Manager of the month Clough laughs off FA Cup favourites tag

NIGEL CLOUGH has bridled at talk that Sheffield United are the favourites ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Charlton.
League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)
League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)

The Blades may be aiming to become only the fourth third-tier side since the mid-eighties to reach the last four of the cup, but that hasn’t stopped many bookies favouring them over the higher-division Addicks.

Clough’s side have knocked out two Premier League clubs already in Aston Villa and Fulham, plus Nottingham Forest, but Clough - who was yesterday named manager of the month for League One - insists Charlton should still be priced at the shorter odds.

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And he insists the Londoners cannot play the underdog card they successfully employed in the last round - when they spoiled the hopes of an all-Steel City tie with a 2-1 win at Hillsborough.

League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)
League One manager of the month Nigel Clough of Sheffield United. (Picture: Nigel Roddis)

On the notion of the Blades being favourites, he said: “I would disagree with that. When you’re playing a team from the league above, that always takes precedent as to who’s favourites.

“I know we’re at home and that we’ve had some great results, but I think the Championship status makes them slight favourites.

“I think it suited Charlton that everyone was expecting Sheffield Wednesday to go through. I think that if people give them the underdog tag, then that suits them as well.

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“It’s a cup-quarter-final, the motivation won’t be any less, whoever we are playing. There’s a semi-final at stake and that’s the incentive. Whether we’re playing Charlton or Sheffield Wednesday.

“We have tried to say to them to go and enjoy it. That’s what we will try to do on Sunday.

You see teams that look happy and you can see teams that are not. I hope we look like a happy team.”

Victory on Sunday would see Clough join an exclusive band of managers who have taken sides at the third level into the last four of the cup.

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It was something last achieved in modern times by Lawrie Sanchez at Wycombe Wanderers in 2000-01 and prior to that by John Duncan at Chesterfield in 1996-97 and John Hore at Plymouth Argyle in 1983-84.

If he achieves that, many would see it as being akin to some of the triumphs of his late father Brian, although Clough jnr is focusing purely on achieving some worthwhile for United and is not even thinking about emulating his famous dad in any way.

He added: “I honestly don’t view it in those terms. I’m just trying to get to Wembley for Sheffield United and everything it would mean to everyone here, more than anything from the past. The present is all that matters.”

Clough has raided his former club Derby County to sign young defender Kieron Freeman on a month’s loan, following on from the recent capture of Ben Davies.

He is eligible for Sunday’s cup-tie.