Lundstram the new scapegoat and a rash ref decision: Ups and downs from Sheffield United's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa

Sheffield United slumped to their second defeat in as many Premier League games last night as they lost 1-0 on a controversial evening at Aston Villa.
John Lundstram and Sander Berge of Sheffield United react after the Premier League match against Aston Villa (Photo by Tim Goode - Pool/Getty Images)John Lundstram and Sander Berge of Sheffield United react after the Premier League match against Aston Villa (Photo by Tim Goode - Pool/Getty Images)
John Lundstram and Sander Berge of Sheffield United react after the Premier League match against Aston Villa (Photo by Tim Goode - Pool/Getty Images)

The scoreline only told half the story from Villa Park as United had a man sent off after just 12 minutes, but missed a first-half penalty before Ezri Konsa headed the winner in the second.

But who were the heroes and villains in the second city?

The Blades defence

One lapse apart, from another corner kick when Tyrone Mings and Konsa combined for the winner, Aaron Ramsdale was protected well by his defenders in front of him, who stepped up to the plate after John Egan's early red card. Chris Basham and George Baldock repelled deep cross after deep cross at the back post, while Jack O'Connell looked to throw his body in the way of anything he could.

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As Basham admitted afterwards, United fancied themselves to hold out and maybe even snatch a goal at the other end. It wasn't to be, but there were good signs once again that this is a side that does not make a habit of capitulating in the face of adversity.

Graham Scott

Confession time; I was not surprised at all to see the referee brandish a red card when Egan went arm-in-arm with Ollie Watkins. Scott seemed like he couldn't wait to fish out the red card from his back pocket, giving himself hardly any thinking time at all to dissect what had happened. He was miles behind play, so would have probably benefitted from at least a second look at the incident on his pitchside monitor.

Did he communicate with his assistant referee, who was right in front of it, over the headpiece? He definitely didn't go over to chat with him. In real-time I thought a red was fair enough, and still believe that a lot of Blades would have been screaming for a sending off if that was Mings holding back Oli Burke. But the incident would hardly have been mentioned again if Scott had brandished a yellow card.

John Lundstram

The midfielder came in for a lot of stick from Blades fans after the match, after his first-half penalty was saved by Emi Martinez. One fan even bizarrely suggested he missed it on purpose because he is determined to leave Bramall Lane. In reality, Lundstram was the next in the pecking order of penalty takers - with Ollie Norwood, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick all off the pitch - and the miss was probably more 'good save' than 'bad penalty'.

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Lundstram also ran his blood to water, covering even more ground than normal with the Blades down to 10 men, and produced a great block late in the game to deny Jack Grealish and keep the Blades in the game at 1-0 down. Yes, Lundstram is out of contract as things stand next summer, and can leave Bramall Lane for free. But Chris Wilder has no issue with his commitment levels; Lundstram is, for many fans, just a convenient scapegoat.

Burke the hare

On his Premier League debut for the Blades, Burke showed glimpses of why Wilder was so keen to bring him to Bramall Lane. In short bursts he showed his rapid speed to get in behind the Villa defence a couple of times, and the awareness to first of all spot Basham and then the skill to find him with a lovely reverse-pass in the build up to United's penalty was sublime.

He will still be adjusting to life as a No.9, as well as how United play and how his teammates go about things. But he was another who put in a real shift, up top on his own for most of the game, and will surely win over any remaining doubters if he continues to give 100 per cent for the cause.

Defending set pieces

For a team that prided itself on its defensive record last season, conceding two crucial goals in two Premier League games is not good enough - a fact that Wilder made clear to his players in their hospitality suite changing room at Villa Park. If the first was a little freak, Enda Stevens being pushed off-balance by O'Connell before Wolves' Romain Saïss headed home, the second was basic; Mings winning the first header, and Konsa winning the second to head past Ramsdale.

Sander Berge

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What a player this lad is. As I wrote in my player ratings from the game, he seems to get better by the game and although his final touch let him down on a couple of occasions after finding himself in the Villa box, everything else he seemed to do up to that was exemplary. The young man has a brilliant knack of using both his body and his touch to manouvre himself away from opponents, and he seems to be growing in confidence as he drives forward with the ball. He has been one of the shining lights for United this season and will be a big player between now and May.

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of Blades coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details HERE. www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports Your support is much appreciated. Chris Holt, Football Editor

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