Sheffield United: Five things we learnt against Norwich City
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The result wasn’t what either team really craved, as they look to revitalise their respective seasons following a difficult few weeks.
But United, still fourth in the Championship and two places above City, could take encouragement from the fact they picked themselves back off the canvas to claim a point; goals from Ben Osborn and substitute Oli McBurnie cancelling-out Teemu Pukki’s early brace. The Star’s James Shield identifies five things this latest result taught us about Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
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Hide AdComposure, and almost certainly a little confidence, is lacking: Only three minutes had passed when Adam Davies’ mistake handed City the lead. But United, who fell two behind less than a quarter-of-an-hour-later, responded as if they only had seconds, not almost the entirety of the game, to force an equaliser. That loss of poise contributed to a poor first-half performance, which Heckingbottom’s men thankfully rectified after the break. Trust in the process. Don’t panic. The response to Pukki’s opener suggests United’s belief in themselves has taken a hit since the international break, no matter what anyone tries to tell us.
Iliman Ndiaye and Tommy Doyle are now key men: Ndiaye’s introduction helped provide United with fresh impetus. The same goes for McBurnie, who appeared to relish the confrontational atmosphere which developed after the break. But Doyle, on loan from Manchester City, appeared made for that environment too. Heckingbottom was right, United will never be weaker with John Fleck in their starting eleven. But the Scot, now fit again following injury, clearly has a fight on his hands to remain a regular starter.
Billy Sharp is a shrewd cookie: The United captain, like the rest of his team mates, was struggling to make an impression on the game until a spat with his opposite number Grant Hanley lit a match under the contest. Spotting an opportunity, Sharp exploited it to the max; which helped “bring the crowd” into the match as City’s Dean Smith later conceded. Yes, the referee handled the contest badly. No, he wasn’t helped by the players; something managers and coaches have to also grasp in order for their criticism of officials’ performances to really hit the mark. But Sharp demonstrated he knows how to engineer a cause.
Adam Davies is a tough one: Playing his second match in a row because of Wes Foderingham’s suspension, Davies' attempted clearance was charged down by Pukki when City took the lead. He must have felt terrible. Seeing their mistakes magnified comes with the territory for goalkeepers. Good ones, like Davies and Foderingham, quickly recover from them. The Wales international did exactly that, sweeping up well to deny Pukki a clear run into United’s box, denying Josh Sargent and then saving the Finn’s spot-kick.
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It’s not all about individual errors: Heckingbottom’s men have started conceding wholly preventable goals. They need to kick that habit and fast. The injury situation at Bramall Lane hasn’t helped, with a host of certain starters confined to the treatment room. It’s bound to have an effect. But United also need to find a way of bringing the dynamism back to their work and remember not to show opponents too much respect.