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."

The Entitled Fans

The Internet is the centre of so many people’s lives. Anyone, should they wish to, has a public voice and a means by which to be heard (read) – forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts, twitter and Facebook. "What do you think? Tell us!". I know what you are thinking, as a blogger should you really be going down this path? But stick with me....

Old media is playing catch up, the consumers of media now create content. Phone-ins no longer need 90 minutes of callers when they can read out emails and tweets. The emails and tweets become a generator of calls and tweets and emails. Local newspapers can write articles that comprise a couple of lines of often mis-spelt text and a page of tweets. Our thoughts, hope and dreams, hates and loves shared even wider, to be rated or slated.

As society is changing, so is football. An ever expensive business that means clubs increasingly have customers rather than fans. Whether we like it or not there is an increasing number of football fans who are as much consumers and customers as supporters and fans. With ticket prices reaching, what for many people are, unsustainable levels, an increasing number of people attend expecting some semblance of value for money – a notion that very few clubs a season will ever deliver on, or on a consistent basis. Nothing exemplifies this more than the misguided notion that as a customer you are entitled to a refund if the performance is poor and the defeat is heavy.

 A sense of fan entitlement is rising in football and whilst many campaigns are worthy of wider support – Twenty’s Plenty and challenging the disregard to supporters with TV match scheduling as examples – there is a much whinier, whinging group who seek complaint at every opportunity. More prevalent amongst “supporters” of the Big 6, or those who perceive their club should be, these ungrateful, spoilt children have a sense of entitlement and severe lack of perspective that does them a bigger disservice than they are willing to acknowledge. These Veruca Salts or Violet Botts want to "scweam and scweam until they’re sick".

Sadly, you can see this starting to perpetuate United's fanbase. We all want success, we all yearn for cup runs, cup finals, promotions and titles, to bring the good times and big games back to the Lane, but this is more than that. Worse than that.  Fans sitting back waiting to be entertained - like the emperors in the Coliseum. 

There has been comment on social media and on the phone-ins recently about the atmosphere at the Lane. The fact is we have gone quiet. People sat waiting for it to happen, with impatient expectation. And when the goal doesn't come, or a mistake is made, you hear the muttering and the groans. The second, third, fourth mistakes greeted with ever louder groans. I wasn't at the Birmingham game, but those who were there commented it was like a morgue at times. The Preston game on Saturday wasn't helped by half the crowd being caught up in Freshers gridlock at kick off, but did we ever really get going once the ground filled? The usual groups at the back of the Kop made their effort, but it never really reverberated around the ground.

Even when we were all over a team for 60 minutes it felt quiet. We expect a lot of effort on the pitch and they (the players) got nothing back when they delivered. The quality of football and style of play we are trying to deliver deserves it.

Attendances are down on last season. Matchday pricing and the midweek red button will both have an impact I am sure, as will the fact that away followings are down as well. Despite these factors we still have strong numbers, so the volume should still be good.

This entitlement and passive support - until there is an issue - then breeds on social media. There is a tendency in some tweets I have seen to focus on the fact we have been on a "run" of one point from a home and away game. Since when is two games a run of games? Particularly when it includes one okay performance that we should have got at least point from - but didn't and another where initial dominance of possession wasn't translated into goal opportunities, we faded and found ourselves holding on for a point. The latter one of those games where everyone has a stinker - rare, but they do happen. But for some people this was panic stations, this was the start of "the rot". The reality is it was four wins in six and sixth in the table.

All sense of perspective is lost. The need to comment in the immediacy of the final whistle, or in this case midway through a second half with United 2-0 up, leaves little time for rationalisation. Comments that were previously kept within the privacy of friends and family are now out on public display.

There appears to be a reluctance to pause and think before hitting ‘send’ or ‘tweet’, a pause that might have more value than the words that have been typed. If this was the reaction when we went 2-0 up, I can only assume the patchy 3G coverage in the Lane thankfully deprived us of the thoughts at 2-2.

This is not a call for Ultra groups, choreographed displays, or singing sections. It isn't necessarily about singing songs. This is just a call for some perspective, for fans to get behind the team and encourage them. Bramall Lane rocking is a place few clubs would want to visit, how many times have opposition managers commented on it? We are in a much stronger position than many would have expected even after winning the League One title 16 months ago. Yes, we didn't kick on last season as we might have hoped, after a great start, but we are putting together a similar platform this season.

The table below shows the position at the same stage last season, there are many similarities with this in that we are fourth and two points off the lead, but this season is more open and the gaps are smaller. Just two points separate us in fourth and Blackburn in twelfth. The margins are small and everything points to a competitive league with a team that finds consistency pulling away from the rest.

I recently saw the graph below on twitter from a Wednesday fan, (stick with me!) Peter Loehmann. It showed that over the last 14 years the proportion of teams in the Top 6 of the Championship each week that are still there at season end. Whilst that wasn't the case for us last season and we were in the other 50%, then there must be a chance this season.

Let's not take this for granted. Let's not assume that the players can produce these kinds of performances every week. They're going to need us to get behind them and they need us to lift them when energy is flagging. Teams come to Bramall lane to contain us. Be patient, keep perspective, we can make a difference. You never know we may convert some of those results we didn't get last season into better ones this and who knows where that might take us?

Game by Game - 13

Game 13 – Preston North End (H), Championship – 3-2

So we missed a couple of games in Game by Game - whilst our correspondents were at both Bristol City on Saturday and the Lane on Tuesday, time and other priorities have limited their writing opportunities. 

And so on the back of two results that can be described as disappointing for different reasons, the Blades went into a game that, based on the season to date form of both sides, looked imminently winnable. History tells us that is never the case when we face Preston, either home or away. This was a team that showed more hunger and fight when the two teams met at the end of last season in a must win game and their matchday squad was largely unchanged with 14 players named who were included back in April. Perhaps the biggest losses were the injured Maguire and Bodin, limiting their attacking options.

Chris Wilder made five changes midweek, perhaps too many and the disruption caused maybe contributed to so many of the team having a stinker on the same night. He then made four more changes on Saturday, but few would argue with re-instating the two wing backs and restoring Sharp and McGoldrick to frontline duties. The starting XI picks itself at present, assuming all are fit and able.

In front of a relatively sparse looking crowd, the ground slowly filling up as the traffic chaos around the city impacted so many journeys to the Lane, United started on the front foot. Plenty of possession but initially lacking that impetus in the final third, with O'Connell crossing over everyone's heads and Stevens and Freeman both wasting great crossing opportunities bursting to the sidelines. McGoldrick had a goal-bound header, cleared away by a Preston forehead, but for those who had witnessed the Birmingham game there were similar features. Preston were sat deep and rarely threatened.

We needed to find a way through and needed that bit of inventiveness that had been lacking for a couple of games. Each attack seemed to end with a groan from the crowd and sat on the Kop there was a sense of agitation rather than anticipation building. This cannot help the players. When on top like this the crowd needs to get behind the team and be the 12th man forcing the ball home, not sat waiting and then grumbling when it doesn't happen.

The goal, when it came arose from end to end football and one perfectly delivered pass. After a spell of prolonged United possession Basham tried turning in a tight spot on the right edge of the opposition penalty area. Robbing the ball from Basham, Preston broke at pace and United were on the back foot. But a superbly timed challenge, I think from Egan, saw the ball fall into the path of Freeman who advanced and hit a deliciously weighted through ball into the path of McGoldrick down the right channel. McGoldrick's cross shot could only be parried by Maxwell and, after what felt like an age, Sharp reached the ball to tap into the empty net. No more than United deserved.  

Shortly after McGoldrick stretched for a Stevens cross, but could only head wide. Just before the half time whistle, Preston had a rare break stretching the Blades back line and O’Connell and Egan made excellent blocks at crucial moments. Rarely had we been under pressure, but when we had been we felt a little panicky.

  

Bizarrely Preston didn't start the second half with any greater ambition and it felt like one way traffic with all the play coming towards the Kop. United won a free kick on the right-hand side and Norwood drove a hard, curling ball that only needed a diversion from the head of Basham to send it into the top corner. I thought no one could top the accuracy and quality of my childhood performance at Paperboy on the Spectrum, but Norwood's delivery is the best I have seen for a long time.

  

United were coasting and had a great chance to kill the game off, McGoldrick dragging it wide from the right side of goal with only the keeper to beat. This seemed to trigger Preston into action and the introduction of the tricky Daniel Johnson, just after the hour mark, and Barker ten minutes later really added some thrust to their attack, but for a lot of effort and possession the final ball was lacking. United were solid enough but without ever looking wholly comfortable, mainly due to not retaining possession for any decent period. Wilder changed formation, Marvin Johnson for Sharp and we switched to a 4-1-4-1 that also allowed us to go to 4-3-3 when attacking with Johnson and Duffy either side of McGoldrick, but nothing was sticking when the Blades were in possession. It felt like wave after wave of Preston pressure and when the goal came, you could sense the ground as one seemed to mutter, "Well that's been coming".

  

It was a completely preventable goal; as Barker advanced O'Connell stayed on his heels, Stevens went to close him down leaving Barker to slip in Fisher overlapping on the right. He laid the perfect ball across to Robinson who had dropped a couple of yards off Egan, who ended up slipping to a heap on the floor as the ball was knocked home. Preston now had belief and their second came down the opposite side. Freeman sucked inside leaving Hughes alone on the left and his cross was met by the lunging Johnson, whose shot was probably heading wide until it cannoned off O'Connell and wrong-footed Henderson. With 8 minutes to go, there was a sense a draw might be a good result right now as United had offered little for 20 minutes and Preston's dander was up.

Then out of nothing United had a third. Johnson, who up to that point had struggled to get into the game, linked up wonderfully with Stevens. The full back surging to the by-line, leaving a couple of defenders flat footed, before a perfect pull back that McGoldrick was never going to spurn. From dejection to joy in minutes and a goal celebration that further secures Dean Henderson’s place in the hearts of Blades fans. It reminded me of Simon Tracey’s celebrations against Wednesday.

There followed a ridiculous 6 minutes of stoppage time that became even longer with Stearman coming on to shore things up at the back. Given Maxwell had wasted time from minute one, it was odd that Scott Duncan loaded the stoppage time to the second half, but thankfully the Blades saw it out.

  

Three final thoughts:

PNEgative - There was an interesting tweet from Blades' fan and AUV contributor Phil Ridley post match.

It was a bizarre tactic from Alex Neill. For large parts of the first half they were under the cosh and had eleven men behind the ball, but having said that they rarely broke with any real threat or numbers, despite the impressive Callum Robinson working hard.

  

McGoldrick's missed one on one chance to make it 3-0 seemed to spur them into life and the period that followed was largely one way traffic. We seemed to panic under pressure, there was no outlet and as quick as the ball was cleared, Preston were back on the front foot. We were rocking. When the first goal came you felt that they could get another and even the most hopeful Blade must have feared a PNE winner after the equaliser, we were reeling. Daniel Johnson, a player who impressed in his Oldham days when we played them in League One, added some real impetus to their play and although Wilder's subs made sense to try and stabilise defensively and offer an alternative outlet wide in the pace of Marvin Johnson, we seemed to retreat further.

  

Would Preston have stood a better chance starting like this? That is hard to say, as the shift in gear when we were on top seemed to catch us out. Doing it from the off and maintaining it is a different issue. We may well have exploited the space created instead of playing the football equivalent of Arkanoid against a yellow wall for an hour. Clearly Neill has concerns about them defensively and their zero away goals before Saturday suggest that the tactics aren’t allowing their attacking talent to flourish, but neither is it working defensively. Give me The Wilder Way anytime.

  

A soft underbelly? - The one concern coming out of Saturday is that we are still susceptible to sloppy play defensively and when we don't get the goals to kill teams off we have a tendency to panic and concede possession too easily. The goals conceded were not great goals from an attacking perspective, more the result of continually knocking on the door until a hinge comes loose. In this case in both full back positions, although you could argue O'Connell being decisive and going to meet Barker, would have left Enda less exposed. We were nearly undone by Birmingham in similar fashion midweek and I am sure it is something the management team will look to address.

First choice striker - Probably lacking the goals his performances deserve David McGoldrick has to be topping the strikers’ pecking order right now. Tireless work rate, good link play and eventually got the goal on Saturday. A little more consistency in his finishing and staying injury free could see him up the top end of the Championship Top Scorers list.

Game by Game - 8

SkyBet Championship, Norwich (H), 2-1

After the recriminations and frustrations of last season's encounter at the Lane, the visit of Norwich (just like Mel B's dresses) holds a little more spice than it used to.

The Canaries' time wasting last season was unlike anything I have seen from an opposition side in years and whilst Saturday's game didn't quite reach those levels, it wasn't far off at times. The fact that Darren Bond (whose one-way decision making made me question if he was related to John) only added 3 minutes on as the clock reached 90 astounded many in the ground. The fact that it was sufficient time for United to finally make Norwich pay, meant any of those grumbles and frustrations could be forgotten about.

After last week's win at QPR and an improved performance midweek, let down yet again by spurned chances, there was cautious optimism, if a little surprise, at the omission of Stearman in what looked a very positive and attacking Blades line up.

From the off Norwood was busy, wanting the ball, dictating play and his link up with Fleck was reminiscent of the Coutts/Fleck partnership, with each taking responsibility in turn and prompting, driving United forward. Norwood's set pieces were a joy all game. When Egan met his right wing corner (which Norwood had also won) at the far post his powerful header looked to be cleared off the line from the Kop, but the Blades players were claiming goal and a couple of seconds later the referee got the call and signalled goal. The Lane was rocking and "Take your time, take you time Sheffield United, playing football the Norwich way" rang out.

For the next 20 minutes United were on top and you thought they were most likely to score, but they suffered a real sucker punch. Basham failed to deal with Hernandez on the left side of the box, being rolled far too easily, and the winger put it on a plate for Wednesday loanee Jordan Rhodes, who doesn't miss a chance like that.......unless he is in a shirt with Chansiri written on it.  His celebration right in front of the Kop stirred anger and abuse, but that quickly subsided and the ground felt deflated as the game, from a United view, fizzled out to half time. Despite this I felt optimistic, telling friends at half time we will win this 2-1.

The second half saw United start the better side. Several crosses into the box came to nothing, Egan saw a hooked effort well saved by Krul on the post and two great Norwood corners ended with Leonard heading over and a late surging Egan could only direct  his header inches past the post. Norwich had opportunities too, spurning a great chance from a couple of yards out after the ball came back off the bar. Leitner then received the ball after a deflection off a team mate at least 8 yards offside. With no flag and two team mates in support he hared down on Henderson, only for the keeper to stand tall and make a superb stop. 

The three minutes injury time were going down as quickly as Alex Tettey with "cramp" and even I was doubting my half time optimism, when Basham played a Norwood-esque ball into McGoldrick's path on the left side of the box. He hooked his foot around it, dragging it across goal, where Sharp forced it home. Delirium. Wilder was down one touchline, Henderson ran the length of the other to join in celebrations. A deserved win and whilst there is still work to be done, both defensively and on delivering a full ninety minute performance, there was much to feel optimistic about.  

Three final thoughts:

Jordan's assets - Canaries fans could have been excused for looking like their most famous celebrity Alan Partridge at full time. After a salutary wave to the away end, off Rhodes skulked towards the tunnel, without going over to the fans. You can imagine the plaintive cries of "JorDAN, JorDAN! JorDAN! JorDAN........JorDAAAAAN...........JorDAN!..... oh he's not seen us" coming from the away end. After his goal celebration in front of the Kop was rendered meaningless he clearly didn't want to be on that pitch any longer. Having said all that, Rhodes would be an absolute dream to have at the Lane. With the way we play and the types of goals he scores, he would finish off plenty of those crosses that pass through the box without that final touch and would be a great target for Norwood at set pieces. In fact, there is a good chance he would have walked off that pitch with the match ball on Saturday if he had worn a red and white shirt.

"Comes to something" - My Dad mutters the same thing every week. In fact he has uttered the six words for the last twenty odd years. As the Kop rises to its feet in anticipation as the ball is placed for a corner to be taken, he is in no rush to get up. Partly down to his advancing years and difficulty in getting up too quickly, but also due to his long held belief that "We never bloody score from corners". Sod's Law he wasn't there with me on Saturday, but I think it will be rare that he mutters that phrase whilst ever Oliver Norwood is a Blade. 


The @S24SU twitter feed will also have to change as Foxy and Linz have to get used to not clicking in drafts and selecting the  "Comes to nothing"  after every "Corner to the Blades" tweet. We have a player who can not only dictate play in the middle of the park, wanting the ball, making himself available and then picking a pass, we have a dead ball specialist. From the corner met by Egan and for the 81 minutes that followed, each corner or free kick was met with a deep breath and a degree of anticipation from the crowd. There was good variation; short, long and out to the edge of the penalty area, and each time you felt something could happen here. Whilst overseas midweek, I caught up with the Hull Cup game via twitter and saw plenty of mention of Norwood and his corners, with his performance on Saturday it genuinely excited me…….long may it continue.

Leon's not lazy - One grumble from Saturday is directed at a section of our support that seem hell bent on making Leon Clarke the latest target for their frustrations. At times in the first half it felt much bigger than just a small section of fans and it seemed like half the Kop sighed "OhhhhhLeon" as he didn't quite react in time to cut out a loose ball. We are a fan base that likes to see effort and a trier and often in the past that has more than made up for any technical limitation a player might have, making certain players heroes over more skilful team mates who perhaps lacked application. Leon works hard for the team, but he also uses judgement about when to close down play, when to challenge for a header, when to stand off play and wait for the break down. A great example was when two Norwich defenders went up to win the same header. Fans around me clearly felt Leon should go up in a 2 v 1 challenge, instead he just pulled into the space left by the defenders, ready to exploit the gaping hole if the second ball was collected.

His work rate certainly upped a notch second half and he never gave Hanley or Krul a moment to dwell on the ball. At 33, Leon is often the striker that lasts 90 minutes and to do that you need to use your experience and know when to chase and when not to. Unfortunately for some, that is seemingly a sign of laziness. He is just missing a goal and if he had turned in the chance first half with a  crisper finish then who knows what it will do to his confidence.  

Game by Game - 7

SkyBet Championship, QPR (A), 1-2

 

We welcome Jon Bradley back to A United View, for his take on an away day in West London, having taken a slightly different route there than most Blades And a slightly drier one.

 

A London away day so early in the season was an unexpected bonus when the fixtures were released. 

 

Trains were booked, pubs were identified and the inevitable 'my train is earlier than your train' jibes between the drinkers amongst us were exchanged.  Not for me though as I was up at 5:00am to drive from St. Ives, following a family holiday, to Bristol where I would get the train in to meet up with my mates in the capital.  The train journey was smooth as were the 180 miles from Cornwall to Bristol, the bump in the road arrived when I decided to order some beer on the train.

 

“What beers do you have?” I eagerly asked the kind lady pushing the trolley.  This was greeted with a sharp draw of breath and a quite abrupt “what would you like? I don’t like to encourage it usually, at this time of the day." It was 10:10am, yes a little early, however, I had every faith my friends from Sheffield had been sipping the amber nectar at much more of a witching hour!  “Any lager” was my response, “I will fetch them you soon.”  40 minutes later and my day had really kicked into second gear when 2 cans of Kronenberg turned up.  Viva la France.

 

Once in Paddington, I made my way on the tube to Hammersmith and took up position with friends in Wetherspoons.  The app took a hammering as I made my way through some beers with mates before descending on Loftus Road.  A grand old stadium Loftus Road is and when United took to the field, after an unnecessary argument about someone being sat in my seat, I was genuinely pumped up.

 

The Blades started with a degree of energy which had been absent in the previous two outings.  Returns of three old favourites and Stearman made us instantly look like a Wilder side.  Freeman and Duffy particularly showing things which have been absent prior to this game.  Despite all the effort, United found themselves behind after some last-ditch defending. A prolonged spell of QPR dominance and the ball fell on the edge of the box to Eze who smashed it home past Henderson.

 

Groans and infighting filled the upper tier near where we were sat.  One gentleman in particular must have had a run in with Leon Clarke because the way he was going on anyone would have thought that poor Leon invaded Poland in 1939!  Nevertheless, United made the breakthrough when three of the returning players combined.  Duffy to Freeman to Sharp to 1-1.  Easy.

 

Despite the equaliser, I went down at halftime pretty angry at my fellow supporters.  You pay your money you can shout what you want, but I couldn't help but feel that the atmosphere in the stand was pretty toxic.  Considering what has happened in the last few years in and around the club it really shouldn't be.  As I exchanged pleasantries with Blades mates it became apparent they shared this view.  I mean there are two drivers here.

 

Firstly, the digital age allows us all to access information, statistics or footage to inform and base opinions on.  I mean I am sat here writing an article, as a fan, for a mate, for other fans to read.  Why?  Its a bit of fun and someone will enjoy it, I hope.  This era though also allows for nonsense throwaway comments to be tweeted or used as fact by fans.  My favourite last week was someone kicking off that we hadn't got a Man City striker on loan who had gone to Preston, I can't even remember the loanees' name.

 

Secondly, which is almost worse, is the "I am a bigger Blade than you" bollocks which goes on when things aren't going so well.  Which in its own twisted way is full of arrogance and entitlement which isn't necessary nor productive.  If you've been to every game for 20 years and seen the reserves away at Exeter on a Tuesday, stood on your own, in December, in the rain, then good for you. But it doesn't mean that you know more than @bladex4lyf4eva.

 

We are supporters and we all see the game differently.  We should, however, all be able to look at the game differently without throwing vitriolic negativity at our players, who for 24 months have made us as proud as any set fo supporter in the land.  Anyway, I had a cider, it was shite.

 

The second half started as both teams pressed to seek an advantage.  It was a nervy affair with a few good Henderson saves being the highlight from a Blades point of view.  Then, in the 65th minute, the substitute McGoldrick was flattened by two of the hosts and a penalty was awarded.  McGoldrick took it upon himself to rifle the ball home.

 

United introduced Leonard late on for McGoldrick who had a dead leg.  They managed to control the game to its conclusion by any means necessary.  Leonard went close late on, but the game finished 2-1.  Wilder led the players to the away end for an exchange of pleasantries.  Dean Henderson looked like a boy on Christmas morning as he joined in the singing with the away following.

 

Wilder pushed Sharp towards the away end for some personal recognition, something echoed in his post-match interview.  As we all made our way home, delighted that United had some points on the board, it's fair to say the gaffer was equally pleased.  Particularly me, who knew that I could have a beer on the way home without judgement and that sometimes just being a fan is pretty fun.

 

Three final thoughts:

 

Dean Henderson - the kid oozes quality and if he continues to behave like that when we win he will become a fan favourite in no time.

 

Cautious optimism - United beat a poor QPR team but a little confidence can go a long way with this bunch of players.

 

He's not the messiah... - Duffy did help United towards the victory, however, whether or not we need can pin our hope on him doing it in the remaining 42 games remains to be seen.  Along with Freeman and Sharp though on this occasion, they did make the difference.

 

Game by Game - 6

SkyBet Championship: Middlebrough (A), 3-0

A United View welcomes Phil Ridley to its writing ranks with his take on last night's game from the Riverside, whilst I offer three final thoughts from the comfort of my sofa and the red button coverage.

After leaving the rest of the family back in the holiday house we had rented in the Yorkshire Dales for the week, we finally got to Middlesbrough at about 6, only to be directed by a local Bobby to the ‘away boozer’. It turned out, after a 20 minute walk, we had been directed back to the mid-80’s. We stayed for one anyway before heading to the ground. The awful pub experience turned out to be an appropriate metaphor for the night ahead, with a painful first half performance on a par with many you might have seen under the reign of Billy McEwan. 

The team selection, even after Saturday, I actually had no problem with. I thought a slightly more cautious approach might suit against a talented Boro side. How wrong could I be. The first 25 minutes were anything but cautious. The warning signs were there when, despite United kicking off, Henderson proved his worth within a minute. Within 10 we were two down. Boro’s first corner was a simple one played to an unmarked Shotton at the near post to flick on to the unmarked Braithwaite to stab home. The second corner was played towards the back post and a similarly unmarked (and scorer of multiple goals from corners last season) Aden Flint. Shocking defending for both.

It wasn’t just at the back we looked shaky, the much maligned midfield three of Fleck, Evans and Lundstram were offering little, as were Stevens and Baldock. McGoldrick was trying in vain to make things happen but it’s tough up top when you’re on your own....

Boro’s third came in equally frustrating fashion. A cross from deep by Shotton that should really have been closed down and then dealt with by one of the four defenders it went passed on its way to Stuart Downing. The finish was fortuitous, seeming to just hit the former England man before bouncing up and over Henderson, however it could and should have been dealt with.  3-0 down after as bad a 25 minutes I’ve seen since Chris Wilder took our club by the scruff of the neck and gave it a shake. Not even that approach could salvage anything from this. That said, the ironic cheers for Henderson when he caught an aimless ball by a number of Blades behind me was pathetic.

It was at this point the manager changed us to a 4-4-2 and we started looking a little less like conceding every time they attacked. Basham in the middle of the park was flying into tackles and trying to drive forwards, giving Fleck a little more freedom. Half time came and the players left to boos from many of the travelling Blades.

Second half brought Woodburn into the game for Lundstram and United looked the better side from the off, although for Boro the game was already won so who could blame them if they had taken their foot off the pedal. Within a couple of minutes though, Clarke (who I had forgotten was playing) missed a simple chance. A header at the back post that was meat and drink for the player we had pre- Christmas. Whilst we were far from spectacular, we continued to be the side looking more likely to  score next. Woodburn looked busy, Fleck more like himself and Evans was getting into advanced positions more regularly.

Duffy coming on for McGoldrick after an hour gave us even more impetus, creating a much needed link between the midfield and attack. The final half hour was a case of what might have been. First Clarke and then Evans, by falling over the ball, both fluffed one on ones that seemed easier to score. Randolph saved well from Stevens and Egan had a chance to open his United account. All in all this just added to the frustration. As I tweeted last night and then echoed by Wilder in his interview, we didn’t do the basics well in enough in either box.

Clearly there are issues at the minute, struggles in the transfer market, not taking chances, conceding soft goals and ‘wags’ sticking their oar in unnecessarily. One thing I’m sure of though, if anyone can sort it, it’s Chris Wilder. Onwards to QPR and what I expect to be a much changed starting eleven.

Three final thoughts (from the comfort of the sofa):

Perspective is in short supply at the moment. When you have watched United teams under Harry Haslam, (the aforementioned) Billy McEwan, Adrian Heath and Micky Adams you know there has been much worse. However, what alarmed me the most was the lethargy (of body and mind) in that first half. Several players looked like they had won a raffle for a shirt and wandered on to the pitch, dazed and confused. The game was just passing them by. 

We have generally been spoilt in Chris Wilder's reign and that means when something goes so badly wrong as that first half, on the back of a rocket for the players after Saturday, people are genuinely concerned. But as people who were there commented, to stand there and chant "We're fucking shit" over and over shows a lack of recognition of how far we have come in a short space of time. It isn't "banter", it just makes it harder for the players. It is unhelpful and potentially damaging. To tweet and suggest that Wilder has given up, or that the club should refund fans for last night's game are frankly ridiculous. The latter  demonstrating a level of entitlement all too prevalent that doesn't fully comprehend what football support is all about.

  

Spirit has rarely been questioned under Chris Wilder and he has been careful in his acquisitions and man management to not disrupt the unity and togetherness engendered in that first season. However, it was noticeable on Saturday how heads dropped when Swansea equalised and last night there was lots of  finger pointing and debate from players with slumped shoulders, as the game went away from the Blades. I saw someone on the S24SU forum comment on the lack of team spirit being evident in Portugal, I wasn't there and to be fair I haven't seen it mentioned by anyone else, but it was notable  last night that we lacked a bit of unity. Clarke as captain doesn't make sense, when last season we signed Stearman (ex-Wolves captain) and now have Egan (former Brentford captain). Where is the man to lift the players on the pitch to dictate, to organise and cajole? We have enough experience for one of them to step up and take up the mantel, rather than point fingers and cast blame.

Talking of casting blame, the poorly masked tweets of Mrs Duffy (post Swansea) and Mrs Sharp (last night), do their other halves few favours. We might agree that both players should have a more prominent role in the team, but indirecting at the manager and his staff via social media demonstrates immaturity and thoughtlessness that at best irritates and at its worst generates ill will. 

Game by Game - 5

SkyBet Championship: Swansea (H), 1-2

So, where to begin.....yesterday I wrote this tweet post match.

As a fellow Blade pointed out in response, it's easy to over react in the immediate aftermath of the game and look foolish later. However, I think that misses a point. Frustrations are high (shared by the manager in his post match interview) and better to let off a bit of steam online than take it out in many other ways.

A critical view doesn't mean that the tweeter has shouted themselves hoarse in encouragement all match. If singling out players is a bad thing then criticise the manager who named several players whose catalogue of mistakes, in his eyes, led to the Swansea goals. One bad result on the opening day doesn't define our season and in the long run it may not be a bad thing. If we had held on to the one goal advantage it would have masked a number of deficiencies that I have no doubt will be addressed. 

The first half was stale fare from two sides finding their feet . Neither goalkeeper was threatened; Henderson comfortably collecting two long range efforts, whilst Nordfelt watched on as United's threat diminished in the final third, as we saw so often in the latter part of last season. Whilst it was frustrating to see United dilly dally out wide before putting over a poor cross, we were hardly flooding the box with options either.

For all the sharpness and crisp interplay from Celina and Carroll in the Swans' midfield and the bustle of McBurnie up front, the United back line for the large part looked comfortable. At the other end McGoldrick was working hard and trying to create openings, industrious and neat. However, at half time it was difficult to see where a goal was going to come from. A change was needed; United lacked creativity and ideas in the final third and there was just too big a gap between three midfielders sitting deep and McGoldrick and Clarke.

The second half started a bit more open. End to end with play flowing back and forth, but then there was a 5 minute spell where United were struggling to clear their lines. Lots of last ditch blocks and tackles and with no outlet ball it just kept coming back. Eventually United regained some controlled possession and had three great chances to score, finally taking the third opportunity.

McGoldrick surged forward in a central position and with space opening in front of him hit it with the side of his right foot. But from such a central position he needed to open his body up further and the ball curled away and past the keeper's right post. He really needed to put his laces through it.

One player who did when composure was required was Lundstram. Minutes after McGoldrick's chance he was played in on the right side of the box and lashed a wild shot rising high into the Kop. The goal when it can followed neat interplay down United's left involving Baldock. One guy around me said "What's Baldock doing there?" as he laid off to Fleck and arced his run into the box where Lundstram's pull back was met with a calm side foot finish perfectly slotted between keeper' s fingertips and post. You expected United to kick on now, but they didn't.

Montero had been brought on down the Swansea left for full back Olsson and his pace was causing United problems. More so given we seemed to sit back after scoring. Swansea dominated for the most part from thereon in. We were getting opened up far too easily and the quicker pace and intensity of Swansea was too much, often leading to poor decision making and leaden footedness. Besides their goals, Mackay slammed the bar and Henderson (who saved well in the build up to the equaliser) superbly tipped over a McBurnie header.

Woodburn, Sharp and Duffy came on but with little effect. Sharp perhaps having most impact but we lacked the ideas to deliver an equaliser, the nearest being a one handed stop by Nordfelt to keep out a cross deflected off Roberts thigh.

On balance Swansea probably deserved it, despite our superior possession and greater number of shots. Statistics are fine but they don't tell the full story of a disappointing start to the campaign. On the plus side we have plenty of games to show we are better than that.

Three final thoughts:

I'm not sure how the shortlist is drawn up for the official Man of the Match, but the fact it had Evans, Baldock and O'Connell on it showed they had limited choice yesterday. Baldock (the vote winner) struggled when Montero came on, not helped by Basham to his left, but goal aside he was poor. At one point trying to shield the ball out off play he was caught out leading to another goalscoring opportunity. O'Connell had quite possibly the worst game I've seen him have in a Blades shirt. He looked off the pace and sleepy. Evans was busy, but as the player to break it up and generally pass sideways he has little impact on the game. Henderson pulled off a couple of good saves, but his kicking and distribution were wayward meaning we surrendered possession too easily. For me McGoldrick was the best of a bad bunch.

Nearly 24 hours later I stand by my tweet and it was a fear I expressed when the team news came through in the pub beforehand. The three selected in midfield just doesn't work for me. One suggestion in the pub post match was that if this combination was used then Evans and Fleck should be deeper (the former winning the ball, breaking up play and giving it to the latter), with Lundstram more advanced (as he is a more progressive player). I'm not sure, but today they were all too deep, Fleck saw little of the ball and when he did was in wide areas where he is less effective. That's one win in seven games when this midfield combination has been used. If it's to be continued we need to find the right formula and fast.

For a team that played Premier League last season Swansea were disappointing and eminently were beatable. I guess they are a team in transition with a new manager and many of their better players having left, imminently departing or refusing to play. Bersant Celina (impressive for Ipswich against the Blades last season) and Tom Carroll were excellent in midfield and Ollie McBurnie gave our back three a tough and rough game, as he did to us for Barnsley at Oakwell towards the end of last season. Yet for all this and the impact of pace in Montero, thet felt like a functional team with mistakes in them. Okay, they were away from home, but there was little of the "possession based, attacking football" Potter referred to in his programme interview. Maybe we can blame the first game and early season errors for  the many slipshod moments that gave Blades fans belief that three points was achievable and f they put them right I can see them being Top 6 challengers at the end of the season.