Form, clean sheets & fans' anxiety

Last updated : 27 February 2013 By SheffieldUnitedMad

Blades fans may have trudged out of Bramall Lane last night having hoped for much better against a mid-table Leyton Orient side, albeit a side that came to frustrate us and almost headed back down the M1 with maximum points.

If it wasn’t for a string of fine saves by young-stopper George Long, the Bramall Lane faithful might have had much more to complain about.

Perhaps a bit of perspective is needed. A draw at Bournemouth at the weekend and a victory tonight would have left Unitedites pretty pleased, and as manager Danny Wilson said in his post match press conference, 13 points out of our next possible 15 would most definitely suffice.

Seven wins and seven draws at home tells a story of its own. The fact that we’re unable turn most of those draws into wins (when quite conceivably we should have) shows the probable underlying hindrance for Danny Wilson’s men.

The Blades boss mentioned a nervousness about our play, particularly in the home games, and he believed this could be down to fans’ anxiety.

He said: “There’s a bit of nervousness about, and I have to say that when the fans start ‘umming and arring’ when we misplace a pass it puts the lads under pressure.

“We just want to hear encouragement, and we know that the fans won’t get behind us all of the time, but that’s what we’d want it an ideal world.

“The last thing the lads want is the fans jumping on their backs.”

He has a point, but it’s bit of a double-edged sword really. If the players aren’t producing it on the pitch, the fans are bound to get restless and anxious, although perhaps if fans got behind the boys a little bit more it might work a treat.

In comparison to our away form, which reads nine wins, six draws and two losses, this gives Wilson’s issue a bit of substance.

It’s been said before that playing away at times can have a positive influence on results with the pressure being not as intense, and maybe United have backed that theory up this season.

Four consecutive clean sheets from George Long and his defence makes very good reading, so there are positives to be had.

A win on Saturday at Oldham and everything is rosy again. There will be many twists and turns still to come, and the congestion in the top six just outlines that.