Sheffield United’s winless start to the season continued on Saturday evening but the manner of their battling performance against the might of Manchester United should give renewed hope that their current situation can be turned around.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side are battling the odds on and off the pitch, with their patched-up defence keeping the Red Devils contained until Diego Dalot’s stunning winner 13 minutes from time broke their hearts. Before the game there was another injury blow, this time for defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, while Oli McBurnie limped off five minutes after the break after earlier suffering damage to his groin.
A change of shape, a touch of Harry Maguire class and a proud day for one of the Blades players are all amongst our big talking points from the Bramall Lane defeat...
5. Harsh on Wes
The United goalkeeper did well to get anywhere near Dalot’s stunning winner, and has subsequently been criticised by some supporters for not keeping it out. True, Foderingham did get a hand on the effort but it was so well-hit and directed that it seems a little harsh to criticise the United No.1 - especially considering the form he has been in this season. He has been United’s best player by a considerable margin and made a superb stop again to deny Rasmus Højlund in the first half from close range. Without him United could have been on the wrong end of a few more Newcastle-like hammerings but as ever, the tide of opinion on social media is quick to turn if supporters feel a player has been below-par. Frustration is understandably high on the terraces after this winless run, but fingers should be pointed in many other areas before they get anywhere near close to the United goalkeeper
Harry Maguire isn’t used to good receptions from sections of his own fans, either for club or country, and if he heard it, will have privately appreciated the nice round of applause he received ahead of kick-off, with stadium announcer Gary Sinclair purposely leaving his name until last when reading out the teams as the start of the game approached. There was a less hospitable welcome once the first whistle blew, one thunderous tackle from Vini Souza sending him to the turf and leaving him moaning to the ref, while United’s forwards gave him and veteran Jonny Evans plenty to think about as they buzzed about and looked to make something happen. But Maguire was more than up to the task, winning Sky’s man of the match award and earning a chant of his name from the away end at the final whistle. Putting football tribalism aside for a moment and speaking as a human being, it was a nice moment after what must have been a tough time of late and he reciprocated the applause from the home end as he made his way off the pitch, later giving his shirt to a long-serving member of staff he remembers from his days at Bramall Lane. Once a Blade, always a Blade
It came more out of necessity than anything else but it will have been another proud moment for Ollie Norwood, to wear the captain’s armband against the side where he began his professional career. Norwood spent half his professional career as a Man United player before forging his own path elsewhere but retains a big affection for the Red Devils - not that you’d have known it from the way he snapped into tackles from the first whistle, with the armband and past allegiances maybe providing extra motivation. With his record he may not have dreamed about scoring when his head hit the pillow last night but he wasn’t far away from doing so, forcing Andre Onana to tip over a thunderously-struck shot that arrowed from Norwood’s left boot towards the Kop goal. Another in a long line of ‘what if?’ moments that are already piling up this season....
As well as the now-obligatory marking of world events outside of football, this time the conflict between Israel and Palestine, there were tributes before the game to two fallen sons of these two great clubs - Tommy Hoyland, of the original United, and Bobby Charlton of their namesakes. Charlton’s death was announced earlier in the day, sparking real grief at a club that he served with such distinction, while United also paid tribute to Hoyland, who was a similarly fine servant for the Blades and proudly saw the family association with United continue through his son Tommy, who followed his dad in playing for his boyhood club and was at the Lane to hear Sinclair’s touching pre-match tribute and a warm minute of applause in his old man’s memory. RIP, Tommy and Bobby
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