Kevin Gage's Sheffield United Column: The Blades are getting better all the time, on and off the pitch... and why I think we're here to stay

We’ve had plenty of superb weeks this season in terms of performances, results and various events off the pitch. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a more momentous one than last week’s.
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It encapsulated everything that Sheffield United Football Club is now about and, my word; it’s truly wonderful to be involved in and to watch as a fan. These are very special times indeed!

We picked up another three points and beat Palace.... again. However, those words don’t really tell the whole story because a visit to Selhurst Park is notoriously difficult. Despite being a sleepy suburb of the capital they somehow manage to create an intimidating atmosphere with their flag-waving, megaphone-wailing ‘Ultras’ trying to rally the happy-clappers in the rest of the crowd, and to be fair they usually do a good job.

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On Saturday, there was only ever going to be one set of fans making all the noise and once again the travelling Shoreham boys supplied it, especially after the game with a new song that will surely go down in history as an absolute Blades classic. It’s also had over 1.5 MILLION views on social media too....as I said, these are special times to be a Blade, as Sander Berge is finding out!

On the pitch, we virtually nullified a sometimes very potent Palace attacking threat with our customary rock-solid defending from our three centre-back colossuses and flanked by our wonderful wing-backs. George Baldock should have been walking a tightrope in the second half after a booking on Zaha, but for some inexplicable reason, Palace’s main threat decided to wander over to the other flank, leaving George to get forward and wreak his own havoc!

Poor game management and lack of tactical nous from Zaha and also, it has to said, from a highly experienced manager who allowed him to get away with it. In fact, on the subject on managers, apparently Roy Hodgson had drilled his team all week on how to get the better of and nullify this Blades team.

Yes, Roy Hodgson, ex-England team manager, over 40 years experience of managing some of Europe’s best teams, yet at times he looked like a bewildered old man who’d wandered onto the touchline from the Sainsburys supermarket next door! Ex England manager nil - Future England manager 1.

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So on the pitch, we were organized, efficient and totally professional. We’ve come to expect that now from our team, but for me, what makes this past week so momentous was not the performance on the pitch but the events off it. They actually mirrored what happened on it. This was the first transfer window of the new ownership era and as a statement of real intent, it was truly sensational.

Kevin Gage Column Kevin Gage Column
Kevin Gage Column

Armed with the financial confidence that Premier League survival will bring, we decided to invest in our squad… big time! Enough words have been written (and sung!) about Sander Berge so I’ll save those for another time when he’s had a few more games, but two other signings went under the radar somewhat, and need to be applauded too.

Panagiotis Retsos cost £17m only two seasons ago and has arrived on loan with a view to us buying him, and Richario Zivkovic is a striker with huge potential; lightning-quick and maybe needs a club to settle down into and to call home in order to maybe realise his undoubted talent. Guess what? You’ve found one, mate. It’s called Bramall Lane and welcome to Sheffield.

It’s very easy to get ahead of ourselves I know, but with the next five games against teams in the lower reaches of the table and three of those at home, we do actually have a genuine opportunity to cement our place in the top half of the table and also potentially qualify for a European spot – which, let’s be honest, would be beyond our Chris Wilderest dreams!

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It’s all too real though and it’s happening before our very eyes. On the pitch, the team is evolving and getting even better. The squad is also improving and getting stronger. Off the pitch, the club is getting bigger and better in so many different areas, including managerial, financial, commercial, social media, etc… I could go on, but you get my drift.

Panagiotis Retsos is welcomed to Sheffield United by manager Chris Wilder: Simon Bellis/SportimagePanagiotis Retsos is welcomed to Sheffield United by manager Chris Wilder: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Panagiotis Retsos is welcomed to Sheffield United by manager Chris Wilder: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

We’re a Premier League club, with matching facilities, management, team, ownership, direction, and fanbase. We’re Sheffield, the first and original United. We’re back and this time on the evidence unfolding before our eyes, we’re here to stay.

Kevin Gage owns The Manor House bar/hotel/cafe, High St, Dronfield. Follow him on Twitter: @gageykev.

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