Elsecar_Blade
Active Member
I'm absolutely delighted for them today.
So far this season, it's been a little bit of a disappointment in terms of the league form and the performances. Don't get me wrong, I'm not set to slash my wrists over it - in my opinion, we've beaten the teams we should have expected to beat (Crawley and Rochdale at home, Colchester away), got some good, maybe unexpected, results at Preston and Peterborough and had a couple of setbacks that were disappointing but not completely unexpected at Swindon and Coventry and home to Bristol City. However, with a lot of negativity beginning to cloud things from certain quarters, today was a day when I felt the players needed what they got in the end.
First off, the performance, particularly second half, was excellent. If that is James Wallace lacking match fitness, I'm looking forward to seeing him when he is fully fit. He ran things for half an hour second half and how we didn't score in that period of the game, I will never ever know. First half, we started well and should have gone in front early but then, whilst we had control, it was no more than decent. I'd suggest that our second half performance - even before the late goals - was our best of the season by a way and suggests that if we get the striker we crave, we've got something here.
Problem was, had we not scored, the negativity would have continued despite a cracking performance. I was saddened to see people getting up and leaving when Gillingham scored - it was a cruel, cruel blow that needed the supporters to rally as the majority did. For all those that got up and left at that point, I'm glad you missed the final moments. The players did not deserve to lose or draw and did not deserve to be walked out on for what was, essentially, a wonder strike out of nothing. For those that stayed, we saw the players keep going and get what they fully deserved, a great win. Sure, it's only Gillingham but the manner of the victory means it should fill the players with confidence now moving forwards. If we play like that for the rest of the season at Bramall Lane, I'm confident that we will win every game because we should have been out of sight. The second half looked, to me, like a side playing like promotion contenders. And, when hit with the sucker punch, the players showed the character of promotion contenders to hit back.
Sure, some will bemoan the strikers not putting away the countless chances - seven good chances by my count. Some will bemoan the over-playing at times - though I'd put that down to the defensive display of the opposition more than United getting it wrong. We put many dangerous crosses in but every time, apart from Higdon's goal, Gillingham's defenders got their positioning spot on and dealt with it. You have to give them credit even if you don't like the manner of their performance - they came for a point and almost robbed us of three.
I'm delighted for the players because now the positive performance is reflected in the positive result as well. There should be no negativity tonight - not even about strikers - because Higdon showed that he could be a potential answer for us. I hope the players enjoy a couple of pints tonight at the party because they fully deserve them.
Up the Blades.
So far this season, it's been a little bit of a disappointment in terms of the league form and the performances. Don't get me wrong, I'm not set to slash my wrists over it - in my opinion, we've beaten the teams we should have expected to beat (Crawley and Rochdale at home, Colchester away), got some good, maybe unexpected, results at Preston and Peterborough and had a couple of setbacks that were disappointing but not completely unexpected at Swindon and Coventry and home to Bristol City. However, with a lot of negativity beginning to cloud things from certain quarters, today was a day when I felt the players needed what they got in the end.
First off, the performance, particularly second half, was excellent. If that is James Wallace lacking match fitness, I'm looking forward to seeing him when he is fully fit. He ran things for half an hour second half and how we didn't score in that period of the game, I will never ever know. First half, we started well and should have gone in front early but then, whilst we had control, it was no more than decent. I'd suggest that our second half performance - even before the late goals - was our best of the season by a way and suggests that if we get the striker we crave, we've got something here.
Problem was, had we not scored, the negativity would have continued despite a cracking performance. I was saddened to see people getting up and leaving when Gillingham scored - it was a cruel, cruel blow that needed the supporters to rally as the majority did. For all those that got up and left at that point, I'm glad you missed the final moments. The players did not deserve to lose or draw and did not deserve to be walked out on for what was, essentially, a wonder strike out of nothing. For those that stayed, we saw the players keep going and get what they fully deserved, a great win. Sure, it's only Gillingham but the manner of the victory means it should fill the players with confidence now moving forwards. If we play like that for the rest of the season at Bramall Lane, I'm confident that we will win every game because we should have been out of sight. The second half looked, to me, like a side playing like promotion contenders. And, when hit with the sucker punch, the players showed the character of promotion contenders to hit back.
Sure, some will bemoan the strikers not putting away the countless chances - seven good chances by my count. Some will bemoan the over-playing at times - though I'd put that down to the defensive display of the opposition more than United getting it wrong. We put many dangerous crosses in but every time, apart from Higdon's goal, Gillingham's defenders got their positioning spot on and dealt with it. You have to give them credit even if you don't like the manner of their performance - they came for a point and almost robbed us of three.
I'm delighted for the players because now the positive performance is reflected in the positive result as well. There should be no negativity tonight - not even about strikers - because Higdon showed that he could be a potential answer for us. I hope the players enjoy a couple of pints tonight at the party because they fully deserve them.
Up the Blades.
