Sheffield United seeking revenge on West Brom in Steve Bruce’s first game in charge

The Steve Bruce era at West Bromwich Albion gets underway on Wednesday evening and it does so in tough fashion, with a trip to Bramall Lane.

Both teams go into the game with different management teams to the ones that were in the dugout at the Hawthorns earlier in the season in a match that seems to be throwing up multiple different narratives the closer we get to kick-off.

When Valerien Ismael’s Albion put the Blades to the sword back in August, the two looked to be going in completely different directions and all looked rosy in the Black Country but since then it has been all change.

Ismael is out and Bruce is in in the midlands and Slavisa Jokanovic is out and Paul Heckingbottom is in in Yorkshire.

Sheffield United have been on a steady upward curve since Heckingbottom replaced Jokanovic at the back end of November and the Blades have since made a steady push towards the play-offs.

They sit just three points behind the Baggies in sixth ahead of kick-off whilst also boasting two games in hand.

It’s a change in form Bruce will very much be hoping to replicate following his arrival at the Hawthorns and this midweek fixture could prove to be a strong marker in determining just how big the task is ahead between now and May.

For the inside track on Wednesday evening’s opponents, we spoke to Danny Hall of the Sheffield Star to see exactly what Albion can expect from the improving Blades.

Key player

A few options on this one, including Jayden Bogle who scored the winner at Birmingham, but for me it’s still Billy Sharp.

Now 36 years young but still as influential as ever, after also scoring at St. Andrew’s, Sharp is United’s talisman and is still the best finisher at the football club.

Keep an eye on Sander Berge in midfield, too, as the Norwegian looks to consistently show the form that saw him made United’s £22m record signing in 2020.

Strengths

United are playing some brilliant football at the minute, as shown by Bogle’s winner, but also look more solid than they did earlier in the season and seem capable of mixing it with teams as well.

That will be put to the test against West Brom, and their style of football, but United will be looking to impose their style on the game and get a bit of revenge for the 4-0 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

Weaknesses

The Blades have tended to concede avoidable and late goals at times this season, but boss Paul Heckingbottom will be hoping that he has addressed that issue after his side threw away a two-goal lead away at Preston to draw 2-2 with a side who played over half the game with 10 men.

They are also light in a few areas of the squad, so a few injuries/suspensions/Covid-19 cases, particularly in defence, could disrupt them

Sheffield United team news

Rhian Brewster will miss the rest of the season as he goes under the knife tomorrow, after damaging a hamstring against Peterborough last month. Daniel Jebbison was recalled from his loan at Burton as his replacement.

No injuries were reported from the Birmingham game when Heckingbottom did his pre-match on Monday.

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