Old pal's words fall on deaf ears as hot-shot Billy opts for the Blades

HAD Andy Keogh's powers of persuasion been as strong as those he possesses in and around the penalty box, then Billy Sharp would have been sporting the famous gold and black strip of Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow.

But, as events of the summer demonstrated, the lure of pulling on the shirt of the club he supported as a boy proved an even more tempting prospect for Bramall Lane’s favourite son than the chance to rekindle the partnership which catapulted both men to prominence during their time together at Glanford Park.

So Sharp, still searching for his first senior goal in Sheffield United colours, and Keogh, who spent the close season trying to convince his friend that his career would be best served by moving to Molineux, will spend the game on opposite sides of the footballing divide as they attempt to inspire a result which, while unlikely to be decisive in terms of the Championship table, would certainly see the victor land a telling psychological blow.

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If Sharp’s confidence is fragile, (and his demeanour during pre-match press conferences suggests otherwise), then adding his name to the scoresheet during Tuesday’s reserve-team win at Rotherham will have gone a long way towards repairing the damage.

Despite being asked to patrol the space behind James Beattie, the most expensive acquisition of Bryan Robson’s recent recruitment drive, Sharp remains a predator who does his best work in front of goal.

The problem Keogh will pose United’s defenders is more subtle.

On paper, Wales international Fredy Eastwood presents the biggest threat having hit the target three times in three league starts.

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But a closer inspection of Wolves’ early-season form reveals that Keogh, not the former Southend centre-forward, is the man who makes Mick McCarthy’s side tick.

He can lay claim to every one of those assists.

“Billy and I actually clicked a bit quicker together but it is going well with Freddy,” Keogh said. “We will get better and better too.

“Scoring is obviously that little bit better than making a goal but I know when I’ve played my part and if I’ve helped when we’ve scored then I am happy.

“I have just tried to pick up where I left off last season. I’ve been setting them up - all I need to do now is catch up with Freddy and score a few myself.”

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Keogh played second fiddle to Sharp at Scunthorpe as the latter scored a remarkable 56 goals in two seasons, but his own tally of 23 goals in 23 months should serve as a warning that his talents extend far beyond providing solid support for the headline act.

However, his presence in South Yorkshire is far from guaranteed following McCarthy’s admission that the latest round of Euro 2008 qualifiers could force him to delve deep into his squad before deciding which 16 names he will be scribbling on the team sheet.

The last mass exodus from Wolves’ Sir Jack Hayward training complex culminated in a lethargic display against Blackpool in the league and McCarthy is understandably keen to avoid a repeat performance against more powerful opposition.

“We’ll be waiting to get our lads back from all over the world and hoping there is a clean bill of health,” he said.

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“But it can be a real concern – we saw against Blackpool a few weeks ago that there were several who’d been away on international duty who looked like they’d been away.

“And this time is just the same as against Blackpool – we’ve got only a day to prepare. And when you run through the Sheffield United side, they haven’t had many go away on international duty.

“So, yes ,I will consider resting some of them. It is something I’ve thought long and hard about since the last game, and it is a squad game.”

While Robson plots how to cut Keogh’s supply lines, United and Wolves are busy drawing battle lines away from Bramall Lane.

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Both clubs are rumoured to be considering bids to sign Aston Villa defender Gary Cahill on loan, and Martin O’Neill’s admission that several of his fringe players are set to be made available for temporary transfer will provide plenty of encouragement.

“It wouldn’t surprise me that clubs were looking at us thinking that, because we’ve signed a player or two, someone might be available,” O’Neill said.

“I’ll not make any promises because we haven’t got the biggest squad, but I wouldn’t mind some people getting some games. But it also depends on other things such as whether I knew the manager concerned and knew they’d be looked after.”

If Cahill does feature on Robson’s wish-list, the visit of Wolves represents the perfect opportunity to show O’Neill that Bramall Lane would provide the perfect environment for his England U-21 international’s talents to flourish.