Balls of Steel

I don't like Derby days. There I've said it. In fact I've said it before. Here's a link back to a piece I wrote 7 years ago. My view hasn't changed since and I doubt it ever will.

But this Derby Day is different. Well, maybe not that much different to the home fixture against Wednesday last season, but different from the norm that we have become accustomed to in my lifetime. We are no longer the underdog and, to be frank, I don't like it. 

It's been rare in my lifetime that United have been favourites going into a Derby match. Even last season, when we were above Wednesday going into the fixture at Hillsborough, we were still dismissed as cannon fodder by the S6 support. "The bubble will burst", they told us. "You are not good enough", they told us. "We are older, bigger, better", not that it helps much on the pitch. They underestimated the Dog & Duck, both in terms of quality of football and the unity of the team. 

Whatever they might say about 4-2 not being a massacre, the home side in a Derby fixture had not conceded 4 goals for the best part of a century. You would need to go back to the Wartime League in 1917 and 1918 when the Blades conceded 4 and 5 at home to Wednesday. 

Suddenly, the claims were about missing players, injuries, ignoring the fact that just one of their team cost as much as our entire eleven. However much they doth protest, it hurt.......a lot. So much so that come the return fixture at Bramall Lane a 0-0 draw was celebrated like a cup final triumph in the away end. They told us how disappointed we should feel, yet for me not losing in a Derby is a victory in itself. We ended the season having taken four points off Wednesday, who wouldn't be delighted with that? And if the boot were on the other foot, I doubt you would find many Wednesdayites who would disagree. 

Fourteen months on from that game at Hillsborough, the stakes are the same but the feeling is so different. A quick look at the Roy's Views website, which picks off the highlights and opinions posted on the opposition's internet forums, show us a very different mood across town. One where the psychological games how much greater. A snapshot of their views are below.

"Anything less than 4 will be like a lottery win. Poor Blades they’re in an awkward position lol”

“All the pressure is on United. Expected to lose by 3 or 4 goals on Friday. “

"If they don’t win by at 5 clear goals they’ll be bitterly disappointed."

"Win – win for us. They should win handsomely. Anything less would be a disappointment for them."

Whilst the facts are 3rd versus 17th, an opposition that have shipped 12 goals in 3 games and a fan base that is demanding the manager's removal and the reinstatement of key players. The facts also show a Blades side that I've taken 4 points from the last 12 and despite plenty of good football and strong possession stats, don't always make it count.

It is a cliche, but it has so often been the case; the form book does go out of the window. Just look at the two matches last season. Wednesday were expected to win at Hillsborough and we were expected to win at Bramall Lane. Neither happened. Going back to 1991-92, we had won two top flight games Wednesday were firm favourites when they visited the Lane and remained so when United visited Hillsborough. It meant nothing in either game.

I then read a tweet from fellow Blade, Darren Smith;

"If we don't win this by at least three it will be one of the most disappointing results in our recent history. Opportunities like this don't come along very often. We are playing decent stuff they are in disarray"

On first read I winced. I didn't like it. I could never be that bolshy about our chances. How can you be disappointed by a win? When challenged in a subsequent tweet, Darren admitted he could have chosen a better word than disappointed and I think that is right, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood the point he was trying to make. 

We are playing a team that will sit deep and try and contain, as they did at the Lane back in January. For them, it will be all about defend and hit us on the break. That night we failed to find that incisive move to deliver a goal. Find that on Friday (and relatively early in the game) and they have to come out. Weaknesses exposed, we could really go for the jugular and a result that puts to bed the day after Christmas thirty nine years ago. 

It could happen, but then again plenty of things could happen. I am just not going there expecting it. I doubt any Blades would make such rash predictions. A one goal win, with the ball rebounding of Billy's backside will do me fine I would even take a point and we move on to a less intense, but probably more testing game away at Rotherham. 

If you want me between 7:30 and 9:45 on Friday night, you will find me hunched in my seat in the middle of the Kop. Muscles wound tighter than a watch spring. Tenser than Joey Essex entered in a Spelling Bee. Twitching like the Pitsmoor Owl whenever a blue light passes his living room window. I can't say I will enjoy it, you would need balls of steel to sit/stand there and enjoy it all. Actually.....you know there is one scenario that would enable me to properly enjoy it, well some of it, at least whatever time is left after the fourth goes in. 18-1 with SkyBet, just saying.

Game by Game - 4

Pre-Season Friendly: Hallam (A), 1-2

A trip to Sandygate on a pleasant Summer evening is never a chore. A fiver in, cheap bar, watching the match with a pint and decent snap from Ann's Tea Bar - tonight it was chilli and rice for £3 - attracted myself , Chris Wilder and 548 others to the oldest football ground in the World.

Last season saw a few first team fringe players join the Blades development squad up at Hallam. On Tuesday night the only one involved was Caolan Lavery and it was perhaps surprising that Jake Eastwood didn't get game time with Simon Moore and Dean Henderson now jostling for first team action.

With Regan Slater, Sam Graham, Harvey Gilmour and Calum Semple all out on loan, perhaps the most familiar (least unknown) player to those who aren't regular academy watchers (myself included) was young Welshman Rhys Norrington Davies who has enjoyed a brief cameo at the Keepmoat the previous Friday. Him aside it was a young development side with many stepping up from the u18s squad of last season. After participating in a four team tournament at Whitby ending at the weekend, United named just three subs, it really felt like bare bones.

With half of the cricket outfield encroaching on to the football pitch, the Sandygate grass had a two tone look. The long hot summer, combined with the infamous Sandygate slope meant that any heavy touch was punished on a hard, bobbly pitch. And in the early stages there were plenty of them from both sides.

From the first few minutes Norrington-Davies stood out above the rest. Most of United's best play came down the left and they were comfortably on top. Forward David Parkhouse looks a big lad and there was a decent touch amongst the hustle and bustle of his link play. His movement and aerial threat created space that strike partner Lavery never fully exploited. Parkhouse hit a nice curling shot  which hit the bar with the keeper Snaith watching on. Then after neat build up his back heel allowed Lavery to hit a curling shot past the keeper.

Norrington-Davies was influential and popping up on the right, you could hear the Hallam captain shouting "He's all left foot, he's all left foot". Sadly he didn't follow up on our wishes to put over a pearler of a right foot cross. However, it was noteworthy that the mouth was directed at their biggest tormentor. The Blades pressure paid off when Hallam saw his shot parried and Oure tapped in from close range. United were comfortable and Hallam looked ragged, making two early substitutions around half a hour in.

Whilst I was in a lengthy bar queue there was a substantial delay just before half time when Hallam's captain Reed went down injured. By all accounts there was no challenge but a ruptured achilles saw him eventually leave the pitch on crutches with United medical staff on hand.

Second half and kicking downhill United lost their way a bit and credit should go to Hallam who were now the better side, despite the upsetting loss of their captain. It'sinteresting how whenever I have been to Hallam, teams seem to benefit kicking up the slope. United's subs made little impact and Silva (a trialist) struggled to get into the game to the extent my friend Al asked if George Weah was his uncle.   Aside from a disappointing Lavery effort fired straight at sub keeper Darwent, it was mainly Hallam pressure.

Their goal came from a corner. A back post header was parried well by Dewhurst but the loose ball was shinned home centre back Griffiths. And it was Dewhurst's goal that was under most threat until the final whistle saw the crowd drift off into the side streets of S10.

Three final thoughts:

On a night like this you would expect Lavery to stand out, but unfortunately he didn't. Harsh to be singled out as the only senior player involved, but it says much about his future at United that he was. Anyone watching wouldn't have been impressed and an observation was made that he might be a player that drops right down the leagues. When he joined you thought there is something there; pace, aggression and a nuisance for defenders. What he lacked was goals and the loan at Rotherham did little to enhance his prospects. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.

There were 4 United players who stood out for me. Jordan Hallam looked composed and comfortable on the ball with a decent range of passing, as did Reece York who captained the side. Parkhouse showed promise but I read that he needs to contribute more goals and I can understand that based on what I saw, although he was unlucky when he hit the woodwork. Finally, Norrington-Davies was the stand out. He looked physically stronger than his team mates, had an excellent first touch on a challenging pitch, if anything his final ball could have been better, but he was always offering himself and getting into good attacking positions.

Finally, in the city of football we need to make sure our local teams are supported. Hallam, Sheffield FC, Handsworth Parramore (stuck out at Worksop) and Stocksbridge all offer affordable football, with a warm welcome. A great alternative when time and money mean a Championship away day isn't feasible. Hallam made the Northern Counties East Division  play offs two years ago and just missed out last year as the fixture backlog hit following the harsh winter. It will be harder to gain promotion from Step 6 this season, with no play offs following a pyramid reorganisation, so any extra support will only help. As it will at Handsworth (a league higher) and at Club and Stocksbridge (a further step up).