Balham Blade
S24SU Seer
Where are they now?
Manchester City 2 (Agüero, de Bruyne)
Sheffield United 0
29 December 2019, Premier League
United’s first game against City in nearly 12 years saw us go toe-to-toe with the reigning champions, a team which had won 25 of its past 29 home league games (D1 L3). Lys Mousset had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside call. From memory, the lines didn’t come out but the image below shows just how close it was.
City then took the lead in controversial circumstances as referee Chris Kavanagh got in the way and forced John Fleck into an error. The loose ball was pounced upon by Kevin de Bruyne who set up Sergio Agüero for the opener. Kavanagh may not have touched the ball but he should have stopped the game. De Bruyne then put the game to bed with a late second for City.
GK: Dean Henderson. One of the heroes of our rise to the Premier League and subsequent 9th place finish. Confident to the point of cockiness but able to back that up with big saves when it mattered, he represented a serious upgrade on former loanee Jamal Blackman and perennial backup man Simon Moore. Should forever be remembered for his dive against Wigan after Lee Evans’ (remember him?) wild shot. Used his success with us to negotiate a bumper new contract at Manchester but his for the Newton Heath #1 shirt was undermined by an unfortunately timed injury and then a couple of high-profile errors. Went from being an ever present at Shrewsbury in 17/18 and his two seasons at United (18/19 & 19/20) to a rotational then reserve role at Manchester (27 appearances in 20/21 followed by 3 in 21/22). Currently on loan at Forest but another unfortunately timed injury has seen him lose his place to January signing Keylor Navas. Has another two years on his Manchester contract but probably has a decision to make this summer.
DCR: Chris Basham. Despite being a Geordie, Basham has become Mr Sheffield United and has made over 380 appearances for us. Joined as one of Nigel Clough’s first signings in July 2014 and if he stays to the end of his contract next year he will have been with United for 10 years. Lost his place under Jokanovic as we attempted to move to a back 4 then has become understudy to Anel Ahmedhodzic this season. Ever reliable, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him play at Wembley.
DC: John Egan. Another one still at the club, Egan has been virtually ever present during his 5 seasons at United. Now, finally, Ireland’s first choice centre half too. Signed for nearly our entire transfer budget in the summer of 2018 but proved a worthwhile investment and a huge upgrade on those who’d taken the central slot in Wilderball 3-5-2 before. Will captain us at Wembley when Sharp isn't on the pitch
DCL: Jack O’Connell. Sob. Out for two and a half years with a series of knee injuries and with his contract up in the summer it’s unlikely he’ll ever play for us again. Should have been capped by England and was a pivotal part of our successful seasons; it’s arguable that we’ve never really recovered from his absence. Out of contract in the summer.
WBR: George Baldock. Furious Baldockiakos. Now a full international for Greece, he’s become virtually indispensable. End product remains a bit hit and miss but his aggression, enthusiasm and love for the club make him one of the first names on Heckingbottom’s teamsheet in the crunch games.
MCR: Mo Besic. On loan from Everton for the 2019/20 season but never really held down a place, making 13 appearances in all competitions. Left out of Everton’s squad the following season but remained at Goodison Park before being released in the summer of 2021. Joined Ferencvaros in September 2021 and was a key first team player until he ruptured a cruciate ligament in February. Probably won’t play again until 2024.
MC: Oli Norwood. Another seemingly indispensable player under all our recent managers, Norwood has repaid his meagre £1.75m transfer fee many times over. The architect of the successful Wilderball rise and, unfortunately, a key component of its downfall as teams realised that the Norwood ‘ping’ to the wingbacks was the key. By shutting Norwood and highlighting his lack of mobility teams have been able to make United a lot less effective. That said, Norwood will definitely start against City but questions are beginning to be asked about his long term future at the Blades. Under contract to 2024 but will almost certainly be a bit-part player next season with our recent upturn in form coinciding with Norwood losing his place to Tommy Doyle.
MCL: John Fleck. One of Wilder’s first signings and was talked about as a £20m target for Arsenal at the top of our rise. Nothing came of that and Fleck’s form and fitness have suffered since. In and out of the team either through rotation or injury this season, he’s another who has lost his place to a City loanee but because of the loan rules will almost certainly play at Wembley. With his lucrative contract up in the summer it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a parting of the ways – possibly back to boyhood club Rangers.
FW: Callum Robinson. Poor Callum. Signed from Preston for a then-club record fee rising to £6m but never really settled at the Lane. Wilder and the scouting team had clearly seen something in Robinson’s form as a wide forward for the Lilywhites but a serious hamstring injury had kept him out for a chunk of the 2018/19 season and there were question marks over its long term impact. We tried to play him at centre forward but he looked lost, it was no surprise to anyone that this was his last start for the Blades. Moved to West Brom in January 2020, initially on loan but the move was made permanent by the Baggies after their promotion, United receiving £4m and Oli The Burke. Was a regular for his first two seasons at the Hawthorns, scoring 5 in 28 as they were relegated with us before netting 7 in 43 the following season, including one against United as we were smashed 4-0 in the nadir of Jokanovic’s reign. Joined Cardiff on deadline day last summer for £1.5m having fallen out of favour with Steve Bruce, he has made 22 league appearances this season but has missed the last two months with a knee/leg injury
FW: Lys Mousset. Wasteman. Another club record signing, this time for £4m rising to £10m although the fee wouldn’t ever get near the maximum. Was almost unplayable in the first 6 months of the 2019/20 season, with the highlight being a near-flawless performance against Manchester United in a 3-3 draw. Form and in particular fitness faded after lockdown as his lack of professionalism began to take its toll; Mousset would end up only making 7 further starts for us after football restarted in September 2020. Joined Salernitana on loan in January 2022 but only made 6 appearances for la granata as he was plagued by further fitness issues. Left United when his contract expired in 2022 to join Bundesliga VfL Bochum but was sacked by die Unabsteigbaren for being ”unmotivated, unpunctual and unprofessional”. Joined French Ligue 2 side Nîmes in January.
Subs
GK: Michael Verrips. Signed as a free agent after rescinding his KV Mechelen contract following their matchfixing conviction. This was subject to an appeal by the Belgian club and a shaky debut in the FA Cup against Fylde before he went off injured led a lot of Unitedites to wonder whether he was worth the hassle. Almost certainly a van Winckel signing he was shipped off on loan back to his homeland, first to Emmen then to Fortuna Sittard. Made his move to Fortuna permanent in the summer but was immediately loaned out to FC Groningen where he has conceded two a game on average. With FC Emmen third bottom and Groningen second bottom it is entirely plausible that both his current and his parent club will get relegated this season. Rumoured to have been nicknamed “No Hands” at Shirecliffe and demonstrated this in his one league appearance for United – the 4-0 shellacking under the Hoofwaffe bombardment at Valerian Ismael’s West Brom in 2021.
Phil Jagielka: covered repeatedly in these reports. Over 760 career appearances at United (287), Everton (384), United (22), Derby (21) and now Stoke (45). 40 England caps. Still going at nearly 41.
Luke Freeman: yet another then-club-record signing, joining United for just over £4m after we triggered a release clause in his QPR contract. Seemed to perform better as a bigger fish in a smaller pond but had always done well against us (see also: Paul Shaw). Never really fitted in at United as we were all about the team and Freeman is an individual. Struggled for starts at United so opted to drop back into the Championship with Forest for the 20/21 season but that wasn’t a success and Forest chose to not exercise their option to buy. Bit part player as he struggled with fitness issues in 21/22, he joined Millwall in January 22 but a hamstring injury limited him to a single appearance for the Lions. Quietly departed United in the summer when his contract expired, joining Luton. Has made 23 appearances for the Hatters as they make an unlikely promotion charge but missed three months of the season with a groin injury and has been limited to substitute appearances since he returned at the end of March.
Ben Osborn: signed from Forest for around £3m in 2020. Wholehearted, versatile, clearly a nice bloke but ultimately not good enough to hold down a place in our team. Has been in and out with injuries this season including a recent unfortunate accident during the international break. May well not make another United appearance as his contract is up in the summer.
Oli McBurnie: divisive among the fans, lauded by his teammates, McBurnie is a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Has scored 13 league goals and two crucial FA Cup goals this season. Contract up in the summer but with an option to extend; it’s almost certain that he’ll be with us next season but needs to improve his fitness record if he’s to make many appearances.
Billy Sharp: scores goals. Well, used to score goals: he’s been stuck on 249 career league goals since December and his instincts have been slightly dulled recently as he’s missed chances you’d expect him to take in recent games. Clearly still an absolute model professional as he’s only missed a couple of games this season while other younger players dropped like flies with muscular injuries. Out of contract in the summer.
David McGoldrick: an absolute joy to watch. Came to United on trial but was signed after half a game against Stocksbridge Park Steels when it was clear to all concerned that he was and is a thoroughly lovely footballer. If he had pace or could finish reliably he’d have been a megastar; technically he’s superb. Left United in the summer for a fresh start in League One with Derby, he’s been their talisman with 21 league goals in 36 appearances as the Rams try to put their issues behind them. Has a chance to reconfirm his legend status in the eyes of all Unitedites on the final day as Derby take on our neighbours who will probably need to win to have a shout of automatic promotion. Indeed, there’s every chance that he’ll have three games in a row against Wednesday – is 9 goals too much to ask for?
It turns out I've written up one final one of these which I'd forgotten about - that'll be posted tomorrow morning
Manchester City 2 (Agüero, de Bruyne)
Sheffield United 0
29 December 2019, Premier League
United’s first game against City in nearly 12 years saw us go toe-to-toe with the reigning champions, a team which had won 25 of its past 29 home league games (D1 L3). Lys Mousset had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside call. From memory, the lines didn’t come out but the image below shows just how close it was.
City then took the lead in controversial circumstances as referee Chris Kavanagh got in the way and forced John Fleck into an error. The loose ball was pounced upon by Kevin de Bruyne who set up Sergio Agüero for the opener. Kavanagh may not have touched the ball but he should have stopped the game. De Bruyne then put the game to bed with a late second for City.
GK: Dean Henderson. One of the heroes of our rise to the Premier League and subsequent 9th place finish. Confident to the point of cockiness but able to back that up with big saves when it mattered, he represented a serious upgrade on former loanee Jamal Blackman and perennial backup man Simon Moore. Should forever be remembered for his dive against Wigan after Lee Evans’ (remember him?) wild shot. Used his success with us to negotiate a bumper new contract at Manchester but his for the Newton Heath #1 shirt was undermined by an unfortunately timed injury and then a couple of high-profile errors. Went from being an ever present at Shrewsbury in 17/18 and his two seasons at United (18/19 & 19/20) to a rotational then reserve role at Manchester (27 appearances in 20/21 followed by 3 in 21/22). Currently on loan at Forest but another unfortunately timed injury has seen him lose his place to January signing Keylor Navas. Has another two years on his Manchester contract but probably has a decision to make this summer.
DCR: Chris Basham. Despite being a Geordie, Basham has become Mr Sheffield United and has made over 380 appearances for us. Joined as one of Nigel Clough’s first signings in July 2014 and if he stays to the end of his contract next year he will have been with United for 10 years. Lost his place under Jokanovic as we attempted to move to a back 4 then has become understudy to Anel Ahmedhodzic this season. Ever reliable, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him play at Wembley.
DC: John Egan. Another one still at the club, Egan has been virtually ever present during his 5 seasons at United. Now, finally, Ireland’s first choice centre half too. Signed for nearly our entire transfer budget in the summer of 2018 but proved a worthwhile investment and a huge upgrade on those who’d taken the central slot in Wilderball 3-5-2 before. Will captain us at Wembley when Sharp isn't on the pitch
DCL: Jack O’Connell. Sob. Out for two and a half years with a series of knee injuries and with his contract up in the summer it’s unlikely he’ll ever play for us again. Should have been capped by England and was a pivotal part of our successful seasons; it’s arguable that we’ve never really recovered from his absence. Out of contract in the summer.
WBR: George Baldock. Furious Baldockiakos. Now a full international for Greece, he’s become virtually indispensable. End product remains a bit hit and miss but his aggression, enthusiasm and love for the club make him one of the first names on Heckingbottom’s teamsheet in the crunch games.
MCR: Mo Besic. On loan from Everton for the 2019/20 season but never really held down a place, making 13 appearances in all competitions. Left out of Everton’s squad the following season but remained at Goodison Park before being released in the summer of 2021. Joined Ferencvaros in September 2021 and was a key first team player until he ruptured a cruciate ligament in February. Probably won’t play again until 2024.
MC: Oli Norwood. Another seemingly indispensable player under all our recent managers, Norwood has repaid his meagre £1.75m transfer fee many times over. The architect of the successful Wilderball rise and, unfortunately, a key component of its downfall as teams realised that the Norwood ‘ping’ to the wingbacks was the key. By shutting Norwood and highlighting his lack of mobility teams have been able to make United a lot less effective. That said, Norwood will definitely start against City but questions are beginning to be asked about his long term future at the Blades. Under contract to 2024 but will almost certainly be a bit-part player next season with our recent upturn in form coinciding with Norwood losing his place to Tommy Doyle.
MCL: John Fleck. One of Wilder’s first signings and was talked about as a £20m target for Arsenal at the top of our rise. Nothing came of that and Fleck’s form and fitness have suffered since. In and out of the team either through rotation or injury this season, he’s another who has lost his place to a City loanee but because of the loan rules will almost certainly play at Wembley. With his lucrative contract up in the summer it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a parting of the ways – possibly back to boyhood club Rangers.
FW: Callum Robinson. Poor Callum. Signed from Preston for a then-club record fee rising to £6m but never really settled at the Lane. Wilder and the scouting team had clearly seen something in Robinson’s form as a wide forward for the Lilywhites but a serious hamstring injury had kept him out for a chunk of the 2018/19 season and there were question marks over its long term impact. We tried to play him at centre forward but he looked lost, it was no surprise to anyone that this was his last start for the Blades. Moved to West Brom in January 2020, initially on loan but the move was made permanent by the Baggies after their promotion, United receiving £4m and Oli The Burke. Was a regular for his first two seasons at the Hawthorns, scoring 5 in 28 as they were relegated with us before netting 7 in 43 the following season, including one against United as we were smashed 4-0 in the nadir of Jokanovic’s reign. Joined Cardiff on deadline day last summer for £1.5m having fallen out of favour with Steve Bruce, he has made 22 league appearances this season but has missed the last two months with a knee/leg injury
FW: Lys Mousset. Wasteman. Another club record signing, this time for £4m rising to £10m although the fee wouldn’t ever get near the maximum. Was almost unplayable in the first 6 months of the 2019/20 season, with the highlight being a near-flawless performance against Manchester United in a 3-3 draw. Form and in particular fitness faded after lockdown as his lack of professionalism began to take its toll; Mousset would end up only making 7 further starts for us after football restarted in September 2020. Joined Salernitana on loan in January 2022 but only made 6 appearances for la granata as he was plagued by further fitness issues. Left United when his contract expired in 2022 to join Bundesliga VfL Bochum but was sacked by die Unabsteigbaren for being ”unmotivated, unpunctual and unprofessional”. Joined French Ligue 2 side Nîmes in January.
Subs
GK: Michael Verrips. Signed as a free agent after rescinding his KV Mechelen contract following their matchfixing conviction. This was subject to an appeal by the Belgian club and a shaky debut in the FA Cup against Fylde before he went off injured led a lot of Unitedites to wonder whether he was worth the hassle. Almost certainly a van Winckel signing he was shipped off on loan back to his homeland, first to Emmen then to Fortuna Sittard. Made his move to Fortuna permanent in the summer but was immediately loaned out to FC Groningen where he has conceded two a game on average. With FC Emmen third bottom and Groningen second bottom it is entirely plausible that both his current and his parent club will get relegated this season. Rumoured to have been nicknamed “No Hands” at Shirecliffe and demonstrated this in his one league appearance for United – the 4-0 shellacking under the Hoofwaffe bombardment at Valerian Ismael’s West Brom in 2021.
Phil Jagielka: covered repeatedly in these reports. Over 760 career appearances at United (287), Everton (384), United (22), Derby (21) and now Stoke (45). 40 England caps. Still going at nearly 41.
Luke Freeman: yet another then-club-record signing, joining United for just over £4m after we triggered a release clause in his QPR contract. Seemed to perform better as a bigger fish in a smaller pond but had always done well against us (see also: Paul Shaw). Never really fitted in at United as we were all about the team and Freeman is an individual. Struggled for starts at United so opted to drop back into the Championship with Forest for the 20/21 season but that wasn’t a success and Forest chose to not exercise their option to buy. Bit part player as he struggled with fitness issues in 21/22, he joined Millwall in January 22 but a hamstring injury limited him to a single appearance for the Lions. Quietly departed United in the summer when his contract expired, joining Luton. Has made 23 appearances for the Hatters as they make an unlikely promotion charge but missed three months of the season with a groin injury and has been limited to substitute appearances since he returned at the end of March.
Ben Osborn: signed from Forest for around £3m in 2020. Wholehearted, versatile, clearly a nice bloke but ultimately not good enough to hold down a place in our team. Has been in and out with injuries this season including a recent unfortunate accident during the international break. May well not make another United appearance as his contract is up in the summer.
Oli McBurnie: divisive among the fans, lauded by his teammates, McBurnie is a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Has scored 13 league goals and two crucial FA Cup goals this season. Contract up in the summer but with an option to extend; it’s almost certain that he’ll be with us next season but needs to improve his fitness record if he’s to make many appearances.
Billy Sharp: scores goals. Well, used to score goals: he’s been stuck on 249 career league goals since December and his instincts have been slightly dulled recently as he’s missed chances you’d expect him to take in recent games. Clearly still an absolute model professional as he’s only missed a couple of games this season while other younger players dropped like flies with muscular injuries. Out of contract in the summer.
David McGoldrick: an absolute joy to watch. Came to United on trial but was signed after half a game against Stocksbridge Park Steels when it was clear to all concerned that he was and is a thoroughly lovely footballer. If he had pace or could finish reliably he’d have been a megastar; technically he’s superb. Left United in the summer for a fresh start in League One with Derby, he’s been their talisman with 21 league goals in 36 appearances as the Rams try to put their issues behind them. Has a chance to reconfirm his legend status in the eyes of all Unitedites on the final day as Derby take on our neighbours who will probably need to win to have a shout of automatic promotion. Indeed, there’s every chance that he’ll have three games in a row against Wednesday – is 9 goals too much to ask for?
It turns out I've written up one final one of these which I'd forgotten about - that'll be posted tomorrow morning
