Best & Worst: Sheffield United
United nuts Blades Mad discuss Alan Cork’s Castaway charms and the debatable devotion of Olympians
XI
BEST: Dean Henderson, Jack O’connell, John Egan, Chris Morgan, Chris Basham, John Fleck, Alan Woodward, Tony Currie, Keith Edwards, Billy Sharp, Brian Deane.
WORST: Lee Baxter, Andy Taylor, Jay Mceveley, Nyron Nosworthy, Jordan Stewart, Dean Hammond, Martyn Woolford, Jonathan Forte, Marlon King, James Wilson, Conor Sammon.
PLAYER
B: A few are in the running given our recent success, but we’ll go with Billy Sharp [ right]: Sheffield United’s living goalscoring legend.
W: Our 2015- 16 League One season was woeful – but Dean Hammond and Jay Mceveley were particularly shocking in it. Hammond takes it.
MOMENT
B: Jack O’connell steaming in with a powerful header to secure Premier League football at Bramall Lane against Ipswich last April. Magical.
W: Losing to Wigan on the last day of the 2006- 07 Premier League season, when we only needed a draw. Less magical.
GOAL
B:
Mark Duffy netting our third at Hillsborough in 2017, silencing the home crowd after they’d pulled it back to 2- 2. Down in folklore.
W: David Unsworth’s penalty relegating us in 2007. He was a Blade earlier that season and had missed one for us in a 0- 0 draw with Blackburn.
CELEBRITY FAN
B: Sean Bean [ above] is a Hollywood film star, but never ashamed to declare his love for the Blades. Golfer Matt Fitzpatrick sports United head covers and scorecard holders on the PGA and European Tours.
W: Jess Ennis- Hill had a stand named after her following the 2012 Olympics, but we’ve not seen her at Bramall Lane since. Not that we ever did, really.
MANAGER
B: Easy. Chris Wilder [ below]. W: Easy. Nigel Adkins.
SEASON
B: We’re living the dream now, flirting with Europe and on the march with Wilder’s army. W: 2015- 16 under Adkins – 11th in the third tier was our joint- lowest finish since winning the old Fourth Division back in 1981- 82.
KIT
B: The 1992- 94 home kit was a hit with fans, resplendent with black pinstripes and a drawstring neckline.
W: Our 2015- 16 home kit was virtually devoid of red stripes and looked more like an away shirt.
SIGNING
B: John Fleck. On a free from Coventry, as the good song goes. He’s been through the leagues with us.
W: Dean Hammond had a decent CV coming to Bramall Lane, so we hoped he’d be the answer. He wasn’t.
OPPONENT
B: Liverpool. We’re witnessing one of the greatest Premier League sides.
W: Wednesday. Since getting hammered at Hillsborough, their bus- parking has resulted in three consecutive 0- 0s.
FACIAL HAIR
B: John Brayford’s well- crafted face fuzz was the envy of men everywhere.
W: Alan Cork was struggling on top, but persisted with a grey beard in the first Premier League season. All very Castaway.
HARD MAN
B: Chris Morgan remains United’s most sent- off player in club history. W: Angus Gunn always gives it the big one when he comes to Bramall Lane.