MINI-SEASON FOR BLADES
How Osborn wants Sheffield United to tackle Premier League restart
WHEN Ben Osborn was watching the latest developments regarding football’s re-emergence from the dark depths of Covid-19 in April and there seemed little light, there was one glimmer.
The sight of the Premier League table on Sky Sports News which appeared periodically on the right hand side of his TV screen was a reminder of just how far Sheffield United – looking down on 13 other top-tier clubs – have come thus far and provided psychological motivation in those low moments.
June is now here and the 201920 campaign is still standing and it has tantalisingly rich potential as far as Chris Wilder’s side are concerned.
An outstanding season may have temporarily transformed into a strange one given football’s unprecedented shutdown in spring.
This is allied to the fact that domestic games will be played in the first half of the summer, which is pretty much unheard of.
But Europe remains very much on the Blades’ horizon, with an FA Cup home quarter-final with Arsenal pencilled in for the end of June. Fans may be absent, but the season still has the portents to be a special one.
Or a ‘once-in-a-career shot’ as Osborn succinctly puts it.
The hiatus may have been untimely – Wilder’s side saw their colours lowered just once in 10 matches in all competitions in 2020 following their January 2 defeat at Liverpool – but few clubs will attack the remainder of the season with as much hunger, drive and intensity than United.
On not passing up the sort of chance which may never transpire again, Osborn said: “It is going to be tough to carry on from that (form in mid-March) because the whole world has changed since we last played a game.
“But we have got to just attack it like a mini-season now with the league and FA Cup.
“We have just got to condense it and hopefully do something special.
“We know it is an opportunity that is not going to come around very often. We will give all we can and try and do it.
“The league (table) is being flashed up on Sky Sports News and it has been everywhere during the whole time of this lockdown – just seeing where we are and seeing what is at stake is a massive incentive.
“Everyone’s aware of it. It is the old cliché to take each game as it comes, but we know we have an opportunity here and will do everything we can to try and take it.
“You cannot think about what is on offer until we achieve it. But we have set ourselves up for it and it’s a once in a career shot for a lot of us, so we’re desperate to do all we can to make it happen.”
Back in full training and with a resumption date of June 17 scheduled for their return to action at Aston Villa, a semblance of something resembling normality is being afforded to the Blades.
Ben Osborn, hoping Sheffield United can continue their impressive run in 2020.
After some marquee fixtures in their Premier League adventure so far, there will be plenty of attention thrust upon their trip to Villa Park in exactly a fortnight’s time.
It is the night when football makes its big return with Villa and the Blades sharing the stage with Manchester City and Arsenal, who meet at the Etihad Stadium.
For Wilder, fashioning a victory to help move his side into the top five is the only focus and symbolism he will be interested in.
Given the exemplary way in which Wilder’s side have acquainted themselves in their top-flight education so far, the responsibility should sit well on the shoulders of his players, who have got used to passing tests.
Osborn added: “It was a massive help that the date was set.
“Watching the Bundesliga in their first set of games, it went well and when they were in game three or four, then it was like: ‘okay we should be getting going now’ and a date has definitely given us a bit more focus.
“The date is not too far away either, so we have got to commit yourself to it in the next couple of weeks, prepare properly and do all we can.
“Obviously us being the first game as well gives us an extra boost as well.
“Most eyes of the nation will be on us, so it’s exciting.”
Following their return to full training, Premier League clubs have now been given the green light to hold friendlies, albeit under strict restrictions, to further boost their match fitness ahead of the resumption of competitive fixtures.
Top-flight sides have made requests to face other teams in preparation for the league’s return, which has reportedly been accepted, with friendlies able to be played at either stadiums or training grounds.
”It has been just like pre-season really – even harder,” observed ex-Nottingham Forest player Osborn.
“We are just starting to get some minutes in behind closed doors games between ourselves.
“We are gearing up the minutes. It was 50 minutes the other day and 70 on Tuesday and next week, we will have a couple more games to try and get the intensity and fitness back.”
It is going to be tough to carry on from that (form in mid-March).