@owlstalk Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 NEVER before in 125 years of Steel City rivalry has a manager made his bow in a derby. Jos Luhukay’s breaking of new ground on Friday, therefore, represents a true footballing baptism of fire for someone whose playing and coaching career has been spent entirely in Holland and Germany. Dave Bassett, a veteran of seven Sheffield derbies during his reign at United, will be at Bramall Lane to watch the Dutchman’s debut and he believes the new Wednesday chief could be caught by surprise. “People outside Sheffield don’t have a clue about what this derby means,” the 73-year-old tells The Yorkshire Post. “They see it as not carrying the same name as others and don’t respect it. “We saw that before the first derby (won 4-2 by United at Hillsborough in September). I was listening to the Wednesday manager (Carlos Carvalhal) and his players beforehand and they didn’t have a clue what the derby meant. “All this, ‘It is just another three points’ rubbish, it was like they saw it as a Mickey Mouse game. They heard the word ‘derby’ and thought (El) Clasico, Merseyside or North London. He can’t be expected to know, because he hasn’t that first-hand knowledge. Dave Bassett on what is in store for Jos Luhukay. “Their manager seemed to think he was still in Portugal when talking about the Sheffield derby, he didn’t have a clue about how the fans feel. He just didn’t get it, or at least that was what it looked like to me. “At least with Trevor (Francis) and the Wednesday lads when I was involved, they knew exactly what it meant. You didn’t get them strolling through a derby. They got stuck in, just as we did.” Luhukay, as he was keen to stress at his unveiling on Monday, arrived in England with plenty of derby experience from his time in charge of Borussia Monchengladbach and Hertha Berlin in Germany. Bassett, however, points to his own experience and how it was only after taking charge of the Blades in 1988 that he began to understand the strength of feeling on either side of the Steel City’s footballing divide. “I didn’t manage United against Wednesday until I had been there about three years,” recalls Bassett, whose entire career up to arriving at the Lane had been down south. “It was the first derby for a long, long time – something like 11 years – and the build-up was huge. The entire city was excited. “I had been in Sheffield a few years and people had kept saying, ‘Be great to get the derby back’. But we were miles apart at the beginning so I thought, ‘Let’s get in the same league first before we start saying things like that’. “Eventually, we were in the First Division together. We were struggling and they were doing okay. All I heard about beforehand was the ‘Boxing Day Massacre’ (when Wednesday triumphed 4-0 in 1979). “But it didn’t mean anything to me, it wasn’t a motivation or anything like that. You can’t change history, all I wanted to do was win this one – and we did.” Goals from Dane Whitehouse and Brian Deane were enough to settle that October, 1991, encounter. A 3-1 triumph in the return at Hillsborough then meant a league double for the Blades over their neighbours that Chris Wilder’s side will be looking to emulate on Friday night. “The atmosphere, passion and intensity were incredible,” recalls Bassett about his first taste of a Steel City showdown. “But the thing I remember the most is the final couple of minutes. We were 2-0 up and I knew Wednesday weren’t coming back. “I remember looking round the ground and thinking, ‘This is great’. It was that feeling you have with a nice brandy, all mellow and happy. It was similar at Hillsborough later that season when we were two goals ahead again with a couple of minutes to go. “I wanted the game to be over, as you always do when winning. But I also wanted those last couple of minutes to go really slowly. I wanted to enjoy the moment.” The following season brought revenge for Wednesday, via a 2-1 victory at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final that saw Mel Rees, the former United goalkeeper who died just a few weeks later from cancer, lead out Bassett’s team. “We were knackered and the occasion got to us,” says the former Blades chief, who has been a mentor to Wilder in his own career. “It didn’t help that I picked the wrong team, but Wednesday had more players who had played at Wembley and it showed. “I wish we could have played the semi-final at Elland Road (originally the FA’s choice for the tie) rather than Wembley. It would have suited us more. “What I will say about the Wednesday fans that day is just how terrific they were to Mel. As he walked round Wembley, they all stood and applauded. It must have been a very poignant moment for Mel and his family.” As for Friday’s impending derby, Bassett believes Luhukay is in for an eye-opening introduction to English football. “This is going to be a tough one for him,” he adds. “Bless him, he is coming in not knowing what to expect. He can’t be expected to know because he hasn’t that first-hand knowledge. “Chris, on the other hand, is a Sheffield lad and United through and through. He is desperate to win and his players should be able to feed off that.” Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quinnssweetshop Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Utter testicles He's presided over far larger derby games. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, quinnssweetshop said: Utter testicles He's presided over far larger derby games. That's what Dave Bassett's getting at He's saying not to treat this derby game like some small game played between two village teams but a derby as big as the biggest ones he's managed before Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyowl Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Load of rubbish! Do they not have derby games in Germany? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 1 minute ago, jonnyowl said: Load of rubbish! Do they not have derby games in Germany? Did you read the whole article or just the headline? Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bouncing Owl Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 (edited) He’s managed clubs who play in front of 50/60k fans. He’s also played in derby’s. He will know what to expect. I a more worried about the team we are putting out due to our injuries - I honestly can’t see how we can get any sort of result. I will be astonished if we manage to get a draw. Edited January 10, 2018 by Bouncing Owl 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quinnssweetshop Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 (edited) Jos will know, he can read. Carlos couldn't. COME ON WEDNESDAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edited January 10, 2018 by quinnssweetshop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vulva Posted January 10, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted January 10, 2018 Another scruff. United employ scruffs. 1 1 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quinnssweetshop Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 And carlos knew..... He was just a COWARD ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyowl Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 7 minutes ago, @owlstalk said: Did you read the whole article or just the headline? Yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdan2003 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 (edited) It wasn’t the fact Carlos didn’t “get the Derby” that we lost, we lost because we made the same mistakes, and capitulated against yet another team who throw the kitchen sink at teams. I just hope Jos has had enough time with them this week to instill some confidence and organisation. Edited January 10, 2018 by bigdan2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldGigsChris Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Must admit that even English pundit don't understand that the Steel City Derby has as much, passion behind it than Glasgow and definitely more than Liverpool and Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesteel Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Carlos managed in big derbies too, which is what he said beforehand. I can’t remember him brushing it off as just another 3 points, he said he understood the occasion and the importance but he did also put it in context of the wider season. I think the problem was that despite the talk there wasn’t the feeling he had really tapped into it and got them going. Remains to be seen with Jos, but it’s not impossible that he could be the polar opposite of Wilder again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkowl Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Just put that article in the changing room Get a few of the other inbreds articles who will no doubt be flogging the "Blades pashun" in the media in the next couple of days then show em the video of the Boxing Day massacre and Jos to have ordered some tea cups to throw as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torryowl Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 drivel ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulva Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 They really are a weird bunch. Very odd. Everything about he place, and their fans, is like an episode of Life on Mars. Thick as mince. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, Bluesteel said: Carlos managed in big derbies too, which is what he said beforehand. I can’t remember him brushing it off as just another 3 points, he said he understood the occasion and the importance but he did also put it in context of the wider season. I think the problem was that despite the talk there wasn’t the feeling he had really tapped into it and got them going. Let's be honest It hit Carlos like a steam train He was stood on the tracks, he saw the train coming and just shrugged his shoulders and it smashed into him, run over his cool calm and collected body, chopped him up into pieces and left him on the tracks for the post match interviews Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesteel Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, @owlstalk said: Let's be honest It hit Carlos like a steam train He was stood on the tracks, he saw the train coming and just shrugged his shoulders and it smashed into him, run over his cool calm and collected body, chopped him up into pieces and left him on the tracks for the post match interviews He was like that in pretty much every game against “underdogs” and we sometimes got away with it (Preston usually) unfortunately for him the time we didn’t was against them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owls maniac Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Tbf I have quite a bit of time for Harry Bassett. Did very well at United and most clubs he managed. That being said, he’s still a piggy cheeky monkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watto Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 27 minutes ago, jonnyowl said: Load of rubbish! Do they not have derby games in Germany? Yes but they'll not have the same intensity of the Sheffield Derby, very difficult first game for Joss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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