'You knew' - Mark Robins gives verdict on Sheffield United and Chris Wilder ahead of Stoke City clash
Sheffield United will be hoping to stretch their winning run to four matches against Stoke City on Saturday.
Stoke City manager Mark Robins has admitted he is not surprised to be coming up against a rejuvenated Sheffield United ahead of Saturday’s Championship tussle at Bramall Lane.
The Blades will welcome the Potters to S2 with the ambition of stretching their winning run to four matches after scoring three goals for the third successive game against Leicester City last time out, winning 3-2 at the King Power Stadium.
United have turned a corner since the November international break, chalking up three successive victories for the first time since February, meaning they have climbed out of the relegation zone.
Following Chris Wilder’s return to the club in September, United have slowly started to find their feet again, meaning their disastrous start to the campaign under Rubén Sellés is starting to become a distant memory.
Flourishing under Wilder’s management in the past, Robins, who has overseen an excellent job at Stoke so far this term, is not surprised by the progress the Blades have made in recent weeks, admitting it would be a “brilliant start” to a busy period for his team if they were to leave Bramall Lane with a positive result in the bag.
Robins expecting stern Bramall Lane test
"To channel frustration is something that is probably going to be there, anyway," Robins told Stoke's in-house media, reflecting on how his players might react to last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Hull City.
"We know we are playing against a really good team with some good players that were in the play-off final last year and were really unlucky not to go up. They were two goals up and there was a goal disallowed in that play-off final, so they were really, really close. Then obviously things have changed and there was a bit of turmoil in the first few weeks of the season.
"Chris has come back in and he is an experienced head. He is somebody who has mad major success, not just at that football club but at others that he has been at.
"You knew that was going to turn round. They have won three on the bounce now and they will be buoyed by that.
"We have had some really good performances, but have not picked the results up that we felt we should have had. That has got to change and got to turn round.
"To go up there and get a result would be a brilliant start to a three-game week."