Sheffield United need to make Bramall Lane a fortress again in order to preserve their Premier League status following late winner against Wolves
- Sheffield United need to make the most of home advantage this season
- Oliver Norwood scored a late winner from the penalty spot against Wolves
- Big debates on Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal on It’s All Kicking Off podcast
It has been some time since the Premier League felt the full force of a victory roar from Bramall Lane.
The last time Sheffield United won in the top flight, they were already doomed to relegation, with fewer than 6,000 inside the stadium because of the Covid lockdowns.
They made plenty of noise on the way back up from the Championship last season but the explosive reaction to Oliver Norwood’s match-winning penalty in the 100th minute here on Saturday was a reminder of how important a hostile fortress can be for those trying to defy the odds.
When the Blades came up in 2019 and finished ninth, they won 10 of their 19 home games. They will have to generate something similar across the rest of the campaign if they are to turn this first win into a genuine survival fight.
‘Pure relief,’ said Norwood, when asked how it felt to see the penalty, virtually the last kick of the game, crash high into the net. ‘I hit it as hard as I could. There was no way I was doing anything else. It was just about hitting the target. It was so important to get that win and now we’ve got to build on it.’
Sheffield United need to make Bramall Lane a fortress if they are to stay in the Premier League
Oliver Norwood scored a late penalty as the Blades managed to prevail against Wolves
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United, depleted by injuries and bereft of confidence, did not play particularly well. It was a poor game in filthy conditions. Wolves dominated the first half but the home team improved after James McAtee came on.
Cameron Archer struck the first, a screaming finish from 25 yards, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde levelled in the 89th minute and Norwood clinched their first win of the season after Fabio Silva’s challenge on George Baldock.
The penalty decision was very dubious and Gary O’Neil was incensed. He has suffered some terrible calls since taking charge at Molineux, but Paul Heckingbottom’s team seized their good fortune as reward for a gutsy second half and refusal to give in.
‘A real Sheffield United performance,’ said Norwood, captain in the absence of John Egan and Chris Basham. ‘That second half is what we’re about. Being aggressive. It’s not pretty at times but we’re not here to be pretty, we’re here to win football matches and we haven’t been doing that.’
Norwood revealed the players held a meeting without staff last week to clear the air, aware they were being ridiculed and written off, with one point from the first 10 games, and crushing defeats against Newcastle and Arsenal. ‘We had a real honest discussion in the dressing room,’ he said. ‘Just about standards, application and attitude. We’ve worked so hard to get here and we don’t want to let this season sail by.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side are bottom of the table but will have hope they can stay up
‘We’re not daft. We know people are talking outside the club and you hear and see things. It hurts your pride but there’s only us can do something about it. And we will do something about it. We will keep fighting for our lives. That’s got to be the bare minimum.
‘We can’t get carried away, we’ve won one game in 11, but we’ll take belief from this and hopefully use it to move on. There’s plenty of football to be played and opportunities to get out of trouble.’
Their next fixtures, against Brighton, Bournemouth and Burnley, will tell us more about whether this victory will energise their season.
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