Two minute guide to: Sheff Utd
Here’s our brief guide to Port Vale’s final home game of the season – Friday’s fixture against Sheffield United.
Port Vale
Manager: Micky Adams
Last game: 0-1 vs Rotherham
Form: L-W-L-W-W
Top scorer: Pope (16)
Sheff Utd
Manager: Nigel Clough
Last game: 0-0 vs Tranmere
Form: D-W-L-W-D
Top scorer: Porter (9)
Team news
Jordan Hugill: set to start the match
Vale have an injury crisis and the fitness of Richard Duffy really holds the key to Vale’s formation. If Duffy is fit then he’ll play in defence – if not, then Vale will have to draft either winger Ryan Lloyd or youngster Nathan Smith into their back four. Sheffield United trio Michael Doyle, Stefan Scougall and Jose Baxter could all return to the starting line-up.
Possible Vale starting XI:
Johnson
Yates Duffy Robertson Dickinson
Lloyd Knott Lines Dodds
Williamson Hugill
Pre-match quotes
Micky Adams: He’s not bitter
“I think my mum is more upset than I am. I also have a brother who is Sheffield United mad. He moans about Sheffield United managers, players, goalkeepers – so you can imagine what it was like when I was manager there – he wasn’t happy with me. It is a club I wish well. I don’t hold grudges and I am not bitter. If they hadn’t sacked me I wouldn’t have got a promotion at Vale. So I am happy with that. ”
– Micky Adams
“It will be a tough clash, Micky Adams has done a fantastic job in getting Vale comfortably into the top half following promotion from League Two and he is a manager that I respect. They have had a lot of well documented problems in recent times, but Micky has assembled a very competitive squad that has proved it is good enough to compete at this level. It should be a good game and I fully expect Vale to go all out for the win, just like ourselves.”
– Nigel Clough
Adam Yates: scored his fourth Vale goal
Last time we met
Dan Jones was sent-off and Adam Yates scored a rare goals as Vale lost 2-1 at Bramall Lane.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 5
- Sheff Utd wins: 21
- Draws: 9
Did you know?
Vale have to go right back to 1983, a run of eight games, for their last home league win over the Blades. However, the Valiants did defeat United 2-1 in the Carling Cup in 2009.
Highlights
Action from Vale’s defeat earlier in the season.
Any other business
Vale will parade their new first-team kit this evening.