Game by Game - 15

Game 15 – Blackburn Rovers (A), Championship – 0-2

The A666. The road of the devil. The road to hell. The road to Blackburn. Driving through Darwen into Blackburn is a bit like passing over and finding yourself in Hades. We were welcomed into Blackburn by the sight of a young mum in dressing gown pushing a child in her buggy up the street, at 5:45 pm. An interesting sight, yet this wasn't the oddest moment of the night and the welcome was never really warm.

A walk down Bolton Road to McDonalds was a bizarre fusion of sights and sounds. From the gaunt, pasty faced youths guarding the entrance to Ewood Park WMC (and the membership secretary at a small table inside) with a look that just said, "Don't think about it". To the youths outside the newsagents, "I'd sooner get beat up than do prison". There was a Blackburn fan whose main form of communication appeared to be whinnying like a horse.Then to cap it all there was the 10 year old in the McDonalds queue  who, after asking JB if he supported Blackburn and JB replying that he didn't, proceeded to tell him to "f@ck off then". 

The night soon got better. United started with a bang. Quite literally, as banger exploded in the away end and 2,000 Blades fans simultaneously crapped themselves. Once the eggy smell of firework and rectal expulsion had passed, United were on the front foot from the off. Most of the first half saw the Blades camped in the opposition half. I have never seen such an unambitious home side as Blackburn. Once the excellent Egan and Basham isolated Graham and Dack (and subsequently Brereton), any counter attacks were snuffed out.

I can't imagine watching my team set up like that at home and clearly Rovers fans feel the same way. We have had some low points and rogue owners, but for a team riding high on their return to the Championship, just 12,000 home fans rattling around three sides of the stadium was a poor show. A sign of being careful what you wish for in terms of owners and recognition that the very best of times can soon turn bad. The fact those there were largely silent, apart from the youth sporadically banging his drum (which did more for Blades fans song creativity than  theirs), was equally sobering. "Is this a library?" chanted the Blades fans, more like a morgue.

As has been the case recently United didn't convert superior play and possession into goals, although this can be put down to the Blackburn keeper rather than profligate finishing. Whilst there was still a tendency for players to look for a pass when a shot was seemingly on, it was the saves that Raya made from McGoldrick, Duff and Fleck that kept the score 0-0. Well, those saves and a good headed chance put over by O'Connell. At 66-1 for the first goal and 20-1 anytime, it would have been nice if you had got your head over it Jack 😁.

After a bright five minutes or so at the start of the second half, when United had a great shout for handball in the box, Blackburn eased there way into the game, switching formation to match us and gaining some territory. For ten minutes or so we were on the back foot and failing to retain possession. Wilder and Knill responded by pushing Basham into midfield and morphing into a 4-3-3 which enabled United to regain control and we finally took the lead. 

Duffy, cut inside from the right and passed inside to Fleck, who moved the ball out wide left to McGoldrick. Rovers defenders were tracking across but nowhere near the Blades players and McGoldrick crossed for Sharp to bundle home at the second attempt. From thereon, United reverted back to the usual formation and Blackburn never looked like getting back into the game. There lack of creativity and guile exemplified by utilising sub Mulgrew as a quarterback sweeper, firing long diagonals from behind the centre halves.

The introduction of Coutts brought one of the biggest cheers of the night and from the minute he stepped on the pitch it was like he had never been away. From the off he was full blooded in the tackle and shirked nothing. Always wanting the ball, his touch was superb. A series of intricate one-twos when he was tight on the touchline showed quick feet and mind. He always seems to create more time and space than you think he has and this was no different. "Coutts's touch is arousing me", said JB.

The second goal again came from an advancing Fleck laying the ball off to his left. This time Stevens hit a wonderful curling cross and Billy somehow had more space around him than a Rovers fan, allowing him to head the ball hard into the ground, bouncing up into the roof of the net from close range. If it wasn't game over before, it was now. Scores of Rovers supporters were streaming out of the ground when sub Washington should have buried a third, but he fired too close to the impressive Raya.

Away wins are seldom more emphatic, even if the scoreline doesn't fully reflect the dominance.

Three final thoughts:

Billy Reliable: You can score all the spectacular 30 yard goals you like, but a bundled goal from 5 yards counts for as much, if not more. Especially if it gives your team the win that the flashier goals sometimes do not. That is why there will always be a role for Billy in the Blades team and why he is second top scorer in the division. At half time, you could argue he had been our least effective player. As Luke Prest messaged at the time, "Never that arsed with Billy being quiet, he often is before banging one in". Or in this case two. Unless injured or knackered, he is undroppable right now. And with McGoldrick playing so well, it's a nice problem to have.

Perspective: Following my piece on The Entitled Fans, it is worth reflecting on where we are now: 

• Joint top, third on goal difference.
• Coutts is back.
• We have seen more victories than fans of any other Championship club.
• Coutts is back.
• A point better off than at the same stage last season, when everyone said we had a great start.
• Coutts is back.
• We have a stronger matchday squad.
• Coutts is back.
• We've got Ollie Norwood....
• Coutts is back.

TalkSport Singles: The journey home was a time of warm reflection on a great away win that dissolved into hysterics, as we turned over the radio to Talksport and heard them trailing their dating site -Talksport Singles. 

Is it a same sex dating site? 

How do they recruit women from such a male oriented listenership? 

Surely, you wouldn’t find any women registering unless they are a Single White Female looking for Single White Van Man? 

And why, unlike everything else on Talksport, is it not sponsored by Screwfix, surely a missed opportunity there?

Just who would advertise themselves there?

"Barry from Willesden, Man United fan, likes shouting at passing cars and owning pitbulls"

"Nigel from Goole, Second Hand Car Salesman. Likes: His women like his cars, cheap reliable and fast"

"Karl, Postman from Kidderminster. Reads The Mail, Delivers the mail"

"Brian from Harlesden. Likes Spurs, Phil Collins and Steak and Chips"

"Tommy from Doncaster. Likes:  Benidorm - for holidays and the telly programme. Dislikes: No... proper hates Germans."

Interview with Alan Kelly - Part 3 (Leaving the Lane, the Irish Rover and International Acclaim)

Part 2 of the interview had  Alan Looking back on some happy days and big occasions whilst playing for the Blades. All good things must come to an end and eventually the time came to leave Sheffield United. 

You left United after playing under 6 managers. Is it hard adapting to different management styles, or as a keeper are you largely unaffected?

Whenever there is a change in manager at a football club.  it is always an interesting and potentially unsettling time for any footballer because for those who are in the team you have to prove your worth all over again and for those whose face didn't fit , it is a clean slate and a chance to impress the new boss.

I have experienced this situation on over 17 occasions both as a player and a coach where each new manager has brought in his own ideas and style of play that the players and staff have to adjust to in a very short period of time. As a goalkeeper it is slightly different because the new boss generally looks at the rest of the team first!

What changed under Adrian Heath and what led you to leave Bramall Lane?

Aberdeen made a bid of £750,000 and it was accepted, I didn’t want to leave and I had a year left on my contract, but I was told I wasn’t going to get another. I spoke to the Aberdeen Chairman and told him I wouldn’t be moving to Scotland. Then Blackburn made a bid, which was also accepted, and it was made very clear to me that I had no future at Sheffield United.

I think Adrian Heath just wanted it all done and dusted and I was the least of his worries because Trace was staying. I can understand the situation because Simon was a top class goalkeeper, but it was a shame the way I was told because I was given very little time to say my goodbyes. However I did get to play in the pre-season friendly against Chelsea and it was great to play one last time in front of the Sheffield United faithful.

Were you at risk of leaving much earlier in your United career. Didn't Harry once drop you due to a contract dispute?

Harry being Harry….again! I had agreed the contract, Harry had the dispute. It took 7 games for him to get his head right and then it was all settled in an hour!

Whilst with United you gained full international recognition with the Republic of Ireland. What was Jack Charlton like as a manager/coach?  Did he have any key advice before your Republic of Ireland debut?

I made my full debut away to the world champions, Germany, and when he named the team the night before the game he turned to me and said;

“Right son, it’s your responsibility to organise all your defensive set plays, so you sort out the markers, everything. If we concede from a set play, it’s your fault."

No pressure then Jack! When you think of the players I had to organise, Denis Irwin, Paul McGrath, Andy Townsend, Ray Houghton, John Aldridge…..So there I am the night before my full debut, knocking on the players' doors and telling them where I wanted them on the pitch, Character building!

It was a happy debut too, we won 0-2 against Klinsmann, Koller and all.

After picking up so many Irish caps is it frustrating that you were on the side-lines for two World Cups?

I had a great career, with so many great highlights, to be part of two World Cup qualifying campaigns that resulted in qualification for the World Cup finals was brilliant. I get asked that question quite a lot and I genuinely believe that all I could do was my best and if I was picked then great. If I wasn’t, then I had to help the man in possession of the number one shirt. That was why Trace and I worked well at United, because we respected each other as goalies and helped the one who was playing, by training hard and with good quality.

I was lucky to be living, let alone playing, after being knocked over by that motorbike in 88 so I had a different outlook on life and football from other players and I could deal with the highs and lows in the same way.

How much were the players affected by the Keane/McCarthy Saipan incident in 2002? The results suggest it fired them up.

I don’t think I can type that fast and it is a subject that I have never spoken about publicly, but we had a great campaign and we should have beaten Spain to go through to the quarter finals. If Ian Harte had scored his penalty in normal time......we lost in a penalty shootout.

Do you consider yourself unfortunate to have been around with Packie Bonner and Shay Given in their prime, or just fortunate in that few players get the opportunity to win international caps?

I actually took over from Packie after the 1994 USA World Cup, after making my debut in 1993 and went on to win the majority of my caps under Jack Charlton. When Mick McCarthy took over I was having a few injury problems, Shay had made a massive entrance to football with Sunderland by winning promotion and Mick was blooding a lot of young players. Shay came in and played exceptionally well, so I had no problem with that as that is the nature of the game. He was and is to this day a world class goalkeeper.

In 1999/2000 season I played 9/10 games on the trot as Ireland lost out on qualifying for Euro 2000 by 9 seconds! But on a personal level I was awarded the International Player Of the Year Trophy ( the first time a goalkeeper had won it ) and as I was sat at the awards, I didn’t even give it a thought that I might be in contention as I was up against Roy Keane and Niall Quinn. So there I was still eating my dinner when the camera swings my way and it was announced I’d won! I looked up and thought, 'I am sure he just said my name?' My good friend and team mate, Alan McLoughlin, patted me on the back and said well done, so with a mouth full of steak off I went  and got the award. Like I say, the ups and downs of football! 

After leaving Bramall Lane Alan spent How did you find your 4 years at Ewood Park and was it injuries that led to your retirement?

I had nearly 5 years at Blackburn and in that time we won the Worthington Cup and gained promotion back to the Premier League. I only played 50 games, but that was due to the arrival of Brad Friedel, another world class goalkeeper and a great person.

Injury ended my career when I was teaching the young goalkeepers how to turn and react to save a shot. The young lad hit the ball a bit early and you can call it instinct, I just reacted. I threw out a hand and made the save, but my fingers dug into the turf and my body weight landed on top of them! My ring finger on my right hand was a mess and was hanging down the wrong side of my hand. I had surgery, but I couldn’t get the movement back and I nicknamed it the claw!

I had a wonderful time in football, played with and against some of the world’s great players. I started in a different era for football in the mid-80’s and witnessed the changing face of football through to the mid-noughties and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

After a spell coaching with the Blackburn Academy, you were asked by Steve Staunton to work as a goalkeeping coach with the Irish national team. With Euro 2012 on the horizon, is this your first major championships in a coaching role and what are you looking forward to the most?

Yes, it’s my first championship as a coach. I have been lucky enough to work in International football for the last 6 years and working with a master of his art, Giovanni Trappatoni, has been amazing. I can’t wait to pit our wits against Croatia, Spain and Italy!

Shay Given trains under the watchful eye of Alan

Who would you rate as the best young keeper in the country at present?

Joe Hart is a fantastic goalkeeper, A great lad, who should be England’s number one for the next 10/15 years barring injury.

Talking of young talent, have you seen much of the two Georges at Bramall Lane (Long & Willis, both England age group internationals). If so, how would you rate them and where do they need to develop?

I have to be honest and say I haven’t, but I have heard good things about them. Darren Ward is the Academy goalkeeping coach at Sheffield United and in his hands the future of Sheffield’s goalkeepers are in good hands.

On that positive note for Blades fans, the interview ends. He believes the Blades keepers are in safe hands and I think it is safe to say that so are both Preston’s and the Republic of Ireland's men between the sticks.

I want to thanks Alan for taking the time to answer my questions. By his own admission it was great to reminisce and hopefully you have enjoyed reading these posts as much as Alan and I enjoyed putting this together. There was plenty we didn't cover, maybe next time. Thanks for reading.

Charting the 2011/12 Season in Football - Number 4

Part 4 of the Charting the Season series with a slight North West bias in the graphs, featuring Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Phil Brown's departure from PNE. Other easy targets are not missed out; step forward Doncaster Rovers and Nicklas Bendtner.

Remember - Just double click on the graph/chart to increase to full size.

Previous parts of the series can be found here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 

Charting The Week In Football 7

This week; a relegated team puts up a fight at the wrong place and far too late, Blackpool potentially facing weakened Champions, Blackburn still at risk, the state of Scottish Football, the FA and the FIFA vote and the perilous financial state of one of the most poorly run industries in the UK.

Previous weeks:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6