1. Footymad
  2. The Railwaymen Mad
  3. Supporters
  4. User Profiles

Blades backlash on the cards

Last updated : 24 February 2004 By Simon Turner
Ash Ward
Ex-Alex: Ashley Ward
Sheffield United are without doubt one of the Division’s most resilient and hard fighting sides. Former Alex man Neil Warnock has built a great side that have ably competed with Premiership sides like Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds in the cups throughout the last twelve months. He has spent very little and recruited old heads like Ashley Ward, Paul Peschisolido, Wayne Allison and Peter Ndlovu whose careers has seemed dead in the water prior to joining the Blades.

Warnock’s promotion chasers however have slipped up over the past few games. Firstly, Derby County beat United in convincing style at Pride Park 2-0, triggering a miserable four game losing streak in the league. They seemingly conceded the all-important second automatic promotion spot to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, when the Baggies recorded a very important 2-1 victory.

Their sole win since the first week of January was at home to Colchester United in the FA Cup, an unconvincing 1-0 win that saw the boys from Bramall Lane squander chance after chance. However, they are through and will face either Sunderland or Birmingham in the quarters.

However it is perilous to write off United just like that. Warnock is of the Alex Ferguson or Steve Bruce mould. He simply refuses to give in and last season’s remarkable cup campaigns just go to prove this. When people like Warnock are down and out, they are at their most dangerous.

Meanwhile, we find ourselves in an indifferent patch of form. Silly mistakes have cost us against Millwall and Bradford There is always a chance when we play the so-called bigger clubs because they almost always underestimate us, especially at home: Preston, Reading, Forest, Sunderland and Ipswich all spring to mind immediately.

We have the right to be confident; we can always be confident at home, and the anticipated return of Craig Hignett to Gresty Road and hopefully a first sighting of Eamon Zayed may go along way to upset the odds.

I am by no means dismissing our lads, we have a good chance of winning, but I am fearful that the Blades will be just to strong and up for this game tonight after four straight losses in the league. We shall wait and see. I can only hope I am wrong!