Kompany

[4midable]

What a man
That interview was bang on

[Vegas Claret]

what did he say ?

[Colburn_Claret]

He blamed it on tired legs that couldn't maintain the pace we broke with in the first half, or carry on the pressing game.
Just a game too far basically, didn't seem overly concerned with the way we conceded the goals at all, just said it was all part of the learning curve.

[RVclaret]

Don’t disagree with that but he also was naive to select the smallest 11 in history against a team who had scored 8 set pieces before today.

[claretspice]

That's not bang on though. It was a factor, sure, but our failure at set pieces and long throws and vulnerability to balls into the full back channels were there from the start and were simply down to personnel.

[ksrclaret]

Christ alive.

Hugely concerning if he hasn’t mentioned that the defence and keeper weren’t close to being good enough.

[Clive 1960]

He should never have started with Tella up front against a physical Sheffield United team .

[jedi_master]

To blame that onslaught on tiredness would not be bang on - it was entirely down to exploitation of our main weaknesses. Crosses, high balls and set pieces.

[warksclaret]

He was very diplomatic and supported his team 100% which is great to see. Believe me though he will be hurting

[Colburn_Claret]

I'd also add that in peoples prediction of the starting XI, most people wanted to start with Roberts and Taylor.
Now if VK thought that the team was feeling the effort from earlier in the week, then even more reason why he should have played them from the off, or at least brought them on at half time.

[KefkaClaret]

Don’t disagree with that but he also was naive to select the smallest 11 in history against a team who had scored 8 set pieces before today.

Whilst true we don't exactly have a wealth of height anyway.

[taio]

He made the wrong team selection. He's got pretty much everything right so far though so hopefully it will be a lesson learned.

[Claretforever]

To be fair, in context what he said was that tired legs meant we weren’t pressing them enough, which then allowed Sheffield United down our lines and gaining throw ins, corners and crossing opportunities.

[bf2k]

That's not bang on though. It was a factor, sure, but our failure at set pieces and long throws and vulnerability to balls into the full back channels were there from the start and were simply down to personnel.

I think personnel was a factor but tactics as well. To go Call against a big team is crazy. It gives blockers the chance to screen leaving others free. Then not to pick up the second is criminal. You don’t need to be a giant yourself to stop these just switched on.

However, SUFC put in the best set pieces I’ve seen from a team in years. They were quality balls.

[Billy Balfour]

Christ alive.

Hugely concerning if he hasn’t mentioned that the defence and keeper weren’t close to being good enough.

I think he's bright enough to keep such criticism in-house, don't you.

[claretspice]

I'd also add that in peoples prediction of the starting XI, most people wanted to start with Roberts and Taylor.
Now if VK thought that the team was feeling the effort from earlier in the week, then even more reason why he should have played them from the off, or at least brought them on at half time.

Yep. Those 2 and Barnes or Dervişoğlu had to start this game.

I don't follow Taylor particularly. His passing doesn't suffer too much in comparison to Mastsen and whilst he's not as quick he's hardly slow and he's miles more solid defensively. He'd have helped us defend v Baldock in open play and improved our resilience at set plays.

[bf2k]

He should never have started with Tella up front against a physical Sheffield United team .

Who then? Barnes and turn it into a scrap just as SUFC would want?

[Rileybobs]

A pragmatic starting eleven was needed. Kompany has a habit of picking the best eleven players rather than the players most suited to a particular position against a particular opposition. It’s not caused us any harm this season because quite frankly we’ve been better than any other side. Today was always going to be a tough test and the selection of Vitinho, Maatsen and Tella in that system was just wrong. Hopefully he learns from this.

[RVclaret]

Who then? Barnes and turn it into a scrap just as SUFC would want?

Dervisoglu

[Clive 1960]

Tella as looked tired last two games and frustrated today with the rough stuff.

[Silkyskills1]

Very diplomatic from Kompany. We were overrun in the second half and fatigue was definetly a factor. And that was down to playing on Wednesday night.

[BurnleyFC]

Wrong team selection and not making changes at half time cost us today.

[Swizzlestick]

Christ alive.

Hugely concerning if he hasn’t mentioned that the defence and keeper weren’t close to being good enough.

He’s hardly going to say that in a post match interview.

[KefkaClaret]

I refuse to believe anyone without the benefit of hindsight saying they wanted Barnes starting this game.

[alf_resco]

Ah, the armchair experts are out in force again.
Do you honestly think you know better than VK ?
Do you think he hasn't spotted problems/areas of weakness both today and previously?
Do you think he & his team won't be tryiing to address these issues?
Your supposedly superior pontificating on what VK is thinking is risible.

[Milltown1882]

Do people genuinely want the manager of the team that is top of the championship to start calling out his keeper and defence in interviews? Off day, move on.

[Colburn_Claret]

Do people genuinely want the manager of the team that is top of the championship to start calling out his keeper and defence in interviews? Off day, move on.

If it was an off day we would all move on, but it wasn't an off day.
It's true we were tired, and probably felt it second half, but our defending has been poor most of the season, and it's purely because of the amount of possession we've maintained that it hasn't cost us more.

[Milltown1882]

If it was an off day we would all move on, but it wasn't an off day.
It's true we were tired, and probably felt it second half, but our defending has been poor most of the season, and it's purely because of the amount of possession we've maintained that it hasn't cost us more.

We’ve lost 2 games of football in 20.

[Colburn_Claret]

We’ve lost 2 games of football in 20.

I know, but the goals we concede have been very similar, not just today. Failing to win the headers, and not fighting for the second ball, and fullbacks caught way out of position. We aren't top of the table because we are solid in defence that's for sure, despite the goals against column.

[Billy Balfour]

Ah, the armchair experts are out in force again.
Do you honestly think you know better than VK ?
Do you think he hasn't spotted problems/areas of weakness both today and previously?
Do you think he & his team won't be tryiing to address these issues?
Your supposedly superior pontificating on what VK is thinking is risible.

Best of the lot, only a handful of games into the season, and some of the 'football brains' on here were posting about us having a relegation manager and a relegation team. It's embarrassing.

[Milltown1882]

I know, but the goals we concede have been very similar, not just today. Failing to win the headers, and not fighting for the second ball, and fullbacks caught way out of position. We aren't top of the table because we are solid in defence that's for sure, despite the goals against column.

But are we top? The overreaction today is mad.

[SalisburyClaret]

Team selection wrong and far too slow to make changes - but suspect he’ll learn a lot from today to make a difference in the next game

[ksrclaret]

He’s hardly going to say that in a post match interview.

Some acknowledgement that the way we defended today was totally unacceptable is hardly headline-making stuff.

He said as much about the goal we shipped against Reading, for example.

[Colburn_Claret]

But are we top? The overreaction today is mad.

I don't think there's an overreaction to the defeat.
It's a reaction to the standard of our defending.

I do think we can go on too much though, it is time to park it and move on.

[JohnMac]

A better side than us in the 2nd half, just move on!

[Swizzlestick]

Some acknowledgement that the way we defended today was totally unacceptable is hardly headline-making stuff.

He said as much about the goal we shipped against Reading, for example.

But it was a different context as we won the game and will have been sandwiched by a broadly positive summary. The players and VK will know full well that wasn’t good enough and they’ll be (hopefully) pretty upset about it. Your manager digging you out in the media on top of that isn’t going to help anything. I’m sure words will be had in the dressing room and training pitch.

[Milltown1882]

I don't think there's an overreaction to the defeat.
It's a reaction to the standard of our defending.

I do think we can go on too much though, it is time to park it and move on.

Agreed

[jedi_master]

I don't think there's an overreaction to the defeat.
It's a reaction to the standard of our defending.

I do think we can go on too much though, it is time to park it and move on.

Best post today!

[karatekid]

Just be happy we threw one in this weekend and not next weekend. It's done now onwards and upwards as they say.

[NRC]

I don’t think the tone on here is one of uninformed criticism. We all know we’re top, but that sets a standard AND an expectation. When you genuinely excel it should be the case that when something goes wrong it should be scrutinized, and today hopefully VK has recognized he has a problem to solve that has become a priority.

We will win this thing because we’re better at most things than the average team in this league, but let’s also accept that a higher capability also leads to a higher examination if things fail

[Spijed]

We’ve lost 2 games of football in 20.

The quality of strikers in the Championship has allowed us to mask our defending somewhat.

Our defence has been poor all season. Its just we can overcome most teams with our attacking.

[RVclaret]

But are we top? The overreaction today is mad.

Are you surprised?

These people have had pent up negativity stored inside them for months ready to unleash as soon as we lose.

Now it’s time to explode.

[taio]

Any manager in this league with any sense will tell his players to pump balls into our box and on set pieces crowd our six yard box because we have no command if it. Kompany will need to continue to find a way of countering this and probably more so.

[RVclaret]

Any manager in this league with any sense will tell his players to pump balls into our box and on set pieces crowd our six yard box because we have no command if it. Kompany will need to continue to find a way of countering this and probably more so.

What about the 19 managers we’ve faced so far, why didn’t they? Today was the first time we’ve looked so vulnerable from set pieces, we weren’t even in the top 12 for set pieces conceded in the league prior.

[Woonderbah]

At the start of the season, if we were offered being in the top 3 and playing entertaining football going into the World Cup break, I think we would've jumped at that.
Disappointing today but it will bode well after some analysis and hard work on the training ground.

[taio]

What about the 19 managers we’ve faced so far, why didn’t they? Today was the first time we’ve looked so vulnerable from set pieces, we weren’t even in the top 12 for set pieces conceded in the league prior.

I disagree completely. We've done so well - it's been brilliant so far (today excepted) - but we look vulnerable from crosses. Why are you just looking at set pieces?.

[claretspice]

Are you surprised?

These people have had pent up negativity stored inside them for months ready to unleash as soon as we lose.

Now it’s time to explode.

I don't think this is fair comment. I think that overwhelming majority of fans like what Kompany is trying to do and desperately want it to succeed- bottom to vindicate the philosophy and because they know that the club's financial position makes promotion hugely important to the medium term future of the club.

The reaction today is two fold. Firstly the manner of the defeat plays to a nagging feeling that when this team is put under pressure defensively it might be found wanting. But secondly I think there's a general surpris3 that Kompany didn't make the minor adjustments to his strategy necessary to respect Sheffield United's strengths. No-one thinks they know more than Kompany and his staff but a lot of this is not hindsight but stuff folk said pre game and again at half time - and he had tools at his disposal that he didn't use. That's understandably frustrating.

[claretspice]

What about the 19 managers we’ve faced so far, why didn’t they? Today was the first time we’ve looked so vulnerable from set pieces, we weren’t even in the top 12 for set pieces conceded in the league prior.

That's not true either. We've looked a bit vulnerable at set plays before and in any event 1)we've generally had Jay or Ash plus Brownhill on the pitch and 2) Sheffield United are obviously a step up on what we've played before, particularly physically. We were smaller and weaker today against a bigger and better opponent. That was a concern many had pre game and it came to pass.

Kompany has done brilliantly but he didn't respect Sheff U enough today to make allowances and he has to own that and learn from that. I'd like to think he will.

[taio]

What about the 19 managers we’ve faced so far, why didn’t they? Today was the first time we’ve looked so vulnerable from set pieces, we weren’t even in the top 12 for set pieces conceded in the league prior.

Do you not think our main and possibly only vulnerability has been balls into our box? If the answer is no then I really do wonder what you are watching.

[RVclaret]

That's not true either. We've looked a bit vulnerable at set plays before and in any event 1)we've generally had Jay or Ash plus Brownhill on the pitch and 2) Sheffield United are obviously a step up on what we've played before, particularly physically. We were smaller and weaker today against a bigger and better opponent. That was a concern many had pre game and it came to pass.

Kompany has done brilliantly but he didn't respect Sheff U enough today to make allowances and he has to own that and learn from that. I'd like to think he will.

Agree with all of that but I don’t think it’s been too worrying before. Today I felt they could score from every set piece. That was because of our lack of height, so we are agreeing.