bricktop
Well-Known Member
2013/14 Season Review
This has been a strange season. Some major lows and manic highs, our lowest final league position for over 30 years, yet one of the most memorable seasons for the last few years. We have seen players brought in that have ranged from the worst in the history of Sheffield United, to players who will be remembered with great fondness in 30 years’ time. We have seen 3 managers, one who will go down as one of the clubs worst in the history of Sheffield United, and one who we can place a great deal of faith and trust and who has already began delivering success this season that has been beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. If Sheffield United were an illness, they would be bi-polar, just for the sheer highs and lows we have experienced this season in particular, and we have ended the last six weeks of the season on a huge high.
So where did it all begin? Back in August the club was back in familiar territory after back to back play off failures, a new manager and a lot of people were hoping this would be the beginning of a bright new era. David Weir had come in to the club highly regarded within the game, he had enjoy a lot of longevity during his playing career and it was widely acknowledged we had done well to get a manager of his supposed quality. His appointment had been a pleasant surprise as there had been a number of people who had been interviewed and there had been interest shown in them, but yet they all seemed to keep on turning United down, leading a lot of people to think that things might not be particularly rosy at Bramall Lane, and the club was in difficulties, so getting David Weir in seemed to be especially exciting as here was a manager who it seemed to lot of people that we might have got one of the up and coming managers in British Football.
It didn’t take David Weir long to bring in a few players as he looked to bring in the players that he could build his own team with. He brought in Everton youngster Jasper Johns who had known and worked with, ex Manchester United youngster Sean McGinty who had been regarded as promising but had lost his way a little, Watford midfielder Stephen McGinn, the exciting signing of Walsall forward Fabien Brandy who had impressed with 17 goals at this level with his previous club, and the intriguing signing of Falkirk striker Lyle Taylor who had scored a hatful of goals for his previous club. He didn’t look to the loan system during the summer as the only loan signing he made was the Liverpool youngster Conor Coady.
The season started brightly on a warm Friday night where we was the first team to kick off the season at home to Notts County. We played some excellent football, and Fabien Brandy excelled and looked a real threat all night, and it appeared that we had found ourselves a real player. Kevin MacDonald also excelled in his new advanced role just playing behind a lone striker and it looked like that David Weir had a plan that night, and the important ability to be able to execute that plan successfully.
What followed over the next 2 or 3 weeks as the transfer window drew to a close showed the Notts County game to be something of a false dawn. A string of poor performances led to a defeat at home to Burton Albion in the League Cup, and our only other points during August came with a point at home to a poor Colchester side, and we was also comfortably beaten by highly fancied Brentford away, newly promoted Bradford City away, and also fell to a 1-0 reverse at home to MK Dons. It was the week that followed the Notts County that provided a moment that was crucial to David Weir, and that was the loss of Kevin MacDonald who moved to Wolves, and this was damaging to David Weir as he had clearly built and set up his team around McDonald playing the role behind one main striker.
This has been a strange season. Some major lows and manic highs, our lowest final league position for over 30 years, yet one of the most memorable seasons for the last few years. We have seen players brought in that have ranged from the worst in the history of Sheffield United, to players who will be remembered with great fondness in 30 years’ time. We have seen 3 managers, one who will go down as one of the clubs worst in the history of Sheffield United, and one who we can place a great deal of faith and trust and who has already began delivering success this season that has been beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. If Sheffield United were an illness, they would be bi-polar, just for the sheer highs and lows we have experienced this season in particular, and we have ended the last six weeks of the season on a huge high.
So where did it all begin? Back in August the club was back in familiar territory after back to back play off failures, a new manager and a lot of people were hoping this would be the beginning of a bright new era. David Weir had come in to the club highly regarded within the game, he had enjoy a lot of longevity during his playing career and it was widely acknowledged we had done well to get a manager of his supposed quality. His appointment had been a pleasant surprise as there had been a number of people who had been interviewed and there had been interest shown in them, but yet they all seemed to keep on turning United down, leading a lot of people to think that things might not be particularly rosy at Bramall Lane, and the club was in difficulties, so getting David Weir in seemed to be especially exciting as here was a manager who it seemed to lot of people that we might have got one of the up and coming managers in British Football.
It didn’t take David Weir long to bring in a few players as he looked to bring in the players that he could build his own team with. He brought in Everton youngster Jasper Johns who had known and worked with, ex Manchester United youngster Sean McGinty who had been regarded as promising but had lost his way a little, Watford midfielder Stephen McGinn, the exciting signing of Walsall forward Fabien Brandy who had impressed with 17 goals at this level with his previous club, and the intriguing signing of Falkirk striker Lyle Taylor who had scored a hatful of goals for his previous club. He didn’t look to the loan system during the summer as the only loan signing he made was the Liverpool youngster Conor Coady.
The season started brightly on a warm Friday night where we was the first team to kick off the season at home to Notts County. We played some excellent football, and Fabien Brandy excelled and looked a real threat all night, and it appeared that we had found ourselves a real player. Kevin MacDonald also excelled in his new advanced role just playing behind a lone striker and it looked like that David Weir had a plan that night, and the important ability to be able to execute that plan successfully.
What followed over the next 2 or 3 weeks as the transfer window drew to a close showed the Notts County game to be something of a false dawn. A string of poor performances led to a defeat at home to Burton Albion in the League Cup, and our only other points during August came with a point at home to a poor Colchester side, and we was also comfortably beaten by highly fancied Brentford away, newly promoted Bradford City away, and also fell to a 1-0 reverse at home to MK Dons. It was the week that followed the Notts County that provided a moment that was crucial to David Weir, and that was the loss of Kevin MacDonald who moved to Wolves, and this was damaging to David Weir as he had clearly built and set up his team around McDonald playing the role behind one main striker.