It’s starting to sound a bit like sour grapes if you’ll ask me.
Mainly because we aren’t the only ones affected by it, it’s not as if we’re being singled out. Writing in an opinion piece for Yorkshire Live yesterday, journalist Nathan Hemmingham, following on from the news that fans may not be allowed back into stadia until next year after the latest government guidelines, outlined his belief that Sheffield United just aren’t the same without fans at Bramall Lane.
It’s a very interesting read that uses some excellent quotes from players, so as always I urge you to read it yourself for full context and appreciation, but I’m going to respectfully disagree on this matter.
I don’t think that fans can be used as a reason or as an excuse for teams not playing well during this time. Is it a factor? Possibly. But I don’t think it’s something that can take the majority of the blame for results. Let’s take a look at Liverpool for instance, who won all their home games when there were no fans in the stadium, despite their famed atmosphere.
Do you think fans will be allowed into Bramall Lane this season?
Yes
No
If your team is god enough, they should be able to overcome something like that, and right now we just aren’t.
Chris Wilder pointed out after the Villa game, we’ve just been conceding sloppy goals, and I don’t any amount of ‘Greasy Chip Butty’ before kick-off would have made a difference to how the game went. But that’s just me.
What about you? Do you think that playing in front of no fans is having an effect on Sheffield United players?