The Blades’ playoff hopes took a probable fatal blow as they went down to defeat at St Andrews. Relegation threatened Birmingham got a ***** three points. United started the game well and Mark Duffy scored against his former club after seven minutes. However, the visitors failed to build on this and Birmingham came back into the game and deservedly levelled thanks to Marc Roberts turning in a corner and then in the second half; the home side were the far better side and won it thanks to Jacques Maghoma who ran through unchallenged to score. It was a really poor performance from United who looked flat and tired. They did not create one chance in the second half and were rather limply beaten.
Leon Clarke was out with back spasms and so former Blues Leon Donaldson and Mark Duffy started. David Brooks was back to the bench. Moore (tonsillitis) and Wright (knee) were also not in the match day squad.
Birmingham began in front of a noisy crowd kicking towards the sold out Blades allocation and Jota had an early shot wide. United grew into the game and Evans and Fleck combined to play in DUFFY. He jinked back and hit a low shot that seemed to lack power but squeezed into the corner past Stockdale at his near post. He celebrated with real glee and was booked as the referee thought he was over exuberant in his reaction.
Evans then had a shot tipped over from range and Fleck then nearly got in after good work from Baldock as United made a decent start. Birmingham gradually came back into the game and Adams and then Maghoma combined. The latter won two fouls as Baldock was struggling with his pace and trickery. Birmingham then won a free kick that was blocked.
Kieftendeld had a shot deflected over and then Morrison had a free header that he should have done better with but Blackman gathered. Another long-range shot was deflected and this led to a corner. From the delivery United failed to win the first or second ball and ROBERTS turned home high into the net from close range. After this Birmingham started to dominate. They won a free kick again from a very fussy referee. The delivery went into the wall. Half time came with the home side now on the front foot after a good start from United.
The second half continued as the first half had ended. Birmingham were looking the more likely. Jutkiewicz had a header tipped away and then Adams and Maghoma worked another opening. The home fans willed their team on. United in contract looked slow and sloppy and were giving the ball away or not being positive enough when they had it. Sharp came on for Lundstram as Wilder tried to change the flow but it was not long before the second goal game for Birmingham.
It was a ball over the top and MAGHOMA beat the offside trap. He steadied himself and hit a low shot past Blackman into the corner to send St Andrews into raptures.
Brooks came on for Duffy but was down injured soon after. He needed a lengthy period of treatment but got up and was able to come on despite Holmes being readied for action. Wilson came on for Donaldson but United had not looked a threat at all. Birmingham came forward again and Jota was pulling the strings. Young full back Harding had a shot saved and then Birmingham won another free kick that was cleared. United had two openings via Sharp and Baldock but they were barely even attempts at goal.
Six minutes of stoppage time was played but even with Blackman up at the death United did not look like even having an attempt on goal let alone scoring and the final whistle came as the pumped up home side celebrated the win that in all likelihood will keep them in the division.
United – One of our poorest performances of the season. We have had a few bad ones away from home and this was not quite as bad as Hull but was somewhere like Millwall and Preston. We did not turn up. We got outbattled and out played and in the end looked clueless as we tried to get back into the game. We gave away two stupid goals but they could have had more. Second half I could not believe how bad we were. We looked the more nervous and they were more free and fluent. Barely one player had a good game. Fleck maybe but that is it. The rest were so poor. Our passing was not good enough and overall, we were not positive enough in what we did.
We got the early goal and you sensed the nerves round the ground. I felt we could go on and get another but it never happened. They came back into it and scored a poor goal from our point of view but then got another. They had more chances too. Other than one Evans shot I cannot recall another effort of note after that all game. Second half we were abysmal. We lost almost every tackle, never got our foot in, were timid when we did have it and looked the nervous team. Actually, nervous is the wrong word. We looked disinterested and like a mid-table side (which we now are) not one with a chance of the playoffs. Whether we were tired, or just had one of those days I am not sure, but only one team wanted to win and really cared today and it was not us
Felt we struggled at times to cope with runners and the midfield has to take the blame for this. Our defence concedes too many goals sadly. Individually all 3 of the centre backs have been ok but the ball goes in too often. You feel we need a big dominating centre back in the middle and that may mean one of Stearman or Basham coming out next season. May seem harsh as they have all done ok but soft goals go in every week and many are the same where the ball is straight through the middle (Millwall or today) or ball into the box (first goal or 2 at Barnsley for example).
We did not look a goal threat at all and looked susceptible at the back. Mix that in with the midfield losing the battle and you have three departments we were second best in. Today I felt we would have a real go but it was a really poor performance. I was so disappointed with the effort, skill and urgency. They wanted it more and we got what we deserved; nothing.
Now the season is pretty much done and it has been a really flat end to the season. We are struggling to win games and the form has really tailed off. Up too today the performances had improved; apart from Barnsley but today we looked a side nearer the bottom than the top. Too many players have been very inconsistent since Xmas and you can see why none of them have played any higher level than this – they might one day but until they are more professional and consistent week in, week out; we will be middle of the road at best. We are now in our lowest position since maybe 2nd or 3rd week of the season which is hard to take when we have gone from 1st, to then playoffs, to the brink of the playoffs to now a mid-table position. So many players look tired and as Wilder says like the race has run. Now I hope we can just put in a good performance at home next week to finish the season strong. It would be a shame to not see another win before the season finishes.
Birmingham – Fair play to them. They scrapped, fought and ran more than us. They showed more quality on the ball and created more chances. They attacked more and wanted to go at us. They fought back from trailing and showed a lot of character. They looked a hungry team and buoyed by a vociferous crowd got the deserved win against a lifeless United team. Their flair players showed some quality and turned us round. We never did that. It is odd they are so low down as man for man, they are probably as good or if not better than us and many others higher up the league but Redknapp and Cotterill made a right mess of things. Now they should be safe and will probably spend again in the summer but then again, I was chatting to a Birmingham fan post game and he said FFP could affect them. He said the lad Ndoye who came on is on 40-50 grand a week! Whatever happens, I am sure they will spend more than us and show more ambition than us.
Opposition Man of the Match: Maghoma caused problems for us all day with his running and trickery. Jota had a decent game too and looked more like the player from Brentford. Adams was hit and miss I felt but showed a few nice touches. No one played really badly for them and it was a decent performance individually and collectively.
Opposition Weak link: Not sure we tested a very ordinary defence. They have barely scored goals this season but looked threatening. The keeper was not good on the goal so maybe he gets this award.