From Carling to Coors Light

Sheffield United 1 v Carlisle United 0 

EFL Cup 

Tuesday 10 August 2021 

A cup game. Season Ticket not valid. Need a paper ticket. Two away matches on sale in the morning. No choice, the pre match drink has to be in the Ticket Gangmaster's Blades Pub of choice…..

The Lord Nelson, 166 Arundel St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 4RE

Fanny's. Where part of the Financial Settlement involved me being reimbursed for the cancelled Newcastle away match from March 2020 !!!!

My main gripe with Fanny's is how unserviceable it gets for Saturday games. Get in at 11. Or get in somewhere else. Anyway. Nice & calm for League Cup Tuesdays. The Big News is that the Former Train Mob have now switched from Carling to Coors Light.

I started with a pint of;

Great Newsome, Sleck Dust on Cask at 3.8%.

Sigh. Took an age to pour. All froth. She gave it to me with about three quarters in. So I just left it on the bar until her conscience kicked in & she topped up. And then immediately turned the pumpclip around. Sigh.

And then;

Abbeydale, Deception on Cask at 4.1%.

Completely by mistake, I have (laughably) become one of the Social Media Go To Guys on the SUFC Shirecliffe Academy. So, once the team was announced. To include five Academy Lads at various stages of development, my John Street Stand neighbours wanted beans spilled.

He's a big lad him Phil, that Kacper Lopata. What's he like? Any good?

Football with fans, particularly at Academy level ended in March 2020. Kacper made his any level debut for Sheffield United U23s on 21 September 2020. Any good? Fucked if I know, his career could have come & gone without me ever having seen him play. Did well though, didn't he? Calm. Organising those around him. Including Bash. A real threat at attacking corners as well.

Kyron Gordon likewise. Although maybe a bit quieter, hidden & understated. He's got a rag he can lose - easily, has young Kyron. So it was good to see his more composed side. Left centre back in a three, with Lopata in the middle & Basham on the right. 

I'm on record with Rhys Norrington-Davies, I like the look of him. And he did nothing to make me think otherwise tonight. I think we've still to see him tested as a conventional left full back. Even though we did switch to a four with the substitutions. And, occasionally, he ran the ball nowhere when trying to take his man on. But, some strong first touches, always looking to move forward. Strong & surging in his runs.

I thought Tyler Smith was OK. Not standout. But OK. He probably suffered a bit with the what the hell's going on approach to Sheffield United attacking options. Let's not hide it, if he runs with the ball, shakes his man off, slips it to Brewster, he's not getting it back, any time soon, Brewster is doing one of two. Taking one touch & having a shot. Or, just having a shot without a touch. Rhian finally got his goal. A poachers goal. Knocking in the rebound after the keeper beat out Sharp's effort. 

Of course that's only fired up his worst shoot from anywhere instincts. I remarked to the CBF - there was a small window then, just after the goal, when we could have sold him for a quarter of what we paid. But then he's nailed one high into the Bramall Lane end, closer to The Railway than to the goal. And he's back to unsaleable at the minute.

Which leaves Zak Brunt. He did well, didn't he? From the Shirecliffe School of constantly looking for the ball. Busy. Busy. Busy. Personally, I think he's more suited to a more attacking, in the hole, role. But, he's versatile & intelligent.

Overall, you couldn't say that was a confident victory. But it's job done. Weather the late storm from committed lower league opponents. Try the best of the kids out. But, among some old heads. Don't chuck them to the wolves. The youngsters started confidently & settled in. A break the duck goal from Brewster. Before some break the seats efforts from him an' all.

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