City play their final game before the break against Yorkshire opposition
David Prutton believes Hull City’s lengthy list of ex-Sheffield United players will be keen to get one over their old club when the two Yorkshire rivals go head-to-head on Saturday lunchtime.
City welcome the Blades to the MKM Stadium looking for a first home win over the Steel City outfit in five attempts, and they’ll do so with no fewer than four ex-United players in their ranks.
Striker Oli McBurnie has bagged seven goals so far, while John Lundstram has impressed in recent weeks, and John Egan is celebrating a return to the Republic of Ireland fold for the first time in more than three years, while Regan Slater came through the club’s academy.
That added determination could work in City’s favour, according to Hull-born Prutton, who says City should embrace the game in a similar fashion to how they took apart Southampton a couple of weeks ago.
“Very much so (another big test of City’s credentials). It had to come at some stage (their first win), didn’t it, for the good of where Sheffield United’s season’s going to go, Chris (Wilder) talked about that first game that he saw against Charlton where, almost the players were trying too hard, which hampered any flow and fluidity,” he told the 1904 Club podcast. It’s imperative that City don’t go into it in any form of timid way.”
Wilder has revealed his frustration at how United passed up the chance to snap up McBurnie in the summer, with the striker making clear his desire to join City.
And in the early weeks of the season, his arrival has been a revelation for the Tigers. McBurnie’s brace on Tuesday night helped earn a 2-2 draw against Preston North End, having been two down inside 10 minutes.
“They’re the type of players that really want to go and show Sheff United what they’re missing,” he continued. “Absolutely, don’t they? I think that you look at the times, I mean, in particular (Oli) McBurnie and (John) Lundstram – I said this when John first came in, there was a period in the Premier League where John had been there a long time and Sander Berger was there as this big shiny bright (new thing).
“He was more effective than Sander Berger was for quite a period of time, I thought, for that Sheffield United side in the Premier League, so that you’d hope there’d be a driving force for that.
“The players there will be motivated enough to get something out of it. John Egan as well, they’d they’d be in that position where they’d want to show, give a good account of themselves. They’re all very well-liked former Sheff United players, so there is a nice undercurrent to the game.
“In the context of what the Championship season is, Chris (Wilder) will be looking to accrue those points as quickly as possible, make up for lost time with a quite ridiculously disastrous management appointment.
“From City, there should be confidence going into that game. Make no mistake, Sheff United aren’t back to where they were under Chris instantly.
“There’s a lot of work he’s got to get through to get that confidence back into a team which has been low on it and has been woefully underperforming.
“Yes, Ruben’s (Selles) got to take some responsibility for that, but it’s players that get managers sacked, and that team hasn’t played well enough to keep a manager in a job, so that’s their cross to bear, whether they’re bothered or not.
“I think it’s a cracking game in the offing. I think, given what City can do offensively, it’s what can they do to shore things up at the back?”
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