Unpalatable Manifesto

Port Vale 0 v Sheffield United 3

League One

Friday 14 April 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

My last game was Oldham away. Since then, we've won Promotion back to Division 2. Salute. It's time for the Unpalatable Manifesto. Con Soli Date.

A bit of stability. A bit of continuity. Will all serve us well. I've supported this shower too long to believe anyone knows what they're doing. If we try to be something we're not, we're doomed. Appointing any successful manager is a happy accident. It depends who is available when you sack the incumbent clown. When you're in the rut of another season, another manager, you take what you can.

We've had that happy accident. It's being trotted out all the time. But, we've got a bit of our club back. The Saudi being nepotismed into a Government job helped. Phipps being canned helped. The Turkish fella deserves credit for lowering the Rabble Rousing & keeping it shut. Evans being acquitted & fucking off to Chesterfield helped.

Appointing Wilder was NOT a masterstroke. It was the next throw of the dice for an ever more desperate set of blokes on the Board. That dice happened to land on an appointment I could get behind immediately. An appointment which I'd have stuck with without promotion. I do not want success at any “price”. I'd sooner languish in Div 3, and be recognisable as my Sheffield United. Salute McCabe, Wilder & Sharp. Salute Luck.

When the season started, I didn't​ think you could do what Wilder has done. Sack off Deadwood. Tell others they're not wanted, but give them every chance to prove him wrong. Bring new fellas in. Get 'em going. Have a blip. Bring more fellas in. Change system to three at the back. I expected to be writing. “Difficult season. Trying to build a new team each year doesn't work. Got to give him next year & maybe the year after”.

Capitalise by Consolidating. I'll not spoil it by saying where they need to finish. The Championship is a superb league. With some proper football clubs in it. Let's hold the “get out of this poxy pub league” bollocks for a bit. My main gripe. He's not been able to get any young ‘uns in the XI. We're up. Champions in our grasp. Main gripe seems minor.

Cor. The Bull's Head has done the Designation Hokey Cokey today. Home fans only. Away fans welcome. Etc. Plod were giving mine host the hard stare when I arrived bang on 11am. The blackboard said home fans only. But, you know. It'll all work out in the end. He's flustered, but coped with it all.

I ENDED with the traditional Titanic, Plum Porter on cask at 4.2%. Majestic.

Preceded by

Pied Bull, Do A Bull on cask at 4.2%
Titanic, Steerage on cask at 3.8%

Even though The Bull's Head must have been Home Fans Only during at least one of those pints, it was far more inviting than the other Burslemist gaffs I passed. Port Vale. I love 'em to bits. Always up to good of the variety no.

462/969
84

Felt like a Gay Orgy

Sheffield United 4 v Port Vale 0

League 1

Saturday 15 October 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

Good beer day that. But, got to start with the football. Felt like I was at a Gay Orgy. I’ve never looked straight & meaningfully into the eyes of so many blokes I’ve never met before. (Some ladies too). All of us asking, without speaking, what has happened there? Dominant. Not a poor show from any of them. Even when the jitters arrived, Freeman & Moore (in particular) saved the day.

We are, and will continue to struggle for striking options. Shift after shift for Done & Sharp while Clarke is crook. So, we’re looking for goals from elsewhere. And, they’re coming from Ebanks-Landell. From set pieces. When you’re on, you’re on. Goals, confidence, basics. Put good crosses over, get one man free, let him head it in, or create enough nonsense that he or someone else can bundle it in.

Three at the back (again). Freeman & Lafferty licence to bomb down the wings. Coutts & Fleck covering them against Vale breakaways. To be honest, I prefer a conventional four, with one full back given the role of flooding forward (that would be Freeman). But, I can’t knock what’s working.

O’Connell was even bringing the ball forward at times. That makes a real difference. Gives you an extra man. Goals, confidence, basics. Even the Ref & Lino were doing good work. When the ball deflected in off Sharp, they had a conflab. The Lino wouldn’t have been able to see the deflection. The Ref wouldn’t have been sure Sharp was in an offside position. Teamwork. Offside. Correct decision. Oh. That was one of FOUR disallowed goals mind. OK, it’s easy to score from the ShitLine when you’re offside. But, indicative of the way we’re playing.

My understanding is True North Brewery open their doors once a month. It’s just on that little hill immediately in front of you as you come out of the Devonshire Cat. My main surprise was how little of their own beer they had. Just one on cask. And, their Pilsener on keg. Then FOUR guest kegs. Those included Beavertown & Brooklyn. I went for the remaining two;

North Union, Shy Bairns Get Nowt, Imperial Pale Lager at a whopping 7%. That was OK. But, not dirty enough. Just a bit too thin. Bags of flavour though.

North Union, Blind Man Galloping On A Horse, Black IPA at 5.3%. Nice beer. I’d have preferred more bitterness. But, the sweetness was nice & in balance.

Four- Nil. No idea…..

390/816
34

6 on the bounce, 3 at the back

Sheffield United U18 4 v Birmingham City U18 3
U18 Professional Development League 2, North
Played at Shirecliffe

Sheffield United 1 v Port Vale 0
League 1
Played at Bramall Lane

Saturday 20 February 2016

Twitter @ball_sup

Today’s Adkins quotient - 4/11 = 36% (Long, Reed & Sharp & I’ve chucked him Che in (plucked from non-league)).

Shirecliffe

It was the battle of 2nd & 3rd at Shirecliffe. The United Nippers were always just shading it. But, tight at the end. Jordan Hallam (2), Nat Crofts & Manny Adebowale (as I recall). That means United leapfrog above the BlueNoses into 2nd place. And, that is six wins on the Bounce. On The Bounce I say.

A very noisy linesman over my side. Some great coaching from him at times. “Lino, how is that a foul, I went for the ball?”. “You went for it & missed it, that’s a free kick, if you go for it & get it, that’s a tackle”. Sensible policies for better football.

The Lane

A win. Deserved. Less Toxic. But, he’s changing all the time. OK, I’ll give him that one. He’s changed, It’s worked. They’ve won. All the talk is of too many players. How we need a clear out once contracts start running out. Yet, he’s using those very same players. One option would be simply to decide now who we’re sticking with longer term. And pad the rest of the team out with the “soon to be released”. Maybe he’s doing that. Who knows?

Anyway. Unusual, but it makes sense. He’s set up 3-5-2. With Brayford & Woolford as wing backs. If they (or others) can do that job, I see the sense. Brayford was a key attacking option, but he’s been off the pace recently. Playing like that brings him more into the game. And you’ve got a solid midfield. Maybe more likely to create chances going forward. Anyway, we won.

Louis Reed. Needs to step up now. He’s OK on the ball. Looking for it. Getting it. Giving it. But, it is not incisive. It doesn’t have an impact. Square. Ten yards. Backwards. Accurate enough. (Most of the time) strong enough. Needs to develop Killer Balls. Step Up.

McCabe all over everything. Including an official statement. Partly, I get it. Him and the Saudi are the owners. They’ve put money in. Simple, as owners, we’re stuck with them. They can do what they like. That’s what being an owner is. Unless they sell……

There is some mad criticism aimed at McCabe in particular. All based on the simple fact that we’re pissing around in Division 3, with no immediate prospects. Stick to that charge and he’s Bang To Rights. But. It becomes. We’re in Div 3, he must be taking money out of the Club. We’re in Division 3, he’s not putting money into the Club.

So, he can Lord It. I haven’t taken a penny out of this Club. We have spent (insert large figure). I’ll boil him down. We’ve spent. It nearly worked. We got to some Play Offs & lost.

The real deal is - if you’re not taking money out, if you’re putting a lot in, why are we pissing around in Division 3? Someone has made HUGE mistakes along the way. Bad appointments. Bad recruitment. Bad signings. Bad strategy. Bad. Not ill luck & Tevez.

The Beer

A lovely Fuggle Bunny, Chapter 3, Golden Orchard on cask at 5%.

280/578

Run Ragged

Port Vale 2 v Sheffield United 1

League 1

Saturday 3 October 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

Firstly, a salute to Titanic Brewery. We were planning an assault on their Sample Room. (We drank there last time out). I checked with them during the week. Asked them what time they were expecting to open. On our way to Longport on the train, they had the good grace to contact me & let me know they couldn’t open due to illness. In honour of that, we decided to spend all afternoon in The Bulls Head. That is effectively their Brewery Tap in Burslem. Two separate bar areas & a BBQ/Beer Garden. Lots on. Their own and guest on cask. Maybe 8 or 9. Their own on keg & a pukka guest keg.

The Outstanding Beer of the Day was Titanic, Plum Porter on cask at 4.9%. It continues to win beer festival awards all over the place. And, IMHO, rightly so. It is the richness without sweetness that wins it. I also really enjoyed the Titanic, MAP (Mid-Atlantic Pale) on keg at 4.5%. Nice and hoppy and bitter, but also zingy & refreshing. Surely that’s an excellent Carling Converter. “I like it cold & fizzy”.

I also had Titanic, Steerage on cask at 3.8%.

In a way, it seems pointless coming to Burslem & not tucking into Titanic. From experience, I thoroughly recommend both the Sample Room & The Bulls Head.

An odd game that. At times, United were run ragged. Accurate, quick, link up play. Getting it forward to the man at pace. Gonna work. Couple that with United’s slow, ponderous stuff. And the “where is he now” isolation of the forwards. We never really seemed to get going. It just seemed to be them coming at us. But, they did claw a Matt Done consolation at the death. And, harp had an excellent chance from yards as Sammon swept one in for him. OK, good stop by the keeper. But, Sharp also missed the best opportunity at Burton in the week. He’s got to put these home.

Anyway, Port Vale dominated. Anything other than a win would have been robbery. Terry Kennedy got on. But, the changes only gee’ed ‘em up for ten. Basically, they made little difference. Looks a long way to Automatic Promotion from here.

216/438

Titanic Sample Room

Port Vale 2 v Sheffield United 1

Friday 27 December 2014

Twitter @ball_sup

The weather kicked in towards the end of the football. Heavy snow. The Blades had Basham sent off just before half time. They were a goal down at that stage. The ten men carved out an equaliser. But couldn't hang on & dipped 2-1.

Great hit for a drink and a top top Division 3 recommendation. The Titanic Brewery Sample Room is close to Vale Park. But is a bit hidden away as well. Not sure I can make a proper assessment of "how busy". Snowy Boxing Day. Maybe it's a bit more rammed on a Saturday in September. There's a sneaky Cycle Track route bang to the ground. It's essentially on a small unit estate.

The set up. They've been able/needed to expand into neighbouring units. So, one of the rooms has become the Sample Room. Partly a function room for hire. Partly a tasting room for Brewery Tours. Partly an impromptu bar for football at The Vale.

The manager was very welcoming & answered all my cross examination questions. She even gave me a quick peak in the conditioning tanks room. Local punters also friendly.

The thing is. My first impression was a little bit of disappointment. There was Plum Porter on cask & Stout & Mid Atlantic Pale on keg. You think ..... is that it?

But very quickly I came into their world. It's not a full on all of the range showcase gaff. It's an occasional, what there is is what there is, fresh from the brewery Tap. All hail that.

I would hit this place year after year. For the convenience. For the location. For the like minds. And for the tip top condition beer.

Stout on Keg at 4 5%
MAP (Mid Atlantic Pale) on keg at 4.5%
Plum Porter on Cask at 4.9%

The MAP, I'd just go nice identikit American style pale. Plum Porter is great. I pedantically mark it down as I never feel it has enough bittering.

So the standout beer of the day was the Stout.

Some Swiss fella rolled up in a campervan & bought something like 40 bottles of Stout & 16 bottles of White Star. Salute mate.

(64/157)