Indian Summer

Yes it's a delicate balancing act at the moment. No doubt negotiations are going on re who goes out and when. He's indicated his preference re which trialists he would like to sign. Hopefully they'll stick around until its sorted. He must have good powers of persuasion to keep them interested so far.

I'll wait until tomorrow and seeing highlights on YouTube before getting too excited, but it seems there were some good moments in tonight's game, especially considering some players has been in isolation for 10 says.
It is always amusing to compare how different sources describe incidents. Consider Newcastle's first goal.
Rovers' website: "hit with too much power for Louis Jones to save"
DFP: "whether Louis Jones should have done better with it".
I hope all of you are doing well and avoiding the Delta variant. I'm the optimist in that I think if I'm exposed to it I might then test positive, but the Pfizer vaccine will precent me getting seriously ill.

From reports of last night it looks like Wellens is spoilt for choice with trialists. Aiden Barlow signed up . Its always good to have a player that, whilst not always doing much in a game, seem to be in the right place at the right time to score! Jigsaw nearly complete for RW.

To only lose 2-3 to a seemingly full strength Newcastle Utd who will have trained together for some time seems very creditable and I agree with Nookie about Barlow. Wellens already seems to have put him on notice to work harder and everybody knows, so there will be plenty of encouragement from all quarters.

I have held back in my comments about Jones, but I am watching. Wellens is adopting a different approach with I think, trying to make him more confident which is surely essential in a GK. Perhaps that is all he needs to improve; he certainly needs to be bolder and more decisive in coming off his line rather than dithering around on his line and seeming to have had “no chance” with shots when in fact he is totally out of position.

Despite the Government’s “opening up” policy many individuals, especially the elderly together with plenty of large retail businesses are advocating the continuation of precautions by mask-wearing etc. Getting access to the Doctor’s surgery for a face-to-face appointment is still a major challenge. I know more people who have been infected by the current variant tha previous ones,, some fully vaccinated, but we have to put our faith in Astra-Zeneca.

I can't think of a more frustrating situation than being a No2 goalkeeper. Personally I don't think Jones is a No1. If a loan Keeper does come in he will have to accept being No2 or move on. Don't know anything about Ben Bottomley other than he is only 18.

Halftime - I'm glad I did not waste five pounds!

I'm not too disappointed by the result. Its obvious though we need a No1 goalkeeper. Wonder what Wellens has to say though.

I would not spend the £5 over and above the iFollow sub. I thought that the sound commentary would be free, but it sounds as though it was a very poor show anyway.

Even the man who was never considered to be at fault, the popular young Jones, is now regarded as not up to the job. It has taken a long time for people to realise that his positioning is usually so far away from where he ought to be that “Jones had no chance …” was because he wasn’t anywhere near where he ought to be.

I'd hoped that as Jones played more games, he would read the game better, and hence be in better positions when being called into action.
He has made a few good saves, and I'd like us to develop local talent, but we cannot put results at risk. I'm not sure what Wellens can do in the short term with the half agreed deal falling apart. We just do not have the Money.

I have now watched most of the replay of the first half and I know that a lot of fans attributed the loss to Sheffield United being a “class above” as they say. However what I have seen of that first half they did not have much success in getting through the Rovers back line; they dillied and dallied, much like they did in the PL last season without much of a cutting edge. The several bits of the second half that I sampled seem to show a similar pattern of play with United not showing much of an edge, so there was credit there to Rovers defence. Their first 3 goals were either gifts or effectively breaking through on the counter.

Rovers attacking had no pattern to it and the effort put in by some of the players was less than 100%. Smith worked hard, but he could become disheartened if those around him don’t odd the same. The defence looked OK in the first half too, apart from Jones.

I know I may sound prejudiced and perhaps I am, but as well as preferring to remain on his line, he lacks the speed to get up on to his feet quickly as well as the ability to “make himself big” to block shots; instead of arms and legs akimbo he just flattens himself on the ground, falling backwards. Rarely have I seen him successfully block a shot with his body as he comes out to challenge. I think it was their second goal when he was at his left hand post and seemed to look across his goal to see where the ball was and THEN DECIDED to get up rather than instinctively getting back to his feet, meaning that, as often is the case, he became a spectator and people will say “He had no chance” when in reality he gave himself no chance.

The third goal was an example of his inability to make a proper block; he even hesitated as he ran towards the scorer who chose that moment to shoot, meaning Jones increased rather than decreased the chances of it beating him.

I saw the substitute goalkeeper make a good diving save and their 4th goal had him wrong-footed, but he did at least LOOK like an athlete in his movement.

So, to conclude, this was not our best 11 and with a competent goalkeeper, the result would have been perhaps 1-0 and we would probably be nervous about the attacking strength, but largely satisfied with the defence. But, it was not exciting from either side. Blades fans surely cannot be all that satisfied with their rather sterile performance even though they accepted most of the gifts offered.