TheFlashingBlade
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- Joined
- Nov 13, 2014
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This universe is getting boring and more and more depressing so I’ve decided to jump ship and go into an alternative reality.
So here I am on the Planet Finemargins, where things are much rosier.
In the opening game of the 2020-21 season Sheffield United faced Wolves. After a nervy first six minutes, United belatedly found their feet and gradually got back into the game and ground out a solid nil-nil draw.
Next up was Bournemouth, who had stayed up on goal difference the previous season. After a 12th minute tussle saw both John Egan and Callum Wilson booked, John Lundstram calmly stroked home a first half penalty to secure the Blades’ first three-pointer of the season.
Leeds were next to face Wilder’s men, and again Lundstram proved the match winner. Despite Meslier doing brilliantly to get a hand on Lunny’s first half seemingly unstoppable point blank piledriver from eight yards, he couldn’t quite keep the ball out of the net. Neither could Ramsdale two minutes from time, but VAR came to United’s rescue when Bamford’s equaliser was ruled out after a clear foul on Berge in the build up. Three games, three clean sheets and seven points saw the Blades finish the weekend in a heady third place.
The early season momentum carried through to the Blades trip to the Emirates. Only five minutes in and Arsenal were down to ten men after David Luiz saw red for pulling back Oli Burke when we was clean through on goal. Referee Lee Mason initially missed it, but VAR intervened and left the Gunners to face the uphill struggle of containing the in-form Blades for almost the entire 90 minutes. Still they left it late before Didsy McGoldrick hit a superb 84th minute winner. The Blades, now up to second in the table behind early pacesetters Everton, were really showing that the previous season hadn’t been a flash in the pan.
Next up, opposition from the other end of the table as bottom place Fulham visited Fortress Bramall Lane. They left with a credible point following a more than deserved 1-1 draw against their high-flying hosts. Still, eleven points from the first five games saw the Blades cementing their place in the top three.
A daunting trip to reigning Champions Liverpool was next, but the Blades continued their fine form to come away with a battling point after a 2-2 draw. United had raced into a two-goal lead with two contentious first half penalties. First VAR upgraded a free kick on the edge of the area to a penalty after the foul was deemed to have been on the line and therefore in the penalty area, and then VAR added further salt to Liverpool’s wounds with a second controversial penalty when Robertson was harshly deemed to have handballed in the area. Still, we’ve all seen them given. Ultimately the Champions fought back with goals from Firmino and Jota to rescue a point and prevent United from claiming an unexpected but fully-deserved top spot.
Twelve points, second place and unbeaten in six was still a start to be more than proud of.
Next up for United were the superstars of Manchester City, and unsurprisingly the gulf in class told, with City running out winners with former Blade Kyle Walker scoring the only goal of the game.
It didn’t get any easier with a trip to Stamford Bridge where United suffered their second consecutive defeat, going down 4-1 despite taking an early lead. It also saw them slipping out of the top six, but their twelve point haul was still only four points behind new league leaders, Southampton.
Back at Bramall Lane, United ended the losing streak with a hard fought draw with West Ham. The Hammers took the lead with Haller’s unstoppable shot, but the Blades drew level with Oli McBurnie’s first goal of the season with an unstoppable shot of his own crashing in off the underside of the bar.
West Brom were next and United got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory that in truth could and should have been more emphatic. Baldock and Mousset got the goals, but Burke and McBurnie were unlucky not to add their names to the scoresheet. Three more points saw United’s season’s haul rise to sixteen points, enough to see them back up to sixth in the league.
Leicester City were the next visitors to the Lane and they left with a point after a 1-1 draw. They should have come away with more as they hit the post three times, including a last minute effort when Jamie Vardy broke free following an uncharacteristic error by John Fleck.
So, as United go into Sunday’s encounter with Southampton, it’s 7th versus 8th, both teams with a creditable seventeen points.
In other news, here on Planet Finemargins Donald Trump just missed out on the Presidency for the second time, the UK narrowly voted to remain in the EU, and some chap in China changed his mind and decided not to have Pangolin stew for his tea.
So here I am on the Planet Finemargins, where things are much rosier.
In the opening game of the 2020-21 season Sheffield United faced Wolves. After a nervy first six minutes, United belatedly found their feet and gradually got back into the game and ground out a solid nil-nil draw.
Next up was Bournemouth, who had stayed up on goal difference the previous season. After a 12th minute tussle saw both John Egan and Callum Wilson booked, John Lundstram calmly stroked home a first half penalty to secure the Blades’ first three-pointer of the season.
Leeds were next to face Wilder’s men, and again Lundstram proved the match winner. Despite Meslier doing brilliantly to get a hand on Lunny’s first half seemingly unstoppable point blank piledriver from eight yards, he couldn’t quite keep the ball out of the net. Neither could Ramsdale two minutes from time, but VAR came to United’s rescue when Bamford’s equaliser was ruled out after a clear foul on Berge in the build up. Three games, three clean sheets and seven points saw the Blades finish the weekend in a heady third place.
The early season momentum carried through to the Blades trip to the Emirates. Only five minutes in and Arsenal were down to ten men after David Luiz saw red for pulling back Oli Burke when we was clean through on goal. Referee Lee Mason initially missed it, but VAR intervened and left the Gunners to face the uphill struggle of containing the in-form Blades for almost the entire 90 minutes. Still they left it late before Didsy McGoldrick hit a superb 84th minute winner. The Blades, now up to second in the table behind early pacesetters Everton, were really showing that the previous season hadn’t been a flash in the pan.
Next up, opposition from the other end of the table as bottom place Fulham visited Fortress Bramall Lane. They left with a credible point following a more than deserved 1-1 draw against their high-flying hosts. Still, eleven points from the first five games saw the Blades cementing their place in the top three.
A daunting trip to reigning Champions Liverpool was next, but the Blades continued their fine form to come away with a battling point after a 2-2 draw. United had raced into a two-goal lead with two contentious first half penalties. First VAR upgraded a free kick on the edge of the area to a penalty after the foul was deemed to have been on the line and therefore in the penalty area, and then VAR added further salt to Liverpool’s wounds with a second controversial penalty when Robertson was harshly deemed to have handballed in the area. Still, we’ve all seen them given. Ultimately the Champions fought back with goals from Firmino and Jota to rescue a point and prevent United from claiming an unexpected but fully-deserved top spot.
Twelve points, second place and unbeaten in six was still a start to be more than proud of.
Next up for United were the superstars of Manchester City, and unsurprisingly the gulf in class told, with City running out winners with former Blade Kyle Walker scoring the only goal of the game.
It didn’t get any easier with a trip to Stamford Bridge where United suffered their second consecutive defeat, going down 4-1 despite taking an early lead. It also saw them slipping out of the top six, but their twelve point haul was still only four points behind new league leaders, Southampton.
Back at Bramall Lane, United ended the losing streak with a hard fought draw with West Ham. The Hammers took the lead with Haller’s unstoppable shot, but the Blades drew level with Oli McBurnie’s first goal of the season with an unstoppable shot of his own crashing in off the underside of the bar.
West Brom were next and United got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory that in truth could and should have been more emphatic. Baldock and Mousset got the goals, but Burke and McBurnie were unlucky not to add their names to the scoresheet. Three more points saw United’s season’s haul rise to sixteen points, enough to see them back up to sixth in the league.
Leicester City were the next visitors to the Lane and they left with a point after a 1-1 draw. They should have come away with more as they hit the post three times, including a last minute effort when Jamie Vardy broke free following an uncharacteristic error by John Fleck.
So, as United go into Sunday’s encounter with Southampton, it’s 7th versus 8th, both teams with a creditable seventeen points.
In other news, here on Planet Finemargins Donald Trump just missed out on the Presidency for the second time, the UK narrowly voted to remain in the EU, and some chap in China changed his mind and decided not to have Pangolin stew for his tea.
gave Derby's low point total a run for it's money at times last season, but survived in the end 
