Sheffield United

West Bromwich Albion will be hoping to avoid the drop into the relegation zone when they make the trip to see Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Baggies are just one point above the relegation line as it stands and could drop into the bottom three should Oxford United beat Preston North End on Friday.

If the U's fail, then Albion will still need to be wary of Leicester hovering just below, meaning the only way to guarantee safety is to claim victory at Bramall Lane.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last four home league matches against West Brom (W3 D1) since losing 2-1 in December 2018.

• West Brom are looking for their first league double over Sheffield United since the 1997-98 campaign.

• Since the last international break in November, no side has won more Championship matches than Sheffield United (12), while only Sheffield Wednesday (0) have fewer wins in that time than West Brom (3).

• West Brom are winless in 11 league games, their worst run since going 13 without a win between July and November 2020.

• Gustavo Hamer has assisted a goal in each of his last eight home Championship starts for Sheffield United (nine assists). Since 2013-14 when Opta began recording Championship assists, this is the longest run of any player.

Image source, Shutterstock

Earlier we asked what you make of the news that, from next season, the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include the teams finishing seventh and eighth?

It was announced on Thursday morning that EFL clubs voted in favour of expanding the play-offs from four to six teams.

Here's a selection of your comments...

Josh, Derby: I don't believe this is necessary. I do think that the play-off format should be aligned throughout the top five leagues, but expanding isn't needed. Better distribution of the monies involved and establishing a clear matchday structure to balance various men's and women's leagues would be a better use of everyone's time. This strikes me undue American influence.

Callum, Dartford: I think it's a good thing so teams can push for promotion that thought they wouldn't get near the play-offs.

Cato, Sheffield: If we adopted it to this season, it means that eighth-placed Derby (on 51 points) have about as much a chance of going up as third-placed Millwall (on 63 points). Plus, to accommodate the extra games, would they extend the season into June? I don't like the idea of it at all, and I hope it's short-lived.

Steve, London: Another example of football being ruined, week by week. Don't you dare think about implementing VAR too.

Mark, Stafford: As a Stoke fan, I think it's good news. The season has come to a grinding halt due to being decimated by injuries. Add to that, the quality of what is coming down from the Premier League, it would mean upsets can happen and still allow teams in that mid-table race to dream of greater heights!

Richard, Stansted: Absolutely ridiculous. What is the point of a league format if you are going to make it a bigger lottery to include even more teams at the end of the season? It also brings teams that are even less ready to actually be in the Premier League into scope. But mostly it's the undermining of the league format which makes no sense. I'm a Derby fan - and we look like we would have a chance of benefiting from this if it were in place this season.

Andy, Nuneaton: Anything that expands the opportunities for those outside of the parachute teams is a good thing. We need to get away from this elite view of the Premier League. If it was up to them, they'd stop automatic promotion and relegation and have a system like Rugby Union, where it's based on meeting certain criteria. The eighth-placed club in the Championship getting to the PL? Bring it on!

Ron, Hayling: Money, Money, Money. Players complain about the amount of games they play with the league games and cup competitions so the intention is to play even more at the end of the season. Owners will make some money but that's all that matters!

Barry, Dartford: Yes it's a fantastic for everyone, all the small teams as well as the big boys, to have something to play for. It will give the end of the season something to look forward to.

Benjamin, Poole: I'm a Charlton fan, so it's unlikely we'll come 8th in the Championship any time soon, however, this is ridiculous. More pandering to Americans to make it more likely they'll make money, which is the only thing they care about. Sporting integrity out of the window again. Shame as I felt the Championship was the last bastion of quality and integrity combined. Game has gone.

Broughton, Derby: Absolute ridiculous, put it back to the old days of three straight up, no play-offs. If you don't make top-three you don't deserve to go up.

Julian, London: The worst decision from a footballing point of view ever! The National League teams have been trying to change their system to be like the current EFL system so it seems a very strange decision for the EFL to take. You can finish 8th after 46 games and still get promoted - sporting integrity has been totally lost with this decision. Money over integrity every time!

Image source, PA Media

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was delighted with his players' response as they beat QPR 2-0 at MATRADE Loftus Road.

Callum O'Hare and Tyrese Campbell scored to put the Blades 2-0 up at half-time and they have won five of their last eight Championship games.

Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: "We didn't get what we deserved on Wednesday night. That was, you know, a top performance bar seven or eight minutes, it really was.

"I think you know, when we when reviewed it and watched it back about two or three times, you can see why everybody was frustrated. I was frustrated and the players were because we should have got more from that game.

"We talked about it afterwards and I said we have to learn from that.

"They were a bit flat on Thursday, I got into them and they were really good on Friday, as bright as a button.

"We obviously got off to a perfect start here in terms of getting two up at half-time and it was a very well controlled, clinical away performance. Overall, the attitude of the group was great."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says his team "have to put a run together if they want to get something out of the season".

The Blades are nine points adrift of the play-off spots with 12 games remaining and face 14th-placed QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

"We need another big performance. We're at the business end of the season. We understand where we want to be," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"The players understand that. We've got to put a run together. We did it last season."

United put together two lengthy unbeaten runs in the 2024-25 campaign - one which lasted nine games (W6 D3) and another 11-match streak (W9 D2).

Wilder has challenged the squad to do something similar if they are to have a late push towards the top six.

"It can happen and it can happen in this division," Wilder added.

"It's not the Premier League where all of a sudden the fixture list sticks an Arsenal in there or a Man City - or even other clubs - so you can do that.

"I think the difference maybe last season was that defensively in those key moments we saw teams off. So when we're suffering, we have to defend those moments a little bit better.

"But we've got the opportunity, we've got the ability in the group to go and win games of football and we understand that.

"If we want to get something out of season, we've got to go and attack the game [at QPR] and go and win it."

Image source, Getty Images

QPR and Sheffield United will seek to keep their fading play-off hopes alive when they meet on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The R's are 14th, two points and two places above the Blades, after following-up their fine win at Hull last Saturday with a humbling 5-0 reverse at Southampton on Tuesday night.

United are nine points behind sixth-placed Wrexham with a dozen games remaining after Sunday's Steel City derby win was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to leaders Coventry on Wednesday night.

• QPR have won just one of their past 10 league games against Sheffield United (D3 L6), a 1-0 away win in October 2022.

• Sheffield United have won three of their past four away league games against QPR (D1), as many as they had in their previous 15 (D4 L8).

• QPR have alternated between victory (3) and defeat (3) in their past six home league games, losing 3-1 against Blackburn Rovers last time out.

• Since the start of April 2025, only West Bromwich Albion (14) have lost more away games in the Championship than Sheffield United (13).

• Sheffield United's Patrick Bamford has faced QPR more often without registering a single goal or assist than any other side in his English league career (6).

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was left frustrated with his side's defending as they threw away a lead to lose at home to leaders Coventry.

Harrison Burrows drove the Blades ahead but Coventry rallied to score twice in five minutes through Haji Wright and Jack Rudoni to leave United nine points short of the play-off places.

Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: "It was a really good performance for large parts but the naivety for the two goals was incredible. We should be up at half-time, the tone and feel of the stadium was really good and we had them on the back foot.

"We went toe-to-toe and got ahead but the manner of the goals we conceded was so naive. We were wide open for the first and then we turn our back on the second one. The game turned on its head.

"We had to be smart and manage the game and we didn't do that. I feel for the players, but it's just happened too many times this season. We have nearly been good enough."

Image source, Rex Features

Sheffield United's Harrison Burrows says he is getting back to his best after a sticky patch at Bramall Lane.

The 24-year-old, who enjoyed a fine first season with the Blades last year after joining from Peterborough United, lost his starting place at the beginning of October after a dip in confidence.

But, restored to the left-back spot by Chris Wilder and buoyed by his goal against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, Burrows believes he is nearing top form again.

"I've not been in the best form of my career so it has been about conversations and just reminding myself of the player that I am and getting back to the level that I know I can get to," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Reminding myself in my own head of what a player I was last year and what I can achieve and what I want the end of my career to look like... That's the motivation to me."

Burrows' goal - his second of the season - helped United to a 2-1 derby win which leaves them 14th and six points outside the play-off positions ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Championship leaders Coventry at Bramall Lane (19:45 GMT).

"Our goal is to get into the play-offs and we're going to keep working as hard as we can and strive for it," added Burrows.

Image source, Opta

Sheffield United will seek to continue their climb up the Championship table when leaders Coventry visit on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

The Blades are 14th, as high as they have been all season, and just six points behind the play-off spots after Sunday's 2-1 derby win over Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane, which made it 13 points from their past six matches for the Blades.

Coventry have restored a three-point advantage at the top and a nine-point cushion in the race for automatic promotion courtesy of back-to-back wins over closest challengers Middlesbrough and Saturday's 2-0 win at lowly West Brom.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their past seven home league games against Coventry (W5 D2) since a 2-1 loss in February 2013.

• Following their 3-1 win in November, Coventry are looking to complete the league double over Sheffield United for the first time since 2001/02.

• Sheffield United have won four of their eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games this season (D1 L3), scoring exactly three goals in each victory.

• Coventry are unbeaten in their past eight midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) league games (W6 D2), since a 2-0 loss at Derby in March last season.

• Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has won all three of his home league games against Coventry by an aggregate score of 6-1.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder credited his team's fast start for winning the Steel City derby.

Goals from Patrick Bamford and Harrison Burrows inside the opening 20 minutes set the platform for the 2-1 win that relegated Wednesday to League One.

It was the fourth time in their past eight league matches at Bramall Lane that they have been two up by the interval.

"We blew them away with a big start," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"We talked about our start against Stoke, Leicester, Birmingham, Ipswich and even Middlesbrough - they're top sides - and we blew the opposition away.

"After that 20, 25-minute period, we started taking an extra touch or looking for that killer ball too much instead of what we'd done in the first 20 minutes, which was to open them up and give them no opportunities to get a foothold in the game."

But rather than go on and secure a commanding victory, Kalvin Phillips' dismissal reduced them to 10 men before Charlie McNeill pulled a goal back for the Owls.

Wilder said: "We spoke at half-time about the eventualities of what can happen if we don't approach it in the right way. We talked before about how we're in complete control of this day and if we lose control, they're game and have a puncher's chance.

"And we gave them an opportunity with a decision Kalvin made. You can't say it was anything but a red card, and on top of that, a great finish to get them back in the game. Then it was game on.

"Then we had to show the different qualities, even though they never really opened us up apart from a couple of little forays we dealt with comfortably."