Sheffield United and Burnley sent huge promotion warning as Watford edge into automatic race

Both United and leaders Burnley continued their good recent form by adding three more points at the weekend, going 11 and 16 points clear of third place. After Blackburn Rovers’ 4-0 defeat at United’s South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United earlier in the day, Watford took advantage and beat Blackpool 2-0 to take their place in third.

Slaven Bilic’s side have hardly been in the best form of late, the Blackpool victory only their third in their last seven league games with an FA Cup defeat to Reading thrown in. But the former West Bromwich Albion manager is convinced that his side’s automatic promotion hopes are not yet over, firing a warning to both the Blades and Burnley not to take Premier League football for granted just yet.

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“If you ask me, there are definitely enough games and points left,” Bilic said. “This is the Championship and what we are trying to do doesn’t happen occasionally in the Championship. It happens every season.

“Somebody always makes a push. When I was at West Brom with about nine games to go I think we were eight points clear, and then Brentford started winning games like crazy.

“It wasn’t a one-off. Last season there was Forest and Bournemouth, the gap was unbelievable but then when they played each other with two games to go, if Forest had won they would have gone second. This sort of thing happens every season.

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"What we have to remember is that unfortunately, the gap is smaller to the teams who are behind us, but we don’t have to think that way.

“The players who are out now can’t wait to come back, and when they are back … I wouldn’t be afraid of playing any team. I say that with respect and it’s going to be hard. But I wouldn’t be afraid of any team in this division.”

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