pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Manged to whangle a ticket via a mate so booked a whole weekend in Brighton. Usually we take the caravan and set up over by Whitehawk stadium, but we've winterised it now so booked into the Grand.
"BELL-BOY!"
Read on here what a fucking nightmare it was to get to and from the ground. I decided to get moving about 1130 andpacked Mrs pommpey off to town with £100 of Zara vouchers and headed up to the station. Coming the other way were plenty of Blades and families, a small gaggle of them going into Wetherspoons. Up at the station I realised I'd fucked up and booked a return ticket when my footy ticket enabled me to have free transport anyway. I headed up to Falmer on a fairly unbusy train and mooched about and ate chips. The kiosk said 'Fishcake and Chips' and I longed for real fishcakes, in real breadcakes, real salt and Hendoes too.
At 1300 the South stand gates opened and the stadium, although a bit pokey for away supporters is well laid out and I grabbed a pint of Fosters, ended up talking to a couple, the bloke of whom lived in the block behind mine at the top of Gleadless Valley. I knew him vaguely and we knew a lot of names, many of them pigfans.
About 1400 I went in and had a look round as the Amex filled up. The players were well received on warm up and the news cam through of the changes to line up. United fans in the concourse were characteristically noisy and lively and they brought this out onto the stand. Brighton were largely silent.
At kickoff we basically took control and put our mark on the game. Brighton edgily tried to penetrate but the likes of Basham and Lundstram snuffed any ventures out. Out passing on repossession is good and we managed to work our way out of situations without resorting to hoofing it up the pitch. We had a couple of excursions into their third. One of thee ended up in the side netting. Brighton seemed relieved and wary of our bite. A corner we had earned came across and seemed to skip over everyone to the back post were I am now aware EGAN was and he bundled the ball home from close range. Obviously we went fucking daft - what a start on seven minutes but soon the ref had his fucking finger to his ear and VAR ruled he'd used his hand. How strange that no appeals came from the Brighton players and they just headed back for a restart. Cue a massive amount of banter between some Brighton cockends and our lot.
Brighton nabbed a seemingly well worked goal of their own, but it was pretty obviously offside
We recovered okay though and didn't seem too disconsolate. I think in all the United player's heads were Wilder and Knills reassuring words that Brighton were there for the taking and we had to be patient. A long punt forward by Deano was taken down well by McBURNIE and he just piled on, holding off the challenge to crack an excellent shot in off the post. Of course, we were half expecting it to be chalked off because of some or other daft excuse but miraculously ... it stood. 0-1.
From then on in, we just made Brighton look pathetic and ordinary. We had control of the game and went in deservedly in front.
Second half Potter had made some changes and detailed his midfield, anchored on Mooy and Bissouma, to utilise the pitch more and push us back. Where we'd plaed much of our game in their half in the first 45, the second 45 was much the opposite but ... we still kept disciplined, compact and ready to press, harry and tackle. The more they pushed, the more opportunity opened up for us to counter and expose them and we won a free kick which was pinged in by Norwood. Egan made contact but O'CONNELL was in an offside position by this time and his fortunate in-off goal was again VAR-ed out. This greatly amused the Brighton fans including two of their gobshites which enraged one of ours in fancy dress. Cue: "Santa, Santa, knock-him-out!" The two Brighton dicks were ejected.
We changed Osbourn for Freeman, who'd played well, but it seemed like Wilder was actively making them vie for Flecky's shirt.
Later, Didsy, who'd played his fucking socks off, capitalised on us being pretty impenetrable and on a ball up front chased down and rounded the keeper only to stick it in the side netting. He, and we, were fucking gutted.
Late on, Moussett shrugged off three tired defenders with ease and stuck it three inches over
Brighton huffed and puffed, whipped the ball from wing to wing and into Murray and Maupay but it was all in vain. We ended up deservedly hanging onto the win.
Henderson 6/10: One real save to make and that was more or less straight at him to tip over.
Baldock 7/10: Watched him in the first half. He does work hard and his positional sense is pretty good, but was beaten by a decet curled ball though
Basham 7.5/10: Again, a solid performance. When their forward was through he found another gear and got near him, forcing him to dive and get a yellow. Again, he controls the situation well and shows decent, intelligent play. Who would write that about Basham, five seasons ago?
Egan 7.5/10: Again, solid, active and when the ball comes across, is one of the three heads you need on it. His goal should have stood
O'Connell 7/10: Good turnout from Jack. I said to a bloke next to me, "Imagine if you are their right side wingback and you have 6'4" Jack O'Connell down on you by the opposition toughline deep in your half, forcing you to boot it into touch?"
Lundstram 7.5/10: Again, a 'leaves it out on the pitch' performance from Lunny. He did all the spadework in the middle of the park.
Norwood 6.5/10: A bit anonymous at times.
Freeman 6.5/10: Shows promise and guile. I think he needs a consistent spot in the side to bed in and for players to know where he is and what his game is. He's no Fleck. We missed Flecky today.
McGoldrick 8.5/10: MoM. Fuck me does he add to our game or what? He gets the tackle in on players who don't expect him to. He surprises them with his grit and determination to win it, chase it and harry. He take the ball off players and distributes with guile and grace. But he can't fucking score. So fucking heartbreaking.
McBurnie 8/10: This bloke is growing into this role and at last, the team. Today's goal was a fucking peach. He wants it and he got it.
Osbourn 6.5/10: Did okay but like Freeman, needs first team embedding to assimilate what he has with what we have. Didn't do that badly TBH
Moussett 7/10: Still a dangerous, agile forward, even as a sub.
Besic unk: On at 88 for Olly Norwood
We deserved three points today. Brighton couldn't get a foothold in the game, couldn't break us down and couldn't get away from our pressing and potential to attack on the counter.
I just wish McGoldrick would score.
Great day out. This was reminiscent of the Crawley away game from seven years ago when two free kicks from Tony McMahon put us top of the league. It felt like hat in the way end at the final whistle with us berating the exiting and silent Brighton fans and us Jingle Bellsing and Que-seraing (were going to Nap-o-li!) inside, in the concourse, on the walk to and in the station.
Fifth. Make no fucking mistake, Sheffield United, the players, the management and the fans have earned this. It's a great day for us.
pommpey
"BELL-BOY!"
Read on here what a fucking nightmare it was to get to and from the ground. I decided to get moving about 1130 andpacked Mrs pommpey off to town with £100 of Zara vouchers and headed up to the station. Coming the other way were plenty of Blades and families, a small gaggle of them going into Wetherspoons. Up at the station I realised I'd fucked up and booked a return ticket when my footy ticket enabled me to have free transport anyway. I headed up to Falmer on a fairly unbusy train and mooched about and ate chips. The kiosk said 'Fishcake and Chips' and I longed for real fishcakes, in real breadcakes, real salt and Hendoes too.
At 1300 the South stand gates opened and the stadium, although a bit pokey for away supporters is well laid out and I grabbed a pint of Fosters, ended up talking to a couple, the bloke of whom lived in the block behind mine at the top of Gleadless Valley. I knew him vaguely and we knew a lot of names, many of them pigfans.
About 1400 I went in and had a look round as the Amex filled up. The players were well received on warm up and the news cam through of the changes to line up. United fans in the concourse were characteristically noisy and lively and they brought this out onto the stand. Brighton were largely silent.
At kickoff we basically took control and put our mark on the game. Brighton edgily tried to penetrate but the likes of Basham and Lundstram snuffed any ventures out. Out passing on repossession is good and we managed to work our way out of situations without resorting to hoofing it up the pitch. We had a couple of excursions into their third. One of thee ended up in the side netting. Brighton seemed relieved and wary of our bite. A corner we had earned came across and seemed to skip over everyone to the back post were I am now aware EGAN was and he bundled the ball home from close range. Obviously we went fucking daft - what a start on seven minutes but soon the ref had his fucking finger to his ear and VAR ruled he'd used his hand. How strange that no appeals came from the Brighton players and they just headed back for a restart. Cue a massive amount of banter between some Brighton cockends and our lot.
Brighton nabbed a seemingly well worked goal of their own, but it was pretty obviously offside
We recovered okay though and didn't seem too disconsolate. I think in all the United player's heads were Wilder and Knills reassuring words that Brighton were there for the taking and we had to be patient. A long punt forward by Deano was taken down well by McBURNIE and he just piled on, holding off the challenge to crack an excellent shot in off the post. Of course, we were half expecting it to be chalked off because of some or other daft excuse but miraculously ... it stood. 0-1.
From then on in, we just made Brighton look pathetic and ordinary. We had control of the game and went in deservedly in front.
Second half Potter had made some changes and detailed his midfield, anchored on Mooy and Bissouma, to utilise the pitch more and push us back. Where we'd plaed much of our game in their half in the first 45, the second 45 was much the opposite but ... we still kept disciplined, compact and ready to press, harry and tackle. The more they pushed, the more opportunity opened up for us to counter and expose them and we won a free kick which was pinged in by Norwood. Egan made contact but O'CONNELL was in an offside position by this time and his fortunate in-off goal was again VAR-ed out. This greatly amused the Brighton fans including two of their gobshites which enraged one of ours in fancy dress. Cue: "Santa, Santa, knock-him-out!" The two Brighton dicks were ejected.
We changed Osbourn for Freeman, who'd played well, but it seemed like Wilder was actively making them vie for Flecky's shirt.
Later, Didsy, who'd played his fucking socks off, capitalised on us being pretty impenetrable and on a ball up front chased down and rounded the keeper only to stick it in the side netting. He, and we, were fucking gutted.
Late on, Moussett shrugged off three tired defenders with ease and stuck it three inches over
Brighton huffed and puffed, whipped the ball from wing to wing and into Murray and Maupay but it was all in vain. We ended up deservedly hanging onto the win.
Henderson 6/10: One real save to make and that was more or less straight at him to tip over.
Baldock 7/10: Watched him in the first half. He does work hard and his positional sense is pretty good, but was beaten by a decet curled ball though
Basham 7.5/10: Again, a solid performance. When their forward was through he found another gear and got near him, forcing him to dive and get a yellow. Again, he controls the situation well and shows decent, intelligent play. Who would write that about Basham, five seasons ago?
Egan 7.5/10: Again, solid, active and when the ball comes across, is one of the three heads you need on it. His goal should have stood
O'Connell 7/10: Good turnout from Jack. I said to a bloke next to me, "Imagine if you are their right side wingback and you have 6'4" Jack O'Connell down on you by the opposition toughline deep in your half, forcing you to boot it into touch?"
Lundstram 7.5/10: Again, a 'leaves it out on the pitch' performance from Lunny. He did all the spadework in the middle of the park.
Norwood 6.5/10: A bit anonymous at times.
Freeman 6.5/10: Shows promise and guile. I think he needs a consistent spot in the side to bed in and for players to know where he is and what his game is. He's no Fleck. We missed Flecky today.
McGoldrick 8.5/10: MoM. Fuck me does he add to our game or what? He gets the tackle in on players who don't expect him to. He surprises them with his grit and determination to win it, chase it and harry. He take the ball off players and distributes with guile and grace. But he can't fucking score. So fucking heartbreaking.
McBurnie 8/10: This bloke is growing into this role and at last, the team. Today's goal was a fucking peach. He wants it and he got it.
Osbourn 6.5/10: Did okay but like Freeman, needs first team embedding to assimilate what he has with what we have. Didn't do that badly TBH
Moussett 7/10: Still a dangerous, agile forward, even as a sub.
Besic unk: On at 88 for Olly Norwood
We deserved three points today. Brighton couldn't get a foothold in the game, couldn't break us down and couldn't get away from our pressing and potential to attack on the counter.
I just wish McGoldrick would score.
Great day out. This was reminiscent of the Crawley away game from seven years ago when two free kicks from Tony McMahon put us top of the league. It felt like hat in the way end at the final whistle with us berating the exiting and silent Brighton fans and us Jingle Bellsing and Que-seraing (were going to Nap-o-li!) inside, in the concourse, on the walk to and in the station.
Fifth. Make no fucking mistake, Sheffield United, the players, the management and the fans have earned this. It's a great day for us.
pommpey
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