Sheffield United (H) F'ball L'gue Trophy, Wed Nov 12, 7.45pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

I appreciate that this might come as something of a shock to some Saddlers' fans but it remains a fact that cup competitions are run on a knock-out basis, and this match is what is known as a 'Quarter-final'. So in order to get through to the semi-final we have to dispose of the Blades, who we welcome on Wednesday night. No strangers to cup competitions themselves, it should be remembered that they were semi-finalists in the F.A. Cup only last season, and they do currently occupy a respectable 8th place in the League One table on 26 points. Their current form:

18 Oct Bradford (A) Won 0-2
21 Oct Yeovil Town (H) Won 2-0
25 Oct Crewe Alexandra (A) Won 0-1
28 Oct M.K. Dons (A, League Cup 4th round) Won 1-2
1 Nov Barnsley (H) Lost 0-1
8 Nov Crewe Alexandra (A, F.A. Cup 1st round) Drew 0-0

Manager Nigel Clough's radio interview after yesterday's draw at Crewe contained the following gem... "It's not the lack of trying or going forward. We just need somebody with a bit of quality to put it in the back of the net for us." That quote could have come from the lips of Deano himself !!

We could have Jordan Cook available after not being able to make the Shrewsbury game because he was "ill", and there don't seem to be any other injury niggles, so expect a full-strength line-up. As for the result.....well, let's hope for a repeat of our last encounter, which was on New Year's day this year when we emerged 2-1 winners. The attendance that day was over 5,000 but a Wednesday night in November doesn't really compete with New Year's day. :wink:

So, a 2-1 win with our goals coming from Bradshaw (of course) and Forde. Blades' goal probably from Porter, who scored against us home and away last season :roll: , although he was only on the bench against Crewe.

UTS !!!!!

[otiswfc]

Iv got a feeling there won't be many goals in this one neither team are exactly free scoring and the player's will find it hard to motivate themselves in front of about 1550, 250 from Sheffield.

[BathSaddler]

A 2-1 loss with Manset scoring for us late on, in front of 2,051 [200 Blades].

[TheSwift]

Apparently this is a decent website for anyone wanting to get a free live stream of the game:

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?mat ... art=sports

[IHTC.]

Apparently this is a decent website for anyone wanting to get a free live stream of the game:

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?mat ... art=sports

It is an excellent site, use it quite often.

Not going to the game as working and will save my money for Strawberry away.

[latviancheese]

Im going to the pub like a true modern football fan.

[Whitters]

Apparently this is a decent website for anyone wanting to get a free live stream of the game:

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?mat ... art=sports

Interesting (?) that the blades have their logo on it but not us....

[gerryhatrick]

Your opening post is a little misleading, Welsh. This is not a quarter final in the way that the FA cup is run, but merely, with our first round success, a chance to reach the last eight of the competition.

There are sixteen clubs still involved and, with the area finals being two-legged affairs, leaves five matches to be negotiated before lifting the piss-pot, as opposed to the conventional three.

Bristol City appears to face little southern area resistance (on the road to Wembley), whereas, there remain five or six northern area clubs could be said to have realistic expectations.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Your opening post is a little misleading, Welsh. This is not a quarter final in the way that the FA cup is run, but merely, with our first round success, a chance to reach the last eight of the competition.

There are sixteen clubs still involved and, with the area finals being two-legged affairs, leaves five matches to be negotiated before lifting the gypsy's, as opposed to the conventional three.

Bristol City appears to face little southern area resistance (on the road to Wembley), whereas, there remain five or six northern area clubs could be said to have realistic expectations.

That's right, shatter my illusions !!! The way our season has gone so far, it's occasionally quite a challenge to put anything approaching a positive spin on a match preview - if I have stretched a definition too far then I do, of course, apologise. :D

.....mutter......mutter.....rhubarb.....rhubarb..... :wink:

[otiswfc]

Your opening post is a little misleading, Welsh. This is not a quarter final in the way that the FA cup is run, but merely, with our first round success, a chance to reach the last eight of the competition.

There are sixteen clubs still involved and, with the area finals being two-legged affairs, leaves five matches to be negotiated before lifting the gypsy's, as opposed to the conventional three.

Bristol City appears to face little southern area resistance (on the road to Wembley), whereas, there remain five or six northern area clubs could be said to have realistic expectations.

The northern section does seem really tough with Preston, Doncaster, Oldham all still in it.The southern section has bigger clubs though apart from crawley and Orient. How are we in the northern section now I remember the area finals vs Millwall and Bournemouth we we're obviously in the southern back then.
Walsall vs Coventry would be the dream final for me.

[latviancheese]

If you cant make the game, at least go to your local drinking establishment to watch it :)


Ive made a u turn, im going to the game i forgot its only a tenner. Think we might scrape a win, our record on TV is decent lately.

2-1 win.

[Tom_1992]

I think this is the game where we will see Mantom from the start, hopefully he'll come through unscathed and we'll be in Area Semi-Finals!

I would go with...

O'Donnell

Purkiss
J. Chambers
Downing
Taylor

Forde
A. Chambers
Mantom
Cook (If fit, if not I would look at giving Morris a chance)

Sawyers
Bradshaw

I'm going for a 1-0 to the Saddlers with Forde to score and I think we'll just scrape 1,500 with 234 from Sheffield.

[Soton Saddler]

Tough game this but hopefully we can come through.

Walsall 1 - 1 Sheff Utd, Walsall win on penalties.
( 1,877 (351 from Sheffield))

UTS

[SoccerHQ]

Surely it's time for the hilarious penalty shoot out exit, that usually happens at some stage during the season.

Is Sawyers available for this or on holiday in St Kitts?

[otiswfc]

Surely it's time for the hilarious penalty shoot out exit, that usually happens at some stage during the season.

Is Sawyers available for this or on holiday in St Kitts?

I don't think he's on holiday this week I know there's some international games next weekend he might be off then playing for the dingo and parakeet.

[bangsection]

Blades fan at work bemoaning the fact that Clough has pretty much given up playing with any strikers, preferring six midfielders instead. Loves keeping it tight, does Nige. 1-0 to us with the ball deflecting in off Bradshaw's boyish good looks.

Preston away in the semis, obvs.

[Guest]

I'll be watching here

http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/269689_walsall_sheffield_utd/

if I can wake up for 3.45am HK time...

[Sadders]

Blades play to win 1-0 every week, I'm sure our pin point attacking flare will settle for that perfectly.

Be surprised if there's more than 1,500 there.

0-3.

[sallian]

This cold coffee cup or rotten egg cup supposed competition seems such an irrelevant non-event, that winning or losing the game seems to mean zero.....and even though no-one seems to put much effort into it, and the upper divisions are excluded, Walsall still never get anywhere in it...even though we seem to be the only team to be trying.

As seeing as we can only score with Bradshaw playing...we have a chance of a draw in normal playing time, but a loss on penalties or extra time...Or maybe just get well beaten by a Sheff. Utd. training exercise....1-3 or something.

They may as well scrap the competition as it just contributes to injuries and tiredness.

If people justify it all on the basis of 'It's a chance for smaller teams to get to Wembley'....then on that reasoning why not have such a cup for each county's pro teams whose final ends in Wembley.... So for our region, West Midlands Cup but excluding the upper two divisions, then Walsall will have a really good chance. :lol:

[Guest]

But who would we play in the final?

[Ancient Moaner]

But who would we play in the final?

Shelfield ladies under 12's......and we would lose! :lol: :lol:

[Welsh_Saddler]

This cold coffee cup or rotten egg cup supposed competition seems such an irrelevant non-event, that winning or losing the game seems to mean zero.....and even though no-one seems to put much effort into it, and the upper divisions are excluded, Walsall still never get anywhere in it...even though we seem to be the only team to be trying.

As seeing as we can only score with Bradshaw playing...we have a chance of a draw in normal playing time, but a loss on penalties or extra time...Or maybe just get well beaten by a Sheff. Utd. training exercise....1-3 or something.

They may as well scrap the competition as it just contributes to injuries and tiredness.

If people justify it all on the basis of 'It's a chance for smaller teams to get to Wembley'....then on that reasoning why not have such a cup for each county's pro teams whose final ends in Wembley.... So for our region, West Midlands Cup but excluding the upper two divisions, then Walsall will have a really good chance. :lol:

Ah, welcome back to the doom-and-gloom merchant. Your absence has been noted during the current 3 match unbeaten run (WWD). :roll:

[crodonilson]

2-1 to the Super Saddlers for me, I think Deano is taking this game very seriously and if Sheffield Utd don't give us the full respect we deserve they'll be in for a shock.

Am hoping for a decent audience. 3,000+ would be excellent, work colleague who is a big Blade reckons 500+ from Yorkshire this evening, fabulous support.

[otiswfc]

2-1 to the Super Saddlers for me, I think Deano is taking this game very seriously and if Sheffield Utd don't give us the full respect we deserve they'll be in for a shock.

Am hoping for a decent audience. 3,000+ would be excellent, work colleague who is a big Blade reckons 500+ from Yorkshire this evening, fabulous support.

How is there gonna be 3000+ mate if we lose this game there won't be many more than 3000 for the Peterborough game on Saturday.
I think we will sneak it 1-0 there definitely won't be many goals unless Sheffield United play the reserves and pay the fine something they have done in the past apparently.

[Welsh_Saddler]

2-1 to the Super Saddlers for me, I think Deano is taking this game very seriously and if Sheffield Utd don't give us the full respect we deserve they'll be in for a shock.

Am hoping for a decent audience. 3,000+ would be excellent, work colleague who is a big Blade reckons 500+ from Yorkshire this evening, fabulous support.

How is there gonna be 3000+ mate if we lose this game there won't be many more than 3000 for the Peterborough game on Saturday.
I think we will sneak it 1-0 there definitely won't be many goals unless Sheffield United play the reserves and pay the fine something they have done in the past apparently.

Sheffield United were fined for putting out almost a reserve team for the previous round when they beat Hartlepool, and Nigel Clough is on record as saying that he will not make that mistake against Walsall. He says that one or two players do have knocks, but they will be assessed on Wednesday afternoon.

[gerryhatrick]

The last four, in the southern area, will be known later this evening. On the other hand, the northern area semi-finals won't be settled for another fortnight.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Such is the lack of interest in this competition that at 7pm (45 mins to kick-off) not only do the BBC not have the starting line-up, but there is no match preview. Where the preview should be there is an invitation to "Share this story" :lol: :lol: :lol:

More to come............

[Welsh_Saddler]

Starting line-up against Sheffield United:

O'Donnell

Purkiss
Chambers
Downing
Taylor

Cook
Chambers
Cain
Forde

Sawyers
Bradshaw

Substitutes: O'Connor, Mantom, McGillivray, Grimes, Manset.

Nigel has made some changes.....only 6 of last Saturday's 0-0 at Crewe make the starting XI tonight.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Blades defender McGahey booked, 18 minutes (foul on Bradshaw)

Yellow cards a-plenty ... Michael Cain booked, 20 minutes

They keep coming.... Sheffield United's defender Harris now in the book, 23 minutes !!

[Welsh_Saddler]

The statistics available would suggest that there would be more excitement in watching Johnstone's paint dry.

After half an hour we have had 1 shot (off target) and 3 corners, against United's 0 and 0........

The odds have moved since kick-off, and the draw is now clear favourite at 11/8