Sheffield United v Watford Preview
Posted on | August 14, 2009 | No Comments
The Carling Cup midweek brought mixed results for these two sides, with Sheffield United being on the shock of a 2-1 defeat to League Two side Port Vale while Watford only grabbed a win at Barnet after extra time. With both earning draws at the start of the Championship weekend, neither has given much away about their season so far.
Sheffield United were handed an almightily tough start to their Championship campaign last week where they travelled to recently relegated Middlesbrough. However, despite coming under some pressure at times, they played relatively well and earned a goalless draw. There were more worrying signs on Tuesday night though with Port Vale coming to Bramall Lane and recording an unlikely 2-1 victory. Admittedly, Kevin Blackwell fielded a weakened side, but there were still a few first team regulars involved and the Blades boss could not hide his anger in post-match interviews. Still, he’ll probably see the Carling Cup as a minor distraction and after falling at the final hurdle in the play off final last season, he’ll be pleased with their start in the league and will be hoping they can build on that.
Watford also had something of a scare midweek after being forced into extra time by League Two side Barnet on Tuesday. In the end the Hornets recoded a 2-0 victory, but still, Malky Mackay will class it as wasted minutes on the field. Their first league game of the season saw them draw 1-1 against Doncaster although after finishing in a similar position to Rovers last season, perhaps the Vicarage Road faithful may have hoped their home advantage would have helped them to the three points. Still, its early days in Mackay’s managerial career and even though he hasn’t been very active in the transfer market, his positive relationship with the supporters mean that the club will give him plenty of time to get things right.
Kevin Blackwell was fuming following his sides unexpected exit from the Carling Cup and is expected to ring the changes for this one. Jamie Ward could return after completing a suspension, while Kyle Walker, David Cotterill, Ched Evans, Chris Morgan and Nick Montgomery could all return after missing out midweek. There’s not much to report for Watford although Malky Mackay is expected to make changes. Scott Loach, Jay Demerit and Ross Jenkins all missed out midweek due to international duty yet all three are expected to return to the Hornets’ squad.
In terms of a prediction, there’s only one winner in our eyes. Sheffield United may have been shocked midweek, but on paper they are far superior to Watford and this should be a comfortable game for them. Watford won’t roll over, but the Blades will simply be too strong and we anticipate a 2-0 home win.
Related posts:
- Watford v Sheffield United Preview
- Sheffield United v Watford Preview
- Watford v Sheffield United Preview
- Watford vs Sheffield United Preview
- Sheffield Wednesday v Watford Preview
Comments
Leave a Reply