Sheffield United (Away) 19.05.2024

Injuries had led to about seven players missing for Spurs, so there was a leader of the line role for Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin started again alongside Cristian Romero in the middle of the defence.  Micky van de Ven started at left back with Porro on the other side and Bentancur and Sarr were in front of them, with our three Sons – Maddison, Johnson and Son – in the attacking midfield.

There was almost a lightning fast start by United, who seized on a header from Radu Dragusin that wasn’t going to get to Micky van de Ven, allowing Ben Osborn to nudge the ball away from the Dutchman and send Ben Brerton Diaz through.  The Chilean international was force to take his shot hurriedly, as Cristian Romero came across to challenge, with the ball sent fizzing over the bar as Spurs escaped handing then a chance.  Osborn had hurt himself in assisting in the effort, going up in the air after Micky’s challenge, but after treatment it was decided to take him off and on came Vinicius Souza with five minutes gone.

News came through that City were winning against the Spammers, cheering up those interested in things outside of Bramall Lane.  Meanwhile, on the pitch, Hamer took a free-kick given for a foul by Kulusevski on Diaz, but the subsequent shot was straight at Vicario, who dealt with it easily.  He didn’t get near Sheffield’s next effort on goal in the tenth minute, as a quick free-kick was spread left to Hamer, who bent a ball to the far post, which Diaz reached, but could only volley it against the outside of Guglielmo’s left hand post.  The defenders were awaiting an offside flag, but it didn’t come.  

After Bentancur was warned for a late tackle on Lowe, United played the ball around at the back, trying to move it upfield, but van de Ven easily took the ball off Bogle on the Spurs left and played it infield to James Maddison, his touch under pressure moved the ball back in the direction it came from to Son, a couple of yards away and he did well to turn it into the area.  Ten yards in from the dead-ball line and to the left of the six yard box, Dejan Kulusevski got onto the ball and drilled a low shot across Foderingham and into the far side of the goal off the foot of the post to give Tottenham the lead with their first attack.  All the noise came from the Tottenham boys in the corner at the opposite end of the ground, as an almost begrudgingly accepted groan emitted from the home support, who had seen this all before.

Shortly after the goal, there was a stoppage with the players called over to the benches while a medical emergency was attended to, but when play restarted, Spurs were comfortably playing the ball around and Maddison slipped Kulusevski in for what should have been his second goal, but his low effort from right of the goal was saved low, close to his body by Foderingham, who got a hand to the ball.  Son was getting a bit of a kicking from Bogle, with the referee doing nothing about it, allowing jeers from the seats that were filled by the Sheffield United supporters, with the ground by no means near the 32,000 capacity.  The sheers were all coming from the Spurs fans with a 27th minute corner cleared out to Romero, outside the box and he steered the ball back to his left to Rodrigo Bentancur and from just outside the box he planted a low shot that came back across goal off the foot of the keeper’s left-hand post.  Johnson retrieved the ball, laid it back to Son, who was 14 yards out and he smacked a shot at goal that Foderingham did very well to palm away to his right.  Play then continued, with the ball moved to the Tottenham right and Porro’s fine ball into the box, swinging away from goal found Romero coming in on it, but from six yards out ,he put the ball wide.  More jeers from the United faithful, but at least it gave them something to get excited about. 

Tottenham were just too quick and too fluid for United to cope with and all the Blades fans had to enjoy was the early summer sunshine.  Just after half an hour, the home fans had something to applaud, but it was Foderingham’s low save down to his right to push round a powerful drive from Porro 22 yards out.  There were hoping for something more vital when the keeper caught the subsequent corner and round-housed a kick upfield to Hamer.  The midfielder slipped the ball left leaving Cameron Archer (named after not one, but two infamous Tory ministers) a clean run on goal, but the heat must have got to him, as he dragged his shot across goal and wide of the far post by a yard from just inside the area.  A corner was given, so Sarr must have got a touch on it, as the shot came in, but Spurs headed it clear.  Hamer then had a shot blocked, with the corner cleared again, giving Tottenham the chance to break and with Son going through the centre-circle and the United defence pout-numbered, substitute Souza decided the grapple with the Spurs skipper and get a yellow card from the ref.  

There was a United player called Arblaster, who ran around a lot and played one good pass, getting the home fans excited because he was only 20, but he must be finding it hard to play in this Sheffield side.  Another player finding it hard to perform was Diaz, who knocked van de Ven over long after he had laid the ball off.  His career after leaving Blackburn for Spain looks like ending back in the Championship unless United let him find another club in the summer.  Son took Bentancur’s header on to the edge of the box and calmly put it into the path of Maddison to his left, but the first touch took the ball too close to the keeper, who was able to block James’ shot.  The match was now into added time and was being played out like a training ground match, with the somnambulant crowd eerily quiet.  They got a bit hot under the collar just before the half-time whistle when Robinson was lining up a long throw and Trusty was trying to get under Vicario’s feet, with the Spurs keeper pushing him away.  Arblaster still seems to have a lot to learn, as he started on Romero and when play was about to start Dragusin took control of the situation by making sure Trusty got nowhere near our keeper, who came and claimed the throw-in anyway.

With City 2-0 ahead at the break and the Gooners drawing there was much to talk about at the break, but when Archer wriggled past Romero soon after the second half started, it looked dangerous, but Vicario stuck out a foot to save although a flag went up for offside anyway.  The next thirteen minutes consisted of Tottenham passing the ball around comfortably, with United only getting close enough to make a foul until Son made a fool of Bogle by turning him inside out to get to the dead-ball line and pull it back for Maddison, ten yards out.  Again Foderingham stopped his shot and when it ran lose, Micky van de Ven blocked Souza’s clearance that produced a good reflex stop to his left by the keeper, but Johnson recycled possession as the ball went wide of the goal and put it on a plate for Pedro Porro to power an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net with Foderingham unable to get anywhere near this one.   United claimed offside in vain as VAR ruled Son was onside and the Spurs fans behind that goal were jumping around with European football nearly achieved with this result.

Son had a low shot saved at the near post by the keeper after Maddison had put a pass to him in the box to the left of the goal, but with 64 minutes showing on the clock, Spurs went into an unassailable 3-0 lead.  Starting with Vicario, Spurs knocked the ball about among the back four until it was switched to the left and Micky played a quick pass to Son.  He controlled it, looked up and played Maddison in down the line with the outside of his right boot, getting him into the box beyond Ahmedhodzic and playing an instinctive first time square ball that Dejan Kulusevski swept through Foderingham’s attempt to save down to his left to find the net for his second of the game.  Pushing him into the number nine position paid off big time for Ange, as he scored twice and should have had another couple at least on a better day.  How those Spurs fans who constantly shout “Kick it upfield !” must have appreciated that !

The goal gave Ange the opportunity to bring on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for Pape Matar Sarr, with Royal and Skipp replacing Porro and Bentancur a few minutes later with a corner waiting to be taken, which saw Brooks go after Son, who went down holding his shin.  The referee had no doubt about what happened and brought out a red card straight away.  VAR got involved and decided that it was not worth sending the Sheffield substitute off, so play restarted without even a yellow being issued.  The keeper caught the cross and launched a kick upfield that sent Brewster away, but a player who was so highly rated at Liverpool (goodness knows why) snatched at his shot as he got to the penalty area on the right and dragged it wide across the goal.  Spurs had an equally good chance on the break, winning the ball halfway inside their own half, then Maddison freed Son going forward from the halfway line to get onto the pass.  He stood Holgate up by stopping the ball and then dinked a cross to the far post, where Brennan Johnson came in, but the ball was on the up as he reached it and he guided it over the angle from close range with the keeper closing down his angles. 

Resigned to their fate and this being the last rites of their Premier League season, the home crowd were hushed, with only a murmur of discontent every time they didn’t get a free-kick or a boo when Son touched the ball for having his foot trodden on by Brooks in the “red card” incident.  Royal got pulled down outside the area without a decision being given and play continued with Kulusevski and Skipp both having shots charged down.  Dragusin made a good clearance in front of goal when a low left wing cross came in from the home team, but with four minutes left, Postecoglou brought on Dane Scarlett and Mikey Moore with Son leaving to boos by the dwindling home support and James Maddison also exiting the pitch.

It was only until the 93rd minute that Robinson got his usual booking, with van de Ven very unhappy about the lateness of the challenge on him.  Robinson was another player that Liverpool raved about but has always been a clogger, with very few positive attributes to his game.  He was quick to moan when Brooks fouled Royal as he thought that play should have been stopped when Trusty challenged Johnson and then went down holding his leg, but he was off the pitch.  When the last whistle of the season was blown there was little noise from the red and white areas of Bramall Lane, but the end behind Foderingham erupted with Europa League football achieved, which was all there was to play for in this match and it seemed as though Sheffield United didn’t even play for their pride after the first 15 minutes, when they could have lead, but went behind and never looked likely to claw the game back.

As for Tottenham, it was mission accomplished.  You hoped that we would have been able to take all three points against a team already relegated and as poor as a Premier League team you would ever see.  Earlier in the season when United lost out at the THS in added time, their fans were banging on about how corrupt the Premier League was, but frankly selling your two best players before the season starts.  Those fans from the Steel City who were wishing that they could make a quick return to the Championship must be really happy after this result.  And they rant about Spurs fans wanting their team to lose ! 

Spurs really let Sheffield United off from a heavy beating, as there were plenty of opportunities that could have ended up in a weightier goals against column for the home team.  Playing Kulusevski at centre-forward seemed to work, with his two goals and some more shots on goal and it was only Foderingham, this time concentrating on playing the game rather than time-wasting, that kept the score-line semi-respectable. 

Although it was the end of the season and at 3-0, a comeback was seemingly highly unlikely, it was good to see Scarlett and Moore get a run-out, with surely some more match time coming for them in Australia in a couple of days and in pre-season.  Radu Dragusin looked comfortable and also took on the role of Vicario’s protector, while the back line were rarely tested.

So, another season ends, with ups and downs as most of our seasons contain, but the overall feeling is a positive one.  Better football has been played and while there have been some big losses and a poor run-in to the end of the campaign, fifth place is probably what a lot of Tottenham fans would have thought was achievable after the last few seasons.  One more match to go, before it all starts again in a couple of months time.

Stanford Rivers 

• Heung-Min Son assisted for Dejan Kulusevski’s first goal and this made him the first Tottenham player (and the sixth player in history) to register double figures in both goals and assists in three different top-flight campaigns.  He achieved the feat previously in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.
• Sheffield United finished the season as the team who had conceded most Premier League goals (104), beating Swindon’s previous record of 100 goals (in a 42 game season).
• The 104 goals also beat Leicester City’s 102 conceded in a 38 game season back in 1908-1909 to make United’s the top division’s second worst defensive record, with only Darwen’s 112 in 26 matches in 1891-1892 being worse. 
• They also let in the most goals at home (57) in a top-flight season in the history of the game.
• The Blades goal difference of -69 is the equal worst in the Premier League of all-time, matching Derby County’s in 2007-2008.