Sheffield United (A) 2:00pm Sunday 21st January 2024 (9:00am East Coast USA)
Well nychammer's impressive run was brought to an abrupt end by Bristol City so keeping with the East Coast USA theme let's see if Miami can bring some heat and start another unbeaten run!
It's bottom club versus top 6 (at least for now)!
We have won our past 11 Premier League games against the side starting the day bottom of the table, including a 2-0 win over Sheffield United in the reverse fixture in September. However, both our team and supporters seem low on confidence and it's difficult to see where our goals are going to come from. On the other hand, Oli McBurnie is in form and has scored in each of his past three home Premier League appearances for Sheffield United, even though he has ended up on the losing side in each of those games.
The pressure is going to be on Sheff Utd to start getting points and maybe they'll be emboldened by our very weak showing on Tuesday and go all out for it which might work in our favour.
At this point we might just need to get through the next 2-3 games until we can get some of our first team back. I think Moyes is out of options and we're going to park the bus, so the best I can hope for is a 0-0 draw.
It's bottom club versus top 6 (at least for now)!
We have won our past 11 Premier League games against the side starting the day bottom of the table, including a 2-0 win over Sheffield United in the reverse fixture in September. However, both our team and supporters seem low on confidence and it's difficult to see where our goals are going to come from. On the other hand, Oli McBurnie is in form and has scored in each of his past three home Premier League appearances for Sheffield United, even though he has ended up on the losing side in each of those games.
The pressure is going to be on Sheff Utd to start getting points and maybe they'll be emboldened by our very weak showing on Tuesday and go all out for it which might work in our favour.
At this point we might just need to get through the next 2-3 games until we can get some of our first team back. I think Moyes is out of options and we're going to park the bus, so the best I can hope for is a 0-0 draw.
Comments
15 goals in 20 games is even worse when you notice that three of those were own goals, Joint top scorers are Cameron Archer and Ollie McBurnie with 3 a piece, They've just signed Ben Brereton Díaz on loan from Villarreal
They also have the 2nd worst home record W2 D1 L7, only beaten by Burnley W1 D1 L9 although Burnley's sole home win was the 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield Utd that got Heckinbottom sacked.
What they do excel at is collecting yellow cards, 61 so far, second only to Chelsea and that hasn't improved under Wilder, five players were booked in the 2-3 home loss to Luton although they'll struggle to match the seven yellow cards they got against Spurs in September (McBurnie got two of those)
The referee will be Michael Salisbury, he's been the ref for our games three times, all last year, lost away to Man Utd in the Cup March, beat Forest at home November and beat Spurs away December.
I think he's going to have a busy afternoon...
“Jarrod’s doing better,” said Moyes, 60. “Whether he’ll be fit and available at the weekend, we’ll have to wait and see, but he’s certainly improving."
“It’s a similar story with Edson and Pablo. We’ll need to make late calls on all three of them and see if they’re okay to travel, and that’s what we’ll do.”
https://www.whufc.com/news/team-news-moyes-updates-west-ham-trio-ahead-sheffield-united-trip
I'm still not sure why Alvarez and Fornals missed the FA Cup replay, but if none of the 3 are fit to start we're really in trouble.
Best case scenario:
Areola
Coufal Mavropanos Zouma Emerson
Soucek Alvarez JWP
Fornals Bowen Cornet
Worst case scenario:
Areola
Mavropanos Zouma Ogbonna/Cresswell
Coufal Soucek JWP Emerson
Mubama Ings Cornet
We really are down to bare bones in the latter case.
I wouldn't want to play poker with Moyes
Sheffield will be missing LB Yasser Larouci and CM Anis Slimane, both at ACON but otherwise there aren't any noticeable absences from the players that have started the six games under Wilder
Best guess
Foderingham
Bogle Ahmedhodzic Robinson Trusty
McAtee Souza Hamer Brooks
Archer McBurnie
With Ben Brereton Diaz on the bench, got 18 minutes in the Cup against Gillingham and hardly played since the beginning of December with Villarreal
Johnson - Zouma - Mavropanos - Emerson
Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
Fornals
Bowen - Cornet
Looks like the best we will have. Possibly Ings for Bowen if he is not fit with Cornet on the right.
Not that we have many other options, we are so light up top
Really don't wanna see Ings buy I don't see who else it could be, we don't gave many options and Moyes won't start Mubama or Marshall
Areola
Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Cresswell
Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
Cornet - Bowen - Emerson
Areola
Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
Cornet - Soucek - Ward-Prowse - Fornals
Bowen - Ings
Or
Areola
Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
Soucek - Ward-Prowse
Bowen - Fornals - Cornet
Ings
Osala and Brereton-Diaz start, Archer and McBurnie on the bench
We're down to bare bones, bench is full of OAPs and kids (Johnson aside):
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Johnson, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Casey, Mubama, Marshall, Scarles, Orford
Suddenly Kalvin Phillips on loan seems like an excellent idea!
Would love to see a good performance from Cornet, more chance of that if he's on the left than the right imo.
Luckily Sheffield Utd are not very good.