Blades show cutting edge

Monday, 08/08/2011

by Sean Dungworth, Shoot's Sheffield United blogger

The Blades began their League One campaign with a victory, something they haven't achieved, at any level, for some considerable time!

United's inward transfer activity has been muted during the closed season, though not entirely 'silent' the evidence of which was on show both in the starting eleven and those on the bench.

Danny Wilson has kept his counsel following his controversial appointment, speaking only when required and, it has to be said, when doing so has made the right noises.

I personally was very disappointed at Kevin McCabe's choice of manager; I felt it was a roundhouse slap in the face, to a fan-base that already felt betrayed by their club's owner. I even vented my own negative emotions here in this 'forum'.

A full closed season has had time to salve these negative feelings, and one can only feel embarrassed at the examples of 'Blades' demonstrating in the Bramall Lane car park during Wilson's press conference.

Danny Wilson may have been a Wednesday legend, but he's a Blade now, and was as soon as he signed on the dotted line.

So it was against this back-drop that this was a must-win game for Danny. This may be a new concept for him, but for us Sheffield United supporters it wasn't, we had six months of 'must-win games' last term!

United strolled out to be greeted by, very nearly, 3,500 travelling supporters, who, to their credit, got right behind their team without mention of Wilson's antecedents.

Although such a number of travelling fans is creditable, it certainly brings it home that you are now in the third tier of football when the away support makes up nearly half of the attendance. I also think it is helpful that Oldham is very much en-route to Blackpool!

United dominated the first half, during which Oldham showed their physical credentials, and, in fairness, did have their own share of the game-play. The two sides left the field at half-time with honours even.

Upon their return, the Blades made their mark. A pin point corner from the outstanding Stephen Quinn was headed with venom by Harry Maguire for his first senior goal. Richard Cresswell was certainly enjoying his more central role, after spending most of last season nursing his aching 32-year-old legs on the left wing.

A short time after Maguire's goal, Quinn again provided the bullets, this time for a deserving Cressy to smash home from close range.

Wilson was expecting a physical challenge on Saturday and subsequently picked a team to meet that challenge. As it transpired United were head and shoulders above a very average Oldham, and a number of positives can be taken away, along with three points (seems a while since I have written that!).

United WILL face sterner tests over the following months, but it was an entertaining and rewarding start to the new season.

There is still a well of talent still to explore at the Lane and I hope to see it as the season unfolds. We are one of the promotion favourites, and this result showed why.

But, I and my peers are certainly not getting overly excited yet, our friends in the blue and white half of the city made that mistake last season.

Indeed, my good (albeit blue and white) friend 'Sid' has already planned his promotion party and is on record as saying that Sheffield Wednesday are "The biggest club outside the Premier League" and that they are on an inexorable rise up the league. If nothing else, one has to admire his optimism.

Tuesday evening sees us travel north east to take on Hartlepool in the first round of the League Cup (yes I know they call it the Carling Cup nowadays), a game that cost Kevin Blackwell his job last season.

Chris Porter may be out after picking up a knock, so it could well be that Slew will make his first appearance of what I hope to be a very profitable season
for him.

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