Sheffield United

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Sheffield United midfielder Callum O'Hare's sliding goal during their 3-0 win over Oxford United is his first of the season - and he's hoping that it is just the beginning of his name making its mark on the scoresheet.

"We've been getting the results, but personally, obviously, I want to score more," O'Hare told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Now I've got one; I can just kick on and hopefully keep scoring."

The Blades confident performance featured two assists from an excellent Gustavo Hamer for Jesuran Rak-Sakyi and Tyrese Campbell, the latter of whom scored five in their past six league matches.

The victory extends their unbeaten streak to six league games and sees them rise to the top of the Championship table, with former leaders Leeds United set to play Luton Town for a chance to regain the spot on Wednesday evening.

Bramall Lane in particular seems to be a source of great strength for the Blades, having won their past seven consecutive home games without conceding a single goal.

"We've got a top team, top coaching staff and manager, and then the fans drive us on so you can't really ask for much more, and it's obviously working," O'Hare added.

"When we play here, it kind of feels like a fortress so when we come here, you're excited, you're ready to go, and we've got to keep it going."

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Oxford United head coach Des Buckingham believes the club might not be where it is today had it not been for the work of Chris Wilder.

The U's visit Wilder's Sheffield United in the Championship on Tuesday with Buckingham coming up against the man who gave him his first senior coaching role.

Wilder promoted Buckingham into his first-team coaching group ahead of the 2013-14 season, when he was just 28, after he had spent time in the club's academy.

Wilder led Oxford back into the EFL during nearly six years in charge at the Kassam Stadium and Buckingham says everyone should be thankful for what he achieved.

"Chris Wilder was the first manager who brought me into the senior coaching space so I've got a lot of time for him just for that alone," Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I look back now as the head coach of this football club and look at what Chris did at a hugely important time in 2010 to get us back into the Football League and it was a moment where I don't know if we'd be where we are now if he hadn't have done that."

Buckingham takes his Oxford side to Bramall Lane in the midst of a run which has seen them lose four of their past five Championship matches, including a 6-2 hammering by Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Matthew Cresswell
BBC Sport England

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has said he looks back fondly at his time at Oxford United as he prepares his side's clash with the U's on Tuesday.

Wilder spent more than five years at the Kassam Stadium and led the team back to the Football League following a 3-1 win over York City at Wembley in the Conference Premier play-off final in 2010.

He did depart in curious circumstances, opting to leave the U's in January 2014 who were in the League Two play-off positions at the time for rivals Northampton Town positioned at the foot of the table.

There was also significant confusion around his departure as Wilder denied initial claims from former club chairman Ian Lenagan he had resigned in the wake of an approach from the Cobblers, only to then formally step down 24 hours later.

"I would say 90% of it was really good," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I got given to me by the chairman Kelvin Thomas at the time and the great people that I met along the way.

"The late Micky Lewis, his wife and boys coming to the game, they were a big part of the journey."

Wilder gained promotion with Northampton two years later before moving to Sheffield United in his first stint at the club, but his spell in Oxfordshire remains an important and influential chapter in his career.

"Jim Smith was a director there as well so fabulous experience for me to learn, as a young manager, from an absolute great and Jim Rosenthal as well who was a director at the time, so fabulous people," Wilder added.

"I still speak to Jim Rosenthal every other week and I still speak to the chairman every other week - fabulous times.

"It didn’t end in a great way, unfortunately, but I’d like to think that people will look back at then as a decent time for us.

"I’d like to think we all enjoyed one of the best days of my managerial career - a win at Wembley - first time to win at Wembley and in front of 50,000 supporters and 35,000 from Oxford was an incredible experience and one that I look back fondly on."

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Sheffield United's four-game winning streak was ended when they drew 2-2 with 10 men at Coventry on Saturday but they remain level on points with leaders Leeds and second-placed Sunderland.

The Blades welcome an Oxford side with just one win in 11 games (D5 L5) who will be looking to bounce back from a bruising 6-2 defeat at home to Middlesbrough.

• This is the first league meeting between Sheffield United and Oxford United since the 2016-17 League One campaign, with the Blades winning both games (2-1 home, 3-2 away).

• Oxford have lost nine of their last 12 away league games against Sheffield United (W2 D1) and have never kept a clean sheet at Bramall Lane in 13 attempts.

• Sheffield United have won each of their last six home league games without conceding; the Blades last enjoyed a longer winning run in March 2019 (run of eight).

• No side has won fewer Championship points on the road this season than Oxford (2 – D2 L5), failing to score in their last two such games.

• Sheffield United have lost only one of their last seven Championship games against newly promoted sides (W4 D2), keeping a clean sheet in both such games this season (1-0 v Derby, 0-0 v Portsmouth).

Matthew Cresswell
BBC Sport England

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United head coach Chris Wilder has praised the work done at Coventry by their former boss Mark Robins, who was sacked earlier this month.

The Blades take on Robins' former side at the CBS Arena on Saturday.

"I would like to pay tribute to Mark Robins and his work that he did at that football club," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I've known Mark for a long time when he was local at Rotherham as well. I think we all understand the journey that he was on in terms of where they were and the financial issues, supporter issues and the tough journey that that club has been on.

"To get them within a penalty kick of the Premier League, within an incredibly tight decision to an FA Cup final and the group that he assembled [is outstanding].

"His incredible batch of work that he's put into that football club and what he's done will be recognised by everybody around the city and most importantly everybody at the football club.

"I don't think in any way his career will be defined by 10-15 games at the start of this season, it will be defined by the bulk of his work, which has been absolutely outstanding."

United will be without midfielder Oli Arblaster, who is set to be out until the new year because of a knee injury sustained in the derby win over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break.

"He'll get all the support from everybody but there will be a bit of tough love in there as well because he has to use the time diligently - these things happen," said Wilder.

"We have to make sure we're not reliant on a 20-year-old boy on our success, it's the sum of everything that we put together and we have to make sure that we're not a one or two-man team."

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Coventry produced a remarkable comeback after going two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw at league leaders Sunderland in their first game since Mark Robins was sacked last time out.

The managerless Sky Blues are just one point above the drop zone and face another stern test when they welcome high-flying Sheffield United on Saturday who are joint top and have won four on the bounce.

• Coventry City have lost just one of their last nine home league games against Sheffield United (W6 D2), netting 3+ goals in four of those matches.

• Sheffield United have failed to score in two of their last four league games against Coventry, having found the net in nine of their previous 10 against them. They did win the last such meeting between the sides 3-1 in December 2022, however.

• Coventry City have lost nine home Championship matches in 2024 – they've only lost 10 home league games in four previous calendar years, most recently in 2003.

• Sheffield United have spent 51% of their Championship games in the lead this season, the highest percentage of any side - they’ve also trailed for the lowest percentage (4.4%, just 65 minutes).

• Coventry's Jack Rudoni has made 295 passes that start in the attacking third of the pitch in the Championship this season, with only Luton's Alfie Doughty making more (336).

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Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck dazzled on his international debut for England Under-20s during their 4-0 victory over Germany on Friday.

The 20-year-old earned his first call-up after fellow Blade Oliver Arblaster was forced to withdraw with a knee injury and made a big impression, scoring his first international goal with a header from a set-piece.

Peck also had heavy involvement in two other goals, seeing his shot deflected into the net for England's second by Max Dean and providing a headed assist for Will Lankshear to score the fourth.

Meanwhile, on-loan winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi earned his first cap for England Under-21s during Friday's 0-0 draw with Spain.

It was also goalless in Australia's World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Thursday as Blades centre-back Harry Souttar helped the Socceroos keep a clean sheet. Souttar's Australia visit Bahrain in their next qualifier on Tuesday.

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Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore has withdrawn from Wales' Nations League games against Turkey and Iceland this month because of injury.

The 32-year-old sustained a calf strain during the Blades' trip to Bristol City six days ago and was not included in the matchday squad for Sunday's Steel City derby victory.

Before the game against Sheffield Wednesday, Moore told BBC Radio Sheffield he was "taking each day as it comes" but was "hopeful" for a quick recovery.

The Blades are joint leaders of the Championship, behind Sunderland in top sport on goal difference.

Chris Wilder's side are next in action at Coventry City on 23 November following the international break.

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Sheffield Wednesday's Josh Windass admits he is taking a risk by having his hair cut by his Sheffield United-supporting barber ahead of this weekend's Steel City Derby.

The midfielder will experience his first Sheffield derby at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

"My barber is a Blades fan so I'm hoping he doesn't butcher me before the weekend," Windass told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"I told him to make sure he doesn't ruin my haircut but he said he can't promise anything so we'll see how we go."

The 30-year-old played and scored for Rangers in an Old Firm derby against Celtic in 2018 and expects the experience at the weekend to be similar.

"I would compare Sheffield to Glasgow in that it's like a goldfish bowl and you're either a Wednesday fan or a United fan," Windass added.

"My goal in the Old Firm game was in a defeat so if I can score a winner in a derby then that would be amazing but the aim isn't for me to score the winner, it's for the team to win and if that comes by me then brilliant."

Despite this being the first Sheffield derby in more than five years, Windass is well aware of the intense rivalry between the two clubs.

"I've got close friends who're Wednesday fans and they're telling me they won't go to the game because it's at their stadium," he said.

"But I'm looking forward to sampling the atmosphere and if it's anything like the Old Firm then I can't wait."

You can catch Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special on BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds.

Former Blades manager Neil Warnock and Owls legend Chris Waddle are no strangers to the Steel City derby.

The two have been speaking on BBC Radio Sheffield's Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special about just how much the battle for local bragging rights means to them.

"I remember people saying it's just another game and I thought 'what are they talking about?' - it's not," Warnock said.

"The rivalry - no matter what you do, whether you're bottom or top of the league, it doesn't matter in these games. It's who wants it more, who can play on the day."

As for how Sunday afternoon at Bramall Lane is going to pan out, Waddle finds his former side an unknown component in his prediction calculations.

"Going into the derby, you know what you're going to get from United. Very organised, very drilled," Waddle said.

"I don't know how Wednesday will perform, they are such an unpredictable team.

"What you are seeing from Sheffield United so far this season is consistency and I think what you've seen from Wednesday is inconsistency.

"I think if Wednesday get a draw or a win - fantastic! It'll be a great result for them."

Warnock lists United as "favourites" but feels that "Wednesday can beat anyone on their day" - though he does think that the Blades have something special up their sleeve with keeper Michael Cooper.

"For me, he should be in the Premier League and he might be next year. He's one of the best keepers I've seen," Warnock said.

You can catch Football Heaven: Steel City Derby Special in full on BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds.