It’s great to finally reward our fans, says Doyle

WHEN Nicklas Helenius equalised for Aston Villa with 15 minutes of Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Sheffield United remaining, the fear was that the Blades would spend the closing stages under siege.
Michael DoyleMichael Doyle
Michael Doyle

United are, after all, a League One team and 53 places behind Paul Lambert’s men in the football ladder. Although Villa have been far from impressive on home soil this term, they do sit 11th in the table and number Arsenal and Manchester City among their list of this term’s scalps.

So, the Yorkshire club doing what they did – basically, re-grouping and taking the game to their hosts for a second time in the afternoon en route to claiming a dramatic victory – is testament to the belief and confidence that Nigel Clough has engendered among his players since arriving at Bramall Lane in mid-October.

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Michael Doyle, the captain who led by example against Villa, told the Yorkshire Post: “Our reaction to Villa’s equaliser was probably the best bit about what was a great day for Sheffield United.

“We had been in a similar position on New Year’s Day at Walsall, where we’d been 1-0 up and then conceded an equaliser. But, after that, we dropped deeper and deeper and that allowed Walsall to push on and get a winner.

“Against Villa, we did the exact opposite and I think that showed clearly we had learned our lesson. The manager had spoken about it beforehand.

“He had insisted after training on Friday that we would not be going down there to defend. He didn’t want that.

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“Instead, the plan was to attack after keeping it tight early on and, in that respect, things worked out really well.

“In the same position (of conceding), maybe a few teams would have settled for a draw with 15 minutes left. But that never entered our heads.”

The Cup win at Villa Park was the latest instalment in what has been a season of contrasts for the Blades.

In August, things got under way amid a genuine sense of optimism that David Weir, appointed in the summer, was the man to make it third time lucky in terms of escaping League One.

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The announcement that Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Royal family in Saudi Arabia, had taken a half-share in the club further fuelled those hopes. The reality, however, was rather different with seven defeats from the opening nine league games dumping United at the foot of League One.

Weir was sacked after a 1-0 home defeat to Hartlepool United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and it was only then that the club’s fortunes took an upturn under, first, caretaker manager Chris Morgan and then Clough.

“Consistency has been our problem,” said Doyle, 32, now in his fourth campaign at the Lane. “We have let ourselves down over the season. Our overall results show that.

“More recently, though, results have been much better and I think the fans can see us moving in the right direction again.

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“The support we had at Villa was brilliant. It shows how big this club is, as not many clubs would take 6,000 to an away game.

“To reward them with a victory was great for us, as players. We appreciate how much expense can be involved in watching football, especially at this time of year when there are so many games.

“Our fans deserve better. Even during the start to the season – which was tougher than anyone could have anticipated – the fans stuck with us. They certainly didn’t deserve the results we were putting in.”

United’s priority this week is Saturday’s trip to Notts County. A week later, Bradford City are due in S2 – meaning any thoughts of taking on Premier League opposition in the form of either Fulham or Norwich City have to be put to the back of the mind.

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Even so, Doyle admits the Blades squad are relishing the club’s third successive appearance in the fourth round.

He said: “Hopefully, we will be able to get another big crowd at Bramall Lane as it will make for a really special atmosphere.

“Before that, though, we have the league and we need to get a run going. The manager won’t let us drop our standards after playing like that, I am sure about that.”

Due to the Cup draw taking place on Sunday at 2pm to suit television, several third round ties were still to be played, including Manchester United’s game with Swansea.

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It meant, with just four teams still to be drawn, that the Blades had a chance of taking on the Old Trafford club – a prospect that Doyle, who has twice humbled the Reds Devils in Cup competition when sporting the colours of Coventry City and Leeds United, admits would have been great.

“I didn’t watch the draw,” said the 32-year-old. “I was with my little lad in the car but it was great to hear we had got a Premier League team.

“I was told later that it had got down to the last four and Manchester United were still one of the teams along with us. It would have been nice to get them again, as I have done well there.

“But Fulham or Norwich will do, although we have a couple of important league games to come before we can think about that.”