Blackburn Rovers boss’s Sheffield United verdict and “50,000 fans” claim ahead of cup clash

Jon Dahl Tomasson has challenged his Blackburn Rovers to “write a new chapter” in the club’s history, ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final clash at fellow promotion-chasers Sheffield United on Sunday.

The two sides met at Ewood Park earlier this season, with Rovers winning 1-0, and go head-to-head again this weekend with a semi-final at Wembley potentially just 90 minutes away.

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Rovers have not played at the ‘new’ Wembley since it was rebuilt while United reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup as a League One side back in 2014.

Tomasson’s men have already won away at Norwich City, Birmingham City and Leicester City to reach this stage and the Dane understandably would have preferred a home tie in the last eight.

“It’s crazy isn’t it, with all these games away?” he said. “How’s that possible? We’ve done well away, but I’d rather have played at home.

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“I think our fans deserve a home game at this stage. On the other hand, we took to Leicester, where we played extremely well against a Premier League side, almost 3,000 supporters, and it sounded like 30,000.

“Now we’re bringing almost 6,000 to Sheffield. It would be great if they could make the sound of 50,000.”

Rovers have won the FA Cup six times, the last time in 1928, while United - whose last triumph was three years earlier - have lifted the famous old trophy on four occasions.

“It’s been an excellent run and we’re enjoying it,” Tomasson added. “Of course, we all know you can lose the next game. We beat Sheffield United at home, but it is of course one of those sides that need to go up.

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“If you look at the budget, the experience, how big the squad is and of course, parachute money, which is important in football isn’t it? We don’t have that here at the moment at Rovers.

“But on the other hand it’s also an opportunity for each player to write a new chapter in this great history and be part of a new history of the club. So it’s something we need to chase.

“There will only be one club winning the FA Cup in the end. We are not there, but we are allowed to dream about Wembley, for sure. Because just saying the word Wembley says enough about the passion and about this great competition.”