[themaclad]

Sheffield United
Bramall Lane 8/3/2025 1500hrs

https://www.sufc.co.uk/

MANAGER



FORM GUIDE

BLADES 16 PNE 8

LAST TIME OUT





HOT BLUNTS



SHEFFIELD ATTRACTIONS



The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, also known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was created in 1914. Sheffield Cathedral is one of five Grade I listed buildings in the city,[1] along with the Town Hall, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and the parish churches at Ecclesfield and Bradfield.

The cathedral is located on Church Street in the city centre, close to the head of Fargate. Construction of the earliest section of the cathedral dates back to c. 1200, with the newest construction completed in 1966; the building is an unusual mixture of medieval and modern architecture. Cathedral tram stop, located outside the front churchyard, opened in 1994 and is today served by all four lines of the Sheffield Supertram network. Most recently, the cathedral underwent an interior and exterior refurbishment in 2013–2014.

Sheffield Cathedral was damaged in a fire on 14 May 2020, an investigation into which is ongoing; a 40-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with arson. The fire destroyed a portion of the cathedral used by a homelessness charity.[2] A previous fire caused damage to the cathedral belltower in 1979.

OTHER CHAMPO STUFF



The Fitness Test
Paul Heckingbottom will provide an update on team news in his pre-match press conference.

The Blades

Sheffield United are on track for an instant return to the Premier League, occupying second spot in the table following their relegation from the top flight last term.

With Chris Wilder at the helm, they have a manager with experience of promotion out of the Championship, and that came with the side from South Yorkshire back in 2019.

Their second tier campaign began with a 2-0 victory at Deepdale on the opening night of the season, and they’ve strengthened since then, bringing in the likes of Ben Brereton Diaz and former North End loanee Tom Cannon in January.

The Officials

Referee: John Busby
Assistant Referees: Mark Russell and Hristo Karaivanov
Fourth Official: Ross Joyce

John Busby will referee his fourth PNE match of the season on Saturday, having previously taken charge of the Portsmouth away fixture and home clashes against Leeds United and Middlesbrough.

So far this season, Busby has shown 73 yellow cards and two reds in 24 matches.

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Paul Heckingbottom wants his side to do all they can to make sure this is the most exciting time of the season.

There’s now only 11 matches left of the Sky Bet Championship campaign and North End currently sit 15th in the table ahead of a trip to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United.

As far as the manager is concerned, the goal for the remainder of the season is clear.



Hecky said: “Winning as many as possible. We put pressure on ourselves to do that.

“There’s obviously big excitement still around the cup and big opportunities with the games that we're playing. This should be the most exciting time of the season. It should be.

“I've been lucky enough to have that all of the time when I've managed. I want to make sure that we can keep that and maintain that.

“This should be the time of the season where each game feels bigger and bigger towards the end.”

The gaffer will want as many of his players available between now and the end of the season, however the physio department have been kept busy in the past few weeks.


Ali McCann, Mads Frøkjær and Stefán Thórdarson are all likely to miss the trip to Bramall Lane – as well as the longer-term absentees – albeit there is more positive news when it comes to captain Ben Whiteman.

He’s returned to full training during the week and is expected to play a part over the next three matches.

Hecky said: “It's a bit too early for him. With Ali and Stef being out we wouldn’t be in a position to go with Ben. It’s too much of a risk for him.

“He's had two days training with us. That's it. But he's in a position where I'm going to use him, definitely, but we have to use him in a way that benefits the team and doesn't break Ben and also puts him in a better place for Tuesday night as well.”

It’ll be a return to Bramall Lane for the skipper if he is involved, and the same can be said for Hecky and his assistant, Stuart McCall, who led the Blades to the Premier League in 2023.

Chris Wilder’s now the man in charge there and he’s got them on track to return to the top flight.

Hecky said: “They’re one of the best in the league, I think. They're up there with Leeds if you add the two [deducted] points on. They’re right there.

“People always talk about Leeds and that they're the best team in the league, but Sheffield United are there with them.

“I think their strengths are in a different way. They've been ruthlessly efficient and got really big moments in them from big players which have meant that they've won so many games.

“The other standout quality for me is that mentality. They’ve won a lot of games where they’ve not been at their best and that's why they're up there competing with Leeds for that title.”


MACS VIEW

We rarely get anything here and given our midfielders are all injured bar one suspect we won't be winning at the Lane tomorrow

[St Charles Owl]

I was christened in Sheffield Cathedral, in the old part before the new addition was built.

[themaclad]

Sheffield United 1 Campbell Preston North End

Attendance: 27,136 (842 PNE fans).

Referee: Mr J Busby.

United deserved to win although after the initial 20 minutes where they threatened to blow us away, this was a hard fought close game, it's was a case of might have been different if , Greenwood's shot had not hit the post early in the second half and the non award of a penalty in the first half when Potts was clattered by Vinicius who injured himsef in the tackle and had to be subbed at half time.
Mr Busby received ironic applause when he did actually give us a free kick, also it does seem easier to book our players than opponents, United had one booking for 13 fouls, we conceded 14 fouls and got 4 bookings.
Lovely spring afternoon nice trip through the narrow roads around the ground, a couple of laps around the ground and in to the comfy seats not made for someone who is about 6 ft tall.
No Osmajic, McCann or Meghoma all with knock adding to our other long term injuries. Whiteman back in squad as substitute, we had three teenagers on the bench they had three players who had cost about 30 million.
United could have been two up in the first five minutes Campbell missing a sitter from three yards, Porteous nearly majestically blasted one into his own net and they also claimed a penalty. We survived just but were all over the place with Hamer finding space all the time.
When we did occasionally venture forward the classy defender Ahmedhodzic dealt with everything. Managed to survive until the break due to Woodman bailing us out as well a couple of times.


After Greenwood's post find, United took the lead fairly poor goal to continue ball played out by Woodman to space Burrows pounced, ball into box Campbell diving header goal.
We made substitutes gave us more solidity, didn't create many chances, probably the best came at the end when Hughes won a header at the back post tried to find Riis header however went to Cooper. After Hamer went off think they were quite happy with what they had and went joint top with Marching All Together
Less than a thousand made the trip not surprising £38 for adults is not a winner.

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom felt the big moments didn’t go for his side in the defeat against Sheffield United.

The promotion-pushing Blades came out 1-0 winners at Bramall Lane thanks to Tyrese Campbell’s 56th-minute header.

That came 60 seconds after Sam Greenwood had hit the post at the other end, while in the first half there was a strong shout for a penalty for a foul on Brad Potts.



Hecky said: “I’m proud of the performance but they gave us the most problems we've had I think from a team in the first half. There were a couple of things they did with their shape and we couldn't get to grips with it for the first 30 minutes.

“Then we did and we grew into the game and I'm pleased with the attitude of the players. I'm pleased with the commitment in the second half, but we didn't have the big moments go for us.

“We certainly had a penalty in the first half and to come here and win, you've got to play well. You've got to make the most of your opportunities because probability says you're going to have less than them and you've got to have big decisions go your way as well, and that didn’t happen today.”

The manager made three changes from the midweek draw against Swansea City, with North End’s squad struck by injury.


Ali McCann, Jayden Meghoma and Milutin Osmajić all dropped out of the squad, adding to those already in the treatment room – the likes of Mads Frøkjær and Jordan Storey.

On Milly firstly, Hecky said: “He's got a hip problem. He's been managing it. It’s something everyone's aware of at the club and he's sore. I made the call to get him right for Tuesday, that's it.

“Certainly whatever we would have done with him today, we would have aggravated it and put him out on Tuesday, so that was that.

“Jayden rocked his ankle on the pitch when he was on on Tuesday night. He's missing so we had probably seven first teamers missing today, so again, a really big credit to the players.

“The subs who came on were good. Ben [Whiteman] worked hard. He's worked hard at his rehab, so then he came on and did 30 minutes.

“Like I said, all that side of it, the players deserve tremendous credit. That's why I was a little bit coy in the press this week, knowing what we were missing and what we didn't have. We had to make the most of every player.

“The three young lads on the bench, it’s not really a game for them. Pat (Patrick Bauer), not really a game for him because we were one behind. We sort of did all we could with the plan we had, but didn't quite get over the line.”

WILD THING

"Really good from start to finish against stubborn opponents", was boss Chris Wilder's first words following United's important home success over Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

Tyrese Campbell's eighth league goal of the season proved decisive, and the United manager felt his side were worthy winners on Paul Heckingbottom's return to Bramall Lane.

Wilder added: "We were really connected from the midfielder to the top of the pitch and perhaps should have got something more rewarding for our first 20-25 minutes, but we came in at 0-0 and we just told the players not to get anxious.

"We've got players who can find those big moments and we did that with a fabulous ball from Harrison and a great finish by Ty. They went for it for it late on, going longer than they even did first half and perhaps it was more felt more anxious than it actually was.

"We are always looking for that second goal and made positive substitutions, but when they are just shelling it forward you have to win first and second balls which we did, and you just have to see the game out.

"This team has got 78 points from 36 games this season, which is great going."

[themaclad]