Post by deadbat on Jan 28, 2021 1:32:55 GMT
Pod and match report below…..
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It was the shock result of the season as the Blades went to Old Trafford and completely shocked the football world as they beat Manchester United 2-1. A first Blades goal from Kean Bryan gave United the lead but the Red Devils levelled via Harry Maguire in the second half. However, Oliver Burke smashed in a winner with 15 minutes to play and the Blades marshalled by old timer Jagielka with several outstanding performers saw it out. It was a tremendous team performance full of commitment, resilience, skill and real heart.
United were ravaged with injury and suspension issue and away from the mid-long-term O’Connell, Berge, Osborn and McBurnie, Enda Stevens was also out injured. With no John Egan, it was a hotch potch defence with Ampadu, Bryan and Jagielka joining Baldock and Basham. It was the normal midfield that has started the most recent games and Sharp kept his place after his man of the match performance at the weekend. McGoldrick came back into the side for the league game. United only named 6 of 9 subs and no midfielders.
Man Utd made changes with Tuanzebe making a rare start alongside Maguire. Telles came in at left back and Matic started alongside Pogba. The front-line featured Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford and Martial – four players that have caused the Blades problems in games in the last few seasons in different games with 6 goals from Martial and Rashford in the last two games alone between the two sides.
The game began with the Blades with a solid 5 in front of Rams dale and were compact as the home team had a lot of possession but did not hurt them. The concern had been if the Blades had conceded an early goal then the floodgates may open after seeing what happened to West Brom last night against Manchester City. Martial went down after a tackle from Jagielka as he fell awkwardly. After treatment, where he seemed to hurt his shoulder, he was deemed fit to continue.
The opening continued with Man Utd moving it about but the Blades had kept a decent shape although a clever ball over the top from Pogba saw Fernandes in but he mis controlled which was uncharacteristic. The away side did not have much possession but Lundstram and McGoldrick both gave it away meaning they had to surrender the ball for a period again. Good football down the left saw Wan Bissaka put over a cross and Rashford sidefooted narrowly wide with Ramsdale well beaten. It was the first chance and not far-off target.
Slowly, the Blades started to find a foothold though as Fleck was tripped and then soon after the same man broke but opted to pass rather than shoot and Bryan’s cross was blocked.
On 17 minutes, Sharp was played in and broke but his lack of pace saw men get back and hit shot was too close to De Gea. The flag was raised after although replays showed it may have been very tight. At the other end, Man Utd then sent a lovely ball over the top and Greenwood was in and rounded Ramsdale as the keeper did not know whether to come or go but the striker was crowded out by Blades defenders. Ramsdale then had to head the ball out as he came off his line with more decisiveness.
Ampadu then made a good block that led to Fleck coming away and down the right side, McGoldrick then won a corner. From the delivery, the Blades took a shock lead. Fleck whipped it in and BRYAN flicked it into the net. There was some contact from Sharp but the referee was happy to let the goal go and the lead was confirmed. VAR had a look but did not feel it was a clear and obvious error.
The Blades had a decent spell in the game and the goal gave them something to hold onto. Man Utd tried to awake from their slumber and Greenwood had a shot at Ramsdale who held the ball well. Wan Bissaka’s battle with Bryan continued to be a feature and the right back’s cross saw Greenwood nearly in but Jagielka did well.
On the half hour, Ramsdale came for a corner and as he went to grab, Maguire challenged and the ball dropped out of the error ridden keeper’s hands. Martial converted but the referee Bankes had already blown. VAR did not look at it as the referee’s decision had already been made. The contact was quite similar to the Sharp goal so maybe the Blades for once got the rub of the green.
Norwood played one or two decent balls and McGoldrick nearly got in but Man Utd were now dominating possession for the most part but the tempo suited the away side as it was quite slow. Lundstram was booked for a cynical pull back on Rashford as he threatened to run away.
Man Utd then produced their best move with Telles finding Fernandes who clipped a great first-time ball back but Jagielka did really well to clear under pressure. Norwood and Baldock linked well but the offside flag was up but the Blades were having some threat in terms of attacks and it was not one-way traffic. Indeed Man Utd had not had many chances at all so far and Ramsdale had been surprisingly underemployed.
There was three minutes of stoppage time and Fleck helped kill a good portion of that by running at two men and drawing a bad foul by Tuanzebe who was rightly booked. The free kick from Norwood was really poor and the ball was cleared easily but the half time whistle came not long after.
The second half saw the home side up the tempo as you expected and a lovely ball through by Fernandes saw Greenwood in but he pulled his shot just past the far post.
More decent play saw Wan Bissaka drop on the end of a move and fire in a shot but it deflected wide with Ampadu doing well to get on the end of it. Bryan had seemingly took a knock and had to come off with Bogle going to left back.
Jagielka made a vital interception to deny a ball through and then Basham did the same. Man Utd had penned the Blades in but not had any clear chances outside of the Greenwood opportunity and the Blades came out and forced two openings for McGoldrick. The first saw patient football with Baldock involved and he played it into McGoldrick who tried an outrageous effort with the outside of his foot and it was not far over.
Soon after this the striker was in but he blazed over with the flag going up this time for a clear offside as he sprinted away. Fleck then won a corner with some good work down the left and again the Blades sent in an inswinging free kick that saw De Gea struggling but Matic cleared.
This mini spell had been much needed but then the home side came again and won two free kicks on the edge of the box with some unnecessary fouls. The first one saw Ramsdale make a save and did well to hold a dipping shot. The second one was deflected over for a corner. The issues from set plays came back to haunt the Blades again albeit versus a side with a number of bigger players. MAGUIRE came in and powered a header into the far corner to give Ramsdale no chance. Basham had been marking the former Blades player in the first half but this one ended up with Jagielka nearest to him and it ended up being a clear header
Cavani came on for Greenwood and you sensed Man Utd would go for the jugular but actually the Blades stayed in the game and Ampadu’s cavalier run of 50 yards was an embodiment of the efforts of the side and approach.
Cavani nearly got in on a cross at the other end but it drifted away before Basham stepped in to make a vital block. Burke replace Sharp and it was nearly in on a ball over the top straight away but it was not long before he was having a huge impact on the game.
With just over 15 minutes to play, the Blades stunned the home side and took the lead again. There was neat work down the right and Norwood’s pass put in Baldock. The cross came over but Maguire and De Gea got in a bit of a mess and the keeper kicked it away but not very far. Lundstram and Baldock combined again and eventually the former managed to roll it across to BURKE who toed a powerful shot that deflected off Tuanzebe and in off the underside of the bar. It was a real shock goal when most would have thought Man Utd would have gone on and got the next goal.
Man Utd tried to respond and Telles had a shot after it ran under Lundstram’s foot, but the midfielder got back to deflect the shot up and over and onto the top of the bar. The corner was cleared before Brewster came on for McGoldrick with just over 10 minutes left.
Cavani fired over after the ball dropped before van de Beek and Shaw replaced Tuanzebe and Telles as Man Utd tried to get men wide and force pressure on a well organised and resolute Blades side who had been magnificent defensively
Ampadu and then Jagielka made interceptions before Burke was away but Matic got a foot in as the last man. Jagielka headed out for a corner and then Basham read the danger as United’s low block continued to frustrate. The game ticked into 90 minutes and there was four minutes of additional time to be played. Burke managed to see out a period in the corner before a few final balls at the other end were cleared away. The Blades stopped any clear chances coming and after Ramsdale took a high ball, the unlikely win seemed to close. A final clearance saw referee Bankes blow his whistle and the shock result of the season was confirmed. A massively disappointing night for Man Utd who missed a chance to go back to the top of the league but a huge win and maybe some new life for Wilder’s Blades. The first win since 1973 for them at Old Trafford; 48 years, and one that no one saw coming!
United – Fantastic. I have thrown a lot of heat at this team/manager in terms of skill, organisation, aggression, will to win, togetherness, fight and belief – many of these qualities sadly have been lacking and we have been meek and limped to so many sorry defeats going down with a whimper. Sure, we have had some narrow defeats but many of these even though tight in results not sure we have done enough in our approach or application. Tonight was the complete opposite. We saw all the qualities you would want in a Sheffield United side. We played our hearts out, were resolute, together, compact, played when we could and on and off the ball every player did the best they could. We played with our hearts as I said, but also our heads. We never panicked and even after we gave away another set piece goal we went again and scored a decent goal albeit poor defending but some nice football in the build-up. We did not just defend for 90 minutes and broke and passed when we could. I felt we never got dominated in any area of the field and we saw a massive upswing in the performance both collectively and individually. I was really proud of them tonight. We all thought we would get a battering. No one, even our own fans, gave us a chance. Shows that football can still give fans the unexpected and United are never predictable!
Maybe over possession and territory or even chances (although not sure they had many more than us really) we did not deserve it but actually I would say for the way we went about it and our sheer will to win and doing the little things we did deserve it in some ways and for once had a bit of luck/decisions go for us but after the wretched luck/things not gone out way it was nice for things to go in our favour. I was so pleased for the manager and team. They have had pelters and looked so downbeat much of the season so to see them smiling even at the end during the game as they fought to protect the three points was great. They have been such a special group and tonight we saw the grit and fire we have not seen this season but had seen for 3-4 years previous. It felt like our United and our players (Fleck, Norwood etc) were back! I was buzzing at the end. In the grand scheme of things not sure we will even get close to staying up – we have given ourselves too much to do but now we at least have some pride and can at least probably overhaul that Derby team. We could go past West Brom even and not be the bottom side. I think staying up would still be almost impossible. We would have to win almost every other game and that is not going to happen but I just want some performances like tonight and a chance to build for next season.
I saw the team and the names of Bryan, Jagielka and Amadu in the back and even Sharp up top I thought was the wrong move. I saw we had so many out and you just thought it really could be damage limitation. I recall a better team being destroyed at Man Utd in the first lockdown and the start of project restart. I was genuinely concerned it could be a lot more than that 3-0 and similar to the West Brom defeat to City the previous night. I just thought please do not get humiliated and stay in the game in terms of not getting a real hammering.
The game started and we kept them to few chances and when Rashford missed that one I thought yes we have survived the first 10 minutes. Then we scored and had the let off from their goal. Once we got to half time you thought maybe but you sensed they would have a real go but it never really came They had some chances and free kicks but nothing major and it was so frustrating when we concede a set play but they were so much bigger (had Baldock on Pogba!) so it was hard but after that you thought like Man Utd have done to other teams (and us earlier in the season) they would just pull away but it never happened and then we got a goal at a great time and then just saw out each 5 minute spell. They did not really threaten too much with one looped shot and a Cavani shot well over but we actually saw it out really professionally and were very composed.
Huge credit to players I never thought could perform like that (Jags/Bryan or instance) and some who showed a bit of a renaissance. I thought everyone worked so hard and gave everything. They will be knackered tonight and of course with a confident and assured Man City side, that will be another challenge and will be incredibly tough after the efforts of tonight but the players do have some confidence at least now and as a team for a few days now at least they will be smiling. I had almost forgot what it was like to feel like I did tonight. A huge performance and a winning one against the odds. Even if/when we go down, the result and performance probably will go down in folklore a bit – we do not win there very often and it was so unexpected with the way the season has gone. Cannot really criticise much at all about the way we played and that is kind of all we ask of our Blades team really. A great night in a shambolic season but one where we can be proud again.
Ratings:
Ramsdale 7/10 – Game of two halves. First half maybe a 4/5 and second closer to an 8. First half thought he was shaky again sadly. Came for a ball and was hesitant when Greenwood nearly got in and was slipping about. Headed one out but then made a right mess of that cross and was lucky to get away with it as the contact was not a lot really. He has to be stronger and just come through Maguire. His penchant for dropping easy crosses continued. He had no chance on the goal but then his handing from one free kick, another low shot and a few crosses was faultless. Nice to see him drop on one at the end and again be smiling after a tough few weeks. Pleased for him and showed a lot of mental strength tonight.
Baldock 8/10 – Thought he stuck to his task really well defensively and limited gaps, got his foot in and did what he had to in terms of denying balls coming in too much. He got forward second half for a spell too and was involved in the McGoldrick chance and then set up the initial chance that led to the goal. Kept running forward when he could and won a foul near the end and was determined in his defensive work.
Bryan 8/10 – Thought he had a real go in what he did and never hid. Wan Bissaka ran at him a few times and he was a bit off his man but got stronger as the game went on and kept it simple with knocks down the lines, clearances and tackles. He seemed to grow into the game and then scored a good headed goal. After this his confidence grew even more and stepped out and used the ball well when he could and did nothing wrong defensively. Went off early 2nd half with a knock but undoubtedly his best performance and moments in a Blades shirt.
Basham 8/10 – Like the whole back line kept his concentration almost all night – he was switched on and read things when he needed to, making blocks and interceptions. He did not get forward much but then the three centre backs had to stay at home most of the time. A few times we got caught with balls over the top but he got back in and made recoveries also. Second half thought he was great and he won so many vital balls as they tried to work it through us. Not sure on the goal as he had been picking Maguire up first half and seemed stationery and then it looked as if it was Jagielka’s (may have been of course) as he was closest. After this the whole defence recovered really well doing what they had to and Ramsdale hardly had anything to do apart from long range shots.
Ampadu 8.5/10 – As above. Thought he made so many blocks and tackles and just got into areas where he could stop those clever balls or little one twos. He made a few blocks from shots that came in where he got his body in the way. He was the one of the three that came out maybe once or twice and we saw one great surging run where he showed his pace and mobility. I was willing him on there even though he had no help and got crowded out I thought it was a great run that showed the way we wanted to have a go and not sit back all game. He has had a much better last few weeks so credit to him.
Jagielka 9/10 – Rolling back the years! He did ok in a few cameos last year but showed his legs have gone in the games (x 2) v Man Utd and was surprised he was brought back this season as great a servant as he has been. He struggled v Southampton and tonight I was really concerned but what a performance! Yes, he (or Bash) may have done better on the goal but outside of that he was faultless with some great tackles and he showed his innate ability to sniff out danger we saw so many times for us in his first spell. He was against world class strikers but did a superb job on all of them and I felt gave everything. He looked shattered at the end but a phenomenal effort from him.
Lundstram 7.5/10 – Put a real shift in all night and never stopped moving. Thought he was the weakest of the three midfielders but he was still ok in terms of effort. I felt he gave the ball away a bit much – did it at the beginning and then right at the end but then outside of this he did some good things and kept running all night. A daft booking where he got the wrong side of his man put him under a bit of pressure but he managed to keep his cool and just gave the excellent defence really good protection. All season the defence has been badly exposed but tonight the midfield gave them proper help and stopped runners or easy balls coming through and picked up the pieces.
Fleck 8.5/10 – Where has that been?! Finally! He started the game ok but then got better and better. He picked up loose balls, ran with it and drew man and showed the skills and drive we have not seen for around a year. Set up the goal with a dangerous corner. He won a few free kicks, linked when he could and got into those little pockets. Not perfect and still a few poor choices but overall, it was so much better. He drove us up the field and played some intelligent passes. He did not look out on his feet after an hour and kept going. Hoping that will give him the confidence boost to get back the form he had completely lost. A huge plus tonight and feel like a hero I had lost re-emerged again! Only one game of course but a sign of some life.
Norwood 8.5/10 – As above really. He got on the ball, moved it about when he could and also did those things, we saw from him of years past – picking up those little loose balls, breaking things up and sitting in front of the defence. He was able to move it on and played some nice balls forward that set us moving to Sharp, McGoldrick and then latterly Burke! He was nice and composed and did not panic and this seemed to spread through the team. One shocking free kick apart on the stroke of half time, I thought he was really good tonight and did a lot of good work off the ball – an area I have been critical of him.
McGoldrick 8/10 – Thought he did some good things to begin and was able to hold it when he could and try and link. It was hard as we did not have lots of the ball up the field but contributed to us winning a corner and then second half had two chances and one was a really good effort. Just worked hard and kept chasing and harrying the defence and would come into midfield when he had to. Some lovely touches at times and part of a front to back great team performance.
Sharp 8/10 – Played well Saturday but a home game v Plymouth is different to a game at Old Trafford. Not sure it was the right call as we were always going to be defending a lot and needed pace on the break. Seemed a perfect game for Burke, at least to have some kind of threat but picking the slowest strikers we have was a strange move. However, he began the game well and was a nuisance, playing on the shoulders and causing problems. Nearly got in with the chance (offside) and kept working the channels. He tried really hard and seemed determined not to let players out and I thought helped us not have them come out too easily in terms of the defence being too far up the field. He did a great job for the side in terms of us having an outlet. Burke then came on and got the winner so the plan worked.
Subs –
Burke – What an impact! His first league goal and the winner at Old Trafford. Nearly got on one ball and then scored soon after with a good finish which he just made sure he got on target with a good contact. He then had another chance but could not quite get away from Matic. He is always a real threat on the break and perfect against some lumbering defenders who are tiring and so it proved. Helped us run things down at the end also.
Bogle 7.5/10 – He was ok if not as stand out as the rest of the defence but did contribute to us seeing out the game. I felt he was a bit slow to some of the moves they made and they got down this side a bit but he kept going and made a few blocks/clearances near the end. Hard with him being on the wrong side.
Brewster - Seeded a bit headless chicken with a wild mis kick and then he gave it away and needed to settle down. I think he was caught between chasing everything and trying to get hold of it a bit and did neither but at this stage we just needed harrying and he did this a bit.
Manager Wilder 9/10 – He may have been limited to his options due to injury and suspension but I was also dreading tonight and I winced when I saw the team. Jagielka, Bryan and Ampadu playing was a massive worry – Champ or League One players against world class strikers. I know Stevens was out but thought maybe Bogle could have played and maybe Baldock right back. Suppose Lowe has struggled him or Bryan, not sure you can make a strong case for either. I was shocked he went with Sharp – as thought he will not get a kick or be in the game. Shows what I know! The team performed like heroes and were superb individually and collectively. They kept compact all game, worked close together on and off the ball to restrict space and/or keep it when we had it and had some nice lay albeit with limited possession. We had chances and broke when we could but did not go daft. Defensively they kept in a nice line and did not see some go up and some come back. The midfield protected them well and they restricted space and forced Man Utd wide and they struggled to create much at all. The subs worked and Burke had a huge impact. Criticised him this season for tactics and his approach but he got it perfectly right tonight. The performance and how we frustrated Man Utd, he has to take a lot of credit for and for getting the player to belief they could get a result. Delighted to see him smiling again after such a tough season.
Man Utd – They have surprised me this season. I genuinely felt and wrote it after the home game we had with them, that Solskjaer would not see the current campaign out. However, with the up and down form of Man. City and Liverpool, they have gone on a run and a number of players have hit form. They have found a settled way of playing and with the likes of Pogba, Shaw and Bailey back in the team and playing well, allied to the incoming Cavani, it has seen them pick up a number of results. Still not sure I see the current managed being in charge long term and I am not fully convinced by him but fair play to him and them. I did not see them anywhere near a title challenger this year. Top 4 at best and even top 2 would have been a stretch I felt and certainly not to be close Liverpool and City. I still expect those two to pull away and feel that a blip is around the corner as today showed.
I am not convinced by them defensively and Pogba is not reliable in terms of performances or effort every week. They rely so much on the likes of Fernandes and Rashford for me – maybe even Maguire, who has been much maligned but is a solid defender and one of the best in the league despite the issues he has had at the start of the season, on and off the pitch. I still think they need to improve and man for man or even squad wise I see the other two as better than them in almost every position. Not sure they have quite got the start quality the other two sides have.
Today, maybe they took us too lightly and thought it would be easy. They changed a few defenders but it was still not far off the strongest team. They started with such a slow tempo which played into our hands and never really pushed us back all night. The pressure never came and they gave away two awful goals. I felt they just never got any momentum and individually and collectively no one took responsibility to say, ‘Come on, we need to step this up!’ They kind of just went through the motions and as the game ticked on the expected wave of attacks never came. After they scored you thought they would just turn on the boosters as they have quite a few second halves this season but it never happened and even after we scored; they never really laid much of a glove on us and we saw it out rather easily.
Too many players just did not play. They had a great chance to go top and pull well clear of Liverpool and blew it. We played well and they were crap. They had very little idea to get round or through us. He can talk about decisions all he wants Solsjkaer but he has had so many over the last year (penalties) and so had one go against him. Over the course of the game, they did not do enough and did not deserve anything for how they played. Maybe the mentality of the players is not of Champions and why they won’t push those other teams as I alluded to.
As a discussion point with some relevance at least to our recent past, not sure Dean Henderson is ever going to be number 1 there. De Gea has only just turned 30 and has a few years ahead of him as a keeper and his contract too for that matter. Henderson has had a taste in the cups and Europe etc (and a few league games) but I don’t see the situation being any different next year. Maybe he will go on loan again but to another Premier League side or maybe they will cash in but not sure I see many top teams without a solid or keeper they like (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Leicester, Wolves etc). He is going to have to go to a mid to lower club but again a lot of teams have keepers they seem fairly happy with. It is a dilemma for him and the club. Man Utd sure would be happy with current status quo but it’s no good for Henderson to do this for another season. De Gea was rubbish tonight but still will be number one for the immediate and distant future you think.
Opponent Man of the Match – Maguire scored but I felt Wan Bissaka was the main threat. All those talented strikers and he was the one that caused the most problems with his runs.
Opponent Weak link – A lot had off nights. Rashford, Martial and Greenwood (well marshalled) were all poor. Tuanzebe struggled a bit and I felt Matic and Pogba got outworked by our lads and were poor with the ball when they had it. They gave it away a lot. However, De Gea has to take the award. Terrible on both goals (even if a bit of contact from Sharp on the first) and indecisive all night. Struggled on anything coming into the box.
Referee/Officials - Peter Bankes. Sure he reffed the game at Brighton when Lundstram was sent off albeit with VAR getting involved? Anyway, in terms of today two key decisions. I might be on my own but I felt there was minimal contact from Sharp and maybe Matic pushed him a bit first but he did put two hands on De Gea and knew what he was doing. I am not sure VAR could say it was an obvious mistake really though. If the ref rules it out, not sure they would change it either. Maybe we got away with it a bit. The Man Utd goal should have counted as Ramsdale just dropped it – I will say that. It was quite inconsistent refereeing. He blew his whistle too quickly which meant it was hard for anything to be changed. Apparently due to this they could not look at it as a VAR potential overturn. You could argue it was not much different to the Blades goal but as with this one even if VAR had looked, you could not say it was a clear and obvious error. Maybe the Blades had a slice of fortune as the two incidents were quite similar but the referee’s calls were never going to be changed as it was not a howler either way. You can say there was inconsistency in the referring rather than criticising VAR who could not really and should not really overrule such decisions that are not obvious mistakes.
The rest of the game, Lundstram and Tuanzebe both carded for cynical fouls but outside of that, we may have done a few fouls to stop things and these were good fouls as not bad enough to be yellow cards. I am not sure there was much else to debate. I feared he may put up a daft amount of time but he did and four was fair but it did seem to last an age!
Coverage – They seemed as shocked as anyone but fair play to Sutton (a pundit I don’t like) he was quite fair and praised us and the defence. Jake Humphrey is a patronising get and I felt even though Rio Ferdinand loves Wilder, he was a bit one eyed on the decisions and looking at Man Utd’s faults rather than what we did. Nice to watch Match of the Day for once too – not bothered most of the season!
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It was the shock result of the season as the Blades went to Old Trafford and completely shocked the football world as they beat Manchester United 2-1. A first Blades goal from Kean Bryan gave United the lead but the Red Devils levelled via Harry Maguire in the second half. However, Oliver Burke smashed in a winner with 15 minutes to play and the Blades marshalled by old timer Jagielka with several outstanding performers saw it out. It was a tremendous team performance full of commitment, resilience, skill and real heart.
United were ravaged with injury and suspension issue and away from the mid-long-term O’Connell, Berge, Osborn and McBurnie, Enda Stevens was also out injured. With no John Egan, it was a hotch potch defence with Ampadu, Bryan and Jagielka joining Baldock and Basham. It was the normal midfield that has started the most recent games and Sharp kept his place after his man of the match performance at the weekend. McGoldrick came back into the side for the league game. United only named 6 of 9 subs and no midfielders.
Man Utd made changes with Tuanzebe making a rare start alongside Maguire. Telles came in at left back and Matic started alongside Pogba. The front-line featured Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford and Martial – four players that have caused the Blades problems in games in the last few seasons in different games with 6 goals from Martial and Rashford in the last two games alone between the two sides.
The game began with the Blades with a solid 5 in front of Rams dale and were compact as the home team had a lot of possession but did not hurt them. The concern had been if the Blades had conceded an early goal then the floodgates may open after seeing what happened to West Brom last night against Manchester City. Martial went down after a tackle from Jagielka as he fell awkwardly. After treatment, where he seemed to hurt his shoulder, he was deemed fit to continue.
The opening continued with Man Utd moving it about but the Blades had kept a decent shape although a clever ball over the top from Pogba saw Fernandes in but he mis controlled which was uncharacteristic. The away side did not have much possession but Lundstram and McGoldrick both gave it away meaning they had to surrender the ball for a period again. Good football down the left saw Wan Bissaka put over a cross and Rashford sidefooted narrowly wide with Ramsdale well beaten. It was the first chance and not far-off target.
Slowly, the Blades started to find a foothold though as Fleck was tripped and then soon after the same man broke but opted to pass rather than shoot and Bryan’s cross was blocked.
On 17 minutes, Sharp was played in and broke but his lack of pace saw men get back and hit shot was too close to De Gea. The flag was raised after although replays showed it may have been very tight. At the other end, Man Utd then sent a lovely ball over the top and Greenwood was in and rounded Ramsdale as the keeper did not know whether to come or go but the striker was crowded out by Blades defenders. Ramsdale then had to head the ball out as he came off his line with more decisiveness.
Ampadu then made a good block that led to Fleck coming away and down the right side, McGoldrick then won a corner. From the delivery, the Blades took a shock lead. Fleck whipped it in and BRYAN flicked it into the net. There was some contact from Sharp but the referee was happy to let the goal go and the lead was confirmed. VAR had a look but did not feel it was a clear and obvious error.
The Blades had a decent spell in the game and the goal gave them something to hold onto. Man Utd tried to awake from their slumber and Greenwood had a shot at Ramsdale who held the ball well. Wan Bissaka’s battle with Bryan continued to be a feature and the right back’s cross saw Greenwood nearly in but Jagielka did well.
On the half hour, Ramsdale came for a corner and as he went to grab, Maguire challenged and the ball dropped out of the error ridden keeper’s hands. Martial converted but the referee Bankes had already blown. VAR did not look at it as the referee’s decision had already been made. The contact was quite similar to the Sharp goal so maybe the Blades for once got the rub of the green.
Norwood played one or two decent balls and McGoldrick nearly got in but Man Utd were now dominating possession for the most part but the tempo suited the away side as it was quite slow. Lundstram was booked for a cynical pull back on Rashford as he threatened to run away.
Man Utd then produced their best move with Telles finding Fernandes who clipped a great first-time ball back but Jagielka did really well to clear under pressure. Norwood and Baldock linked well but the offside flag was up but the Blades were having some threat in terms of attacks and it was not one-way traffic. Indeed Man Utd had not had many chances at all so far and Ramsdale had been surprisingly underemployed.
There was three minutes of stoppage time and Fleck helped kill a good portion of that by running at two men and drawing a bad foul by Tuanzebe who was rightly booked. The free kick from Norwood was really poor and the ball was cleared easily but the half time whistle came not long after.
The second half saw the home side up the tempo as you expected and a lovely ball through by Fernandes saw Greenwood in but he pulled his shot just past the far post.
More decent play saw Wan Bissaka drop on the end of a move and fire in a shot but it deflected wide with Ampadu doing well to get on the end of it. Bryan had seemingly took a knock and had to come off with Bogle going to left back.
Jagielka made a vital interception to deny a ball through and then Basham did the same. Man Utd had penned the Blades in but not had any clear chances outside of the Greenwood opportunity and the Blades came out and forced two openings for McGoldrick. The first saw patient football with Baldock involved and he played it into McGoldrick who tried an outrageous effort with the outside of his foot and it was not far over.
Soon after this the striker was in but he blazed over with the flag going up this time for a clear offside as he sprinted away. Fleck then won a corner with some good work down the left and again the Blades sent in an inswinging free kick that saw De Gea struggling but Matic cleared.
This mini spell had been much needed but then the home side came again and won two free kicks on the edge of the box with some unnecessary fouls. The first one saw Ramsdale make a save and did well to hold a dipping shot. The second one was deflected over for a corner. The issues from set plays came back to haunt the Blades again albeit versus a side with a number of bigger players. MAGUIRE came in and powered a header into the far corner to give Ramsdale no chance. Basham had been marking the former Blades player in the first half but this one ended up with Jagielka nearest to him and it ended up being a clear header
Cavani came on for Greenwood and you sensed Man Utd would go for the jugular but actually the Blades stayed in the game and Ampadu’s cavalier run of 50 yards was an embodiment of the efforts of the side and approach.
Cavani nearly got in on a cross at the other end but it drifted away before Basham stepped in to make a vital block. Burke replace Sharp and it was nearly in on a ball over the top straight away but it was not long before he was having a huge impact on the game.
With just over 15 minutes to play, the Blades stunned the home side and took the lead again. There was neat work down the right and Norwood’s pass put in Baldock. The cross came over but Maguire and De Gea got in a bit of a mess and the keeper kicked it away but not very far. Lundstram and Baldock combined again and eventually the former managed to roll it across to BURKE who toed a powerful shot that deflected off Tuanzebe and in off the underside of the bar. It was a real shock goal when most would have thought Man Utd would have gone on and got the next goal.
Man Utd tried to respond and Telles had a shot after it ran under Lundstram’s foot, but the midfielder got back to deflect the shot up and over and onto the top of the bar. The corner was cleared before Brewster came on for McGoldrick with just over 10 minutes left.
Cavani fired over after the ball dropped before van de Beek and Shaw replaced Tuanzebe and Telles as Man Utd tried to get men wide and force pressure on a well organised and resolute Blades side who had been magnificent defensively
Ampadu and then Jagielka made interceptions before Burke was away but Matic got a foot in as the last man. Jagielka headed out for a corner and then Basham read the danger as United’s low block continued to frustrate. The game ticked into 90 minutes and there was four minutes of additional time to be played. Burke managed to see out a period in the corner before a few final balls at the other end were cleared away. The Blades stopped any clear chances coming and after Ramsdale took a high ball, the unlikely win seemed to close. A final clearance saw referee Bankes blow his whistle and the shock result of the season was confirmed. A massively disappointing night for Man Utd who missed a chance to go back to the top of the league but a huge win and maybe some new life for Wilder’s Blades. The first win since 1973 for them at Old Trafford; 48 years, and one that no one saw coming!
United – Fantastic. I have thrown a lot of heat at this team/manager in terms of skill, organisation, aggression, will to win, togetherness, fight and belief – many of these qualities sadly have been lacking and we have been meek and limped to so many sorry defeats going down with a whimper. Sure, we have had some narrow defeats but many of these even though tight in results not sure we have done enough in our approach or application. Tonight was the complete opposite. We saw all the qualities you would want in a Sheffield United side. We played our hearts out, were resolute, together, compact, played when we could and on and off the ball every player did the best they could. We played with our hearts as I said, but also our heads. We never panicked and even after we gave away another set piece goal we went again and scored a decent goal albeit poor defending but some nice football in the build-up. We did not just defend for 90 minutes and broke and passed when we could. I felt we never got dominated in any area of the field and we saw a massive upswing in the performance both collectively and individually. I was really proud of them tonight. We all thought we would get a battering. No one, even our own fans, gave us a chance. Shows that football can still give fans the unexpected and United are never predictable!
Maybe over possession and territory or even chances (although not sure they had many more than us really) we did not deserve it but actually I would say for the way we went about it and our sheer will to win and doing the little things we did deserve it in some ways and for once had a bit of luck/decisions go for us but after the wretched luck/things not gone out way it was nice for things to go in our favour. I was so pleased for the manager and team. They have had pelters and looked so downbeat much of the season so to see them smiling even at the end during the game as they fought to protect the three points was great. They have been such a special group and tonight we saw the grit and fire we have not seen this season but had seen for 3-4 years previous. It felt like our United and our players (Fleck, Norwood etc) were back! I was buzzing at the end. In the grand scheme of things not sure we will even get close to staying up – we have given ourselves too much to do but now we at least have some pride and can at least probably overhaul that Derby team. We could go past West Brom even and not be the bottom side. I think staying up would still be almost impossible. We would have to win almost every other game and that is not going to happen but I just want some performances like tonight and a chance to build for next season.
I saw the team and the names of Bryan, Jagielka and Amadu in the back and even Sharp up top I thought was the wrong move. I saw we had so many out and you just thought it really could be damage limitation. I recall a better team being destroyed at Man Utd in the first lockdown and the start of project restart. I was genuinely concerned it could be a lot more than that 3-0 and similar to the West Brom defeat to City the previous night. I just thought please do not get humiliated and stay in the game in terms of not getting a real hammering.
The game started and we kept them to few chances and when Rashford missed that one I thought yes we have survived the first 10 minutes. Then we scored and had the let off from their goal. Once we got to half time you thought maybe but you sensed they would have a real go but it never really came They had some chances and free kicks but nothing major and it was so frustrating when we concede a set play but they were so much bigger (had Baldock on Pogba!) so it was hard but after that you thought like Man Utd have done to other teams (and us earlier in the season) they would just pull away but it never happened and then we got a goal at a great time and then just saw out each 5 minute spell. They did not really threaten too much with one looped shot and a Cavani shot well over but we actually saw it out really professionally and were very composed.
Huge credit to players I never thought could perform like that (Jags/Bryan or instance) and some who showed a bit of a renaissance. I thought everyone worked so hard and gave everything. They will be knackered tonight and of course with a confident and assured Man City side, that will be another challenge and will be incredibly tough after the efforts of tonight but the players do have some confidence at least now and as a team for a few days now at least they will be smiling. I had almost forgot what it was like to feel like I did tonight. A huge performance and a winning one against the odds. Even if/when we go down, the result and performance probably will go down in folklore a bit – we do not win there very often and it was so unexpected with the way the season has gone. Cannot really criticise much at all about the way we played and that is kind of all we ask of our Blades team really. A great night in a shambolic season but one where we can be proud again.
Ratings:
Ramsdale 7/10 – Game of two halves. First half maybe a 4/5 and second closer to an 8. First half thought he was shaky again sadly. Came for a ball and was hesitant when Greenwood nearly got in and was slipping about. Headed one out but then made a right mess of that cross and was lucky to get away with it as the contact was not a lot really. He has to be stronger and just come through Maguire. His penchant for dropping easy crosses continued. He had no chance on the goal but then his handing from one free kick, another low shot and a few crosses was faultless. Nice to see him drop on one at the end and again be smiling after a tough few weeks. Pleased for him and showed a lot of mental strength tonight.
Baldock 8/10 – Thought he stuck to his task really well defensively and limited gaps, got his foot in and did what he had to in terms of denying balls coming in too much. He got forward second half for a spell too and was involved in the McGoldrick chance and then set up the initial chance that led to the goal. Kept running forward when he could and won a foul near the end and was determined in his defensive work.
Bryan 8/10 – Thought he had a real go in what he did and never hid. Wan Bissaka ran at him a few times and he was a bit off his man but got stronger as the game went on and kept it simple with knocks down the lines, clearances and tackles. He seemed to grow into the game and then scored a good headed goal. After this his confidence grew even more and stepped out and used the ball well when he could and did nothing wrong defensively. Went off early 2nd half with a knock but undoubtedly his best performance and moments in a Blades shirt.
Basham 8/10 – Like the whole back line kept his concentration almost all night – he was switched on and read things when he needed to, making blocks and interceptions. He did not get forward much but then the three centre backs had to stay at home most of the time. A few times we got caught with balls over the top but he got back in and made recoveries also. Second half thought he was great and he won so many vital balls as they tried to work it through us. Not sure on the goal as he had been picking Maguire up first half and seemed stationery and then it looked as if it was Jagielka’s (may have been of course) as he was closest. After this the whole defence recovered really well doing what they had to and Ramsdale hardly had anything to do apart from long range shots.
Ampadu 8.5/10 – As above. Thought he made so many blocks and tackles and just got into areas where he could stop those clever balls or little one twos. He made a few blocks from shots that came in where he got his body in the way. He was the one of the three that came out maybe once or twice and we saw one great surging run where he showed his pace and mobility. I was willing him on there even though he had no help and got crowded out I thought it was a great run that showed the way we wanted to have a go and not sit back all game. He has had a much better last few weeks so credit to him.
Jagielka 9/10 – Rolling back the years! He did ok in a few cameos last year but showed his legs have gone in the games (x 2) v Man Utd and was surprised he was brought back this season as great a servant as he has been. He struggled v Southampton and tonight I was really concerned but what a performance! Yes, he (or Bash) may have done better on the goal but outside of that he was faultless with some great tackles and he showed his innate ability to sniff out danger we saw so many times for us in his first spell. He was against world class strikers but did a superb job on all of them and I felt gave everything. He looked shattered at the end but a phenomenal effort from him.
Lundstram 7.5/10 – Put a real shift in all night and never stopped moving. Thought he was the weakest of the three midfielders but he was still ok in terms of effort. I felt he gave the ball away a bit much – did it at the beginning and then right at the end but then outside of this he did some good things and kept running all night. A daft booking where he got the wrong side of his man put him under a bit of pressure but he managed to keep his cool and just gave the excellent defence really good protection. All season the defence has been badly exposed but tonight the midfield gave them proper help and stopped runners or easy balls coming through and picked up the pieces.
Fleck 8.5/10 – Where has that been?! Finally! He started the game ok but then got better and better. He picked up loose balls, ran with it and drew man and showed the skills and drive we have not seen for around a year. Set up the goal with a dangerous corner. He won a few free kicks, linked when he could and got into those little pockets. Not perfect and still a few poor choices but overall, it was so much better. He drove us up the field and played some intelligent passes. He did not look out on his feet after an hour and kept going. Hoping that will give him the confidence boost to get back the form he had completely lost. A huge plus tonight and feel like a hero I had lost re-emerged again! Only one game of course but a sign of some life.
Norwood 8.5/10 – As above really. He got on the ball, moved it about when he could and also did those things, we saw from him of years past – picking up those little loose balls, breaking things up and sitting in front of the defence. He was able to move it on and played some nice balls forward that set us moving to Sharp, McGoldrick and then latterly Burke! He was nice and composed and did not panic and this seemed to spread through the team. One shocking free kick apart on the stroke of half time, I thought he was really good tonight and did a lot of good work off the ball – an area I have been critical of him.
McGoldrick 8/10 – Thought he did some good things to begin and was able to hold it when he could and try and link. It was hard as we did not have lots of the ball up the field but contributed to us winning a corner and then second half had two chances and one was a really good effort. Just worked hard and kept chasing and harrying the defence and would come into midfield when he had to. Some lovely touches at times and part of a front to back great team performance.
Sharp 8/10 – Played well Saturday but a home game v Plymouth is different to a game at Old Trafford. Not sure it was the right call as we were always going to be defending a lot and needed pace on the break. Seemed a perfect game for Burke, at least to have some kind of threat but picking the slowest strikers we have was a strange move. However, he began the game well and was a nuisance, playing on the shoulders and causing problems. Nearly got in with the chance (offside) and kept working the channels. He tried really hard and seemed determined not to let players out and I thought helped us not have them come out too easily in terms of the defence being too far up the field. He did a great job for the side in terms of us having an outlet. Burke then came on and got the winner so the plan worked.
Subs –
Burke – What an impact! His first league goal and the winner at Old Trafford. Nearly got on one ball and then scored soon after with a good finish which he just made sure he got on target with a good contact. He then had another chance but could not quite get away from Matic. He is always a real threat on the break and perfect against some lumbering defenders who are tiring and so it proved. Helped us run things down at the end also.
Bogle 7.5/10 – He was ok if not as stand out as the rest of the defence but did contribute to us seeing out the game. I felt he was a bit slow to some of the moves they made and they got down this side a bit but he kept going and made a few blocks/clearances near the end. Hard with him being on the wrong side.
Brewster - Seeded a bit headless chicken with a wild mis kick and then he gave it away and needed to settle down. I think he was caught between chasing everything and trying to get hold of it a bit and did neither but at this stage we just needed harrying and he did this a bit.
Manager Wilder 9/10 – He may have been limited to his options due to injury and suspension but I was also dreading tonight and I winced when I saw the team. Jagielka, Bryan and Ampadu playing was a massive worry – Champ or League One players against world class strikers. I know Stevens was out but thought maybe Bogle could have played and maybe Baldock right back. Suppose Lowe has struggled him or Bryan, not sure you can make a strong case for either. I was shocked he went with Sharp – as thought he will not get a kick or be in the game. Shows what I know! The team performed like heroes and were superb individually and collectively. They kept compact all game, worked close together on and off the ball to restrict space and/or keep it when we had it and had some nice lay albeit with limited possession. We had chances and broke when we could but did not go daft. Defensively they kept in a nice line and did not see some go up and some come back. The midfield protected them well and they restricted space and forced Man Utd wide and they struggled to create much at all. The subs worked and Burke had a huge impact. Criticised him this season for tactics and his approach but he got it perfectly right tonight. The performance and how we frustrated Man Utd, he has to take a lot of credit for and for getting the player to belief they could get a result. Delighted to see him smiling again after such a tough season.
Man Utd – They have surprised me this season. I genuinely felt and wrote it after the home game we had with them, that Solskjaer would not see the current campaign out. However, with the up and down form of Man. City and Liverpool, they have gone on a run and a number of players have hit form. They have found a settled way of playing and with the likes of Pogba, Shaw and Bailey back in the team and playing well, allied to the incoming Cavani, it has seen them pick up a number of results. Still not sure I see the current managed being in charge long term and I am not fully convinced by him but fair play to him and them. I did not see them anywhere near a title challenger this year. Top 4 at best and even top 2 would have been a stretch I felt and certainly not to be close Liverpool and City. I still expect those two to pull away and feel that a blip is around the corner as today showed.
I am not convinced by them defensively and Pogba is not reliable in terms of performances or effort every week. They rely so much on the likes of Fernandes and Rashford for me – maybe even Maguire, who has been much maligned but is a solid defender and one of the best in the league despite the issues he has had at the start of the season, on and off the pitch. I still think they need to improve and man for man or even squad wise I see the other two as better than them in almost every position. Not sure they have quite got the start quality the other two sides have.
Today, maybe they took us too lightly and thought it would be easy. They changed a few defenders but it was still not far off the strongest team. They started with such a slow tempo which played into our hands and never really pushed us back all night. The pressure never came and they gave away two awful goals. I felt they just never got any momentum and individually and collectively no one took responsibility to say, ‘Come on, we need to step this up!’ They kind of just went through the motions and as the game ticked on the expected wave of attacks never came. After they scored you thought they would just turn on the boosters as they have quite a few second halves this season but it never happened and even after we scored; they never really laid much of a glove on us and we saw it out rather easily.
Too many players just did not play. They had a great chance to go top and pull well clear of Liverpool and blew it. We played well and they were crap. They had very little idea to get round or through us. He can talk about decisions all he wants Solsjkaer but he has had so many over the last year (penalties) and so had one go against him. Over the course of the game, they did not do enough and did not deserve anything for how they played. Maybe the mentality of the players is not of Champions and why they won’t push those other teams as I alluded to.
As a discussion point with some relevance at least to our recent past, not sure Dean Henderson is ever going to be number 1 there. De Gea has only just turned 30 and has a few years ahead of him as a keeper and his contract too for that matter. Henderson has had a taste in the cups and Europe etc (and a few league games) but I don’t see the situation being any different next year. Maybe he will go on loan again but to another Premier League side or maybe they will cash in but not sure I see many top teams without a solid or keeper they like (Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Leicester, Wolves etc). He is going to have to go to a mid to lower club but again a lot of teams have keepers they seem fairly happy with. It is a dilemma for him and the club. Man Utd sure would be happy with current status quo but it’s no good for Henderson to do this for another season. De Gea was rubbish tonight but still will be number one for the immediate and distant future you think.
Opponent Man of the Match – Maguire scored but I felt Wan Bissaka was the main threat. All those talented strikers and he was the one that caused the most problems with his runs.
Opponent Weak link – A lot had off nights. Rashford, Martial and Greenwood (well marshalled) were all poor. Tuanzebe struggled a bit and I felt Matic and Pogba got outworked by our lads and were poor with the ball when they had it. They gave it away a lot. However, De Gea has to take the award. Terrible on both goals (even if a bit of contact from Sharp on the first) and indecisive all night. Struggled on anything coming into the box.
Referee/Officials - Peter Bankes. Sure he reffed the game at Brighton when Lundstram was sent off albeit with VAR getting involved? Anyway, in terms of today two key decisions. I might be on my own but I felt there was minimal contact from Sharp and maybe Matic pushed him a bit first but he did put two hands on De Gea and knew what he was doing. I am not sure VAR could say it was an obvious mistake really though. If the ref rules it out, not sure they would change it either. Maybe we got away with it a bit. The Man Utd goal should have counted as Ramsdale just dropped it – I will say that. It was quite inconsistent refereeing. He blew his whistle too quickly which meant it was hard for anything to be changed. Apparently due to this they could not look at it as a VAR potential overturn. You could argue it was not much different to the Blades goal but as with this one even if VAR had looked, you could not say it was a clear and obvious error. Maybe the Blades had a slice of fortune as the two incidents were quite similar but the referee’s calls were never going to be changed as it was not a howler either way. You can say there was inconsistency in the referring rather than criticising VAR who could not really and should not really overrule such decisions that are not obvious mistakes.
The rest of the game, Lundstram and Tuanzebe both carded for cynical fouls but outside of that, we may have done a few fouls to stop things and these were good fouls as not bad enough to be yellow cards. I am not sure there was much else to debate. I feared he may put up a daft amount of time but he did and four was fair but it did seem to last an age!
Coverage – They seemed as shocked as anyone but fair play to Sutton (a pundit I don’t like) he was quite fair and praised us and the defence. Jake Humphrey is a patronising get and I felt even though Rio Ferdinand loves Wilder, he was a bit one eyed on the decisions and looking at Man Utd’s faults rather than what we did. Nice to watch Match of the Day for once too – not bothered most of the season!
