Frustration at BDTBL

Sheffield United 0 v Milton Keynes Dons 1

Tuesday 2 December 2014

Twitter @ball_sup

A nice simple drink followed by a very frustrating 90 odd minutes at Bramall Lane. I went in The Red Lion on Charles Street. It’s a pleasant, straightforward pub, which I don’t go in very often.  It does give me the chance to say that matchday pubs can get very crowded for us old fellas nowadays.  Two things have changed. Firstly, I’m now no longer up-for-it enough to be banging on the door at 11 Bells & bagging a seat, and hogging that until 5 to three. Secondly, there’s not as many matchday pubs to go around.  Years & years ago, we’d do The Lord Nelson, The Pump, The Sheldon, The Sportsman & The Cricks.  Of those, it’s just Fannys & The Cricks left - rammed on matchdays.

The Red Lion is busy but not bursting & suits me fine.  I had Sheffield Brewery Co. Five Rivers at 3.8% and Stancill Barnsley Bitter at 3.8% - both on cask. Both well kept, served in tip top condition. On the night, I leaned towards the Stancill. A good flavoursome bitter - nuttiness from the malt - but not oversweet.

Difficult to know what to make of it at The Lane.  A lot of frustration around. I still feel we are where we are. The main problem with football (or indeed other sports) is that the team you’re playing want to win as well.  Some of my fellow fans are frustrated because there seems little evidence of the hoped for (dare I say promised) investment from the new Saudi co-owner.  I’ll pass on that. But, the Board do need to realise that if they stick their heads up & say “we will get this put right” (or similar) (Jim Phipps on Twitter), if it isn’t put right, people won’t be happy. If you Talk the Talk……

Our new Striker loan signing went off injured. We conceded late on. The crowds are holding up.

In past dark days, I’ve cried out for a consistent, simple approach to the game.  In a way, we do have a consistent system - built on simplicity. But, we do have personnel changes week in week out. So, it often feels we’re fitting square pegs in round holes. And, we lack that final third quality to actually stick goals away, put teams under the cosh & bully them.

Wish I’d been in the pub at 11 Bells - it’d all have looked different.