Tremendous evening. We've done it. Dumped out of the top flight with Wilder's failing Galacticos, struggled to recover but did with Hecky's unlucky punchers and now valiantly promoted back to the top flight after a dogged yet assured battle to retain the runner's up place we'd held for over half a season despite nervy moments and capable contenders. The city is ours. We are Premier League. Congratulations to the club and the players and the staff, despite off field shenanigans which are still unresolved. The hard work is over, but the hardest work is ahead still.
No big shocks for our lineup which brought back the wonderkids in midfield because the idea I feel was to get at them early and dominate and score. This we didn't do and in fact for long spells of the first half looked nervy and somewhat outmatched by WBA who showed capability to get back up the other end and at least try to score. No matter hat we did it looked clueless. We played endless passes round the back and at one stage had six players in a line (Lowe - McAtee - McBurnie - NDiaye - Anel - Baldock) all being marshalled by their back four as Berge stood looking for someone to drop short and receive because lumping it long clearly wasn't working with a pretty abject McBurnie as the target man. When it did go out wide the crossing was piss poor or we overplayed it with the ball ending up back with Fodders. A packed BDTBL fell strangely silent for a good 20 minutes as the crowd issued a collective 'Fuck's sake Blades' gesture. Doyle did his best to clean up in the middle and get us facing forward and every time Starboy got on the ball WBA shat themselves but as much as he pressed, there was no real lay off or runners to take the three men he had on him all evening. McBurnie, his out-ball, was characteristically unsighted for much of the game. You just knew Hecky had to change things as we swapped ends and kicked toward the kop.
Second half was a slowish start with still scrappy flashes of inconclusive play but as the hour approached we made the 3-4-2-1 work at last and started to push WBA up the pitch and go on the attack. NDaiye, who had been slick and lively all evening intercepted a shit backpass and fed Berge who had had something of a playing revolution and he tapped it home coolly. How good did that goal feel, firstly because it soothed our nerves, secondly because it effectively destroyed a resolute WBA, thirdly because at that moment we were promoted but more importantly because Berge had capped a very productive fifteen minutes since the break where he seemed to be everywhere all of a sudden? From that moment too we decided to get at WBA and seal the deal. We did just that and good old Anel gets a far post volley from George's obviously well-placed volleyed 'through ball pass' to the far post to put the icing on a very lovely cake.
Foderingham 7/10: Always confident and assured and decent couple of saves
Baldock 8/10: Absolutely raging tonight. Full blooded and fearsome, always driving forward in that resolute right wing back role and a great assist!
Anel 7.5/10: Big night for him and a great performance with surges forward and good intercepts. Well taken opportunists goal worthy of a centre forward. McBurnie, take note
Egan 8/10: Though he was solid tonight and didn't make many errors, save for his 50p unmarked header into the kop
Robinson 8/10: The most improved player in the recent era of the club. Rock solid.
Lowe 4/10: Well, we know now where to stick or twist next season and he's a card we can have face up please, dealer. Fucking poor tonight and rather error prone throughout. If he's out of depth here, he aint coming upstairs with us, surely?
Berge 9/10: For his second half showing alone and that was only 40 minutes. Turned the game for us after a quiet, unimpressive first 45.
Doyle 8/10: Terrific midfield general game for him. He was all over the pitch digging it out, laying off, moving forward with the ball and showing why he gets the nod above Norwood. Fucking buy him please.
McAtee 6.5/10: Grafted but much of the play for him didn't drop
NDaiye 7.5/10: Tremendous player. How the ball sticks to his feet and he simply nicks it and keeps it is a thing of wonder. The only player I have ever seen gifted with that ability was one that nearly signed for us once. Who might that be?
McBurnie 4/10: Reverting to an ineffective McPub mode once again. PL ready? Doubt it. He needs to play in the next three and score goals or I say ship him out.
Fleck 5/10: Nice cameo but not much to report on
Norwood 4/10: Doddy footed with imaginative but practically useless punts and kicks in the air. Normal service resumed.
Sharp 6/10: Dug out trying to get his 250th goal but not much dropped for him
Basham and Bogle no marks
HJ&SMcC 10/10: Got us promoted, despite some worrying performances at times and off field fuckery. Be nice to think what Fallowfield reckons once his ban is up and he comes back.
Big thanks to all staff and players for another promotion to the top flight in an exciting season of typically Sheff Utdness. They deserved this and should enjoy the praise.
Over at S6 however ...
Footnote: Might be nice now to be finally free from the grunter triad of Prutton Goodman and that other cunt Hinchcliffe offering biased and frankly stupid commentary on our games on Sky. Once or twice is acceptable and worthy of discussion but every single fucking time is frankly beyond a joke. I hope they enjoy seeing their fucking team fail hard whilst we ascend upwards.
UP THE FUCKING BLADES.
pommpey
