The Sheffield United Hodcast

Pain, Pessimism, Playoffs

My mate’s dad once described someone as “not a glass half-full, nor a glass half-empty, but the glass is dead kinda guy…” As bleak as that sounds, it’s still not quite as miserable as our beloved Blades’ playoff record. Jonny and I undertook some exposure therapy and released this edition of the Hodcast. We reminisce over such lows as Palace at Wembley in '97, the meltdown at the Millenium in '03, Yeovil in 2013 and we even talk about THAT match, last season. Everyone gets excited about qualifying for the playoffs. However, when WE qualify for the playoffs, I think it’s fair to say that every United fan of a certain age gets that feeling of uneasy, pessimistic anxiety rising in their stomach. So join us for a nice episode of suffering and misery. If it's not enough for you, there's also an accompanying article written for Chris at DemBlades here: https://substack.com/@demblades?r=2eup97&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=stories&shareImageVariant=image [https://substack.com/@demblades?r=2eup97&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=stories&shareImageVariant=image]

End of Season (phew!)

In this well-overdue episode of the Hodcast, we finally wrap up our end-of-season review for United. To keep things moving (and to stop this from becoming a 60-minute shouting match between Jonny and me), we brought in reinforcements. We’ve averaged out the scores from a massive panel of guests, including: * Chris (Dem Blades) * Tyrone (Away Blade Blog) * Scott (The Other Side) * Lee (Our resident pessimist) * Peter (Our resident optimist) * Shaun (Our Editor-in-Chief) Every player gets a grade out of ten, and don't worry, we didn't make Jonny recount his scores from every single match. We also briefly outline our plans for the summer and, in a display of extreme brevity, use exactly three words each to sum up the final four matches of the season. For the fellow "spreadsheet nerds" out there, I’ve included the full breakdown of player scores on our Substack page for you to pore over at your leisure. Thanks to everyone for listening and for all your feedback this year. Up the Blades! Substack Link: https://open.substack.com/pub/matt789255/p/end-of-season-ratings?r=2eup97&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true [https://open.substack.com/pub/matt789255/p/end-of-season-ratings?r=2eup97&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true]

Pod When We’re Winning

In this episode of The Hodcast, we’re flying through a chaotic four-game stretch at breakneck speed. It was going to be called ‘On the Beach’ but after Saturday’s victory, we were feeling a tad more generous. We dissect the “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” collapse against Wrexham (everyone’s favorite Disney heartthrobs) and the mind-boggling 3-3 draw with the Swans a result that saw United hit a grim milestone of 29 points dropped from winning positions this season. We also look at the experimental lineup at Bristol that likely signaled the end for several players at the Lane, before finally basking in the glory of our turnaround mauling of the Tigers. Plus, we look ahead to the final run-in and talk summer transfer targets. Huge thanks to Shaun for his editing wizardry and anyone who has given us a listen. Up the Blades!

BBC (Blues, Baggies, Canaries)

In this episode of the Hodcast, we pick through a mixed bag of recent United performances. We review the turgid "boredraw" at Bramall Lane, discussing the unwelcome return of "crab football" and why the Blades looked so unsure of themselves against the Baggies. We take a look back at a Jekyll and Hyde performance at Carrow Road a ground that had been a happy hunting ground for United until this latest trip. Finally we explore a spirited display at St Andrew’s, where ten men rallied to earn a hard-fought point against Tom Brady’s Blues. Jonny hands out his player ratings highlighting the standout performers and those who had games to forget and we preview this weekend’s clash against the "Disney heartthrobs," Wrexham AFC. As always, a huge thanks to Shaun for the editing and the vocals, and to everyone for listening. Up the Blades!

Season Over, Season Back On, Season Over, Season Back On

Well… it wouldn’t be Sheffield United if it was straightforward. This time we fully indulge in some glorious schadenfreude as the Blades officially send Wednesday down. There’s derby delight, a touch of pettiness, and absolutely no sympathy as we enjoy their misery just a little bit more than we probably should. On the pitch, we dissect a valiant but ultimately fruitless effort against Coventry, plenty of heart, plenty of fight, but nothing to show for it when the final whistle blew. One of those performances that keeps you believing… even in defeat. Thankfully, normal service resumed with a routine demolition of QPR, restoring calm, confidence and just enough optimism to drag us back in again. Season over? Season back on? With United, it’s never just one or the other.