Ollie Norwood opens up on Sheffield United fan criticism after “disgraceful” Harry Maguire Man U treatment

The midfielder has helped the Blades to two pormotions to the Premier League in his time at Bramall Lane, as well as a ninth-placed finish in the top-flight. Even this season, with United struggling and still looking for their first win, he is statistically one of their better performers.

Yet a section of the fanbase don’t ever have to look far when the time comes to select a scapegoat, with Norwood frequently singled out for mostly unfair criticism. He is, in some ways, a victim of his own bravery – whilst some players may hide after misplacing a difficult pass, Norwood does not elect to take the easy option and as a result is opened up to further criticism.

The abuse became its most toxic during the Blades’ last Premier League relegation, which came in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and saw the midfielder come off social media to avoid comments from fans. Speaking on the most recent edition of the Blades’ official podcast, Norwood accepted that he divides opinion and opened up to host Paul Walker about his ways of coping.

“You definitely hear it,” he said of the in-stadia criticism. “I’ve given a bit back a few times, too. Where does the resilience come from? I think I’ve just got to a point – not just in my career, but my life – where you just don’t care what anyone things.

“Outside of the manager and your teammates, and people whose opinion you value. Obviously we care [about the club and performances] but I think it changed for me, personally, when I had children. I always saw football as the be-all and end-all and if we lost a game I wouldn’t speak to anyone until Monday or Tuesday. But when you’ve got children and a family to think about it becomes about much more than football. We are in a really privileged position to be a footballer but I think my turning point was personally treating it as a job.

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“You have to care and one of my pet hates is when people go: ‘They don’t care’. Because they don’t go through the emotions of the buildup for a week and if you have a crap performance on a Saturday, you’ve worked all week for that and you’re getting you’re getting pelters left, right and centre. I think social media has got a lot to answer for.

“But I would rather try and pass a ball forward then and pass the ball back to my centre-backs or into my goalkeeper. Because I’m in the team to get the ball to the better players at the top end of the pitch. That is my job. Alright, I’ll give it away sometimes but if I give it away, I’ll try and get it back and I’m going to try it again. My mindset is about doing the best for the team and if some bloke in the crowd isn’t happy with that, then unfortunately that’s me. That is just how it is. I’ll hold my hands up, I will make mistakes, but one thing is I’ll always take responsibility. I’ll never hide.”

Maguire treatment ‘disgraceful’

The topic of abuse of players is topical at the minute with former Blade Harry Maguire one high-profile target of ire from Manchester United fans. The United academy graduate is set to return to Bramall Lane after the current international break with the Red Devils and Norwood described his abuse as “disgraceful.”

“I came off social media in the in the Covid season because it got too much,” Norwood added. “You don’t even mean to read it. You’re literally flicking through and then you see posts and comments: ‘He you should be doing that, he shouldn’t be getting paid this week, he should be doing extras’ and you just think: ‘I don’t need to see this.’

“It’s a hard one to say where that resilience does come from because it is hard. I’ve seen people, teammates, crumble. It’s not nice, I tell you. It’s not nice. But I always remember Chris [Wilder] saying: ‘If you don’t get on the ball, I’ll take you off’. Simple as that. That’s always something that stuck with me and I thought that whatever happened, he’d got my back. He was the manager, he was picking the team, so I must be doing something right.

“I always said to people, if we didn’t make mistakes we wouldn’t be playing for Sheffield United. We’d be playing for Man City or Man United, because those boys are at the top, top level and don’t make mistakes. We’re not at that level but we’re trying to get there and we’re going to make mistakes. It’s part and parcel being a human being.

“Would I go and sit in somebody’s office if he’s typed an email wrong and scream at him, effing this and effing that? It wouldn’t go down well would it? I don’t think it would. think there’s a respect element as well. I’ve took the brunt of it but I’ve got broad shoulders.

“I split opinion. I know that, I understand that. You probably have, out of 10 people, five saying: ‘Oh yeah, we really like him’ and five might say: ‘Get him out the team’ or whatever. You’re never going to please everybody, are you? But I try to do the best job I can do, that I’m asked to do, and work hard every day, to be the best version of myself and give myself the best opportunity to be the best I can be.

“That’s life, isn’t it? You can’t please everybody and I think the quicker you realise that, the thicker your skin becomes and you just learn to ride with it. You can’t shrink, you can’t let them win. That’s the thing. My mentality is that you can’t let them win.”

Ollie Norwood - One of Our Own is out now. Click here to watch on YouTube or download wherever you get your podcasts