Sheffield United can bounce back from 4-0 hammering at Stevenage

Forget the self-styled “most exciting league in the world”, the Premier League with Manchester United 20 points clear of their nearest rivals, ranks on a par with a repeat of Friends in the thrill stakes when compared to this season thrilling League One title shake-up.

Brentford meet Sheffield United with their sides occupying second and third place in the division respectively, though both will be keenly aware of the snakes and ladders that dog every remaining game of their run-ins, with the top 10 in the standings separated by just nine points.

The Blades arguably have the edge on their top ten adversaries with two games in hand.

They had been in the midst of a fine run before an unexpected 4-0 shellacking at (previously and subsequently woeful) Stevenage last time out. The defeat at Broadhall Way was their first loss in seven and the margin of Borough’s victory was all the more surprising given their four onion-bag-bulgers were the first goals conceded by the Blades in six games.

United’s Neil Collins blamed “individual mistakes” for that morale sapping defeat and the defender spoke of “repaying” the fans against the Bees. Perhaps this may provide his team the incentive to end a dreary home run that – despite their decent points haul – has seen them win just one of their last six Bramall Lane outings.

Nonetheless this Blades side is made of stern stuff, having adapted to the loss through sale and injury of first choice marksmen Nick Blackman and Shaun Miller and bounced back from a post-Christmas sequence of one win in six that had threatened to derail their promotion push.

Uwe Rosler’s men have been in good nick, with four wins from their last six games, but each of those success came at home.

Despite their lofty league placing Brentford (2-0 victors over United at Griffin Park earlier this term) have been far from intrepid travellers of late, winning just two of their last eight away games – four of the last five without troubling the scoreboard operator.