Although he cautioned the Blades about Sheffield Wednesday’s threat, former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock thinks his old team is the favorite heading into Sunday’s Steel City derby.
For the first time in more than five years, fierce rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday will square off this weekend. It should be an exciting matchup, as both teams enter the match in high spirits following victories during the week.
At Ashton Gate on Tuesday night, it appeared that United would lose to Bristol City after Anis Mehmeti’s penalty gave the Robins the lead in the 75th minute. However, Ryan One, a substitute, tied the score for the visitors in the 86th minute before Harrison Burrows won it in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal a third consecutive victory for Chris Wilder’s side.
The Blades currently sit second in the Championship table, two points clear of third-placed Leeds United, and they would be level with leaders Sunderland had they not received a two-point deduction at the start of the season.
Wednesday bounced back from their humiliating 6-2 home defeat to Watford on Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Norwich City at Hillsborough on Tuesday night, with first half goals from Josh Windass and Dominic Iorfa securing all three points for the Owls.
Danny Rohl’s men are 15th in the table, just four points from the play-off places, but such is the competitive nature of the division this season, they are also only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Neil Warnock sends Sheffield Wednesday warning to Sheffield United
Warnock admitted that United will be favourites to win Sunday’s game, but he warned that derbies can often be unpredictable, and he believes that Wednesday have the ability to hurt the Blades.
“I think United will obviously be favourites, and yet, Wednesday can beat anybody on their day,” Warnock told BBC Radio Sheffield, quoted by The Star.
“I mean, they can lose to anybody on their day as well, but they’ve got players who can beat anybody on their day. It promises to be a cracking game, really. Like I say, I think United will be favourites, but anything can happen in a derby. Whether you’re bottom of the league or top in these games, it doesn’t matter.
“It’s about who wants it more. They’ve got some good players, United. I think they made some good signings. The lad Cooper should be in the Premier League, for me, and he may well be next season. And what can you say about Barry Bannan? I thought he’d finished 10 years ago, me. He keeps getting better and better. But I used to say to my players before a derby: “This is life or death … there’s no coming back from this. Who’s in the trenches next to you?” There was no softly-softly approach.”
