Semi final v Hull....and where the players went.

[derfblade.3]

I think we all had high hopes for the team that played that day but as we know it all went tits up.
Some of the football we played that season was fantastic.
How Nigel went from that style to becoming quite boring was was a shame as we could really have moved forward with that team.
Anyway....where are they now?

Howard....Bolton bench.
Brayford....Burton, but always injured.
Matt Hill...Bradford P A
Coady....Wolves.
Harry...Foxes and England.
Collins....Tampa Bay
Flynn...St Mirren...Scottish Championship
Doyler....Coventry.Baxter....Everton stiffs
Scougall...St Johnson....Scots Prem
Murphy...Rangers (loan) from Brighton.

I was surprised to see Murphy on loan as i thought Rangers signed him permanent.

As i said the footie was good to watch that season that included a 10 match winning run and only 3 losses in our last 23 games.
What went wrong Nigel?

 

[stringer]

Think Murphy deal will be made permanent in summer to get around FFP

 

[Bladezz]

It shows you how sometimes one players in Harry can make such a difference.

 

[JohnDenver]

What went wrong Nigel?

He lost his best players and made a right horlicks of replacing them.

 

[8lade]

It shows you how sometimes one players in Harry can make such a difference.

Disagree with that, Maguire is quality but so is Coady and (missing from that line up) Jose Baxter on his day. The rest just goes to show what a functional set of players can produce when well drilled and using the right tactics on the day. Sadly for Clough they were pretty much his only tactics, useful against better teams but when you should be beating teams you need to attack them not wait to see if an opening comes.

 

[FlamingLip]

It shows you how sometimes one players in Harry can make such a difference.

Can't remember too many CHs that would have the fans get to their feet and roar them on as they got the ball at the half way line. In his deceptively unclumsy manner he'd often glide past a player, make space and produce a timed-to-perfection cross field ball opening the oppo up. Absolute class

 

[coaxingstar71]

That brings back mostly happy memories - a good day to be a Blade.
When Scougall scored that great goal and we lead 2-1 at half-time and had battered them and they'd scored with their only shot on goal, I thought we could really do it.
Howard didn't save a thing.

 

[bornablade]

Would that team at their best (say the Charlton game) beat today's team?

 

[grafikhaus]

Where are they now? Here!

 

[Harry's Game]

Would that team at their best (say the Charlton game) beat today's team?

Brayford (in that form)
Maguire
Coady
Murphy

Get into the current side.

 

[tincan]

Had things gone differently v Wigan in the prem would we have a back 3 of Harry Kyle and Jags?

 

[JackSUFC]

Would that team at their best (say the Charlton game) beat today's team?

In a one-off cup game in our current form maybe. But we are 100000% better off now.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

From 2.46 up to 2.54 on that me and Dublin Blade junior are visible

 

[FYT]

With a different keeper i reckon we would have won that. In 46 years of watching the Blades that bloke is as bad a keeper as i have seen, an awful awful shot stopper.

 

[coaxingstar71]

With a different keeper i reckon we would have won that. In 46 years of watching the Blades that bloke is as bad a keeper as i have seen, an awful awful shot stopper.

But not as bad as Derek Richardson.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

With a different keeper i reckon we would have won that. In 46 years of watching the Blades that bloke is as bad a keeper as i have seen, an awful awful shot stopper.

He wasn't great, but he wasn't in the worst half dozen for me. I think, Baxter, Richardson, Hope, Johns, Benstead, Long, were all worse than him for a start.

 

[Blade for Sale]

He wasn't great, but he wasn't in the worst half dozen for me. I think, Baxter, Richardson, Hope, Johns, Benstead, Long, were all worse than him for a start.

Agreed. He also made a stunning save in the 1/4 final v Charlton which, had it gone in, would have left us with a very uncomfortable few minutes. An average 'keeper, we've had worse, we've had better.

 

[Wilderat Heart]

Would that team at their best (say the Charlton game) beat today's team?
Maybe on their best day but would our current side beat that Hull team? I think our greater power and mobility means we wouldn't lose the second half like we did. Put either goalkeeper, Clarke, O'Connell, Basham in that side we don't get out muscled. That day was Clough's finest for me, but in the day to day grind of league football his start with a point attitude led to some dire football as did his inabilty to buy a decent centre half. Of that side I'd take Maguire obviously and Coady then only Murphy and Brayford at their absolute best. That team at their best I think lose to our current side at home their start with a point negativity makes them hesitant and we press them to death, away from home (I know this seems to make no sense but bear with me) Their ability to soak up pressure and grind out a result might let them sneak a result.

 

[Maidenhead]

That day was one of my most emotional days as a Blade.

When that 5th goal went in seconds after Harry had taken one touch too many before trying to get a shot off to bring the score back to 4 - 4 ,the whole of the Blades support burst into spontaneous applause in appreciation of the efforts the lads had made to get to the semi and the performance on the day.

I just felt so proud of the team, the club, the fans (I hadn't seen the dickheads fighting amongst themselves) and every thing Sheffield United.

I was probably closer to tears that day than any other day since we lost to Walsall but they would have been happy tears.

That cup run embodied everything I love about the Blades.

 

[bladesince64]

Maidenhead you just summed up exactly how I felt at that moment and I admit that I did shed a tear. Probably the most emotionable moment in my time enduring the many ups and downs all of us Blades know and love.
If only Clough could have continued the following season with a similar ethos I’m sure he would have took us up.
Somehow he became very disillusioned and stubbornly rejected common sense football values in targeting incoming players.

That day will always be special nevertheless.

 

[BerksBlade]

When that 5th goal went in seconds after Harry had taken one touch too many before trying to get a shot off to bring the score back to 4 - 4 ,the whole of the Blades support burst into spontaneous applause in appreciation of the efforts the lads had made to get to the semi and the performance on the day.

I just felt so proud of the team, the club, the fans (I hadn't seen the dickheads fighting amongst themselves) and every thing Sheffield United.

Exactly how I felt Maidenhead. The game was up at that point but we had out-played a Premiership team for long periods, and finally "turned up" at Wembley.

 

[PittsburghBlade]

Had things gone differently v Wigan in the prem would we have a back 3 of Harry Kyle and Jags?

Most likely not. young Players who are often in the academy and good enough in the prem don't stay with their respective teams as the pressure around a relegation battle would mean managers don't often play them. Walker started at center half at hull in the cup because he HAD to, kevin blackwell didn't want to play him.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

With a different keeper i reckon we would have won that. In 46 years of watching the Blades that bloke is as bad a keeper as i have seen, an awful awful shot stopper.

Yet he kept 8 consecutive clean sheets in the league.

Something no other Blades keeper has ever done.

 

[RedandWhite]

Baxter was decent on his day, when he wasn't shaking his tits off on crack atleast.

 

[HuddersfieldBlade]

Remember thinking at half time it would be my luck I would miss the final. My 1st son was due around cup final day and the way things panned out, we went to hospital just after Arsenal lifted the cup and he was born the following day.

 

[super_pig]

He wasn't great, but he wasn't in the worst half dozen for me. I think, Baxter, Richardson, Hope, Johns, Benstead, Long, were all worse than him for a start.

Hope was ok until he got injured and lost his confidence i seem to remember? silent??

 

[Mouth of the South]

That day was one of my most emotional days as a Blade.

When that 5th goal went in seconds after Harry had taken one touch too many before trying to get a shot off to bring the score back to 4 - 4 ,the whole of the Blades support burst into spontaneous applause in appreciation of the efforts the lads had made to get to the semi and the performance on the day.

I just felt so proud of the team, the club, the fans (I hadn't seen the dickheads fighting amongst themselves) and every thing Sheffield United.

I was probably closer to tears that day than any other day since we lost to Walsall but they would have been happy tears.

That cup run embodied everything I love about the Blades.

Normally, I disagree with just about every single word printed in the Guardian but this report, particularly the last line, is a great piece of writing which brings back memories of what was a fantastic day.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/apr/13/sheffield-united-fall-short-hull-city