Sheffield United (A) pre match

[Happy Blade]

Pretty sure the story is going to be about him Saturday. His prematch comments if any will be interesting. Hasn't scored for 4 consecutive prem matches but I was somwhat alarmed to see he was 5th leading scorer in prem last season. We certainly got under Zaha's  skin last weekend and Vardy has a red card in him. Expect to see him with two United players on him all the time. Atmosphere will be electric and if he scores there will be a lot of typical Sheffielder gloomy self criticism for winding him up !

[Leeds Fox]

13 minutes ago, Happy Blade said:

Pretty sure the story is going to be about him Saturday. His prematch comments if any will be interesting. Hasn't scored for 4 consecutive prem matches but I was somwhat alarmed to see he was 5th leading scorer in prem last season. We certainly got under Zaha's  skin last weekend and Vardy has a red card in him. Expect to see him with two United players on him all the time. Atmosphere will be electric and if he scores there will be a lot of typical Sheffielder gloomy self criticism for winding him up !

 

Vardy has had 3 Red Cards in 5 full PL seasons. He absolutely thrives off of the stick he gets from the opposition. I’m fairly sure it won’t wind him up, it’ll spur him on. If he does walk, it’ll be for clattering someone closing them down (like he does weekly), not because your lads have given him a bit of a ribbing. 

[OntarioFox]

19 minutes ago, Happy Blade said:

Pretty sure the story is going to be about him Saturday. His prematch comments if any will be interesting. Hasn't scored for 4 consecutive prem matches but I was somwhat alarmed to see he was 5th leading scorer in prem last season. We certainly got under Zaha's  skin last weekend and Vardy has a red card in him. Expect to see him with two United players on him all the time. Atmosphere will be electric and if he scores there will be a lot of typical Sheffielder gloomy self criticism for winding him up !

Go for it mate, that would be tactical suicide from Wilder if so as it would free up one of Barnes or Perez to do... well, whatever they want. 

[TheSomersetFox]

1 hour ago, ARTY_FOX said:

A particular place that brings me joy was a specific corner of fans at West Brom, he seemed to score that end every year and run over to those fans to celebrate. 

The one where he cupped his ears and skipped down the touchline is my personal favorite 

 

Someone needs to make a GIF of that celebration tbh

[HighPeakFox]

41 minutes ago, Happy Blade said:

Pretty sure the story is going to be about him Saturday. His prematch comments if any will be interesting. Hasn't scored for 4 consecutive prem matches but I was somwhat alarmed to see he was 5th leading scorer in prem last season. We certainly got under Zaha's  skin last weekend and Vardy has a red card in him. Expect to see him with two United players on him all the time. Atmosphere will be electric and if he scores there will be a lot of typical Sheffielder gloomy self criticism for winding him up !

He's sharp as ever - if he doesn't score, the lazy press say he wasn't in the game. A careful watch of Sunday will show you that he's a constant threat, and with some quicker thinking/judgement from other players, he'd have been the headline act.

[Ric Flair]

4 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Am I right in thinking  Vardys been a bit off form lately? The hostility and baiting towards him will be something else. When has he had to face similar to this recently and scored as you say ? Genuinely  Would like to dig up some u tube clips. Looking forward to a rocking game on Saturday. Enjoy your visit to a special place.

He revels in the abuse, he's had it with Spurs a fair bit since we won the league and he takes great pleasure in the goals he's scored against them since. The one in particular was his flicked volley in the 17/18 season when they'd spent the opening minutes loudly abusing him and his wife and he went over to them straight the way after scoring and rustled.

 

West Brom as well he has them all on a bit of string, scored 4 seasons on the spin there and ran to the same corner of their fans to cause mayhem hahahaa

 

There's a great thread on this on twitter, hang on i'll post the link in here....

 

https://twitter.com/OPlcfc/status/972622110500802560?s=19

[OntarioFox]

40 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

He revels in the abuse, he's had it with Spurs a fair bit since we won the league and he takes great pleasure in the goals he's scored against them since. The one in particular was his flicked volley in the 17/18 season when they'd spent the opening minutes loudly abusing him and his wife and he went over to them straight the way after scoring and rustled.

 

West Brom as well he has them all on a bit of string, scored 4 seasons on the spin there and ran to the same corner of their fans to cause mayhem hahahaa

 

There's a great thread on this on twitter, hang on i'll post the link in here....

 

https://twitter.com/OPlcfc/status/972622110500802560?s=19

That Spurs volley is still one of my favourite goals to have experienced in the moment, right up there with Howard vs. Leeds or the Liverpool 30 yarder. It was just perfect to go in a split second from the Spurs fans, in their toe-curling north London brogue, declaring that Rebekkah was "getting fahhcked in tha jangall" to Vardy lobbing a worldy over Lloris and revelling in making three thousand people collectively shut their mouths in unison. 

[Happy Blade]

2 hours ago, Leeds Fox said:

 

Vardy has had 3 Red Cards in 5 full PL seasons. He absolutely thrives off of the stick he gets from the opposition. I’m fairly sure it won’t wind him up, it’ll spur him on. If he does walk, it’ll be for clattering someone closing them down (like he does weekly), not because your lads have given him a bit of a ribbing. 

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

[ARTY_FOX]

3 hours ago, Goober said:

The one where he cupped his ears and skipped down the touchline is my personal favorite 

 

Someone needs to make a GIF of that celebration tbh

Absolutely brilliant. Loved it when you had the picture of him stood there arms out as that idiot was screaming at him from behind the steward. Master stroke. 

[adejo92]

6 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Am I right in thinking  Vardys been a bit off form lately? The hostility and baiting towards him will be something else. When has he had to face similar to this recently and scored as you say ? Genuinely  Would like to dig up some u tube clips. Looking forward to a rocking game on Saturday. Enjoy your visit to a special place.

 

He's not been off form, our first two games have been against tough opposition whereby he has been isolated upfront due to defensive tactics - both leading to a point. 

 

Saturday will be his first game where he has support against lesser opposition - in fact, it may remind him of his Fleetwood days and go on to bag 4.

 

[UPinCarolina]

Chomping at the bit ahead of Saturday. Anyone else feeling especially piqued up?

[Sol thewall Bamba]

7 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Am I right in thinking  Vardys been a bit off form lately? The hostility and baiting towards him will be something else. When has he had to face similar to this recently and scored as you say ? Genuinely  Would like to dig up some u tube clips. Looking forward to a rocking game on Saturday. Enjoy your visit to a special place.

Haha please by all means crank it up to 11. It'll just make him play better, bigger and better stadiums have tried and failed miserably. 

[grobyfox1990]

1 hour ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

That is all true but Zaha is a completely different story to Vardy. The man looks deeply upset and hurt about not getting his move and trying to act out in any way to force something across the line by the end of the European transfer window. Not saying Sheff Utd didn't deserve the win on Sunday, they clearly did, but a notoriously slow starting Palace and a can't be arsed Zaha shouldn't be compared to City and Vardy on Saturday.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

He revels in the abuse, he's had it with Spurs a fair bit since we won the league and he takes great pleasure in the goals he's scored against them since. The one in particular was his flicked volley in the 17/18 season when they'd spent the opening minutes loudly abusing him and his wife and he went over to them straight the way after scoring and rustled.

 

West Brom as well he has them all on a bit of string, scored 4 seasons on the spin there and ran to the same corner of their fans to cause mayhem hahahaa

 

There's a great thread on this on twitter, hang on i'll post the link in here....

 

https://twitter.com/OPlcfc/status/972622110500802560?s=19

Incredible, I'd forgotten about a lot of these 

[Koke]

3 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

He revels in the abuse, he's had it with Spurs a fair bit since we won the league and he takes great pleasure in the goals he's scored against them since. The one in particular was his flicked volley in the 17/18 season when they'd spent the opening minutes loudly abusing him and his wife and he went over to them straight the way after scoring and rustled.

 

West Brom as well he has them all on a bit of string, scored 4 seasons on the spin there and ran to the same corner of their fans to cause mayhem hahahaa

 

There's a great thread on this on twitter, hang on i'll post the link in here....

 

https://twitter.com/OPlcfc/status/972622110500802560?s=19

 

Need West Brom back up asap. One last rustling hurrah for Vardy for old times sake.

[Happy Blade]

11 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

It'll just make him play better, bigger and better stadiums have tried and failed miserably. 

This is the kind of attitude Sheffield United so enjoy sending away with its tail between its legs. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

6 minutes ago, Happy Blade said:

This is the kind of attitude Sheffield United so enjoy sending away with its tail between its legs. 

And yours is the kind that Vards revels in as well. 

[Suzie the Fox]

20 minutes ago, Happy Blade said:

This is the kind of attitude Sheffield United so enjoy sending away with its tail between its legs. 

Should make for excellent viewing then, can't wait 

[Leeds Fox]

2 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

 

You look good so far and I’m not knocking your side at all. I hope you do well (rather see you up here than Leeds for personal reasons). 

 

I just don’t buy that Vardy will get wound up because it’s Sheff Utd. You could well frustrate him on the pitch, I’m not denying that. I just don’t think he’ll bite like you think. Also, for a player who plays with such intensity and aggression... 3 reds in 5 seasons isn’t bad going. 

 

Edit - thinking back to his red cards... 2 were for very forceful tackles, the one against Wolves wasn’t nice. Can’t really remember the one against Stoke. One was a second yellow for diving. 

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

One thing you can almost guarantee is, Brendan Rodgers will not underestimate you as a team. Our fans might but he is as meticulous as they come, often to the point of trying to be too clever but if you are to get a result on Saturday it won't be because we think this will be an easy game for us.

 

Got a lot of respect for Wilder and how he has built you back up. I've enjoyed our recent cup games, funnily enough the away game was much much easier than the home FA Cup game where it took a Mahrez and Vardy combo to break you down, that's an insight in to how well you defend and attack if I remember rightly.

 

 

[Haywood_6]

3 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

I do think you have a very good manager and it's understandable to start the season with a sense of optimisim, it would definitely be a big mistake to underestimate you this Saturday. We could quite easily lose if we did. But last season two of the new boys went back down and I think it will be the same this year. Out of all three I think Norwich have the best chance of staying up due to them having a clinical goalscorer in Pukki. (I'm putting my neck on the line by saying this) but I can't see McGoldrick and Sharp getting many at this level.

[Nicolo Barella]

3 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

Zaha is one of the easiest players to mark out of the game if the rest of Palace isn't up to scratch, especially because he's a winger - it was easy to mark him out as you did because of how shit the rest of the attack is. When they had Townsend on form and Batshuayi they had other threats which meant teams couldn't focus on Zaha so much. 

 

That said, you won't see Vardy on the ball a lot against you, he has a "quiet" playstyle in that he doesn't always get too involved in the build-up. He more excels in off the ball movement and shooting. He could definitely have a mostly quiet game against you but bang one in out of seemingly nowhere. 

[Ric Flair]

4 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Zaha is one of the easiest players to mark out of the game if the rest of Palace isn't up to scratch, especially because he's a winger - it was easy to mark him out as you did because of how shit the rest of the attack is. When they had Townsend on form and Batshuayi they had other threats which meant teams couldn't focus on Zaha so much. 

 

That said, you won't see Vardy on the ball a lot against you, he has a "quiet" playstyle in that he doesn't always get too involved in the build-up. He more excels in off the ball movement and shooting. He could definitely have a mostly quiet game against you but bang one in out of seemingly nowhere. 

I wish we knew how to do that, the arsehole has ripped us to pieces for years now.

[ScouseFox]

3 hours ago, Happy Blade said:

Well I don't think 3 red cards in 5 seasons invalidates my thinking that he might try a bit too hard against his hated boyhood rivals. Are we going to get another VAR moment? Thinking  that our style of play makes us super vulnerable to being counter attacked is a common mistake. Ask Roy Hodgson - on the back of their 80 mill striker they had the 6 th best away record in the prem last year and Zaha ended up spitting at our players and scuffling on the touch line. Not saying it was down to the crowd bating but underestimating the effectiveness of our players and tactics has seen a lot of frustrated teams and supporters recently. BTW Having seen Harvey Barnes a lot last season I have to say he is quality.

no offence bro but its you who is underestimating us and talking quite a lot of rubbish based on this thread, not the other way round. 

 

even comparing us to crystal palace or jamie vardy to fu cking zaha ffs is just outrageous. 

 

we love a random off day where we don’t even have a shot on target, sure, but if you think you’re going to do ok in this league because you managed well enough with wilfred zaha then you might just make yourself look really silly sooner rather than later. i could mark him out of a game, and the likes of guardiola and pochettino can’t work out how to stop vardy. so, yano. 

[Foxxed]

Happy Blade is really firing me up for this match now. What a gent.