The ACN Match Review: Sheffield Utd (a)

How did we play?

I wanted to style this review around a Shawshank Redemption arc, but although the long-suffering away fans have definitely crawled through a long pipe of shit since August and although they can rightly wipe the grime from their eyes and glimpse the light at the end of the long narrow tunnel, I’m not sure we’re quite on the tropical beach just yet. I mean, I think we were good? I think we were pretty good? I think we made Sheffield Utd look extremely average, and they really shouldn’t have scored any goals and we probably should have scored several? And yet somehow it’s hard to point at many or any golden clear-cut chances we spurned. 

Clement has done an amazing job of digging confidence and ball-playing ability out of these players. I’m excited about how far the big Belgian Monk might take this team. But it just feels like we’re a few feet away from bringing that confidence to bear where it really matters – in front of the actual goal. 

What was the best bit of the game?

There was no single standout moment, but – just as Tim Robbins didn’t dig his escape tunnel in one go but rather eked it out one painstaking spoon at a time – there was a general feeling that this team is ready to move in the right direction. It’s a real thrill to see what a good coach can achieve in such a short space of time, and to picture how far he might take us by the end of the season, and beyond. 

So no single moment, but many, many moments to warm the heart and give us hope for the season. Pelle Mattson’s transformation into all-action hero continues. Springett is growing in confidence. Makama seems to get taller and stronger with every game. Fisher is proving that he belongs on the right, as if anyone was in doubt. Medić the man-mountain was a revelation in the centre of defence. 

All that said, the best bit was when Forson was bearing down on goal with only the keeper to beat and we thought the game was finally going to give us what we deserved in the final throes of stoppage time. 

What was the worst bit of the game?

When Forson bore down on the goal with only the keeper to beat and somehow didn’t get the ball in the back of the net. I’m sure that kind of chance is harder than it looks to put away but ffs it would have been a tasty end to the evening. 

I don’t know who McClean gave his armband to after he went off, but there was a noticeable lack of captaining going on in the second half. We are getting there, and I’m swooning at how much further Clement might take us, but we’re not there yet. 

Also, on a personal note: I’ve been learning Dutch for several years, and it’s *inexplicable* to me that I can’t get some basic Dutch-language Clement chants to catch on. 

What was the atmosphere like?

Apart from the lack of joining-in on the Dutch-language chants, you mean? Pretty good. The Sheffield United fans were embarrassingly quiet, but Norwich kept up a good noise level. Although it did maybe tail off once our domination of possession began to not amount to enough. 

Hero of the match

The chef in the Rutland Arms, a very decent pub halfway between the station and Bramall Lane, who served an indecently good kebab sandwich which has to be experienced to be believed. 

Summary in Five Words

Ik hou van jou, Clement.

(Pronounced “ik how von yow, Clement,” sung to the tune of Kumbaya, or if you’d rather “Adrian Forbes, my lord,” this translates as “I love you, Clement,” which at this point seems like a reasonable sentiment and really not to much to ask to sing a song in the man’s native language?)