ROY’S VIEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA: NOVEMBER–MARCH

Roy dives deep into Sheffield United’s rollercoaster promotion push, blending match drama and injury struggles with some frankly wonderful social media highlights.

Andrew Hague

Sheffield United returned from the last international break of 2024 in high spirits. Second in the Championship and coming off the back of a 1-0 derby day victory over City rivals Wednesday, Blades travelled to struggling Coventry City hoping to continue their 4-game winning streak.

In the end, they had to settle for a point in a pulsating game that saw the Blades twice take the lead, thanks to goals from derby hero Tyrese Campbell and Jesurun Rak-Sayki, before being pegged back on both occasions. With Anel Ahmedhodzic sent off just before half-time for reacting to Coventry’s wind-up merchant Norman “the Bastard” Bassette, it was definitely a point gained and United made it 4 points in 2 games a few days later following a 3-0 victory at home to Oxford United. Campbell and Rak Sayki were again on the scoresheet to add to Callum O’Hare’s opener as the Blades cruised to 3 points in their biggest win of the season so far.

The Oxford win nicely set United up for a Friday night top table of the clash against league leaders Sunderland. In another wild game, Sunderland started the stronger and won a penalty midway through the first half after Jack Robinson brought down the tricky Tom Watson. Patrick Roberts stepped up for the Wearsiders but was thwarted from the spot thanks to a fantastic save from Michael Cooper.

Ten minutes later it seemed that the momentum was swinging in United’s favour after Sunderland centre-half Chris Mepham was dismissed for a foul on Campbell. Just moments later, however, it was 10-aside when Harry Souttar was given a second yellow card for pulling down Wilson Isidoor on the halfway line.

The second half lacked quality, with both teams playing their third game in just 6 days. It looked like the game would fade out into a goalless draw. Then, in the 83^rd minute, United won it thanks to an unlikely source. Substitute Tom Davies had only made two appearances since March, following numerous injury issues, but it was his shot that found its way past Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson to give the Blades the lead.

Davies’ goal was enough to seal 3 points and United went to the top of the table.

A tough-looking trip to Millwall was next up for the new league leaders but United edged out a close contest with Rhian Brewster, another player who had spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch, bagging his first goal for over two years.

The Blades followed up the Millwall victory with a 2-0 home win to bottom side Plymouth. Injuries were by now starting to mount up for Chris Wilder’s side but a Gus Hamer screamer and a late Kieffer Moore penalty were enough in a somewhat unconvincing display. United then headed to Wales to play another side struggling at the wrong end of the table in Cardiff. After an uninspiring first-half performance, many fans were demanding changes.

However, following a much improved second half, United came away with another victory as Moore hit a fantastic double in his home country to send the fans into raptures… and apologies.

United were now three clear at the top of the table and the mood around Bramall Lane was lifted even higher when a takeover of the club was officially completed by American-based consortium COH Sports. Negotiations had been ongoing since the start of the season and it was a relief for all that the deal was now finally concluded and there could be some long-needed stability at the club.

Former owner Prince Abdullah divided opinions at times, but nobody could argue with his parting words.

Unfortunately, the new regime’s first official game in charge of the club couldn’t have gone much worse as fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley came to Bramall Lane for a Boxing Day showdown.

After a cagey opening, Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill became the first opposition player to score at the Lane since August as his close-range finish put the Clarets one up at the break. Burnley added to their lead early in the second half via a fortuitous Zian Flemming goal and that was too much for the Blades, who battled gainly but couldn’t break down what was now the meanest defence in the league.

A defeat was a disappointment but not a disaster. The same couldn’t be said for the in-game injury suffered by Harry Souttar. The giant on-loan centre-back had quickly cemented himself as a fan favourite at the Lane and the news that he would miss the rest of the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon was a real blow.

United, by now, were running on fumes as the injuries continued. A home game against play-off chasing West Brom was next up and although the Blades went one in front thanks to Andre Brooks’ first goal of the season they were soon pegged back as Baggies striker Karlan Grant ensured the spoils were shared.

The games were coming thick and fast during the notoriously busy Christmas period and United went to Sunderland on New Year’s Day to play their third game in 6 days.

The Blades should have been in front inside 15 minutes after winning a penalty but Moore’s effort was saved by Patterson before Mayenda put the home team in the lead soon after. United struck back thanks to Luke O’Nien deflecting a Hamer cross into his own goal but Sunderland retook the lead before half time when Isidor capitalized on some poor Blades defending. United pushed hard in the second half but couldn’t find what would have probably been a deserved equaliser. After going unbeaten in 12 games, United now had picked up just 1 from a possible 9 and lost their place at the top of the table. The fans were unsure of who to blame for the recent poor form.

With results faltering and the injury list seemingly growing longer by the day, United needed a boost from somewhere and they got it at Vicarage Road against Watford. United flew out of the traps and Hamer deservedly put the away side in front but his goal was quickly cancelled out by Ngakia for Watford as the sides went into the interval level.

It was Brooks who won the game for United early in the second half when his excellent curling effort nestled into the Watford net to give the Blades a much-needed win. It was far from a vintage performance, but it was an important victory for a team cobbled together with whoever was fit enough to play. The players we were now putting out each week may not have been seen as first-teamers just months previous, but they were showing their worth:

With United so short on numbers it was unsurprising to see Chris Wilder make wholesale changes for the FA Cup 3^rd round game at home to Cardiff. Perhaps equally unsurprising was seeing United bow of the competition as a team of youngsters and second-string players lost 1-0 in a game that few will remember.

With only the league left to concentrate on, United next took on Norwich City at Bramall Lane and the home fans went home happy as the Blades cruised to a 2-0 victory. Both goals came from left-back Harrison Burrows, one from the penalty spot, and it was more than enough to see off the Canaries under the red sky:

United seemed back on track following their rocky spell but a poor first-half display away at Swansea saw the Blades go behind early on and lucky to go in with just a one-goal deficit at half time. The second half was a different story though and United quickly equalised after the restart through Brewster, before Burrows again knocked home from the spot to give United a 2-1 victory.

It again wasn’t pretty, but it was another 3 points and United returned to the top of the Championship, something that the Swans fans were baffled by:

It was pretty remarkable how United had managed to maintain their promotion bid with such an injury-ravaged squad. The performances hadn’t been sparkling but this was a team giving everything to the cause and not letting heads drop in adversity.

Unfortunately, the home game against Hull City was just one game too many for a tired team that badly needed reinforcements. A 3-0 defeat to the Tigers may have looked shocking on paper but, in reality, it had been coming.

The good news was the transfer window was open and, after a frustrating few weeks, United finally began bringing players in, and it was two of the new signings that combined to ensure United bounced back from the Hull defeat as they ground out a 1-0 win against Derby County at Pride Park.

Tom Cannon had been signed from Leicester for a fee of around £10m and it was his cross that found Ben Brereton Diaz who slotted home for a vital 3 points. Brereton-Diaz was back at the Lane after a nightmare spell at Southampton and he joined Hamza Choudhury, Harry Clarke and Rob Holding as the other loan signings brought in during January. The only issue now was the Blades now had 6 loan players on board but only 5 could be used in the match day squad, something that confused fans no end.

United followed on from the Derby victory with arguably their luckiest win of the season. A home game against relegation-threatened Portsmouth looked to be straightforward, especially when Hamer put the Blades in front mid-way through the first half, but Pompey were in the mood to defy their league position.

After quickly equalising, the away side laid siege to the United goal missing chance after chance as the home fans looked on bewildered. It was totally against the run of play when substitute Brewster and Rak Sayki combined, the latter finishing from close range, to give the Blades a fortunate 3 points. It was another win but United had again put their fans through it.

An out-of-form Middlesborough were next in town and United finally put in a performance worthy of their position in the table. The game wasn’t without controversy though. After taking the game by the scruff of the neck and going in front thanks to another from Rak Sayki, United looked like going in at the break a goal to the good.

That was until referee Matthew Donahue decided he felt sorry for ‘Boro and inexplicably gave them a penalty for… well, who knows? The brilliantly named Delano Burgzorg made no mistake from the spot and somehow United found themselves level in a game they had completely dominated. More baffling decisions from Donohoue came in the second half leading to absolute fury in the stands.

Luckily the team kept their heads and the 3 points were deservedly wrapped up thanks to late goals from Brereton-Diaz and Anel Ahmedhodzic, ensuring the Blades ended the night as 3-1 victors. It was the best United had played in months as they looked far more fitting of a team in second place.

Bottom club Luton Town at Kenilworth Road was the next stop and hopes were high that the Blades could kick on from the ‘Boro performance and grab another vital 3 points.

It was the Hatters who started much the better team though and United could think themselves fortunate to go in goalless at the break. A tactical switch from Wilder at half-time evened the game out in the second half but it looked as though the Blades would only be going home with 1 point until 10 minutes from time when Ahmedhodzic turned the ball home from close range to bag his second goal in 3 days. As the Hatters supporters and players were left baffled at how they lost the game, United temporarily went back to top of the league.

Leeds regained top spot a few days later with a dramatic late win over Sunderland which set up a mouthwatering Monday night game at Bramall Lane between the division's top two.

The match lived up to its billing and it was the Blades who started the better, pinning Leeds back inside their own half. Following a few half chances, the breakthrough came for United after a Campbell header hit the post before Leeds’ keeper Ilan Mesiler palmed the ball into his own goal.

It was a deserved lead but though United continued to press, that second goal never came and Leeds slowly began to take control. As the game moved towards its final quarter, a tired-looking Blades team finally succumbed to the pressure as Leeds equalised. The league leaders were now well on top but it still felt cruel when they bagged their second with just a minute to play. A third from the away side just a minute later put the game beyond doubt and it was Leeds who celebrated going 5 points clear at the top of the Championship.

It was a blow for United, and a trip to Loftus Road to play QPR next up wasn’t going to be easy with The R’s only losing 1 of their last 8 home games. It also didn’t help that Stanley would be at the game.

This Blades team had shown great resilience in bouncing back following disappointing results though and that trend continued as they went away with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Brereton-Diaz and Campbell. It was just what United (and Stanley) needed as they looked forward to two home games in 4 days.

First up was a return to Bramall Lane for Paul Heckinbottom who brought his Preston North End team to town. United again started well but had nothing to show for their efforts at half-time before Preston began clawing their way back into the game. Thankfully, a fantastic diving header from Campbell was enough to give the Blades a valuable 3 points. It was Campbell’s second in 2 games as he became United’s top scorer for the season.

It wasn’t a vintage performance but Leeds losing the following day had now opened everything up again.

Play-Off chasing Bristol City were next to come to the Lane and United again struggled to find any rhythm as the Robins took the game to the hosts. It was against the run of play when Campbell notched his 9^th of the season on the hour mark but it looked to be enough as United held on for dear life.

With news coming through that fellow automatic promotion hopefuls Burnley had dropped points in the earlier kick-off, United were not only heading back top of the league but also 4 points ahead of 3^rd place. Then, as the game entered injury time, United threw it away as Mark Sykes swept home from inside the area to grab an equaliser for Bristol City. In all honesty, it was the least they deserved and as attention turned towards the upcoming derby at Hillsborough, it felt like a significant blow to United’s promotion hopes.

On the same night United had thrown away 2 points in the dying embers, Wednesday had come from two goals behind to beat Norwich at Carrow Road to keep their play-off hopes alive. It felt like there had been a momentum shift in the City as Blades fans, bemoaning inconsistent performances, went into the derby full of dread whilst Owls fans were coming off seeing their side score 6 goals in 2 away games and edging closer to the top 6.

On a grey Sunday afternoon, the two teams came out to contest the 146^th Sheffield derby with both sets of fans knowing this could be a pivotal moment in both clubs’ seasons.

As always, it was a scrappy game. Blades keeper’ Cooper made a fantastic save to keep out Smith, Campbell was inches away from connecting with a Burrows cross but neither team managed to gain any real ground during the first half. After the interval, Wednesday started the brighter and had a few half chances but couldn’t break the deadlock and that left the door open for one Blades player to make himself a legend forever…

Rhian Brewster had been a disastrous signing for United. Joining from Liverpool for a club record fee of over £20m, the striker had struggled with injuries and only managed 6 goals in red and white. Indeed, he had even become a figure of fun for our rivals with Wednesday captain Barry Bannan famously saying he was “honking” during The Owls’ League One promotion celebrations in 2023.

Then, suddenly, with one strike of a ball, Brewster cemented himself in derby folklore. After great play from Sydie Peck, the ball found its way to Campbell down the right who made his way into the area, taking on the Wednesday defender and laying the ball across goal. The ball was likely designed for the on-running Hamer or Brererton-Diaz but a deflection diverted it straight into the path of Brewster. A yard out from goal, with the ‘keeper stranded, the record signing put the ball in the Wednesday net and celebrated right in front of the fans who had ridiculed him for the previous 5 years. 1-0 United. And that’s how it stayed.

So confident before the derby, it was inevitable that the Wednesday fans would lose their heads post-match and they did not disappoint - summarised here by Ben.

The main catalyst for the outbursts from Owls fans was Blades boss Chris Wilder. In his post-match interview, he pointed out several home truths about the two Sheffield clubs that didn’t go down well at all in S6.

As the dust settled and the week continued, Wednesday fans continued to look more and more desperate as they searched for the “Champions League” of comebacks to Wilder’s comments.

The Blades entered the last international break of the season in the same way they entered the previous one—second in the table, level on points with the league leaders, and coming off the back of a derby win, with a game against Coventry up next.

This, however, was a very different Coventry side from the one the Blades faced back in November. Under Frank Lampard, the Sky Blues had surged from the bottom half of the table into a play-off position and were the form team in the league.

On paper, it looked like one of the toughest games left, but United swept them aside in one of their most assured performances of the season under the Friday night lights at the Lane. A stunning opener from Hamer against his former club was quickly followed by yet another Campbell goal as the Blades took complete control. A third goal from derby hero Brewster early in the second half meant that a late Jack Rudoni strike for Coventry was nothing more than a consolation. It was a fantastic display, and with Leeds dropping points the next day, United entered April sitting at the top of the table.

The Coventry victory concluded a chaotic winter period for United. With injuries, inconsistent performances, and even a takeover, few would have imagined that with just seven games to play, it would be the Blades leading the way. It’s now a three-horse race between United, Burnley, and Leeds, and it could take 100 points to secure promotion—but right now, no team is in a better position than us to achieve it.

The next time you hear from me, we’ll know whether United have been successful in their bid to regain Premier League status at the first attempt. Until then, bask in the glory of being top of the league, keep watching Brewster’s goal against Wednesday, and enjoy the ride.

UP THE BLADES