When the draw for the third round of the FA Cup was made the pairing of struggling Bristol Rovers with struggling Sheffield United did not leap out as one of the ties of the round, despite seeing a Premier League team travel to face opposition from two divisions below. Unsurprisingly the TV selectors looked elsewhere for their picks of matches to be aired by BBC and BT Sport. However with over a month between the draw and the actual fixture, things look a lot tastier and the match is the Five Live commentary choice for 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
It’s no surprise to me that Paul Tisdale has overseen an upturn in fortunes at Rovers which includes 3 wins in their last 4 matches. They sit 18th in the table on 22 points, having played 18 matches. They’re 5 points above Rochdale in the relegation zone, both Rochdale and Rovers have 3 games in hand on teams around them.
That the club reports no positive Covid tests given the League 1 season has been especially hard-hit in recent weeks, is also a huge boost.
Tisdale’s pre-match press comments show a man rightly upbeat: “I think we should go into it with optimism and positivity. It will be fantastic to get a win, it really would, but I’m also looking to build on recent form, promote our level of consistency and the way we do things. We have to play with no fear and I’m sure we will do and pit ourselves against a Premier League team.”
Opportunity is the key word here. It seems unlikely Rovers will be dragged back into a relegation scrap, injuries and Covid allowing of course. Even though Sheffield United are setting a variety of unwanted records for poor performance, no team in the Premier League era has had fewer points after 17 games, this is largely the same squad who rode the crest of a wave in getting promoted from the Championship and holding their own in the Premier League. In other words, it should still be good enough to win this game.
That Sheffield United’s form has dipped significantly since football went behind closed doors is not a surprise. The atmosphere generated at Bramall Lane is a key part of recent success. So too is the Blades momentum from League 1 promotion, then securing a second promotion the following season into the Premier League. For both to be halted by the suspension of football in March last year appeared to have knocked Sheffield United hard. What’s interesting is that the away form has been affected too, meaning the confidence must be low regardless of where they play.
Paul Tisdale may well speak of his players having nothing to lose and this is true. Defeat and there is no disgrace. Yet it’s possible to have nothing to lose and also be favourites, or at very least, in with a genuine shout of victory. We don’t know what team Chris Wilder will play and it’s a tricky stick or twist decision. Does the Blades manager rest his squad for what is undoubtedly a more important match against Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday night? Despite their impressive performance against Liverpool Newcastle’s league position suggests this is a match Sheffield United should be targeting if they’ve any slim hope of dragging themselves out of the hole they’re in. It’s also worth considering that this is a team without a win of any kind this season, so even though it’s away at a League 1 club who themselves have had a tricky season, any win, anywhere must surely be a boost.
Glory Hunting 