No sleeping on the job for Blades

CHRIS Armstrong has good reason to remember Blackpool - and not just because of a former teammate's unusual sleeping habits.

It was Bloomfield Road where the Sheffield United defender first road-tested the repair work surgeons had undertaken on his knee following an injury which threatened to nip his blossoming career in the bud.

The results were good and Armstrong returns tonight not only with a clean bill of health but also a season's worth of Premiership experience on his footballing CV.

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A positive result of a different kind for United will see them pass the first stage of the second big test Bryan Robson has set his team following Saturday's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Armstrong's appreciation of what lies in wait should help the manager fulfil his Tangerine dream.

"When I went to Blackpool (on loan) it was to see if my knee would stand up," Armstrong said, recollecting his convalescence on the Lancashire coast during the autumn of 2005.

"Thankfully it did and that's all behind me now.

"There was talk the chairman at the time there wanted to keep me but United weren't interested in doing a deal.

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"But that was where I set back on the road towards where I am know and so I'll always remember my time there fondly."

Apart from one unforgettable overnight stay in Colchester.

"I was rooming with Rory Prendergast who was a bit of a character but he also sleep-walked.

"He jumped right on me in the middle of the night and in the morning he couldn't remember a thing."

The faces at Blackpool may have changed since Armstrong left but the remarkable transformation in fortune they have enjoyed under Simon Grayson's stewardship confirms the same dogged attitude remains.

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Blackpool have lost just twice in over 20 outings -only Wolves have taken maximum points off them this term - and the form which catapulted them to promotion last season has lifted them to a seemingly improbable sixth in the Championship table - two places above the visitors.

Which suggests that United's search for a first away win in the league since regime change in May is unlikely to be a routine affair.

"We can't just rely on our home form to get us up and we need to improve away," Armstrong said.

"We've got to just make sure we work hard together and show the same resilience we did against Wolves.

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"I played in central midfield then because of a few injuries and, although I thought I did okay, I can't see myself staying there for the rest of the time.

"Colin Hendrie took me to Blackpool and I think I had one game under Simon.

"He's a honest manager who's straight with his players and so they'll be organised ."

But if United possess half the courage Armstrong has shown in the past 24 months victory should be assured.

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