Blades must bounce back
Both Forest and Blades began the season with a one-goal defeat, but the mood around them felt very different. Forest were at Arsenal and missed a terrific early chance to take the lead, then crafted a lovely counterattacking goal to give their more illustrious opponents a late scare. Blades, on the other hand, lost at home to Crystal Palace – the kind of game they need to win just to have a chance of staying up – so will be desperate for points and a performance this time. And they have a better chance of securing them than they did, having added Tom Davies and Gus Hamer to their squad during the last week. Aged 25 and 26 respectively, both men are ready to hit their peak, with Davies’s leadership, energy and composure complementing Hamer’s guile, imagination and risk-taking. Suddenly, Blades’ midfield looks a better proposition and though who scores for them remains a mystery, their strikers should, at least, be able to rely on something resembling service. Daniel Harris
