Sheffield United vs Blackburn Rovers: 29th December 2018

[SBlue]

At the time of going to press: the world is shocked that The Queen has got a golden toilet, I’ve put on a(nother) stone of Xmas cheer, and disappointingly for some - Mowbray hasn’t resigned as a result of those late goals.

 

Well buckle up chaps, because it’s our final game of 2018 – and what a fantastic year it has been: 

We lost just two games at Ewood. 

We had a memorable, wonderful night in Doncaster (and therefore created a sentence never before written). 

We found out that Bradley Dack’s influence is such that if he bends down and points at a girl’s arse in a garden - we get tonked.

We’ve held our own in The Championship, then held it a little less.

We’ve become the Man City of spending loads to buy players we’ve never heard of just for a laugh.

And me and @Biz got banned from AirBnB after sharing a house boat before the Charlton game.

 

A bit better than 2017 anyway. 

I got banned from an airline that year.

 

Another tough away trip awaits for this calendar closer, but selfishly – I cannot bloody wait. 

Crazily, we haven’t played at Bramall Lane for over twelve years. 

Having lived within about a mile of the ground for over a decade, you can’t even begin to imagine how keenly anticipated this one is for me.

 

Needless to say I’m going on a ginormous piss up and I hope to see many of you there. 

 

The Opposition

Only out of League One for a season and a half, the Blades have impressed many with their “Total Yorkshire” tactics and can attack from any area of the pitch. Billy Sharp continues to defy all logic and actually be decent, and their keeper is a coin-throwing nob.

I’d say United are a good bet for the play-offs, and fair dos to them – at least they aren’t bloody Wednesday.

Championship form guide last 10 games

SUFC – W4 D3 L3
BRFC – W2 D4 L4

Head to head

BRFC – 54
Draw – 36
SUFC – 57

Notable ex-players:

James Beattie
Craig Short
Harry Chapman
Keith Gillespie (who once got in a scrap with a mate of a mate outside of Cuisine World, Accrington)
Alan Kelly
Lee Williamson
Jon Stead
Colin Kazim-Richards
Ashley Ward
Keith Treacy
Nick Blackman
Jordan Slew 

Quite the rogues gallery, please feel free to add anymore.

The Ground 

The oldest professional football stadium in the world and it has the concourses to prove it. 

Bramall Lane was converted from an international cricket ground in the late 19th century but only got a proper fourth side during the 1970s. Centrally located in the city, the stadium is deceptively impressive and quite grand once you get inside, although surprisingly only holds 1300 more than Ewood Park.

I imagine tickets will be available on the day, but beware – SHEFFIELD UNITED HAVE A £2 SURCHARGE. DAMN YOU WAGGOTT!

 

Local Knowledge:

Parking.
A bloody nightmare.

Being located near the city it’s busy on the streets around and there’s loads of resident parking schemes in place. United’s good gates means that space is at a premium everywhere so prepare yourself for 10-15 minute walks at best.

A safe and central (read busy) option is The Moor Market Car Park (S1 4QW) and I believe with a match ticket costs just £3.50 all day.

Milton St car park should be ok (S3 7WH) and there’s a Wetherspoons nearby too.

If you get there early enough the area south of the ground can be good for on-street gambles (try Broadfield Road S8 0XL) – this will avoid the city centre bollocks via sat nav from the north too. Please don’t hold me to this one if it’s packed by the time you get there.

 

Pubs.

Sheffield is the ale capital of the world. One brewery for every 24,000 people. I can highly recommend making a day of it at least.

All advice here is for people who know how to be discreet with colours and don’t feel compelled to sing before they get to the ground. 

If that isn’t you, just go to The Howard (S1 2LW), but the following are some of the finest boozers in the land.

Parking towards the south? Sheaf View (S2 3AA), The Brothers Arms (S8 9TZ)

Central? The Devonshire Cat (S1 4HG)

From the station? The Sheffield Tap (Platform 1), 

Station/Moor Car Park? The Rutland Arms (S1 2BS). If you see a drunk Gok Wan lookalike in here come and say hi.

BE AWARE OF SOME FANCY CRAFT BEER CITY PRICING

 

 

Sheffield is a fantastic, friendly, football mad city and if you are popping down give me a shout and let’s all round off 2018 in style.

 

If we get beat, as I expect we will – let’s hope that it is soundly and thoroughly within the first 85 minutes, so that Mowbray can keep his job.

 

You never know though… we might be able to shove those Greasy Chip Buttys right down their Yaakshire throats.

 

COYB

Edited December 27, 2018 by S8 & Blue

[DE.]

3-0 Sheff Utd. All goals come after the 85th minute. Mowbray assures us the inquest is at 'raised voice levels' and lessons will be learnt. 

Happy new year.

[blueboy3333]

Good Andre Preview. 

 Who are these two beautifully coiffured young studs who also played for both clubs?

Edited December 27, 2018 by blueboy3333

[tomphil]

We won't let a lead slip here because we won't get one, this is one i'd expect us to struggle in even if we'd won three on the bounce. We can't cope with physical sides so i'd be tempted to go and try to get a shut out, ten behind the ball start to finish.,, 0-0.  Mowbray has his teams caught between being a good counter attacking side or a non attack keep ball punt it forwards and hope style but with a formation set to counter. He needs to go one way or the other imo.

Blades  2 Rovers  0

[philipl]

Great preview. Did you sink the houseboat?

I have already foolishly said I wouldn't be surprised if we win this one. 

OK Mogga, I have defended you on these boards so please don't let us get played off the park like we were at Ewood.

Their record to date is W12 D5 L7 so they obviously include a few off days in their bag of fancy tricks. And they have only scored two more than we have let in....  

[Mercer]

Good preview!

Not a chance on Saturday.

We will concede at least 2 goals.

Our fitness levels are increasingly worrying and it will be no surprise to me if it looks like our 7th game in 7 days!

Bookies fancy us to take a pasting.  Best you can get on 4-1 is 25/1.  Gone for United at 11/17 and a couple of fun bets on 3-1 at 12/1 and 4-1 at 25/1. 

Edited December 27, 2018 by Mercer

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

Good Andre Preview. 

 Who are these two beautifully coiffured young studs who also played for both clubs?

Arnott and Speight ?

Wish we had those two lads now in our midfield now.

Skillful lad Arnott and Speight was blood and thunder.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Mercer

[SBlue]

46 minutes ago, philipl said:

Great preview. Did you sink the houseboat?

I have already foolishly said I wouldn't be surprised if we win this one. 

OK Mogga, I have defended you on these boards so please don't let us get played off the park like we were at Ewood.

Their record to date is W12 D5 L7 so they obviously include a few off days in their bag of fancy tricks. And they have only scored two more than we have let in....  

There's no proof!

I agree about the game. I'll take a performance exactly like the first 91 minutes vs. Leeds as second half I thought we were good value for at least a point.

Expect a few goals though.

Would drop Rodwell as I'm not a fan of his languid style, hopefully have Benno back for his spirit.

 

[BlackburnEnd75]

                       Raya

Nyambe.   Lenihan. Mulgrew  Bell

 Bennett.   Travis.   Reed       Rothwell

                          Dack

                         Graham

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Didn't Tony Field, Terry Garbett and David Bradford follow Ken Furphy over the hill to Sheffield ?

Regarding the game we've regressed to the point were we don't know our best 11again  and we have no really noticeable method of getting the ball from our box to their box on a regular basis.

I think we'll struggle but I'll consider it a success if we manage to play out the last ten minutes or so with the ball more in their half than ours. When you have all your players back in the last third you'll struggle no matter what level you're playing at. It's as simple as that really.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Exiled in Toronto]

20 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Didn't Tony Field, Terry Garbett and David Bradford follow Ken Furphy over the hill to Sheffield ?

Regarding the game we've regressed to the point were we don't know our best 11again  and we have no really noticeable method of getting the ball from our box to their box on a regular basis.

I think we'll struggle but I'll consider it a success if we manage to play out the last ten minutes or so with the ball more in their half than ours. When you have all your players back in the last third you'll struggle no matter what level your playing at. It's as simple as that really.

Almost as bad a day as when we sold Keith Newton. Whodathunk we’d be promoted 15 months later with Beamo up front!

Hilarious preview. It’s neck and neck between us and Man City as to who can avoid losing three on the bounce. Time the Dackster won us a game against better opponents.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5-4 to Sheffield United. We will out Rovers ourselves after leading 0-4 at half-time. 

Seriously though, who knows? We could badly do with 3 points is all I do know 

[matt83]

Need to be at least 3-0 up to have a chance. Although even that didn’t look to be enough vs stoke at times. 

[AllRoverAsia]

Very good preview. Thanks.

I fear a thumping. SU will go for the throat. At home to Leeds we had low possession and a poor pass completion rate, I read somewhere it was 57% but that probably includes hoofballs to head, chest and arse.

SU 4 Rovers 2

2 for us as we have Charlie, Dack or Graham are due one and their keeper is dodgy.

I hope Williams avoids scoring such a perfect goal as he did v Leeds.

[ChrisPriceBaldSpot]

I expect a real tense nervy game. I think we will be tighter than ever at the back. Still expect us to concede but final score prediction is 1-1. Dack with a late equaliser. 

Raya 

Downing Lenihan Mulgrew 

Bennett Reed Evans Bell

Rothwell Dack 

Graham 

 

[1864roverite]

Heavy defeat to round of an awful Xmas period

[Gone to seed]

Thanks for the preview, which made me chuckle. I have not so fond memories of Sheff U from the 70s, including a short stay in the police cells in Manchester following an away day train trip that went wrong (3-1 to the Blades I think), and losing a scarf to a mob on Livesey Branch Road after another mauling at home to the Yorkshire hordes. 

For Saturday, I can't see anything other than another galling defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Something seems to have snapped in this squad, and despite the obvious shortcomings of a basically League 1 playing staff, I think we've been found out by the opposition at this level. Time to change things up somehow (as per other thread) and look to charge into 2019 with a renewed optimism and realism - we aren't going to challenge for honours this year, or even be close, but I do hope we don't plummet into doom gloom and despondency and a feeling that we can't win anymore.

I'm expecting 3 or 4 goals for the Blades to be honest, with at best a late consolation once they'e put the game to bed. I dearly hope the Rovers pull a rabbit from the hat and come away with a point or three, but I shan't lose any sleep if we don't. I think we'd do better if we played in Blue and White, rather than that awful yellow big bird outfit that telegraphs our players' positions on the field much better than GoogleMaps could ever do..

COYB! 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Thanks for the preview, which made me chuckle. I have not so fond memories of Sheff U from the 70s, including a short stay in the police cells in Manchester following an away day train trip that went wrong (3-1 to the Blades I think), and losing a scarf to a mob on Livesey Branch Road after another mauling at home to the Yorkshire hordes. 

For Saturday, I can't see anything other than another galling defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Something seems to have snapped in this squad, and despite the obvious shortcomings of a basically League 1 playing staff, I think we've been found out by the opposition at this level. Time to change things up somehow (as per other thread) and look to charge into 2019 with a renewed optimism and realism - we aren't going to challenge for honours this year, or even be close, but I do hope we don't plummet into doom gloom and despondency and a feeling that we can't win anymore.

I'm expecting 3 or 4 goals for the Blades to be honest, with at best a late consolation once they'e put the game to bed. I dearly hope the Rovers pull a rabbit from the hat and come away with a point or three, but I shan't lose any sleep if we don't. I think we'd do better if we played in Blue and White, rather than that awful yellow big bird outfit that telegraphs our players' positions on the field much better than GoogleMaps could ever do..

COYB! 

I agree about the away kit, it's bloody awful. They play in red and white, why can't we play in our usual strip ?

[AAK]

18 hours ago, Mercer said:

Good preview!

Not a chance on Saturday.

We will concede at least 2 goals.

Our fitness levels are increasingly worrying and it will be no surprise to me if it looks like our 7th game in 7 days!

Bookies fancy us to take a pasting.  Best you can get on 4-1 is 25/1.  Gone for United at 11/17 and a couple of fun bets on 3-1 at 12/1 and 4-1 at 25/1. 

If you're looking to make money, put on 4 or more goals to be scored in any rovers game. Happened 14 out of 26 games in all competitions this season with Rovers, just under 54% of games, you'll make more money than you lose.

[blueboy3333]

14 minutes ago, AAK said:

If you're looking to make money, put on 4 or more goals to be scored in any rovers game. Happened 14 out of 26 games in all competitions this season with Rovers, just under 54% of games, you'll make more money than you lose.

Look and learn @Mercer. That losing streak has to come to an end sometime. Keep the faith!

[davulsukur]

3 or maybe even 4 -1 to the blades. We can't stop conceding goals for fun. Mogga won't change so I don't expect our goals against column to improve either. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

It's gone to the stage where if I checked the score at half time and we were winning 4-0, I wouldnt be sure we would win. Im not actually joking. We would need to score the first after half time to finish the game off. That's a bit crazy. 

Some mental failing has infected the team. I saw in Mulgrews interview after the Leeds game that he knows it. I would love to hear Mulgrew speak honestly about who he would want out of the team. It would be fascinating. 

Whilst we all talk about Dack, if you took Mulgrew out of that team , I reckon we would struggle big time. Too many lads that can't keep their heads under pressure. It's worrying at this time of the season. 

Lenihan, Williams and Smallwood are the main offenders. 

Then you have a lad Like Armstrong starting, who would be one of the last players I would want in a fight. What Mowbray sees in him, I just don't know. 

I think the 4 of them need to be removed from the starting 11. Get Downing, Bell, Rodwell and Rothwell in for now. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[Gone to seed]

19 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

It's gone to the stage where if I checked the score at half time and we were winning 4-0, I wouldnt be sure we would win. Im not actually joking. We would need to score the first after half time to finish the game off. That's a bit crazy. 

Some mental failing has infected the team. I saw in Mulgrews interview after the Leeds game that he knows it. I would love to hear Mulgrew speak honestly about who he would want out of the team. It would be fascinating. 

Whilst we all talk about Dack, if you took Mulgrew out of that team , I reckon we would struggle big time. Too many lads that can't keep their heads under pressure. It's worrying at this time of the season. 

Lenihan, Williams and Smallwood are the main offenders. 

Then you have a lad Like Armstrong starting, who would be one of the last players I would want in a fight. What Mowbray sees in him, I just don't know. 

I think the 4 of them need to be removed from the starting 11. Get Downing, Bell, Rodwell and Rothwell in for now. 

I think that is fair comment. If the manager thinks they have something to contribute, let them do it from the bench if there appears to be a need for their input. Otherwise stiffen up the backbone of the team, work harder in training on fitness and mental stamina over 90 mins, and man up for fecks sake Rovers!

[Mattyblue]

The thing keeping Armstrong around the team must be his pace (not that he knows how to utilise it), as we are otherwise a painfully slow side.

[Ewood Ace]

21 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Lenihan, Williams and Smallwood are the main offenders. 

Then you have a lad Like Armstrong starting, who would be one of the last players I would want in a fight. What Mowbray sees in him, I just don't know. 

I think the 4 of them need to be removed from the starting 11. Get Downing, Bell, Rodwell and Rothwell in for now. 

Bell? He's probably the player I'd least want in fight of our squad. Look at the winning goal lazily just dangling a leg out to try and stop the cross (and certainly not for the first time this season), everything that he does on the pitch looks half hearted.