Sheffield United ended the week with three points and continued their unbeaten run and moved into the playoff places after a resounding victory over Swansea City at the Lane. After dominating the game in midweek but unable to finish their chances, United were ruthless in this contest going three goals up before the break to effectively seal the contest and then scoring a fourth in the second half. In truth, the margin of victory flattered a desperately poor Swans side who could have been beaten by an even greater margin as the home side swarmed all over them and pressed them from start to finish. Russell Martin’s side continued to try and play out from the back all game but it was very reminiscent of the Blades under Jokanovic and time and time again they coughed up possession and gave United chances. Gibbs White and Berge were excellent throughout and United scored four very good goals. At the other end, they were largely untroubled and kept yet another clean sheet and have now not conceded a goal at home since the game against Blackpool back in October.
Heckingbottom made changes yet again with Fleck, Berge and Sharp in for Hourihane, Ndiaye and McBurnie. Sharp was back leading the line with Gibbs White and Berge just behind the leading scorer. Swansea started with leading scorer Joel Piroe upfront and Blades nemesis Jamie Paterson just behind, after returning to the side after contract negotiations had seen him left out after Xmas. Former Blade Kyle Naughton was not fit enough to be involved.
After difficult weather all over the UK, Swansea was backed by only a few hundred hardy souls and the game began in swirling wind and rain but without the anticipated snow/sleet that had been forecast.
United as they have done in most home games recently started well and pushed Swansea back with Norwood to the fore. They won an early corner off Manning and another soon after but the away side were able to clear. It became evident that they were going to try and play out from the back but this tactic saw Fleck and Berge twice win the ball and get United back on the ball to create opportunities. Swansea had struggled to get out early on and the home side was trying to get Gibbs White on the ball and was looking to find the threaded ball down the gaps. Sharp was denied and then Berge nearly found a pocket of space after a strong run.
Sheffield United 4-0 Swansea City
Saturday, 19th February 2022 – 15:00 PM
SkyBet Championship
Report by Deadbat
The first goal was not long in coming though and was well made. After a corner was cleared, Baldock returned the ball in forward and then as it fell for Norwood, the midfielder played a lovely ball around the corner. GIBBS WHITE beat the offside trap and clipped a lovely finish with the outside of his foot and beyond the dive of Fisher. It was well made and expertly finished and with one pass and finish, United did what they had failed to do throughout the game in midweek.
Swansea tried to respond but Basham and then Egan read the ball through and in turn, flicked it away from Paterson. United was swarming all over their visitors and it was not long before the second goal came. It was patient build up again and ended up with Norrington Davies who did well down the left and sent a teasing cross in that was just away from Gibbs White but coming in at pace was BALDOCK who sent an unerring driven shot that smashed into the net via the underside of the bar! It was an astonishing finish and the goalkeeper did not move. The full-back celebrated his first goal for over two years by running in glee towards the United bench as the crowd reacted with a mixture of delight and maybe even surprise as the source of the goal!
United was in dominant mood and soon after Gibbs White was through but opted a back heel back to Sharp when he could have gone on. Another chance came when good work from Berge, Gibbs White and then Sharp who pulled off wide, saw a perfect pull back but Gibbs White’s header went just wide. He probably should have scored.
Swansea continued to try and play it out from the back but all of United’s players were quick to react and Berge and Fleck were key to the press neve being beaten and then Gibbs White got on the ball looking to probe. Paterson had tried to get on the ball the other way but a weak effort from Ntcham at Foderingham was about the only real attack they had in a very one-sided game. It was a strange game as Swansea had a lot of the ball in their third but simply could not out and seemed like they were not willing to adapt and these strange tactics continued to cause problems. Sharp nearly got in again and then Berge had another strong run that led to a corner. Egan could not turn his effort towards goal but it was clear that the next goal was going to come from the home side if Swansea did not change their ridiculous approach/
The third goal came sure enough when Gibbs White played the ball through and SHARP was in and with Swansea having defenders back from their earlier goal kick, the striker took a touch and lifted it expertly into the net and the game seemed like it was over before half time.
Norwood’s poor foul was a black mark on a dominant first-half performance and the midfielder was rightly booked. The next spell saw Swansea at least move it into the Blades half and another booking ensued as Baldock was the next to catch the stand out player Paterson as the visitors broke. However, a shot way off target from the same man was as close as they got and Berge was upended on the next attack as United continued to look the most dangerous side. Some nice one-touch stuff before the break saw Norrington Davies well forward and the ball to Sharp was just cut out. The halftime whistle saw a warm ovation from the home sides for an excellent first-half showing.
After the break, United came out quick again and Gibbs White was again involved in the better moments. His flick and then run saw United well advanced again and then Berge and the on-loan Wolves man linked leading to Baldock side-footing home but Gibbs White had strayed just offside in the build-up.
Paterson saw Foderingham have to make a save but it was a routine take from the United keeper and with Norwood controlling midfield and Berge continuing to cause problems with his strength and forward running, United was in the mood for more goals.
Sharp had a header off target before Fleck hit an effort that Fisher saved and the game continued in the same vein as the first half. Swansea continued to try and play it out and still were not able to break the press or have any sustained play in the middle of the field, let alone the United defensive third. It seemed like their approach would not change and another giveaway from the keeper saw Berge in but he took too long in a rare poor moment in an otherwise excellent game from the Norwegian midfielder. He was soon back on it driving down the right and winning a corner.
Obafemi came on for Ntcham for the Swans but they still only had one central striker in a rather baffling reaction to being three goals behind where they continued this patient play out from the back that was just leading to issues and chances for the Blades.
United won two corners after more giveaways but they could not create any clear chances in this spell, for the most part, were happy to just wait for the mistake and seize on the loose ball and then have a period in the Swansea half after recovering the ball.
Baldock went down and had to come off with Goode coming on for his debut and Basham going to right wing-back and the newcomer won an early tackle drawing cheers from the crowd. Gibbs White was still causing all sorts of problems with his nifty feet and quick-witted brain. One skill drew a foul halfway before he ran at the Swansea backline and drew a cynical foul leading to a free-kick. Fleck took it but it was too close to the keeper.
The fourth goal came though on 78 minutes and again was down to patient play after United recovered another giveaway and then in turn moved it on. Sharp was the architect with a neat ball and GIBBS WHITE passed it expertly into the far corner to give the scoreline a more accurate gloss.
Smith came on for Piroe and McBurnie replaced Sharp as the game entered the final 10 minutes and at this stage, it seemed the only thing to be decided was the margin of victory. Swansea won a few corners but they came to nothing and Goode and Norrington Davies did some sterling defensive work to deny any chance of even a chance.
Jebbison came on for the game’s outstanding player Gibbs White with both incoming and outgoing players getting a loud ovation. Jebbison won a free kick with a run down the left checked illegally before Egan had an effort saved with a header.
As the game ticked down towards the end United had a great chance to score a fifth goal as the keeper made another woeful kick out in trying to still keep the ball but Norwood with all the goal to shoot out blazed over! Ironically a few minutes later he had a better effort as he drove forward and shot narrowly wide.
There were four minutes of stoppage time but this game had been decided a long time before David Webb blew for time, actually almost a minute before the allotted added time had been but nobody seemed to mind. It had been a dominant performance from the Blades who had seen of a poor and rather naïve Swansea side with ease.
Sheffield United: Wes Foderingham, George Baldock (Charlie Goode 69), John Fleck, Chris Basham, Sander Berge, Billy Sharp (captain) (Oli McBurnie 81), John Egan, Oliver Norwood, Jack Robinson, Morgan Gibbs-White (Daniel Jebbison 85), Rhys Norrington-Davies. Unused Substitutes: Adam Davies, Ben Davies, Conor Hourihane, Iliman Ndiaye.
Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Finley Burns, Ben Cabango, Ryan Manning; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Joel Latibeaudiere; Olivier Ntcham (Michael Obafemi 60), Jamie Paterson, Joel Piroe (Korey Smith 81). Unused Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Jay Fulton, Kyle Joseph, Yan Dhanda.
Referee: David Webb