SHEFF UTD
16th in Premiership
with 24 points
Position achievable
after MatchDay 25:
Highest 16th - Lowest 17th
- SHEFFIELD UNITED and Fulham lie adjacent in the Premiership table at 16th and 15th respectively, but while the south Yorkshire side are looking over their shoulder towards the relegation zone with one win in six Premiership games, the Cottagers know if they could win rather than draw a League game for a change, it could catapult them into the top half.
- Although the Blades are yet to win in 2007, they've lost only one of their last five home League outings. They need maximum points to inject confidence and avoid being sucked into a relegation dogfight.
- The Blades are entertaining Fulham for the first time in the Premier League, and are chasing a first victory over the Londoners in five League meetings since a 2-0 victory at second League level on 28 December 1999.
- Lost double as many Premiership matches as won.
- Gained six top flight victories, but lost 12.
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FULHAM
15th in Premiership
with 29 points
Position achievable
after MatchDay 25:
Highest 10th - Lowest 15th
- FULHAM are now the Premiership's joint draw specialists with Aston Villa. Both have finished level 11 times, and six of the Cottagers' have been in the last six outings.
- The Londoners are therefore making a seventh attempt to gain their 50th Premiership maximum under Chris Coleman. But they've only managed one League victory on the road (at Newcastle), which replicates their performance in the last campaign when they only managed to gain a single League victory away from Craven Cottage all season (at Manchester City).
- The Cottagers go to South Yorkshire in search of a first away victory over Sheffield United in 22 years. They've not taken maximum points away from Bramall Lane since a 0-1 triumph in the second tier on 6 April 1985. That was also the last season Fulham 'doubled' the Blades. They've set up the possibility of achieving another after Jimmy Bullard secured the Cottagers' first win of the season in the reverse fixture in August.
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- Scored 19 Premiership goals. Only the attacking exploits of Watford (14) and West Ham (17) have been less effective.
- Premiership matches involving Sheffield United have generated 52 goals (19 for, 33 against) at an average of 2.17 goals per game. Only matches involving Watford (aggregate of 46) and Manchester City (47) have provided less value for money.
- Used more players in Premiership matches this season than any other club (29).
- All six League wins this season have been by a single goal.
- Beaten only Middlesbrough, Charlton and Arsenal in home League games this term.
- The next three games take in trips across the Pennines to Blackburn and Liverpool, either side of a home fixture with Tottenham.
- Rob HULSE is Sheffield United's leading scorer with six goals - all scored in the Premiership.
- Only Phil JAGIELKA has played every minute of every one of Sheffield United's Premiership matches this season.
- If he plays, Alan QUINN will be making his 250th career League appearance (Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Sheffield United).
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LAST CORRESPONDING LEAGUE (Championship) FIXTURE
Bramall Lane on 21 Nov 2000
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D'Jaffo 8
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Finnan 4 |
Tracey, Uhlenbeek, Murphy, Keith Curle, Quinn, Devlin, Santos, Brown, Woodhouse, D'Jaffo (Suffo, 68 ), Marcus Bent
Subs not used: Sandford, Ribeiro, Kelly, Montgomery, |
Maik Taylor, Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Coleman, Davis, Clark (Sahnoun, 71 ), Fernandes, Goldbaek (Trollope, 71 ), Hayles, Saha (Boa Morte, 61)
Subs not used Hahnemann, Symons, |
Yellow card:
Brown, Devlin, Keith Curle, Murphy, Santos, Uhlenbeek |
Yellow card:
Trollope |
| Red card: |
Red card: |
| Attendance: 16041 |
Referee:
P Rejer (Leamington Spa) |
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- Gained six Premiership victories this season (like Sheffield United), but lost only seven (unlike the Blades).
- Undefeated in seven Premiership matches - won one and drawn six since losing 4-0 at Liverpool on 9 December.
- Not lost in 10 in all competitions.
- The current tally of 29 points after 24 games is on a par with last season, when they eventually finished 12th.
- Without an away League victory in 10.
- Drawn seven and lost three top tier encounters on the road since their only away League victory at Newcastle on 9 September.
- Own the joint weakest away defence, having conceded 27 goals in 12 trips, as have Charlton.
- A home clash with Newcastle follows this, and an away trip to Bolton, before the FA Cup fifth round tie with Tottenham.
- Brian McBRIDE is Fulham's leading scorer, with 10 goals - seven in the Premiership.
- Only Liam ROSENIOR has been on the field for every minute of every one of Fulham's Premiership matches this season.
- If involved, Michael BROWN will be facing his former club. The 29 year old midfielder made 174 appearances and scored 35 goals for Sheffield United between December 1999 and January 2004, of which 151 appearances and 27 goals were in the Premiership.
- Should he participate, BROWN will be making his 100th career Premiership appearance.
- If selected in the 11, Brian McBRIDE will be making his 100th start for an English club (Preston, Everton and Fulham).
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| HEAD TO HEAD at SHEFF UTD |
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SHEFF U |
Draw |
FULHAM |
| League |
15 |
6 |
5 |
| Premier |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
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SHEFF U |
Draw |
FULHAM |
| League |
22 |
1 |
19 |
| Premier |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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