A Window of Opportunity and Change

c A United View

 

 

With the January transfer window approaching it is clear that Nigel Clough will be busy, with players leaving Bramall Lane likely to exceed those incoming. A squad with quantity exceeding quality needs to be trimmed. I thought it would be worth offering my two penn'orth on who to keep and who we should look to move on, recognising that some of the departures may be delayed until the Summer when a more drastic re-shaping will probably take place.

Alongside this I have run a poll asking Blades fans for their opinions (you can fill it in HERE) and I will post the results after I have reviewed the squad, player by player. This post will develop over the next few days as I review each area of the squad in turn.

Goalkeepers

George Long - contracted until June 2016 (Keep):

A talented goalkeeper and great  shot stopper, but frailties in decision making, a lack of domination of his area and a failure to deal with crosses have again come to the fore. In addition he has developed a tendency to parry rather than make a caught save, although this seems to be an increasingly visible phenomenon in the modern game.

Easy to forget he is still only 20 and very few goalkeepers have over 60 first team starts at this age. You could argue that learning whilst firmly in the spotlight is the best way to learn, but also the most difficult, especially in a side performing below expectations and with little confidence for much of the season.

I am confident Long will develop into a good keeper, but equally could do with a rest to relieve the pressure now and again.

Mark Howard - Contracted until June 2014 (Keep, but revisit in Summer):

A steady and largely able deputy, but I am not sure I'd be comfortable if he had a prolonged run in the side. I think we need a keeper we would be comfortable playing if Long was injured or suffered a continuing lack of form. At present I can't help feeling we would look to the loan market.

George Willis - under contract until June 2015 (Keep, but look to loan out):

Considered a better prospect than Long by some and having gained England youth recognition, the key is how we best develop this natural talent.

Lower league and non-league clubs will be reluctant to take on and play a young keeper, preferring the many experienced keepers freely available.

 

 

Defenders

 

Tony McMahon - contracted until June 2014  (Keep, but revisit in Summer):

Whilst his free kicks bring hope of a goal, they aren't frequent enough to mask his defensive frailties, particularly when up against a direct left winger with pace.

Too often guilty of playing the man and not the ball, he has been caught out positionally and been out thought and out run by average League 1 wide men.

Capable of much more than he is currently delivering. 

Darryl Westlake - contracted until June 2014 with option of further year (January departure):

Looks lightweight for a defensive player and with limited runs in the side, he has had little opportunity to build his seemingly brittle confidence. 

Had gone downhill after a promising start to his career at Walsall and I have seen little in his time at Bramall Lane to suggest we will see any further promise, never mind fulfilment of it. With McMahon seemingly untouchable at left back despite his frailties Westlake is not required. McMahon's recent suspension was covered by a change of formation and Ryan Flynn in a wing back role.

Currently out on loan at Mansfield Town and I suspect he will remain there or on loan elsewhere from January onwards. Ideally we should be looking to create an opportunity to move him on permanently.

Marcus Williams - contracted until June 2014 (January departure): 

Another awful player. Neither left back or left winger, he is a defensive mistake waiting to happen. The fact he was given a contract extension - along with Porter and Doyle - in the Summer of 2012, shows the limited squad size and budget we intended working with and a fair degree of panic by club management at that time.

The fact he is now not getting in the Scunthorpe side says a lot. I would be making him immediately available in January and potentially paying up his contract to facilitate a move. 

Matt Hill - contracted until June 2014 (Keep and review in the Summer):

A much derided figure. Hill always guarantees you 100% effort, but often that alone is not enough.

Too slow and uncomfortable on the ball to play the kind of attacking full back role required by Clough, Hill has looked much better at centre back and it could be argued has been unlucky to lose his place after ably deputising for Collins and Maguire. A good squad player, Hill provides useful cover. I just don't see him starting.

Harry Maguire - contracted until June 2015 (Keep):

A lynch pin of a defence that has gone from one of the best defensive records in Europe to letting in more than a goal a game on average.

Maguire showed much promise in the FA Youth Cup winning team of 2011. He is still a reasonably solid defender of at least Championship level, but his lack of pace will stop him developing a career at the very top level.

Mistakes have been more prominent this season and a lack of a commanding voice amongst back four and keeper has become an issue. When mistakes are made Maguire rarely has the pace to recover,  although the timing of his tackling can compensate.

In some ways he would benefit from a rest, but aside from Hill we have had no centre back cover to allow for it. 

Neill Collins - contracted until June 2015 but with option of further year (Keep and review in the Summer):

One of the few left from the team that took us down to the third tier and has looked much more at home at this level, forming a rock steady partnership with Maguire, until this season.

Quite whether you can pin the blame on Collins for defensive frailties is open to debate, you could look across the whole back four in all honesty, but we desperately need a vocal organiser at the back. If you were to have a defender make way then it would be Collins.

For now he should remain, however it would do United the world of good to lose the remaining players who set us on this downward slide.

Terry Kennedy - contracted until June 2014 (Keep, but look to loan out):

A hugely promising player in the FA Youth Cup squad of  2010 and was being talked of as a prospect before fans were aware of his central defensive partner Maguire.

There has always been concern about his lack of height and a series of injury problems have made it difficult for him to make that breakthrough. A single appearance away at Doncaster last season has been his only start, although he has made the bench in recent weeks under Nigel Clough. Would really benefit from first team starts and may have to go out on loan to achieve this.

Aaron Barry - contracted until June 2014 (January departure):

Never made a breakthrough after being signed in his late teens. If ever there has been an opportunity for a promising left back, it has been at United in recent seasons. The fact he has not been given a chance perhaps says everything.

Barry has been a regular in the Dumbarton side since moving on loan at the start of the season and may benefit from a move where this momentum and a stable start to his career can be made.

Sean McGinty - contracted until June 2015 (Keep and review in the Summer):

A promising Manchester United youngster who did much to squander his opportunities after falling out with Alex Ferguson and then displaying behavioural issues whilst on loan at Carlisle.

Another of Weir's signings the Irishman has shown little in a handful of league and cup appearances. With severe deficiencies at left back, it may be worth retaining him until the Summer, pending Clough's transfer window signings.

Jasper Johns - contracted until June 2014 (January departure):

In a squad over-burdened with inadequate left backs Johns was picked up by David Weir, who had worked with him at Everton. Nowhere near threatening the first team, despite appearing briefly under Weir, I see no point in keeping him and blocking the development of home-grown youngsters. He may well see his short term contract out, but why not clear the decks now?

Aidy White - returned to Leeds after loan (Would not re-sign):

One of Nigel Clough's first moves was to bring in Aidy White on loan from Leeds.  Utilised in both left back and a more advanced left sided position, I saw little that suggested we should look to retain his services in January.

His much vaunted pace was not apparent and he often ran into trouble pressing forward. Defensively he was suspect and I cannot help thinking there are better options out there.

Nigel Clough has different opinion and his comments after White went off injured in his final game versus Oldham suggests he will look to take White back, if a deal can be agreed post-injury. My worry with this is that it says quite a bit about the type of player Nigel Clough values. I hope that I am wrong.



Midfield

Michael Doyle - under contract until June 2015 (Keep and review in the Summer)

I have made my views on the leadership of the club captain known before. There is little point in going over old ground, you can read my thoughts on that here.

Whilst I accept there will always be water carriers in a team, the players who do the graft and ball winning and leave the incisive passing and goal threat to others (see, regular under several Blades managers, Nick Montgomery) I do wonder if we could do better than what we have got? A bit more energy, a few more forward passes. I wondered whether Coady might play that role at the start of the season.

Doyle has been picked under the last three managers and has retained the captaincy, most probably in light of a lack of alternative candidates. I see no reason why that won't continue, although I hope that the situation is revisited in the Summer.

I would acknowledge that his performances have picked up at times recently, but you need a dependable and consistent performer in the heart of midfield. Doyle is not that for me.

Stephen McGinn - under contract until June 2015 (Keep)

A player of much promise whose career had been severely disrupted by injury prior to joining United in the Summer.

After a promising opening under David Weir, McGinn disappeared from the first team and struggled to regain a place in the team.

Back in the first team now, it is clear that McGinn is a talented ball player and ought to be a comfortable choice in central midfield. Sadly, he is a little inconsistent in his performances, perhaps a reflection of an interrupted last couple of years, and this needs to change if he is to play a role in turning United's season round.

Connor Coady - on loan until January (renew until end of Summer)

I think there is a player of promise in Coady, however the lack of a decent run in the side and when he has, being played out wide hasn't helped him.

I would like to see more of him, however I cannot see him dislodging Doyle or McGinn from Clough's starting XI. And for that reason we may see him return to Anfield and potentially head elsewhere to a club that will give him game time. That would be a shame, as I think he still has a role to play at United.

Elliott Whitehouse - contract expires June 2014, currently on loan at York City (Keep, but stay out on loan)

Captain of the FA Youth Cup team of 2010, Whitehouse was an energetic box to box midfielder with a fiery temperament. After a promising start in the first team pre-season the Summer before last a problematic and niggling injury kept him out for much of the season.

The loan to York will have done him the world of good and the player himself has recognised the importance of playing first team football at this stage of his career. Feedback from Bramall Lane has been positive and Whitehouse seems keen to remain at Bootham Crescent until the end of the season, playing regular games.

I would like to think Whitehouse could still forge a successful career at Bramall Lane, whether he can is still up for question. The best he can do is stay at York and hope the club are paying attention to his development and progress.

Simon Lappin - on loan from Cardiff City (No renewal of loan deal)

Signed by David Weir and played at left back and in a more advanced left sided role, but was unconvincing in both positions.

A game or two in central midfield demonstrated neat and tidy passing, but he appears nothing more than an average utility man. His wages could be better spent strengthening other areas. However, it appears that Nigel is keen to retain Lappin which I find disappointing.

Jamie Murphy - under contract until June 2016 (Keep)

We are still yet to see the player who excited Blades fans when video clips of his Motherwell goals and skill/capabilities were shared around the internet forums and social media prior to his signing.

Not an orthodox winger, in that he rarely takes on his man, not helped by being played on the opposite side as an inverted winger. When on the ball he often looks to cut inside and playing on the wing allows him to drift out of games, both of which raises fans' ire and causes frustration.

I can't help feeling that he may offer more threat down the middle, but this is a view not shared by those who manage him. Recent performances have seen Murphy's contributions improve and finding the net will only help this continue.

Ryan Flynn - under contract until June 2014 (Keep)

Inconsistent and as frustrating as his fellow Scot Murphy, Flynn is capable of creating chances and contributing to the team's goal tally. We are yet to see it often enough this season.

Away at Scunthorpe in the JPT and given a rare start by David Weir, Flynn did little to enhance his reputation or stake a claim for a shirt. His marker got man of the match, but that was as much to do with the ineffectual Flynn than any great defensive play.

Recent weeks have seen Flynn contribute to the Blades' unbeaten run and he was extremely unfortunate to find himself back on the bench after good performances.

Like Murphy, Flynn should be kept on the basis of what he is capable of, not what he has contributed so far this season.

Febian Brandy - under contract until June 2015 (Keep and review in the Summer)

An enigma. An enigma with disciplinary issues. Some could argue that Brandy is lucky to still have a Blades career after two wholly unnecessary and costly red cards. Under a strict disciplinarian like Nigel Clough it is clear Brandy is on his final warning.

His signing was warmly greeted by Blades fans who remembered his performances against United last season and basked in the anger and frustration Walsall fans displayed at his departure. We have seen little excitement in the performances of a player who should have brought pace, exciting wing play and goals to the team.

For what he could provide the team, he should be retained. But to have any sort of impact on the team he will need to work hard to get that chance.

Florent Cuvelier - under contract until June 2016 (Keep and review in the Summer)

Brief glimpses have shown a technically adept young footballer who perhaps lacks a little brawn to go with the brain.

The question now is where does he fit into Nigel Clough's team. Jose Baxter has claimed the deep lying striker role and Clough clearly prefers others alongside Michael Doyle in the central creative role.

Maybe he will get a chance out wide, probably off the bench, but that seems a waste. It will be an important 6 months for a player trying to launch his career.

Callum McFadzean - (Keep and review in the Summer)

Another FA Youth Cup finalist who made a breakthrough in the first team at the end of last season and contributed a then important goal against Yeovil in the home leg of the play offs.

Sadly, like his brother before him, he found himself in trouble with the police in unsavoury circumstances and risks throwing away his career thanks to a violent streak and sheer stupidity.

A loan move was welcomed, although a move out of the area and away from potential for trouble might have been better. I suspect that his community service contributed to the close locality of the Chesterfield move.

Has been on the bench in recent games for the Spireites. Yet I still think he could offer an option for United if he gets his head straight. He was played at left back for the reserves last season and could offer another option there.

Forwards

Chris Porter - under contract until June 2014 with option of a further year (Keep, and move on in the Summer)

Strikers are paid to score goals and if judged on that then quite frankly Chris Porter wouldn't be paid in washers. He has averaged a goal every four starts for United, with a further 26 substitute appearances on top.

In his defence you can point to the limited number of chances we have created this season, but that can be as much due to the type of striker and how well they hold the ball up and bring others into play.

Yes he tries hard (and God how do we love a trier) but is slow, barely leaves the ground when jumping for headers, nesh in the tackle, has no natural instinct in the box and has fluffed many more opportunities than he has scored with.

When listed like that it doesn't really compensate for "trying" does it?

However you can see us persevering with him in the squad until the Summer. He linked up well with Shaun Miller in a brief spell prior to the latter's injury last season, but that aside it is desperation that sees him involved. Hopefully January transfer movement will see a first choice striker arrive and that reduces Porter's involvement to back-up. Plenty will defend Porter, but successful sides have one, sometimes two strikers who will score 15-20 goals a season. Unfortunately our current first choice is not capable of that.

Lyle Taylor - under contract until June 2015 (Loan out, review in Summer)

I am disappointed to see Taylor head back North of the border until the end of the season. I can't help feeling he hasn't been afforded the best of opportunities at Bramall Lane. After a bright introduction v Notts County he has been in and out of the side and on and off the bench. We have seen glimpses of what he is capable of and he may well have benefited from playing in a side with more confidence and having a consistent strike partner. Obviously we don't see how he trains and there have been rumours of him being unsettled since the move from Scotland, but he would have at least offered some pace, mobility, direct running at defenders as well as some height up front.

I hope that he finds his form on loan and that he returns to United for pre-season with confidence and a belief that he make an impression next season.

Jose Baxter - under contract until June 2016 (Keep)

On his day our best and most technically gifted player. Injury has interrupted an impressive run in the side, but he is the one player with a bit of imagination who can make us tick, linking midfield and forwards. Sometimes you can see what he is attempting, but others aren't on his wavelength. Still plenty that we are yet to see and he will have a crucial role in how our season pans out.

Shaun Miller - under contract until June 2014, with option of a further year (Keep, review in the Summer)

Returning from such a serious injury was always going to be tough. The fact he was hitting a good run of form prior to the injury only heightened expectations for what he might do on his return. Expectations subsequently enhanced by the sheer desperation of the unexpected position the club finds itself in.

Miller was not match fit, without a pre-season behind him and still doesn't look match sharp. In a way he could do with a loan to a League 2 club. Play games, build fitness and hopefully score goals to build sharpness and confidence. In our current situation that's not going to happen.

The rest afforded by Jose Baxter's inclusion up front versus Tranmere may be beneficial, but could have  equally set him back more as he needs games to find his touch and raise his awareness. Depending on the severity of Baxter's injury against Walsall that chance may well be presented back to him. The next four months will determine whether Miller has a future at Bramall Lane.

Marlon King - under contract until June 2014 (January departure)

I would not have had him near the club in the first place. This isn't a young lad making a mistake, a youthful indiscretion. This is a habitual criminal, with no remorse for increasingly violent and vengeful crimes that tarnishes what is left of the club name.

"Ah, but that will all be forgotten when he scores goals".

One goal, a lot of overweight, unfit huffing and puffing around the football pitch later.....

An awful decision by David Weir, a hugely divisive and risky gamble that has not paid off. Clough clearly determined his stance on him early in his reign and I am glad to see the club trying to agree a deal to get him out of the club as soon as possible. It is only a shame that the deal will have been relatively costly in terms of wage budget, with both salary and a pay-off.

Joe Ironside - under contract until June 2015 (stay out on loan or look to move on)

 A youth loan to Halifax was a good move for the young striker and it may be in the player and club's interests to make this permanent. Ironside did not stand out in the side that were FA Youth Cup finalists and from limited viewing, largely off the bench, I don't see how he offers anything different. I don't see any pace, strength or guile that is required.

 

He is yet to score a senior goal for United and has scored two goals in ten appearances for Town during his loan spell. I am just not sure if he is up to League One football.

Diego De Girolamo - under contract until October 2015 (Keep)

Said to be close to a return after a long injury lay-off, there was a real buzz around his arrival in the first team squad last season. How much of that buzz was justified is difficult to say, as we saw little of him in first team action before he suffered a knee injury whilst on international duty for Italy Under 18s. As with Shaun Miller, we need to be careful not to place unnecessary pressure and expectation on Diego's shoulders. It will also be interesting to see if/how Nigel Clough accommodates him in his team, which seems at present to have a focus on solid work ethic, rather than flair and unpredictability. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

When I first shared this post I had a mixed response. "We don't need a witch-hunt", "This doesn't help the team", "Just get behind them". Yet I found writing this and the debate it has stimulated interesting.

 

Everyone has a different opinion on our players, some are more vocal about it than others. This isn't about scapegoating players, it is about saying where we need to strengthen and who we move on to facilitate it. At the end of the day we all want the best for United and the bare facts are that we need changes in the playing squad to improve, to reach safety and create a platform for a promotion push next season.

 

Alongside writing this  I ran a poll of Blades fans to see what action they would take with regards to each member of the squad. The huge diversity of opinion is very apparent in those results, which I will share on here tomorrow. Of course only one man's opinion really matters, Nigel Clough. His actions in the window will tell us a lot about our new manager, what he wants in his squad and what we might expect when more wholesale changes are made in the summer. Things might be a lot clearer when the window is closed.

 

UTB!  

Sheffield - A Footballing City Better Divided

They say that politicians are out of touch with society and their constituents. Many of those MPs profess to be football fans often have a view of the game that demonstrates an even greater distance between them and the man in the street. So what chance have we got when an octogenarian ex-MP starts talking of the need for merger in Sheffield?

The former Bassetlaw MP was once a board member at Hillsborough, a man never short of a loudly voiced opinion and a man ever keen to demonstrate his man of the terraces credentials. Speaking back in 1990 he said; “I saw my first game in 1942, I’ve had a season ticket since 1962 and I’ve been a shareholder since 1974. If I don’t know about Wednesday, who does?”

That was then. Today he demonstrated he knows little about his club or their fans - you only have to view the forum thread on Owlstalk to see that. He demonstrated that he knows little about Sheffield United, modern day football and the fans of this city. Joe Ashton is an old-school former MP of the ilk that thinks he who shouts loudest, clearly wins the argument.

Like the senile old uncle at a family reunion Joe spouted his views to The Star, supported by factual inaccuracies and huge misconceptions. None of which the paper saw fit to pick him up on.

“The fans are sick of it now, both sets."

“We’ve had to put up with rubbish for years (AUV - I'll give him that!) and I think the majority of Sheffielders would get behind one team. (AUV - Really? That is not the impression I get) People realise that we’re never going to get anywhere with two teams (AUV -we have both been in the Premier league before, where is anywhere?) and that Sheffield is missing out on the big time. If you want to be in the Premier League you have to get a city behind the team (AUV - What? Like in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham? And it has worked so well in Leeds, even Newcastle have suffered Premier league relegation). Wait until both teams are out of the FA Cup and then ask the fans when they’ve nowt to play for except survival. (AUV - Let's do that Joe - I doubt you will see a different response)

“I also think a combined team could play at Bramall Lane or Hillsborough - not the Hillsborough ground as it is now, that will always be associated with the disaster that claimed 96 lives. They should knock it down and build a new, modern ground with a suitable memorial.

“Kevin McCabe has been trying to sell United for years and Mandaric is the same at Wednesday. If the two clubs were to combine, get the city right behind them then they could attract some big money from overseas investors, I’m sure of it.”(AUV - Correct me if I am wrong Joe isn't that what has just happened at Bramall Lane? And there are many examples of where money doesn't guarantee you success and doesn't guarantee you getting out of League 1, never mind the Championship)

 

This is not new talk from Ashton. Back in 2000 he spoke of his feelings on a Steel City football merger in a less expectant manner and less positive terms, yet Mickey Mouse talk of a South Yorkshire team in 20 years still passed his lips.

“There was some talk of a merger from Mike McDonald (AUV - then chairman) at Sheffield United, but the fans of both clubs would never accept it. The problem with mergers and so on so far has been that it is small businessmen have tried them. If big companies like Disney and Warner Bros get involved, then it might happen.

“Bayern Munich and Barcelona represent their regions, not just their cities (AUV - Espanol and 1860 Munich would have a view on that and they are just for starters). South Yorkshire has a catchment area of 1.25 million, with about 60,000 people paying to watch football. There could be a South Yorkshire team in ten or 20 years.”

Sheffield, a city of so many football firsts - the first football club (as recognised by FIFA), the oldest professional football ground in the world, the venue of the first game played under floodlights - is suffering another season without first division football, without a realistic hope of reaching a major final and there is little sign of the situation changing soon, despite the arrival of Saudi investment at Bramall Lane. While ever that is the case "know-nowts" like Ashton will still talk of this supposed panacea.

Twenty years on from the all-Sheffield FA Cup semi-final, between what were then two Premier League clubs, the city has watched Wednesday struggle to retain the Championship status gained 12 months previously and remain rooted in the bottom three this season. Whilst across the city United stumbled towards seemingly inevitable play-off failure and are just starting to recover from the disastrous start under the short-lived reign of David Weir.

Wednesday reached both cup finals back in 1993, losing out to Arsenal each time. Two years earlier they enjoyed cup success in the Rumbelows Cup Final, beating Manchester United. Prior to that you have to look back 56 years for Sheffield's last major trophy - Wednesday's cup win and even further for Wednesday's two titles and the Blades beating Cardiff City in the 1925 FA Cup final (their 4th cup success). United's only league title coming before the turn of the 20th century.

In a way, the football clubs are representative of the city they call home. Sheffield is a city in stagnation, stifled by the poor decisions of those who run it, at odds with the national rulers and always placing barriers in front of potential investment and development from outside parties. Ashton's peers and followers have put roadblocks in front of a city that could have been on the move.

The leaders of Sheffield City Council have perfected the art of portraying themselves as the victims, suffering misfortune and bad luck without recognising their own failings. Never seeing the positive opportunities that are there, like finding a home within the city boundaries for the World's Oldest Club or by leveraging the marketing opportunities given by the city's place in football history. Talk of a World Football Museum was just that and it is probably wise it was when the National Centre for Popular Music was as big a white elephant as Sheffield Airport. This negative and corrosive mentality of failure and insularity had started to pervade both the city's football clubs and their supporters.

 
Listening to the phone-ins, reading the internet forums and you can see that within Sheffield there is a feeling that football needs strong Sheffield clubs, but does that feeling exist outside of the city? Despite the positivity towards the great atmosphere and large crowds when the Sky cameras visit, I don't believe that clamour exists. The game has moved on without a concern as to who is and isn't at the top table, leaving the Sheffield clubs lagging behind, increasingly forgotten.
 

In a similar vein, the city stumbles along, whilst Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and many others attract money and investment. Regeneration after the loss of major industry has not happened in the Steel City to the same extent as elsewhere. Sheffield as a city is an unattractive prospect for the money men and that has been replicated in football. The failure of the city to develop left few local people with the wealth to effect significant change at either club. 

United were lucky. Somewhat unexpectedly Kevin McCabe leveraged a deal which brought significant money into the club, at a cost to himself and his family companies, but with the long term interests of the club at heart. Milan Mandaric hasn't got that same attachment to Wednesday and as the club regresses on the pitch he will become increasingly desperate to get out at a profit. Who he sells to and the custodianship of the club will be potentially at risk. Let's not forget that he sold Portsmouth to the Gaydamaks.

Some, like Joe Ashton, may say that the only way to make Sheffield football an attractive prospect is a merged club, capitalising on the potential combined fan base and utilising a single city stadium, a thought that would be heresy to most fans of the Blades and Owls and would most probably lead to new United and Wednesday clubs dividing the city's support further and more local interest in Sheffield FC. But as each year passes without success, and a generation of fans fail to see Premier League football return to the city, might that defiance start to crumble?

Possibly, but that assumes everyone is desperate to reach the Promised Land of the Premier League, which seems to become increasingly tarnished year after year. The only feasible way that it could happen is if you have two owners interested in a merger for profit making purposes.

 

The uncertainty over Wednesday's future ownership puts the club at risk of such a benefactor taking over, with little local interest in history or the city. However, whilst ever one of the two clubs has a supporter involved in its guardianship - Kevin McCabe's controlling interest at United - then the wider risk is minimised. Maybe both halves of Sheffield have something to be thankful to the McCabe family for at present?

Neet Befoor Christmas at t'Lane

 

 

It wer t'neet befoor Christmas, wen all thru t'Lane

No noise or stirrin - just like a Wednesday game.

T'stockings hung in each office n t'changin' room wi' care,

Hopin' owd St Nick 'd soon be there.

 

T'players were nestled all snug at 'om in their beds,

While visions of Adizeros and Nike Tiempos danced in their 'eads.

Clough in his 'jamas, and socks on 'is tooers,

'ad settled is brain for a long winter’s dooerz.

 

When out on t'pitch there were a reyt loud clatter,

I sprang to mi feet to see what wer a matter.

Away t'winda I flew like a flash,

Tore op'n t'curtains an' threw up t'sash.

 

T'moon shone it's leet on t'new-fallen snow

Gave t'lustre o' mid-day to t'objects below.

When, reyt befoor my wondering eyes shud appear,

But a reyt tiny sleigh, and eight little reindeer.

 

Wi' a little old driver so lively n quick,

I thought reyt away tha must be St. Nick.

More rapid than John Francis 'is coursers they came,

An' 'e whistled, an' shouted, 'e called them by name:

"Nah, Deano! nah, Jags! nah Agana n Morgan!

On, Woody! on, Currie! on, Nudger n Hagan!

T' top of t'stand! And o'er top of t'wall!

Nah gerr away! gerr away! gerr away all!"

 

Like pie boxes and litter before t'wild winds fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount up to t'sky;

So up t'Kop roof the coursers they flew

Wi' t'sleigh full er presents, nt'bearded bloke too—

And then, in a twinklin, I heard from t'roof

Not Gary Sinclair in't speakers, but pawing of hoof.

 

As I drew in mi 'ead, an wer turning around,

Dahn inter t'boardroom a bearded bloke bound.

He wor dressed all in fur, red wor 'is suit,

His clothes all tarnished an' wi' sand grains on 'is boots;

A bundle of pressies he 'ad flung on 'is back,

He looked like a street hawker just op'nin his pack.

 

'is eyes—by 'eck they twinkled! 'is dimples, how merry!

'is cheeks were like roorses, his nooerse like a cherry!

His frosty moustache covered 'is gob below,

And t'beard on 'is chin glistened wit' snow;

 

'e loaded t'manager's desk wi' coins from t'East,

To spend wisely in January, no more famine just feast;

He had a broad face n a reyt round belly

That shook when 'e laughed, like a bowl full er jelly.

He were chubby n plump, like jolly old men,

And I chuckled when I saw him, in spite of mi sen;

 

A wink er 'is eye n a twist of his 'ead

Soon let mi know I 'ad nowt to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight t'is work,

An 'e filled all t'stockings; then turned wi' a jerk,

An'  laying his finger at side on 'is nose,

An' geein' a nod, back t'stand roof 'e rose;

 

'e sprang to his sleigh, to 'is team gi' a whistle,

An' away they all flew like t'down off a thistle.

But I heard him shaht aht, as 'e flew o'er t'wall—

“Here's to more three point outcomes and Happy Christmas to all”

 

 

 

Maybe that bearded visitor wasn't St Nick after all.....................

A Love Not Shared

 

 

 

They are words a football loving Dad hopes he will never hear; "I don't want to go the football with Daddy anymore." In fact I didn't hear it directly. I was working away when my wife texted me to say our son had been a bit upset and uttered those words. I knew they had been coming for a while. I knew that he didn't really enjoy going to the match. The restlessness, the questions about his surroundings rather than what was happening on the pitch, the distant stare away from the on-pitch action, lost in day-dreams of happier things.

 

He had found it hard to tell anyone. He didn't want to upset me and he liked the fact that football meant that he spends time with me. I was left in mixed emotions. The fact he goes to football to make me happy made me smile and want to cry at the same time. We explored his concerns and a litany of complaints followed. Most of his concerns can be allayed and his worries and fears can all be pinpointed to a dislike of the anger and aggression he sees at football.

 

People shouting at the end when you lose

 

You shouting at the match when you lose

 

Players getting hurt by tackles (causes crowd anger and shouting)

 

The referee getting it wrong (causes crowd anger and shouting)

 

A lot of this concern arises because he is a sensitive and emotional lad and an incident at Wembley in 2011 when mindless thugs, purporting to be Stoke 'fans' attacked the stationary car my wife and son were sitting in on their way up to the Wembley car parks. Banging on the windows, shouting leering, goading, ripping window flags down and rocking the car. He was 6 and very scared, as was my wife. When they subsequently parked up they were again confronted by a beer-fuelled aggressor, invading their personal space and abusing them for not supporting his team. Rare events maybe, but once they have happened they are engrained, especially at such an age where perceptions are quickly formed and opinions are even harder to retract.

 

Some of the other questions he asked about football when trying to explain his lack of enjoyment are slightly more difficult to answer;

 

"What do the spectators get out of it?"

 

"The players get paid even when they don't win. But when they win, what do the fans get?"

 

The main problem is that he doesn't enjoy football, either watching or playing. Although he says he supports United and Bolton (he often lists the Wanderers first, more to wind me up), he doesn't really have an attachment to them, they are more "my dad's team" or "my mum's team", not "My team". It is an easy joke to make that if he is going to follow United he should get used to being bored and not enjoying it. In fact, it is hard enough watching your team struggle as an adult, never mind as when you are 6, 7 or 8, going along to out of duty as your Dad hopes beyond hope that you may develop that strength of affiliation and bond that he developed with his team when he was your age. If I have been bored numerous times in the last few seasons, how must he have felt? Cold, fed-up, wishing he was elsewhere, wishing his dad would let him play on his phone or his DS.

 

He has gone along to football training, but both times it wasn't a great experience. I first took him along to our local junior team; indoor training with their nursery side, all about learning skills with a game thrown in at the end. He wasn't the best, he was by no means the worst. He seemed to enjoy it, but preferred being in goal and showed some bravery in throwing himself at the feet of groups of goal hangers that always materialise at that age. Then, not long after he had started they said that it was time to reduce a sports hall full of 5 year olds down to a squad for Under 7's football. The axe was to be wielded at reception class age. "If you signed up, you have to be committed. You have to turn up every week regardless." Woe betide those that don't. He wasn't going to make the cut and without the opportunity to continue training and learning we went elsewhere.

 

This isn't some "Football is failing our youngsters" rant, everyone is different and has different life experiences. I know two friends who coach junior sides in Sheffield, I know the challenges they face, one blogs about the trial and tribulations of coaching here, but it has failed my boy. The junior football system didn't garner and develop the interest of young boys who might develop later as footballers. Cast aside at 6, because they aren't good enough and can no longer attend training because they are not in the squad. Teams are set up to compete and not develop, that means they don't coach and develop players who aren't in their squads. It is like Lord of the Flies, survival of the fittest.

 

At the second local club we went to there was little attempt at integrating a new face. Other, clearly talented players laughed when he couldn't do what they could do, or when he stumbled and fall when taking a shot. The braying not picked up on by the coaches or the bullish and ignorant parents who think they have sired or given birth to the next David Beckham, complete with obligatory stupid haircut. We didn't go for many weeks. I love football. I enjoy playing - as well as I can - and will happily watch a match between anyone. But that environment wasn't a comfortable one to be stood in. I watched on with a huge amount of sadness.

 

Would these things not happening have changed anything? Would he enjoy football now? Would he want to play with his friends at school? Would he find interest at Bramall Lane? Who knows, but I can't believe any of it has helped in anyway. Maybe my interest benefited from not going to watch United in the early to mid-80's when United stagnated, crowds dropped and frustration came to the fore. But I still enjoyed playing at school and after on the fields with mates or taking pot shots at my Dad in the back garden. I pored over Shoot! and Match magazines when they were delivered every week. Sunday mornings were reading the football reports and completing my League Ladders. He just hasn't got that interest.

 

What he has got are other interests and other sports he enjoys and if they develop then that might mean over 25 years of being a season ticket holder for me come to an end. What he, or my daughter, wants to do comes first and I will support them and take them to wherever they need to be, when he needs to be there, to pursue what gives him happiness. That is what being a dad is about. He says he will still come to some games with me and I am probably a different fan when he is there with me; more tolerant of his day-dreaming and off-topic chats during the game, trying to give him more idea of what is going on, letting him do his own thing when he wants to.

 

The club's marketing team have used the phrase "True Blades" are at the Lane. That might not always be the case. Sometimes, some things are more important than being at the football, however much I passionately support my team. There are times in the past where I had to be at every home game, be it the Zenith Data Systems Cup or a Testimonial. I went away to watch the Blades at 50/60 grounds. Little would deter me. Things change. Life changes. Fatherhood changes a lot. So if I am not there as often as I used to be, I am not less of a fan, I am just being more of a Dad. You never know, if I don't push it he might come back to football later in life………or maybe he won't. We shall see.

 

Up the Blades!