Blades buoyant

Sunday, 14/08/2011

by Sean Dungworth, Shoot's Sheffield United blogger

I am finding it very difficult to contain my laughter  at present, as we sit in second place in League One with six points out of six.

As our Championship status dissolved last season, many of our neighbouring teams’ fans leapt upon the ‘kick the Blades whilst they’re down’ bandwagon. This was much to my own, personal, chagrin, as I have always offered my moral support to any of our local clubs when in relegation battles.
 
Consequently, it is now rather pleasing to see these same clubs struggling to score goals and gain points in the early season clashes. Even I cannot be entirely hard hearted, and I do hope their fortunes alter over the coming months.
 
The Blades’ start to the season couldn’t have been better, two league wins and a League Cup win, five goals scored and only one conceded, has seen us pushed to the dizzy heights of second place whilst other local teams are flirting with relegation places.
 
The last time I saw United play Brentford, Keith Edwards was playing for us, newspapers were printed in black and white and Ford Sierras were considered modern. The two clubs’ fortunes have differed over the last few decades, but they have, ultimately, come full circle, to meet each other on meaningful terms once again.
 
Neither side showed nerves in a first half that the Blades certainly edged on performance. They out ‘footballed’ Brentford, who themselves showed some signs of class, but rarely threatened the goal. Indeed, the visitors came closest to scoring when Gary Alexander narrowly headed over the top.
 
The second half saw Jordan Slew open his account for the season, a deflected close range effort from a Cresswell cross. It doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they do. I don’t recall Brian Deane ever scoring a ‘beautiful’ goal, but I remember him scoring plenty, he’s a Lane hero and I can see Slew doing the same. Thus far in the season he has one start and one goal.
 
Richard Cresswell featured again, scoring United’s second from a cross supplied by mid-week hero Mat Lowton. The hard working, former Wednesday, striker showing what he can do when he plays his preferred role.
 
The words ‘former’ and ‘Wednesday’ are two words that will be associated with Danny Wilson for some time, and will certainly make such headlines whilst he is at Bramall Lane. However, a measured approach to speaking in the media, some tempting signings and not least, two, season opening, away wins, assured Danny a very warm welcome on his home debut.
 
Entertaining, slick, winning football, the like of which we haven’t seen since the times of Nigel Spackman and Howard Kendall, have won Danny a great deal of goodwill from the crowd, with only a few, hard-core dissenters. If Danny can keep this up he could well be on his way to being a Lane Legend, a rare accolade bestowed upon those who have a history in the blue and white half of the city. The late great Derek Dooley, perhaps, being the only man who has crossed the city’s divide and become an icon to both sets of fans.
 
I am determined not to get excited at our prospects this season, neither am I about to make wild, premature claims about where we will finish. Sometimes it is just nice to sit back and enjoy the status quo, whatever you win, whatever you lose. Our target, like every other club, is 50 points, then we can start thinking about promotion
 
P.s. My pal ‘Sid’ from the blue and white half (well, third) of the city, was very quiet on Saturday evening, I fear he may have just been overwhelmed at his mention, last week, in such an august organ as this. I sincerely hope he is not too disparaged that ‘The biggest club outside the Premier League’ succumbed to such lowly opposition as Bournemouth.

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