Live updates from the 6pm kick-off at Brammall LaneMan City v Newcastle – live! West Ham v Burnley – live!Drop Paul an email! Tweet @Paul_Doyle 6.01pm BST 1 min: Wolves get the game going. 5.59pm BST Want an omen? The last time these clubs met in the top-flight at Bramall Lane was in the 1975-76 season, when Liverpool also won the league. Wolves won the match 4-1. But both Wolves and Sheffield United ended up relegated (along with Burnley) and, er, Liverpool’s closest challengers at the top were QPR. OK, that’s not an omen at all. 5.47pm BST Nuno responds to Wilder’s praise by bigging up the Blades. “We face a lot of challenges. I think the work of Chris is amazing. They are organised, aggressive, powerful.” Earlier this week, by the way, Wilder spoke of how much he admires Nuno, not just for his coaching skills but also his “ideal personality”, saying Nuno has the perfect blend of suaveness, calmness and passion. 5.37pm BST Chris Wilder’s pre-match thoughts on Sky: “Looking at their lineup, they’ll want us to go forward and commit so obviously we’ll have to be really careful of their counter-attacks.” He then reels of the individual qualities of Wolves’ players before realising how he sounds and saying with a giggle: “listen to me . I think we’re 2-0 down already!” 5.30pm BST How Enda Stevens copes with Adama Traoré will be a key factor in today’s game. But that’s not Stevens’ only challenge, of course. He also has to contend with Matt Doherty: his Republic of Ireland teammate got the better of him when the sides met at Molineux earlier in the season - not only did Doherty score Wolves’ goal, but he also perpetrated a most wicked nutmeg on his chum in the course of the game. I’d like to think that’s been mentioned a couple of times at Irish squad get-togethers. Vengeance is due! (By the way, have you noticed that the Republic of Ireland have one of the world’s best wingback pairings . but seldom play with wingbacks? It’ll be interesting to see what their new manager, Stephen Kenny, does with them). 5.23pm BST Want to know how Sheffield United’s record signing is going to play today? Well, below you can find Sander Berge explaining how he sees his role, which Chris Wilder has made much more attacking than at his previous clubs. It’s also worth looking out for the 6ft5in Norwegian from setpieces: he mentioned (and this isn’t included in the article) that he plans to make more of an impact from corners and freekicks in both boxes. Just like his buddy John Egan, who scored his first goal last weekend and can now be expected to go on a spree. Maybe. Related: Sander Berge: 'I came in, the skipper made me a song and now I'm home' 5.12pm BST Chris Wilder makes two changes to his last lineup, with Billy Sharp replacing the injured David McGoldrick up front while Jack O’Connell makes a welcome return to their defence. Nuno, meanwhile, has reverted to his 4-3-3 formation, with Diogo Jota coming in on the left and Adama Traoré out make merry down the right. But Pedro Neto is injured, depriving Wolves of a precious option off the bench. But Daniel Podence is available again.Sheffield United: Henderson; Basham, Egan, O’Connell; Baldock, Berge, Norwood, Osborn, Stevens; Sharp, McBurnie 2.34pm BST Hello. The last team these teams met at Bramall Lane, they were both in the Championship. Now Wolves are aiming to reach the Champions League and Sheffield United are hoping to qualify for European competition for the first time in their history. Wouldn’t it be super if both achieved those goals this season? Yes, it would, because right-thinking people like to see clever and skilful collective excellence rewarded. So come on the Wolves! Come on the Blades! But wait, that attitude doesn’t help us today because the sides will be hellbent on taking points off each other. Something’s got to give.Wolves are sixth, three points behind Manchester United in fifth, which is the cut-off point for Champions League qualification unless Manchester City get their ban overturned. Sheffield United, meanwhile, are ninth, behind eighth-placed Spurs on goal difference. Eighth could secure a Europa League spot. It’s all to play for. Continue readingreadfullarticle
