Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday fans guilty of this very unfair criticism of players

You can hurl all the brickbats you like at our two Sheffield teams and, heaven knows, plenty would be justified in a season as turbulent as this. But one of the most common is way off the mark in my opinion. So much so it sails over towering Kop roofs at both Bramall Lane and Hillsborough. “Lack of effort.” It’s the readiest to hand of any complaint for fans of any club anywhere. A good old standby for any bad performance. Couldn’t care.” There’s another meaning much the same. And this season both of those have been heard a fair bit in the environs of S2 and S6.

In effect, though, that equates to a charge of not trying - the most damning criticism you can make of any professional sporting competitor. Well, maybe it’s time that particular brickbat was hurled back.

“Lack of heart”? Now that’s a different thing altogether. It’s a comment with its roots in a noticeable lack of belief or confidence. Which, without excusing it, has been only natural at times during this fraught and perilous campaign for Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

This leads on to “lack of fight”, a perception based on a reluctance to have a go at the opposition, again for confidence reasons. “Lack of leadership”? Again, spawned from all of the above. And often fair comment. Ditto with “lack of quality.” We all wish it was better on both sides of the city.

But “lack of effort”? That’s not fair for me, deeply wounding and trotted out way too often. Even if it were true - and I’ve rarely if ever seen it - players simply wouldn’t get away with it in this age of data and metrics.

As the Blades’ ex boss Paul Heckingbottom pointed out recently in response to that charge, he’d know if it was true from all the running stats presented to him. Across with the Owls, latest boss Danny Rohl has demanded more athleticism and energy; in essence, a higher level of fitness and staying power. But that doesn’t point to any previous lack of effort.

More to the point, I heard Carlton Palmer and Paddy Kenny on a recent podcast in agreement that they had never known it to be true in their careers, taking in Hillsborough and Bramall Lane. Often effort is simply misdirected. Either that or it’s just that players are having a bad day. If you have too many like that at once, you lose the game.

It’s a collective thing where the whole team is deemed good or bad, including even those who’ve performed at their level. You lose possession too often, fail to track a runner for a goal, miss chances and, in the eyes of some, you can lack effort. But really - and without calling a bad performance anything but that - this is all about momentary lapses in concentration, besides the confidence issue. Or even, simply trying too hard.

When things are going well, players make natural and instinctive movements, no second thoughts required. When the reverse is true, you see a dithering uncertainty. Which is what we’ve witnessed too often on both sides of the city.

What both Danny Rohl and Chris Wilder have tried to do is channel positive thoughts and actions, carrying both sets of supporters with them. Fair to say, whatever their limitations, players across the board are making the effort. They know there is no hiding place on that score.