Opposition View: Red Half of Sheffield

Following on from a victory in Swansea, the Hatters host table-topping Sheffield United. ORH spoke with Chad of the Red Half of Sheffield podcast ahead of Friday's game.

Tell us a bit about your background as a Blades fan...

Chad has been supporting the Blades since 2016-2017 promotion season for League One. Noah has been a Blade since around 2008 after meeting a lad from Sheffield working at a summer camp in Massachusetts. He’d been a Galaxy fan in MLS but otherwise never had given much thought to EFL Footy. That summer changed his perspective on what football should be and he’s been a Blade ever since.

With a great start the the season seeing the Blades sitting top of the table despite some difficult fixtures, do you envisage Sheffield United maintaining this great form and pushing for promotion?

If United can hold on to the likes of Sander Berge and Illiman Ndiaye throughout this season our chances of retaining one of the two automatic spots are good. We’ve been on good form and it seems like this team is really clicking. We’re going to be very tough to breakdown especially at Bramall Lane which some are calling a fortress now.

Something Hatters and Blades fans can share in last season is the pain of play-off defeat. Both sides have been busy in the transfer window, but how much do you think Sheffield United have strengthened their squad?

The additions of Ahmedhodzic and McAtee, Doyle, and Khadra on loan round out one of the best windows either of us can remember for United. This is definitively a better team on paper than we had last season.

Luton themselves signed ex-United man Luke Freeman on a free transfer this window, what do you make of that piece of business?

We never utilized Luke Freeman properly. He was always 4th or 5th choice in midfield as we didn’t really play an ACM until last year with Morgan Gibbs White. Good bit of business for you lot as apparently he’s already impressing.

Would you like to see the Blades strengthen the squad more before the end of the transfer window, and do you have any names in mind?

If we can get a proven striker on loan that would really round out the side. In spite of scoring 9 goals already this season, none have come from our striking corps. McBurnie had a good game vs. Rovers but has not yet found the back of the net. Even if we can get either him or Brewster scoring, that would be a huge boon for United.

Time for some predictions - who do you think will (i) get automatic promotion, (ii) make the playoffs, and (iii) get relegated?  

1. Watford

2. Sheffield United

3. Norwich

4. Boro

5. Burnley

6. West Brom

22. Rotherham

23. Birmingham

24. Huddersfield

Finally, give us your score prediction for the Weekend's game…

Should be a tight one with one scored a piece. 1-1 draw and another failure to win away from Bramall Lane. Goal scorers Ndiaye and Adebayo.