Sheaf is top notch in this division. The sort of player you realise what he brings when he’s not there.
Looking at whoscored.com player stats for players who have least played the average numer of mins in the Chapionship. Our top player Wright 13th place then Rudoni 29th, MVE 83rd, Sheaf 109th. For context Torp 202nd Eccles 210th and for controversy Simms 339th Bassette 346th.
I think we all get a bit blind when we have an opinion on a player. Those who don't rate him highly still saying he was poor yesterday when he was miles better.
Tbf I'm a bit like that with Collins who I thought was bad again but did see a decent stop on the highlights.
Tbf I'm a bit like that with Collins who I thought was bad again but did see a decent stop on the highlights.
It’s why I like stats. There’s so much room for confirmation bias in football. So many incidents you can view different ways it’s easy to just go with your existing views. But if you say “sheaf gave the ball away all game” and it’s there in black and white that he didn’t there’s not much you can say (though thankfully for Nick we still do)
Sheaf stats from yesterday:
80 touches
60 passes at 93.3% pass completion, which means he only misplaced 4 passes
Completed 3 of 4 long passes
Completed 1 of 2 crosses
2 shots, 1 on target
1 key pass
2 tackles
3 clearances
3 aerials won
Dispossessed 2 times (joint worse with Milan)
3 unsuccessful touches ( milan 3, Sakamoto 4, Rudoni 6)
Slipped a great through ball to Bassette for the penalty.
Hardly giving the ball away "all the time".
He's playing nowhere near the level we all know he can, but some of the ratings yesterday, 5's, are a joke given some of the displays we've seen this season, including from him.
Its also quite clear that Lampard has asked him to sit and not drive forward, especially when Torp and Rudoni are playing, which allows the fullbacks to get forward.
80 touches
60 passes at 93.3% pass completion, which means he only misplaced 4 passes
Completed 3 of 4 long passes
Completed 1 of 2 crosses
2 shots, 1 on target
1 key pass
2 tackles
3 clearances
3 aerials won
Dispossessed 2 times (joint worse with Milan)
3 unsuccessful touches ( milan 3, Sakamoto 4, Rudoni 6)
Slipped a great through ball to Bassette for the penalty.
Hardly giving the ball away "all the time".
He's playing nowhere near the level we all know he can, but some of the ratings yesterday, 5's, are a joke given some of the displays we've seen this season, including from him.
Its also quite clear that Lampard has asked him to sit and not drive forward, especially when Torp and Rudoni are playing, which allows the fullbacks to get forward.
To be fair everybody moans that thomas gives the ball away all the time and he has a 83% pass completion rate
@Earlsdon_Skyblue1Lampards first 4 games
Cardiff: Sheaf and Eccles = Drew 2-2
Millwall: Sheaf and Torp = Won 1-0
WBA: Sheaf and Eccles = Lost 2-0
Hull: Sheaf and Torp = Won 2-1
Sheaf is one of the players where when he plays well the team plays well.
Thought the 2nd half at Hull was the best he's been since coming back (not a high bar i appreciate) but he will be a big player for us again this season, as he always has been
Thought the 2nd half at Hull was the best he's been since coming back (not a high bar i appreciate) but he will be a big player for us again this season, as he always has been
He was feeding a lot of passes to Milan. Hull were giving MVE so much more space than most teams do.
Most of sheafs passes are the same though ? Most players passes are 5-10 yard passes in general aren't they ?
It’s the direction that bothers me. I thought we moved the ball side to side much quicker and got the benefit of that, possible because the opposition was so poor. I thought we started driving through the middle more but again they were very open.
The proof of the pudding will be the next team that is well organised or sits off. Hopefully we’ve had a few more training sessions and a couple of wins under our belt by then.
Torp and Eccles worth a go then?
Lampards first 4 games
Cardiff: Sheaf and Eccles = Drew 2-2
Millwall: Sheaf and Torp = Won 1-0
WBA: Sheaf and Eccles = Lost 2-0
Hull: Sheaf and Torp = Won 2-1
agree with this.
I don't believe for a second that Sheaf isn't a great championship midfielder and has the ability to be our best/most impactful player.
It feels like we really need him to step up and when he starts performing again, i think we'll really see an upturn in results.
When he plays badly, it seems to impact the whole team performance.
He needs time out of the team to realise he's not untouchable and the move that he is perhaps thinking about will not longer be on the cards with his current performance levels.
The captain shrugs his shoulders
The keeper laughs with the opposition
Sums this team up.
How he is captain is beyond me. The question is who do you give it to? This is the most spineless group of cowards I have ever seen on a football pitch.
He hasn't been great but he is the absolute least of our problems. Probably feels like all of us - can't believe he's gone from playing with absolute heroes to spineless twats who can't be trusted.
Sheaf will always be a Rolls Royce when behind him he has centre backs that are of a high level.
Binks and Thomas, Dasilva and Collins are making Sheaf look shite, he's not gonna pull 10/10 performances week in and week out with a defence like that behind him.
Binks and Thomas, Dasilva and Collins are making Sheaf look shite, he's not gonna pull 10/10 performances week in and week out with a defence like that behind him.
Sheaf looked great last season with the same defenders behind him. He’s just been poor this season - no-one else to blame but himself.
Correct, on his day which we've only seen a couple of times this season
In similar vein to MvE, he knows he will not be dropped
He is also not captain material
That's what sits behind Sheaf, Collins, Binks, Thomas, Dasilva and MVE.
We need a new left back 2 center backs and either Wilson or Dovin to be given a run of games.
Our centre backs are simply not at this level.
4 against Pompey
1 against hull
2 against WBA
2 against Cardiff
2 against Sheffield United
2 against Sunderland
2 against Luton
2 against Burnley
2 against Derby
2 against Shef Wed
3 against Leeds
2 against Swansea
2 against Oxford
Probably answers the question. Who else would it be. MVE is pretty much the only guaranteed starter and thats not because of how well he's playing, just that we have no options.
He's not defending the backline or releasing us forward. It's a big problem.
I'm tired of seeing him trudge back after someone has run past him without a challenge.
That's our problem, we have no real leaders in this side. I did say a few weeks back that I would have Bidwell, Wilson and Kitching ahead of Sheaf as captain.
When Sheaf becomes our biggest problem we’ll be in a very good place.
I agree but it does depend what fans expect from him? As a DM he is excellent.
If fans are expecting a creative midfielder, then they are going to be disappointed.
Just expect him to do the job he is best at.