This Saturday afternoon, Blackburn Rovers will host Sheffield United at Ewood Park in a highly anticipated Championship fixture. Both teams currently occupy places in the top six.
Blackburn Rovers come into this match under a cloud of recent struggles. Despite their strong home record, they’ve only managed one win in their last five outings. Their latest setback came with a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Watford. October was particularly tough for Rovers’ attack, as they managed only two goals over the entire month. This lack of firepower up front has been a major issue, and they’ll be eager to find solutions as they head into a game against one of the league’s better defensive teams.
The absence of defender Hayden Carter, who recently underwent knee surgery, will add to Rovers’ concerns. His long-term absence, expected to span two to three months, leaves a gap in Blackburn’s backline that John Eustace will need to address.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, have also faced some hurdles but managed to regain momentum with a 2-0 victory over Stoke City last weekend. Prior to that, the Blades had suffered back-to-back losses to Leeds United and Middlesbrough, two fixtures that exposed some vulnerabilities in their setup.
Chris Wilder wants Sheffield United to maintain good defensive record
Wilder has praised the progress United have made in defence, despite considerable personnel changes over the summer. The team’s strong foundation at the back has given them stability, and their defensive record after 12 games reflects the impact of their structured approach. However, he acknowledges the need for improvement in attack, where they’ve struggled to consistently produce chances.
He said in his press conference, “Players are playing well at the moment, the defensive record is great. We’ve had a 12 game review on it at the top of the pitch; we’re looking to improve. I think that’s pretty obvious. To keep that defensive record is really important, because of the amount of changes we made in the summer, it was important we had a base to build from, which we have now”. Due to Anel Ahmedhodzic’s suspension, United will be forced to make at least one change in defence. Ahmedhodzic’s absence will be a challenge, given his role in the team’s strong back line.
Reflecting on the week’s preparations, Wilder expressed pride in his players’ performance against Stoke City, a game that held emotional weight for the club. “I thought we were outstanding considering everything that was attached to the game against Stoke City”, he said. “I thank our supporters for their contribution to that. It was a very sad day for everybody but we had to get the job done in terms of our performance, and we controlled our emotions right the way through and played some really good stuff, and limited the opposition to next to nothing”.
Blackburn are yet to lose at home this season and Wilder acknowledged that it will be a very difficult task to leave Ewood Park with three points. “They’ve done really well at home. They’ve had some big results and we have to respect that. They’ll have a plan for us just as much as we have a plan for them.
“You’ve got to respect what they’ve got, the players they’ve got; some good individuals, talented players. A good mix. Some experience in there as well with Danny Batth and a couple of others, Lewis Travis we know a lot about as well.”
