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30th
January : Neil Warnock was full of praise for strike
duo Carl Asaba and Laurent D'Jaffo following last night's derby
game. Both players played despite being less than 100 per cent fit
and Warnock paid tribute to their attitude. "I can't ask any
more," said the Blades boss. "I thought they did ever
so well under the circumstances." Paul Devlin could return
for Sunday's game at Norwich following a four-match ban. Also, Paul
Peschisolido could return to the squad after missing matches with
a foot injury. Patrick Suffo is involved in the African Nations
Cup with Cameroon.
29th January : Sheffield
United 0 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday (Attendance: 29,364)
United and Wednesday served up a frenzied Steel City derby, with The Blades enjoying the better chances. A crowd of 29,364 saw a match that rarely hit the heights with United enjoying the better chances. Wednesday keeper Paul Heald was the busier of the goalkeepers and was on hand to make a number of crucial saves. The Blades, had the first chance, with Asaba's header from a Michael Tongue corner cleared off the line by Steven Haslam. Carl Asaba went close to opening the scoring, but his left-footed shot from the edge of the box was saved by Heald.A poor Heald punch from another Tongue corner offered Laurent D'Jaffo an opening, but his spectacular scissor-kick crashed into the side-netting. Wednesday rarely threatened in the opening 45 minutes with a 20-yard effort from Paul McLaren which failed to test Simon Tracey their best effort. After the break, Asaba's went just wide and later he was again prevented by an Heald. Tracey was then called into action, palming away a Gerald Sibon 20-yard drive in the 79th minute - Wednesday's first decent shot on goal. With the last effort of the game the visitors should have stolen the points, but Tracey brilliantly blocked Ekoku's point-blank effort to ensure honours ended even.
28th January : Neil Warnock is racing against the clock to sign a striker in time for Tomorrow night's derby clash with Wednesday. With Patrick Suffo and Paul Peschisolido both unavailable, Warnock is left with Carl Asaba and Laurent D'Jaffo as the only experienced strikers he can call on. There is a pressing need for more cover and Warnock is working to try and remedy the situation. The Blades boss recently failed in a bid to take Kevin Davies on loan from Southampton. He then saw Arnar Gunnlaugsson's proposed temporary switch from Leicester fall through when the player suffered an injury. Warnock suffered further frustration at the end of last week when an un-named player was persuaded by his agent to reject a loan move.
27th January : Carl Asaba is nursing a slight knock following the FA Cup defeat at Preston and is a fitness doubt for Tuesday's derby with Sheffield Wednesday. Boss Neil Warnock was not prepared to take any chances with Asaba's fitness when a problem became apparent in Saturday's game. The Blades boss explained the reasoning behind the decision to take Asaba off in the second half, saying: "We just wanted to make sure he was okay for Tuesday night, so we took him off as a precaution."With Paul Peschisolido and Patrick Suffo both unavailable, United cannot afford to be without Asaba for the clash with Wednesday. Asaba and Laurent D'Jaffo are currently the only experienced strikers available to Warnock. Carl Asaba is nursing a slight knock following the FA Cup defeat at Preston and is a fitness doubt for Tuesday's derby with Wednesday. Boss Neil Warnock was not prepared to take any chances with Asaba's fitness when a problem became apparent in Saturday's game. The Blades boss explained the reasoning behind the decision to take Asaba off in the second half, saying: "We just wanted to make sure he was okay for Tuesday night, so we took him off as a precaution." With Paul Peschisolido and Patrick Suffo both unavailable, United cannot afford to be without Asaba for the clash with Wednesday. Asaba and Laurent D'Jaffo are currently the only experienced strikers available to Warnock.
26th January : Preston
North End 2-1 Sheffield United (Attendance: 13,068)
A controversial penalty sent Preston North End into the 5th Round of the FA Cup at the expense of The Blades. It had looked good for United in the 14th minute when Ndlovu put us ahead.Ndlovu was left unmarked at the far post, he half-volleying into the top corner after home skipper Sean Gregan had inadvertently headed on Gus Uhlenbeek's long throw. The home side's first chance came when Wilk de Vogt mis-kicked Uhlenbeek's headed back pass straight to Steve Basham. But the forward fired wide from 30 yards with de Vogt struggling to get back to his goal. The Blades continued to press forward with Michael Tonge causing problems for the home defence. Midway through the half, the midfielder put a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide. And a minute later he was felled in the box by Gregan - but only an indirect free-kick was awarded. Preston leveled seven minutes after the restart. Cresswell, on for Steve Basham at half-time, ran on to fellow sub Macken's flick-on from a long ball to steer home the equaliser. Preston's second came in the 70th minute, albeit in controversial fashion. The spot-kick was taken by right-back Graham Alexander, and he sent the keeper the wrong way for the winner, after Robert Page was harshly adjudged to have deliberately handled a right-footed flick from sub Cresswell. The Blades finally losing 2-1.
25th January : Neil
Warnock is still looking to sign a striker on loan and hopes to
have a new face in ahead of Tuesday night's derby clash with The
Owls. Warnock has had no luck so far, failing in a bid to sign Southampton
star Kevin Davies and then seeing Leicester's Arnar Gunnlaugsson
suffer an injury after agreeing to a temporary move. With Paul Peschisolido
and Patrick Suffo currently unavailable, United have a shortage
of cover in attack. Warnock plans to make various enquiries in the
hope of making a signing in time for the clash with Wednesday. If
he is successful, the player is expected to feature among the substitutes
on Tuesday night.
24th January : Simon Tracey is definitely out of Saturday's FA Cup tie at Preston due to a knee injury he picked up in last week's game at Nottingham Forest. Wilko de Vogt has been taking Tracey's place in goal and the towering Dutchman is set to continue this weekend to make his third appearance since arriving from NAC Breda in the summer. There are no fresh injury problems affecting Neil Warnock's plans, as Paul Peschisolido is still troubled by a foot injury, while Patrick Suffo is away on international duty. Warnock is still unable to call on Paul Devlin who is suspended.
23rd January : Next week's Sheffield derby is close to a sell-out with Wednesday having already sold their 5,200 tickets for the Bramall Lane end of the ground. United's highest attendance of the season so far came on New Year's Day when they attracted 26,291 fans for the game against Manchester City, while Tuesday night's match is set to easily surpass that figure. The capacity at Bramall Lane is just under 31,000 and the derby gate will approach that. The two teams fought out a goalless draw at Hillsborough back in October and last season's game at Bramall Lane resulted in a 1-1 draw, while The Blades won 2-1 at Hillsborough.
22nd January : Paul Peschisolido is making good progress as he battles to recover from a troublesome foot injury and is now walking without pain. He underwent treatment which involved the use of an oxygen chamber, whereby he breathed pure oxygen to help the healing process. Peschisolido, who was forced to pull out of Canada's Gold Cup squad last week, has missed The Blades last six games, his last appearance coming in the derby clash with Rotherham a month ago. It is not yet known when Peschisolido is likely to return to action, but at this stage it looks highly unlikely that he will be available for next Tuesday's derby game against Sheffield Wednesday.
19th January : Sheffield United 0-0 Nottingham
Forest (Attendance: 18,352)
Goalkeeper Darren Ward was the hero for Nottingham Forest in a dour draw at Bramall Lane. Forest came looking for a point and despite not troubling the United goal once throughout the game, they deserved to leave with a hard-earned point. United manager Neil Warnock will not be happy with the way his side performed as they lacked quality and creativity.Only United's rising star Michael Tonge showed any invention at all in a game of only two real chances. Tonge was at the heart of everything good produced by United and he was denied an excellent save by Ward, who cleared his volley over the bar after a well-worked move involving Peter Ndlovu and Carl Asaba. Apart from that, both sides showed little and the Blades fans (at least those on the kop) were not happy with a boring game. Forest started brightly with the lively Jermaine Jenas causing early problems for the United defence. With just five minutes gone he burst clear down the right and sent a dangerous cross into the box. But having stolen in front his marker, Jack Lester could only fire his shot straight at defender Gus Uhlenbeek. That early scare seemed to kick-start the hosts into life and gradually they settled with Michael Brown beginning to marshal the home midfield. After 11 minutes Brown carved out United's first serious effort on goal when he burst purposefully from midfield - but his finish was wayward as he drilled a left-footed shot wide from 25 yards. The second half showed promise when Brown tested Ward within a minute of the restart. However, this was a false dawn as both sides cancelled each other out. The only other chance fell to Ndlovu but he was denied by an excellent save from Ward. Forest manager Paul Hart will be pleased with the point and his side's defensive display.
18th January : Carl Asaba and Laurent D'Jaffo are the only established strikers at Neil Warnock's disposal for tomorrow's home match with Nottingham Forest. Patrick Suffo is away with the Cameroon squad, while Paul Peschisolido is still out with a foot injury; winger Paul Devlin, who can play in a central striking role, is suspended. Young midfielder Phil Jagielka is pressing for a recall after starring for the reserves in midweek, and Shane Nicholson and Shaun Murphy are also in contention after losing their places recently.The Blades beat Forest 1-0 at Bramall Lane in the FA Cup two weeks ago, when Michael Brown scored the winner.
16th January : Paul Peschisolido has suffered a recurrence of the foot injury which has kept him on the sidelines in recent weeks and faces a further spell out. The little striker broke down in training yesterday and the injury has forced Peschisolido to pull out of the Canada squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament in Miami. Neil Warnock admits he does not know at this stage how long Peschisolido is likely to be missing as the player has been ordered to rest in order to give the injury time to fully heal. Peschisolido had been faced with a decision over whether to join his Canadian team-mates or stay and help United's cause. Peschisolido was expected to pass up the chance to play in the Gold Cup, but the matter has now been taken out of his hands.
14th January : Neil Warnock praised his team's battling abilities following the 1-0 win at Gillingham, giving extra praise to Gus Uhlenbeek and Rob Ullathorne. "I thought we really had to earn our points," said the Blades boss. "Everybody played a part and it was a well-deserved three points." Warnock praised full-back pair Uhlenbeek and Ullathorne for the parts they played in the victory. He said: "I thought they were excellent because they cut off the supply to the strikers." Warnock decided to persist with the bold 4-3-3 formation following last week's FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest. "We've done it at West Brom and Walsall and it's a good system," added the Blades boss. United should be boosted by the return of Paul Peschisolido next weekend, with the little striker making progress after being sidelined with a toe injury.
12th January : Gillingham 0-1 Sheffield United (Attendance: 8,814)
Michael Tonge's stunning free-kick earned The Blades a hard-earned victory over in-form Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium. The Gills went into the game brimming with confidence after three successive victories in all competitions. After 18 minutes Peter Ndlovu fired the ball over the bar following a Michael Brown free-kick. Ndlovu almost put his side ahead after his right-foot shot went just wide. Asaba, up against his old club, was making the most of his return to the Priestfield Stadium, But it was Michael Brown who unleash a long-range shot which went just wide after 34 minutes. Marlon King was the only threat to the United defence, and his right-foot shot was saved by Tracey a minute later as the stalemate continued. The Blades then gave Gillingham a fright on the hour when Ndlovu broke away and set up Michael Brown but he fired wide. Three minutes later Tonge fired the Blades ahead and the Gills were up really up against it. Tonge made the Gills pay for their lack of a cutting edge when he fired the Blades ahead in the 63rd minute. Marcus Browning fouled Carl Asaba and Tonge blasted a 25-yarder beyond Vince Bartram. The Blades almost rubbed salt in home wounds in the last minute when Peter Ndlovu's effort was scrambled clear by Barry Ashby. They battled in vain for an equaliser, skipper Paul Smith coming the closest when he blasted his effort into the side netting. A superb win for United which helps the Blades stay in contact with the play-off race.
11th January : Neil Warnock's bid to bring a Premiership striker to the club on loan has been scuppered by the player's agent. Warnock had agreed a deal with a Premiership club to take one of their forwards on a temporary. However, the player's agent stepped in at the last minute to wreck Warnock's plans and a disappointed boss said: "The player was advised by his agent that it was not in his interests to go out on loan." Warnock was given the go-ahead by the board earlier this week to make a loan signing after having a similar request turned down before Christmas. He spoke to three top-flight strikers in the hope of adding a new face to the squad in time for the Gillingham match. Everton's Danny Cadamarteri was one of the names on Warnock's hit-list, but it is not known whether he is the player who came close to signing.
9th January : West Ham are believed to be watching midfielder Michael Brown, following his influential performances for The Blades. The Hammers have been represented at several United games this season, including Saturday's FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest when he scored the winning goal. Brown, who will celebrate his 25th birthday later this month, signed an improved new contract earlier this season. Brown has been The Blades best player this season, and it would be a big disappointment for the fans at the Lane should he leave. In fact we think this is a test for the People who run United, are we going to continue to sell our best players or show true ambition and hold onto them. We will wait and see.
8th January : Neil Warnock hopes to sign a Premiership striker on loan by the weekend, and has already spoken to three potential targets. Warnock needs to add a new face to the squad after seeing his attacking resources depleted. Patrick Suffo is away on international duty this month with Cameroon, while Paul Peschisolido is still troubled by a toe injury.
5th January : Sheffield United 1-0 Nottingham
Forest (Attendance: 14,696)
Michael Brown struck with just 10 minutes
left to book The Blades place in the FA Cup fourth round. Brown
received the ball just outside the area and fired an unstoppable
shot past Forest goalkeeper Darren Ward. United deserved to go through
after dominating for long periods. Ward almost gifted United an
early goal when his weak kick went straight to Brown. But the midfielder's
chip just cleared the crossbar as the goalkeeper scrambled back
to his goal. Brown then had a shot saved by Ward after Robert Page's
free-kick had been headed down by Carl Asaba. From the resulting
corner, Asaba headed just over and Brown fired a shot wide as United
piled on the pressure. Asaba and Peter Ndlovu both went close after
the break before Forest had their first clear-cut chance. The Blades
continued, with sustained pressure resulting in a succession of
corners, as Devlin and Asaba posed the notable threat to the visitors'
rearguard. Asaba went close with two headers and Ndlovu had a shot
blocked while at the other end John headed over from Nicky Summerbee's
free-kick. Devlin had an effort deflected wide and Asaba headed
straight at Ward before Brown scored the decisive goal.
1st January : Sheffield United 1-3 Manchester
City (Attendance: 26,291)
The biggest crowd of the season so far 26291 saw the blades lose in a disappointing performance, against Manchester City. The Blades did score through Michael Brown, but his it wasn't to be United's day. The Blades made two changes for this afternoon's opening clash of the New Year at Bramall Lane. The Blades welcomed back Brown following suspension to face his former club while there was also a recall for Nick Montgomery, with Bobby Ford and Patrick Suffo dropped to the bench. It was a poor first half with both sides failing to string any decent moves together. The first shot on goal didn't arrive until the 8th minute, Brown's volley for the home side comfortably saved by Carlo Nash. The highlight was when Paul Devlin managed to test Carlo Nash in the City goal. City took the lead in 55 minutes. Kevin Horlock swung in a free kick, which was met by Paulo Wanchope at the far post, and Shaun Goater guided his header into the net. Richard Dunne's cross from the right was finished off by Eyal Berkovic, who arrived in the penalty area unmarked and had the easy task of tapping home. United threw caution to the wind and pressed for a goal to get them back into the game, but only Asaba came close. And it was not until the 90th minute that they reduced their deficit Michael Brown powered home a header from Paul Devlin's right-wing corner. But their hopes of snatching a late equaliser ended in the last minute of injury time when Shaun Wright-Phillips sealed the game with City's third goal. Wright-Phillips picked the ball up from the edge of his own area and, with all united players in the Manchester City box, advanced 50 yards up field. He then played a one-two with Darren Huckerby before drilling the ball past the helpless Tracey.
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