How not to win the play-offs
How not to win the play-offs
And why the future, not the past, should be the focus
Words: David Taylor
We all know Sheffield United’s play-off history. Eight opportunities, none taken. A veritable full-marks pipped to the post run that stretches as far back as 1988, with a dalliance in the mid-‘90s, a final in Cardiff during the famous ’02/’03 season and a glut in the mid-2010s. There have been some highs (a shirtless Peschisolido), some lows (getting sunstroke while watching United lose to Huddersfield on penalties) and a lot of bonus away days.
As a three-time play-off participant for United, one man who knows more than most about the club’s play-off campaigns is Nick Montgomery. Currently head coach at Central Coast Mariners, Monty’s team has reached the A-League finals, playing Adelaide United this Sunday. Having progressed the most players from Academy level to first team of any club in the AFC leagues (Asia and Oceania), the Mariners’ success is partly based on the mentality Monty’s young charges have picked up from United’s stalwart midfield enforcer.
“Getting to the play-offs was always exciting and positive with full belief of reaching the final,” Monty tells me from his office on Australia’s Central Coast. “Once in the final, the players always had confidence, but naturally there was the negativity and nerves from the fans and media that the club was very unlucky or cursed in the final.
“Each time I was involved in the final, the club had finished third, and over the history of the play-offs it’s never been seen as the best place to finish. Maybe the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion plays heavily on the players’ minds and getting over that disappointment so soon to play in the biggest pressure game of the season is not easy.”
This season sees United in the anecdotally-favourable position of finishing fifth – teams in fifth at the end of the regular season have been promoted via the play-offs at a slightly higher rate than those in fourth and sixth, winning 10 out of 33 occasions. Up first are the opponents from perhaps our most famous play-off match, Nottingham Forest. From there, a potential trip to the wide Wembley pitch and “the most valuable match in the world”.
This year’s crop of United players has dispelled any early-season lethargy to produce some scintillating performances, and despite injuries turning the training ground into a field hospital (no comment on lack of investment meaning it already looks like that), the first team enter the play-offs in strong form after swatting champions Fulham aside. Carl Asaba has enjoyed his burgeoning role this season as commentator and analyst, and has cautiously optimistic hopes for United: “It’s been wonderful to commentate on the current Blades team this season. I’ve said from the start that our players are the best players in the league, and I stand by my comments. I could wax lyrical about the whole team.”
“In Forest I see my [2002/03] Blades team. Whereas this Blades team has the quality, I see the Forest team having the most energy and power – if you don’t match that you will more often than not lose. If our players can match the high energy and power Forest will bring to the two legs then I believe our superior quality will tell, but if we don’t match the physical side they bring, it’s going to be tough.
“I feel when my Blades lost to Wolves in the [2003] play-off final, we were the team full of energy and power. Our energy was off that day and more than matched by Wolves – their quality was able to shine through.
“The Blades fans have a huge part to play in these matches. Trust me – you really make a difference.”
Time to sweep away any negative narrative, then, and enjoy watching a professional team play with a freedom not seen in previous play-off years. Compared to recent history, we’re in a very good place.
That being said, we thought we’d lay out how not to win the play-offs, with a handy guide the current team can use to avoid any previous slip ups.
1987/8 – Sheffield United 1 - 2 Bristol City (agg.)
Still in its early days, the novel play-off system gave United, who had finished third bottom in Division 2, a second bite at survival. League play-offs at the time included teams who had finished third, fourth and fifth alongside the team from the league above who had finished third-bottom. Despite the January signing of Tony Agana (who scored on his debut) and the introduction of Dave Bassett, United won only 14 of the 50 games they played that season, bowing out of Division 2 with a 2-1 aggregate loss against Division 3’s fifth-placed Bristol City. Luckily, relegation became part of Bassett’s legend, as his team gained back-to-back promotions to the top flight.
How not to win: bring in one of your club’s greatest ever managers too late in the day to stop the rot.
1996/7 Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United
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