Post by deadbat on Dec 26, 2018 22:42:30 GMT
United got back to winning ways and beat a fellow top 6 challenger in the big Boxing Day game at the Lane. An excellent performance saw the Blades see off Frank Lampard’s Derby side. After Billy Sharp opened the scoring; United were pegged back after seeing a strong penalty appeal turned down and then Harry Wilson scoring a stunning free kick. Undeterred, the home side came again and David McGoldrick executed a perfect lob to restore the lead. Sub Leon Clarke nodded home via a deflection to seal the three points and put United back up to 4th in the table.
United named an unchanged side again as they looked to bounce back from a disappointing recent run. Lampard’s County had loan stars Harry Wilson and Mason Mount starting along with goal poacher Jack Marriott. Blades target Martyn Waghorn was on the bench but there was no place for the injured Tom Lawrence or the suspended Bradley Johnson.
In front a big crowd, United were first out of the traps and Egans headed clearance fell for McGoldrick who curled an effort just past the post with the keeper scrambling across his goal. United continued to impress with Duffy and Norwood prompting and the home side winning all the loose balls. A nice move saw the ball come across and Stevens headed cleverly across but Sharp was denied at point blank range by Carson. Bogle had a rare break for the away side but was well off target.
United continued to move the ball around and Derby were struggling to stem the tide with Basham and O’Connell prominent in terms of attacking overlaps but Sharp was denied by a tackle from Keogh and then a corner came to nothing. Another corner came in but Egan’s header was blocked away. The home side kept moving the ball around and the patient football continued but few chances came as a result. Basham was pulled back by Wilson leading to the first yellow card but the Derby loanee was then in on goal as Duffy failed to check his runner originally and Huddlestone played him through. He took it to the side of Henderson but his attempt on goal saw Baldock get back and clear from right in front of the goal.
Derby finally had a decent spell and Stevens was given a yellow card for a pull down on Mount but the free kick did not cause any problems. Derby were playing higher up the field and looking more of a threat after United had been the better side for the first half an hour. Despite this shift in momentum, United took the lead on 41 minutes. The ball was played across the left-hand side and O’Connell hit the cross on the run and SHARP got in between the two centre backs to nod down and past Carson’s despairing dive. It was a good cross and a clever header. Sharp celebrated by mocking the Derby fans but showing his belly after less than kind chants earlier in the game.
Derby won a free kick late in the half as Duffy was booked for a foul on Wilson but Mount’s effort was well over the bar. The half time whistle went not long after.
After leading two weeks previous against a fellow challenger it was interesting to see what kind of second half Wilder’s Blades would serve up. They started well with neat football leading to Baldock crossing and then Sharp teeing up McGoldrick after the ball had got stuck under the skipper’s feet. McGoldrick could not get his shot away and Derby cleared. United continued to look for another goal and had a good chance when Tomori errored and his weak header was seized on by McGoldrick whose first effort was saved by Carson. He looked to get in on the rebound and appeared to be pulled down by the defender as he shaped to nod home. The appeals for a penalty were waved away. It seemed a strong appeal and if it had been given it probably would have been a red card for the defender. Derby raced away and won a free kick at the other end as O’Connell was rightly penalised for batting the ball away with his hand as Marriott looked to break through.
WILSON has earned a reputation as a free kick expert and took it. It was an absolute beauty. The Liverpool loan star hammered an unstoppable finish into the top corner via the bar giving Henderson no chance. As he celebrated, some of his teammates clashed with United players in an attempt to retrieve the ball with Keogh seemingly raising his hands to Henderson and several players from both teams pushing and shoving as it spilled into the net. Referee Geoff Eltringham struggled to keep control and after some time, he eventually booked Keogh. Several others from both sides were lucky to escape censure.
After the set back United came on again buoyed by a fired-up home crowd after the one award of a spot kick and the furore after the goal. Stevens came inside and played the ball across. The ball came back to Norwood who fired badly over when he really should have made Carson work. United kept coming and with Baldock influential and Fleck’s influence growing; actually, looked the more likely to go back in front. Sharp was blocked out after neat build up. At the other end Wilson had another wicked free kick that swerved and dipped just wide.
United continued on the initiative and the Kop roared them on. McGoldrick had an effort blocked and then Basham headed across goal when well placed before Sharp headed just over after a great whipped cross from Fleck. The Blades did get the all-important next goal on 64 minutes. Fleck dived forward to cleverly head into the path of MCGOLDRICK who beat the offside trap. As Carson approached the United frontman cleverly lobbed it over him and as the crowd held its breath the ball dropped into the net to give home side the lead. It was a superb piece of skill and execution for a technically gifted player. He slid on his knees towards the Kop in celebration as his teammates joined him.
Jozefzoon and Huddletone came off for Evans and Nugent as Lampard tried to find a response but in truth despite the howitzer of a free kick that got them level, Derby had been second best this half. United came again with Basham and Baldock involved and then as the ball came in and dropped, Sharp tried an acrobatic effort that was straight at Carson. Anywhere else and it would have been a goal.
Norwood was booked for a foul before Egan and then O’Connell made timely blocks for United as Derby tried to fashion a chance in a game they had been second best in.
Sharp was even closer not long after as Stevens sent over a delightful cross that seemed tailor made for the ace marksman. However, this time his flashing header went the wrong side of the post from the home side’s perspective at least. It was a golden chance to seal the game.
Clarke came on for Duffy as Wilder brought McGoldrick back behind the strikers as the number 10 role with Sharp partnering last season’s leading scorer. Tomori was booked for a pull back on Stevens and then Fleck was brought down by Wilson as he drove through. From the resultant free kick the crucial third goal came. Norwood took it and it was a clever one as he found an unmarked Egan who drifted off to the far post. His head back was nodded goalward from CLARKE and took a slight deflection off Bogle before going past Carson and into the net. The noise on the goal signalled what a big moment it was. United had seen all three strikers score. A player United had targeted so long, Martyn Waghorn came on for Wisdom drawing lusty boos from the home fans whom remember him turning the Blades down for in favour of a move to Pride Park.
Wilder and Lampard exchanged words on the side-line as both contested some decisions from the referee that they did not agree with.
The game ticked into the final 5 minutes and featured some comical moments from former England keeper Carson. First, he chose to pick up a back pass (may had had a nick off Sharp) where he had plenty of time to kick away just in case. Both Carson and Nugent were booked for their remonstrations in appealing. Norwood’s chipped effort did not work and was cleared but not long after Carson kicked out of play after going on walk about to the cheers of the home support.
6 minutes of stoppage time were somehow added on by the referee but United professionally saw out proceedings and actually kept the ball really well with Clarke holding it up and Egan headed it away twice. The final whistle came to signal a vital three points for United who celebrated in turn with the home fans whose passionate support had been a significant factor in the performance and deserved victory.
United – Really enjoyed today. Proper Boxing Day game. Big crowd, local rivals and both teams up near the top. Both teams committed with some decent football and some excellent goals for both teams. In the end United thoroughly deserved the win. We were the better team for the first half hour; then they had a strong spell but for once we scored when we were not on top. We went in at the break leading but many feared the second half regression and inevitable upping of the game from a decent opponent. In truth though United started well and could have got a second. It seemed a clear penalty was denied; then they get a free kick and score a great goal. There was then some argy bargy on and off the field (coaches/managers clashing) and becomes very testy. This got the crowd going and everyone seemed to rally around then and United upped the tempo again.
Huge credit to United’s players that kept plugging away, won all the loose stuff and dominated the ball and territory even after going behind. We got a lovely second goal and then after this we looked more like scoring and some more neat moves and good football eventually led to us getting more chances and finally after Sharp missed one; Clarke scored one. We saw the game out really well after this and Derby lost their rag a bit with Lampard becoming very angry over every little thing that went wrong. The crowd lapped it up and as the tackles came in, the players belief came back in waves. We won all the loose balls, then played some lovely football. The defence won crucial headers/tackles, the midfield controlled things and all the forwards were a threat. The only negatives were us giving away silly free kicks (the goal came from one) and a few sloppy spells (end of first half before Sharp scored) and of course the final ball/cross not quite being good enough again. However, we did score from two crosses and also a lovely finish in between these two.
We played some good stuff today and after the blow of the poor officiating decision and then the goal we could have gone under (we did king of play flat and lose the game completely against West Brom and against Leeds it just came so late the goal) but we came again and had a second win. We had most if not all the really good chances. The crowd really willed us on and with Lampard and Wilder clashing, the incident on their goal – not long after the non-penalty; you felt we had the bit between our teeth both on the terraces and on the pitch. United’s players and fans seemed determined it would not be another case of déjà vu and no repeat of Leeds and West Brom (and many home games against the better teams last season) where a decent performance did not yield the deserved points outcome.
Today we zipped it about again. We did go direct a bit and saw more variety in terms of play in the final third. We had chances to score more goals (Sharp could have had a hat trick) and limited the opponent to mostly long-range efforts. Most of the decent stuff came from us and I felt we really wanted it today. It was high intensity and on and off the ball I loved what I saw from us. Finally, after so many 2nd half let downs; we saw a proper performance for most of the game and 2nd half we got better and after they scored, we actually stepped it up a gear and seized back the initiative.
It was great to see the 2nd and then 3rd goals go in and we saw out things really well. In the end it was a well-deserved victory in front off a packed and passionate Bramall Lane. Perfect really and gives us heart that we can stay the pace. Leeds and Norwich seem away at the moment (think both will have poor runs) but we are staying up with the pace with the other big teams (WBA, Derby, Boro, Forest, Stoke, Villa etc) with two winnable games to come in the next week against a Blackburn side that will have been stunned by the late goals at Elland Road and against a desperately out for form Wigan side with a huge United away following backing the side. With January looming and the possibility of us getting some additions in, we need to be so positive. It is a great time to be a Blade. Sure, we could have had more points and maybe we still are inconsistent but this manager and team continue to put out the best they can and for the most part very good performances. Today we saw a good performance, married up by goals and the all-important three points.
Derby – They deserved nothing from the game at all. They were second best in terms of football played, tackles/harrying/pressing and also in terms of chances created. It would have been fortunate of they had taken anything from the game. They had some spells of decent play but they had many where they were struggling to keep us from dominating. I felt individually and collectively we were much better. They had one really good spell – 25 mins to 40 but we scored at the end of this. They then got level with a superb goal and had a few break aways but overall, we were the only side creating and pinning them back second half and most of their opportunities came when we lost it after another attack and they broke away.
They played ok in patches and at times you could see why they beat Man Utd, gave Chelsea a run for their money and have won some big games against some fellow promotion contenders. A spell first half they really penned us back and had some good moments and then had another spell second half but for long stretches United were the side who played with a higher intensity and better level of football. They eventually succumbed and looked a well beaten side by the end.
Wilson scored a superb goal – we had given him a few sighters before – and then had another one not far wide but they did not have that many clear chances all game. Most of the efforts were long range save the one Baldock kicked off the line when they got around the back. They have some good players and the two loan lads are the stand outs but have some decent experience too and this will help them. A quick glance of the benches and the squads on the programme shows how much depth they have in comparison. 34 senior players! Wage wise they have numerous performers like Davies, Nugent, Davies, Olsson, Ledley, Malone, Waghorn and Forsyth that all are probably more than most of our players and none of these started today.
You wonder how they do it in terms of FFP as they have fell away several years yet continue to pump in big wages and transfer fees. Today showed for all the cash outlay they are not quite good enough to be a top two side and a 5th/6th finish (as for us) is about as high as they probably will get. Lampard is doing ok but has inherited a squad full of experience. Ironic that his key men are the young, loan players. Today they never really performed and it seems like many of the top 6 (outside of the top two current form) they have good games and then big let downs. This inconsistency means it will be tight between around a dozen sides for those playoff places.
Lampard is fortunate to get a job like this with his first gig as a manager and be interesting if he has a really bad spell how he reacts. I think they will remain around this position though as they have a lot of goals and creativity in the side. They also have that depth for when players lose form/get injured or suspended. You worry a little when the loan players go back (Tomori too) as the rest of the team are not exactly spring chickens.
Opponent man of the match – Wilson scored a superb goal and most of the decent efforts came from him. Mount flitted in and out of the game but the Liverpool man was the main threat.
Huddlestone did a decent job on Duffy as they stopped him getting the ball. Keogh defended well for the most part not helped by a poor midfield in front and he also came out of the back Basham style a few times but like Bash then panicked when in the final third!
Weak link – Not one player but several very average to poor. I felt Carson was all over the place all game. He struggles with his kicking but also was slow to react to efforts on goal and was dithering long before he scrambled across to watch Sharp’s header nestle home. He just looked all at sea. Tomori also made a few mistakes. I also felt Bryson was completely ineffective and never in the game and our midfield-controlled things. Marriott had a quiet game well marshalled by Egan and O’Connell. Indeed, attacking wide outside of the two loan lads, not sure they offered much. Jozefzoon never really got forward to cause any problems and Waghorn/Nugent did not change things either
United –
Take your pick from Man of the Match….Baldock, Egan, Sharp or McGoldrick. I’d give it Billy for his sheer effort and desire even though he missed chances.
Henderson 7/10 – I do not feel he had any chance on the goal. He did sort of move a bit to the left but he would not have saved it anyway. It was a tremendous goal that went in off the bar. He saw another fly wide soon after. Outside of this not sure he had a save to make. He was rounded once by Baldock got back. His kicking was good as he was given the ball back quite a bit. Celebrated wildly on the third goal as he ran to the South Stand.
Baldock 8/10 – Best he has been since he came back. Energetic, skilled and committed and a real attacking threat. The only critique is the final part of his play as he sometimes takes too long to execute final part or his cross is poor. He did mess up or hesitate when his superb running took him into such good areas. The rest of his game was excellent. Full of energy, running up and down, involved in some great moves and a real threat. They struggled to pick him up or stop his overlap second half. Needs to keep to these standards.
Stevens 8/10 – As above. Thought he was very good. Good on the ball, used it well and linked well with others. He too got up and down and he put some decent balls in amongst some poor ones. Showed he is quicker than you think as he got in twice second half roaring down the left side. He defended well and did all the basics. Only black mark is a poor booking.
Egan 8/10 – Thought he was very good. Headers, clearances and blocks but read the game well too. He was able to marshall the defence and limited some dangerous players to only long-range efforts. He was key in the second half as his powerful defending and play helped us recycle the ball quite a few times.
O’Connell 7.5/10 – Defended well and did what he had to to nullify any real attacks and helped keep us on the front foot. He got in a few key clearances. A few times let Marriott get away but did get back and stop any clear chances. His assist on the first goal was a belter and finally a good cross. He got stronger as the game went on and made some vital interceptions and helped us keep the ball moving the right way in an attacking sense.
Basham 7.5/10 – As with the other defenders, he played the game on the front foot. Won the tackles and first to the ball through but also, he got forward and won three free kicks with this play. One led to a booking for Wilson. He just was really solid all game and both ways, defending and attacking he did what he had to do and was first to most things. He made some key hooks and pulls when he had to as they had some chances on the break. His reaction and celebration on McGoldrick’s goal sums up his passion.
Fleck 7.5/10 – First half I thought he carried on his patchy to poor form and was a bit sloppy and not that involved. He let the game pass him by and was not able to get on the ball too much. He showed bits and pieces but nothing that outstanding. 2nd half a different player and more like the Fleck of old as he ran at defenders, put some great crosses in and looked a real attacking threat as the no fear, energetic football we often saw last season came back and he was a big part of that last year and again today in the 2nd half. Hopefully he can get confidence from this improved display as when he plays like that and we are on the front foot, he is a great player to watch as he dribbles, penetrates, commits men and sets people up with crosses/driven balls. Made the 2nd and nearly another one for Sharp and then the 3rd came from his free kick.
Norwood 7.5/10 – He played his usual array of lovely long pinged balls and diagonal stuff but mixed in with some silly give aways and daft fouls. Still for this knock of his game; he keeps going and will keep trying these ambitious balls knowing they can come off. He did get stuck in and won a few tackles and interceptions. His touch on the ball is class though and he can create space and allow us to have control of the ball for a spell as he just settles things down by bringing it down and then knocking it to a man in space. We did control midfield for long spells. I would mark the Derby lads a mark or two lower and even though Huddlestone did a job and the loan two showed a threat on set plays; I felt Bryson struggled and our lads did win this area of the field on and off the ball.
Duffy 6.5/10 – Mixed bag. Some decent bits first half and looked to probe and prompt but not many things came off. Still felt he was always a threat but Huddlestone sat on him and made it hard for him to get on the ball. Did give it away quite a bit and I felt on the chance first half he let Huddlestone run off him. Got booked for a foul and the final stages of the first half passed him by. Came again 2nd half but his final ball was lacking and took too long to do things. Despite this I still felt he was never hiding and always looking for it and helped us dominate the football for long spells.
Sharp 8/10 – Worked his socks off all game. Led the line, held it up, won free kicks and always a threat. Some games he is quiet and you don’t notice him until the odd chance but today even with the chances; he was always in the game. He chased things down and looked about 10 years younger than he is! He gave the defence a torrid time. Scored one and on another day, he could have had another two goals with some decent chances. Like the fact we left him on and kept an attacking threat.
McGoldrick 8/10 – At times he looks so languid but that is his style. He is not lazy; he just plays in a way where he tries to control it, make a body swerve to find space for a pass or flick to a teammate. That is just the way he plays. At times not, everything came off and his link play was mixed but he always comes into those areas to receive the ball and this causes problems for defenders. He links well with the midfield and always tried to keep possession. Had a very good curled effort just wide early on and then a good chance when Sharp pulled it back and maybe took too long. His finish for the decisive goal was a joy to watch and superbly executed. That goal just showed what he can do and what he is all about. Turned a half chance into a brilliant goal and changed the game after they had to got back into the game. Love watching him play. A proper footballer with intelligence and lovely feet/skill. A really positive surprise success.
Subs –
Clarke – Came on and did everything he has not done in most (Brentford apart) games when he been introduced. Ran around, pressed, competed, showed for the ball and played for the team. Chased down two balls to keep it and linked well. Scored his header, albeit with a slight deflection but good to see all three strikers notch.
Wilder 8.5/10 – Three points against a hugely expensive squad and a performance where individually and collectively we were better than them and deserved to win. Played well for half an hour and pinned them back but then they had a spell but we scored. After the break we stepped it up and actually played well after so many 2nd half fade outs. Even after they scored, we came again. Seemed delighted to get the monkey off his back in terms of finally beating a fellow side high up. I felt we had all the intensity and also moved the ball quicker today at times and this led to making Derby more disorganised in terms of not being set when w attacked with numbers.
Nice even at 2-1 that he put Clarke on for Duffy and even though McGoldrick came back, he kept the attacking initiative. Too often he had settled for what we have had and this has led to problems with us not being able to keep what we had but today he tried to stay in a relative attack mode. It worked as Clarke got the vital clinching goal.
Referee – Geoff Eltringham. Odd game. At times he wanted to try and play on and wanted to keep his book away but then went a bit card happy. Lost it a bit when players and coaches seemed to want a bit of aggro 2nd half. I thought Keogh raised his hands twice in the melee and was lucky to stay on the pitch. He also missed the penalty although his assistant needed to help him here. This was a key moment as could have seen the game go a different way especially when they scored 2nd half. It could have been a penalty and Derby with ten men but then it was 1-1. Some said McGoldrick was offside but looking back he was on I believe. The back pass was odd. I felt it was and it was almost as if the crowd had to tell him but then having seen it back, it did come off Sharp on the way. He did seem to lose control for spells and I felt was poor for both sides and needed to be a bit stronger. He could have sent Wilson off for a pull back on Fleck (after he had been booked) and then Norwood (kicked ball away after he had been booked). Still ended up with 8 bookings (5 for them and 3 for us). His assistants also were very indecisive too and added to a lot of indecision. They all seemed to let players take free kicks/throws from wherever they wanted. He also did not have a clue that you could put a white line 10 yards away but that does not mean players could stand 5 yards in front of the kicker at an angle!
Crowd – I have been critical of the United home crowd at times this season. Today not so. I felt the crowd were superb. We fed off some controversial decisions and some feisty moments and this helped turn the crowd into a frenzied bunch. I thought 2nd half after it being ok 1st half; that the United crowd were very influential. There was a lot of noise and encouragement and it was a proper atmosphere. The Derby fans made a fair noise too (the bouncing at least only lasted a few minutes) and 29,000 inside the Lane (2nd highest to the Wednesday game) made for a rare old din.
The home crowd really willed the team on and the noise levels were louder than they have been all season. In turn the team responded and you felt the belief rise. It felt like everyone was together and the team were galvanised to go on and win the game and make all the big tackles, interceptions and extra belief to get the loose balls. When the Lane is like that, it is rocking and a special place. It felt like one of those cup ties from a few years ago and everyone as one willing the team on. Came out and proud of the manager/team as the Christmas music blared out and the team saluted all four sides.
United named an unchanged side again as they looked to bounce back from a disappointing recent run. Lampard’s County had loan stars Harry Wilson and Mason Mount starting along with goal poacher Jack Marriott. Blades target Martyn Waghorn was on the bench but there was no place for the injured Tom Lawrence or the suspended Bradley Johnson.
In front a big crowd, United were first out of the traps and Egans headed clearance fell for McGoldrick who curled an effort just past the post with the keeper scrambling across his goal. United continued to impress with Duffy and Norwood prompting and the home side winning all the loose balls. A nice move saw the ball come across and Stevens headed cleverly across but Sharp was denied at point blank range by Carson. Bogle had a rare break for the away side but was well off target.
United continued to move the ball around and Derby were struggling to stem the tide with Basham and O’Connell prominent in terms of attacking overlaps but Sharp was denied by a tackle from Keogh and then a corner came to nothing. Another corner came in but Egan’s header was blocked away. The home side kept moving the ball around and the patient football continued but few chances came as a result. Basham was pulled back by Wilson leading to the first yellow card but the Derby loanee was then in on goal as Duffy failed to check his runner originally and Huddlestone played him through. He took it to the side of Henderson but his attempt on goal saw Baldock get back and clear from right in front of the goal.
Derby finally had a decent spell and Stevens was given a yellow card for a pull down on Mount but the free kick did not cause any problems. Derby were playing higher up the field and looking more of a threat after United had been the better side for the first half an hour. Despite this shift in momentum, United took the lead on 41 minutes. The ball was played across the left-hand side and O’Connell hit the cross on the run and SHARP got in between the two centre backs to nod down and past Carson’s despairing dive. It was a good cross and a clever header. Sharp celebrated by mocking the Derby fans but showing his belly after less than kind chants earlier in the game.
Derby won a free kick late in the half as Duffy was booked for a foul on Wilson but Mount’s effort was well over the bar. The half time whistle went not long after.
After leading two weeks previous against a fellow challenger it was interesting to see what kind of second half Wilder’s Blades would serve up. They started well with neat football leading to Baldock crossing and then Sharp teeing up McGoldrick after the ball had got stuck under the skipper’s feet. McGoldrick could not get his shot away and Derby cleared. United continued to look for another goal and had a good chance when Tomori errored and his weak header was seized on by McGoldrick whose first effort was saved by Carson. He looked to get in on the rebound and appeared to be pulled down by the defender as he shaped to nod home. The appeals for a penalty were waved away. It seemed a strong appeal and if it had been given it probably would have been a red card for the defender. Derby raced away and won a free kick at the other end as O’Connell was rightly penalised for batting the ball away with his hand as Marriott looked to break through.
WILSON has earned a reputation as a free kick expert and took it. It was an absolute beauty. The Liverpool loan star hammered an unstoppable finish into the top corner via the bar giving Henderson no chance. As he celebrated, some of his teammates clashed with United players in an attempt to retrieve the ball with Keogh seemingly raising his hands to Henderson and several players from both teams pushing and shoving as it spilled into the net. Referee Geoff Eltringham struggled to keep control and after some time, he eventually booked Keogh. Several others from both sides were lucky to escape censure.
After the set back United came on again buoyed by a fired-up home crowd after the one award of a spot kick and the furore after the goal. Stevens came inside and played the ball across. The ball came back to Norwood who fired badly over when he really should have made Carson work. United kept coming and with Baldock influential and Fleck’s influence growing; actually, looked the more likely to go back in front. Sharp was blocked out after neat build up. At the other end Wilson had another wicked free kick that swerved and dipped just wide.
United continued on the initiative and the Kop roared them on. McGoldrick had an effort blocked and then Basham headed across goal when well placed before Sharp headed just over after a great whipped cross from Fleck. The Blades did get the all-important next goal on 64 minutes. Fleck dived forward to cleverly head into the path of MCGOLDRICK who beat the offside trap. As Carson approached the United frontman cleverly lobbed it over him and as the crowd held its breath the ball dropped into the net to give home side the lead. It was a superb piece of skill and execution for a technically gifted player. He slid on his knees towards the Kop in celebration as his teammates joined him.
Jozefzoon and Huddletone came off for Evans and Nugent as Lampard tried to find a response but in truth despite the howitzer of a free kick that got them level, Derby had been second best this half. United came again with Basham and Baldock involved and then as the ball came in and dropped, Sharp tried an acrobatic effort that was straight at Carson. Anywhere else and it would have been a goal.
Norwood was booked for a foul before Egan and then O’Connell made timely blocks for United as Derby tried to fashion a chance in a game they had been second best in.
Sharp was even closer not long after as Stevens sent over a delightful cross that seemed tailor made for the ace marksman. However, this time his flashing header went the wrong side of the post from the home side’s perspective at least. It was a golden chance to seal the game.
Clarke came on for Duffy as Wilder brought McGoldrick back behind the strikers as the number 10 role with Sharp partnering last season’s leading scorer. Tomori was booked for a pull back on Stevens and then Fleck was brought down by Wilson as he drove through. From the resultant free kick the crucial third goal came. Norwood took it and it was a clever one as he found an unmarked Egan who drifted off to the far post. His head back was nodded goalward from CLARKE and took a slight deflection off Bogle before going past Carson and into the net. The noise on the goal signalled what a big moment it was. United had seen all three strikers score. A player United had targeted so long, Martyn Waghorn came on for Wisdom drawing lusty boos from the home fans whom remember him turning the Blades down for in favour of a move to Pride Park.
Wilder and Lampard exchanged words on the side-line as both contested some decisions from the referee that they did not agree with.
The game ticked into the final 5 minutes and featured some comical moments from former England keeper Carson. First, he chose to pick up a back pass (may had had a nick off Sharp) where he had plenty of time to kick away just in case. Both Carson and Nugent were booked for their remonstrations in appealing. Norwood’s chipped effort did not work and was cleared but not long after Carson kicked out of play after going on walk about to the cheers of the home support.
6 minutes of stoppage time were somehow added on by the referee but United professionally saw out proceedings and actually kept the ball really well with Clarke holding it up and Egan headed it away twice. The final whistle came to signal a vital three points for United who celebrated in turn with the home fans whose passionate support had been a significant factor in the performance and deserved victory.
United – Really enjoyed today. Proper Boxing Day game. Big crowd, local rivals and both teams up near the top. Both teams committed with some decent football and some excellent goals for both teams. In the end United thoroughly deserved the win. We were the better team for the first half hour; then they had a strong spell but for once we scored when we were not on top. We went in at the break leading but many feared the second half regression and inevitable upping of the game from a decent opponent. In truth though United started well and could have got a second. It seemed a clear penalty was denied; then they get a free kick and score a great goal. There was then some argy bargy on and off the field (coaches/managers clashing) and becomes very testy. This got the crowd going and everyone seemed to rally around then and United upped the tempo again.
Huge credit to United’s players that kept plugging away, won all the loose stuff and dominated the ball and territory even after going behind. We got a lovely second goal and then after this we looked more like scoring and some more neat moves and good football eventually led to us getting more chances and finally after Sharp missed one; Clarke scored one. We saw the game out really well after this and Derby lost their rag a bit with Lampard becoming very angry over every little thing that went wrong. The crowd lapped it up and as the tackles came in, the players belief came back in waves. We won all the loose balls, then played some lovely football. The defence won crucial headers/tackles, the midfield controlled things and all the forwards were a threat. The only negatives were us giving away silly free kicks (the goal came from one) and a few sloppy spells (end of first half before Sharp scored) and of course the final ball/cross not quite being good enough again. However, we did score from two crosses and also a lovely finish in between these two.
We played some good stuff today and after the blow of the poor officiating decision and then the goal we could have gone under (we did king of play flat and lose the game completely against West Brom and against Leeds it just came so late the goal) but we came again and had a second win. We had most if not all the really good chances. The crowd really willed us on and with Lampard and Wilder clashing, the incident on their goal – not long after the non-penalty; you felt we had the bit between our teeth both on the terraces and on the pitch. United’s players and fans seemed determined it would not be another case of déjà vu and no repeat of Leeds and West Brom (and many home games against the better teams last season) where a decent performance did not yield the deserved points outcome.
Today we zipped it about again. We did go direct a bit and saw more variety in terms of play in the final third. We had chances to score more goals (Sharp could have had a hat trick) and limited the opponent to mostly long-range efforts. Most of the decent stuff came from us and I felt we really wanted it today. It was high intensity and on and off the ball I loved what I saw from us. Finally, after so many 2nd half let downs; we saw a proper performance for most of the game and 2nd half we got better and after they scored, we actually stepped it up a gear and seized back the initiative.
It was great to see the 2nd and then 3rd goals go in and we saw out things really well. In the end it was a well-deserved victory in front off a packed and passionate Bramall Lane. Perfect really and gives us heart that we can stay the pace. Leeds and Norwich seem away at the moment (think both will have poor runs) but we are staying up with the pace with the other big teams (WBA, Derby, Boro, Forest, Stoke, Villa etc) with two winnable games to come in the next week against a Blackburn side that will have been stunned by the late goals at Elland Road and against a desperately out for form Wigan side with a huge United away following backing the side. With January looming and the possibility of us getting some additions in, we need to be so positive. It is a great time to be a Blade. Sure, we could have had more points and maybe we still are inconsistent but this manager and team continue to put out the best they can and for the most part very good performances. Today we saw a good performance, married up by goals and the all-important three points.
Derby – They deserved nothing from the game at all. They were second best in terms of football played, tackles/harrying/pressing and also in terms of chances created. It would have been fortunate of they had taken anything from the game. They had some spells of decent play but they had many where they were struggling to keep us from dominating. I felt individually and collectively we were much better. They had one really good spell – 25 mins to 40 but we scored at the end of this. They then got level with a superb goal and had a few break aways but overall, we were the only side creating and pinning them back second half and most of their opportunities came when we lost it after another attack and they broke away.
They played ok in patches and at times you could see why they beat Man Utd, gave Chelsea a run for their money and have won some big games against some fellow promotion contenders. A spell first half they really penned us back and had some good moments and then had another spell second half but for long stretches United were the side who played with a higher intensity and better level of football. They eventually succumbed and looked a well beaten side by the end.
Wilson scored a superb goal – we had given him a few sighters before – and then had another one not far wide but they did not have that many clear chances all game. Most of the efforts were long range save the one Baldock kicked off the line when they got around the back. They have some good players and the two loan lads are the stand outs but have some decent experience too and this will help them. A quick glance of the benches and the squads on the programme shows how much depth they have in comparison. 34 senior players! Wage wise they have numerous performers like Davies, Nugent, Davies, Olsson, Ledley, Malone, Waghorn and Forsyth that all are probably more than most of our players and none of these started today.
You wonder how they do it in terms of FFP as they have fell away several years yet continue to pump in big wages and transfer fees. Today showed for all the cash outlay they are not quite good enough to be a top two side and a 5th/6th finish (as for us) is about as high as they probably will get. Lampard is doing ok but has inherited a squad full of experience. Ironic that his key men are the young, loan players. Today they never really performed and it seems like many of the top 6 (outside of the top two current form) they have good games and then big let downs. This inconsistency means it will be tight between around a dozen sides for those playoff places.
Lampard is fortunate to get a job like this with his first gig as a manager and be interesting if he has a really bad spell how he reacts. I think they will remain around this position though as they have a lot of goals and creativity in the side. They also have that depth for when players lose form/get injured or suspended. You worry a little when the loan players go back (Tomori too) as the rest of the team are not exactly spring chickens.
Opponent man of the match – Wilson scored a superb goal and most of the decent efforts came from him. Mount flitted in and out of the game but the Liverpool man was the main threat.
Huddlestone did a decent job on Duffy as they stopped him getting the ball. Keogh defended well for the most part not helped by a poor midfield in front and he also came out of the back Basham style a few times but like Bash then panicked when in the final third!
Weak link – Not one player but several very average to poor. I felt Carson was all over the place all game. He struggles with his kicking but also was slow to react to efforts on goal and was dithering long before he scrambled across to watch Sharp’s header nestle home. He just looked all at sea. Tomori also made a few mistakes. I also felt Bryson was completely ineffective and never in the game and our midfield-controlled things. Marriott had a quiet game well marshalled by Egan and O’Connell. Indeed, attacking wide outside of the two loan lads, not sure they offered much. Jozefzoon never really got forward to cause any problems and Waghorn/Nugent did not change things either
United –
Take your pick from Man of the Match….Baldock, Egan, Sharp or McGoldrick. I’d give it Billy for his sheer effort and desire even though he missed chances.
Henderson 7/10 – I do not feel he had any chance on the goal. He did sort of move a bit to the left but he would not have saved it anyway. It was a tremendous goal that went in off the bar. He saw another fly wide soon after. Outside of this not sure he had a save to make. He was rounded once by Baldock got back. His kicking was good as he was given the ball back quite a bit. Celebrated wildly on the third goal as he ran to the South Stand.
Baldock 8/10 – Best he has been since he came back. Energetic, skilled and committed and a real attacking threat. The only critique is the final part of his play as he sometimes takes too long to execute final part or his cross is poor. He did mess up or hesitate when his superb running took him into such good areas. The rest of his game was excellent. Full of energy, running up and down, involved in some great moves and a real threat. They struggled to pick him up or stop his overlap second half. Needs to keep to these standards.
Stevens 8/10 – As above. Thought he was very good. Good on the ball, used it well and linked well with others. He too got up and down and he put some decent balls in amongst some poor ones. Showed he is quicker than you think as he got in twice second half roaring down the left side. He defended well and did all the basics. Only black mark is a poor booking.
Egan 8/10 – Thought he was very good. Headers, clearances and blocks but read the game well too. He was able to marshall the defence and limited some dangerous players to only long-range efforts. He was key in the second half as his powerful defending and play helped us recycle the ball quite a few times.
O’Connell 7.5/10 – Defended well and did what he had to to nullify any real attacks and helped keep us on the front foot. He got in a few key clearances. A few times let Marriott get away but did get back and stop any clear chances. His assist on the first goal was a belter and finally a good cross. He got stronger as the game went on and made some vital interceptions and helped us keep the ball moving the right way in an attacking sense.
Basham 7.5/10 – As with the other defenders, he played the game on the front foot. Won the tackles and first to the ball through but also, he got forward and won three free kicks with this play. One led to a booking for Wilson. He just was really solid all game and both ways, defending and attacking he did what he had to do and was first to most things. He made some key hooks and pulls when he had to as they had some chances on the break. His reaction and celebration on McGoldrick’s goal sums up his passion.
Fleck 7.5/10 – First half I thought he carried on his patchy to poor form and was a bit sloppy and not that involved. He let the game pass him by and was not able to get on the ball too much. He showed bits and pieces but nothing that outstanding. 2nd half a different player and more like the Fleck of old as he ran at defenders, put some great crosses in and looked a real attacking threat as the no fear, energetic football we often saw last season came back and he was a big part of that last year and again today in the 2nd half. Hopefully he can get confidence from this improved display as when he plays like that and we are on the front foot, he is a great player to watch as he dribbles, penetrates, commits men and sets people up with crosses/driven balls. Made the 2nd and nearly another one for Sharp and then the 3rd came from his free kick.
Norwood 7.5/10 – He played his usual array of lovely long pinged balls and diagonal stuff but mixed in with some silly give aways and daft fouls. Still for this knock of his game; he keeps going and will keep trying these ambitious balls knowing they can come off. He did get stuck in and won a few tackles and interceptions. His touch on the ball is class though and he can create space and allow us to have control of the ball for a spell as he just settles things down by bringing it down and then knocking it to a man in space. We did control midfield for long spells. I would mark the Derby lads a mark or two lower and even though Huddlestone did a job and the loan two showed a threat on set plays; I felt Bryson struggled and our lads did win this area of the field on and off the ball.
Duffy 6.5/10 – Mixed bag. Some decent bits first half and looked to probe and prompt but not many things came off. Still felt he was always a threat but Huddlestone sat on him and made it hard for him to get on the ball. Did give it away quite a bit and I felt on the chance first half he let Huddlestone run off him. Got booked for a foul and the final stages of the first half passed him by. Came again 2nd half but his final ball was lacking and took too long to do things. Despite this I still felt he was never hiding and always looking for it and helped us dominate the football for long spells.
Sharp 8/10 – Worked his socks off all game. Led the line, held it up, won free kicks and always a threat. Some games he is quiet and you don’t notice him until the odd chance but today even with the chances; he was always in the game. He chased things down and looked about 10 years younger than he is! He gave the defence a torrid time. Scored one and on another day, he could have had another two goals with some decent chances. Like the fact we left him on and kept an attacking threat.
McGoldrick 8/10 – At times he looks so languid but that is his style. He is not lazy; he just plays in a way where he tries to control it, make a body swerve to find space for a pass or flick to a teammate. That is just the way he plays. At times not, everything came off and his link play was mixed but he always comes into those areas to receive the ball and this causes problems for defenders. He links well with the midfield and always tried to keep possession. Had a very good curled effort just wide early on and then a good chance when Sharp pulled it back and maybe took too long. His finish for the decisive goal was a joy to watch and superbly executed. That goal just showed what he can do and what he is all about. Turned a half chance into a brilliant goal and changed the game after they had to got back into the game. Love watching him play. A proper footballer with intelligence and lovely feet/skill. A really positive surprise success.
Subs –
Clarke – Came on and did everything he has not done in most (Brentford apart) games when he been introduced. Ran around, pressed, competed, showed for the ball and played for the team. Chased down two balls to keep it and linked well. Scored his header, albeit with a slight deflection but good to see all three strikers notch.
Wilder 8.5/10 – Three points against a hugely expensive squad and a performance where individually and collectively we were better than them and deserved to win. Played well for half an hour and pinned them back but then they had a spell but we scored. After the break we stepped it up and actually played well after so many 2nd half fade outs. Even after they scored, we came again. Seemed delighted to get the monkey off his back in terms of finally beating a fellow side high up. I felt we had all the intensity and also moved the ball quicker today at times and this led to making Derby more disorganised in terms of not being set when w attacked with numbers.
Nice even at 2-1 that he put Clarke on for Duffy and even though McGoldrick came back, he kept the attacking initiative. Too often he had settled for what we have had and this has led to problems with us not being able to keep what we had but today he tried to stay in a relative attack mode. It worked as Clarke got the vital clinching goal.
Referee – Geoff Eltringham. Odd game. At times he wanted to try and play on and wanted to keep his book away but then went a bit card happy. Lost it a bit when players and coaches seemed to want a bit of aggro 2nd half. I thought Keogh raised his hands twice in the melee and was lucky to stay on the pitch. He also missed the penalty although his assistant needed to help him here. This was a key moment as could have seen the game go a different way especially when they scored 2nd half. It could have been a penalty and Derby with ten men but then it was 1-1. Some said McGoldrick was offside but looking back he was on I believe. The back pass was odd. I felt it was and it was almost as if the crowd had to tell him but then having seen it back, it did come off Sharp on the way. He did seem to lose control for spells and I felt was poor for both sides and needed to be a bit stronger. He could have sent Wilson off for a pull back on Fleck (after he had been booked) and then Norwood (kicked ball away after he had been booked). Still ended up with 8 bookings (5 for them and 3 for us). His assistants also were very indecisive too and added to a lot of indecision. They all seemed to let players take free kicks/throws from wherever they wanted. He also did not have a clue that you could put a white line 10 yards away but that does not mean players could stand 5 yards in front of the kicker at an angle!
Crowd – I have been critical of the United home crowd at times this season. Today not so. I felt the crowd were superb. We fed off some controversial decisions and some feisty moments and this helped turn the crowd into a frenzied bunch. I thought 2nd half after it being ok 1st half; that the United crowd were very influential. There was a lot of noise and encouragement and it was a proper atmosphere. The Derby fans made a fair noise too (the bouncing at least only lasted a few minutes) and 29,000 inside the Lane (2nd highest to the Wednesday game) made for a rare old din.
The home crowd really willed the team on and the noise levels were louder than they have been all season. In turn the team responded and you felt the belief rise. It felt like everyone was together and the team were galvanised to go on and win the game and make all the big tackles, interceptions and extra belief to get the loose balls. When the Lane is like that, it is rocking and a special place. It felt like one of those cup ties from a few years ago and everyone as one willing the team on. Came out and proud of the manager/team as the Christmas music blared out and the team saluted all four sides.
