The last game that we played B.P. (Before Pandemic) was the very fixture that we played today. The only real difference was the division with the match now being a Championship game rather than a Premier League clash. On that day, Billy Sharp scored a bullet header to secure us a crucial three points on our quest for a European place. How times have changed as now both teams came into today's game in pretty awful form. So, a drab 0-0 it is then? No actually, far from it.
Changes were afoot after the Coventry debacle (I've still not fully recovered from that yet) with Sharp, Fleck, Brewster and McAtee coming back into the starting line-up. The game got off to a calamitous start for United with some blasé passing around the back seeing Pukki block a Davies clearance with the ball rolling into the net and causing consternation in the stands. United probed for an equaliser but couldn't string a pass together to save a life and looked vulnerable to the counter and, more pertinently, balls over the top and this was how Norwich would bag a second just after the quarter hour mark. A long ball was hoofed between Ahmedhodzic and Pukki with Pukki managing to hold off the attentions of the ex-Malmo man and slot home, ignoring the attention of some Blades defenders as he bagged. The atmosphere upped, but not in a good way as the United faithful were staring down the barrel of another defeat. United did look for a way back into the game in the next phase of play and Norwood sent a free kick flying over the crossbar and Brewster rose highest to an Osborn cross but sent it high over the bar again. Norwich almost had a third via Josh Sargent who was set free in our box after, you guessed it, another counterattack. Adam Davies produced a smart save to deny the US international and United hung on. United came closest to getting a goal back five minutes before half time with Norwood forcing a smart save from Gunn after some good play from Sharp. United continued to press for a goal but it wasn't coming and there was a smattering of boos as the teams headed back down the tunnel for a fifteen-minute break. The odds looked against United, how would we respond? Iliman Ndiaye was introduced at the break as United looked to force the issue with The Canaries. The introduction of Ndiaye saw United come out fighting and our Senegalese international nearly converted after a mesmerising dribble saw him have two bites of the cherry but saw his first effort blocked and then his second effort flew over the bar despite the goal being pretty open. Just after the hour mark, United would halve the deficit thanks to Ben Osborn. Sharp laid the ball into the path of the former Forest man to curl home from close range and raise the octave of The Lane as we now had a sliver of hope. As United searched for an equaliser, Norwich began to remind us all of how good they are at feigning injury and buying fouls as they looked to wind down the clock and frustrate The Blades and the fans. Despite the gamesmanship, United would not be denied an equaliser and Oli McBurnie would be the one to get us back on level terms! A cracking cross from Osborn found McBurnie at the back stick with his first effort hitting the post but, thankfully, the rebound hit McBurnie as he slid towards the net and the ball settled in the net as The Lane went bananas and McBurnie had his sixth of the season which equals his total during his first season in a Blades shirt. The game began to swing with end-to-end football as both teams looked for a winner. Hernandez, Pukki and Nunez all had efforts for the visitors with Doyle, Khadra and McBurnie going close for United. As we entered the final five minutes however, we would gift Norwich a chance to take all free points after Egan brought down Sargent to give Pukki a chance to get his hat trick. The Finnish international stepped up... And saw his effort saved by Davies! The Welsh international redeemed himself after his early blunder and gave us a good chance to be able to get a winner and as the game entered added time, it was United who would have the closer opportunities to get a win with McBurnie missing two very good opportunities to get his second with his first header looking destined to nestle in the net, but Gunn was there to produce a great reaction save to somehow keep the ball out of the net. United continued to push but it wasn't to be and for the second home game running, a thrilling contest saw both teams share the points. A really strange afternoon for United today. The first half was a continuation of Wednesday with the team looking like they've never played together in their lives with missed passes aplenty and simply chasing shadows as Norwich knocked the ball around us. They didn't really create much, and both their goals came as a result of defensive errors. We could easily have crumbled, but we came out of the break with fire in our belly and once we equalised, it looked like only one team would go on and win the game and that was The Blades. Once we had our creative outlet in Ndaiye on the pitch, we looked a much better outfit which begs the question, why didn't he (or Doyle) start the game? I think it's all down to player stamina at this point with Doyle and Ndiaye both being constant starters in our current run of games. If we had more players available against either Coventry or Blackpool, they probably would have been rested for at least one of those games and started this one. Alas, half our squad is injured, and we don't yet have the privilege to rest players for bigger games. When we have those players on IR back, maybe we'll see more rests and Hecky probably saw the return of Fleck as a way to rest Doyle and go to a flat 3 and rest Ndiaye as well. Unfortunately, we crapped the bed a bit in the first half and Ndiaye and Doyle both played crucial roles in our comeback. So, it's another game without a win but there is hope there unlike in our other games in this slump. If we play like the second half team against West Brom, I can see us getting a positive result! Until next time, UTB.
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AuthorHi my name is John and i will be giving my thoughts on the blades matches and all blades related news in this section Archives
November 2022
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