SHEFFIELD UTD - Home, Falmer Years: 19/20 Prem, season9.
Manager; Chris Wilder (2016)
Prem record from 11/12 to 19/20; (3, 5, 7, 5, 11, 1 @ League One) / (10, 2 @ Championship), (7 @ 8/7/20).
C21; Prem, Relegated - 06/07.
Recent Managers; Chris Wilder (2016), Nigel Adkins (2015-16), Nigel Clough (2014-15), Danny Wilson (2011-13).

Run in - fixture deadline extended into close season -
July - Chelsea (H) 11/7, Leicester (A) 15/7, Everton (H) 18/7, So'ton (A) 26/7. forecast - 57pts.

UNITED Away:
19/20 - P17 W4 D9 L4 F14 A19 GD-5 Pt21 Po7 = 1.23pt/gm or 41.1% of total points. Wins = 23.5%, Loss = 23.5% - C Wilder. record @ 8/7/20.
13/14 to 18/19 - not Premier League.

Season9 3rd Premier League (H) Sat 21/12/19 - L 0-1
This was the last home pre-Xmas fixture, during that usual Prem six-game December slog. BHA hadn't hosted United at the Amex beforehand during six Championship seasons here from 2011. Our last level2 meetings went right back to open-air days at Withdean sports complex, from those early noughties at the theatre of trees (see WE tab previous encounters). During that interim decade or more Albion went from gutter to the stars, fulfilling prospects previously denied this catchment area during those frustrating days of planning, protests, paper-work and public enquiries. Now this really was the big time and apart from entertaining those top-six elite we had also met past combatants like United. Both clubs wanted to establish in the Prem and to date were making a fist of it prior to undertaking all 19 reciprocal fixtures from New Year.
Albion crashed to defeat from a no-show in front of goal, posting another poor performance against a side not exactly playing typical Prem-style footy. But visitors solid defence throughout and true Yorkshire grit when up the other end gave them so much more than just an edge. Individually and as a team Seagulls were not at the races, failing to capitalise on 70/30 possession and merely appearing paper tigers - as the pre-match media hype got exposed to be based in literal bullsh!t. VAR came into effect on more occasions than actual goals recorded but BHA couldn't use these multi incidents as any sort of excuse for not scoring. In truth hosts woulda been beaten by three but for ultra-modern technology advice. And they gave away the winning goal as an early Xmas Prem present to the ex-lev2 outfit, who never remotely looked like conceding afterwards (24min). Potter put on Murray & Connolly immediately after the interval and very soon following that double swap Bissouma got on - BHA going to 343 in an attempt to up the ante. But it was like pi$$ing into the gale-force s-w wind we know so well during Sussex winters. Look at the detailed stats below for dry facts & figs, should you doubt written responses to this latest Amex debacle. Potter said, 'we were not good enough and that includes me. We must all hold our hands up. United were better in everything they did.' The sad thing is, no matter how well Potter-ball magic gets perceived thru entertainment value, comparing actual points obtained at this festive moment 12 months ago, Albion are coming up short. Is it cause for concern? Well, Brighton fans must remember opening months of 2019... we don't want a repeat by any stretch of footy realism.
Stats: shape 433-451, ht 0-1, goal 24, poss 69%-31%, on target 2-2, off target 4-5, blocks 3-0, o/s 2-3, corners 4-3, crosses 22-9, tackles 7-22, fouls 6-11, yellows 1-3, subs 3-3. MoM - Connolly. Gate - 30,505 away 3008. Weather - rain.
1 Ryan, 22 Montoya (8 Bissouma 55 Y), 15 Webster, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn, 13 Gross (17 Murray 45), 6 Stephens, 24 Propper, 18 Mooy, 11 Trossard (44 Connolly 45), 7 Maupay. Subs: 27 Button, 4 Duffy, 30 Bernardo, 46 Alzate.
Squad - 3 Bong, 14 Balogun, 16 Jahanbakhsh, 21 Schelotto. Injured - 19 Izquierdo, 20 March.
Prem P18 . W3 D3 L3 . F12 A11 . W2 D2 L5 . F9 A15. Pt20 Po13 = 1.11pt/gm. Wins = 27.7%, Loss = 44.4%

Sheff Utd:
Quatr: P . W D L . F A GD . . Pt Po
Total: 34 . 13 12 9 . 35 33 +2 . 51 7 = 1.50pt/gm. Wins = 38.2%, Loss = 26.4% - updated asap, record @ 8/7/20
3qtrs: 29 . 11 11 7 . 30 25 5 . 44 6 = 1.51pt/gm. Wins = 37.9%, Loss = 24.1% PREM SUSPENDED
Hlfwy: 19 . 7 8 4 . 23 17 6 .. 29 6 = 1.52pt/gm. Wins = 36.8%, Loss = 21%
Start: 10 . 3 4 3 .. 9 8 1 . . . 13 7 = 1.30pt/gm. Wins = 30%, Loss = 30% - Chris Wilder.
EFL Cup: 3rd rnd - Sunderland 0-1 (H), 2nd rnd - Blackburn 2-1 (H).
FA Cup: Arsenal 1-2 (H) q-f, Reading 1-2 aet (A) R5, Millwall 0-2 (A) R4, Fylde 2-1 (H) R3.
Aug: doing much better than anticipated and zero gd that adds to points cushion.
Oct: claiming a top ten slot and getting the job done ok by end of start Q1.
New Year: in 8th pos and thru to FAC4.
March: 7th position when Prem suspended. Into FAC last eight.
July:

SHEFF UTD Previous Prem:
19/20 - P34 W13 D12 L9 F35 A33 GD+2 Pt51 Po7 - PL SUSPENDED, record @ 8/7/20
13/14 to 18/19 - not a PL club.

FA CUP; from 13/14 - s-f, 1st rnd, 3rd rnd, 2nd rnd, 5th rnd, 3rd rnd, q-f.
LEAGUE CUP; from 13/14 - 4th rnd, s-f, 2nd rnd, 1st rnd, 2nd rnd, 1st rnd, 3rd rnd.
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Sheff Utd - home, Falmer years:
Championship - no meetings.

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Previous EFL: 12 seasons from 1999 - 2011.
See Withdean Era tab & Clubs scroll in Archive:
Seasons 4 02/3, 6 04/5, 7 05/6 - Championship.

Sheff Utd - Away, Falmer Years: 19/20 Prem, season9.

United @ Home:
19/20 - P17 W9 D3 L5 F21 A14 GD+7 Pt30 Po7 = 1.76pt/gm or 58.8% of total points. Wins = 52.9%, Loss = 29.4% - Chris Wilder. record @ 8/7/20.
13/14 to 18/19 - not Premier League.

Season9 3rd Premier League (A) Sat 22/2/20 - 1-1 ~ Maupay.
This PL fixture was scheduled following the new winter break. We'd not met Blades here since those earlier times of level2 matches back in the noughties, so hoped it had been worth the extra wait, both short (in Prem days) & long (in football years). Albion were struggling again this term in another bid to beat the drop, while Blades were going great guns in their first season at elite level since long lost days of yore. On the road Brighton were pretty dismal with a record of w2 d3 l8 f14 a24 gd-10. Apart from a four goal beating at Man City early in the campaign, other defeats had been by the odd goal or two. Unfortunately scoring goals consistently was a problem yet to be overcome. And keeping clean sheets also seemed difficult to boot. Graham Potter had tried numerous shapes & tactics and was never shy of changing things around during play but so far had not found a working method to get vital goals and wins. BHA were short on striker options, so had to rely on other players getting goals to supplement meagre ongoing totals. Performances varied regularly and fans were never quite sure what to expect on any given appearance. Albion were often chasing the game, which more or less decided allocation of points from that initial opening score. That said, there was still hope today somehow would be a going one... survival depended on it after all.
In the event Albion rescued a point from a hard fought battle. They went back to basics, packed defence as in Chris Hughton's reign and held out against the odds. United opened the scoring with a snap shot following a corner (26min). Very soon afterwards Maupay levelled it when heading home from a f-k that was nodded back across the area (30 min). Potter put on two attacking subs and went to 433 for last phases of a dour contest. Blades continued to cut & thrust but visitors parried all further blows by putting bodies on the line. Potter was pleased with the performance and said, 'we are now fighting for everything.' Travelling support were realistic about todays outcome and happy not to have got beat again. Brighton fans checked other results and found BHA had gained a little bit on lesser rivals who had lost. It is never over until it is but so far so good and all to play for.
Stats: shape 352-532, ht 1-1, goals 26-30, poss 67%-33%, on target 3-2, off target 6-4, blocks 5-2, o/s 3-2, crosses 48-6, corners 12-2, tackles 15-14, fouls 3-6, yellows 0-2, subs 3-3. MoM - Dunk. Gate - 31,888, away 2863. Weather - wet.
1 Ryan, 21 Schelotto (11 Trossard 75), 15 Webster, 4 Duffy, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn, 18 Mooy, 8 Bissouma Y, 24 Propper Y, 17 Murray (44 Connolly 75), 7 Maupay (30 Bernardo 93). Subs - 27 Button, 13 Gross, 16 Jahanbakhsh, 20 March.
Squad - 3 Lamptey, 10 Mac Allister, 22 Montoya, 25 Kayal, 46 Alzate. Injured - 6 Stephens, 19 Izquierdo.
Prem: P27 . W4 D6 L3 . F17 A14 . W2 D4 L8 . F15 A25 . Pt28 Po15 = 1.03pt/gm. Wins = 22.2%, Loss = 40.7%
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Sheff Utd - away, Falmer years:
Championship - no meetings.

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See Withdean Era tab & Clubs scroll in Archive:
Seasons 4 02/3, 6 04/5, 7 05/6 - Championship.
Last there - 21/1/06 Championship.