Championship play-off analysis: Sheffield United down to basics...

Callum O’Hare’s superbly improvised goal aside, Sheffield United’s 3-0 victory over Bristol City wasn’t particularly

noteworthy.

Acknowledging the advantages and disadvantages of opponents that gave them a tough time at Bramall Lane in

March, the Blades changed their typical 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 and attempted to swiftly release offensive

attackers behind the Robins’ back three.

“I don’t believe it’s outdated,” Chris Wilder, their manager, contended. We anticipated their approach and knew they

would be on top of us. We therefore spent a little more time with the front men.

“Kieffer (Moore) was a handful – physical, he linked in and Ty (Campbell) ran down the side.

“We didn’t offer an opportunity for them to go and press the life out of us. It’s the way we set up to get a result.”

Instead of attempting to storm the away dugout to protest against ‘anti-football’, the away fans, who the stewards

were struggling to stop from bursting onto the pitch after Andre Brooks’ and O’Hare’s goals, were thrilled that they

could already start planning for Wembley with this season’s play-offs less than ninety minutes old.

The Blades more than broke the back of it, despite Wilder’s insistence that the work is not yet finished and our

knowledge of the crazy things that can occur in a Sheffield play-off semi-final from two years ago.

“I think we just produced our best,” said Jack Robinson, simply.

To be honest, those who believe that football should just be a beautiful game are utterly foolish. The majority of

supporters in this area value a smashing tackle just as much as a Cruyff turn.

Variety is key to good football, and you need more tough traits in addition to the cunning of Gustavo Hamer, who

veered dangerously to the left, and O’Hare’s inventiveness.

At the end of the first half, Moore got behind Rob Dickie, who was sent off for dragging him down, changing the

course of Friday’s match. According to WhoScored.com, it meant that Sheffield United played less accurate long balls

during the ninety minutes than usual.

It is about being effective.

It showed they can play more than one way. Although the second-half deck was loaded, they were ruthless in a way

they are not always.

O’Hare’s cute step-over allowed Brooks to calmly finish a Burrows cross and his twisting body turned a poor Vinicius

Souza shot into an assist for the third goal.

They were two beautiful goals.

Given that Dickie is the Robins’ best header of the ball statistically, Moore might be asked to start at the front again

on Monday while the defender is suspended.

The Blades will have more patience this time around as they wait for the visitors to overstretch before rushing into

the gaps while sitting on their 3-0 cushion. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, a winger who was left out of Friday’s squad, might

have a good night.

They will not be constrained by fanciful notions of the “correct” way to play, regardless of how they approach it. I

agree with that.

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