David Cameron Walker

Posts Tagged ‘Gary Megson’

The deposed King

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

How hard must someone work to stay in a job?

A win in the Steel City derby, third in the league and a group of players who appear to love working with you, none of these things are good enough apparently.

There was confusion when Megson let Clinton Morrison go out on loan to MK Dons only to bring in McGoldrick on loan from Nottingham Forest. There was disenchantment when Wednesday lost 5-1 to Stevenage and more recently there was worry when Wednesday lost 1-0 to Chesterfield. The Wednesday fans believed though; they believed that in Gary Megson there was a man at the helm who could drive us forward. His fierce attitude towards the media, his straight-talking pre and post-match comments on how the team performed and his the honest appraisal of what was deserved from the game, as well as his unbridled passion for the club all proved that he was the man to take Wednesday forward.

It seems meaningless to discuss the Steel City derby now with the sweetness of the victory seemingly snatched away by the bitterness of losing the manager.

The players have said little other than they will move on and go forward but players often would not dream of lamenting such a decision because criticism of the removal of the previous boss may leave them out of favour with the new boss. I don’t blame them because the goal of promotion is still very much in the crosshair but can Dave Jones, a manager of a very different ilk, get the team playing in his style or will he decide to leave any tinkering until the season is over.

If Jones comes in and does nothing, then why change managers at all, if he changes things and we go up, was it not inevitable anyway? Equally if he changes things and we don’t go up, what has changing manager really achieved? The general consensus amongst the fans is that Megson should have stayed but that now he has gone, Jones will have their full support.

It is true that the fans support Sheffield Wednesday Football Club not the individuals that make up the staff but when someone brings all that Gary Megson did, it is hard to disassociate the two. Sheffield Wednesday was Gary Megson and for a while, Gary Megson was Sheffield Wednesday.

Dave Jones, in complete contrast to Megson, has a reputation for not becoming emotionally attached to the clubs he manages but employment in football is not like employment in most other areas. You have to live and breathe the club you work for, you have to ache when they lose and soar to the skies when they win.

Be proud Gary because you did what so few have achieved in many years, you gave us hope, you gave us a future and we will miss you. You are always welcome on the Kop.

The King is dead, long live the non-committal replacement.

Written by Dominic Stevenson, We Are Going Up’s Sheffield Wednesday Blogger

Dominic tweets at @dom_stevenson

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Posted in League One, Sheffield Wednesday | 1 Comment »

Life without Mike Jones

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Gary Megson has this month confirmed his position as the vulture of Bury Football Club, after swooping for yet another player from the ranks of Gigg Lane. Mike Jones had spent an eventful three years at Bury, establishing himself as a key player and achieving promotion. Yet some are still undecided as to whether the sale of the 24-year-old will see the wheels come off the Shakers’ surge up the Football League, or simply put more money in the Bank of Barker to have at the club’s disposal.

Jones divided opinion amongst fans. Some claimed his performances after Christmas declined every season, seeing him nicknamed the ‘half-a-season-wonder’. Of course most dismiss this opinion as a myth initiated on internet message boards, although I’d be lying if I claimed Bury were enraging to watch when it came to the glorified ‘business end of the season’. Under former manager Alan Knill, it appeared obligatory to whimper out of a promotion race. It was more of a polite tradition in which form would rapidly decline to let other teams claim promotion; leaving some to use Jones as a scapegoat for the shameful bottler’s negligence and general mismanagement. The reason for such laborious criticism?

He is a converted winger, but a natural trequartista. His technique heavily suggests a more comfortable approach behind the striker where he is able to get amongst the goals as well as providing slick through-balls to forwards. His lack of pace and inability to beat a man down the wing proved frustrating to watch, but also confirmed stubbornness amongst the previous management. This begs the question, why was Jones such a success at Bury if he was being played in the wrong position? It is his general style of play and set-pieces which will be missed if a suitable is not brought in.

Obviously this is just mere speculation, but if a player is not bought then it perhaps again implies more about the previous management. Knill’s overspending and his record of nothing to show for it must be covered by something and higher attendances may not be enough. The sale of key players has only come recently, yet it is a testament to Richie Barker’s achievements in his first management job. Dealing with the loss of talismen and with a small budget to replace them, to sit comfortably in the top half of League One must be recognised as a great success. On the other hand, the replacement for Ryan Lowe; Shaun Harrad, has been underwhelming to say the least and has become a fringe player with the likes of Lenell John-Lewis getting the nod ahead of him.

The realist, or cynic, inside me doesn’t believe the Shakers can maintain their place at the lofty perch of top half of League One – with or without Mike Jones. Barker has to be wise this transfer window, we can’t afford to lose anyone else and must acquire quality to replace quality. Yet he must also have next season in mind. A club like Bury must sell its key players to keep their heads above water and Bury fans can’t expect their club to splash out 100k+ on new players. Replacing Jones may well be another early test for the bright young manager.

Written by Peter Keighery, We Are Going Up’s Bury blogger

Peter tweets at @PeterKeighery

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The Steel City Derby – When Love & Hate Collide

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

The Steel City Derby has produced several memorable moments for both teams in recent years; from Michael Brown’s 20-yard volley in 2003 to Wednesday’s favourite game; that 4-0 victory 32 years ago. The two clubs haven’t played each other for 18 months due to the side from Owlerton’s relegation from the Championship, thanks in part to a Lee Williamson equaliser at Hillsborough in mid-April. One thing that is guaranteed is that the excitement and tension will be at fever pitch come midday on Sunday.

Wednesday fans will be hoping that after this weekend they will have a much more recent song to sing than their current ‘Hark Now Hear’, but following the build-up and the season so far, United will not take that threat lightly. The current stats show the Blades sitting pretty with 45 wins to Wednesday’s 41, so no matter what the outcome, United will still be on top come the close season, preferably with a six game cushion and still a division apart. All Blades fans know this will be a tough task, especially as our opposition constantly remind us that they are a massive football club.

One thing that will not be left at home this weekend will be passion. Public messages from both clubs have indicated the will to win including Danny Wilson, ex-Wednesday player and manager, to tell reporters how he “doesn’t give a ****” about his reception from the away end on Sunday.From a Blades perspective, I find it a brilliant sign when influential players such as Chris Morgan, who is expected to return from injury around Christmas, have told Wilson they are fit to play, such is their desire to be involved in what promises to be a fantastic spectacle for all football fans.

United go into the game on a disappointing run of form, after only picking up 4 points in their last five league games, whereas Wednesday have been picking up results since their 5-1 hammering by Stevenage, thanks mainly to Gary Madine scoring 7 goals in their last six games. It’s been said before every derby game that form never comes into the equation but you can’t help feeling that after not having a game last week United could be at a disadvantage, however the extra week has given players such as Quinn and Evans the chance to retain full fitness in time for the Owls’ cup final.

Transfer news from the Lane this week has involved the signings of Blackpool duo Matt Phillips and Billy Clarke on Friday, both who have the potential to push for places in the first team. I will be more impressed by the addition of Phillips as he is a young, promising winger who is also blessed with pace. My main worry with Clarke is the fact that he has recently suffered several injuries; as have Cresswell, Evans and Porter; and if two of them become injured once more, we are desperately short on experienced attacking options again. Ideally, United could still do with looking for additional attacking options in order to keep our choices open. Saying that, I am all for giving youngsters such as Danny Philliskirk and Erik Tonne a few games to gain experience, but this will most likely happen in the cup and definitely not in this weekend’s derby.

Another boost for Sheffield United is the loan extension of Marcus Williams from Reading, who has impressed in his initial three games and I hope he begins the game on Sunday to bolster our defence. Despite this acquisition, I do still worry about our defensive position, as our defence tends to excel one week before making amateur mistakes the next. One area of this that is a big concern to me is our full-back position, as both Matthew Lowton and Lescinel Jean-Francois thrive on attacking down the wings, compensating for our poor wing play. Unsurprisingly this has led to Lowton already picking up two goals from inside the opponents penalty area, despite feeling he should have scored more from the chances he has created, but this is small consolation for the inevitable occasions where we are pushing for the game and allow the opposition to expose the wide areas, something Ben Marshall of Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to do. Another worry is our lack of confidence in central defence. Young protégée Harry Maguire has done very well so far this season and shows excellent ability on the ball, reminding me of a raw Phil Jones as he advances into opposing territory. Due to his age and lack of experience, however, he has been liable for several mistakes along with his more experienced partner Neill Collins who has begun to allow basic errors to creep back into his game after an excellent start to the season.

Slightly more pessimism emanates from our midfield, despite having four of the division’s strongest central midfielders in Quinn, McDonald, Montgomery and Williamson; however injuries have plagued players recently such as winger Nathanial Mendez-Laing and defensive midfielder Nick Montgomery. I would be very shocked if the latter does not feature on Sunday, even if he only plays for 30 minutes. On paper it looks as though we shouldn’t need our vice-captain however, as we have a previous Republic of Ireland international (even if only for one game) in our ranks in the form of vice-vice-captain, Michael Doyle. Personally, and I know my opinions are shared by other Unitedites, I feel that Doyle is one of our least productive players. My main reason behind this revolves around his inability to pass the ball forwards although, to his credit, he is one of only a handful of players willing to shoot from around 25 yards out if the opportunity presents itself. He fails to show the desire of other players in the centre of the pitch that is shown by the likes of Montgomery and Quinn and can be known to drift in and out of the game when it suits him.

This weekend’s game has all the making of a classic, with plenty of goals flying around and maybe a United win will help Wednesdayites realise they aren’t in a massive league after all.

My prediction goes down as a 3-2 Blades win, just like the last time at the Lane.

Written by Eddie Chapman, We Are Going Up’s Sheffield United blogger

Eddie tweets at @eddiechap

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The Steel City Derby – High stakes at high noon

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Sunday at noon sees the first Sheffield derby of the new season. It’s the first in the third tier for over 30 years – symptomatic of the plight of both teams in recent years – but remains one of the best local derbies football has to offer.

Entertaining for the neutral, yet often a torturous 90 minutes for Unitedites and Wednesdayites alike, Sunday’s derby unusually sees both teams fighting each other at the top of the league table. The first derby I saw was 20 years ago in the old First Division (where Brian Deane famously nutmegged Chris Woods.) Since Wednesday were relegated from the Premier League in 2000, United have tended to face an Owls side hovering towards the lower end of the Championship while their city rivals battled for a place in the top six.

Fast forward to this season and it’s all change in League One. Both clubs have strung together a reasonable set of results so far, coupled with the odd shocking result, but they are certainly challenging for the top six. Though United were second until recently, disappointing consecutive defeats to Wycombe and Charlton have seen the Blades slip to seventh. Meanwhile Wednesday, since their horror show at Stevenage, have gone on a decent run that has lifted them to second spot themselves. They come to Bramall Lane as the form side.

The other novelty for a Steel City derby is that we’ll see two former teammates of each other in opposite dugouts in Danny Wilson and Gary Megson. Wilson of course also returned to Wednesday after his playing career (heroically steering them towards relegation before his sacking in 2000) and it’ll no doubt be an odd feeling for Wednesday fans to watch him directing things from the home dugout on Sunday.

United fans will also be reacquainted with long-standing hate figure Gary Megson. In 2002, Megson cemented his place as permanent persona non grata after that abandoned match against his West Bromwich Albion team – the infamous Battle of Bramall Lane, where he accused then-manager Neil Warnock of telling players to feign injury so they could be brought off. So convincing were these injuries that Michael Brown was out with a hernia injury for the remaining months of the season – the other player, Rob Ullathorne, had an injury-plagued career only marginally better than Kieron Dyer. United were of course cleared in the aftermath – but they’re still waiting for an apology from Megson. It is certainly refreshing, following the perfectly likeable Brian Laws and Alan Irvine, to have someone back as Wednesday manager that is instantly easy to dislike.

Losses at home to Huddersfield and Charlton have cast some doubt on United’s promotion credentials recently and any win here would go some way to restore the faith and confidence from the early games. Players need to stand up and be counted on Sunday and it’s often been the case in the past that unlikely derby heroes have sprung up when we needed them the most. Laurent D’Jaffo’s unlikely goal at Hillsborough in 2001, Stuart McCall’s man-of-the-match performance at the Lane in 2003 (best derby game I’ve seen incidentally) and even Ade Akinbiyi for his wonder strike at Hillsborough in United’s last promotion season in 2006 to name but a few.

That game in 2006 also saw a solid debut for Neill Collins at the heart of the defence – Blades fans can only hope he replicates that up against the in-form Gary Madine this weekend. Wilson himself may throw in two new players for their debuts. On Friday United loaned Blackpool’s speedy winger Matt Phillips and striker Billy Clarke, both on their way back from injuries last season, providing the team with some much-needed pace and firepower.

This derby won’t decide each team’s ultimate fate this season. It is in that respect just one of the 46 league matches both play this season. But for 90 minutes on Sunday, for both sets of fans it will mean everything.

Written by Joe Clift, We Are Going Up’s Sheffield United blogger

Joe tweets at @josephclift

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The Steel City Derby – The future is bright, the future is blue & white

Friday, October 14th, 2011

“We will fight forever, because of Boxing Day.”

The Steel City Derby of 1979 is folklore to Sheffield Wednesday fans. For those who were there it was an incredible day of football and for those of us who have heard about it through parents, friends and songs on the Kop, we feel like we were there. Nearly fifty thousand were at Hillsborough that day to watch first versus fourth place in Division Three. Now once again, the two teams of Sheffield meet in the third tier of the Football League to battle for the glory of the city.

Both Wednesday and United have seen better days but both teams are having a slight renaissance under new stewardship. Gary Megson, with the aid of Gary Madine goal machine and the rest of the squad are sitting in second place whilst United, with Danny ‘Judas’ Wilson at the helm are in seventh place.

A few weeks ago Wednesday fans were dreading going to Bramall Lane because the team’s away form was, at very best, patchy. Only one draw from the first four away games, including a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Stevenage led to much trepidation at the possibility of facing the club’s biggest rivals on their own turf. Since the Stevenage game Wednesday have put together a respectable run of four wins on the trot with two of those being away from home; optimism once again is on the rise.

Lessons were learnt following the game against Stevenage and this could be seen at Yeovil. A woeful first half was followed by a second half where some of the eleven on the pitch showed what it really meant to wear the blue and white. It wasn’t pretty but it was determined. Gary Madine shone that day as he has on so many others and with ten goals this season, you wouldn’t like to bet against him securing his place in Wednesday history with a few goals on Sunday.

There was seemingly no reason for the appalling away form as fortress Hillsborough was being created at the same time with six wins from six at home. Chris Lines could be one explanation as he has well and truly stamped his authority on the first team with a string of sterling performances. It could be down to Madine and continuing good form or it could even be down to Megson’s very obvious passion for the job that he is now making his own. I don’t think there is a Wednesday fan that cares though. As long as the team are putting in their all, the fans will respect them.

Sunday will see two teams, who arguably should be playing at a higher level, take each other on but not all of the action will take place on the wrong side of Sheffield. Over 6,000 tickets have been sold for a live broadcast of the match at Hillsborough, which is more than the majority of League One games had in attendance last week.

Titles are not won by history or a perceived injustice at a club’s current position, they are earned by hard work and dedication to the cause and this is what Gary Megson has drummed into his team. League One is packed full of teams who by rights should be in the Championship and every League One club that I have seen play have fans who only deserve the very best.

Sunday will be an exhibition of what the lower leagues really offer; glorious fans, hard-working professional footballers and hopefully a score line that everyone who bleeds blue and white can go into work on Monday morning happy with.

This season has seen more than one star born at Hillsborough though. Gary Madine may be winning the plaudits at the moment but Richard O’Donnell, the goalkeeper who valiantly stood in for Nicky Weaver, will become a Wednesday hero in time and Chris Lines is already making his mark after his move from Bristol Rovers. In addition Liam Palmer, a Scotland Under 21 international, is proving his international status on a weekly basis and loanees Danny Batth and Ben Marshall are making compelling arguments for Milan Mandaric’s chequebook to be brought out come January. In addition to this there are the relatively new signings of Chris O’Grady and Ryan Lowe fighting for a spot in the first eleven.

For the first time in years the future seems to be genuinely bright at Hillsborough and whatever the result on Sunday, the Wednesday squad have the capabilities to bring glory come May.The glory of a derby victory will see you through Monday, maybe a whole week but the tears of joy that run down your face when you see your club promoted will last a lifetime.

I think that a well fought 2-1 victory will go Wednesday’s way with Gary Madine grabbing a brace.

Written by Dom Stevenson, We Are Going Up’s Sheffield Wednesday Blogger

Dom tweets at @dom_stevenson

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Posted in Featured, League One, Sheffield Wednesday | 1 Comment »

Toppo’s Top Tens – Short Managerial Reigns

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Football managers – who’d be one?

It is often said that a new manager needs time to bring in his own players and try out different formations. Despite this the average tenure of bosses has gradually decreased over the past two decades as trigger happy chairmen wield the axe if things fail to go to plan.

The pressure for immediate success from fans and owners is another reason so many managers collect their P45’s each season. Peter Jackson walked away from the Bradford City hotseat last week after a couple of months in charge – hardly enough time to build a successful squad – to become this season’s first managerial casualty in the Football League.

He was in charge of his side for a relatively short period, but it is nothing compared to the reigns of the men below who stretch the phrase ‘short-term’ to its very limits. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ten of the shortest managerial stints in Football League history….

10: Gary Megson, Leicester City

During Milan Mandaric’s spell as owner of Leicester City, it seemed the club changed manager every week. The reality was of course nowhere near that bad, but it wasn’t great either as seven managers occupied the dugout at the Walkers Stadium in a four year period. The fourth of those was Gary Megson, who arrived on September 13th 2007.

He guided the Foxes to their first league win in early October, beating Sheffield Wednesday away 2-0 but was soon attracting interest from Premier League Bolton Wanderers. Mandaric rejected a first approach from Bolton but the Trotters publically stated Megson as their number one choice as a second approach was rebuffed by the Foxes.

After Bolton made another move Megson was given permission to speak to the Trotters and on October 24th he left Leicester City to take over at the Reebok – 41 days and nine league games after joining the club.

9: Dave Penney, Bristol Rovers

Former Doncaster Rovers, Darlington and Oldham Athletic boss Dave Penney was appointed Bristol Rovers manager in January 2011, replacing the sacked Paul Trollope. Rovers were struggling in League One when Penney arrived, by the time he left they were staring relegation in the face.

He took charge for thirteen matches and lost nine of them before being ousted by the West Country club less than two months after joining, a 2-0 loss to Dagenham & Redbridge proving to be the final straw for his employers. Penney’s only wins came against Swindon Town and former club Oldham while his biggest defeat was a 6-1 demolition at fellow strugglers Walsall. 33-year-old club captain Stuart Campbell took over until the end of the season.

8: Steve Coppell, Manchester City

Steve Coppell was appointed Manchester City manager in October 1996, the Sky Blues seeking a quick return to the Premier League having been relegated four months before. Sandwiched between his second and third spells as Crystal Palace boss, he lasted just six games and 33 days at Maine Road before quitting, citing the pressure of the job as his reason for leaving. Unsurprisingly, his tenure is the shortest of any City manager to date.

7: Paul Hart, Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers moved to appoint Paul Hart as their new boss in December 2009. Hart had a nine month tenure on the South Coast as Portsmouth manager prior to this role, but even that could not have prepared him for what proved to be a brief stay in West London.

Hart’s predecessor Jim Magilton left after falling out with a player and Hart too had a bust up with one of the playing staff, Adel Taarabt before leaving in January 2010, less than a month after his appointment. On the pitch things did not go well under Hart as QPR won one of his five Championship matches in charge against Bristol City, the manager heavily criticised for poor tactics and player selections before being shown the door by Flavio Briatore.

6: Bill Lambton, Scunthorpe United

Former goalkeeper Bill Lambton managed just three official league appearances as a player.  Having moved into coaching Lambton following retirement, he turned up at Leeds United as manager in December 1958. He stayed there for just four months, a lengthy tenure compared to his next job at Glanford Park. Lambton took over as Scunthorpe United manager before a 3-0 defeat to Huddersfield in his first game in charge saw his reign brought to a very swift end, three days after it had begun.

5: Martin Allen, Leicester City

Back to the East Midlands for the third of Milan Mandaric’s Leicester City managers.  Martin Allen arrived at the Walkers in May 2007 having had success at Brentford and MK Dons in the previous three seasons.

However soon into Allen’s reign his relationship began to deteriorate with chairman Mandaric over disagreements about transfer targets. The former West Ham and QPR midfielder’s contract was terminated by mutual consent on August 29th 2007, after just four matches in charge.

4: Micky Adams, Swansea City

Current Port Vale boss Micky Adams took charge of the then-struggling Swansea City in Division Three not long after the start of the 1997-98 season, having guided Fulham to promotion from the league’s basement division in 1997. However the 36-year-old left South Wales after 13 days and 3 games in charge, claiming money promised to strengthen the squad never materialised.

3: Steve Coppell, Bristol City

Steve Coppell makes his second appearance in this list for his brief stint as Bristol City boss in the summer of 2010. Having enhanced his managerial CV by steering Reading to the Premier League for the first time in their history, alongside his achievements at Palace, all seemed rosy as the former Manchester United midfielder arrived at Ashton Gate to replace Gary Johnson as manager.

England goalkeeper David James joined from Portsmouth and the Robins were instilled as pre-season favourites for promotion from the Championship. However two games and 112 days later Coppell walked away from the club and retired from football management with immediate effect, claiming he could not ‘become passionate about the role and give the commitment the position needs.’ It was 1996 all over again.

2: Dave Bassett, Crystal Palace

Dave Bassett established himself as one of the brightest managerial talents outside the top flight as he oversaw Wimbledon’s incredible rise up the Football League. He won three promotions with the Crazy Gang in four seasons before accepting an offer to become manager at Crystal Palace in June 1984. Technically Bassett never signed a contract with the Eagles, however after four days at Selhurst Park he quit, refused to sign on the dotted line and returned to Wimbledon.

1: Kevin Cullis, Swansea City

Probably not the most well-known gaffer on this list but his is a name Swansea City fans try to forget in a hurry. Kevin Cullis was appointed manager at the Vetch Field in February 1996 by new chairman Michael Thompson as the club languished in Division Three. He had never played professional football and his only previous managerial experience came as the Youth Coach of non-league Cradley Town in the West Midlands.

His career at the Swans lasted two games in which his side shipped five goals and lost twice. In his second match against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, Cullis’ half-time team talk was apparently ignored as the players took control and he soon resigned, 13 days after his appointment. The phrase ‘lost the dressing room’ could not be more apt.

Written by Steven Toplis, We Are Going Up blogger.

Tweet Steven at @steven_toplis with your suggestions for Toppo’s Top Tens.

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Has anyone ever liked Gary Megson?

Friday, July 29th, 2011

However unfair it may seem, the general feeling around Hillsborough is that Gary Megson must bring the dizzying heights of Championship football back to Hillsborough this season or he risks condemning Sheffield Wednesday to the lower leagues once and for all.

It’s a huge ask, and his path could well be decided by the time the 126th Steel City derby takes place at Bramall Lane on 16th October. During August and September Wednesday go up against Bournemouth, Notts County, Scunthorpe, Charlton, MK Dons and Exeter. If Wednesday do not convincingly beat at least four out of the aforementioned six teams, then it will be a struggle to make the playoffs.

However, if they arrive at the Lane with at least nine victories from the 13 preceding games then they arrive with a confidence that they carry into the rest of the season. A run of form and a victory over United then other teams will start to flounder and fear the Owls. Without that kind of form, momentum will be hard to find, confidence will drop and, as much as it saddens me to say, Wednesday have never been famous for making that final surge towards the finishing line.

Pre-season friendlies haven’t been inspiring but it rarely is given the level of opponents and squad rotation. To date we have beaten Worksop Town and Rotherham United and drawn with FC Volga Novgorod of Russia. With six pre-season games left, the Owls still have tough tests against Leeds United,Barnsley and Stoke City to overcome.

Newcomers Rob Jones and Julian Bennett will hopefully reinforce a reasonably strong backline and help keep the ‘goals against’ tally low. The main worry for the Owls is up front, after the seemingly negligible decision to sell Marcus Tudgay last year and Neil Mellor returning to Preston, this has left Wednesday with currently only two recognised strikers. Clinton Morrison appears to be a shadow of his former self despite the continuous pledge that his time is coming and it is doubtful as to whether Gary Madine will ever reach the 20 goal a season benchmark that Mellor left behind.

Wednesday have been linked with a succession of players that are about as unaffordable to us as Messi would be. These players have predominantly been attackers and the rumours have varied from the ridiculous, Jason Scotland, to the even more ridiculous, Benni McCarthy! Call me old fashioned but consistency must be the key and I fervently hope that Mellor is soon back in blue and white stripes.

For Owls, Blades and neutrals, the Steel City derbies will be the highlights of League One. If a disappointing start to the season is made by either side, the pressure will be unbearable, if not intolerable, and has the potential to crush either side into oblivion. So far there have been 125 steel city derbies with Wednesday winning 41, United winning 45 leaving 39 draws.

People may suggest that there is something inherently wrong with both Sheffield sides being in League One, but ultimately, both have been masters of their own destiny and do not deserve any better for the time being. Neither side has a right to Championship and Premiership football, although Gary Megson will be working his heart out to make the Owls feel like they deserve it. They don’t call him ‘The ginger Mourinho’ for nothing.

Sheffield Wednesday are the last of the fallen giants remaining in League one, with nine league titles, three FA cups and a league cup versus Sheffield United, with three league titles and four FA cups. Only League one’s Preston North End come close to matching Wednesday’s trophy cabinet with eight league titles, two FA cups and the football league War Cup.

At this point though, history means nothing and this year, in addition to the usual excitement, there is the added spice of Danny Wilson, former Wednesday player and manager, now managing Sheffield United. In the eyes of many, this displayed a combination of betrayal on the part of Danny Wilson and downright stupidity on the part of the United board. Whatever the circumstances, it only provides Wednesday with extra ammunition when October 16th comes around. One must wonder as to what Wilson’s reaction will be if United win one or both of the derby matches, but that is a story for a different day.

However obvious it may be, my favourite Steel City derby took place far away from Sheffield. 3 April 1993 saw Wednesday play United in the FA cup semi final, beneath the twin towers of Wembley stadium. It was my first ever trip to Wembley and Chris Waddle scored a goal of almost divine quality to help Wednesday reach the final. For a seven year old, there was nothing like it, the stadium erupted and we all screamed and shouted as the heroes in blue and white marched to victory.

Ok, so it may not come close to that game, but when I watch this years derby, I’m looking for an Owls side ready to re-write their own history with a manager at the helm who can lead them back to the glories of old.

Written by Dom Stevenson, We Are Going Up’s Sheffield Wednesday Blogger

Dom tweets at @dom_stevenson

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