Friday 31 January 2014

Gone For Good

Deadline Day is upon us and whilst Nigel Clough has vowed not to panic buy we have seen one bit of business done. Tony McMahon has joined Blackpool on a permanent basis, the twenty seven year old right back has had his contract taken over by Championship Blackpool after making twenty six appearances for us this season. Whilst I think this is a good deal, as McMahon was not a player I wanted to remain at Bramall Lane with only one remaining right back (Brayford on loan) I do believe an adequate back up is required. So now with fans wanting to see a central midfielder, a centre forward and now a right back it could be a busy and demanding day for the management. I agree Clough can not simply panic buy, but if he has targets in mind he needs to make his approaches quick and get deals done quickly, with our record on deadline day (fax machines and journeymen) one would hope we have learned our lesson. I would also hope the loan of Harris can now be extended or a deal to bring him in permanently can be struck.

Possible Right Back Solutions-
Seamus Conneely - Sligo Rovers
Jack Dean - Formally of Fulham
Theo Jones - Formally of Norwich and Brighton
Nii Nortey - Formally of Chelsea
Kieron Freeman - Notts County

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Wednesday 29 January 2014

He Is Our Captain?!?!

Michael Doyle, if everyone is honest it is not what a majority of us like to hear when the team sheet is announced. The so called skipper struggles with passes over five yards, can not seem to be a force or difference maker when putting in a challenge, and of course along with the latest incident against Fulham he does idiotic things when we need someone to lead by example most. We have said for nearly three seasons now that we require a better caliber player in midfield and a better caliber captain, but unfortunately our cry for improvement is often ignored as every manager seems to see something we don't. But even if he is a hard trainer, grafts hard week in week out when coaching sessions are going on if that does not translate onto the pitch even after three years surely the staff can see what we see, something is wrong. Doyle does not particular inspire or lead the players, on many occasions I have seen other players spurring on their team mates and barking instructions, Maguire, Collins, Baxter and more recently Paynter have shown more leadership with their actions as of late, most notably I have seen Baxter and Paynter being
the ones slapping their hands together and trying to spur the team on with Doyle being only a spectator joining in once the other has done his job for him. A viable replacement for his position is needed, now not in the summer it is needed now. And after his latest actions the armband needs to be passed, otherwise its unfair on players like Brandy who were shipped out on loan because of their actions and attitude. With Doyle out for three games now it is up to other players to perform out of their skin to show why they deserve to be in the first team more, because if he is allowed to walk straight back into the team it will cost us. During The Fulham game with eleven men and a goal advantage we looked like we could see off The Premiership opposition, but due to a man that supposedly is a great honest professional and work horse physically trying to cause harm to another player we had the game taken from us. He cost us, our leader who is their to guide us through to victory cost us the game. If Doyle is not dealt with the road to recovery is a million miles away for this football club.

-Jonathan Gascoigne
-See 'Captain Not So Fantastic' for previous article on Michael Doyle

Playing Swaps

As I and many other Blades have stated lately Tony McMahon was quickly becoming a liability for the team, and with the arrival of Brayford it would seem McMahon's days are numbered at The Lane. The right back had a habit of hitting hopeful balls forward which in turn landed straight at the feet of opposition players, mix this with a lack of pace and a defender who struggles to keep pace with wingers and weakness became easy to exploit by the opposition. Often making silly challenges and picking up seven avoidable yellow cards it is clear we had to deal with an issue. Now without a shred of proof I can not moraly put a story with full details about the rumored meeting between Nigel Clough and McMahon when Clough first came in, but anyone who has heard it will know The Gaffer had certain concerns in regards to McMahons attitude on and off the pitch, and with his move to Blackpool it would seem these concerns were never put to rest. So with only a week left of the transfer window McMahon has been sent on a twenty eight day loan to Blackpool, what makes the deal interesting is the arrival of Bob Harris from the other side of the deal. The twenty six year old left back who made five appearances and scored one goal for South Yorkshire neighbors
Rotherham last season has struggled to get into the first team set up at Blackpool, and they had decided it would be beneficial for the player to get playing time under his belt. Now after what I saw on Sunday I am happy for him to get that time here with us, freeing up Hill to play in his preferred centre back role and looking strong and technically sound Harris could be an absolute bargain deal. After his debut Harris has already hinted that an extension of the loan deal and it would be a move he would want, this is good news for us as it gives a lot more depth and quality at the back, along with more combination options come team selection time. All we need now is McMahon to want the move and both clubs could start hashing out a deal, here is hoping.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Monday 27 January 2014

Highs, Lows and Disbelief

Sheffield United 1
Fulham 1
Bramall Lane
Attendance 16,324


As the rain came down on a bleak Sunday afternoon the man who would be center of attention gave the Bramall Lane pitch the all clear and United vs Fulham was game on. It would prove to be a game that with the exception of one player (one of the usual suspects) every player in a Red and White shirt could hold their heads up high and be proud. The Blades gave John Brayford his debut, Porter was recalled to the side and Coady was selected ahead of McGinn. Andre Marriner got the tie under way and Fulham took control of possession and kept it that why for a lot of the early going. As in the previous tie whilst the Premier League team held possession well it was played sideways a lot and they found it hard to break United  down. When possession was won by United they went straight onto the attack Murphy winning a free kick in a dangerous position, unfortunately nothing came of it neither did an attempt by Porter (who had a good game by all accounts) as it missed the target. Fulham were never going to sit back and had chances of their own, one of the more dangerous saw Rodallega heading over the bar after Karagounis found enough space to put in a dangerous cross. Fulham's day took an early blow as John Arne Riise had to be replaced due to an injury after missing a sliding tackle on Flynn. The continuing rain ensured
the game remained a scrappy affair for most of the first half. Midway through the first half Porter was brought down by Hughes on the outside of the box, this lead to Baxter bending his effort just wide of goal. The Blades got a lucky escape as shortly after a cross from Kasami got stuck in the fresh goalmouth mud and the defense were able to get it clear from danger. As the rain came to a halt and a brief spell of sunshine hit the field of play Harry Maguire made an uncharacteristic run forward with the ball, he bounded past the Fulham midfield, once at the edge of the box he turned his body to block their defense and get off a hard low shot, it was this shot that hit the leg of Chris Porter and gave League One Sheffield United the lead over Premiership Fulham, and the crowd erupted as the front man peeled off to celebrate his goal. It was almost short lived as Rodallega's run towards goal was stopped by George Long who bounded off his line towards the Colombian, The
striker managed to get the ball past long but his trailing leg made contact with Long and he went down, on this occasion the referee saw fit not to award a penalty much to the dismay of the traveling Fulham fans. In all honesty if I was a fan of Fulham I would be convinced this is a penalty as they are given week in week out in The Premiership, and one would think a Premiership referee would have blown his whistle, but also we see them not given on a regular basis in League One. A major blow came on half time as Harry Maguire went down in the box at the death of the half, he didn't make it back onto the pitch before the whistle and at half time The Blades had a deserved lead. The performances of Brayford, Maguire, Hill, Murphy and dare I say it Porter were all top draw, especially Brayford who looked composed and confident.


As the teams made their way to the field for the second half many fans were glad to see Harry Maguire appear from the tunnel still dressed to compete, a tactical substitution was made as new boy Stefan Scougall replaced goal scorer Porter, this left us without a recognized striker and in my view showed we were ready to defend our lead, whether this was the right choice or one made to early is down to interpretation. Scougall however would go on to have an impressive debut and look comfortable against Fulham and showed a vast
amount of promise, he battled hard and constantly wanted the ball, one can only hope he is in the team come midweek. After the game resumed delight turned to horror as Harry Maguire went down again early due to the previous knock, he was replaced by new signing Bob Harris who took up the left back position moving moving Hill to centre half. Baxter managed to get off a tame shot which was easily saved by Stockdale in the Fulham goal, the chance came after some good work by Coady and Scougall who had began to link up well. United had a few chances on the wings but with no target man and Baxter laying deep there was no one in the box to convert the crosses. Just under ten minutes into the half United were down to ten men after Doyle lost his cool and was shown a straight red for an off the ball incident, Doyle (who was average at best in the game and one of the weaker players on the day) is club captain and should lead by example instead of getting caught up in a retaliatory incident. Doyle had
previously taken a blow from Chris David leaving him bloody mouthed but no foul was given, but he should have gotten on with the game, instead he stamped on the Fulham player's ankle in front of the referee, whilst Davies reaction was theatrical at best and many on the Kop were trying to pin point where the sniper was in the stadium it could not be excused that Doyle had acted idiotically and deserved his red card. A disappointing action and one that should result in punishment from the club, and it meant that United would now have to try and keep pace despite their opponents having the extra man. Surprisingly however it was the Fulham freekick that nearly led to The Blades doubling their lead, Flynn got hold of the ball and broke with pace at Fulham, he got past Hughes with ease and drilled an effort towards goal forcing Stockdale to make a tough save with his feet. Fulham held onto possession for large portions of the half and continued to try and take advantage of the extra man going forward but United defended heroically. The away side brought on Darren Bent and Adel Taarabt to try and swing the game in their favor but United remained resistant. Not only would The Blades not roll over for Fulham but they kept going at the away team and when Flynn managed to bear down on goal he fouled by Hughes who stamped on the wingers foot tripping him in the box, a stone wall penalty but the Blades fans were left outraged as referee Marriner (who was in clear view of the incident) waved away the penalty appeals, robbing the home side of their rightful penalty and chance to take a two goal lead and claim another Premiership scalp. Cloughy and Morgan were
so incensed by this that Marriner had to speak to them on the touchline, but Clough escaped being sent to the stands. As with most big mistakes by referees, the victim of said decision (United) were punished after great link up play from Duff and Tankovic enabled Rodallega to find space and drill a low shot past George Long to level up the tie. Fulham from then on piled on the pressure, and Senderos rattled the cross bar with a header along with Matt Hill miraculously managing to get the slightest touch on Kasamis header across the face of goal stopping the effort crossing the line. Fulham had a hopeful effort look like it was goal bound but it flashed just wide of the top corner. It was from the resulting goal kick Fulham again attacked us, but Scougall managed to disposes his opponent and make a darting run forward and as the last few seconds ticked down he played the ball to Murphy on the wing, his run towards goal saw three Fulham defenders crowed him, leaving Scougall open making his way into the box, but Muphey didn't look up instead he stopped at the edge of the box, and the last chance of the game was wasted as Scougall was then marked, Murphey couldn't do anything useful and the final whistle sounded. A brave performance from the ten man Blades left us proud, but at the same time we genuinely think we did enough to win the game was it not for forces working against us. A replay at Craven Cottage awaits us, the reward for progression, either Nottingham Forest or Preston at Bramall Lane. We will have to work hard, but I believe we can upset the odds yet again.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Friday 24 January 2014

Humble or Happy Come Sunday?

When Fulham arrive at The Lane on Sunday for our FA Cup Forth Round tie its has been reported that officials will be offering the red carpet treatment, this is all well and good but as soon as the players walk on to that pitch the so called red carpet needs to be yanked from under their feet. After the ecstasy of Villa Park and seeing arguably the best United performance in over five years we need to be prepared for a real tough time. Whilst the press have speculated bigger name players like Berbatov could be left behind in London due to fixture congestion and squad rotation this does not give us a free pass into the next round. The Blades will have to work hard and imitate and possibly surpass the heroics of the previous round, we will need the wingers finding space and testing the full backs, we cant have them static and just looking for crosses to the box like in League games of old, we need them to try their look, play with confidence and be willing to act as a game changer. We need our strikers to be ready to fight for the ball in the air, something that Porter has lacked before and after the last cup game, but he showed us all that he can do it, he can challenge for the ball, he can get into dangerous positions, and despite poor league performances we need him to be that nuisance he was. Most of all we need Matt Hill to play the blinder he did when he was given the duties of dealing with Albrighton, and for the defense to be imposing and dominating.

Even if the likes of Berbatov are left behind we have to look at other dangers, especially Darren Bent and Adel Taarabt, Bent has the pace to cause Collins a lot of problems, and Taarabt as we have seen in the past at Q.P.R can rip a defense to shreds if they don't prepare for him adequately. RenĂ© Meulensteen has big decisions to make, if he fields a youth team and we play like we have shown we can upset the odds and show up Fulham for not showing us the proper respect, if he were to go the other way and play a strong side it is down to us, we have to be able to adapt, and pile pressure on, if we sit back like we have in previous games we will be left humbled by the Premier League outfit. Their managers attitude towards game play could be our biggest lifeline, their slow build approach is something we dealt with at Villa Park and Villa had to start throwing balls forward because we didn't allow them the chance to progress when they were trying to play conservatively. Fulham are not a flair team, they play conservatively and rely on patiently getting the ball forward, hardly a Barcelona style of tica taca but one that many foreign managers adopt when making the move to the Premiership. So many differentials apply in this game, its makes preparation a game of chess, and adaptability essential, this will not be an easy game, nor impossible to win, its in our own hands, its up to us to forge our own path, we cant rely on their team selection or tactics, we just have to be prepared for everything, and if the support is even half as good as that at Villa we will know we have done our part.

-Jonathan Gascoigne


A Cloughy Soldier

Reports are claiming the John Brayford deal is nearly complete. A player that has worked with Nigel Clough at Burton and Derby, he was named in the 2009/10 League Two team of the season, also with a Derby Player of The season award (2010/11) under his belt, it would appear to be the caliber of player we have been screaming for all season. The twenty six year old plays at right back primarily and is known for bursts of pace and versatility. Composed and professional Brayford could be an ideal replacement for McMahon who risks becoming a liability with the clearances straight to opposition players and habit of losing the ball. I think like previous loanee Aidy White his versatility will give us greater options and depth to the team, he has been known to take up roles on the right of midfield and at centre half when it is required of him. With very few experienced players in these positions it would be a great boost. I hope that this deal does in deed go through, as alongside the impending acquisition of Scougall we would have picked up two very talented players to help us in the dog fight at the bottom of the table in which we have found ourselves involved with.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Monday 20 January 2014

Fresh Faces Required

We all know that if we are going to stay up this season (it still feels like a bad dream having to say that) changes need to be made and fresh faces are required. And on day twenty of the transfer window we have only one signing (Billy Paynter on loan) and one possible incoming. This becomes more stressful and frustrating when you look at the various positions that require strengthening. We have a goalkeeper who at
Rhys Murphy has twelve goals for
Dagenham and Redbridge
such a young age lacks a more senior player properly capable of mentoring him, and when you look at his previous mentor and current it becomes apparent why he is so mistake prone, and a new keeper becomes essential. We need a new keeper not only to mentor Long but to also bring essential experience and ability to the first team, possibly to be our first choice for a prolonged amount of time before George Long becomes a lost cause, and this would be tragic as he has all the natural ability to be high level goalkeeper, but currently he is mentally out of his depth. You then look at the defense, United only have three center halves, two of which are under the age of twenty one. Top this with two left backs and one right back and it is clear why despite McMahon becoming somewhat of a liability he plays week in week out. The midfield has been an issue for a while, whilst McGinn and Coady can have good games they have become inconsistent, not always playing to their true potential, also in that midfield is club captain Michael Doyle, and despite minimal improvement and having the game of his life against Aston Villa makes to many blunders and costs us in midfield battles regularly. And as we all know Porter isn't what we require, this season or any other, and even if Paynter starts if he is substituted Porter is our only other option, so another Striker is needed urgently.

In the keepers position I truly believe the two stand out candidates are Mike Pollitt (Wigan) and Carlo Nash (Norwich) neither are first team regulars but both have Premiership experience and could be our saving grace. They will know when to keep calm and the days of eccentric goalkeeping could be just a distant memory. With both players unless a substantial contract is offered with incentives for the future the sad truth is they would have to be loan signings.
Whilst Aidy White is a target for Clough on loan (The left back obsession continues) I think more importantly a player needs to brought in for the right, and Seamus Conneely of Sligo Rovers could be our best bet. Formally of The Blades Conneely is good with the ball technically and not scared to put in and deal with hard challenges, despite the younger age he seems to be more composed when clearing the ball away also. He is no Olympic sprinter but has a shade of pace or two more than McMahon. Seamus had fans in gary Speed and Chris Morgan, but unfortunately Danny Wilson couldn't see the potential and didn't
offer the Irishman a new deal when his original contract came to an end. The center half position is a difficult one to look at, with not many experienced players available either on the loan market or transfer list it becomes hard work for the gaffer, the only player I can see coming in and realistically making a positive change currently is Garry Monk of Swansea City on a possible Loan Deal. In the midfield position David Fox of Norwich is the obvious choice for me, he spent a loan spell this season at Barnsley,  feisty and level headed he could quite easily come in and do Doyle's job or if needs be play alongside him. This would of course be another loan deal as I doubt he would drop to League One permanently at this stage of his career. With the impending transfer of Stefan Scougall (if all these reports are to be believed) that would give us the option of covering Baxter playing just behind the strikers or possibly having him in the middle of the park but having the freedom to break forward towards goal, his versatility could be a god send and he could well and truly be the signing of the season, but also it could be a case of a promising
youngster not living up to the expected hype, only time will tell on this one. As for options in the striker department, everyone and their dog are searching for that next prolific striker, but is looking in the leagues above the right move? Rhys Murphy of Dagenham and Redbridge is getting a good amount of goals this season and the former Arsenal youngster is one of League Two's top scorers this season. He is tall, athletic but able to throw his weight around, privileged enough to have had his youth coaching at Arsenal he can show shades of brilliance with his technical ability, either as cover for Paynter or as an alternative I think he would be the ideal man to bring in to finally replace Porter. In my view this wouldn't have to be a loan signing either with him playing in League Two one would think we can afford to make the deal permanent. In my previous posts I mentioned a few other players, but most of them have either been called back to their first teams or entered form, these targets above seem the now best choices to strengthen this struggling Blades team.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

The Blades Set To Sign Scottish Youngster

If everything we read and here is true it would appear that the deal bringing Stefan Scougall from Livingston to Bramall Lane will be completed by the end of the week. The twenty one year old Edinburgh born midfielder has been a target of other English clubs of late but several sources in the media suggest we have come out as the winning bidders. Scougall could be a god send at this current time, and attacking midfielder who isn't afraid to run at players and chip in with goals and assists, and with Baxter going off injured against Bradford Scougall would have been the ideal substitution. The attacking midfielder has already found the net for Livingston this season and looked a threat throughout the season. Some fans have looked at our previous record with players from Scotland and think it to much of a gamble, but with Flynn and Murphy hitting form I think this is just the negative element of the fans voicing up again. People questioned where the flair and creativity would come from with Brandy and Cuvelier now out on loan, well here could be our answer, I for one hope to see this young man in a Blades shirt as soon as possible.

Below is a video of Scougall for all to view and form their own opinions.




-Jonathan Gascoigne

Sunday 19 January 2014

A Game of Three Quarters

Sheffield United 2
Bradford City 2
Bramall Lane
Attendance 18,794


Despite at half time looking like we could run away with this game and give Bradford a thumping some crazy tactical decisions, a fluke and some shoddy goalkeeping meant we had to share the spoils in this Yorkshire Derby. Paynter made his debut in the place of Porter, a step in the right direction according to many Blades fans.Another change was the recall of Jamie Murphy to the line up whilst Coady was placed on the bench alongside Porter. Straight after kick off it became apparent that we were going to cause Bradford problems
on the wings. Flynn especially gave the Bradford full backs a torrid time. Both teams had early chances from set pieces but it was Bradford who came closest, Hansen got to the end of Jones ball but it fell to the a grateful George Long. United used their domination on the wings to take the lead as Flynn took the ball out wide, some sublime passing got the ball to McMahon who found enough space to drill in a low cross to the back post where Murphy beat his marker for pace and slide and bundle the ball home. Bradford weren't going to lay down and die in this full hearted derby game and took the game to United, and in a frantic ten minutes they threw everything at The Blades back four, Maguire had to deflect an effort wide, they went close from the resulting corner but McLean's header just about drifted over the bar. Bradford got another corner shortly after and Hanson's powerful header rattled the crossbar, the ball fell to McHugh who hit a strong volley towards goal but it was cleared off the line by Jose Baxter, the Bradford players went berzerk claiming they should have had a penalty claiming Baxter hand balled it on the line, no penalty given but I have to admit if I was a Bradford fan I would have felt a little aggrieved. Paynter put himself about
plenty in what was an action packed opening, if it hadn't been for some very tight marking and blocking from Bradford's defenders one would think Paynter would have had his first goal. An unfortunate injury to Bradford's Reid meant he had to be stretchered off the field of play, he received a round of applause from both set's of fans as no one likes to see a player seriously injured. Five minutes before the end of regulation time of the first half The Blades netted their second, after yet more domination from Murphy and Flynn on the wings United got themselves a corner, we had looked dangerous from these set pieces all game but had not managed to convert our chances, but on this occasion Baxter's corner was met by Maguire in almost a mirror image of a previous corner his header was destined for goal, but unlike the top draw save that the previous corner produced this time it snook into the back of the net. United controlled the rest of the half and as the whistle went United looked good value for their lead.

The second half kicked off and again the action was at a fast pace, but Bradford had started to out muscle United in the midfield which had become a familiar theme in previous league games, the wing play continued to cause Bradford problems but the performances of McMahon and Doyle began to crumble and they failed
to make effective challenges, but no one was to blame for the equalising goal, an extremely hopeful shot from Jones took a wicked deflection off of Matt Hill's ankle, an extremely fortunate goal. It was here when Nigel Clough infuriated most of the Kop, Billy Paynter had been the best player on the pitch, holding the ball, making a nuisance of himself and cleverly playing the ball out wide to the wings, he looked dangerous and sharp, but he was substituted and on came Chris Porter. It was claimed this was due to fitness but Paynter looked sharper than many other Blades players on the field, and immediately we didn't look as dangerous, Porter didn't win any headers, he wasn't strong enough and didn't provide any kind of threat. A silly foul from McGinn gave Bradford a free kick out wide, it was delivered in and a pathetic star jump in the wrong direction from Long (when it would have easily pushed out to claim it or get it away) meant the ball bounced off his knee directly into the path of Hanson who pulled the Bantams level. United tried again and again to cause danger but despite great play from the wings Porter never looked dangerous on the end of crosses and it was cleared away time and time again. McMahon, Doyle and Collins couldn't
do anything productive with the ball and they were bullied off the ball, and showed no composure on the ball hitting it long straight to an opponent or out of play to often. McGinn nearly made up for the silly foul with a good effort on goal but it was turned away by the Bradford keeper. Baxter made a good run towards goal but was brought down on the edge of the box, he fell hard and had to go off injured, this was worrying as Baxter has been our most creative player for weeks. Miller replaced him and looked sharp but failed to grab a goal despite finding good space on a few occasions. The Blades could have had a winner after an out of possession keeper was rounded by Murphy who got the ball to Flynn but his effort just drifted over despite looking like it was destined for goal. Despite five minute's added time neither team could find a winner. Full Time and two points thrown away by bad tactical decisions, poor keeping and bad luck, we need new talent and fast or the same problems will cost us to the extent that League Two could be a possibility.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Bursting Our Bubble

This Was Written January 12th but published late due to technical issues****

Notts County 2
Sheffield United 1
Meadow Lane
Attendance 8,564

Away Blades 3,321

A large Blades following still on cloud nine after the stand out Cup performance had to watch helplessly as we sealed our own demise in Nottingham, suffering our second straight league defeat. Nigel Clough left many fans baffled leaving Murphy on the bench and playing Conor Coady, a holding midfielder, on the wing. Despite being out of his natural position Coady gave United a dream start in the second minute of the game. Coady made a run at County's defenders before intelligently playing a one two with striker Chris Porter, he was left with the task of rolling it into the goal and he made no mistakes, an early lead which left the following
army of United fans in raptures. There were a few half chances after the goal but non that stand out as clear cut opportunities. The best chance came as Flynn had the ball at the edge of the box, after his goal against Villa one would think his confidence was sky high and with the keeper at the wrong side of the net everyone was expecting him to rifle an effort towards goal, instead he passed a ball into the box which lead to Porter loosing possession totally killing the momentum we had tried to build. Notts County then began to take the game by the scruff of the neck, physically pushing United around and exploiting the out of position Coady's lack of pace on the wings. County's big target man Enoch Showunmi caused us problem after problem with his strength and determination, every time we thought he had been dispossessed of the ball he seemed to keep hold of it, this combined with our inability to deal with Campbell-Ryce using the same tricks over and over again to get past our defence led to the equaliser. A lofted ball to the pacey winger gave him the opportunity to get past Matt Hill and float in a cross, this hit Showunmi on the chest after some poor keeping and fumbling from Long eventually ended up in the net. United were second best from here on out and our only glimmer of hope to take back the lead was controversially taken away by the officials, after a clear handball in the box. A corner from the Blades was cleared away by the head of County goal scorer Showunmi, the clearance only came as far as Coady at the edge of the box who hit a shot hard towards goal, The county number nine Showunmi then proceeded to make what can only be described as a diving save, a blatant penalty to everyone except the match officials. Half Time was blown for and despite the County having the better time of things The Blades were more than a little annoyed at some of the refereeing decisions.

The second half began and McMahon had an early chance to grab a goal but managed to hit his effort over the cross bar. County then again took control of the game and could have taken the lead but Murray like McMahon previously hit it over. McMahon then played a dreadful back pass towards Long who had to dart off his line (not something Long has been particularly impressive at as of late) to prevent County getting their second goal. By this stage United were not any kind of contenders for the game, Coady was being exploited out wide, the midfield couldn't keep the ball or make an effective challenge and despite the odd long ball
racing the forwards we were out muscled and showed no spark upfront. Clough made a change but baffled the fans by bringing off Flynn and putting on Paynter, everyone was expecting Porter to be replaced as he was not causing any threats up front. Paynter made an immediate impact holding the ball well and shrugging off challenges it was refreshing to see a striker with a bit of strength. It was the substitute who gave United a rare chance, holding up play well before putting it into the box, unfortunately Porter was facing the wrong way and couldnt get the ball under control to turn and shoot. The inevitable happened and County took the lead after a dreadful mistake from Matt Hill who up until now had been one of our better players in recent weeks, a high ball forward from the county defence came down and instead of controlling the ball Hill let it bounce in front of his foot, it bounced past him and into the path of County's winger, play was switched and Sheehan played a cross into the box to Fotheringham whose initial effort was kept out but he managed to grab a goal from the rebound. More controversy came as McMahon was booked for simulation when everyone in the stands thought it was a genuine foul. United had a glorious chance to equalise against the run of play, Baxter and McGinn linked up well and McGinn found great space in the box all he had to do was hit it hard and low into the net as the keeper was out of position, but somehow to the disbelief of the three thousand plus Blades he hit a lofted shot over the bar. That was the last of Uniteds chances as County professionally saw down the clock to take all three points.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Billy Paynter Splitting Opinions

This Was Written January 10th but published late due to technical issues****


Well the first loan signing of the window is deal done and it is six foot striker Billy Paynter, arriving from Doncaster Rovers for the remainder of the season. The forward has already split opinion within the Blades faithful, some think he is just what we need, others think he is a donkey before a balls even been kicked, but before we judge one way or the other lets look a little deeper.
Last season thanks to some last day magic Doncaster went up as champions of the division, Paynter converted thirteen of Doncaster's sixty two goals that season, that rounded to an even number is twenty percent (The actual figure is 20.967741935483872% in case any one is curious) of Doncaster's goals that season. He was an integral part of their promotion and a good strong player, something we lack this season when it is needed most. Our target man is Chris Porter, a player who struggles to make an impact in the air, struggles to control the ball effectively and despite being an honest player he as a target man does not bring enough to the table, Paynter I believe brings all the qualities Porter is lacking in.

Manager Nigel Clough obviously has faith in the loan acquisition having this to say "Billy is a proven striker at this level and he gives us additional options with a busy period of fixtures ahead. He is cup-tied but available for the league games and will be able to share the load with Chris Porter." Now I agree that he is proven at
this level, but sharing the load with Porter is not what I want to see from Paynter. I want to see him picked ahead of Porter, in my opinion he is everything we need in a target man, strong, brave, passionate, when added to his ability to hold the ball  and keep possession, again things Porter seems  unable to deliver. The fans who think he will be an instant flop, I just can't come to terms with their thought process on this one, they bash his goals to games ratio but as I pointed out earlier he scored twenty percent of a division winning teams goals, I think if he were to flop the ones who said it from day one will gain some sense of perverse pleasure in the players misfortune, and take great delight with the "I told you so" comment being bounded around again and again. Whether it turns out to be an intelligent signing or one to add to the large list of January flops is yet to be seen but one thing is for certain, we need players new and old to start performing on a consistent basis.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Chalk and Cheese In The Midlands

*** The following reports were written Monday The 6th of January but have only just been published due to technical issues. 

The Blades faced two away days in a row, up first up on New Years Day a League One game against Walsall a game on paper in which we could be in with a chance of getting all three points, then three days later a return to the Midlands, an FA Cup tie against Premiership Aston Villa, a team we would be lucky not to be embarrassed by.

WALSALL 2
SHEFFIELD UNITED 1
The Banks Stadium
Attendance 5,015
Away Blades 1,044

The blades lined up with a 3-5-2 formation in hopes of leaving the Banks stadium with three points, but
Walsall had the best of the opening chances, Harry Maguire blocking Hewitt's effort before Baxendale volleyed wide, United's back three were being over run and not able to stop Walsall getting a number of crosses in the box. The Blades had a few half chances, Porter heading straight to the keeper and having a shot blocked. United did take the lead after Chris Porter was put threw by McGinn, he hit the ball hard across the face of goal into the top corner. The lead could have been doubled but after some clever work from Flynn to get the ball to McMahon he chipped the ball over the bar into the travelling Blades faithful.
Walsall had a few more chances hitting the ball wide a few times, United had the lead but Walsall were looking the more dangerous, as half time sounded The Blades had managed to hold on to their single goal advantage.

Early in the second half James Chambers cross failed to find a team mate, but a dubious decision to award a penalty after an alleged push from Collins gave Walsall a chance to equalise, a chance they took as substitute
Westcarr sent George Long the wrong way. Walsall controlled the game from here on out and despite Baxter hitting a long range effort straight at The Walsall keeper The Blades couldn't find a way through. Walsall's domination lead to James Chambers getting through on goal and after easily rolling the ball past George Long the home team had the lead and the three points. United made a double change on seventy minuets taking off Baxter and McGinn replacing them with Miller and Murphy. Uniteds only real chance for the rest of the game came as Porter played through Miller, he rolled it across goal and wide. Walsall came close to getting a third on several occasions as they dominated. Come the final whistle, it was obvious United were lucky it was only two goals they had conceded.

So now to Villa, and if Walsall found it so easy to dominate and punish us, Blades fans were sure that a drumming at the hands of the Premiership team was to follow, but despite this Blades turned up in large numbers to Villa Park, unaware of the magic they were about to witness.

ASTON VILLA 1
SHEFFIELD UNITED 2
Villa Park
Attendance 24,048
Away Blades 5,940

Around the ground Blades enjoyed their day out, filling up pubs and enjoying sing songs. A welcome break and distraction from the league, all the fans agreed no matter what the score was, we would be happy with a half decent display and a chance to sing our hearts out. And as kick of drew near United filled two separate sections of Villa Park and erupted into song. Matthew Lowton received a round of applause from the travelling supporters as the teams were announced, and come kick off the only thing that could be heard in or around Villa Park was the army of Blades fans singing Annie's Song loudly and Proudly. The build up to the game had been dominated by Villa manager Paul Lambert's comments stating Premier League teams could do without The FA Cup, this didn't stop him naming a strong squad however, but the ones with the winning attitude, the passion to progress and the ones looking to go for the win on this occasion were The Blades. Even players who I have been critical of previously, played out of their skins, Porter played clever balls out wide and kept the ball well, Doyle looked like a different player, winning challenges and finding his team mates with passes, Hill played out of his skin and cleverly held Albrighton at bay. George Longs rubber wrists seemed reinforced and despite a few mistakes even Tony McMahon looked good. The usual suspects had performances far exceeding their League status such as Harry Maguire who was set to have the job of defending against multi million pound forward Christian Benteke.
The attacking 4-4-2 formation was looking like the correct decision, United were playing clever balls forward and looking the more threatening team. Whilst chances were non existent in the early stages, as both teams tried to size each other up United looked more progressive in midfield and despite good possession from Villa they could only play the ball sideways time and time again. On the twenty minute mark came a moment that felt like catching lightning in a bottle, Jamie Murphy received the ball from Baxter, and after taking the ball out wide to the left flank he cut back on himself and waltzed into the Villa box, and despite pressure from three defenders he managed to get a shot off, and despite  the deflection the shock of a lifetime hit, it was Sheffield United one Aston Villa nil, and the noise was deafening. The look on Murphy's face showed how much the goal meant to him he had been linked with a move away from Bramall Lane in the days leading up to this fixture, but the Scottish wide man had made his claim to stay put and what a way to do so. Not long after Murphy had a
chance to get a second, he again cut in on himself but this time the Scott's effort went wide. Weimann got in the way of his own players effort as Tonev tried to get Villa back in the game on their first real attack. On the half hour mark Tonev had another chance, Benteke's interception of McMahons failed clearance led to him playing a low ball in front of the Bulgarian, but he hit the ball wide of the mark. United continued to ignore the fifty plus places between themselves and Villa and push forward causing Villa a host of problems. Ciaran Clark was booked for an off the ball incident which left Chris Porter battered and bloodied, he then spent the rest of the game wearing a bandage to cover his cut. Half time was drawing near and Villa were starting to keep the possession well, which made the rest of the half feel like an eternity for Blades fans, especially after it lead to a few dangerous chances for the home side, but again and again these chances were squandered by Benteke, and The United fans let him know loudly that he was having a poor game. The first chance was a header wide, pressure from Harry Maguire meant the Belgian could not connect fully with the cross from Albrighton. The second was a particularly poor attempt, Albrighton again with the cross and Benteke headed it hard into the ground and it bounced over the target. United could have made it two just before half time, Murphy made a quick counter run, his cross looked destined for Chris Porter in the Villa box but former Blade Matthew Lowton made a crucial interception before hitting the ball to safety, The half time whistle blew and the travelling Blades army sounded their appreciation.

As the second half got under way many people expected United to be defensive and make the mistake of trying to defend their lead, people could not have gotten it more wrong as much like in the opening forty five minutes The Blades went out with one mentality, attack. A few times the Blades got into dangerous position's but could not connect with the crosses being put into the box as the Villa defence looked to crowd Chris Porter and mark him out of the game. Learning from this Flynn decided instead of playing it into the box he would instead use a bit of trickery to find space before hitting a hard shot at Steer who had to make a strong save. Villas disgruntled fans grew more and more agitated as their team struggled to hold United at bay, Porter fired just wide after a clever ball from Flynn set him in a good position to double the lead. As the second half ticked on Villa found a lot more of the ball and again started to control possession without looking particularly dangerous, but a rare break forward lead to George Long having to tip over Albrighton's miss hit cross which almost sliced its way into the goal. Benteke then squandered a glorious chance with no defenders infront of him he hit the ball straight at George Long, it was definitely a day to forget for the big
Belgian. Villa did equalise however when Weimann's deflected shot landed at the feet of Helenius, the number nine hit low and hard giving George Long no chance as it hit the back of the net, Villa one Blades one, and many were now thinking this is where the Blades will come undone and suffer defeat to the Premier League team. However Uniteds fans were left encouraged as their team shook off the disappointment of conceding and continued to take the game to Lambert's men. We were left thinking that we had wasted our golden opportunity as Porter was put through but his strike skimmed the top of the crossbar, this was not game over however, as Flynn continued to cause the home side problems, he went forward and hit a long range strike at goal, it however curved mid air and flew wide. With roughly ten minutes to go Coady replaced Baxter and a moment was approaching which would send The Blades into raptures. Flynn failed to control a hard pass to himself on the corner of the Villa area but his tenacious
attitude lead to him scrapping away and keeping possession, he danced and worked his way into the box before releasing a curling shot into the top corner, the ball seemed to go into slow motion as we on the Doug Ellis stand dived and fell all over each other, the noise was defining and hairs stood on end as Flynn slid to the floor before being piled on by his team mates. Villa struggled to shake off the shock of conceding the second goal, and despite a few half chances the game was done, The Blades had recorded the shock of the round and the celebrations were in full swing. Clough ran onto the field to celebrate with his team on what was an outstanding performance, every player had put in a shift and worked as a unit, if the team could play like this every week we wouldn't be in the awful position we are in now, and whilst I know that not all these players were capable of doing this week in week out non of them deserved any criticism, they had been brilliant from start to finish, and this was a day that would live long in the memory of the thousands in attendance.

The next day whilst many fans were nursing their hangovers and others were still reliving the ecstasy and joy from the day before we all gathered to watch the draw for the next round, we had to wait until the last draw of the hat for it to be revealed we would face either Norwich or Fulham at Bramall Lane, whilst no doubt a hard game awaits us we know we have no reason to fear either team if we can play like we did against Villa, and the chance to do it on home turf this time makes it even more exciting, I for one can not wait.

-Jonathan Gascoigne

Friday 3 January 2014

The End Of 2013

So I have been without a computer for the last month or so hence why I have not been updating, but I will quickly round up a few things before I start posting for 2014.

Cambridge United 0
Sheffield United 2
THE FA CUP
R Costings Abbey Stadium
Attendance 4,593

The Blades won the match in what was dubbed an extremely disciplined display by the Official United website, in reality whilst we kept a clean sheet it was embarrassing to watch at times as Cambridge made us
look like the non league side exposing a slow three man defence. A fine strike from Jose Baxter after Flynn placed a low ball into the box left Maxwell in the Cambridge goal with no chance. Cambridge nearly got back on level terms, Dunk again making our defence look amateur using pace and skill to skin our defenders before playing a quality ball across the box to Cunnington who was only denied a goal by George Long darting off his line to block his effort. George Long again came to the rescue having to make two very composed saves. This is when the penalty shouts started ringing from the home support, no matter where the ball hit a Blades player, head, knee, chest the home crowd would scream handball. McGinn picked up a knock and had to come off in the first half, he was replaced by Jamie Murphy, a player yet to make his mark for us and looking to prove a point. 

The Second Half got under way and again penalty appeal after penalty appeal from Cambridge went unanswered (quite rightly so) by the referee, later in the game when they had a genuine right to be agrieved when a penalty for handball was not given I for one believe they only had themselves to blame, if the fans and
players weren't appealing every two minutes or so they may have well gotten this one. Cambridge kept huffing and puffing but could not convert their chances to goals. Then came a chance that I believe sums up Striker Chris Porter to a tee, a cross into the box from Lapping came to an unmarked Porter, a weak header to the left or right of the keeper would have made it two nil for The Blades, but Porter somehow managed to play a direct back pass to Maxwell in the Cambridge goal despite having no pressure from defenders. Luckily this wouldn't prove too costly as George Long wasn't going to be beaten on this day. The second came as Murphy received the ball on the left wing, he took it to the corner of the box before cutting inside and beating two defenders for pace, taking it to the edge of the box and firing it home into the corner, Murphy proving he does remember where the back of the net is and sending us through to the next round. Cambridge continued to try and go forward but the game was over from here and United kept the ball well.
Full time and the Blades were in the pot for the next round.



The Cup win earned us an away tie to Aston Villa, not a hugely glamorous game but a chance to play Premiership opposition non the less, I along with five thousand plus will be taking the trip down the Birmingham to watch us try and get through to the next round. What was interesting is that the other lot from the city were drawn in the tie straight after us, how interesting it could have been if Villa had drawn Macclesfield, would we have seen the first FA Cup Steel City Derby in over twenty years, who knows, it wasn't meant to be on this occasion. So off to Villa Park we go in a hope of upsetting the odds.



Sheffield United 1
Swindon Town 0
Bramall Lane
Attendance 15,430

After an average display in the cup against lower league opposition many fans thought things could only get better, well despite the win and a shining display from Jose Baxter and Harry Maguire they couldn't have been more wrong. Swindon had all the early chances despite conflicting reports from sufc.co.uk who claim united dominated the first fifteen minutes. Things started with a long range effort from the wing forcing George Long to push the ball out wide, luckily on this occasion there were no Swindon players positioned and ready to pounce, this style of save from Long causes us problems in future games and will be something I address later in the post. Swindon again had a chance to take the lead, Nicky Ajose held the ball well out wide before playing it to Mason who made Neil Collins look foolish easily turning him and beating him for pace, luckily his strike was straight at Long who managed to keep a hold of the ball. Ajose again caused us problems out wide, The Blades defence unable to take the ball from him, again he played it to Mason who was clumsily brought down just on the edge of the box by Doyle who by all accounts, even by his standards, was having a shocker.  If not for Mason keeping the ball close to himself it could have easily been a penalty. Luckily for us nothing resulted from the free kick. 
The Rest of the half was not really allowed to flow or get going due to various confusing and poor decisions by the referee, penalising both teams for next to nothing causing a rousing "you don't know what your doing" chant aimed at the referee from both sets of supporters. Too many times Doyle gave the ball away or lost possession in midfield and McMahon looked sluggish at the back letting Ajose run rings around him, the half time whistle sounded and the half came to an end, and one can only hope Nigel Clough tore into the team in the dressing room. 

United showed a little more enthusiasm in the second half and after a very slow opening few minutes Baxter found the space to fire a long range effort towards goal, but this was pushed away by the Swindon keeper. The following highlights included Doyle falling over when trying to clear the ball, McMahon doing the same on the touchline, Porter consistently straying offside and Flynn being taken off the ball far to easily. It was farcical  at times to put it lightly, the frustration continued as Swindon began time wasting from every goal kick and set piece from the hour mark onwards, clearly happy with the goalless draw away from home. A

chance to take the lead almost came from nowhere after a corner ricochet from what appeared to be Chris Porters backside or thigh and bobbled against the post, any chance of a follow up left as it was hoofed away by the Swindon defence. Porter again could not convert the ball played neatly across the face of goal found Porter who was marked tightly and could only smash the ball wide of goal. The deadlock was
broken after two of the Blades smallest players managed to leap high and get their heads onto the ball. A high hopeful punt into the box found Flynn who looped the ball back across goal to Baxter, who then managed to cleverly put the ball across the keeper and into the opposite corner , one nil to The Blades and suddenly Swindon were not so keen to time waste. Swindon did start to thread the ball around well again,
but most of their efforts remained long range and wide due to being unable to get past Harry Maguire in The Blades defence. Nicky Ajose came more central in the last portion of the game and continued to cause problems, he played the ball out wide and the receiving Swindon player fell to the ground in The Blades box, the Swindon fans and players were not happy when a free kick was given for diving. The game came to a close and a vital three points were earned, but not a performance that one would hope happens every week. 



Stevenage 0
Sheffield United 0
The Lamex Stadium
Attendance 3,003
Away Blades 708


A gang of father Christmas's made the long trip to Stevenage to see The Blades extend their unbeaten run, low on highlights but not without a chance or two to come away with a win The Blades hit the woodwork twice in this encounter. In the First half loan player Aiden White struck a rocket of a shot from out wide causing many by surprise, he was unlucky on this occasion as his effort cannoned back off the woodwork after a marginal but very crucial touch by Day between the sticks. The home team had a half chance after hard work from Zoko led to him setting up Burrow who could only fire wide after some tight marking from The Blades back four. 
The Second half saw Baxter drag one wide in the early goings after a good ball by Matt Hill who was having a solid game out on the left of defence. Stevenage struggled to find a way through Uniteds back four and we kept our composure to avoid silly mistakes costing us. As the rain barraged down and The following Blade's cheered the Father Christmas Gang doing the conga. Hill placed a long ball forward, Porter
got his head to the ball and despite heading it straight to a Stevenage player it bounced off of him into the path of Baxter who hit a power strike towards goal, he was denied a third goal in three games by the upright. A long cross got caught in the wind and Long had to tentatively push the ball out wide in what was Stevenage's best chance at claiming the points, but despite having to battle and deal with a few moments of rough and tumble United came away with another point on the road.



Now before moving onto the next game I need to take some time to discuss George Long. Long has established himself as first choice Keeper, and is currently better than our number two Mark Howard, but many things about the young keeper still leave me with heart failure whilst watching the games. First of all his catching, to many times and especially in the reports I am about to write George spills crosses, this has led to any manager with a brain making sure George is as crowded as possible on set pieces and plenty of players are hunting for the rebound, expecting the ball to be dropped. Another observation is his tendency to parry wide but so far and weakly so it leads to any follow up by wingers or again savvy managers ordering long shots and strikers knowing
where to pounce, to cause us a wealth of problems, whether George has weak wrists or whether he just needs some sort of technique correcting is yet to become apparent. His distribution seems to have deteriorated as of late and along with his naivety when coming off his line or being to eccentric on the ball leads to the question, do we need to bring in a more experienced keeper. No one can deny George can be a top notch shot stopper on occasion and has kept us in games on many a time, but also he has cost us some pretty abysmal goals. Now when you look at training George you would presume is learning from Howard, what is the point learning and being mentored by someone who is not as good as yourself, and other young keepers will have the same problem. Not only would the signing of a good experienced keeper provide George with competition which every player
realistically needs to thrive, but give George a mentor who can help George shake off bad habits and adapt his game to a higher standard. But this begs the question, who is available, and who is the right man to bring in? I would like to see Carlo Nash be brought in, despite being forty years of age he is still a part of a Premier League set up, and has been for years. Now you ask if that's the case why would he come to League One Sheffield United? Well the promise of a future coaching role if he shows a flare for it. Games could be another incentive as he has currently not made a League appearance since 2008, and of course a decent wage. Money talks, and if we can match what he is on at Norwich or at least make an offer look attractive enough I believe he could be a quality signing. Two other options in a similar situation to Carlo are Mike Pollitt, no stranger to the area, and someone expressed how much he enjoys training the younger generation of keepers. Steve Harper would no doubt be an incredible keeper at this level, and great to have around George Long, but this signing seems less likely as he gets cup games and is a direct back up at Hull. Whether Clough or the scouting or coaching staff will agree that another keeper is required is yet to be seen, but I for one hope something is done.

Sheffield United 1
Oldham Athletic 1
Bramall Lane
Attendance 19,551

A boxing day performance to forget, as long as I have known whenever The Blades play at home on boxing day we do not play well, and this game was no change to the trend. Hill gave to much space to Rooney on
the Lactics wing who floated in a cross to Clarke-Harris whose header sailed past George Long who flopped down to the ground. A nightmare start to the game. Things got worse for the Blades as loanee Aidy White was forced off due to injury after ten minutes, he was replaced by Jamie Murphy. United could not keep possession, Doyle, McMahon and Murphy being the worst culprits giving the ball away with stray passes or being dispossessed far to easily. Only the linesman's flag saved Oldham taking advantage of this lack of ability to keep the ball, Smith hit a hard distance effort and George Long's parry wide was so weak it fell to Clarke-Harris who had obviously been prepped on this tendency by the Blades keeper, but his follow up strike was ruled out for offside. Chris Porter failed to take advantage of opportunities presented to him, unable to show any kind of pace he was dispossessed by Lanzoni as he was preparing to unleash a shot. And in a repeat of the Cambridge game Porter failed to take advantage of a clear chance and instead played a headed back pass to the opposing keeper. As the half time whistle sounded The Blades fans sounded their disapproval of the first half performance. 

The second half carried much the same theme, a dreadful performance, however a few players came out much improved, Matt Hill, Jose Baxter and Collins all showed that they can put in a shift and shone out as the players who really wanted to take back this game, it is a shame that Doyle, McMahon, Murphy, Long and Porter remained dreadful and came close to costing us on several occasions. Long fumbled and flapped from start to finish, Doyle couldn't find his own men with a pass all game, along with not winning challenges and falling over again whilst trying to kick the ball showed his inadequacy. McMahon was torn apart time
and time again and when he did play the ball forward it was usually to no one and hoofed up the pitch. Porter didn't look in the game, and every chance that fell to him he seemed to fumble this along with Murphy being the invisible man didn't make an equaliser look likely. Luckily any break away from Oldham was dealt with well by Hill and Collins, Maguire didn't have a great game but wasn't one of the worse and at times looked very fatigued. Baxter had found a second wind and along with Hill was winning some crunching tackles to get back possession when Oldham had the ball, and after Porter was again left on the floor after not jumping for a header Baxter stepped up to take this thirty plus yard free kick. There was no flashy technique or flamboyancy, just a hard venom filled piledriver, rising as it sailed past the Oldham wall and keeper into
the goal, a wonder equaliser to spare Uniteds blushes on this an embarrassing display. The Lactics had another disallowed after some flapping in the box by George Long. A deflected long range effort by Baxter almost gave us a surprise lead but it bounced back off the post and was cleared away. A corner came late in the game and The Blades had it cleared off the line twice as porter bizarrely attempted a back heel from a corner and the follow up was also blocked. But full time sounded and despite Clough, Radio Sheffield and sufc.co.uk claiming it was a vastly improved and good second half performance, it remains true that apart from a small group of players who's second half improved it was dreadful from start to finish, but another game unbeaten.


Sheffield United 3
Tranmere Rovers 1
Bramall Lane
Attendance 17,460

A better performance this time out but not without some reoccurring problems. The Blades took an early lead after a corner was whipped in, a header towards goal fell to Murphy, who despite being pushed and
shoved by the Tranmere defender marking him managed to juggle the ball just a few yards in front of goal before turning and placing the ball into the back of the net. A good strong start for the final game of 2013. Murphy almost set up a second, his hard cross hitting a Tranmere defender in the box, he was saved the blushes of an own gall as the ball smashed the crossbar before bouncing down and out, despite a few shouts it had crossed the line the score remained at one nil. George Long nearly gave the Kop heart failure as he decided to dwell on the ball showing some fancy footwork to round a Tranmere attacker but instead of then hitting it clear he tried it again almost loosing it. Again Long had a game of spills near misses and
flapping, non worse than when again just like many games before this the same old weak parry wide fell to Lowe who then rounded Long and Collins, but a brilliant block on the line kept the score in Uniteds favour. Apart from McMahon making a clumsy challenge and picking up a booking there would be no more action in this half. The Blades created a few good runs forward and Baxter and Murphy ran the show. Half time sounded and United went in deserving their lead.

The Second half started brightly but many were unhappy to see that fifty minutes in the stray passes from Doyle and McMahon began, and on this occasion George Long joined in,
almost giving Tranmere a chance to get back in the game, McGinn became guilty of also misplacing passes. This was corrected swiftly however and after a threaded pass by McGinn (who has just received an earful from Jamie Murphy about his passing) to Chris Porter, now as much criticism as this man deserves for previous performances and wasted opportunities, it was his splendid and well spotted low pass to Baxter in space that allowed us to double our lead, first touch strike placed calmly into the back of the net. United really began to shut Tranmere out of the game and Doyle began finding his own players with passes, much to the relief of his team mates and we began showing just how well we can play. After Murphy used a burst of pace to get past
the Tranmere winger and full back he placed a low pass reminiscent of Porters previously, this found Flynn who calmly converted to give us a three goal cushion, chants of easy echoed around Bramall Lane. Much to everyone's shock shortly after this Chris Porter unleashed a hard curling shot towards the top corner, not something we are used to seeing from the tall forward but The Tranmere keeper made a world class save to deny Porter a world class goal. Baxter was substituted due to fitness after covering every blade of grass on the pitch, he received a standing ovation and rightly so. A silly free kick was given away by Harry Maguire, who then failed to clear the cross resulting from the set piece, allowing Taylor to score a conciliation goal, but by then it was too late and United had a well deserved three points to end the year. 

And of course the perfect news to end the year came when United wisely terminated the contract of Marlon King, he brought with him a terrible stigma, one that could have been looked past if he had provided goals or put in good performances, but instead he looked lazy, uncaring and provided nothing for us, he stole a wage for months and gave nothing to us as a club, so I for one am glad to see the back of him, sadly Marlon King will get a contract elsewhere, unfortunately this man, callus, unremourceful and selfish wont just wither up and disappear from the game.


-Jonathan Gascoigne