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da realbet： Fate is finally in Sheffield United’s hands after a weekend comeback against Leyton Orient at Bramall Lane, with Wednesday blinking first in the race for second with a one all draw at Colchester.
United now have a four point gap going into what will be a tricky trip to MK Dons at the weekend, whilst Wednesday host playoff chasing Carlisle at Hillsborough. The Blades will certainly go into the weekend’s game brimming with confidence after winning six on the bounce, whilst also being a free scoring outfit.
Only two teams in Europe have scored more goals than Sheffield United this season, and they are Barcelona and Real Madrid. Nobody, not even Blades fans, would admit that they are anywhere near those standards, but the achievement is there for all to see nonetheless. United are the top scorers in all four top divisions in English football with an incredible 88 goals, with the lion’s share of those belonging to Ched Evans.
Ched’s form has barely faltered all season, and was it not for missing the first nine games with a foot injury, he would surely be the top scorer in the division. Ched could have been forgiven for having a few off days recently with his court case beginning in North Wales last week, but there has been no such dip in form from the Welshman, who added another three goals to his tally last week. A brace against Rochdale was followed by a strike against Orient that takes him to thirty-five goals for the season, an achievement for any individual, no matter what league. Ched faces another challenging week ahead, but United will be hoping he approaches the weekend game against the Dons as he has done with every other game; with complete focus and commitment to the cause. He will be vital for the run in; as the Blades look to slam the door shut in our rivals faces by the time the weekend is out.
United really do look like a team in business now though, and manager Danny Wilson will surely be telling his players that second place is not theirs yet. There are young players in United’s ranks, and it is easy to take the eye off the ball when lacking experience, which is where the likes of Collins and Doyle need to become leaders. Doyle seems to be doing just that right now, having taken over the captaincy from Nick Montgomery half way through the season, in a season that has seen Doyle play nearly every game. Barely noticeable in a game, the Irishman seems to do the job no one else wants to do, a poor man’s Scott Parker almost, scurrying around, and making sure that the midfield battle is won. But in recent weeks he has also shown he has an eye for goal too. Two goals in two games, both from outside the area, have shown another side to his game rarely seen. Such has been United’s dominance, it has given freedom for other players, such as Doyle, to come forward and be involved much more.
The same can be said of right back Matty Lowton, who has to be one of the standout players in League One this season. He could almost be a winger, such are his twisting runs into opposition penalty areas and goals scored this season, but Lowton has always found the energy to get back and fulfill his defensive duties when necessary, and has really made the right back spot his own, with United not seeing a better replacement for Kyle Walker after he departed for Spurs. No doubt in the summer Lowton will attract interest from teams higher up the leagues, but promotion may persuade him to stay at the team that has given him his big break in football. Also, Kevin McDonald is out of contract in the summer, and one must feel that if United are going to gain promotion and become serious contenders in the Championship, McDonald must be part of that plan. Completely relaxed on the ball, his ability to find time and space and choose his pass really has made the difference this season, and he was sorely missed when out injured.
Wilson deserves full credit for bringing McDonald to Bramall Lane, seeing the potential for building a passing team around him. United fans aren’t used to seeing a passing team in recent years, and have in recent weeks, shown some signs of frustration when not getting the ball forward early enough. However, I cannot praise the Blades high enough for the way they have kept the ball. When there has been no option to go forward, McDonald will look for the simple ball sideways or back, but always making sure the Blades maintain control of the ball. In a league where fitness is at a premium, United have been able to simply wear teams down, as they did against Chesterfield and Bournemouth, and eventually against Leyton Orient. The opposition simply seem to run out of steam chasing the ball, leaving space for the likes of McDonald and Evans to exploit, and also Quinn and Williamson down the flanks.
MK Dons will almost seem like a home match, with an outstanding 6000 Blades fans making the journey to Buckinghamshire, hoping that by a quarter to five, the race for automatic promotion will be over. It is not entirely out of the reach of possibility. Wednesday host Carlisle, themselves pushing for a playoff place, and they will not be making the trip to South Yorkshire simply to make up the numbers at this late stage of the season. Also, MK Dons, after overtaking struggling Huddersfield at the weekend, look all but certain to take a playoff spot, and may air on the side of caution. I am sure not many Dons players will want to fly into 50-50 challenges risking injury, and United must win these battles if they are to take all three points. Personally, I would take a draw at Milton Keynes, knowing that a home win against Stevenage would all but secure the automatic place. With goal difference practically being worth a point itself, Wednesday need to win every game and hope United lose two in order to go up automatically.
What we must remember though, is that this is football, and anything can, and indeed, does happen, but in the race for automatic promotion to the Championship, the fat lady is making her way to the stage, and is clearing her throat as we speak.
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