2012/13 SUFC SCHOOL REPORT
As I have traditionally done at the end of the last few seasons; it is that time again when I write a review of the campaign and also compile a school report for the different sections of the club. I will look at how they have fared and what are the prospects for next season for each respective department of the club.
I will begin with the review and a breakdown of the board and manager/s.
Over the next week I will add to this with breakdowns of the players/squad at the club and do the same. Feel free to add comments/disagree/debate...after each post I make.
I have graded the board, the manager, players and the fans; in a traditional school report style of A+ to F- (every player who started at least one league game).
However, I have had to grade players based on the games they did play so some players who played a lot more; may still get a lower grade despite disproportionate number of games in comparison. If I have missed anyone then please say!
Season review
The end of the previous season had of course ended in utter disappointment and disbelief as the Blades saw their star striker imprisoned, coughed away a sizeable lead to rivals Wednesday who confirmed promotion on the final day and then lost on penalties at Wembley with goalkeeper Steve Simonsen blazing over the bar to end a marathon shootout. It could only happen to the Blades. Despite the ending, it was easy to forget the football that manager Danny Wilson had got them playing, the number of goals they scored and the excitement that he had brought back to Bramall Lane after a wretched few years. Albeit at a lower level it had been entertaining for the first time in a long time and many felt that despite the end of season meltdown, Wilson’s appointment had been vindicated.
The summer would see the inevitable talk of departures and soon after the final defeat Simonsen, Beattie, Taylor and Ertl departed. None of these departures were lamented but many feared who else would depart. Whilst some stayed; others followed, firstly Matt Lowton to Aston Villa where he would go on and be a major success. Just before the end of August Stephen Quinn also went for a cut prize fee to Hull and he too excelled. Lee Williamson opted to strangely choose a month to month deal at Portsmouth over staying at the Lane before latterly earning a longer deal at Blackburn whilst Kevin McDonald, Matt Hill and Chris Porter opted to remain. The season began with Nick Montgomery and Richard Cresswell still around and the former departed for Australia whilst the latter eventually re-negotiated his contract to stay in a player coach role and to allow United to stay within the new financial constraints that affected the overall salary on first team players.
In terms of incomers, there was little to get excited about although signing Tony McMahon was seen as a fair replacement for Lowton and also coming in was young Walsall right back Darryl Westlake. Also coming in was a trio of new strikers with John Cofie on loan from Manchester United, well travelled but still relatively young Nick Blackman came in from Blackburn and Shaun Miller arrived from Crewe. Dave Kitson was to join the striking ranks early on in the season whilst it was expected youngsters George Long, Terry Kennedy, Elliott Whitehouse, Callum McFadzean and Joe Ironside would all be more involved.
The overall expectation on the message boards was mixed. Many felt United would do well to make the top 6 before the season started with the departures and the loss of goals in Evans, Williamson and Lowton. Indeed some even predicted they would struggle to make the top half. I too felt a mid table finish; pushing on for to 10 would be about as good as it good. What many did not realise is that without Charlton, Wednesday, Huddersfield and us (the side that had been there!) there were no standout sides. Stevenage had lost players and the teams coming down were not reckoned to be that strong with Doncaster not expected to be serious contenders and Pompey and Coventry in financial dire straits. MK Dons were reckoned by many (including myself) to be the stand out team (shows what I know!) but as the season started you realised that even this inferior United side would have a chance and as it transpired should have had enough to go one better.
August The season began as the previous one had ended with a defeat on penalties to Burton in the League Cup but a week later the Blades narrowly beat Shrewsbury with an early goal from David McAllister in a less than convincing performance at the Lane. They then drew twice on the road at Coventry and Colchester, but ought to have garnered more from these games and missed a number of chances in the second away game. It had been a steady start but it was clear that this side lacked the attacking threat of a year ago.
September The Blades thumped Bournemouth 5-3 in the first game without Stephen Quinn with Cofie showing real flashes of individual ability allied to an excellent performance from Ryan Flynn but then followed with a trio of draws. It was definitely a point gained at Scunthorpe as United somehow nicked a late draw despite playing for a long spell with 9 men. The results with Bury and Doncaster at the Lane were not quite received as well. They got back to winning ways at Yeovil and then should have beaten Nott’s County as a better performance was not rewarded with a win although Dave Kitson was on the score sheet for the first time since signing a short term deal. United’s performances so far had been mixed. They were not conceding many but were not scoring many and it was certainly a different kind of team and set up than that shown the previous season albeit with different (lesser) personnel.
October A fortunate win at Hartlepool thanks to loanee Paul Gallagher was followed up by another workmanlike win at Orient thanks to a superb strike by the emerging talent of Nick Blackman. United then failed to win at home again with another late leveller scored by the opposition, this time a feisty Oldham side but United then went on the road and won again at Preston and finally found some home form with two wins in a week against Walsall and Portsmouth with both goals coming from Blackman’s now traditional casual penalty kick routine. United were not pretty but were around the top and were grinding out wins.
November A draw at Swindon should have been followed up by another goalless draw but another late goal saw a penalty scored for MK Dons and the unbeaten run was over. It had lasted 3 months and was impressive but the fans had not been convinced by the performances although a week later a great performance with Shaun Miller to the fore saw United beat Stevenage 4-1. An entertaining draw with Crewe followed 3 days later before United were well beaten on the road by the best side they had seen; Brentford.
December After a late smash and grab against former manager Micky Adams and Port Vale; United went out of the JPT (they had seen off Nott’s County on Sky previously) to Coventry with another….yes, you guessed it….penalty shoot out defeat. United were able to win at Carlisle to set up an enticing top of the table clash with Tranmere but again United failed to deliver at home and it was another stalemate. On the eve of Christmas though, two Tony McMahon free kicks in poor conditions saw United go to the top of the league after they won at Crawley. Their best performance at home for some time saw them beat Scunthorpe but injuries to Neill Collins and more seriously Shaun Miller were to have a big impact.
January In abysmal conditions United somehow lost to the bottom of the league Hartlepool and then were very fortunate to get a late draw at Doncaster. After they won again at another former Blade; Chris Wilder’s Oxford; in the Cup; they then limply lost at home again to Yeovil. Failure to beat Nott’s County who had 10 men for much of the game and then a limp exit to Reading in the Cup ended a rotten month. Right at the end Blades fans had another kick in the teeth as the club opted to sell Nick Blackman.
February United’s poor form continued with a late defeat to Coventry in a Friday night game (the third straight home defeat) but they got back to winning ways at Shrewsbury a week later. This was followed up by wins versus former boss Blackwell at Bury, finally at home against Colchester and then a huge win on the road at Bournemouth. However another poor home performance saw yet another 0-0 draw against Orient.
March United won well at Oldham but then failed to win at home with another 0-0 draw and then got hammered at Stevenage as they dropped off the pace. A solid win at Tranmere on Good Friday looked to have got things back on track but against 10 men they could not beat another mid table side Carlisle and drew 0-0 yet again.
April After a draw at Walsall; an awful defeat against Crawley at the Lane saw the board act and the next day Danny Wilson was sacked. An instant response against Swindon for caretaker manager Chris Morgan saw United produce an excellent performance full of passion and chances. However, the home jinx came back to haunt them again as they failed to keep a 2-1 lead against 9 (granted United had 10) and chucked away a last minute goal in a bizarre game. After this hammer blow United then went down easily at relegated Portsmouth and lost at Crewe before ending with a goalless draw (the 6th out of 23 at the Lane) against Preston. United failed to score in the last 3 games which summed up much of the season?
May So it was the playoffs and Yeovil over two legs awaited the Blades. A tight first leg of really poor quality saw only one goal in it as youngster McFadzean’s deflected shot gave United the edge but in the second leg at Huish Park we limply went down without even a whimper. The season ended with an awful second half performance where we never really looked like scoring. It was the sort of nothing showing we had seen most of the year and was fitting the season ended like that.
Summary One of the worst (if not the worst season) I have seen in my 30 years of watching the Blades. I started watching under Porterfield and some of those teams were poor, McEwan’s teams were even worse and then some dark days under Heath and latterly Adams. This side is the worst of the lot. I never saw the side that went down to the fourth (too young) that many say was even worse but for me this is the worst bar none. It is a side bereft of pace, athleticism, skill, goals, idea and leadership both on and off the field. We have drawn 6 games 0-0 and only won 8 of 23 games at home. We kept cleans sheets and the defence was ok but overall the games mostly were dire and I was bored many games. We were winning games and many were saying fans were being overly critical as we were at the top but a lot saw that the writing was on the wall and that we were so poor even in the odd narrow wins we were gaining.
Even going away and some narrow wins, the performances were more workmanlike than impressive and many wins home and away came due to the sheer dross they were up against. It was an awful division and we could not get out of it. Yes we had a worse side and some poor, slow players and all I have said above stands about managerial mistakes and poor play but we still should have done enough to have gone up with the experience we had. We blew it again. As sides like Bournemouth and of course Donny ramped it up at the clutch time; we meekly fell away again, winning 1 of our last 8 games. The players and coaching staff basically proved they did not have what it took once again. The whole mentality from top to bottom is of a losing culture and as I allude to there is not a lot we can do about the owner and board but we really need to change the manager/coach/personnel in charge of the 1st team and the playing staff from top to bottom. Some of the young kids are ok but most of the rest need jettisoning and quick. I just hope we can bring someone in that may actually know what they are doing and can galvanise the fans and get an exciting young and hungry group of players that are desperate to play in front of so many fans and don’t use this as an excuse for their own ineptitude. I still believe so many players would love to play in front of large crowds and in a really decent ground but these lot have proved they wilt and so it is time for many to probably move on. Next season I cannot see much apart from mediocrity unless there are big changes.