He’s one of our own

The kerfuffle of the Championship season run-in may have just about blown over for Blades fans, but the excitement is only just beginning to build and the awards for our manager keep on coming in:

Add that to LMA Championship Manager of the Year, EFL Championship Manager of the Year and EFL Manager of the Year and you can maybe begin to understand what a special talent this guy has. I mean, he could have spent over £20 million over two years on new players, got six fewer points and we could still be in the Championship next season, but that didn’t happen*.

Next season is going to be very, very tough, and simply surviving is going to be the objective. But I’d rather be playing Liverpool than Luton Town, Man City than Millwall, Chelsea than Charlton. We’ll get beaten – maybe quite often – but at least we’re in the Premier League, and that’s mainly down to this guy.

Thank you, Chris

 

* (to us)

It’s Back!

The English Premier League returns this weekend and international coverage promises to be better than ever before, with the fantastic John Dykes at the helm – and he’s already been tweeting teasers of the new studio.

Look at that touchscreen! LOOK AT IT!

Bu__Ih_IQAAHUCs

And the horrendous pink has gone! Lawd be praised!

They don’t use Kasabian’s Fire as the EPL theme music any more, but for the millions of SA fans, the two will always remain inextricably linked. Thus, it is presented here:

And yes, that’s beautiful Piketberg in the video.

When we were top the league

Yes, Sheffield football is currently suffering, but I was recently reminded by a friend on Facebook that there was a time – however brief – when my beloved Sheffield United were top of the Premier League league – and Man U were bottom:

Fans of the Manchester club may want to look away rather than watch that YouTube clip as Brian Deane and the Blades tear through Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce and Peter Schmeichel et al (see line ups below) on the way to a memorable 2-1 victory which I still remember.
And while – 19 years on – the Red and White Wizzzzzzaaaaaaards find themselves in unhappier times, it’s somehow reassuring to note that some things never change with a (slightly younger) Alex Ferguson er… blaming the ref for the defeat.

Whodathunkit?

That season we beat (amongst others) Liverpool (1-0), Chelsea (4-2) and Spurs (6-0) at Fortress Bramall Lane, finishing in 14th place overall with 52 points. Brian Deane ended the season alongside Hughes, Cantona and Le Tissier with 15 goals.

Happy days.

Sheffield United 2-1 Manchester United
Bramall Lane, Sheffield
15th August 1992

Goals: Deane (5) 1-0; Deane pen (50) 2-0; Hughes (61) 2-1.

Sheffield United: Tracey; Gage, Barnes, Gannon (Hartfield, 86), Beesley, McLeary, Bradshaw, Lake, Cork, Deane, Hodges (Bryson, 68). Substitute not used: Kelly.
Manchester United: Schmeichel; Irwin, Blackmore, Bruce, Ferguson, Pallister, Kanchelskis (Dublin, 68), Ince (Phelan, 7), McClair, Hughes, Giggs.

Referee: B Hill (Kettering).