31st August
United have Michael Brown, Laurens Ten Heuvel and Paul Peschisolido back in contention for Tomorrows game with Wednesday. Blades boss Neil Warnock must decide whether to change a winning side ahead of the derby trip to Hillsborough following back-to-back victories against Millwall and Burnley. Midfielder Brown has missed the last two games because of a thigh strain, while attackers Ten Heuvel and Peschisolido made their comebacks in the reserves on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if skipper Robert Page will recover from the ankle injury he suffered in the opening day game at Coventry.
29th August
Blades boss Neil Warnock hailed Michael Tonge's performance after the 3-1 win over Millwall. Tonge, playing on the left-hand side of midfield, scored once and had a hand in the other two goals. "He was the best player on the pitch, in an unfamiliar role," said Warnock. "I told him at half-time to cut inside a bit more and have a go on his right foot. He persevered and they couldn't really cope with him. "I think most people in the stands will have been dizzy with the dribble for the first goal."
Warnock felt that his side improved after being told to relax a little, adding: "They don't want to make a mistake and they've got to get it out of their system. "I think they're a far better team when they look as if they're enjoying it."
Michael Brown, Paul Peschisolido and Laurens Ten Heuvel could all be in contention for Sheffield United's Steel City derby clash on Sunday. Brown has missed the last two games due to a thigh injury, but Blades boss Neil Warnock believes he could be fit enough to be considered for a place on the bench against Wednesday at Hillsborough. Peschisolido and Ten Heuvel both came through 90 minutes for the reserves on Wednesday, and they too could be pressing for substitutes roles at the weekend. Warnock will welcome their availability as Iffy Onuora struggled alongside Carl Asaba in Tuesday night's convincing win over Millwall.
LINE-UP
Kenny , Kozluk , Yates , Murphy , Ullathorne , McGovern , McCall , Tonge , Jagielka , Onuora (Ndlovu) , Asaba (Smith) — Subs not used: Doane , Montgomery , Javary
Scorers: Asaba 77, Tonge 82 , Ndlovu 90
The Blades finished with a blistering spell which produced three goals in the final 14 minutes to chalk up their second successive win and silence the boo-boys from the last game at the Lane. Michael Tonge produced a superb performance to help United to their first Division One home win of the season. Tonge was at the heart of the Blades attacking display and made sure of the three points with the second goal from Carl Asaba and then Peter Ndlovu completed the scoring. United almost found a way through early on, Tonge beating the wall with a stinging free-kick, fisted away by the diving Tony Warner. Then, Carl Asaba flicked the ball neatly into the feet of Phil Jagielka who dragged the ball wide of the far post from just inside the area. After the break, Asaba produced an eye catching volley from 35 yards that dipped the wrong side of the target. It was Asaba who finally broke the deadlock. Tonge was the architect, his weaving run taking him to the by-line and his excellent cross was headed home at point-blank range by Asaba. Tonge then added a second when he cut inside from the left and drilled the ball into the corner of the net after 81 minutes. Ifill pulled one back with a minute to go for Millwall, but Ndlovu scored a third for the The Blades after Tonge's shot was blocked.
26th August
United came through the 1-0 victory against Burnley unscathed as the Blades look to make in two wins in two against Millwall. Neil Warnock was without several key players for the trip to Turf Moor and could be down to the bare bones again. Michael Brown is struggling with a thigh strain, while strikers Laurens Ten Heuvel and Paul Peschisolido are still undergoing intensive fitness work. Warnock is definitely without the services of defender Robert Page and goalkeeper Simon Tracey for the foreseeable future. Paddy Kenny believes Saturday's 1-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor can spur the Blades on to a successful season. Iffy Onoura's first goal for the Blades handed Neil Warnock's side all three points against the Clarets and on-loan Bury ace Kenny says he can see "no reason" why the Blades cannot use the result as a springboard to move up the Division One table.
LINE-UP
Kenny , Kozluk , Murphy , Yates , Ullathorne , Jagielka , McGovern , Tonge (Montgomery 82) , McCall , Asaba , Onuora (Allison 76) — Subs not used: Doane , Smith , Ndlovu
Scorer: Onuora 35
Bookings: Tonge 20, McCall 32, Jagielka 61
Iffy Onuora's first goal for The Blades secured a first league win at Turf Moor since 1974. Onuora struck in the 35th minute to secure the Blades' first victory of the season and left the Clarets still rooted to the bottom of Division One. Onuora was set up on the edge of the area and his low shot took a wicked deflection to leave Burnley goalkeeper Nikolaos Michopoulos stranded. Chances were few and far between, with Rob Kozluk forced to try his luck with an ambitious 35-yard strike which failed to hit the target. Burnley gradually became more threatening as their desperation grew and Kenny was called into action to keep out Alan Moore's shot and he produced a superb save to deny Johnrose. United were not just content to sit back though, and Michael Tonge tested Michopoulos before Steve Yates headed wide from John McGovern's corner. Burnley pressed forward in search of an equaliser but created few clearcut chances and when they did they were frustrated by Paddy Kenny once again as he kept out Glen Little's shot from the left. Little had the last chance of the match and almost snatched a point for the Clarets but once again Kenny stood firm to keep out his right-foot shot in the third minute of injury time.
16th August
With Robert Page and Rob Ullathorne to miss the visit of Walsall, Rob Kozluk and Ben Doane are set for starting roles for The Blades. Kozluk is expected to replace Ullathorne at left-back with Doane coming in on the right-hand side of defence. Blades boss Neil Warnock will also check on the fitness of Steve Yates before finalising his plans. The former Tranmere man is rated 50/50 after suffering a groin injury in the midweek game against Portsmouth. Young Irishman Colin Cryan has been drafted into the squad and will make his full debut in central defence if Yates is ruled out, whilst Michael Tonge will continue in midfield, despite still being troubled by a calf problem, but he may not last the full 90 minutes. Jon-Paul McGovern, on loan from Celtic, is pressing for a starting role after doing well as a substitute against Portsmouth. Ten Heuvel is close to making a return after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season. Warnock's attacking options will receive a further boost when Paul Peschisolido regains full fitness.
23rd August
Blades midfielder Michael Brown is set to miss the trip to Burnley with the thigh strain he suffered last weekend.
Brown joins defensive duo Robert Page and Rob Ullathorne on the sidelines. Peter Ndlovu is the favourite to replace Brown on the left-wing, while Rob Kozluk will continue at left-back in the absence of Ullathorne. Player-coach Stuart McCall is pressing for his Blades debut and Neil Warnock may be tempted to include him in place of Phil Jagielka. With Paul Peschisolido and Laurens Ten Heuvel short of full fitness, Warnock is expected to choose between Carl Asaba, Wayne Allison and Iffy Onuora in attack.
22nd August
Neil Warnock has been told that the £500,000 windfall coming to United courtesy of Derby County will not be available to spend on transfers. The payment is due from the Rams following Lee Morris's 45th appearance for the Midlanders at the weekend.
Morris was sold to Derby in an appearance-related deal three years ago. Blades chiefs have told Warnock the money will not be spent on strengthening the squad.
LINE-UP
Kenny , Doane , Kozluk , Yates , Murphy , Brown (Ndlovu 60) , Tonge , McGovern (Javary 69) , Jagielka , Allison (Ten Heuvel 70) , Asaba — Subs not used: Onuora , Cryan
Scorer: McGovern 40
Bookings: Brown 36
United were left ruing missed opportunities after a scrappy draw at Bramall Lane. Jon-Paul McGovern opened his Blades account five minutes before half-time, cancelling out Walsall's early advantage. After dominating the opening stages, the Blades looked to be heading in behind at the break after a defensive slip-up had let in Steve Corica to score. But just before the interval United deservedly hit back when McGovern rifled home. Walsall began brightly and tested the home defence as early as the third minute when Mark Wright fired in a powerful drive that forced Shaun Murphy to hack clear. After eight minutes, the ball broke kindly for striker Carl Asaba in the box but he blasted wide with only goalkeeper James Walker to beat. And six minutes later the same player was tormenting the Saddlers defence again when his deft chip was hooked away by Ian Roper. United were keeping possession Michael Brown pulling the strings from midfield. But just five minutes after he had a shot past the post, Shaun Murphy's defensive lapse gifted the visitors the lead. The Australian centre-back fired the ball straight into the path of countryman Corica, who raced in on goal to slot low past the advancing Paddy Kenny. And after Ben Doane had fired a vicious inswinging free-kick dangerously close, they finally levelled when McGovern hammered Robert Kozluk's cross high into the net. Asaba, relishing his new partnership with Allison, volleyed narrowly over from 18 yards. Warnock then replaced the influential Brown with Peter Ndlovu. But it was Corica who seemed most likely to find the net and only a last-ditch tackle by Shaun Murphy denied the midfielder a certain second. Desperate for the three points, Warnock withdrew Allison and McGovern, who were replaced by French striker Jean-Phillipe Javary and Dutchman Laurens Ten Heuvel. But United could not find a winner and have only 2 points from 3 games.
16th August
With Robert Page and Rob Ullathorne to miss the visit of Walsall, Rob Kozluk and Ben Doane are set for starting roles for The Blades. Kozluk is expected to replace Ullathorne at left-back with Doane coming in on the right-hand side of defence. Blades boss Neil Warnock will also check on the fitness of Steve Yates before finalising his plans. The former Tranmere man is rated 50/50 after suffering a groin injury in the midweek game against Portsmouth. Young Irishman Colin Cryan has been drafted into the squad and will make his full debut in central defence if Yates is ruled out, whilst Michael Tonge will continue in midfield, despite still being troubled by a calf problem, but he may not last the full 90 minutes. Jon-Paul McGovern, on loan from Celtic, is pressing for a starting role after doing well as a substitute against Portsmouth. Ten Heuvel is close to making a return after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season. Warnock's attacking options will receive a further boost when Paul Peschisolido regains full fitness.
LINE-UP
Kenny, Kozluk, Ullathorne (Doane 45), Yates, Murphy, Tonge (McCall 79), Jagielka, Brown, Ndlovu (McGovern 67), Asaba, Onuora. — Subs not used: Javary, Peschisolido.
Scorer: Ndlovu 12
Bookings: Tongue 78
Sheffield United were held at Bramall Lane in a entertaining game with Portsmouth. A nightmare blunder by Matt Taylor gave The Blades the edge after just 13 minutes.The defender couldn't cope with Shaun Murphy's long ball forward and tried to volley the ball clear from his own penalty area.Instead he produced hopeless miskick that dropped into the path of Peter Ndlovu who could hardly believe his luck and gratefully rifled in a low angled shot from 16 yards.Portsmouth's defence began to look increasingly fragile and they backed off as Michael Tonge galloped forward only to hit his shot straight at Hislop. It was an effortless chip by Paul Merson which got pompey back into the game , his chip was perfectly weighted over the United defence for Deon Burton who glided into the area and rounded Paddy Kenny to tap the shot into the empty net. The second half lacked the thrills and spills of the first until Michael Brown's 62nd minute curling right foot shot warranted a full stretch save from Hislop.
13th August
United have signed young Celtic winger John-Paul McGovern on a six-month loan. McGovern has trained with United and played in pre-season friendlies against Stocksbridge and Matlock. Neil Warnock believes he could prove to be a valuable addition to the squad and is keen to tie-up the deal. McGovern could solve the right-wing problem brought about by Paul Devlin's departure.
12th August
Robert Page has been ruled out of Tuesday's visit of Portsmouth after suffering an ankle injury on Saturday. Page damaged ankle ligaments in the build-up to Coventry's equalising goal and was forced to make way.The initial estimate is that Page is likely to be out for around two weeks. Steve Yates looks set to partner Shaun Murphy in central defence against Pompey. Nick Montgomery will also miss tonights match. Stuart McCall is likely to be left out of the starting line-up again as Neil Warnock was delighted with the midfield performance at Highfield Road. Rob Ullathorne is expected to shake off a slight hamstring strain in time to play.
11th August
Neil Warnock is sweating over the fitness of skipper Robert Page who went off injured in yesterday's opening game at Coventry. Page was forced to leave the field soon after Coventry's equalising goal. He was hurt in the goalmouth scramble which resulted in Jay Bothroyd scoring a controversial leveller. Warnock was forced to re-shuffle the defence, sending on Rob Kozluk to replace Page and switching Steve Yates to central defence. The extent of Page's injury is not yet known. But if he is forced to miss Tuesday night's clash with Portsmouth, Warnock looks certain to start with Yates as Shaun Murphy's central defensive partner. The Blades boss will have no fears about that as Yates is primarily a centre-back.
LINE-UP
Kenny , Murphy , Page (Kozluk 20) , Yates , Ullathorne , Brown , Jagielka , Tonge (Peschisolido 80) , Asaba , Ndlovu , Onuora (Allison 77) — Subs not used: McCall , Montgomery
Scorer: Asaba 13
Bookings: Kozluk 22, Ullathorne 33
Sheffield United lost their opening day fixture at Highfield Road today, Going down 1-2 to Coventry City. The Blades started the more lively, and an inevitable goal came after 11 minutes when Carl Asaba beat Calum Davenport to a Rob Ullathorne cross. Asaba turned neatly and picked his spot from 25 yards to stake an early claim for goal of the month and leave the Sky Blues stunned. But Coventry recovered and eqalised just three mintues later from a set piece. Jay Bothroyd at the near post and his backward header was controversially ruled to have crossed the line. United refused to lie down and winger Michael Brown in particular looked threatening twice skipping past Richard Shaw to deliver dangerous crosses. Then five mintues before the break Gary McSheffrey popped up with a goal.The winger, a 14th minute substitute for the injured Laurent Delorge, expertly controlled a wayward Robert Kozluk header knocking the ball over the stranded Shaun Murphy.As the ball dropped McSheffrey sent a fierce volleyed shot across Kenny to score for Coventry.The second half saw a much improved United side pressing for an equaliser but some excellent defending kept them at bay. Morten Hyldgaard was outstanding in the Coventry goal.
9th August
Stuart McCall, Iffy Onuora, Steve Yates and Paddy Kenny are set to make their debuts for The Blades at Coventry on Saturday. Onuora will partner Carl Asaba in attack and Yates should play at right-back. With Simon Tracey still unfit, United are forced to to choose between Kenny and Wilko de Vogt in goal. Peter Ndlovu is expected to face his old club despite being transfer-listed earlier this summer.
6th August
Neil Warnock has revealed that Paul Peschisolido and Laurens Ten Heuvel should be available for selection in a fortnight.
Peschisolido missed the end of last season with a troublesome toe injury which baffled medics, he is now set to return to action later this month. Ten Heuve suffered an ankle injury in a friendly at Bristol Rovers, forcing him to miss the rest of the pre-season programme. He will miss the opening day trip to Coventry, but should be in contention around the same time as Peschisolido. Neil Warnock also revealed Peter Ndlovu is likely to start against Coventry on Saturday despite being on the transfer list. Ndlovu was put up for sale earlier this summer as the manager looked at ways of reducing the wage bill, but he insists the striker will still be considered for first-team selection.
3rd August
United beat Linfield 5-1 in a pre-season match ahead of next weekend's opening league game away at Coventry City. Prior to the game at Belfast's Windsor Park, boss Neil Warnock admitted he was treating the match "as if it was a league game". Warnock rewarded 16-year-old starlets Kevin Hirst and Jonathan Forte for their impressive displays for the Blades' Academy side last season, by including them in the travelling party. However, the duo started the game on the bench. Also, a number of senior players were absent against the Northern Ireland outfit.