Pre-Match View From Brighton

“The Blades have had a cracking season back in the top flight. They are not invincible and have lost at Bramall Lane to Man City, Newcastle, Liverpool, Southampton & Leicester.
This will be our first top flight match at Bramall Lane. Head to head we have won 9, drawn 6 & lost 13 times. We last won in Sheffield in 2005 back in the Championship with a 2-1 win. Goals by Richard Carpenter & Leon Knight with Kerry Mayo scoring an own goal !”

“They are not as invincible at home as they are away.
Newcastle 0-2 (27% possession ) and Southampton 0-1 (52% possession) have both beaten them using very different tactics so there is more than one way to blunt a blade.”

“I thought Potter showed great naivety in the home game v Sheff Utd. Everyone knows their physical MO but for some reason he sent out a formation that was easily overwhelmed in midfield – Wilder’s very well drilled journeymen playing to 110% of their ability made us look the load of soft Southern jessies (that we mostly are). Very curious for Potter as a coach with a reputation for selecting teams/formations to suit each game.
So I see this as a one off game requiring a specific line-up and would play our big guys at the back, together with a combative midfield – with Alzate and Bernardo who can defend and also bomb forward.
Sheff Utd will offer a very physical, direct, pressing game. We didn’t deal with Decoure running directly at 4-5 Albion players yesterday so we also need to show more grit and stand up to their physicality or we could get overwhelmed.”

“Feeling strangely optomistic about this one, SU not so strong at home, BHA time to re group, new player not sure r of score yet but a win on the cards”

“Feel so positive about this”

“Got a good feeling about this. Sheff Utd playing far too well, credit to them. Hopefully they will have an off day.”

“we’re due to give someone a beating.”

“Sheffield Utd are gash in reality, If we could score goals from more positions we would have been up there to. Unfortunately for us we can’t score and the club did nothing to rectify it in January.”

“Genius analysis mate. We’ve scored 31 this season…….sheff utd have scored ………28 !!”

“Sheffield Utd really aren’t gash. They’re very good, aided and abetted by extraordinary levels of hard work and positivity.”

“We’re one of the draw specialists in the League as are Sheffield, so I’m going for an optmistic 1-1. If the game’s on that is.”

“Didn’t think sheff looked that great against Bournemouth. If we work hard we can get a point”

“Sheff Utd were the better team by far”

“Very impressed with Sheffield Utd and hope they make it into the top 6, obviously without the need of beating us, they work so hard all over the pitch they press high but always leave a sweeper type player very deep and they are very narrow, we failed to exploit the space on the wing last time we played them so hopefully we will have learned the lesson and put in a shift.”

“Not confident we can get anything at Sheff Utd. They will out power us.”

“I fear we’re doomed playing against them.”

“We need a result much more than they do and hopefully we can upset the odds and scrape a draw. We will get nothing from them though unless we are disciplined (this is not West Ham we are playing). Try and keep it tight and safe for an hour and then go for it. Curtains if they lead.”

“Want 3 points from the next two matches. I don’t expect anything from this match. “

“I think a point would be something we all would be glad to achieve against a club like SUFC although the Albion desperately need a win and all three points. How did the Albion get in this situation after hiring a brilliant manager such as GraPott?”

“It’s impossible to predict when we can’t even guess more than 5 of the starting line up . . . . we won’t keep a clean sheet so there’s 1 for Shef Utd . . . . but we may score more”

“MOTM Sander Berge, runs the game …. post match NSC questions as to why the hell we didn’t sign him.”

“Wouldn’t it be great to have someone on our books who can whip in a cross like Oliver Norwood. Oh…”

“That’s harsh. I think many agreed and will agree that he wasn’t good enough for the prem at that time. Glad he’s done well but hindsight because he’s in a team who’s had a good season isn’t for me. Still wouldn’t be bowled over with signing him now. Stephens and Kayla were much better than him then.”

” just seen Sheffield United fixtures remaining. They can very easily take fourth. Next 3 are us, Norwich and Newcastle. Would have been villa in that too but they’re still in the cup and almost guaranteed a quarter final spot.”

“Let’s hope Sheff Utd get a bit carried away with thinking of this, and lose a little focus for the next game.”

“I can see Sheff Utd stumbling a bit to get enough goals to maintain 5th.”

“I reckon Sheffield United have a great chance of reaching 4th place. They have a great team spirit and huge amounts of energy.
Do I want them in the Champions League? I don’t think so, it would be embarrassing.”

“I think Spurs will finish 5th, Everton 6th and Sheffield United around 9th or 10th”

“I’d like Sheff U to break into the top 4. The football establishment needs constant reminding that football exists outside of the “Top” 6.
Caveat: after they’ve been derailed by a “sensational” Albion performance at Bramall Lane”