The unforgettable memory helping to shape Sheffield United blueprint as Blades look to regain Bramall Lane edge
New Sheffield United coach Phil Jones has outlined the identity he believes Bramall Lane should be built on, insisting it is up to players and staff to give supporters something to get behind from the opening day.
It’s been almost seven years since Phil Jones last experienced a Bramall Lane matchday as a player, and the memory has not left Sheffield United’s new coach. Then of Manchester United, the defender was brought in from the cold for a remarkable 3-3 draw under the Lane lights.
Jones was given a tough time by mercurial French forward Lys Mousset, who helped the Blades into a fairytale 2-0 lead before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side turned it on to lead 3-2.
Oli McBurnie then scored a 90th-minute equaliser, which stood after a VAR check, as United continued their unlikely push for a place in Europe. Few visiting players experienced the atmosphere at its most intimidating more vividly than Jones, with that game standing out as an example of Bramall Lane at its best.
Recapturing that atmosphere is high on the to-do list at United as they look to make their home turf a place that opposition players fear again. United signed off last season with back-to-back home defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End.
That meant they lost more games at Bramall Lane than they won, although the figure is skewed slightly by their horrendous start to the new campaign. “The perception I envisage at Bramall Lane, and my experience whenever I’ve played there, is that it’s feisty.
“It’s intense. It's balls in the box, it's aggression, it's high-press. It's winning the ball back early, it's playing forward early. It's goals, it's chances. It's everything that fans want to come to Bramall Lane and see.
“Yes, we need the supporters, but we as players and as a staff, we have to bring them something to cheer about and something to get on the edge of the seat. And hopefully that's something we can do this season from minute one.”
A 10-minute conversation with Jones, by the side of the pitch after a goalless friendly draw at Chesterfield, was enough to cement the feeling that he is a good fit for this football club.
This is a man who played at the highest level, for the mighty Manchester United and who represented England at a World Cup. But his success was built on the very same attributes and basics that Chris Wilder, fresh from agreeing a one-year contract extension, will underpin a successful season.
“You can be the best player in the world,” Jones agreed. “But if you don't do the fundamental parts of football, in possession and out of possession, you'll get found out and get found wanting.
“But I don't see that in this dressing room. I see hungry lads who want to learn, get better and want to win games of football, first and foremost.
“It’s a case of so far, so good. I've seen nothing but positive things, so let's carry that forward. It's a journey, and let's work on it together with the fans as well.”