Sheffield United fan column: At least we've got exciting football to look forward to this season '“ unlike Wednesday

So for the second season running Wednesday have gone away from the Lane with a 0-0 win, celebrating the result as if they'd beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.
David McGoldrick tussles with Morgan FoxDavid McGoldrick tussles with Morgan Fox
David McGoldrick tussles with Morgan Fox

The scoreline aside, the two matches were rather different.

Last January Wednesday contributed to an absorbing if unexciting game and even finished the stronger, Adam Reach almost winning it at the end but Simon Moore clawed away his shot heading for the top corner.

Wednesday played as if they were trying hard to impress Jos Luhukay in his first game in charge to prove they should remain in the team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This season, however, they played as if they were trying to save Luhukay's job, so desperate were they not to lose.

I suppose you have to give them credit for achieving their objective, but they were the worst team to visit the Lane since Sunderland last Christmas, and look what happened to them.

Even lowly Hull City and Preston made some attempts to attack with more than one player; poor Steven Fletcher must have been exasperated by his lack of support.

A possession ratio of 75-25 and completed passes of 660-odd to 240-odd are Barcelona or Manchester City-type statistics, but as Colin Murray said on the highlights show, such numbers mean nothing if there are no goals to show for them.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And that's where United fell down '“ not enough shots and crosses and a tendency to overplay around the edge of the area, but it's difficult to find space to shoot or cross when there are ten bodies in the small area between the ball and the goal.

At least we've got some exciting football to look forward to this season, unlike, it seems, Wednesday's suffering fans.