Another day, another game, another costly individual mistake.
United`s run of horror errors continues to frustrate players and fans alike and to rob the team of much needed points at the start of Gary Speeds managerial career at Bramall Lane. After Chris Morgan at Boro then Stephen Jordan at Leeds, last night it was the turn of Steve Simonsen to add his name to the list of awful individual mistakes.
Forest were out of the blocks quickly, forcing Simonsen into an early save from Blackstock. United Responded with some neat football before CRESSWELL met Jordan`s in swinging free kick after 6 minutes and United were ahead.
The Blades should have been two up five minutes later when the impressive Bogdanovich was through on goal, beat his defender but saw his low shot bounce off the keepers legs. A chance that should have been converted and given United a two goal lead.
Forest struggled to get any kind of hold on the game, United`s midfield were snuffing out any threat and Britton playing just in front of the back four was spraying the ball about bringing Yeates and Bogdanovich into the game.
At the back Bartley picked up where he left off on Saturday, he and Nosworthy looking solid and noticeably talking to each other a lot as their partnership continues to develop.
United looked by far the more settled side passing an moving easily, leaving Forest fans increasingly impatient with their side as United`s shape and discipline continued to snuff out any threat before Forest could establish a pattern to their game?.that was until Simonsen decided to go run around as he left his area out toward his left hand corner flag in the 25th minute, was beaten to the ball but the cross eluded the in rushing Blackstock, much to the travelling fans relief.
Lee Camp then made a good save from Jordan`s 25 yarder, then Bogdanovich clean through on goal was pulled up for something only referee Russell saw. Then Yates`s delicate chip from the edge of the box appeared to be going in until the diminutive Camp managed to finger tip it over. Yeates then shot over from distance from the resulting corner.
Forest`s McGugan brought Simonsen back into the game just before half time, but the half belonged to United who should easily have been a couple of goals up.
When everyone expected Billy Davis to have fired his team up for an assault on United at the start of the half, it was United who created the first chance, Creswell`s header blocked with the keeper nowhere after a left wing move.
Forests approach changed completely on the hour when the much travelled Adebola was introduced. This signalled a continuous stream of long balls (remember what that was like?) aimed at the lumbering Adebola who was clearly following his managers instructions to put himself about with the United centre backs. That he certainly did, clattering both defenders early on, twice from the back, neither of which received the yellow that they deserved.
Bogdanovich left to a standing ovation from Blades fans to be replaced by Evans. Right away United missed the strength and hold up play of Bogdanovich as Evans lack of movement and work rate saw him easily brushed off the ball.
Forest equalised in bazaar fashion, McKenna`s hopeful long range effort had little pace on it but came high at Simonsen who was just off his line and appeared to try to palm the ball over the bar, but there was little pace on the ball and he succeeded only in allowing it to drop gently behind him into the net.
The areal barrage continued, Forest launching it from all directions. Simonsen spilled one which Nosworthy cleared as United battled against Forest`s direct attack. Adebola still putting himself about along the back four was challenging for everything he could get near to, and a lot of what he couldn`t. Bartley went to meet a simple headed clearance and was laid out by the very late arriving striker. It was clear to all that the facial injury was a serious one. United`s players protested to referee Russet, who took no action.
Six minutes of added time saw United easily cope with the Forest threat, Ertl moving back to partner Nosworthy.
Gloucs’s View
We should have won it?easily. United had dealt with everything Forest had and should have been comfortably ahead by the time Simonsen threw it into his own net. You would expect expensive individual errors to happen a few times over a season, but three horror errors have already cost us 4 points in just 9 games. I’ve no doubt this will change. The players are beginning to settle with the Speed system, and the Forest long ball game in the last 30 minutes reminded us all of how much we liked the change in our team. I won`t say exactly what I think about Adebola`s “challenge” on Bartley in case his lawyers are reading this, but suffice it to say that Gary Speeds comments on the incident were generous.
Share this article
