SHEFFIELD UNITED
But Prem safety not enough for Blades star John
JOHN FLECK admits he is still coming to terms with life in the fast lane.
And more than a decade after playing Champions League football for Rangers as a teenager, the Sheffield United midfielder is dreaming of a return European ticket.
But being a key player in a team dining at the top table of English football is taking some getting used to.
Even scrutinising the Premier League table and monitoring results elsewhere has become a whole new ball game. Take Manchester United versus Watford, for example. Rivalry has taken on role reversal.
“At the beginning of the season, we’d have wanted United to win that one, whereas it’s different now,” said Fleck, still pinching himself that the Blades are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and the Old Trafford giants.
In August, Chris Wilder and his players probably talked of throwing a survival party once 40 points was secured and safety guaranteed.
But the landmark tally almost passed unnoticed at the weekend. Indeed, it was marked more by frustration at two points dropped against a battling Brighton side than unbridled joy. “At the start of the season, if anyone had said we’d have 40 points at this stage, we’d have bitten their hand off,” said Fleck.
“It just shows how well we’ve done – we’re now in a position where we are not looking behind us.’’
Fleck insists manager Wilder is still keeping a lid on expectations, but the midfielder hopes his own career is about to go full circle.
“I played in two or three Champions League games for Rangers as a sub and it was great,” said the former Boy Wonder of Scottish football, who celebrated a new threeyear contract with a typically dynamic display.
“I was only young and it feels a long time ago. We don’t really talk about Europe because all we wanted to do was get to that points tally of 40 and take it from there.
“We’ll just keep working as hard as we can and you never know where it can take you.
“But three or four years ago, no one could have imagined we’d be where we are now.”
When Enda Stevens missiled the Blades into the lead, Wilder’s side were holding down a Champions League place but, within three minutes, Neal Maupay equalised with a close-range header for visiting Brighton.
“You might think it’s two points dropped, but it’s about the bigger picture,” said Wilder.
“We’ve gone out and attacked every game and all in all, acquitted ourselves well.”
Put like that, success sounds so simple.
Henderson ..................................... 6 Basham .......................................... 6 Egan ............................................... 6 O’connell ........................................ 6 Baldock ........................................... 7 Berge .............................................. 5 Norwood ........................................ 6 FLECK .............................................. 7 Stevens ........................................... 7 Mcburnie ........................................ 6 Sharp .............................................. 5 SUBS
Osborn (Stevens 45) ...................... 6 Mcgoldrick (Sharp 74)
Lundstram (Berge 81)