Christ. Tonight is why I love Sheffield United. We have games like the one at Ewood where we were opened up like a can of sardines and picked off by pretty standard gameplay and we get tonight, under the floodlights in February at BDTBL with the Sky cameras there, duking it out with a promotion rival, player sent off, penalty saved, attack the last trench and we make Blackburn Rovers pay heavily. A simply awesome performance with everything to fight for and some pretty robust play across the park, determined first of all not to lose, not to draw, but to win. Frankly we haven't played like this for ages and ages and even my wife said the confidence in the game is evident. We aren't playing on the back foot anymore, waiting to make a fuckup, hoping they'll make a fuck up, shaking dice every minute and playing like we shouldn't do with the quality - now showing through - to give us supporters fresh hope that we aren't down and out after our disastrous last season in the PL.
The first half was encouraging. For twenty minutes we pressed, possessed and pressured and were it not for an uncharacteristic fifty pence head from Billy (a reflection of MGWs on Saturday, depressingly) we'd have been one up early doors. Sander Berge seems to have had a Tony Currie upgrade which always thought he had the hardware for and if he's not sauntering past opposition players and feeding them their legs, he's putting decent passes and balls into feet, including the cross for Billy's sitter. RND was also a benefactor for a disallowed goal which was crafted by Berge putting their defence under stress and really, aside from Egan telegraphing a pass we didn't seem under much threat even from star players such as Gallagher and Khadra. Going in at half time, and with us kicking toward the kop, we looked set to further unpick Blackburn's dogged but vulnerable defence provided we didn't shoot ourselves in the foot. You know - we have that in us, don't we?
Second half and Blackburn have obviously been briefed to play in our half more and they did. Although RND was dealing with Nyambe well over the other side, this side saw George mixing it up with Khadra and some yellows came from somewhat iffy reffing decisions given against us when looking at the spirit of the game, you'd seen worse unpunished. We did struggle for a bit I felt to get a foothold more than we should and some passes and punts up the pitch were just dismal. Although the back three seemed to be coping for some odd reason Goode is over by the dugouts and offers a leg-breaker for which he rightfully gets an early bath. Disappointing stuff on his full debut. Absolutely no need for such a challenge and right by Slugger Mobray and his drag queens the ref was nailed on to red him. Ooops. So we go 4-3-2. And we know how going four at the back ends up for us, don't we?
On balance however the Baldock-Egan-Robinson-RND alignment managed but up against three attackers and a four man midfield we were under pressure and soon after Egan leaves his arm out and gives away a penner. Khadra's kick was well struck if not in the corner but Fodders save was fucking breathtakingly awesome - as was his save moments after at the near post. The noise the TV cameras picked up was deafening. You could see that Fodders upstretched left hand lifted the team and we went back at them. Hecky had to drag Billy off and put McBurnie on and make further adjustments to ensure the point with us going back to 5-3-1 and you felt we'd done enough but Berge wasn't finished, was he? Another testing run at them gets the corner and with all three of our centrebacks in the six yard box it is headed back from Robinson to Davies and he rammed the fucking thing in. A real momentous, Sheffield United, Holdsworthesque, Peschisolido-like, Brown-volley moment of fucking joy at S24SU. Blackburn were fucking distraught, the ref also, because he'd done his fucking best to cunt us off all match. And that assistant commentator on Sky ... I really hope his next shit is a barbed-wire-coated hedgehog covered in Hendos and salt, the biased fucking helmet.
Deep joy in Sheffield, especially with the biggest team in Yorkshire being held face down and browncocked over in Di-do-doh-don't-di-doh land.
Foderingham 9.5/10: Result-making, and possibly season-making penalty save and a great near post block, and another full stretch palm away from a good shot
Baldock 7.5/10: Grafted hard against a series of opponents and unlucky not to score yet again. Drops half a mark for his daftness getting tangled when he shouldn't. Walk the fuck away George. You've left your mark.
Goode 3/10: Would have been a lot more had he not rashly cut over the ball and jeopardised the result. Before that he was playing very well and showed real capability
Egan 7.5/10: Splendid performance but drops half a mark for his handball and another for his miscontrol in the first half which let them in
Robinson 8/10: Some small errors but not enough to endanger us. Just did his job, got stuck in (literally, and should have been yellowed for the shoulder) and cleared his lines. Nice assist for the goal
RND 8.5/10: Another player now maximising his capability and opening a gap between him and Enda Stevens. Had Nyambe tucked down his sock for much of the game
Berge 10/10: First ten I have given in a My Take, and he deserves it. Tonight we saw what Wilder saw and what twenty million is all about. Deft, slippery and strong - everything we expect from him in that position. Blackburn did not like him on the pitch and that is what we want ... a gifted, threatening player who goes at and goes past players and opens up the pitch with the ball at his feet. Tonight he was simply brilliant, this against a team above us in the table and their midfield and defence had a torrid time chasing him and trying to contain him. Man of the Match by a long half mark.
Norwood 7/10: Frustrating as fuck at times but still vastly improved and showing what we wanted - him to be a league above at this level. In the second half he picked the ball up and sold their player closing him down, had fifteen metres of open pitch in front of him and lamely passed it straight to Rothwell. In other moments though he is better invested in defending and didn't hollywood much at all, even getting up in their penalty area. Congrats on the new arrival Oliver too.
Fleck 8/10: So much more Johnny tonight and with energy and aggression levels more aligned to Wilder years Fleck. Good corners too
MGW 8.5/10: Ran himself empty tonight. Involved in much of our offence and a real handful for Blackburn to contain whilst Billy mixed it up elsewhere
Sharp 7.5/10: Didn't get much in terms of touches and chances unfortunately apart from the 'easier to score' sitter. And before you start Fallowfield - he's still on more goals this season than the top scorer from the past three seasons, since he was top scorer with 24. And it's still February. Go figure, numbnuts.
McBurnie 7/10: Slightly shithousy but ... in on it when needed and always eager to defend which he did effectively
Davies 8/10: Simply for being a matchwinner and for his wife, best wishes to her
Hecky/Lester/McCall 10/10: Well done you lot. Your arrival has changed our season and changed our minds and definitely reset our cynicism. Even if we don't make it, even if we fail in the playoffs ... all Blades fans (and even those not supporters of this fine club) will acknowledge that you tuned a losing outfit playing like dogshit into a team of battlers and winners. Thank you.
Playoffs? Fucking hope so. Automatics? It's on, isn't it?
pommpey
