Post by El Morto La Hoja! on Oct 16, 2008 16:12:51 GMT -1
Beagrie talks Football League
Posted: 16th October 2008 15:23
Sheffield United got it all wrong at Hillsborough last year but it was the pre-match comments of their then manager that lingered as long in the fans' memory as the disappointing performance on the pitch.
When Bryan Robson said the Steel City derby was "just another game" it showed that he didn't understand the deep passion and tradition belying this fixture.
A lot of Blades fans were justifiably disappointed that Captain Marvel didn't deliver a statement of intent. You can't say you're going to treat it as just another game because it isn't. It's a titanic battle.
You're either red and white or blue and white in Sheffield, and in a city with working class roots, the very least both sets of fans expect is that their players give 100 per cent every time they step on the pitch. In a derby, they expect 120 per cent!
Struggle all season, but if you can do the double over the other lot, you will appease a lot of fans.
The high expectations and the intense media speculation make it a real pressure cooker of a game to play in. But you can't blame outside influences; you control your own performance.
I missed out on playing in a Sheffield derby during my time at Bramall Lane in the late '80s but I played in various pre-season and testimonial games between the two rivals - and it's safe to say there was more hair and skin flying about than in many competitive games I've played in over the years!
Passionate
But it's an easy fixture to buy into even if you have no association with Sheffield: a big city, split down the middle, deeply passionate fans and an interesting sub-plot of how the ascendancy has swung from one club to the other over the years.
The styles of play have changed, too. I remember Wednesday playing some lovely stuff under Ron Atkinson but going much more direct when Howard Wilkinson was in charge; equally we played some great football when I was at United during the tenures of Ian Porterfield and Billy McEwan but we narrowed the pitch and played down a train track when Dave Bassett took the reins!
Kevin Blackwell and Brian Laws are the men pitting their wits on Sunday and I expect the 122nd Steel City derby to be as tight as the last one at Bramall Lane back in April. In terms of excitement, attacking football and sheer will to win, that 2-2 draw was probably the best game I saw all season.
After a 4-0 drubbing at Plymouth, Wednesday will have certainly have welcomed the international break more than United, who go to Hillsborough looking for their fourth win on the spin - a great response to their Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal.
The Owls' results have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous but they are unbeaten at home and Brian Laws will be counting on the vociferous home support. Off-the-field uncertainty has definitely been reflected in some performances but the fans have really stuck by the manager and the players.
With four goals in nine, Marcus Tudgay is a key man for the home side and if Brian Laws springs a surprise in naming Akpo Sodje in his squad, it would give the hosts a massive boost.
Tudgay has the craft and guile but Sodje is a real handful; dominant in the air and a powerhouse when the ball is in front of him. The Owls like to play football but when they have not been able to dominate possession, with Sodje out injured, they have lacked a long ball outlet to alleviate the pressure.
Anxiety
Kevin will try and feed off the negativity and anxiety that accompanied Wednesday's heavy defeats to Reading and Plymouth, which means getting on the front foot right from the whistle.
Being a positive manager, his battle plan will be to play in the opposition third as much as possible, get plenty of balls into the box and get an early goal. With James Beattie and Billy Sharp leading the line, United have certainly got goals in their side.
It will be interesting to see how big a role Brian Howard plays on Sunday. He could well be the missing link in midfield on the evidence of what he produced in a struggling Barnsley side.
A dead ball specialist, he has tremendous belief in his own ability, as well as the ability to run past his strikers in the way that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard do in the Premier League. Like Gary Speed and Stephen Quinn, he'll also chip in with goals and a midfield that can score you goals when your strikers might be going through a bit of a barren spell is invaluable.
He demands the ball, too. People talk about bottle; well, it's not flying into tackles, it's when you take responsibility and make things happen. Brian certainly has it.
The first goal will be crucial in this one - but I've got a funny feeling we're going to see a lot of them. It could be a repeat of the four-goal thriller at Bramall Lane.