There was mutual respect between two managers who fought all the way to unlikely promotion from the Championship. There was solidarity, too, between the fans (it was about VAR, of which more later). But on the field Sheffield United and Norwich City look to be heading in different directions.
For the Blades this was their eighth away match in the Premier League and they are yet to taste defeat. Coming back from a goal down to score twice in three minutes at the start of the second half, they blew their hosts away. For Norwich, the manner in which they surrendered a lead they had fought hard for will linger, and their defensive frailty continues to make them hot favourites for relegation.
United had the ball in the back of the Norwich net three times, but the third – “scored” by John Lundstram – was ruled out after a lengthy sojourn in VAR-land. That was not the only contentious interjection from Stockley Park, either. Chris Basham was sent off with 20 minutes remaining for a late, dangerous challenge on Kenny McLean. At least he was until his red card was reduced to a yellow, a first in the Premier League. Norwich’s opening goal might also have been ruled out for an offensive handball but, after a check, it was not. By the end, both sets of fans were singing about VAR and it was the chant with the swearword in it.
Chris Wilder said afterwards that “29,000 fans were singing the same thing, I think that tells you something”, and added: “They are the ones who buy the tickets, who buy the packages. They’re the stakeholders and they’re not having it.”
The Sheffield United manager seemed vindicated both for his midweek tirade against video refereeing and, also, after tearing into his team here at half-time for their sub-par application. He said this match had been a “dangerous” fixture and “maybe some of the players didn’t think it was as tough as I said it was”.
Daniel Farke said he wanted to speak only about the mistakes his team made in conceding two vital goals in such short order, but he was forced to engage on the topic of VAR, too.
Asked if the checks and overturned decisions had hit the energy in the stadium, Farke gave a long sigh and said: “I agree. It sucks the energy of the coach, too. Especially when you get another strange decision [like the sending off] against you. Every decision seems to be a disaster for us and it would have been a huge difference to play against 10 lads. But I haven’t seen it back so maybe it was a huge and clear and obvious mistake.”
Norwich just about deserved their half-time lead, delivered courtesy of a rare Alexander Tettey goal, the defensive midfielder rifling home after David McGoldrick had failed to clear a City corner. In the first 45 minutes the hosts were composed in possession despite their precarious place in the table and outdid United in their intensity.
That was not to last, however. It was only to be expected that 15 minutes with Wilder would cause a change in attitude among the United players and so it proved. The intensity of the press was the first thing, upped to put Norwich’s wobbly backline under greater pressure. The second thing was the speed of movement. The third, and most important, was accuracy of execution. There was no change to the tactical plan, it was just done better.
Farke said his team had worked hard in the week on countering United’s ability to set up crossing opportunities from throw-ins. But in the 48th minute all that good work came undone as George Baldock threw to Lundstram, burst beyond Onel Hernández and got the ball back in enough time to stand it up to the far post. Lurking in wait was his opposite number, Enda Stevens, who towered over the diminutive Max Aarons and powered a header into the net.
The next goal, in the 52nd minute, was all Baldock’s own. A low cross into the Norwich box was cut out by Mario Vrancic, but bounced away from the Bosnian 18 yards out. Baldock collected it, spun around the Norwich man and drove a low shot back across goal and beyond Tim Krul. Asked to confirm if he had torn into his players at half-time, Wilder replied: “I think you can safely say yes.”
