[themaclad]

Sheffield United
Deepdale 9/8/2024 20.00hrs

So here I am once more
In the playground of the broken hearts
One more experience, one more entry
In a diary, self penned
Yet another emotional suicide
Overdosed on sentiments and pride

*

THE VIEW FROM THE SEATS

Season 55 kicks off on Friday for me, really should know better, expectation is zero, five straight defeats at the end of last season without a goal and first up relegated Premier League club, and it's on the telly box, Arana for those desperate to avoid Plastics v Direby on the main channel.
Promise of getting all the players they wanted in early doors has proved as usual to be nonsense, two in, lots of irons in the fire, must be red hot by night. We still need wing backs if he is playing the wing back system, it's been three years and we still haven't got them in.
General disenchantment with the club reached peak this week when they cancelled the local shuttle buses to the home games, thye soon backtracked on that we now have some shuttle buses running, They changed the ticket site, we now have Ticketmaster, not saying it's shite but it's shite.
Even worse Lowe is still manager.
Ticket bought for first away game as I valiantly attempt to go to every match this season, here we go.

https://www.sufc.co.uk/

MANAGER



Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional football manager who formerly played as a right-back. He is the manager of EFL Championship club Sheffield United.

Wilder's extensive professional playing career saw spells at Sheffield United (twice), Rotherham United, Notts County, Bradford City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Halifax Town. He also had loan spells at five clubs.

After retiring, he became a manager and was in charge of Alfreton Town, Halifax Town (their last manager before liquidation), Oxford United, Northampton Town, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Watford. He won promotion from the Conference Premier with Oxford via the play-offs in 2010, from League Two as champions with Northampton in 2016, from League One with Sheffield United as champions in 2017, and from the Championship with the same club two years later. He is currently manager, for the second time, of Sheffield United.

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Anorak fact United will play two Championship games against us in succession

TOTHER GAMES




*Lyrics by Songwriters: Derek William Dick / Mark Kelly / Michael James Pointer / Pete Trewavas / Steve Rothery

[themaclad]

Blades add two more

[themaclad]

Ryan Lowe discussed the importance of “starters and finishers” within his squad ahead of the opening match of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Six weeks of pre-season are now behind us and the action is about to get underway once again, with North End kicking the new campaign off at Deepdale on Friday night against Sheffield United.

The players have been busy fighting for places in training and in matches to get in that starting XI, but the manager wants those not selected to start to not be too disheartened, with everyone having an important role to play.

Ryan said: “It’s so tough. Two days before a game I hardly sleep because I’m thinking and I’m going to let some players down. They may feel that they should start, but I’ve told them they can’t be disappointed thinking that they’re not in the team for the first game.

“It could change for the second game and it definitely will because of the campaign in the Championship. The players have been fantastic and credit where credit’s due because they’ve worked ever so hard throughout pre-season and in games.

“I know results have been indifferent but I’ve seen a lot of good stuff in all them games. Unfortunately you can only pick 11 players. I’m hoping them players, the starters and the finishers, can do themselves and the football club proud on Friday night.”

One question mark during the past week or so has been surrounding No.1 Freddie Woodman and if he’ll be able to make the opening game.

He missed the Salford City friendly due to illness and was then absent with injury for the home clash with Everton, but the manager seems hopeful he’ll be available for selection.

Speaking on Wednesday, Ryan said: “Freddie’s trained today so if he comes through that and if he’s fine tomorrow he’ll be ready to go.

“We’ve wrapped him up in cotton wool. We knew it wasn’t going to be serious which was big for us, it was great news, and he’s worked ever so hard to get to this stage now. If he’s fine tomorrow when he reports then he’ll hopefully be fine for Friday night.


“Ali McCann’s now just doing a mini pre-season as such because he’s missed large parts of pre-season where the lads’ high intensity runs have been higher, the sprints have been higher, and overall stats have been better from the last two and a half seasons or so. That’s important for us. Ali will miss out but hopefully Freddie’s fully fit and available.”

Layton Stewart will also miss out due to a minor muscle injury, however he could be back in contention as early as Tuesday, when North End take on Sunderland in the Carabao Cup.

Under Ryan Lowe, PNE have had interesting starts to Championship campaigns. The first saw the team go seven matches without conceding a goal, whereas last term there were no defeats in the opening eight and the Lilywhites sat top of the table.

Ryan said: “The two starts to the seasons have been indifferent, of course. We didn’t score a goal for a while but didn’t lose for a while [in the 2022/23 season], and then the last one winning six on the bounce and finding ourselves in them top positions.

“If we can get off to a good start and a consistent start I’ll be pleased again. We know that it’s not just the first four or five games, it wasn’t last season.

“It’s a course of 46 and we need to better at starting the season, in the middle of the season, and ending the season because that’s what the stats say, and if we can do that hopefully we’ll have a successful season.”

[themaclad]

The Fitness Test
[​IMG]
It’s hoped that goalkeeper Freddie Woodman will be available to feature, having returned to training on Wednesday following a minor injury which kept him out of the Everton friendly.

Ali McCann is stepping up his recovery but will not be available for selection, nor will Layton Stewart, although he could be back as soon as Tuesday.

New signings Sam Greenwood, Stefán Thórdarson and Kaine Kesler-Hayden could all make their competitive bows for North End.

The Blades

Fresh from their relegation from the Premier League, the Blades will come to Deepdale looking to get off to a good start in what they’ll be hoping is only a temporary return to the second tier.

The side from South Yorkshire have strengthened significantly already this summer, adding permanent additions such as Callum O’Hare and Kieffer Moore, whereas in the past few days Chelsea’s Alfie Gilchrist and Leicester City’s Harry Souttar have joined on loan.

Chris Wilder, a boyhood Sheffield United fan, was the man who took the Blades up to the Premier League in 2023, and he’ll be hoping he can do the same again in his second spell in charge.

The Officials

Referee: Bobby Madley
Assistant Referees: Blake Antrobus and Darren Williams
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse

North End haven’t had great luck with Bobby Madley in the middle in recent years, having not won with him as referee since 2012.

That victory was a pretty memorable one as PNE came out 4-1 winners against Swindon Town, but the game is remembered more for Paulo Di Canio’s substitution of goalkeeper Wes Foderingham in the first half.

[themaclad]

PNE 0 Sheffield United 2 Arblaster, Hamer

PNE line-up: Woodman; Whatmough, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, Thórdarson (Frøkjær, 72), Brady (Best, 87); Greenwood (Kesler-Hayden, 65), Keane (Osmajić, 65); Riis. Subs not used: Cornell, Storey, Ledson, Holmes, T.Mawene.

Sheffield United line-up: Davies; Gilchrist (Seriki, 72), Ahmedhodžić, Robinson, Burrows; Souza, Arblaster; Brooks (Brewster, 79), O’Hare (Peck, 90), Hamer (Slimane, 73); Moore. Subs not used: Grbić, Trusty, Souttar, Coulibaly, Marsh.

Attendance: 17,948 (4,029 Sheffield United fans).

Referee: Mr B Madley.

New start same result, 6 straight defeats, no goals in 540 minutes, eight of the last nine games we have failed to score. Two avoidable goals, the first unlucky, the second an error of epic magnitude. Two players almost replicating the Doyle/Beckford fracas at Hillsborough nine years ago. At least the new light worked unfortunately though they were pointing towards pitch.
Thordarson looks an asset wants the ball and runs with looks for team mates who have moved into good positions,(still at experimental testing that part)
Must be wondering what he has let himself into.
United resplendent in a shirt of a seemingly new invented colour, lots of new signings looking to bounce back to the top division straight away.
Fast start to the game both sides zipping the ball about, thefirst when it arrived not saying it had a certain amount of luck on it but can best be described as scabby. Great tackle by Thordarson, ball cannons into a home player beofre ending up at the feet of Brooks, he bided his time, found Arblaster who shot and saw his effort boing off a home player completely wrong footing Woodman.
This gave United confidence dominated for most of the half although apart from O'Hare who nearly wriggled his way through before losing the ball close to go.
A Thordarson shot from distance went over and in a brief period of pressure saw Riis fire in a tame effort.
Second period similar start to the first with us dominating, then came the second, firstly it's a classy finish by Hamer but...
United quick beral, superb advantage by Madley(had a pretty decent game to be fair to him) United attacked in numbers however moved fizzled out, Woodman quick through straight to Hamer who chipped it back over the keeper from 30 yards, the collective sight of despair from the home support probably could have been heard 30 miles away. No coming back from this.
United threatened to run riot after a rapid break down the right which was eventually cleared for a corner, Hughes and Brady nearly but not quite came to blows.
With substitutions Potts into midfield brought the only save from either keeper, pushed behind by Davies for a corner.
At the other end Moore fired in a powerful strike hitting the side netting.
United will only get better as for us we will improve by changing the tool in the manager's seat.

THE FANTASTIC VIEW


Ryan Lowe was left frustrated by the manner of the goals his side conceded in the 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United on the opening night of the 2024/25 season.

Ollie Arblaster gave the visitors an early first-half lead, courtesy of a huge deflection which left Freddie Woodman with no chance.

The goalkeeper inadvertently threw the ball to Gustavo Hamer in the 55th minute, though, and the midfielder lobbed North End’s No.1 to double his side’s advantage.

Speaking after the game, Ryan said: “I thought we started well. I thought there were some good moments in the game and we were well in the game before it ricochets and gets a deflection and bounces in.

“Obviously we’re disappointed by that and in the build-up to it we gave the ball away with a stray pass and we get caught. Before that, I thought we were well in the game. We started brightly and after that we got a foothold again and had a little bit more. We were getting balls down the sides and supporting the play.

“Second half, we started like a house on fire and came out of the blocks really fast. I thought we did well with that and then to concede a goal the way we did [was disappointing].

“Fred’s made a judgement to throw it. I thought his contribution before that was excellent, his kicking was top drawer, his decision-making was excellent. I think he got a little bit hurried because we came out the blocks in the second half and the place sort of erupted and wanted us to do things quickly.

“He’s made a judgement to throw it so he’s disappointed in that but there’s no criticism from us.”

North End had chances on the night themselves, with Emil Riis and Brad Potts among those to test Adam Davies in the Blades’ goal.


The manager was overall pleased with aspects of PNE’s play, having seen results of some of the things they’ve been working on throughout pre-season.

Asked what specifically he was happy with, Ryan said: “They passed their way out from the back, they worked their way up the pitch, we had a lot more possession.

“I want the boys getting up the pitch higher. We passed the ball forwards a lot more but could have been a bit more.

“We need to play forward more. We’ve got to have options, we’ve got to have runs. Late on we put two strikers on and they’ve got to make runs down the side, and when we’ve got two eights you can see Pottsy [Brad Potts] driving inside and Kaine [Kesler-Hayden] coming on, I thought he was excellent when he came on the pitch.

“We’ve obviously got to do more to win games of football, we know that. But we’re up against an outfit who have just come down from the Premier League and most of them lads have played in that division.

“We’re disappointed overall. I thought there were some good moments in the game which we’ll have a look at and analyse, and we can just keep getting better. That’s going to be our message.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder:

"We showed we can play a different way. We controlled the tempo and pace of the game. I thought the two in midfield were incredible and dominated that area of the pitch.

“I keep saying it’s a fresh beginning. Not being disrespectful, that includes my period (last season) as well. This is a new team with the biggest amount of changes of any club in the Championship this season.

“We still have work to do and there is a hell of a long way to go and a hell of a lot of work to do.

“We will have difficult days but we have to enjoy days like this as well because of the incredible nature of the Premier League and what that was all about last year.”

The unique experience of being bottom before the season kicks off GLORIOUS

[themaclad]