The performance vs. Hull was better but can the Rams take the positives on the road and points from the Blades? Everyone needs a pick-me-up and a trip to a team who sit second from bottom will be just the remedy.

Saturday 26th February 2011 

Bramall Lane - Sheffield

P 50 W 12 D 9 L 29 F 59 A 87

Last game at Bramall Lane.

Sat 06 Feb 2010 - Sheff. Utd.    1 - 1    Derby County; Savage

Current Form:

Sheffield United - 23/24 P 33 W 7 D 8 L 18 F 30 A 53

Leading scorers: Evans (9)

Derby - 19/24  Derby P 32 W 10 D 6 L 16 F 41 A 45

Leading scorers:  Bueno (4), Cywka (4)

The Rams

I honestly don't think I've ever cared less about the Rams.

I've seen us play badly before. If you indulge me, my memory goes back as far as 1969 with all things Rams. I've seen the glory years. I also saw the early 80's slump when we had some of the worst players ever to wear the Derby shirt.

13,000 at the Baseball Ground and down to the third division. Things were bad but the fans never lost hope and - more importantly - still seemed to have a good time.

Now - well now we're owned by corporate America, it seems we have to do everything as cheap as possible. Like American industry we have to be lean and have as few players to do as much work possible.

We're now in a relegation struggle with injured players, dispirited players and loan players who really don't care about the club.

Our only hope is that there are three worse teams than us. This weekends opponents being one of them.

Should we sack Clough?

Should we tough it out?

Who cares - I think I probably won’t renew next season.

That's my hard-headed business decision seeing as hard-headed businessmen now run the club.

Possible Line-Up:

Fielding 

Brayford Barker Ayala Pearson 

Savage Addison 

B.Davies Cywka Green 

Robinson

SUBS - Severn S. Davies Porter Bueno Pringle Leacock Doyle

Current Rams Squad:

No.    Position    Player

1    Keeper        Stephen Bywater

2    Defender    John Brayford

3    Defender    Gareth Roberts

4    Midfield    Paul Green

5    Defender    Shaun Barker (vice-captain)

6    Defender    Dean Leacock

7    Striker        Steve Davies

8    Midfield    Robbie Savage (club captain)

10    Striker        Jamie Ward (on loan from Sheffield United)

11    Midfield    Stephen Pearson

12    Striker        Chris Porter

13    Keeper        Saul Deeney

14    Defender    Russell Anderson

16    Midfield    James Bailey

17    Defender    Jake Buxton

18    Midfield    Ben Pringle

19    Striker        Tomasz Cywka

20    Defender    Miles Addison

21    Defender    Daniel Ayala (on loan from Liverpool)

23    Striker        Conor Doyle

24    Midfield    Arnaud Mendy

25    Defender    Mark O'Brien

26    Striker        Callum Ball

27    Striker        Alberto Bueno (on loan from Real Valladolid)

28    Midfield    Ben Davies

29    Midfield    Jeff Hendrick

34    Keeper        Frank Fielding

--     Striker      Michael Boulding

The Blades

A stark warning for the Blades players from Mickey Adams;

"Do they want to be playing in a lower division next year?"

"Some might think that, because they are under contract, my coming in will not affect them. But if someone is not pulling his weight he will be told."

Adams has not won once in the ten games he's been in charge and they managed to lose a two goal lead to Scunthorpe who they needed to beat.

They also had Shane Lowry sent off. Hard times for the Blades faithful. They've had four mangers this season already and what price a fifth?

The Blades are a team dripping with loanees - see the parallels with the Rams? They got rid of their manager however but this has not really reversed their fortunes.

Adams is scathing of the players. In A BBC Radio Sheffield interview he said;

"Some of these players have got to take responsibility, because they have been here since day one of the season, I'm the fourth manager this season, and from day one it has not been good."

"The fans were singing 'you're not fit to wear the shirt', I cannot disagree with them."

Current Blades Squad

No.    Position    Player

1    Keeper        Steve Simonsen

2    Defender    Stephen Jordan

3    Defender    Nyron Nosworthy (on loan from Sunderland)

4    Midfield    Nick Montgomery

5    Defender    Chris Morgan (captain)

6    Midfield    Johannes Ertl

7    Striker        Darius Henderson

8    Midfield    Michael Doyle

9    Striker        Ched Evans

10    Striker        Daniel Bogdanovic

11    Midfield    Mark Yeates

12    Defender    Jean Calvé (on loan from Nancy)

13    Keeper        Mihkel Aksalu

14    Midfield    Lee Williamson

15    Midfield    Ryan France

16    Defender    Andy Taylor

17    Striker        Richard Cresswell

19    Striker        Sam Vokes (on loan from Wolves)

20    Defender    Joe Mattock (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)

21    Defender    Shane Lowry (on loan from Aston Villa)

22    Defender    Rob Kozluk

23    Defender    Neill Collins

24    Midfield    David McAllister

25    Keeper        George Long

27    Striker        Danny Philliskirk (on loan from Chelsea)

28    Midfield    Stephen Quinn

29    Keeper        Richard Wright

30    Midfield    Kingsley James

31    Striker        Jordan Chapell

32    Defender    Phil Roe

33    Defender    Elian Parrino (on loan from Estudiantes)

34    Defender    Matthew Lowton

35    Striker        Jordan Slew

36    Midfield    Matthew Harriott

37    Striker        Marcus Bent (on loan from Birmingham City)

38    Midfield    Bjørn Helge Riise (on loan from Fulham)

39    Keeper        Paul Crichton

—    Midfield    Seamus Conneely

—    Midfield    András Gárdos

—    Midfield    Kristoffer Løkberg

—    Midfield    Erik Tønne

—    Defender    Marc Warren

What the bookies think

The Blades are 6/4 favourites and we are 19/10. Given the form book that's about right. The draw is at 11/5 which is higher than I would expect for a nailed on draw like this.

Daniel Bogdonavice & Ched Evans are at 11/2 for first scorer while Steve Davies and Chris Porter are at 6/1. Our current strike force doesn't seem to have registered with William Hill yet.

Information for travelling fans

Driving

It's a short hop up the M1 to Sheffield or more sensibly, take the train. Take the M1 to J33 and follow the A630 into Sheffield. Follow the A621 signs for Bakewell and the ground is just outside the City centre.

Parking

A better bet is to go to J34 and park at Meadowhall and get the Tram. It takes about 20 minutes each way and you avoid most of the traffic problems getting in and out of Sheffield. Otherwise take your chances with street parking or park in the centre of Sheffield. 

Drinking

Apparently the pubs around the ground are home fans only these days. I've always found the Blunts to be better behaved than their Wednesday neighbours and have never had a problem at Bramall lane.

footballgroundguide.com recommends the Earl on Queens Road or the Bridge 3/4 of a mile past the away end. Unlike Hillsbrough, you can get a drink in the ground.

Mick's prediction

I can't see where our goals are coming from. I can still see us messing up and conceding. Something dramatic needs to happen to stop the club sleep-walking and self denying its way onto League one. I just don't know what it is.

Sheffield United 2-0 Rams

Photo: Action Images

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