Deadbat
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Kevin Blackwell finally was able to break his Wednesday hoodoo as the Blades survived a frenetic fightback to earn bragging rights as they just saw off their city rivals in a pulsating contest at Bramall Lane. United has surged into a three goal lead thanks to Ward, Henderson and a Buxton own goal and seemed set on avenging the famous Boxing Day massacre but the Owls refused to lie down and a goal immediately after the restart gave them hope. A further strike by substitute Esajas saw the scoreline further reduced but the Blades held on to take the spoils.
United fielded debutant Andrew Davies as Matthew Kilgallon was still not fit enough to take his place and went with a more orthodox 4-4-2 with Henderson partnering Evans up front after the reverse at Coventry and Harper making his home debut. Wednesday brought in Wood and O’Connor after their own defeat in the week.
The game began at the usual frenetic pace and Davies’ first contribution was not a positive one as he was booked for bringing down O’Connor as the midfielder drove towards goal. Potter fired the free kick well over the bar. United had their first opening and this also saw Davies involved as he flicked a header towards goal but Grant turned it over the bar. From the resultant corner the Blades went ahead and it was with only 7 minutes on the clock. It came via a corner and after Treacy’s delivery Morgan headed the ball down and after it deflected into his path WARD swivelled smartly and fired the ball home past the motionless Grant. Ward has now scored 4 goals already this term but none have been as important as this one as he wheeled away in front of the Wednesday fans behind Grant’s goal.
Wednesday tried to come back but efforts from Potter and Varney failed to trouble Bunn and it was not long before the lead had been doubled. United continued to put pressure on Wednesday with Wood and Purse struggling to handle Evans and Henderson. The goal came as Walker’s long throw was not cleared properly by O’Connor. Evans hit a shot towards goal and it was turned home via a deflection of HENDERSON and Wood that sent the ball spinning into the far corner.
Montgomery was the next man to go into referee Wiley’s book after he fouled Varney. The free kick saw Tudgay out jump Davies but Bunn was equal to it to tip the ball over the bar.
Ward was taken down and ominously a stretcher was called for with the free scoring winger having to be replaced by Cotterill. O’Connor then was cautioned after two fouls in quick succession and Henderson nearly made it three with a headed chance.
Half time was quickly approaching but not before the ball was in Wednesday’s net once again! Cotterill made up significant ground down the right hand side and sent over a dangerous cross into the box. BUXTON under pressure from Henderson could only head the ball into the top corner of his own net. There was not a question of it being a foul and the appeals were half hearted at best even from the defender himself. United were in dreamland. It has been a long time since the Blades were 3-0 up against their city neighbours and the fans were clearly going to enjoy it. Bunn punched away after a deflected effort and the half time whistle came not long after with the cheers that greeted it from the home fans surely being audible across the whole city. Wednesday in contrast looked stunned as their team trooped off the field and their fans stood motionless.
Wednesday knew that had to deliver an instant riposte and tried to shake things up with Esajas replacing Johnson. The reply was instant too as a goal came only moments after the half time whistle. Esajas’s header was blocked by his own man but as the ball dropped TUDGAY hit a tremendous shot with his left foot as the ball dropped to give the visitors hope. Both Tudgay and Bunn were booked after the goal; the former presumably for kicking the ball away and Tudgay for taking off his shirt. Wednesday continued to come at United with Gray firing wide and then Tudgay firing over after Bunn had blocked Esajas’ driven free kick.
Wednesday further reduced the arrears though after Cotterill fouled Wood. From the free kick ESAJAS took it and drilled a low shot into the corner pat Bunn and it was suddenly ‘game on.’ United now were looking totally uncomfortable with Wednesday now the team firmly in control. Clarke came on for Varney for the Owls and United were now struggling to stem the flow.
However, despite the momentum clearly changing, United had two chances of their own with Evans fierce shot being blocked and then Henderson forcing Grant into an excellent save. Esajas continued to be a threat and he had another good effort on goal that went narrowly wide as the game approached the final 10 minutes. Miller replaced O’Connor as Wednesday looked for a more attacking threat.
Wednesday were understandably pouring men forward but United were offered chances on the break. Evans hit a super shot that Grant did well to save and then Morgan’s header was saved by Grant. The Blades skipper was booked when he tried to stop Grant taking the quick free kick. Quinn and France both came on as United looked to see out time. Wednesday put a number of crosses and balls into the box but did not create a clear chance in the 5 minutes of stoppage time and as referee Wiley blew his whistle United could finally celebrate a long overdue victory against the old enemy It had been tougher than it should have been but never the less it was a win and three vital points into the bargain as well as cross city bragging rights.
Wednesday – In my mind they will finish around mid table and I saw nothing tonight to suggest anything otherwise. They have some positives but some negatives too and won’t be bad enough to be near the bottom but also won’t be good enough to be near the top. That is an honest opinion on them; not one as a fan of their hated rivals. I think Laws has done a tremendous job and appears to be a very good manager and gets the best out of what he has. It will be interesting to see what he does if and when he gets funds as of course the pressure changes. At the moment anything above top 8 or 9 is seen as a bonus but with money that will be expected every year; a bit like with us at the moment. I would have been a bit disappointed with some of the signings they made in the summer with Purse, Miller adding to players on the downside of the career such as Gray and O’Connor. I think he would have been better taking the Wolves approach and going for young, up and coming players. The squad is thin but is also relatively old. I am not sure on the average age but I reckon it is a fair bit higher than ours.
They have some good players going forward with the likes of Tudgay, Johnson and Esajas and some good honest club men type in midfield in Gray and O’Connor. I feel they are quite pedestrian at the back and lack mobility and nous. They ship goals all too easily; as tonight showed and their defensive away record last year. Purse is nearly done as a defender at this level and was an odd signing. He has been a solid centre back for many years but Cardiff knew he had completely lost his pace in the same way United did with Robert Page years ago. Wood has some good game and some wretched games and of course Beevers has not gone on from the promise he showed a few seasons ago. I feel the two full backs are poor defensively too and quick direct wingers will cause problems. Ward really worried Spurr until he had to go off and even though Cotterill was up and down he also caused the same player problems. I think Grant is a much improved keeper and is now displaying the promise he showed at Derby before falling away. He is one of the better keepers in the division.
United – It was not a tremendous performance but despite many Wednesday fans saying otherwise I felt we were value for the win. We controlled most of the first half and although Wednesday has a few half chances we looked like scoring every time we went forward. Wednesday were all over the place at the back and could not handle Ward and Henderson. Sure we had a bit of luck on the goals but how many times in the early to mid 2000’s have United battered Wednesday and just had absolutely no luck of Pressman saved them single handedly. Even Wednesday fans would admit that. Besides whilst 3-0 flattered us we definitely were the stronger side and were in cruise control at the break. Of course the early goal for Wednesday was the worst thing that could have happened. If we had kept it 3-0 for 10-15 minutes we could have gone onto win 4 or 5-0 without a question. United then sat back after the first goal and when the second came it was just a case of holding on. Actually with a bit more composure United could have scored a few more after this and Wednesday did not throw the proverbial kitchen sink at us as I expected. We were more in control at 3-2 than 3-1 actually in a perverse kind of way!
Still too much long ball and direct stuff and we tossed away possession too much in the second half yet again when we needed calm heads and to try and keep the ball. The pressure football with good set play delivery and getting the ball in the box (maybe it is classed as direct or in your face football) is fine but we need to mix it up a bit too. In the first half we did play some decent stuff along with the power stuff but in the second as they came back it was more lump ball or panic football again.
We do need to strengthen the squad in January and need at least 2 strikers (one with real pace) and a centre back minimum. To have no real striking option on the bench is criminal really and I am amazed Blackwell has not brought someone in. This is priority in the next week. I had no problem with the players Blackwell moved on as Bromby, Howard, Hendrie, Sharp and Carney all had plenty of chances and were all too slow, not athletic and too inconsistent to be seen as players we could rely on week in, week out to make a promotion challenge. Blackwell was right to move them on. However, we do need new faces and 2 or 3 more quality players. I can see it being similar to last season in that we will be in and around the top 6 most of the season but to push on we need those additions.
After a few years of hurt I will take the win and move on. Wednesday fans of course will bleat about pride etc but we won the game and that will do me. I will enjoy my weekend and most of their lot will not whatever they say! All this rubbish some have said about it feels like a draw or defeat annoys me. We have just beat Wednesday. 1-0, 5-0, 3-2. Who cares? Sheffield United have just beat Sheffield Wednesday. Enjoy it folks!!!
Bunn 7/10 – Made one or two good saves and punches and his general handling was good. His kicking was also a feature for us in our first half performance constantly putting Wednesday under pressure. He had no chance with the first goal but maybe he could have done better with the second as he himself admits. Sure it was well hit but it was nearly 35 yards out and as a former keeper I would have been disappointed to have let that in.
Walker 6/10 – A mixed bag really. Felt he was in control first half and Johnson was never in the game. To see his man taken off at half time is an accomplishment for you as a player but after the break it was a different story. Esajas caused him a lot of problems and he was often at full stretch or had to resort to fouling him to stem the flow.
Taylor 6/10 – I am still to be convinced by Taylor. He is decent on the ball and takes a good free kick and has done some good things but his positional sense is still a work in progress and he does seem physically weak in the challenge. He is also poor aerially and teams have used the diagonal ball to good effect isolating him on a taller player. I think with some coaching and improvements he can still be a good player as he is still fairly young but I think Naysmith will probably come back in when he is fit.
Morgan 7/10 – Thought it was a solid performance as he basically held the defence together especially in the second half when we were under the cosh. Having a new centre back partner for such a game cannot have been easy but he helped him along. Won a number of headers and clearances and led the team well.
Davies 5.5/10 – He looks like Kilgallon but did not play like him! Actually that is harsh as it cannot have been easy to come in on the day of the game and especially such a big game. I will be honest and say that I felt he did struggle for large portions of the game but I think one of the chief reasons for this was lack of sharpness and match practice which saw him slow to react to certain balls or moments in the game. He got better as the game went on and did win a few headers and blocks when we needed it towards the end of the game.
Harper 6.5/10 – His performance mirrored much of United’s. Felt along with Montgomery we controlled the midfield in the first half as we won many of the loose balls and helped put pressure on the Wednesday backline. In the second half Potter and O’Connor won the battle and Harper was anonymous for long spells. However us pumping long balls does not help him as he stops us from utilising his strengths. He is another that does not look entirely match fit. It shows how fit United are when the likes of Evans and Harper look so far behind the rest of the players. I think Harper will be a good signing though as he is tall, athletic and decent on the ball.
Montgomery 6.5/10 – Excellent in the first half winning loose balls and tackles but he was chasing things after the break and I felt Potter was able to exert far more influence on things and we did not close enough to him.
Treacy 5.5/10 – Thought he was quiet today and not really a factor. He put in a few good crosses and corners but overall he was not really involved and never got on the ball. Surprised he stayed on as long as he did. He is not a player that likes the physical stuff and if he does not get on the ball the game can pass him by.
Ward 7/10 – His mark would be higher if he had stayed on the pitch longer. He was excellent for the time he was on the pitch and caused Wednesday all sorts of problems. Took his goal well and was involved in most of the good things we did in the opening half an hour. Will be a real blow to lose him for the next few weeks as he has been our most dangerous player so far this season.
Henderson 7/10 – Sure he got booked and was involved in constant grappling with the Wednesday centre back and once again he got nothing from the referee but undeterred he just got on with things and clearly was a menace to Wednesday all night. I felt they struggled to hold his strength and aerial ability. If he does his job I feel others profit around him a bit like Heskey in the England side. I know he gets knocked a lot but I think we would notice a massive difference when he does not play (see Play off final).
Evans 6.5/10 – He is a good footballer and tries to play it to player’s feet which are encouraging signs. He also has a fierce shot and looks a goal threat. However, maybe I am being harsh but I do expect a bit more from him in terms of overall contribution. He is still not entirely fit and needs to be a bit more involved in games. When he does get into games good things tend to happen.
Subs-
Cotterill 5/10 – Made the third goal with a great cross and had a few other decent moments but overall I felt he was poor. We were on the back foot but he did not really help us defensively giving the ball away too easily or giving away needless fouls.
Quinn – Came on at the death as we tried to preserve the win.
France – See above.
Referee – Alan Wiley is in my opinion one of the best in the business but I actually thought he was poor tonight. He was quite fussy and I just felt he got quite a few decisions wrong both ways. I also thought even with my red and white tinted spectacles that he gave a number of 50/50 free kicks to Wednesday in the second half with many being in the final third. This of course put United under further pressure. He was another ref that seemed to have a personal vendetta against Henderson. Maybe he is actually fouling all the time and we are all wrong and all these referee’s are right!
Atmosphere/Crowd – Disappointed that the ground was not full with large gaps in the upper tier. The Wednesday fans will argue they could have had that but obviously United thought they could sell them. The last few seasons United have sold this section out but did not last night. The overall atmosphere was excellent but leading 3-0 against Wednesday does tend to help things along a bit! To see the Wednesday fans stood motionless was a great sight as United fans celebrated all around the ground wildly. After the break of course things changed and it was Wednesday roaring their team on and us biting our nails. Still made for a cracking atmosphere and although the quality of the game was not always top notch it must have made for an exciting game to watch; even for the neutral.
United fielded debutant Andrew Davies as Matthew Kilgallon was still not fit enough to take his place and went with a more orthodox 4-4-2 with Henderson partnering Evans up front after the reverse at Coventry and Harper making his home debut. Wednesday brought in Wood and O’Connor after their own defeat in the week.
The game began at the usual frenetic pace and Davies’ first contribution was not a positive one as he was booked for bringing down O’Connor as the midfielder drove towards goal. Potter fired the free kick well over the bar. United had their first opening and this also saw Davies involved as he flicked a header towards goal but Grant turned it over the bar. From the resultant corner the Blades went ahead and it was with only 7 minutes on the clock. It came via a corner and after Treacy’s delivery Morgan headed the ball down and after it deflected into his path WARD swivelled smartly and fired the ball home past the motionless Grant. Ward has now scored 4 goals already this term but none have been as important as this one as he wheeled away in front of the Wednesday fans behind Grant’s goal.
Wednesday tried to come back but efforts from Potter and Varney failed to trouble Bunn and it was not long before the lead had been doubled. United continued to put pressure on Wednesday with Wood and Purse struggling to handle Evans and Henderson. The goal came as Walker’s long throw was not cleared properly by O’Connor. Evans hit a shot towards goal and it was turned home via a deflection of HENDERSON and Wood that sent the ball spinning into the far corner.
Montgomery was the next man to go into referee Wiley’s book after he fouled Varney. The free kick saw Tudgay out jump Davies but Bunn was equal to it to tip the ball over the bar.
Ward was taken down and ominously a stretcher was called for with the free scoring winger having to be replaced by Cotterill. O’Connor then was cautioned after two fouls in quick succession and Henderson nearly made it three with a headed chance.
Half time was quickly approaching but not before the ball was in Wednesday’s net once again! Cotterill made up significant ground down the right hand side and sent over a dangerous cross into the box. BUXTON under pressure from Henderson could only head the ball into the top corner of his own net. There was not a question of it being a foul and the appeals were half hearted at best even from the defender himself. United were in dreamland. It has been a long time since the Blades were 3-0 up against their city neighbours and the fans were clearly going to enjoy it. Bunn punched away after a deflected effort and the half time whistle came not long after with the cheers that greeted it from the home fans surely being audible across the whole city. Wednesday in contrast looked stunned as their team trooped off the field and their fans stood motionless.
Wednesday knew that had to deliver an instant riposte and tried to shake things up with Esajas replacing Johnson. The reply was instant too as a goal came only moments after the half time whistle. Esajas’s header was blocked by his own man but as the ball dropped TUDGAY hit a tremendous shot with his left foot as the ball dropped to give the visitors hope. Both Tudgay and Bunn were booked after the goal; the former presumably for kicking the ball away and Tudgay for taking off his shirt. Wednesday continued to come at United with Gray firing wide and then Tudgay firing over after Bunn had blocked Esajas’ driven free kick.
Wednesday further reduced the arrears though after Cotterill fouled Wood. From the free kick ESAJAS took it and drilled a low shot into the corner pat Bunn and it was suddenly ‘game on.’ United now were looking totally uncomfortable with Wednesday now the team firmly in control. Clarke came on for Varney for the Owls and United were now struggling to stem the flow.
However, despite the momentum clearly changing, United had two chances of their own with Evans fierce shot being blocked and then Henderson forcing Grant into an excellent save. Esajas continued to be a threat and he had another good effort on goal that went narrowly wide as the game approached the final 10 minutes. Miller replaced O’Connor as Wednesday looked for a more attacking threat.
Wednesday were understandably pouring men forward but United were offered chances on the break. Evans hit a super shot that Grant did well to save and then Morgan’s header was saved by Grant. The Blades skipper was booked when he tried to stop Grant taking the quick free kick. Quinn and France both came on as United looked to see out time. Wednesday put a number of crosses and balls into the box but did not create a clear chance in the 5 minutes of stoppage time and as referee Wiley blew his whistle United could finally celebrate a long overdue victory against the old enemy It had been tougher than it should have been but never the less it was a win and three vital points into the bargain as well as cross city bragging rights.
Wednesday – In my mind they will finish around mid table and I saw nothing tonight to suggest anything otherwise. They have some positives but some negatives too and won’t be bad enough to be near the bottom but also won’t be good enough to be near the top. That is an honest opinion on them; not one as a fan of their hated rivals. I think Laws has done a tremendous job and appears to be a very good manager and gets the best out of what he has. It will be interesting to see what he does if and when he gets funds as of course the pressure changes. At the moment anything above top 8 or 9 is seen as a bonus but with money that will be expected every year; a bit like with us at the moment. I would have been a bit disappointed with some of the signings they made in the summer with Purse, Miller adding to players on the downside of the career such as Gray and O’Connor. I think he would have been better taking the Wolves approach and going for young, up and coming players. The squad is thin but is also relatively old. I am not sure on the average age but I reckon it is a fair bit higher than ours.
They have some good players going forward with the likes of Tudgay, Johnson and Esajas and some good honest club men type in midfield in Gray and O’Connor. I feel they are quite pedestrian at the back and lack mobility and nous. They ship goals all too easily; as tonight showed and their defensive away record last year. Purse is nearly done as a defender at this level and was an odd signing. He has been a solid centre back for many years but Cardiff knew he had completely lost his pace in the same way United did with Robert Page years ago. Wood has some good game and some wretched games and of course Beevers has not gone on from the promise he showed a few seasons ago. I feel the two full backs are poor defensively too and quick direct wingers will cause problems. Ward really worried Spurr until he had to go off and even though Cotterill was up and down he also caused the same player problems. I think Grant is a much improved keeper and is now displaying the promise he showed at Derby before falling away. He is one of the better keepers in the division.
United – It was not a tremendous performance but despite many Wednesday fans saying otherwise I felt we were value for the win. We controlled most of the first half and although Wednesday has a few half chances we looked like scoring every time we went forward. Wednesday were all over the place at the back and could not handle Ward and Henderson. Sure we had a bit of luck on the goals but how many times in the early to mid 2000’s have United battered Wednesday and just had absolutely no luck of Pressman saved them single handedly. Even Wednesday fans would admit that. Besides whilst 3-0 flattered us we definitely were the stronger side and were in cruise control at the break. Of course the early goal for Wednesday was the worst thing that could have happened. If we had kept it 3-0 for 10-15 minutes we could have gone onto win 4 or 5-0 without a question. United then sat back after the first goal and when the second came it was just a case of holding on. Actually with a bit more composure United could have scored a few more after this and Wednesday did not throw the proverbial kitchen sink at us as I expected. We were more in control at 3-2 than 3-1 actually in a perverse kind of way!
Still too much long ball and direct stuff and we tossed away possession too much in the second half yet again when we needed calm heads and to try and keep the ball. The pressure football with good set play delivery and getting the ball in the box (maybe it is classed as direct or in your face football) is fine but we need to mix it up a bit too. In the first half we did play some decent stuff along with the power stuff but in the second as they came back it was more lump ball or panic football again.
We do need to strengthen the squad in January and need at least 2 strikers (one with real pace) and a centre back minimum. To have no real striking option on the bench is criminal really and I am amazed Blackwell has not brought someone in. This is priority in the next week. I had no problem with the players Blackwell moved on as Bromby, Howard, Hendrie, Sharp and Carney all had plenty of chances and were all too slow, not athletic and too inconsistent to be seen as players we could rely on week in, week out to make a promotion challenge. Blackwell was right to move them on. However, we do need new faces and 2 or 3 more quality players. I can see it being similar to last season in that we will be in and around the top 6 most of the season but to push on we need those additions.
After a few years of hurt I will take the win and move on. Wednesday fans of course will bleat about pride etc but we won the game and that will do me. I will enjoy my weekend and most of their lot will not whatever they say! All this rubbish some have said about it feels like a draw or defeat annoys me. We have just beat Wednesday. 1-0, 5-0, 3-2. Who cares? Sheffield United have just beat Sheffield Wednesday. Enjoy it folks!!!
Bunn 7/10 – Made one or two good saves and punches and his general handling was good. His kicking was also a feature for us in our first half performance constantly putting Wednesday under pressure. He had no chance with the first goal but maybe he could have done better with the second as he himself admits. Sure it was well hit but it was nearly 35 yards out and as a former keeper I would have been disappointed to have let that in.
Walker 6/10 – A mixed bag really. Felt he was in control first half and Johnson was never in the game. To see his man taken off at half time is an accomplishment for you as a player but after the break it was a different story. Esajas caused him a lot of problems and he was often at full stretch or had to resort to fouling him to stem the flow.
Taylor 6/10 – I am still to be convinced by Taylor. He is decent on the ball and takes a good free kick and has done some good things but his positional sense is still a work in progress and he does seem physically weak in the challenge. He is also poor aerially and teams have used the diagonal ball to good effect isolating him on a taller player. I think with some coaching and improvements he can still be a good player as he is still fairly young but I think Naysmith will probably come back in when he is fit.
Morgan 7/10 – Thought it was a solid performance as he basically held the defence together especially in the second half when we were under the cosh. Having a new centre back partner for such a game cannot have been easy but he helped him along. Won a number of headers and clearances and led the team well.
Davies 5.5/10 – He looks like Kilgallon but did not play like him! Actually that is harsh as it cannot have been easy to come in on the day of the game and especially such a big game. I will be honest and say that I felt he did struggle for large portions of the game but I think one of the chief reasons for this was lack of sharpness and match practice which saw him slow to react to certain balls or moments in the game. He got better as the game went on and did win a few headers and blocks when we needed it towards the end of the game.
Harper 6.5/10 – His performance mirrored much of United’s. Felt along with Montgomery we controlled the midfield in the first half as we won many of the loose balls and helped put pressure on the Wednesday backline. In the second half Potter and O’Connor won the battle and Harper was anonymous for long spells. However us pumping long balls does not help him as he stops us from utilising his strengths. He is another that does not look entirely match fit. It shows how fit United are when the likes of Evans and Harper look so far behind the rest of the players. I think Harper will be a good signing though as he is tall, athletic and decent on the ball.
Montgomery 6.5/10 – Excellent in the first half winning loose balls and tackles but he was chasing things after the break and I felt Potter was able to exert far more influence on things and we did not close enough to him.
Treacy 5.5/10 – Thought he was quiet today and not really a factor. He put in a few good crosses and corners but overall he was not really involved and never got on the ball. Surprised he stayed on as long as he did. He is not a player that likes the physical stuff and if he does not get on the ball the game can pass him by.
Ward 7/10 – His mark would be higher if he had stayed on the pitch longer. He was excellent for the time he was on the pitch and caused Wednesday all sorts of problems. Took his goal well and was involved in most of the good things we did in the opening half an hour. Will be a real blow to lose him for the next few weeks as he has been our most dangerous player so far this season.
Henderson 7/10 – Sure he got booked and was involved in constant grappling with the Wednesday centre back and once again he got nothing from the referee but undeterred he just got on with things and clearly was a menace to Wednesday all night. I felt they struggled to hold his strength and aerial ability. If he does his job I feel others profit around him a bit like Heskey in the England side. I know he gets knocked a lot but I think we would notice a massive difference when he does not play (see Play off final).
Evans 6.5/10 – He is a good footballer and tries to play it to player’s feet which are encouraging signs. He also has a fierce shot and looks a goal threat. However, maybe I am being harsh but I do expect a bit more from him in terms of overall contribution. He is still not entirely fit and needs to be a bit more involved in games. When he does get into games good things tend to happen.
Subs-
Cotterill 5/10 – Made the third goal with a great cross and had a few other decent moments but overall I felt he was poor. We were on the back foot but he did not really help us defensively giving the ball away too easily or giving away needless fouls.
Quinn – Came on at the death as we tried to preserve the win.
France – See above.
Referee – Alan Wiley is in my opinion one of the best in the business but I actually thought he was poor tonight. He was quite fussy and I just felt he got quite a few decisions wrong both ways. I also thought even with my red and white tinted spectacles that he gave a number of 50/50 free kicks to Wednesday in the second half with many being in the final third. This of course put United under further pressure. He was another ref that seemed to have a personal vendetta against Henderson. Maybe he is actually fouling all the time and we are all wrong and all these referee’s are right!
Atmosphere/Crowd – Disappointed that the ground was not full with large gaps in the upper tier. The Wednesday fans will argue they could have had that but obviously United thought they could sell them. The last few seasons United have sold this section out but did not last night. The overall atmosphere was excellent but leading 3-0 against Wednesday does tend to help things along a bit! To see the Wednesday fans stood motionless was a great sight as United fans celebrated all around the ground wildly. After the break of course things changed and it was Wednesday roaring their team on and us biting our nails. Still made for a cracking atmosphere and although the quality of the game was not always top notch it must have made for an exciting game to watch; even for the neutral.
