Camden Blade
Active Member
Richard Sutcliffe in the Athletic
Thrashed 8.0 at home to Newcastle, where do Sheffield United go from here?
The swathes of empty seats inside Bramall Lane at the final whistle brought their own verdict. Sheffield United’s humbling at home to Newcastle United, their heaviest defeat in league football, was as bad as it gets.
Totally devoid of ideas and character, United were an embarrassment. Eddie Howe’s side could easily have scored more than the eight they managed past the horribly exposed Wes Foderingham. But the home side had no one to blame but themselves for a collapse that will take some getting over.
Even in the dark, dark days of the miserable 2020-21 season that saw United reach January with a paltry two points to their name, things never got as dire as this abject showing.
United lost 29 times during that sorry top-flight campaign, but even a squad whose limitations were clear for all to see never found themselves on the end of a beating like this.
Instead, the vast majority of those record-equalling tally of defeats were by the odd goal, such as when leaving champions Manchester City and Liverpool empty-handed after spirited displays from a well-drilled, if limited, side.
Contrast that with the gutless efforts that allowed Newcastle to coast to their biggest away win in league football and leave manager Paul Heckingbottom with an almighty task to lift his shell-shocked side.
Just where United go from here is unclear. Certainly, the fixture list will do them few favours. Next up are back-to-back trips to the capital to take on West Ham United and Fulham, followed by home games against Manchester United and Arsenal before the clocks go back. Good luck with those on this showing.
Heckingbottom, for his part, has pledged to bounce back. “Will this result define our season?” he says. “No, it is three points we lost. But I think what you have seen there is something that, since I came to the club, we have never seen before.
“That’s what we have to address. We have to learn from this.”
As was shown last season, hidings like this can land a manager in big trouble. A little under 13 months ago, Scott Parker paid for Bournemouth’s 9-0 defeat at Liverpool with his job.
With Heckingbottom’s future already the subject of speculation and suggestions Chris Wilder has been lined up for a return, the timing of this loss could hardly have been worse.
Heckingbottom did receive a private assurance over his future early last week, but eight-goal hammerings tend to make boards jumpy, meaning the manager could be forgiven for feeling nervous every time his phone buzzes with a WhatsApp message over the next few days.
Asked whether he expected to be still in charge when United travel to the London Stadium next weekend, Heckingbottom replied: “One hundred per cent, yes.
“I can see this (the speculation) might be a theme now, but I can’t answer any of that. You are asking the wrong man.”
Despite the assurances that have been made to Heckingbottom behind closed doors, the Wilder element stacks up for anyone with an understanding of recent goings-on at the Lane.
It is no secret that the former Middlesbrough and Watford manager fell out with owner Prince Abdullah towards the end of his near five-year reign, but relations have long since been repaired between the pair.
When dissecting the 2022-23 promotion triumph for the club’s in-house channel SUTV last summer, Prince Abdullah said: “I just met Chris, maybe three weeks ago. We had lunch and a nice chat, we reflected about that season (2020-21) and how playing without the fans (due to Covid-19) was a big reason why we got relegated.”
As part of those chats, Wilder has been consulted on a number of matters.
The Prince has also publicly given part of the credit for this year’s return to the top flight to Wilder given he signed so many of those who played a role in the promotion such as Oliver Norwood, Sander Berge, John Egan and Foderingham.
The next logical step would be working together once again. But is that time now? I’d suggest not, with Heckingbottom deserving some loyalty from a board who sold him short via a confused summer in the transfer window.
After pre-season had been built around Iliman Ndiaye and Berge, the duo were sold just before the action got under way. That led to a protracted search for replacements who, admittedly, do look capable of making an impression at this level.
The Newcastle thrashing apart, Vinicius Souza has looked a good addition in centre midfield. Gustavo Hamer already has two goals to his name, while Cameron Archer’s partnership with Oli McBurnie — the latter suspended on Sunday — has shown promise.
Heckingbottom’s problem is such a confused summer meant effectively writing off eminently winnable games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Nottingham Forest during the opening month. That is on the board and no one else.
Likewise, the remarkable job he did in steering the club to promotion last season despite increasing off-field chaos. Hence the directors should do the decent thing and stick with their manager.
His win ratio going into the Newcastle game stood at 50 per cent from exactly 100 games in charge. This includes the hospital pass that was his appointment as interim manager when United were on the floor following Wilder’s exit.
Stepping up to join the elite was always going to be a struggle for the three promoted teams. United’s prospects of upsetting the odds were laid bare on an afternoon when Newcastle boasted eight different scorers, a new Premier League record.
Even if things get worse before they get better in terms of the league table — and those upcoming four fixtures do look tough — United must stand by their man.
Thrashed 8.0 at home to Newcastle, where do Sheffield United go from here?
The swathes of empty seats inside Bramall Lane at the final whistle brought their own verdict. Sheffield United’s humbling at home to Newcastle United, their heaviest defeat in league football, was as bad as it gets.
Totally devoid of ideas and character, United were an embarrassment. Eddie Howe’s side could easily have scored more than the eight they managed past the horribly exposed Wes Foderingham. But the home side had no one to blame but themselves for a collapse that will take some getting over.
Even in the dark, dark days of the miserable 2020-21 season that saw United reach January with a paltry two points to their name, things never got as dire as this abject showing.
United lost 29 times during that sorry top-flight campaign, but even a squad whose limitations were clear for all to see never found themselves on the end of a beating like this.
Instead, the vast majority of those record-equalling tally of defeats were by the odd goal, such as when leaving champions Manchester City and Liverpool empty-handed after spirited displays from a well-drilled, if limited, side.
Contrast that with the gutless efforts that allowed Newcastle to coast to their biggest away win in league football and leave manager Paul Heckingbottom with an almighty task to lift his shell-shocked side.
Just where United go from here is unclear. Certainly, the fixture list will do them few favours. Next up are back-to-back trips to the capital to take on West Ham United and Fulham, followed by home games against Manchester United and Arsenal before the clocks go back. Good luck with those on this showing.
Heckingbottom, for his part, has pledged to bounce back. “Will this result define our season?” he says. “No, it is three points we lost. But I think what you have seen there is something that, since I came to the club, we have never seen before.
“That’s what we have to address. We have to learn from this.”
As was shown last season, hidings like this can land a manager in big trouble. A little under 13 months ago, Scott Parker paid for Bournemouth’s 9-0 defeat at Liverpool with his job.
With Heckingbottom’s future already the subject of speculation and suggestions Chris Wilder has been lined up for a return, the timing of this loss could hardly have been worse.
Heckingbottom did receive a private assurance over his future early last week, but eight-goal hammerings tend to make boards jumpy, meaning the manager could be forgiven for feeling nervous every time his phone buzzes with a WhatsApp message over the next few days.
Asked whether he expected to be still in charge when United travel to the London Stadium next weekend, Heckingbottom replied: “One hundred per cent, yes.
“I can see this (the speculation) might be a theme now, but I can’t answer any of that. You are asking the wrong man.”
Despite the assurances that have been made to Heckingbottom behind closed doors, the Wilder element stacks up for anyone with an understanding of recent goings-on at the Lane.
It is no secret that the former Middlesbrough and Watford manager fell out with owner Prince Abdullah towards the end of his near five-year reign, but relations have long since been repaired between the pair.
When dissecting the 2022-23 promotion triumph for the club’s in-house channel SUTV last summer, Prince Abdullah said: “I just met Chris, maybe three weeks ago. We had lunch and a nice chat, we reflected about that season (2020-21) and how playing without the fans (due to Covid-19) was a big reason why we got relegated.”
As part of those chats, Wilder has been consulted on a number of matters.
The Prince has also publicly given part of the credit for this year’s return to the top flight to Wilder given he signed so many of those who played a role in the promotion such as Oliver Norwood, Sander Berge, John Egan and Foderingham.
The next logical step would be working together once again. But is that time now? I’d suggest not, with Heckingbottom deserving some loyalty from a board who sold him short via a confused summer in the transfer window.
After pre-season had been built around Iliman Ndiaye and Berge, the duo were sold just before the action got under way. That led to a protracted search for replacements who, admittedly, do look capable of making an impression at this level.
The Newcastle thrashing apart, Vinicius Souza has looked a good addition in centre midfield. Gustavo Hamer already has two goals to his name, while Cameron Archer’s partnership with Oli McBurnie — the latter suspended on Sunday — has shown promise.
Heckingbottom’s problem is such a confused summer meant effectively writing off eminently winnable games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Nottingham Forest during the opening month. That is on the board and no one else.
Likewise, the remarkable job he did in steering the club to promotion last season despite increasing off-field chaos. Hence the directors should do the decent thing and stick with their manager.
His win ratio going into the Newcastle game stood at 50 per cent from exactly 100 games in charge. This includes the hospital pass that was his appointment as interim manager when United were on the floor following Wilder’s exit.
Stepping up to join the elite was always going to be a struggle for the three promoted teams. United’s prospects of upsetting the odds were laid bare on an afternoon when Newcastle boasted eight different scorers, a new Premier League record.
Even if things get worse before they get better in terms of the league table — and those upcoming four fixtures do look tough — United must stand by their man.
