On Sky
It’s almost upon us. The one game that, even in this most apathetic of campaigns, gets the pulse racing. Listening to Radio Sheffield’s trailer this morning with commentary of Tonge’s free kick goal gave me the shivers.
The Blades have stuttered and stumbled through the season so far but still find themselves 7 points clear of their hapless rivals.
The gap between us and Sheffield Wednesday is of little consequence though, it’s the 6 point gap between ourselves and 6th placed Crystal Palace that should occupy our thoughts. A win at Hillsborough will only linger in the memory if it is extremely comprehensive, or more importantly if it starts a run which ends with a play-off place come May.
The Hillsborough pitch has to be a concern for us. Can our thoroughbreds get through the mud to make their extra quality tell or will cloggers like Lee Bullen and Akpo Sodje feel as happy as, pardon the pun, pigs in sh*t?
Vital Quotes:
Robson knows the score, as the better team we must keep our heads, he told the Sheffield Star ‘My players are looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘They’ve looked bright in training and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen from them.
‘You’ve got to be passionate and determined and give your all. But you’ve also got to be controlled and use your football intelligence. I’ve been involved in plenty of derbies before as a player and as a manager and I’ve seen people lose their cool. More often than not they’re the ones who end up losing the game.’
Thank god Lee Hendrie isn’t playing!
Sheffield Wednesday Team News:
Watson, Sodje and Jeffers should all be fit.
Player to watch: Francis Jeffers
Not often you get to see tabs like that!
Sheffield United Team News:
James Beattie, Danny Webber, Chris Morgan and Lee Hendrie will all miss out. It’s amazing to think that those 4 would be, by some distance, Wednesday’s best players should they ply their trade at Hillsborough yet their absence shouldn’t trouble the Blades unduly.
Lee Martin, on loan from Manchester United, could make his Blades debut. Hopefully, Ehiogu has arrived too late to start this one, although he did score the winner for Rangers v Celtic last season.
Player to watch: Billy Sharp
If I was manager he wouldn’t start this game, it would be Hulse and Stead up front every time. However, despite that and despite his lack of goals so far, he is absolutely nailed on to score in this game.
We know it, the Wednesday fans know it and Billy himself knows it. I hope he’s planned his celebration.
Match Facts & Stats
The Blades dominant the Sheffield derby stats.
It’s almost 100 years since Wednesday did the double over us.
Ref Watch:
Mark Halsey
Quite popular amongst Blades fans despite an awful blunder when he disallowed a Michael Tonge goal at Millmoor once. Personally, I’m not a fan and I hope his lenient approach doesn’t lead to us getting kicked off the park. Having said that, we could’ve had much worse.
Match Prediction:
2-1 to the Blades, Hulse and Sharp for us, Sodje with a late consolation for them.
Next Fixtures:
27th January Man City (h)
29th January Watford (h)