Sheff Wed View

[rhroyal]

Is that what passes for improvement?
By Chris Morris
Sunday, 28th February 2010

Shambolic Owls slip back into bottom three

Last season Sheffield Wednesday were destroyed by six goals to nil at Reading so yesterday’s 5-0 humiliation at the Madejski Stadium could be regarded as progress. Perhaps next season if the Owls stay up they may be able to hold the Royals to four goals?

Seriously though, the ‘if’ Wednesday stay up is looking like a very big and debatable if at the moment. Three defeats and three shocking performances in a row have seen the Owls slump back into the relegation zone and the next few fixtures hardly paint a picture of optimism for the weeks ahead.

One look at Reading’s home record prior to this weekend’s fixture should have suggested a presentable opportunity to pick up some much needed points:

Played 14, Wins 3, Draws 6, Defeats 5, Goals scored 12, Goals conceded 17.

In those 14 games Reading had not scored more than two goals on any occasion and so to lose 5-0 to a club that has such a poor record and is potentially a rival for a relegation spot is nothing short of disgraceful. As stated, it is not just the defeat but the manner of the defeat that is concerning, for three games in succession Wednesday have been really poor and supporters are finding it hard to see where the next three points is going to come from. The heads seem to go down so quickly, to go from 0-0 five minutes from half time to 3-0 down barely 5 minutes into the second half should not be possible and to come out of the game without a single booking may be a good thing in terms of the disciplinary record it does perhaps suggest there is a lack of fight or ability to role the sleeves up and get stuck in when it really matters, this was after all supposed to be a huge game for both sides in light of the respective league positions.

Wednesday boast a goals against and goal difference record that is comparable to that of Peterborough and Scunthorpe and only three clubs have scored fewer goals than the Owls in the Championship.

The Owls now face play-off hunting Leicester at Hillsborough next weekend followed by a midweek trip to title chasing west Bromwich Albion and then a visit to 4th placed Swansea City on the Saturday
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I'll start by saying that if the playing staff took that attitude with our home record and ignored recent form, it's no wonder they were surprised.

[Mr Angry]

I'd add that they only went away with no yellow or red cards because of an amazingly over lenient referee, probably the only ref who doesn't see an elbow in the face, or the dragging back a player who has gone past you as bookable offences.

[Row Z Royal]

I'd add that they only went away with no yellow or red cards because of an amazingly over lenient referee, probably the only ref who doesn't see an elbow in the face, or the dragging back a player who has gone past you as bookable offences.

This was going to be my only addition to the Weds comments.

[Murts-is-Lej]

I'd add that they only went away with no yellow or red cards because of an amazingly over lenient referee, probably the only ref who doesn't see an elbow in the face, or the dragging back a player who has gone past you as bookable offences.

Is seems the illustrious Mr Dowd has the same problem... At least when it comes to anyone in an MU shirt anyway

[Row Z Royal]

I'd add that they only went away with no yellow or red cards because of an amazingly over lenient referee, probably the only ref who doesn't see an elbow in the face, or the dragging back a player who has gone past you as bookable offences.

Is seems the illustrious Mr Dowd has the same problem... At least when it comes to anyone in an MU shirt anyway

Relevance: 1

[Jackson Corner]

It was that same idiot ref who failed to send off Paddy Kenny 3 years ago when he handled outside the box. Even Warnock admited he should have gone. Then failed to give the Blades a blatent pen in the second half. Just shows after 3 years refs don't improve.

[Millsy]

I detest rugby.

But one thing the fat tw*ts do (in the 6 nations at least as far as I know) is allow video replays and it doesn't spoil the flow of the game at all.

I do feel sorry for Sheff Wed though.

A good bunch really - don't deserve to be thumped so hard.

[Ian Royal]

I detest rugby.

But one thing the fat tw*ts do (in the 6 nations at least as far as I know) is allow video replays and it doesn't spoil the flow of the game at all.

I do feel sorry for Sheff Wed though.

A good bunch really - don't deserve to be thumped so hard.

To be fair, Rugby is more stop start anyway. The ball goes dead when there is a possible try. No problem having a replay then. Ball doesn't always go dead when there might have been a goal in football.

[cmonurz]

I detest rugby.

But one thing the fat tw*ts do (in the 6 nations at least as far as I know) is allow video replays and it doesn't spoil the flow of the game at all.

The players (and fans) also respect the referee and the decisions made, however.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

One look at Reading’s home record prior to this weekend’s fixture should have suggested a presentable opportunity to pick up some much needed points:

Played 14, Wins 3, Draws 6, Defeats 5, Goals scored 12, Goals conceded 17.

In those 14 games Reading had not scored more than two goals on any occasion and so to lose 5-0 to a club that has such a poor record and is potentially a rival for a relegation spot is nothing short of disgraceful. [Etc]

Those numbers lie, which I think we around here all sorta knew going in, but if it's the basis of this guy's argument --that his boys got destroyed by a bad side with a poor home record, and who could've predicted that?-- then he needs to get out and see some football

How many opposing managers --a good few victorious ones not least among them-- are on record this season having said words to the effect of "I cannot for the life of me see how Reading are a bottom three side" and something about how "they [RFC] create plenty of chances, and once they start putting them away with any consistency at all, look out"

If anything, I think that yesterday's outcome, and not least in its dramatic makeover at one clout of our season's goal-difference, went some way toward bringing stats into line with the overall quality of the side (and by that I don't speak in terms of potential, but rather of performance, and indeed over the 32 league matches now in the book)

I understand that the guy's not happy, nor should he be (and I've got a bit of a soft spot for his club myself), and it's quite proper to look for answers, but let's be real --absolutely nothing that our guys have pulled off since the calendar flipped to 2010 has come as any sort of stunning surprise to me; at no time have I felt like some sort of witness to the impossible, and least of all as that hammering got put on a pretty bad Wednesday outfit yesterday afternoon

[Man Friday]

I was driving home from Leeds on Saturday afternoon and was listening to the whole of the first half (and the build up) on BBC Radio Sheffield. From the sound of it Reading completely dominated the first half. The commentator seemed to really rate Reading.

Interestingly (to me, anyway), they spoke about Reading as a "big team".

BTW, the commentary was far superior to ours [although the co-commentators (ex Wednesday players) were abysmal]. Opposite to us where the commentator is awful but the co is very good.

[PEARCEY]

The really positive aspect is Wednesday's next few fixtures, Leicester, WBA and Swansea. They could be in dire straits after those games and well adrift from us by then. Its looking so much better than a few short weeks ago.

[Cookie]

Is that what passes for improvement?


. . . to come out of the game without a single booking may be a good thing in terms of the disciplinary record it does suggest there is a lack of fight or ability to role the sleeves up and get stuck in when it really matters.

Atta boy, you'll probably do better with 9 men.

[Terminal Boardom]

I was driving home from Leeds on Saturday afternoon and was listening to the whole of the first half (and the build up) on BBC Radio Sheffield. From the sound of it Reading completely dominated the first half. The commentator seemed to really rate Reading.

Interestingly (to me, anyway), they spoke about Reading as a "big team".

BTW, the commentary was far superior to ours [although the co-commentators (ex Wednesday players) were abysmal]. Opposite to us where the commentator is awful but the co is very good.

Very interesting that Tim Dellor divides opinion so much. I, for one, enjoy his commentaries. He pretty much calls it as he sees it. I wonder if the antipathy towards him is nothing short of snobbery. Just because he went to Bradfield College does not necessarily make him a cock! And his wife is not too shabby either

[Millsy]

I detest rugby.

But one thing the fat tw*ts do (in the 6 nations at least as far as I know) is allow video replays and it doesn't spoil the flow of the game at all.

I do feel sorry for Sheff Wed though.

A good bunch really - don't deserve to be thumped so hard.

To be fair, Rugby is more stop start anyway. The ball goes dead when there is a possible try. No problem having a replay then. Ball doesn't always go dead when there might have been a goal in football.

That is a fair point.

But footy I feel is still screaming out for video evidence to be used in some circumstances. It is a joke atm.

[Terminal Boardom]

I detest rugby.

But one thing the fat tw*ts do (in the 6 nations at least as far as I know) is allow video replays and it doesn't spoil the flow of the game at all.

I do feel sorry for Sheff Wed though.

A good bunch really - don't deserve to be thumped so hard.

To be fair, Rugby is more stop start anyway. The ball goes dead when there is a possible try. No problem having a replay then. Ball doesn't always go dead when there might have been a goal in football.

That is a fair point.

But footy I feel is still screaming out for video evidence to be used in some circumstances. It is a joke atm.

Use of a video ref is a must in football. Unfortunately, the fossils in charge of FIFA, UEFA and our dear old FA will never sanction it. They are stuck in the 19th Century and insist on staying there. In an ideal world, referees would be open to interview in order that thay can discuss the game. Greater opportunity for football fans to understand the thinking of the officials can only be a good thing. Sadly, this won't happen either. This is a shame as it might shut up the ridiculous surplus of brain dead pundits who only enjoy the sound of their voices.

[Dirk Gently]

Argh!

The whole nature of the game will change if you have stops while someone looks at a video.

A definite "yes" to an instant notification of "line decisions" which are all objective, but for fouls and handballs where it's all subjective (e.g. intentional or not?) there's nothing to be gained from stopping and waiting.

[Percy's Rocket]

The TV replays in rugby are only used for try/no try I believe...not every refs decision as even stop start rugby would grind to a halt if that was allowed. No way can we have TV replays for the kind of decisions being criticised here eg a booking in midfield (though I agree the ref was poor not to give a yellow on at least 2 occasions). Perhaps it will come in for goal line shouts and maybe even pen/no pen (as that is almost a goal/no goal decision) but no way for aything else..they will check everything and the game will have no flow whatsoever.

[Mr Optimist]

Although I'm not a tennis fan maybe they could allow each team 3 appeals a match but only for penalty shouts and ball crossing the line incidents as Percy mentioned...

[tink]

I reckon they should go more for a tennis style hawkeye referral system, where each team, through their captain, has 3 calls in a match to challenge a bad shout, and limit it to incidents in the penalty area, i.e. disallowed goals, penalties, handballs, offsides etc.