Was that that the best first half performance ever?

[coaxingstar71]

That was a magnificent performance today. Everything about it. Okay we eased off after the fourth but that really is only to be expected. They were able to go into ‘nothing to lose’ mode. At no time when the game was a live issue were they able to live with us. We outplayed, out thought and utterly outclassed some pretty good footballers,

One move on the left was spell-binding. The speed accuracy and purpose of the passing reduced them to training cones.

Hugely proud of my team tonight. Wine flowing almost as well as that performance, but not quite.

I go back to Harris’ days and were there better performances than that? Yes, but few and far between.

Norwood MoM. Instant control and already decided what to do with it next. Duff and Fleck not far behind. David McGoldrick? What can I say but “take a bow son”. Finally, just to please my devoted fans, well played Billy, took the goal with aplomb and contributed throughout.

The rest, merely brilliant.

Addendum

I will mention someone else. Lunny, if you never do owt ever again, that tackle ensures you a pint..

The one where Fleck dummied it and then went for the return pass? Great ball in by #EndaDefenda Beans too, just a shame it didn't result in a goal because it would have been one of the goals of the season.

 

[Tezza1889]

What a great day...

Where’s the alka saltzer.. anybody else ave jack at 66/1 for the first goal

Best I’ve seen us play, football wise.. 32 years..

 

[coaxingstar71]

I wasn't fortunate to see Currie or Woody play, but I think that's about as good as I've seen us in nearly 40 years. Every one of them played well, most of them were outstanding, at least until we 'declared' at 4-0. Such a shame we couldn't get a fifth - when was the last time we scored 5 at the Lane in a league game?

I would sum up our midfield's performance in that I only realised that Whelan was playing for them halfway through the 2nd half after Fleck had gone off!

 

[Darlington82]

So the consensus is the best for nearly 43 years, oh dear hope it is not all down hill from here, but I doubt it. Wilder is the real deal.

Thanks for some great responses, loved the one about Peter Cooper's report and yes a nice man man indeed when I have meet him.

 

[blade53]

If there has ever been a better 45 minutes of complete football in the 50+ years I have been watching the Blades I must have missed it , which is unlikely. It's not down to Villa being poor as some have suggested , United were just simply unplayable , we battered them & they had do answer to it. I think at the end of the game they were grateful it was only 4 , so complete was our dominance. Game winning performances in every area of the pitch for us , not one weak link and some outstanding . What a signing Norwood looks like being for us!

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

We lost 1-3 at BTBL the season we were promoted to Division 1 in 89/90. They had a forward called Marco Gabbiadini who scored a couple I recall, I went to Roker Park in the 80's and both occasions ingrained a dislike for Sunderland that still holds. Never had a problem with Geordies.

I can remember losing 2-0 at home to them the following season, after a Paul Beesley masterclass.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Southampton at home under Bassett when sir bob scored two. We could even laugh at gannon’s second half conversion.

I dislike JG generally, but specifically for that penalty. Should’ve been BB’s for a hatrick. In fact it should’ve been anyone other than that talentless twat.

The fog came in after about 30 mins in that game, and there were fears the game would be called off. I always find thick fog unsettling, same as large inland bodies of water at night. But that’s just me.

 

[YES Blade]

Am I the only one who thought there was still room for improvement? It was obviously a very good performance, but we didn’t get on the ball in midfield as much as previous matches and went long too often when the defence were pressured by the Villa strikers.

We took our chances at key times and played some good stuff in the final 3rd at times, which was pleasing, but looking at the match stats there is still room for improvement. Or maybe I’m just overly critical?!?

 

[spongebobblade]

It's a good job Bolasie and Abraham weren't playing, but it's obvious they need both.

They certainly do because with a defence like that they are going to have to simply outscore there opponents.
For an ex pro defender, you’d have thought that was one area Bruce would have got sorted by now but they look more vulnerable than ever

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

They certainly do because with a defence like that they are going to have to simply outscore there opponents.
For an ex pro defender, you’d have thought that was one area Bruce would have got sorted by now but they look more vulnerable than ever

They’ll come good this season, they have too good a squad for them not to. It won’t happen under SB, whom I expect to be sacked sooner rather than later. SB, for the long term best interests of SB, needs a ‘break from the game’.

 

[GrayBlade]

I knew Peter Cooper. A complete Leeds nut and yet one of the best football writers and broadcasters of his time. His match report in '73 was as good as the match itself in that he had somehow managed to crystalise a factual report with the emotional experience of actually being there. Just reading your quotes transports me instantly to that night and the hairs on the back of my arms stand up in a rare clarity of recall.

A Leeds fan, yes. A gentleman, beyond doubt. And a brilliant writer.

That’d be the match I’d pick as well to compare to yesterday’s game, but I’ve always looked back at it as ‘TC’s game’ rather than the complete team performance against Villa. He was unbelievable, unplayable against an Arsenal who were Champions.

 

[penthouseblade]

Lots of you guys must have watch the Port Vale home game in the League One title season?
Won 4-0, had four goals disallowed and displayed complete and utter dominance, from the first minute to the last, that I had never seen before.
I appreciate that Vale were a poor side but it was really really impressive to completely control the whole game with scintillating football!

 

[Bayingblade]

May 5th 1990 United turned in a pretty good first half. Important game too

 

[Koh Samui Blade]

Season tkt holder for over 45 years,started watching the Blades when Mick Jones & Alan Birchenall made their debut's,Tony Currie's career at the Lane,Ken Furphy,Harry Haslam,Porterfield,Bassett, Kendall, Spackman,Warnock, Speed, Wilson,Clough all of them had the team playing Good football at times and there were some really good performances on occasions.I Haven't mentioned some of the other managers becauase they were not worth mentioning,but Wilder & Knill with this Team,over the last 2 years, keep raising the bar on many occasions.In my opinion the last two performances,style of football, and dominance over the opposition are THE BEST perfomances i have ever seen by a Blades side.If this guy doesn't get the Blades further success i do not think we will ever win anything ever again!!

 

[grafikhaus]

Am I the only one who thought there was still room for improvement?

Is that you, Mister Adkins? The biggest room in the house?

Seriously, no performance is perfect. Every team - no matter how outplayed - has a purple patch in a game, so we didn't 'take our foot off the gas'. If we'd beaten Villa by, say 6 goals, it would have meant that they weren't very good - no team in the same division should get thumped or there's summat wrong (such as the pigs beating a very poor Leeds 6-0 the other year). But Villa weren't allowed to be good, our performance was awe-inspiring. Our progress under CW/AK is astonishing - not just the odd blip.

I'm guessing we'll look back on this season and the Villa game won't even stand out.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Lots of you guys must have watch the Port Vale home game in the League One title season?
Won 4-0, had four goals disallowed and displayed complete and utter dominance, from the first minute to the last, that I had never seen before.
I appreciate that Vale were a poor side but it was really really impressive to completely control the whole game with scintillating football!

Totally agree, that Port Vale game is probably the most 1 sided game I’ve ever seen live, could have won 10-0.

That’s the match I left the ground with a tear in my eye. It was at that very moment I became a big believer in Wilder and the team.

I knew that if we could keep repeating that Port Vale performance we’d finally be out of the terrible league 1 because no team would be able to stop us.