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One thing we will definitely be hoping for today is to still have eleven players on the pitch at the end of the game. Three times in five away league games this season we've seen defenders sent off and we will see the result of the latest of those with Clarke Carlisle out of the game suspended.
Brian Laws has referred to getting a monkey off the back and he's right, we really do need to get that first away win of the season as soon as possible. We won just once away from home last season and even in the previous, promotion, season we won just twice in the last eleven league games and none in the last five.
We've done OK so far but it is the home form keeping us up in the top six, but we need to improve on three points from five away games, our return so far. Maybe we've had our good fortune at home (Bristol City game apart) but we've certainly not had it on the road. Could it come at, of all places, Bramall Lane?
It's been all change at Sheffield United since the beginning of the season. Last season saw them finish eighth in the table and five points behind Blackpool who took the last play off place. Hopes were high that this season would see them push back into that top six.
They were given what has proved to be a tough start to this season with the first two games against Cardiff and QPR who currently occupy the top two places. A creditable draw in Cardiff on the opening weekend was followed by a 3-0 home defeat against QPR and of course former manager Neil Warnock.
That was enough for the board and in the aftermath of that QPR defeat, virtually after the final whistle, they dispensed with the services of manager Kevin Blackwell who had been in charge since the dismissal of Bryan Robson in early 2008.
Gary Speed was the man to take over. He'd been looking to get into management and might well have become the Swansea boss in the summer but the Bramall Lane board wouldn't give him permission to speak to them, but Blackwell's coach has been entrusted with the job and, like his predecessor, works alongside former Burnley assistant manager Sam Ellis.
It's been an up and down start for Speed with three of his league games in charge won and four lost. All three of the victories have been by a 1-0 margin against Preston, Derby and Portsmouth.
Like Burnley, Sheffield United will be one short through suspension. Jamie Ward, sent off against us at Wembley, will serve the last of a three game suspension after being sent off against Leeds.
Kyle Bartley is also expected to remain on the sidelines with a fractured cheekbone but there is good news for them with Chris Morgan back after a hamstring injury and Ched Evans expected to be fit. Both were on the bench last time out with Evans getting on for the last 20 minutes.
Morgan and Evans coming back are certainly two changes they are expected to make from the side that lost to Watford two weeks ago which was: Steve Simonsen, Stephen Jordan, Nyron Nosworthy, Nick Montgomery, Johnny Ertl, Daniel Bogdanovic, Mark Yeates, Jean Calve, Richard Cresswell, Ritchie De Laet, Stephen Quinn. Subs: Richard Wright, Chris Morgan, Leon Britton, Andy Taylor, Matthew Lowton, Jordan Slew, Ched Evans.
Brian Laws had to make two changes in the centre of his defence within the first fifteen minutes of the last game at Millwall. This time any changes have to be made ahead of kick off with Clarke Carlisle ruled out for the first of three games and Andre Bikey rated doubtful.
The squad could be somewhat depleted with Kevin McDonald now having gone out to Scunthorpe on loan and both Michael Duff and Brian Easton looking as though they could be ruled out with injury.
I'm expecting Bikey to be fit and for Leon Cort to come in for Carlisle. Cort for Carlisle could be the only change to the team that did so well to come home from Millwall with a point.
Burnley could line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Leon Cort, Andre Bikey, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Wade Elliott, Dean Marney, Jay Rodriguez, Chris Iwelumo, Chris Eagles. Subs: Lee Grant, Richard Eckersley, David Edgar, Graham Alexander, Ross Wallace, Martin Paterson, Steven Thompson.
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We arrived there knowing Clarke Carlisle was out but both Chris McCann and Jay Rodriguez were missing too. We'd just about sorted out the team when Michael Duff, out there warming up, picked up an injury and you sensed another disappointing day there when we saw the team. To fill in for Duff, who was to replace Carlisle at centre-half, Stephen Jordan (who will be on the other side today) moved into the centre. Graham Alexander had to take the left-back slot and that left Wade Elliott having to fill in at right-back in a 4-4-2 formation.
Such was the shortage of players that Remco van der Schaaf was named as a substitute but no one actually saw him on the touchline.
We'd beaten Arsenal in the Carling Cup just days before and we were given a wonderful reception by the home club as we came out onto the pitch.
Sheffield United started well and scored after just two minutes through Billy Sharp. On a day of some poor decisions, the assistant got it wrong and flagged it offside when he was clearly onside. An early let off for us.
After a nervy start we got into the game and took the lead. Robbie Blake's corner was headed on by Steven Thompson for Martin Paterson to net from close in. It was nearly two soon after when Chris Eagles came close.
It remained 1-0 until ten minutes before half time when Sharp well and truly got his own back. How on earth the same assistant referee fell for his dive over Brian Jensen is hard to believe, but he did and James Beattie brought the home side level from the spot.
We were back in front by half time and again through a penalty. Eagles went down in a challenge with Gary Naysmith and Graham Alexander made no mistake to restore the lead ahead of half time.
The Clarets were the better side for much of the second half, taking the game to the home side with Blake and more so Eagles causing them a lot of problems. So it came as a surprise when Blake was taken off with twenty minutes to go, and a bigger surprise when Alex MacDonald was his replacement for his first action of the season.
Soon after Sheffield United were almost level. Jensen came for a ball and got nowhere near. Thankfully Joey Gudjonsson was on the line to head clear and almost immediately after that escape we doubled our lead.
Eagles, having his best game in a Burnley shirt, scored a brilliant third goal, the first time we'd scored three goals there in 89 years.
Surely it was all over now. No, it wasn't and they got a late consolation from a Stephen Quinn free kick that had us all biting our nails. Thankfully they didn't get another and the win was ours, our first of three against them in the season.
The teams were;
Sheffield United: Paddy Kenny, Kyle Naughton, Matthew Kilgallon, Chris Morgan, Gary Naysmith, Greg Halford (David Cotterill 45), Matthew Spring (Anthony Stokes 62), Brian Howard, Stephen Quinn, Billy Sharp (Darius Henderson 62), James Beattie. Subs not used: Ugo Ehiogu, Danny Webber.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Wade Elliott, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Chris Eagles, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Robbie Blake (Alex MacDonald 68), Martin Paterson (Ade Akinbiyi 85), Steven Thompson. Subs not used: Diego Penny, Remco van der Schaaf, Alan Mahon.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1992/93 | FAC | a | 2-2 | 23,041 | Heath(2) |
| . | . | h | 2-4 | 19,061 | Heath Monington |
1994/95 | 1 | h | 4-2 | 11,475 | Robinson Hoyland Davis Gayle |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 13,349 | . |
2000/01 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 16,635 | Payton(2 1pen) |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 20,013 | . |
2001/02 | 1 | h | 2-0 | 13,166 | Taylor Cook |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 19,003 | . |
2002/03 | 1 | h | 0-1 | 12,868 | . |
| . | . | a | 2-4 | 17,359 | Taylor Blake |
2003/04 | 1 | a | 0-1 | 20,967 | . |
. | . | h | 3-2 | 11,452 | Blake(2 1pen) I Moore |
2004/05 | C | h | 1-1 | 16,956 | Hyde |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 19,374 | Akinbiyi |
2005/06 | C | h | 1-2 | 11,802 | Akinbiyi |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 23,118 | . |
2007/08 | C | a | 0-0 | 25,306 | . |
| . | . | a | 1-2 | 11,693 | Cole |
2008/09 | C | a | 3-2 | 24,702 | Paterson Alexander(pen) Eagles |
. | . | h | 1-0 | 14,884 | Paterson |
. | PO | h | 1-0 | 80,518 | Elliott |