This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
In his weekly Premier League predictions for Sky Sports, Charlie Nicholas has tipped Manchester United to be held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon.
What did he say?
The Red Devils have endured a topsy-turvy campaign, with really disappointing defeats to Crystal Palace and Newcastle earlier on in the season. But prior to the recent international break, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side appeared to hit a run of good form, racking up five wins in six games across all competitions.
Despite that, Nicholas has insisted Sheffield United’s greater “energy” and “passion” would cause the Manchester side plenty of problems, and that if the Blades show that at Bramall Lane on Sunday, they could fancy claiming a huge result.
He said: “Sheffield United are fifth and Manchester United sit in seventh. Who has more energy? Sheffield United. Who has more passion? Sheffield United. Manchester United have the better players but only when they play well. They will be right in the face of Man Utd from the get-go so if they are good enough, they will need to show it and be together as a team.
“I do feel that Man Utd will be vulnerable to this energy level as they can become moody, but they will get something from it nevertheless. It will be another feisty game. Sheffield United will go after and squeeze Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as much as they can. They are well-organised and drilled. For that reason, I think they will get a draw.”
Learning from others
The big thing Solskjaer should surely be impressing on his squad, is that they shouldn’t take the Blades for granted. While that may sound far-fetched considering Chris Wilder’s men are in the lofty heights of fifth, there is always the danger of complacency when taking on a newly-promoted side. Just look at United’s top-four rivals Arsenal, who headed down to Bramall Lane and succumbed to a damaging 1-0 defeat.
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As Nicholas suggests, the Red Devils need to be prepared for the home side to come out firing on all cylinders, and weather the storm of what is likely to be a passionate crowd. If they can stem the tide early on, then the likes of Rashford, Martial and Daniel James will surely grow into the game more and give United a chance of picking up a precious three points.
