Daily Mirror - 17.08.2019

17.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR

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Name v Name

Name v Name

Championship: 3pm

Championship: 3pm

BLACKBURN v M’BORO

BRISTOL CITY v QPR

WOODY PURRS

OVER MOGGY

BY IAN MURTAGH

JONATHAN WOODGATE will square

up to one of his heroes when Boro

visit Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn.

Former Boro favourite Mowbray

shaped Woodgate (above) as a

footballer and in management.

“Tony’s been a hero at this club,”

said the rookie boss. “When I used

to go to Ayresome Park, it was

Mowbray and Gary Pallister at the

back. Pally was a big Rolls-Royce of

a defender but Moggy was the

organiser and leader.

“During my last spell here as a

player, I loved going into his office

and talking football with him. He

always thought I’d be a manager

and was always trying to help me.”

LEE IN SPOT

OF REVENGE

BY RICHARD LATHAM

LEE JOHNSON is confident of an

immediate revenge mission today.

City’s head coach lost a penalty

shoot-out after the teams

drew 3-3 at QPR in the

Carabao Cup on

Tuesday.

Johnson (right)

said: “I want to see a

positive, aggressive,

front-foot response.

“Now we have the chance to

build a settled side and I want to

make our home ground here at

Ashton Gate a fortress.”

IN ASSOCIATION

WITH

e

be down to work and our

focus is on getting that first

Premier League win.”

Oliver Norwood captained

United last week and he was

thrilled to fulfil Sir Alex Fergu-

son’s prediction that he would

play in the Premier League.

“Whether he meant it, I don’t

know,” said the

midfielder, re-

leased by Fer-

gie in 2012.

“But they

were very

kind words

from a man

of his stat-

ure.”

I think that comes with his re-

sponsibilities as a captain and

a leader. But still you see a little

bit of edge in him when he’s get-

ting stripped off, as if to say

‘I’m going to show you’.”

Managing United

in the Premier

League at Bramall

Lane will also be

special for lifelong

Blade Wilder, who

played for them in the

top flight under Dave

Bassett. “Possibly when I walk

out at five to two, there will be

part of me which will go ‘Yeah,

this is fantastic’ as I have a look

round,” he said. “But then it will

in that dressing room who have

no connection with Sheffield

United at all.”

Sharp was fired up by being

axed against Bourne-

mouth after top-scor-

ing in last season’s

promotion-win-

ning campaign

with 24 goals.

And Wilder

(right, celebrating

promotion) loved his

response. “I’m not sur-

prised by his reaction,” said

Wilder. “Maybe the Billy Sharp

of five or 10 years ago might

have been a bit different and I

think that comes from maturity.

rate to lead them out

t Crystal Palace tomorrow.

Wilder says he cannot let

dgment be affected by

on. “No, there can be no

for sentiment,” said the

d boss. “I’ve got to pick the

team. They all recognise

t a popularity contest. I’ve

pick a side and not from

ment.

y is pushing on the door

se he’s been outstanding

e. Not because he used to

lf a mile away and played

nior Blades and came

gh the system.

at connection is brilliant,

ve got passionate players

striker Sharp: You may be Sheffield Utd through

ut I will pick the team on ability..not sentiment

BY DAVID ANDERSON

CHRIS WILDER is determined to

banish the memory of Sheffield

United’s last Premier League game

at Bramall Lane in 2007.

United lost to Wigan on the final

day, a result which saw them

relegated after just one season in

the top fight. Neil Warnock quit as

manager and Phil Jagielka left.

Ironically, Wigan’s winning

goalscorer that final day, David

Unsworth (above), had missed a pen

for the Blades against Blackburn

earlier that season which would

have kept them up.

United were furious that

they went down instead of

West Ham, who were found guilty

over the Carlos Tevez affair,

and eventually agreed a

£20million out-of-court

settlement with them.

Lifelong Blade

Wilder remembers

that horrible

May day (left)

and says he

hopes only

good times lie

ahead. “It was a

dark day,” said the

United boss.

“A lot of football

clubs have dark days, a

lot of football clubs go

through poor periods in

their history, and we

certainly have done that.

“We like to think the

sun is shining at the

moment for us. We don’t

want to return to those

dark days.”

OUT OF

DARKNESS, A

CHRIS OF LIFE

BOURNE ULTIMATUM

Billy Sharp sealed a point at the

Vitality, but he’s not a cert to start