A new manager and the return of the much-loved Chris Wilder did not make one iota to the performance and result, at a wet and miserable Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon. Despite all the pre match talk of the returning Wilder leading to the inevitable new boss bounce, the Blades served up another totally ineffectual performance when they created few chances and looked lethargic all over the field. The visiting Addick were good value for the victory, as they were the only side who create anything all game and whilst it came late, the winner was the least they deserved. A toothless Blades, seemed to have no idea how to even fashion any kind of meaningful opportunities and the longer the game went on, the less cohesive the Blades looked. The visitors were always the more likely to nick the points and in the end, substitute Oloafe slid in the late winner in front of the jubilant visiting supporters. United’s dreadful form sees them completely rooted to the foot of League One with zero points from the season and seemingly already mired in a battle to stay in the league, never mind thoughts of getting promoted which now surely need to be consigned to fantasy land.
Wilder made changes in his first game as Ogbene, Campbell and Hamer came back into the side at the expense of Barry, Cannon and Brooks. Tanganga, McGuinness and Matos made their home debuts and Tanganga was made captain. Wilder got a rapturous ovation as a flag welcomed back their messiah before kick-off. The ground barely had a spare seat as an expectant home crowd wanted to see a different kind of United performance that would finally see some excitement. It was the first game of safe standing also which hopefully would accompany a more positive afternoon.
The game began in scrappy fashion and the visitors settled quicker with a low shot just past Cooper’s post and then another effort blocked. United could not find any real momentum and despite Ogbene having plenty of the ball, they did not realty create anything. Another opportunity saw an effort screwed wide from the Addicks, as the crowd’s initial excitement started to wear off. Bell got a booking for delaying a free kick but Hamer was then booked for going to ground as he was adjudged to have caught his man late. Charlton were having joy down the right with Campbell having the run on Godfrey, whose struggles continued from the defeat at Ipswich. The best chance of the game arrived when Jones header goalwards and Cooper had to spring to his right to make the save. The rebound was driven into bodies as United survived. United tried to find some momentum but a weak Hamer free kick was the closest they came. It had been a poor game, played in difficult conditions but the Addicks had the better chances and had looked the more likely.
After the break, United at least had a spell of play even if there was not any concerted pressure and Peck’s woeful shooting was in evidence on two occasions. Charlton were not going forward as much but United’s inability to penetrate, either down the sides or the wing, meant the game was lacking any chances either way. Barry and Seriki came on for Ogbene and Godfrey. It made little difference in terms of any head of steam and United really looked clueless how to attack and force any pressure. Campbell and O’Hare were replaced by Cannon and Chong, as the home side desperately looked for a spark but found nothing to get the supporters excited.
Docherty had a header saved from Cooper and then following a break, the ball bounced around and nearly was converted as the away side, after sitting in for a period, sensed the game could be won. They also made changes and Leaburn caused problems with his height and the ball pinged around but United survived. As the game drifted into the final moments, the home fans seemed resigned to a point being the best they could expect. However, they could not even get that as the ball forward was won in the air and Bree got down the right away from Burrows, sent over a cross and OLOAFE stole in unmarked and guided it under Cooper to win the game at the death for Charlton. The four minutes of stoppage time, saw Charlton look more likely to score again that the beleaguered Blades, who look an absolute shell of the side that competed for promotion last season.
United – Thought we were awful again. New manager but same old pitiful performance with little fight, drive or any kind of creativity. I am not sure this was any better than the last home game v Millwall. At least towards the end of that we looked like scoring. Today, we never laid a glove on a poor Charlton side who realised the longer the game went on, they could go and win the game and deservedly did so in the end. To start with, we began at least winning a few tackles and we looked a bit more organised but this quickly faded away. I thought the players would come out scrapping and fighting and get the crowd going but it never happened. We were flat from almost the off and Charlton had the best 3 chances first half. We never looked like scoring all game at all. Hamer had a weak free kick saved but outside of that, nothing. A few long-range shots off target but we never got behind Charlton, never worked up any kind of sustained pressure or forced them back. We lost many big challenges/aerial duels and as the game went into the final 15-20, Charlton sensed we had not idea and they started to realise the game was up for grabs. They had a few more half chances and then in the end, they won the high ball, got a cross in unopposed and converted the winner with no challenge in the box. They fully deserved it. A poor side who will struggle to stay up but had 3 or 4 better chances than we had all game – we created nothing. We never got down the sides, never passed it down the middle and never worked up any kind of steam. We were completely clueless with weak, slow players who never moved and were stationery all game. Cannon rightly will get hammered but Campbell was as bad. Ogbene showed a few bits early but faded badly. Hamer was careless with the ball and O’Hare completely anonymous. We got nothing from the full backs. The subs made us even worse – which was hard to believe as the starters were terrible. We looked so slow and weak and just like we had no confidence we could make anything positive happen. I cannot recall more than 2 or 3 passes of note in a row and when we did it, it was all sideways and backwards. The new signings, Tanganga apart, look poor I am afraid.
I was completely bored by the games at the moment. We have gone from no entertainment but winning most weeks last season to now being completely dull but losing every week. Despite all the furore over Wilder’s return, it was no different, albeit only one game but showed the problems were starting to set in long before even Selles spell, right towards the end of last season. Maybe it will take time but I worry, despite all the spin over his return, we were seeing many performances like this in the final few months last season and probably why they sacked him harsh as it sounds. Suddenly he is seen as a returning messiah who will turn it all around. I hope he will but this team needs to wake up and fast. We were right to sack Selles and should have kept Wilder after what he did but I was concerned whatever happens managerially, with the loss of key men Souza and Anel and how the players fell apart when under pressure, we maybe would regress no matter what. That is exactly how it is panning out and the weak-minded players now seem to be unable to even muster up 20 minutes of good play let alone a half or a full game. A point is not even attainable. The team and players are a spineless set of losers and at the moment their efforts are getting exactly what they deserve and we are the laughing stock of the EFL. They seem not to be bothered by this or surely they would have come out revved up and motivated. Today, they served up the same timid approach, not passing forward, too many touches and no one taking any responsibility.
They cannot keep feeling sorry for themselves but they look a weak bunch who seemingly lack character and the drive to get us even a single point. They cannot keep blaming tactics and coaching. At some point they have to stand up but the likes of Campbell, Peck, O’Hare, Hamer, Burrows and Cooper have fell off a cliff and throw in the additions who have had minimal impact and this squad looks like the one that we saw at Luton, where everyone said they are too good to go down. The reality is that we are an eighth through the season and we look all the world like a relegation side. Promotion is completely gone. We now need to just focus on getting a point. Heck, even a goal and then we can start to think about moving off the bottom of the table. At the moment, we are the worst side in the league by any metric and I cannot see where the results are coming from. We are now close to 8 hours without a goal and never really looked like breaking this in this spell (save for a few late efforts at home to Millwall). I do not see how they turn it around. Loads will be made about formations etc but that really is desperate stuff to look at how we are playing. Sure, we could play 2 up front or 5 at the back with wing backs but unless our players take responsibility and win loose balls, drive at opponents, and try and make things happen, then we will keep losing game. It seemed like the change would signal an uplift and I thought we would win today but we were miles off it and it was simply the game cowardly performance where the oppositions wanted it more all over the field. I am rapidly running out of patience with these players who sadly I dislike to almost a man. If we dumped the lost over the next 12-18 months I would not care but we might be in League One before we do this. We have compounded it by signing even more dross on long term deals (McGuinness, Matos, Godfrey and Chong really look a waste of the resources we have) to add into the lightweight and inept players we already have at the club. Wilder has realised what a job he has and how poor this squad is. A bloated set of losers where not one player is taking hold of games but sheepishly just accepting losing every single game without even much of a fight. We go to Oxford (2nd bottom) next week and I do not see anything to suggest we will get anything. This side seems to have mailed it in already but with so many on long term deals, I am not sure what we do. Wilder can scream and shout but if we continue to lose, then what does he do? It is a complete mess and I see nothing to suggest it is doing to turn it around. We are only basing it on what we did last year but actually only a handful were in the side that lost out at Wembley.
