All rounded CF, with quick, direct wingers who can come inside and chip in with goals. For home games or games you expect to win, push the full backs on and overload opposition in wide areas. For away games, have the full backs a tad more reserved in committing forward.

Will always love Rafa for what he did and I'll always fight against the bollocks misconceptions about him and his time here. Its a real shame he took the Everton job before the takeover happened but its happened. We have Howe now and he has my full backing just like Rafa had. He's never a DOF, but can't help feeling the Rafa ship is sailing ever so slightly away now. Not that I'd be disappointed if he was managing us, but I want to see what Howe can do with us with a few more games and hours on the training ground under his belt.

Why undermine Howe by bringing Rafa above him man. Up there with wanting Keegan back as manager, mental.

4-2-3-1 gegenpress. /FM

Leicester and Everton aren't games to fear imo, especially if we can beat Burnley.

Someone shit at home please. Wins breed confidence, no matter who it's against.

https://www.11v11.com/teams/sheffield-united/tab/matches/season/1991/comp/200/

We just need to get that first win, it's a monkey on our backs. Since Bruce left we've only lost twice, to Chelsea and Arsenal. The foundation is there, hopefully with that back 4 and with 11 on the pitch we can take the game to a naff Burnley side and get that win.

People have short memories. Bruce played Almiron as a CM in a midfield 3 and it was tragic. It's not his position, he's a #10. Willock needs to buck his ideas up but the options we have for the midfield are woeful. I'd give the 4-2-3-1 we started the game tonight in before Clark ruined it another chance. Didn't get to see it. Willock's game is not as a sitting midfielder. Nor is Shelvey's for that matter but it's the risk/reward debate. We played Willock and Shelvey in the 2 against Brentford and we should've won, Darlow cost us that.

He's a good footballer with the ball at his feet, running at players. He shouldn't be pressed however inside our own third. He needs to be further advanced, driving us forward, linking up attacks/counters or making a late run to support Wilson when the ball is out wide. It's where his goals came from last year. But to me he just looks slow and unfit, hope that's the case and he's not gone backwards as a player as I still love the lad.

Howe has to stick with the back 4 that finished the game tonight as they were solid whilst defending for 81+ minutes. Lascelles despite being club captain should not start. Matt Ritchie should not start. Anyway, reasons to be optimistic; The defensive performance tonight. Commitment of the players. Burnley put out a strong team when they won in the League Cup on pens and they were dreadful. Burnley are the only team we've kept a clean sheet against, even though we lost on pens. Should we contrive to win this, with Watford playing Chelsea at home tomorrow and Man City at home after this game at 17:30, we could well be only 3 points from safety. Reasons to be pessimistic; We're yet to win a game. Team selection for this is huge and he has to get it right. Howe's record v Burnley is shocking. Coming back from uni for this. HTL.

His first game after he signed at home to Southampton he was class. Same with a few other games too but this season, he looks just so slow? Maybe it's fitness because we all know for a fact he is not as slow as he showed at times tonight. He needs to stay in the latter 2 thirds, if he's going to play in a midfield 2 he needs a top quality holding midfielder as Shelvey is not that, Hayden is not good enough and Longstaff is utterly finished. I do still really like him and think there's a really canny player there but he does need to pull his finger out at times a bit more whether that's fitness or just a motivational issue.

Do agree. He just has to stick with that back 4 v Burnley. Bringing Ritchie or Lascelles back in can fuck right off.

I'm probably a 6. It's more likely than not but once we get that first win on the board I think it'll start looking up. Given Watford's games, we could feasibly be 3 points from safety at 8pm on Saturday, with a game to not fear away at Leicester. We just have to win. And many things have gone against that win. A look, game by game; West Ham (h) - Convincing first half performance, Brucetastic fall to bits in the 2nd. They got a pen to make it 2-3 that wasn't a pen. Aston Villa (a) - Nothing performance really, they should've been down to 10 men however with 20 minutes left. Southampton (h) - The game where SJP turned on Bruce finally. Dogshit performance but got ahead in stoppage time, Lascelles flies into Armstrong and gives a pen away, 2-2. Shite. Man Utd (a) - Looking back now this was not the fixture we first feared it was going to be and they've not won at OT in the PL since this game. Had chances at 0-0, but the Bruce classic of playing players out of position cost us. Leeds (h) - Probably a deserved draw, not much else to say. Watford (a) - Our best away performance of the season, should've won, had the chances, didn't take them. Murphy's, fml. Wolves (a) - Deserved defeat. Spurs (h) - We take the lead against a shit Spurs, in that atmosphere, and we sit off due to that loser's mentality Bruce instilled. Palace (a) - Shithouse draw, completely undeserved point. Chelsea (h) - I know they're very good, but this performance and gameplan was fucking pathetic. Another game tossed off when looking for new manager. Brighton (a) - Their keeper wiping out Wilson was the only thing stopping this from being our first win. Brentford (h) - Should've won, Darlow made sure we didn't. Arsenal (a) - Okay first half but players like Ritchie, Lascelles and Krafth playing cost us. Norwich (h) - Solid defensively finally once we have our best keeper, 2 best CBs and recognised full backs playing where they should be. Unlucky not to win, Clark is at fault tonight. Hope he's launched into the sun. We also can't just write off these coming games in December. Brighton drew, deservedly, at Anfield. Palace beat Man City at the Etihad. Man Utd are no great shakes. Everton away is a fixture we shouldn't fear. It's not over, we just have to fucking win.

Watford are the side we should be looking to catch. They play Chelsea at home tomorrow and Man City at home on Saturday before going away to Brentford. Can make up points on that, just need to fucking win a game.

Just about to say that

And that's fair.

His best game for us. Needs to stay in.

Love those who 'tell it how it is' and say we're down and any other opinion is wrong. Think it's time for another temporary exile for meself.

Watford's next 3 games are Chelsea and Man City at home then Brentford away. We pick up 4 points from Burnley and Leicester and we could well be 2 points from safety. Level if we get 6.

I think he's still discovering his best team. Fucked Darlow off after Brentford, needs to fuck Clark off and we need to keep that same back 4 for Burnley.

I do think it's far too simplistic a view to say "if we can't beat Norwich at home". We had 10 men for 81 minutes because Clark is a nonce. Could've been so different.

Probably his best game.

I probably would've taken that after 9 minutes, but we simply had to win that.

Our best CB pairing and our best goalkeeper finally in net and we look more organised, shock.