You can't really blame these Unitedites for being so bitter about being below us

They're a big club, right? They've got a First Division past - a long time in the past - but it's there. They used to have great players like Tony Currie and the like, but now they've got.....er, Jay McEveley. Can you blame them for being so wound up about finishing below us in the table and having much worse players than we have? I don't - they deserve better

Joking aside, I'm delighted that they are having so much trouble getting out of this league. Another season of oblivion beckons, and they hate it. It's a proper "big club" set up, you can't deny that. I realised yesterday that I haven't set foot inside Bramall Lane for over twenty five years, due to geographical constraints mainly. I think my last visit was that exciting FA Cup saga we had with them which went to a second replay. Was it that match where John Deehan and Malcolm Shotton had a falling out on our team bus going home?

Anyway, to yesterday, and it was a nice start to proceedings with all the United fans who have died this year being listed on their big screen while "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" was sung. We should do something like that - very nice touch. But then the football got under way and it was obvious it was going to be a battle. Let me say first though that I don't like being up in the Gods watching a football match. My seat was on the back row, towards the corner flag, and I don't like being so far away from the action. What there was though, of the action I mean, was pretty good in parts from OUR team. I know some have said "turgid", "dire" and the like but I don't think it was. It was a war of attrition in parts and I was really glad to see us coming out on top of so many fifty-fifty balls. Even better, it was brilliant seeing our full backs going in hard on them and winning the ball so well.

If, by some chance, we sign Brownhill next season I can see Scowen making that right back slot his own. It's just made for him as far as I am concerned. He is aggressive in the tackle but skillful when he gets the ball so, for me, has just what it takes to be a success there. You could say we need him in central midfield but, for now, he's fine where he is. Lots have commented on the Mawson/Roberts combination and it just gets better. How many times did we see Alfie get the ball yesterday and turn inside or move forward with it before distributing well? Almost John Stones-like in fact (I'm talking about his performance against Man Utd yesterday, which I watched this morning). Roberts was rock solid, again, and could go for huge money this summer if we don't go up.

Some of our forward play was lacking a bit of finesse at times, but at least we were creating chances. Hammill has definitely gone off the boil lately (apart from his stunning goals). I have no confidence in the last few games that he is going to run past anyone and create. I know that he DOES do so, but it's not consistent enough. Maybe he is carrying an injury - he certainly gets kicked up and down every match, so that seems logical. Isgrove had his best game so far I think; really strong running and strong when he had to defend as well. SSW/Fletcher - a bit off their games I thought, but why that goal was disallowed I cannot say. I think we got conned out of a win there because, had that been allowed, I reckon that would have been the final score.

Anyway, the good news is that we now know for sure what we have to do. Three points against Colchester is a must, and preferably by a good margin. It looks like we are only playing for sixth spot again, but you never know. Winning next week is not a foregone conclusion though and I really hope we score early on to settle the jitters. Then we can run the game and then look forward to five o'clock and a look at the rest of the scores. It was agony on the train yesterday back to Harrogate. I was hitting refresh every minute or so, watching the Gills implode.

Overall, a good day out yesterday and it was nice to see Sheff Utd not following their old habit of last minute winning goals against us. I thought that overhead kick from Sharp was going in and was glad to see it sail over. That would have been a real kick in the teeth because they deserved NOTHING from that game. In essence they stole a point from us.

 

He's playing as he always has, in my opinion. Like every player he'll have good and bad spells, but this is the Adam Hammill I've always seen wherever he's played. Talented, dangerous, exciting to watch, capable of scoring and creating goals at any minute. But makes poor decisions a lot, frustrating to watch, rarely covers his full back. It's why he's playing for us again.

That might sound harsh, it isn't meant to. I think he's a wonderful player, he gets in my all time 23 squad (we posted it the other day) and I hope he stays here beyond this season. But he's the same Hammill to me that I saw in 2010 for us, or for Hudders the other year. At Hudders under Powell, he wasn't trusted to play regularly and if he was frustrating (like yesterday) he was subbed off before the hour mark. At no other club would he be playing 90 minutes like this. The fans at other clubs wouldn't put up with his inconsistency. We allow it because we've seen what he can do at the drop of a hat. That goal at Wembley will be talked about until the day we all pop our clogs.

There aren't many Hammill's left in football. Give me him over a toiler on the wing. It's why I loved Paddy too. Frustrating, but magical moments always around the corner.

I think the week-long rest now will hopefully recharge his and a few others' batteries. They've put a lot in for months now, and Adam and Sam too have had injuries let's not forget. They've been rushed back at times out of necessity. Because they're key to our fortunes.

Or summat.

 

i'd sooner be with him than without him,any day of the week.

 

A good margin would be nice but certainly we can't influence it much as far as Gills are concerned the only way for us to end tied on points is for
1) us to lose one and draw one 71pts and Gills to get 2 draws
Or
2) us to draw two 72 pts which doesn't increase our gd... and Gills to win one and lose one.
Neither of which will be of use to us as far as gd is concerned.
In Scunnys case 72 points will be a win and a draw , as things stand the win would need to be by 4 clear goals as we have scored more...if we were to tie on 74 we will have improved our gd by at least one so Scunny will need at least to pick up 5 more than us in their two games.

 

doffs cap

 

Reciprocated

 

Yes, I agree with all of that and none of my words were meant to criticise him, in any way. He has been the catalyst for our season and we know there is plenty more from him to come. I just feel that he is playing when he should be resting at the moment. If we could afford to give him a couple of games rest he might come back all the better for it.

Having said that though, he is the best in his position that we have so it's basically "Soldier on, Adam lad"

 

Or
3) we win one, lose one 73 pts
Gills win one draw one 73 pts

 

Yes sorry I didn't include that. ..without working it out exactly I think we would need to win ours by around 6 more than Gills win theirs....unlikely to happen.