Match Preview: Sheffield United v Brighton
When the 2019-20 Premier League fixtures were released back in June, anybody who wasn’t clinically insane would have been expecting the match preview for Sheffield United v Brighton in late February to end up being about a relegation six pointer.
And while the Albion may be going to Bramall Lane looking nervously over their shoulders, Sheffield United are flying. So much so in fact that they have genuine designs on a place in the Champions League via a fifth place finish and Manchester City’s ban from European competition being upheld.
The Blades’ lofty position in the table isn’t the only strange thing ahead of this one. You’d also have got long odds at the start of the campaign on Alexis Mac Allister pulling on the stripes, yet a surprise work permit and Brighton successfully managing to buy their own player from Boca Juniors means he could be in line for his debut in the Steel City.
Given that every other tweet from the Albion’s official account this week has featured Mac Allister, you could be forgiven for forgetting that Graham Potter has 24 other players to pick from.
The hype machine has gone into overdrive. That’s a dangerous game to play on the club’s part given that we have our fair share of demanding supporters, we haven’t won in 2020 so far and Mac Allister is a 21-year-old who’s never played outside of Argentina before.
They’ve built him up almost to the point where unless he runs past the entire Sheffield United team to score – ala Diego Maradona versus England – in a 6-0 win for the Albion, people are going to end up disappointed.
And as anyone who’s watched Brighton over the last six weeks will tell you, there’s more chance of Prince Andrew being appointed honorary president of the NSPCC than a convincing Brighton victory at Bramall Lane.
A brief history of Sheffield United
Sheffield United were formed in 1889 and were one of the most successful clubs in English football for the first 20 years of their existence. They were crowned Football League champions in 1898 and lifted the FA Cup in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925.
The Blades are one of only four teams to have won all four divisions of English football with the majority of their history having been spent in the top two tiers. They are currently owned by Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who bought a 50% stake in the club for the princely sum of £1 in the summer of 2013, two years after a certain Micky Adams oversaw relegation to League One.
After six seasons in the third tier, lifelong Blades fan Chris Wilder secured the promotion and the League One title in 2016-17 with an astonishing total of 100 points. A runners up spot in the Championship followed last season with Wilder and United now taking the Premier League by storm.
Sheffield United this season
As already noted, you’d have had to be on some serious class A substances to have predicted Sheffield United pushing for Europe in a pre-season preview – most pundits tipped them to be below even Brighton.
The Blades’ success has come via a combination of factors. Nobody in the Premier League seems to have found a way to counteract United’s unique overlapping centre back tactics, whereby their defenders will pop up in all kinds of weird and wonderful positions.
Tactical genius Graham Potter certainly had no answer to it when we were beaten 1-0 at the Amex in December, a result that could and really should have been much more convincing in the visitors’ favour.
Wilder is one of those managers who players seem to love playing for. Take Oliver Norwood for example. He hardly set the world on fire during his one season at the Albion, often playing fourth fiddle in the midfield pecking order behind Dale Stephens, Beram Kayal and Steve Sidwell. And yet under Wilder, he’s been one of the most consistent players in the the top flight this season.
Perhaps the biggest reason though is that United epitomise that overused #Together phrase. They have a squad of players who genuinely seem to care about their club, their city and their fans. They’re riding the crest of a wave at the minute and from the outside looking in, it’s bloody brilliant to watch.
Brighton’s head-to-head record against Sheffield United
Both teams may have rattled their way through all four divisions of English football, but meetings between the two have in fact been few and far between.
28 times Brighton have faced Sheffield United with nine wins for the Albion, six draws and 13 victories for the Blades. December’s aforementioned clash at the Amex was the first ever time the sides had met in the top flight, with every other league clash coming in the second tier.
Brighton’s head-to-head record with Sheffield United
Last six meetings
• Brighton 0-1 Sheffield United (Premier League, 21/12/19)
• Sheffield United 3-1 Brighton (Championship, 21/01/06)
• Brighton 0-1 Sheffield United (Championship, 13/09/05)
• Sheffield United 1-2 Brighton (Championship, 15/01/05)
• Brighton 1-1 Sheffield United (Championship, 02/10/04)
• Sheffield United 2-1 Brighton (Division One, 18/03/03)
Brighton have only one win in their past 10 meetings with Sheffield United, but the good news is that came at Bramall Lane two visits ago. Leon Knight hit a last minute winner on a cold January afternoon to give Mark McGhee’s side three vital points in their battle to avoid relegation.
Team news
Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Dale Stephens is injured apparently. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister. Alexis Mac Allister.
Sheffield United’s key players
Oliver McBurnie is a player that Potter knows all about given that they worked together at Swansea City last season, so you might have thought that the Brighton boss would have been able to provide a preview to his players into the threat that McBurnie posed before December’s meeting with Sheffield United.
Instead, we saw Adam Webster turned into a nervous wreck by the bustling McBurnie. The idea of a repeat of that with Webster being bullied at every turn and breaking his own world record for most failed headers in a game of football is a thought more frightening than going to a meat free BBQ.
Then there’s Sander Berge. United signed the Norwegian star from Genk for a fee in excess of £20m. Brighton were heavily linked with a move of their own for Berge in the summer which never materialised – depending on what you read, that’s either because the Albion didn’t want to meet the asking price or Berge himself didn’t fancy a move to England at that point.
If it were a cash-based issue, then you’ve got to question whether the £20m we spent on Webster might have been better invested in Berge. Goal scoring midfield or centre back to break up the Lewis Dunk – Shane Duffy partnership? Can’t help but feel somebody dropped a bollock there.
A good WeAreBrighton.com memory of Sheffield United away
As a 15-year-old, your correspondent bunked off school on a Tuesday in 2003 to go and watch the Albion lose 2-1 against Sheffield United. Everybody knew where I’d been, which meant some awkward questions to answer the following day – except during science where the Brighton-supporting teacher wanted to know how good Richard Carpenter’s goal was and why Steve Coppell hauled Bobby Zamora for Graham Barrett early in the second half. Hi Mr Frean!
A bad WeAreBrighton.com memory of Sheffield United away
Less impressive was a Saturday visit to Bramall Lane three years later. Brighton lost 3-1 and the WeAreBrighton.com team – by now of legal drinking age – got banned from Burger King at Sheffield Station when one member tried to throw another over the counter, only succeeding in smashing a litre bottle of Smirnoff Ice all over the floor. The Albion lost 3-1 for good measure.
Our favourite player to play for Brighton and Sheffield United
Eagle eyed readers will have noticed that this match preview isn’t the only Brighton – Sheffield United related piece we’ve written this week. There was also an extensive look at the Coca Cola Kid Colin Kazim-Richards, who played for both Seagulls and Blades.
We always thought he was a bit of a twat though, so the accolade of favourite player to play for both clubs goes to Danny Cullip.
How can you not love a player who won three promotions with Brighton, is rumoured to have had an actual physical punch up with Neil Warnock and who once screamed “PETHICK YOU FUCKING UGLY BASTARD” at the top of voice during a particularly quite moment in a game at Withdean.
Robbie Pethick’s crime? Accidentally putting the ball out of play.
What we like about Sheffield United
Bramall Lane used to be one of the best footballing experiences around. Not only do you get treated to the Greasy Chip Butty song before the game, but you also get the teams coming onto the pitch to the Star Wars theme. There’s even a chance you might see Sean Bean in the crowd.
Prediction
If Alexis Mac Allister plays: Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton. If Alexis Mac Allister doesn’t play: Sheffield United 2-0 Brighton.
