March 7 2010

Alan Lee

Yet another regime nailed its colours to the mast when Sheffield Utd came to town. Jamesey gives the lowdown.

With accusations and counter-accusations from our ex-chairman, administrator and ex-manager ringing in our ears, it was almost a relief to get back to the real business of football.

On a raw day (March 6) at Selhurst, Sheffield United played Crystal Palace in a bruising encounter which the home team deservedly won by an Alan Lee first-half goal.

Paul Hart was given a generous reception as he walked to the dug-out although one wonders whether the enthusiasm would have been quite so intense had the new managerial set-up not included Dougie Freedman and John Pemberton?

Paul's CV is not altogether convincing but most of the 13,455 crowd were open-minded enough to get behind the new man while he finds his feet.

The Blades are certainly a tough bunch and, as usual, Lee found himself being dumped on the deck time and again, eventually being adorned with a white head bandage for the second time this season.

Hart pretty well stuck with the mixture as before with his team selection apart from playing Calvin Andrew up front as a back-up for Lee and, on the whole, it worked quite well.

Julian Speroni had little to do and but for two horrendous misses by Darren Ambrose and Lee towards the end of the game, the Eagles' margin of victory would have been greater.

Regrettably wins by QPR and Sheffield Wednesday were not what we wanted to hear, and one was reminded that the final two months of the season are going to be as much about results from fellow relegation strugglers as our own.

I am getting fed up with this idiotic "Stand up if you love Palace" song although thankfully there was far less of it at the Blades match. I don't have to stand up to prove that I love Palace and some bozo's back obstructing my view brings out the nasty side of my psyche not the loveable side.

And another thing, while I am in complaint mode is the continual misuse of the word "passion" on the HOL message boards. I despair when some under-educated person equates making a lot of noise at a game with "passion".

"Passion" is a strong desire or love or enthusiasm for an object, while making a lot of noise is what empty cans do...

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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