Familiar story for Sheffield United as West Brom draw that “feels like a loss” leaves play-off hopes dangling by a thread
Familiar story for Sheffield United as West Brom draw that “feels like a loss” leaves play-off hopes dangling by a thread
Chris Wilder has always been consistent in his view that goals can dramatically change the feel of games, and he was proved right once again in Sheffield United’s clash with West Brom at Bramall Lane. The first half passed by without a shot on target, and without a moment of real quality from either side.
Then the Blades got themselves ahead in typically scruffy fashion, George Campbell turning Gus Hamer’s cross into his own net as United began to build up a head of steam. From then until the 83rd minute the narrative was clear; a game where United were far from their best but did their jobs and got three big points. Doing what good teams do.
Then, with one more swish of Campbell’s boot, things changed again. The centre-half lurched forward, past half-tackles from Tyrese Campbell and Callum O’Hare and fired past Adam Davies from long range.
The narrative then quickly became one of frustration, of a missed opportunity and countless missed chances. Once again United should have run out comfortable winners, with good chances for Campbell and O’Hare and Sydie Peck and Andre Brooks and no doubt some others too in the second half.
But while ever the scoreline was just 1-0 it gave Albion hope that they could get back into the game and so it proved, with United’s frustration compounded with another needless Hamer booking with virtually the last action of the game.
That caution, for dissent towards the referee, rules him out of the upcoming trips to Norwich City and Birmingham City, leaving United without a big player at the stage of the season they need them most. Hamer is a wonderful player to watch in full flight but he has that habit of poor discipline that he will have to address if he has ambitions of playing at higher levels in the future.
Familiar story for Sheffield United as West Brom draw that “feels like a loss” leaves play-off hopes dangling by a thread
That moment, seconds before the full-time whistle, didn’t affect the scoreline, but added to the feeling of despondency inside Bramall Lane. “It feels like a loss,” admitted boss Chris Wilder afterwards. “So we have to accept that.”
United moved up to 11th in the Championship table with the point and trail sixth-placed Wrexham by eight points. But the Welshmen now have a game in hand and a chance to extend the gap further, while they also visit Bramall Lane later this month.
But the feeling amongst the United fanbase after Campbell’s dramatic intervention was that their play-off hopes are now hanging by a thread. If they are to bounce back from this, you get the sense it needs to happen quickly with just 10 games of the regular season remaining.
“The goal was a really poor one and we didn't find a way to win a game when we're not at our best,” Wilder added. “Which is a quality that teams need if they're going to be in and around the top of the division. That's where it is for me.
“In the second half, they were a little bit more aggressive in their press and we went square and back. Players have got to recognise that as well. I'm not passing the buck at all. It's my team. But I'm saying to them: ‘If they do come after you, you have to play forward. You can't pass and protect.’
“We were negative in too many situations. We went backwards, we went square. But when we get our noses in front, when we find that bit of quality, we have to have enough about us to go and get that second goal.”
Wilder agreed with many supporters’ belief that United’s front four were not at the races, although Brooks was probably the biggest threat down the right. O’Hare had a couple of good chances he couldn’t convert, Patrick Bamford went off at half-time with a dead leg having struggled to get into the game and Hamer was having probably the worst afternoon of the lot before his cross was turned in by Campbell for the opening goal.
“That combination between Gus and Harrison [Burrows] down the left never hit it off,” Wilder added. “On the other side, we never got enough out of Ki-Jana [Hoever] and Brooksy, and Femi [Seriki] and Brooksy late on. Pat going off didn't help. We've got to go and get the second goal.
“We know it's a dangerous game there. We know they're going to chuck more and more bodies forward to try and get back into the game, which you understand as an away side being 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go.
“I've got to say, I think if I was James [Morrison, the Baggies’ interim boss] I'd have been disappointed if they'd not got something out of the game. But I'm the Sheffield United manager and I'm 100 per cent frustrated that we've not had enough about us to go and find a way to win a game where we're not at our best.”