United 18/19 season review / school report - part 6 - awards
May 15, 2019 19:50:02 GMT
bladelife likes this
Post by deadbat on May 15, 2019 19:50:02 GMT
The fans
Quick word on the fans who finally get a team in the top flight again and have loved watching a team full of passion, unity and good football. It is everything a Blades fan would want. Players who care, run around and attack. They leave everything out there and the fans have responded. Message boards at times felt we had blown it or would not last the pace but I do believe this is more on previous experience and being let down time after time.
The support away was excellent all season with most games down the stretch sold out. The crowds steadily built at home with some great atmospheres and the Boxing Day game v Derby was very loud.
At times the Lane was not as noisy as it maybe needed to do and still some very quiet games and groans despite things going well. After the let down of Millwall I felt the crowd was excellent in the two remaining home games. Some incredible support at West Brom, Leeds, Preston and Hull in big wins down the stretch.
Loved seeing all the scenes with fans mixing with players and the bond was evident. It was such a memorable final week and mixing with so many Blades, hugging and dancing with random strangers as this great team has simply United everyone.
We have sold record season tickets and the Lane will be full every week – we need to ensure that it becomes a Palace type intimidating atmosphere or Stoke in the early days of the Premier League. It is at the Lane where we will have the most success and the fans have to be patient, respectful of the opposition but ensuring they keep behind this team and remember where we have come from.
Grade B+
Deadbat’s Awards for 2018/19
Player of the Season: Enda Stevens (Last Year John Fleck)
Runner up: Billy Sharp
Third: Chris Basham
Honourable mention: Oliver Norwood, John Egan, David McGoldrick, Jack O’Connell
Moment of the Season: So many vital goals (Bash v Leeds, McGoldrick v Brentford etc) and some of the end of game celebrations in the away games like Leeds, WBA and Preston but the moment when O’Connell powered home v Ipswich was immense. That along with the full-time whistle going in the same game were for me my top moments. We knew then we had (basically) done it. Seeing the team celebrating in the hotel with the fans was also special as you were right amongst them. You gave them their privacy to celebrate together with their teammates but being only yards from them and seeing the togetherness/unity was actually something else.
Goal of the Season: Most important goal was Basham’s but for quality there were better of course! Last year we had the Duffy bounce killer and the Lee Evans one as real stand outs. Not sure there is one goal that was a real wow but Norwood’s strike at Brentford was superb and for me takes the award. Duffy’s long ranger against Rotherham was decent too. The team goal that saw McGoldrick score at Millwall was a good one with great work from a number of players; as was the Sharp record breaker at Wigan. I really liked the McGoldrick finish v Derby for sheer class and calmness.
Best performance of the season: Villa (home). That first 45 minutes was as good as anything I have seen in my lifetime as the Lane. It was 3-0 and could have been 6 or 7. We played some superb stuff and tore an expensive side apart. Other home games that stand out were the Derby game for the belief it garnered and the Brentford game for the spirit we showed In terms away, felt we were excellent in away wins at Millwall, Blackburn and Bolton but the two away wins at Leeds and West Brom were huge defensive performances – the West Brom game was probably the away performance of the season.
Worst performance of the season: Middlesbrough away was a terrible first 20 minutes. We got blown away and we were all really miserable after only one and a bit game but this was a small period in a game! The worst performance was probably at the New York Stadium. We were really poor at Rotherham though and I felt we got battered that day and never got going – we should have lost easily. At home we have not had any horrific ones. Even the ones we have lost have been close calls. Birmingham we were really poor actually and drew but then had a bad last 20 minutes in consecutive games against Bristol City and Millwall.
Pass of the season: McGoldrick at home to Ipswich was sublime but the Norwood cross field diagonal bouncing bomb wins this award. Could gladly watch that on a loop again and again.
Tackle of the season: Lundstram’s effort on Grealish was superb. Took him out but won the ball cleanly and send him to the ground holding his ankle.
Save of the season: Dean Henderson v Norwich. A three on one despite a clear offside – he spread himself and denied a certain goal.
Most improved player: Enda Stevens (see player comments)
Unsung hero: Martin Cranie with special mention to Richard Stearman and Simon Moore
Biggest disappointment (player): Ben Woodburn (see player comments)
Best opponent (player) v United: Andreas Weimann of Bristol City scored a hat trick and these were all great goals and a real crushing blow for us. Pukki looked supremely talented at Carrow Road but was quite anonymous at the Lane. Celina caused us all sorts of problems for us in both games and runs Weimann close. Swansea and Bristol City beat us twice so kind of had to choose one of those players.
Worst opponent (player) v United: Few shockers against us but the lad Semi Ajayi for Rotherham stood out. He was shocking. Liam Cooper had a mare in the big game at Elland Road.
Signing of the season: This is tough. Henderson has been brilliant as had Egan (what a bargain) but all had pedigrees and were expected to make fairly immediate impact. McGoldrick’s role in becoming a crucial player was sensational. He ended up being our main man in the final few months of the season and watching him was a joy. I suppose the best signing might be Norwood in terms of his impact as he came in and was eye poppingly good with his passing and control. He made us dominate the midfield area and the ball again. However, value for money (nowt) Didsy was incredible. It’s McGoldrick or Norwood. Cannot really split them.
----
As our esteemed leader would say: ‘In. Year. Out. See Ya.’
Have a good summer all! See you in the Premier League.
Up the Blades
Twitter - deadbat_DB
Quick word on the fans who finally get a team in the top flight again and have loved watching a team full of passion, unity and good football. It is everything a Blades fan would want. Players who care, run around and attack. They leave everything out there and the fans have responded. Message boards at times felt we had blown it or would not last the pace but I do believe this is more on previous experience and being let down time after time.
The support away was excellent all season with most games down the stretch sold out. The crowds steadily built at home with some great atmospheres and the Boxing Day game v Derby was very loud.
At times the Lane was not as noisy as it maybe needed to do and still some very quiet games and groans despite things going well. After the let down of Millwall I felt the crowd was excellent in the two remaining home games. Some incredible support at West Brom, Leeds, Preston and Hull in big wins down the stretch.
Loved seeing all the scenes with fans mixing with players and the bond was evident. It was such a memorable final week and mixing with so many Blades, hugging and dancing with random strangers as this great team has simply United everyone.
We have sold record season tickets and the Lane will be full every week – we need to ensure that it becomes a Palace type intimidating atmosphere or Stoke in the early days of the Premier League. It is at the Lane where we will have the most success and the fans have to be patient, respectful of the opposition but ensuring they keep behind this team and remember where we have come from.
Grade B+
Deadbat’s Awards for 2018/19
Player of the Season: Enda Stevens (Last Year John Fleck)
Runner up: Billy Sharp
Third: Chris Basham
Honourable mention: Oliver Norwood, John Egan, David McGoldrick, Jack O’Connell
Moment of the Season: So many vital goals (Bash v Leeds, McGoldrick v Brentford etc) and some of the end of game celebrations in the away games like Leeds, WBA and Preston but the moment when O’Connell powered home v Ipswich was immense. That along with the full-time whistle going in the same game were for me my top moments. We knew then we had (basically) done it. Seeing the team celebrating in the hotel with the fans was also special as you were right amongst them. You gave them their privacy to celebrate together with their teammates but being only yards from them and seeing the togetherness/unity was actually something else.
Goal of the Season: Most important goal was Basham’s but for quality there were better of course! Last year we had the Duffy bounce killer and the Lee Evans one as real stand outs. Not sure there is one goal that was a real wow but Norwood’s strike at Brentford was superb and for me takes the award. Duffy’s long ranger against Rotherham was decent too. The team goal that saw McGoldrick score at Millwall was a good one with great work from a number of players; as was the Sharp record breaker at Wigan. I really liked the McGoldrick finish v Derby for sheer class and calmness.
Best performance of the season: Villa (home). That first 45 minutes was as good as anything I have seen in my lifetime as the Lane. It was 3-0 and could have been 6 or 7. We played some superb stuff and tore an expensive side apart. Other home games that stand out were the Derby game for the belief it garnered and the Brentford game for the spirit we showed In terms away, felt we were excellent in away wins at Millwall, Blackburn and Bolton but the two away wins at Leeds and West Brom were huge defensive performances – the West Brom game was probably the away performance of the season.
Worst performance of the season: Middlesbrough away was a terrible first 20 minutes. We got blown away and we were all really miserable after only one and a bit game but this was a small period in a game! The worst performance was probably at the New York Stadium. We were really poor at Rotherham though and I felt we got battered that day and never got going – we should have lost easily. At home we have not had any horrific ones. Even the ones we have lost have been close calls. Birmingham we were really poor actually and drew but then had a bad last 20 minutes in consecutive games against Bristol City and Millwall.
Pass of the season: McGoldrick at home to Ipswich was sublime but the Norwood cross field diagonal bouncing bomb wins this award. Could gladly watch that on a loop again and again.
Tackle of the season: Lundstram’s effort on Grealish was superb. Took him out but won the ball cleanly and send him to the ground holding his ankle.
Save of the season: Dean Henderson v Norwich. A three on one despite a clear offside – he spread himself and denied a certain goal.
Most improved player: Enda Stevens (see player comments)
Unsung hero: Martin Cranie with special mention to Richard Stearman and Simon Moore
Biggest disappointment (player): Ben Woodburn (see player comments)
Best opponent (player) v United: Andreas Weimann of Bristol City scored a hat trick and these were all great goals and a real crushing blow for us. Pukki looked supremely talented at Carrow Road but was quite anonymous at the Lane. Celina caused us all sorts of problems for us in both games and runs Weimann close. Swansea and Bristol City beat us twice so kind of had to choose one of those players.
Worst opponent (player) v United: Few shockers against us but the lad Semi Ajayi for Rotherham stood out. He was shocking. Liam Cooper had a mare in the big game at Elland Road.
Signing of the season: This is tough. Henderson has been brilliant as had Egan (what a bargain) but all had pedigrees and were expected to make fairly immediate impact. McGoldrick’s role in becoming a crucial player was sensational. He ended up being our main man in the final few months of the season and watching him was a joy. I suppose the best signing might be Norwood in terms of his impact as he came in and was eye poppingly good with his passing and control. He made us dominate the midfield area and the ball again. However, value for money (nowt) Didsy was incredible. It’s McGoldrick or Norwood. Cannot really split them.
----
As our esteemed leader would say: ‘In. Year. Out. See Ya.’
Have a good summer all! See you in the Premier League.
Up the Blades
Twitter - deadbat_DB
