Sheffield United Women: January Review

Our SUFCW correspondent takes us through January's fixtures and offers his thoughts on the firing of manager Jonathan Morgan

John Slingsby

After the last-minute heartbreak of the draw at Charlton to end 2023, United were looking to start the new year with a bang. However, despite a brilliant performance against WSL opposition in Tottenham to start the month, United ultimately failed to win a game in January. Let’s take a look back at the month that was, starting with that game against Spurs.

The Games

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 2 Sheffield United

A superb performance in the WFA Cup saw United within ten minutes of providing a major shock and almost knocking a well-backed Tottenham side out of the competition. A scintillating contest saw the Blades go toe to toe with WSL opposition and show what this team can do when we play to our full potential. United took the lead just shy of the fifteen-minute mark, when Sophie Haywood slammed home following a well-worked set piece, and the Blades withstood pressure from the hosts to go into the halftime break looking at a shock result.

That shock result looked even more possible six minutes into the second period when United grabbed a second goal with some superb build-up play reminiscent of our second goal against Charlton. Ash Hodson nutmegged a Spurs defender on the far edge of the box, and her curling goalbound effort was diverted home by Jess Sigsworth to put United firmly in the driver's seat.

Just before we entered the last twenty minutes however, Spurs managed to pull a goal back through Beth England, and a mistimed tackle from Tara Bourne allowed Spurs the opportunity to level from the spot with less than ten minutes to play. England stepped up and slammed home to get Spurs back on level terms.

It looked like United would hold on for extra time with more dogged defending on show, but moments before the extra 30 minutes, Spurs completed their comeback when Rosella Ayane broke Blades hearts with a half volley that Stenson could only palm into the net. It was heartbreak for United, who could take positives from the fact that we more than matched a WSL side that has spent hundreds of thousands on players over the last couple of years.

Sunderland 3 - 0 Sheffield United

After the heroics of the cup game, United came crashing down to earth in league action with old foes Sunderland putting us to the sword in blustery conditions in the North East.

The first half was pretty even: Newsham and Stenson were both called into action to deny the hosts an opener, but United could be pleased to be going into the break at half time level. Now with the wind behind them, United looked to kick on and almost had an opener through Ella Kinzett, denied by a fantastic stop from Claudia Moan. In the ensuing Sunderland attack, Ellen Jones capitalised on a poor clearance to slot home past Stenson. A couple of minutes later, it was two as Emily Scarr sent a low drive past Stenson to really take the wind out of United’s sails.

Despite the quickfire double, United continued to press for a way back into the game with Goodwin and Rayner both going close, before another Kinzett effort was deflected over the bar and Tamara Wilcock was denied by the impressive Moan. With United committing bodies to the attack, Sunderland caught us on the break, and Scarr scored her second with a fine effort from the edge of the box. Tara Bourne clipped the woodwork with a header late on but that would be all in a frustrating day at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground.

Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Sheffield United

A final outing in the Continental Cup saw a very young Blades squad come a cropper to an experienced Blackburn outfit. Only Ella Kinzett retained her place in the starting XI from the Sunderland game as United gave starts to some of the youngsters who have had a cracking season in our development squad. 

Very little happened in the opening exchanges with United building rhythm whilst Blackburn looked to break us down. The opener would come on the half hour mark with Shepard slotting home past Davies to give the hosts the lead. Five minutes later, the lead was doubled, Shepard with a fine effort on the turn to put United up against it. 

After the break, United started to have more of the play: Butler and Goodwin looked lively when testing Sagado in the Rovers net before more youth came onto the field as we looked to reward members of the development squad. Olivia Edwards tested the Rovers ’keeper with an effort from distance and Goodwin saw a free kick batted away. Blackburn rounded off the match with another goal, however, Lauren Thomas slotting home as the clock ticked towards the ninety minute mark.

Sheffield United 0 - 1 Southampton

United enjoyed most of the play against promotion-chasing Southampton at our first game at The Lane in the new year, but without Bex Rayner orchestrating the play from the start, we struggled to be decisive in the final third and fell to a fourth straight loss in all competitions.

Our visitors came out of the blocks quickest in the first period and had a goal disallowed for offside a couple of minutes before opening the scoring. A free flowing move was finished off by impressive former Blade Katie Wilkinson, who swept home with very little that Stenson could have done about it. United went searching for an equaliser, but never had a proper look in on goal throughout the contest. Goodwin went closest with a burst of pace seeing her one on one on the angle, but her effort went just wide of the post.

Rayner, Hodson and Sigsworth were introduced in the second period, and Rayner had our best effort of the game not long after being introduced with a rasping half volley finding the side netting. United huffed and puffed, but just couldn’t break down a stout Saints backline. Youngster Eva Butler came on at the end and showed flashes of attacking intent but it just wasn’t to be for United as Southampton returned south with all three points.

Jonathan Morgan

Editor’s note: this first section was written before news of Morgan’s departure

It would be remiss not to mention the return of Jonathan Morgan to the dugout after the completion of an investigation the club carried out recently following the passing of our No.8 Maddy Cusack. 

If I’m honest, it is difficult to see Morgan return to his role as manager of the club – especially with an FA investigation either currently underway or beginning shortly – after everything that has happened over the course of the past five months. The alleged behaviour stated in a recent Athletic article towards players at former clubs and Maddy at United is abhorrent and something that our club should not be seen to condone. Despite this, however, it appears that United are happy with the seemingly haphazard investigation that was carried out and for Morgan to continue in his role.

Behaviour similar to what has been alleged simply cannot stand in football anymore, be it in the men’s game or women’s game, grassroots or professional. It makes me incredibly angry to see United tout themselves as a family club with decent values, say we aren’t a ‘boys club’ and that we appreciate what our women’s team does. However, the response to what has been alleged recently doesn’t scream ‘forward thinking football club’. It says, to me at least, that we’re a club run by those who simply can’t accept responsibility that they should be brave enough to face up to.  

Update

In the days following the completion of this article, Jonathan Morgan was relieved of his duties as manager of Sheffield United. Details have emerged from Morgan’s tenure at Leicester that appear to involve the manager getting into a relationship with a teenage member of his team, while Morgan himself was in his late twenties.

Morgan has been dropped by his agent and United because of this new information. Morgan has been quoted in an Athletic interview as believing that he is currently the victim of a ‘witch hunt’, and that relationships like the one that has ultimately led to his sacking are ‘commonplace in football’. Reading that and, to be frank, the excuses that Morgan has used within the Athletic article are blood boiling.

Ultimately, Morgan has utilised the power dynamic that managers hold over young players to normalise behaviour that just shouldn’t fly at all at any level of the game. If behaviour like this is as prevalent in football as Morgan says, then that behaviour cannot be allowed to continue. The safety of players ultimately should come first, not the reputation and livelihoods of anyone looking to abuse a trust that is built under the guise of ‘being a good team player’. 

I hope that the sacking and the handling of the Morgan situation by United leads to a wholesale change within the club in how we ensure that the players we employ are safe and in an environment that allows them to thrive. At the minute, we still look like a boys club, abstaining from the responsibility we have. As a club, we need to be better. I sincerely hope that we are in the future.