A Phil Jagielka goal in the second half cancelled out West Ham's lead to secure a replay for the Blades in this FA Cup 4th Round tie. Neil Warnock made just one change to his side; Nick Montgomery replacing the suspended Alan Quinn. It was good to see Ashley Ward back on the bench for the tie, along with defender Simon Francis. Alan Pardew made four changes from last week. Stephen Bywater was recalled in goal in place of Jimmy Walker, Mark Noble replaced the injured Gavin Williams and fit again Anton Ferdinand and Teddy Sheringham returned to replace Nigel Reo-Coker and Sergei Rebrov in the starting line-up. West Ham fans are obviously losing faith in their beleaguered manager, the crowd was 10,000 down on West Ham's average and the absentees had showed good judgement on continual failures at Upton Park. The Blades support was the exact opposite with an impressive 3,000 Bladesmen and women in the ground in wet and windy conditions. Early on, striker Harewood wasted a good opportunity for the hammers, after he raced clear into the box only to drag his shot wide of the target. Then, Tomas Repka’s crossed into the path of Hayden Mullins who drilled his shot low and wide of the post. Jagielka was on top form and started to boss the show from midfield as he found Harley and then Tonge; who went on to produce an effort that just clipped the top of the crossbar. After 39 minutes West Ham went ahead. After some scrappy play in the centre of the park the ball found it way to Harwood who was on the edge of the 18 yard box, the big forward somehow managed to unleash a volley while loosing his balance. The ball few into the top right corner give Kenny no chance and West Ham a lead which they had not deserved. The Blades came out for the second half in determined fashion and we all sensed the second half was a would be different story for the Blades – and so it proved with West Ham struggling from the kick-off and the Blades dictating the game. After 57 minutes the Blades were level. After some nice play on the right the ball was eventually crossed by Andy Liddell and Jagielka rose above his marker and headed home from 6 yards. Bywater looked as though he had it saved, but the ball had crept under his body and slipped over the line. After the goal the Blades defended their leveller in a resolute fashion. Andy Gray had toiled alone up-front, but was eventually joined by the lively Jonathan Forte replacing Liddell. The Hammers were becoming more desperate, and that fact was born out by the four booking they picked up in the last half hour. Indeed, West Hams’s Mark Noble late tackle on Nick Montgomery should have resulted in a red card. This was preceded by Repka who petulantly kicked the ball away at a free-kick, and he was also joined in the referee’s book by Rebrov after he fouled Harley late-on, as the East Londoners became more desperate. In the end the Blades ran the last few minutes out and set-up a replay at Bramall Lane in a fortnight.
Ashley Ward is expected to be named among The Blades substitutes for Tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Upton Park. Midfielder Alan Quinn is suspended, while striker Paul Shaw is struggling with a knee injury picked up in training. West Ham's Bobby Zamora and Anton Ferdinand are available for selection after recovering from ankle injuries. Gavin Williams misses out, joining senior players Don Hutchison, Steve Lomas, Christian Dailly and Matty Etherington on the injured list. Striker Teddy Sheringham who missed the recent League meeting between the two sides; is expected to play some part.
United say Hao Haidong will arrive at Bramall Lane in February after the Chinese international was given the green light to join the Blades. Hao's received international clearance on Friday. The 34-year-old will combine playing with coaching duties. His decision to leave current club Dalian Shide was partly due to China's shock exit from the Asian 2006 World Cup qualifiers last November.
Neil Warnock says his side are capable of joining Championship leaders Ipswich Town in the Premiership next season. The Tractor Boys visit the Lane on 5th February and the Blades boss believes United can win automatic promotion with their opponents this season. He commented: "Ipswich have done very well this season and deserve to be top of the league, I think they are now favourites to win the title. Hopefully we can join them by winning promotion and ensure that this game next year is in the Premiership. Both teams like to get the ball down and play football, so I'm sure the fans are in for a treat". United expect their biggest crowd of the season when Ipswich visit next week.
The Blades have had a second bid for Stoke City’s Ade Akinbiyi turned down. Wigan Athletic have also tabled a similar amount for the striker. United have been looking to boost their attacking options and Akinbiyi - who is not being offered a new contract by the Potters at this time - is a primary target for the Blades.
The Blades produced a battling second half performance but it was not enough as they went down 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland striker Marcus Stewart scored the only goal of the game in a hard fought contest. Although the Blades fought back in the second period, they struggled to create clear opportunities early on, with Andy Gray looking isolated as the lone striker up-front. The difference today between these two promotion hopefuls was their attacking power. While Gray gamely toiled for the Blades, Stephen Elliott and Stewart were combining to great effect for Sunderland. The first real chance of the match fell to Elliott who raced onto Stewart’s flick following Blades clearance from a corner. The striker tried to chip goalkeeper Paddy Kenny form 20 yards, but the ball cannoned back off the crossbar and Danny Cullip instantly cleared the danger. The Sunderland front pair combined well, and they had a great chance with an unusual opportunity after 25 minutes. The referee penalised Blades defender Leigh Bromby for obstruction in the penalty area after Dean Whitehead's probing run. The resulting free-kick was taken one yard from the goal-line with Blades players forming a wall on the goal-line. Julio Arca’s shot was inevitably blocked by Kenny, although it had been a worrying moment. United were finding real goal chances difficult to create and Sunderland continued to make the running when Stewart found Elliott again, and his left foot shot was stopped by Kenny at the second attempt. Michael Tonge had a effort saved by Sunderland keeper Thomas Myhre before the Black Cats took control of the game. With just two minutes left before half-time, Elliott crossed from the left and Stewart volleyed home from 18 yards to give Sunderland the lead. For United; something needed to be changed. The Blades were getting the possession but not creating any clear cut chances. Gray had done his best but was being swamped by the Sunderland defenders. Neil Warnock responded by bringing on striker Danny Cadamarteri for Andy Liddell. And three minutes into the second half; Gray's turn and shot flashed wide with Myhre stranded, and it was now clear it was going to be a different game. United started to look dangerous, with Gray unlucky to see his firm downward header from a corner unfortunately blocked by team-mate Cadamarteri after 63 minutes. Jonathan Forte was brought on for Alan Quinn as the Blades looked for the leveller, he responded immediately by going on an exciting run on the left before miss-hitting his cross when in a good position. Forte was then denied by Myhre after riding two challenges and firing a shot towards the top corner. Warnock's last gamble was throwing on striker Paul Shaw for defender Danny Cullip. But it was Sunderland who should have added another after 80 minutes, Dean Whitehead crossed and Chris Brown placed centrally and completely unmarked in front of goal, but Kenny somehow produced a magnificent double save, pushing the ball round his right post and keeping the deficit at one. After 84 minutes, Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy replaced scorer Stewart with Michael Bridges. Moments later, Chris Morgan beat Myhre to Derek Geary's cross but the Blades defender's header looped over the bar. Then, Tonge made a run but he was blocked by Danny Colins and at the end Jagielka’s shot was blocked by Myhre. United had deserved something from the game after a good second half performance, but it was not to be. United clearly need a quality goal poacher - perhaps similar to Marcus Stewart, who can run and really worry defenders and consistently score goals. Still, today it was had been a battling performance without the desired result, which leaves United in 5th place in the Championship.
Derek Geary is expected to fill the gap at left back for the Blades, after Alan Wright was ruled out for the rest of the season with injury. Danny Cadamarteri, Nick Montgomery, Simon Francis and Paul Shaw had a reserve outing midweek and may play some part. Sunderland midfielder Liam Lawrence is out with an ankle injury so Matt Piper could be handed a start. Julio Arca, Mart Poom, Michael Ingham and Gary Breen should be fit to play but Colin Healy (leg) and Kevin Kyle (hip) are out.
Stoke City have rejected a bid by the Blades for Ade Akinbiyi. The Potters stirker, who moved to the Britannia Stadium from Crystal Palace in 2003, has scored seven goals for his team this season.
Ashley Ward made a second half appearance for the reserves yesterday, as he edged nearer to full fitness. The Blades striker has been out of action for four months due to a knee injury but came off the bench to score the winner for the Blades. Ward replaced Jonathan Forte at half time in a strong reserve team line-up which included Paul Shaw and Danny Cadamateri in attack as United’s reserves beat Bradford reserves 2-1 in the Reserves League Cup. After the match Ward commented: "I enjoyed it - it was great being back on the pitch and getting a goal, the knee has felt great for about a month and after a lot of running, weights and rehabilitation we measured it and found it is even stronger than the other one. It would have been easy to call it a day, but I would have missed it and have worked harder to get back than at any time in my career."
Liverpool striker Neil Mellor has brushed off speculation linking him with a move to Bramall Lane, insisting he wants to fight for his place with the Mersyside club. The Sheffield-born youngster has made the most of opportunities presented to him by the injuries to Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros. But Mellor has found chances harder to come by this year and following a bout of tonsilitis and the arrival of Fernando Morientes, he was not even on the bench last weekend. The Blades are known to be keen on the 22-year-old but Mellor has vowed that he is staying put at Anfield. He commented: "I don't want to leave. The first I heard of interest from Sheffield United was when I saw it on Sky but I won't be going there. I know my form hasn't been good since my illness, but I know that and I am the first person to say when I'm not playing well. I'm not even thinking of leaving. This has been a brilliant season for me so far getting into the Liverpool first team. I want to stay and keep improving and show the manager I can do a job when I get the chance."
The Blades were brought crashing back down to earth as Brighton stunned a packed Bramall Lane with a last minute winner. Striker Leon Knight struck in stoppage time to earn the Seagulls a shock victory in what was United’s worst home display of the season. The Blades dominated the match from start to finish, but poor defending and a lacklustre attacking prowess eventually backfired on Neil Warnock's men. Brighton on the other hand; came to the Lane and put an imaginary brick wall in front of their goal – consisting of 10 defenders – and it worked. The Blades looked to have earned a point courtesy of an own-goal from Kerry Mayo on 60 minutes after Richard Carpenter had fired Mark McGhee's men ahead on the stroke of half time. United could have taken the lead inside three minutes when Andy Gray beat Paul Reid before setting-up Andy Liddell. But he sliced his shot and Leigh Bromby could only hit the side-netting as he charged on to the loose ball. Phil Jagielka headed wide before Michael Tonge's low drive was just off target. Chris Morgan was the next culprit, scuffing his shot from close range as Albion rode their luck. The afternoon went from bad to worse for the Blades on half time when an attacking free kick broke down to leave them exposed at the back. Gary Hart broke through Jagielka's tackle and with the Blades defence still trying to get back from the Brighton half; Leon Knight squared for the unmarked Carpenter to finish. The half-time break failed to halt Uniteds' frustrations as Tonge wasted a strong run by firing over the crossbar. Gray looked isolated in attack as the Blades five man midfield looked a shadow of the team that beat Villa last week. Eventually Danny Cadermateri was introduced to the proceedings, but it was to no avail as Brighton continued to defend resolutely. Guy Butters blocked Jon Harley's goal-bound free kick but the Blades luck was about to change. Alan Quinn's strong run caused panic in the Seagulls defence and when Adam Virgo diverted the ball towards his own goal Mayo went one better by lifting it over keeper Michael Kuipers into his goal in front of the Shoreham Kop. Moments later, Gray should have put United in front but headed Liddell's corner wide. And with Blades fans reluctantly accepting the match would end in a draw; Knight charged on to Reid's through ball and beat Paddy Kenny with a cool finish to leave no way back for United
Blades defender Chris Morgan is likely to return to the starting eleven after a suspension. Derek Geary has been suffering with a thigh problem and is the only doubt. Simon Francis, Paul Thirlwell, Nick Montgomery, Jonathan Forte, Paul Shaw and Danny Cadamateri are all in contention for a starting role. Brighton will probably stick with the 3-5-2 formation they used against Tottenham last week in the FA Cup and boss Mark McGhee should name an unchanged side from that game.
Neil Warnock has says he is not actively looking to sign striker Rob Hulse. Although he admitted, he has made an enquiry about his availability. The Blades boss contacted Albion earlier this season after money was made available to sign a new striker. Reports have since linked Hulse with the Blades, but Warnock commented: "I was spotted at a reserve-team game and some people appear to have put two and two together and come up with five. The situation is this. Several months ago I asked about Rob and Scott and was told by West Brom they would cost between £750,000 and £1m each. That was where it ended because that was out of our range. I left it there and I've not spoken to anyone about them since."
The Blades are on the trail of West Brom's out-of-favour striker Rob Hulse. The Baggies marksman has struggled to establish himself at The Hawthorns since Bryan Robson replaced Gary Megson as manager. Hulse has yet to start under Robson's tenure and has only made seven appearances for The Baggies this season. His plight has caught the attention of Blades boss Neil Warnock, who is rumoured to have made an offer for Hulse.
The Blades swept aside Aston Villa with two second-half goals in the space of a minute from Andy Liddell. Manager Neil Warnock was about to substitute his attacking midfielder when Liddell made it 2-1 in the 82nd minute then rifled home a second just one minute later in a pulsating tie at Bramall Lane. The Blades were forced to make one change to the starting eleven; Alan Wright replacing the suspended Chris Morgan in defence. Andy Gray was the lone striker for United as Warnock employed a more cautious approach with a deeper formation. In a gale force winds, it was United who produced the better football in the first half, when their five-man midfield dominated proceedings. Liddell, Alan Quinn, Michael Tonge and Jon Harley were prominent and their passing movements repeatedly drove a wedge through the Villa defence and delivered a hatful of good chances. Gray might have given United an early lead when Liddell threaded the ball through to him, but he shot straight at Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen. Then, as the Blades launched a series of attacks, Sorensen pulled off a further two excellent saves. Liddell and Quinn worked the short corner before the latter crossed for Phil Jagielka, who out jumped defender Olof Mellberg and powered in a header which Sorensen saved one-handed. Three minutes later, the busy Villa keeper was in action again, this time diving to his right to save a shot by Quinn on the line. Villas' front players comprising of Jaun Pablo Angel and Carlton Cole were not having their own way. Indeed, Angel was a spectator for most of the match. The main threat was Carlton Cole who hit a shot over the bar, as he bustled his way around the pitch. Cole then hit a volley straight at Blades keeper Paddy Kenny. But those efforts apart, Villa could count themselves lucky to be in the game at half-time. Those missed chances by United threatened to look costly when Villa came out for the second half and took the lead within two minutes. Lee Hendrie, who had barely been seen in the first half, clipped the ball forward to Gareth Barry and he outpaced Leigh Bromby before beating Kenny with a volley from the edge of the area that flew over the keeper's head. That setback had the Blades at sixes and sevens for several minutes, but they drew level in the 55th minute with a scrappy goal. Harley worked a short corner with Liddell on the right before sweeping the ball across the face of the Villa goal. Mark Delaney missed his kick and Danny Cullip got a foot to the ball to poke it past Sorensen. That was all the lift the Blades Fans needed as they cheered United forward for the second. With eight minutes to go, Liddell transformed the match with the first of his two goals. Nick Montgomery knocked the ball forward and Quinn headed it on to Liddell, who raced on and beat Sorensen in some style. When Liddell received the ball he was several yards offside, but the Linesman missed it completely. So, unfortunate for Villa and worse was to follow a minute later. Liddell got his second and United's third with a first-time shot that Sorensen allowed to squirm beneath him. From that moment there was no way back for Villa. The Shoreham Street Kop sang the songs for all the TV viewers to hear, and at the end many fans were left wondering which had been the Premiership side! Just one disappointment on a memorable day for Unitedites was the Attendance - only 14,003. But still, those of us who were there can remember another great cup match at the Lane. One thing is for sure - No Premiership side is going to want to visit Bramall Lane in the Cup!
The Blades will make one forced change to the squad to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup at Bramall Lane tomorrow. Chris Morgan is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card against Wigan Athletic on New Years Day. Villa have Olof Mellberg back from suspension. England Under-21 striker Carlton Cole is available for a recall after he missed the last two games with thigh strain. Thomas Hitzlsperger is likely to miss the tie; he also has a thigh strain which has kept his out of the last seven games. Darius Vassell and central defender Martin Laursen remain long-term casualties.
Preston North End have signed Blades defender Rob Kozluk in a one-month loan deal. North End are short of defensive cover at present, but have drafted in the 27-year-old in time for Saturday's FA Cup third round tie against West Brom. North End Manager Billy Davies said Kozluk's versatility was a huge bonus, with the player able to play at left-back or right-back. "He's a top-quality footballer who has been a mainstay for the Blades for a long time,"
Neil Warnock reckons his side's 2-0 win over West Ham at Upton Park was one of the finest he has seen in his managerial career. A Tomas Repka own goal just before half-time and a Leigh Bromby strike secured maximum points for the Blades against The Hammers. The Blades boss was delighted with every facet of his side's performance, and said: "I think it's as good a performance as I've seen from one of my teams since I became a manager. West Ham beat Ipswich on Saturday and we had a disaster against Wigan, and then we had to play here in front of nearly 30,000 people. A lot of people expected us to be lambs to the slaughter, but I thought it worked the other way."
The Blades bounced back from their New Year's Day home defeat to Wigan Athletic with a fine 2-0 win at West Ham United. A Tomas Repka own-goal and a second half strike from Leigh Bromby secured the Blades first win at Upton Park for more than 30 years. Neil Warnock opted to play five in defense with Andy Gray as a lone striker, an away match system that has gleaned them significantly better results than at Bramall Lane. It had the desired effect early on with Gray's ruggedness causing problems in tandem with Michael Tonge and Jon Harley's trickery. Paddy Kenny was also back in goal replacing Ian Bennett. West Ham boss Alan Pardew named the same team that earned a victory at leaders Ipswich Town last week. An uninspiring first half saw both sides struggle to get in behind each other's backlines, with West Ham – who had build up a reputation of passing football - looking particularly woeful with their forward passing in key attacking areas. The Blades on the other hand, were not at Upton Park to make pretty passing patterns; this was a match were the points were more important than the display. The Blades had the better chances of the half, with Tonge shooting wide after Harley dispossessed Hayden Mullins in the Hammers' box before Andy Liddell volleyed over the bar after Malky Mackay failed to clear Danny Cullip's free kick. After 40 minutes, the Blades made the breakthrough courtesy of Derek Geary's perseverance. He muscled his way beyond Chris Powell and slid a low pass across the penalty area where Hammers' defender Tomas Repka stretched a leg and diverted the ball past goalkeeper Stephen Bywater. The second half saw Sergei Rebrov and Luke Chadwick come on for Bobby Zamora and Matthew Etherington for West Ham, but the change did little to turn around the Londoners fortunes. On the contrary, the Blades continued to dominate and extended their lead on the hour mark, as Liddell's free kick from the right was not properly cleared by West Ham and Bromby struck a sublime volley from the edge of the penalty box past keeper Bywater to make it 2-0. With a two-goal lead the Blades dropped deep and invited West Ham to attack, but the (not so happy) Hammers were unable to find a way back into the match with their possession. Striker Rebrov was unable to test goalkeeper Kenny with a right footed shot, and in the final moments of the match, Bromby blocked Chadwick's close-range effort on the line and for the home fans the afternoons frustration was only exacerbated. In the end, it was a deserved win for the Blades, while West Ham received jeers from their own supporters after a lackluster home performance. But take nothing away from Warnock’s men; it had been a steely determined performance which has put the Blades back in 5th position in the Championship.
The Blades were brought back down to earth today as promotion favorites Wigan Athletic beat United 2-0 at the Lane. Neil Warnock's men had been boasting a nine-match unbeaten run and faced a Wigan side who had lost their previous three games prior to today, but the Blades were unable to avenge the 4-0 defeat suffered at the JJB Stadium in September. Wigan started in the ascendancy and they took the lead after just seven minutes. Jimmy Bullard's outswinging corner found Lee McCulloch and his first-time volley flew past Blades goalkeeper Ian Bennett. The Blades were stung into action by that setback and attempted to hit back immediately with Nicky Eaden clearing Andy Liddell's dangerous free-kick and then Alan Quinn sending a 20-yard shot over the Wigan crossbar. But it was the Latics who went agonisingly close to doubling their advantage after a quarter of an hour when defender Leighton Baines rattled the woodwork with a left-foot shot from 20 yards out. As Wigan continued to push forward, Bennett saved well from Nathan 'The Duke' Ellington after 18 minutes and then denied McCulloch just moments later. The Blades were struggling to carve out clear-cut chances and when Chris Morgan did get sight of goal midway through the first half his fiercely-struck shot was blocked by defender Ian Breckin. Striker Danny Cadamarteri was on target with a 20-yard effort 10 minutes before the interval, but Wigan goalkeeper John Filan parried it before Liddell sent his shot over the crossbar. Wigan started the second half as strongly as they had the first half and United were indebted to Bennett as he blocked a close-range shot from Jason Roberts after 49 minutes. The Blades continued to be thwarted in their efforts to get back on terms and Phil Jagielka crashed another long-range shot wide on the hour. Wigan were winning the game in every department at this stage and continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges with Ellington sending a header just over from a Roberts corner three minutes later and the same player put the game beyond the Blades reach after 72 minutes. Flynn's corner found Ellington who made no mistake with a close-range header to double the Latics advantage. The Blades never threatened to make a comeback after the second goal. Paul Shaw – who had replaced Cadamarteri - sent a long-range effort over and then failed to make proper contact with the ball after being set up by Michael Tonge. Wigan were probably the best team to visit the Lane this season and it was an eye opening afternoon for Blades fans and now we face a tough game with West Ham at Upton Park on Monday.