Sheffield United v Reading: Struggling Blades lose Montgomery

SHEFFIELD United captain Nick Montgomery has been ruled out of action for the next four to six weeks, delivering a major blow to the club’s battle for survival.

The Blades, who host Reading tonight at Bramall Lane, are already three points adrift of safety in the Championship and now enter a crucial run of fixtures against other teams in the relegation scrap.

Montgomery will definitely miss games against Crystal Palace, Scunthorpe United, Derby County and Portsmouth and is also unlikely to be available for games against Nottingham Forest, Watford and the Yorkshire derby against Leeds United.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Assistant manager Alan Cork revealed that Montgomery tore cartilage in a knee during the second half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Millwall at Bramall Lane.

The Leeds-born midfielder, 29, insisted on playing on but may have made things worse.

“It’s a real blow to lose ‘Monty’ because he works his socks off and wants to win every game.” said Cork. “He is a true Sheffield United player and that is what the crowd love about him. With Monty, what you see is what you get – every week – and he carries other people along with him.”

Montgomery has clocked up over 350 appearances for the Blades since making his debut as an 18-year-old over a decade ago and was appointed captain in November following the loss of defender Chris Morgan with a snapped cruciate ligament.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Manager Micky Adams has yet to confirm who will take over the captaincy tonight but Richard Cresswell and recent signing Michael Doyle are contenders.

Montgomery’s place in midfield will be filled by Lee Williamson who returns to the side after serving a one-game ban.

With only one victory in 13 games and none since the appointment of the new management, pressure is starting to build on the Blades but there are still 16 games left to save the club’s season.

Former Blades striker Cork returned to Bramall Lane this season after working previously alongside Adams at clubs including Brighton, Swansea and Leicester.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite the absence of a victory, he shares Adams’s view that the team is making progress and is due a change of luck after battling performances in the last three home games against Leicester City, Norwich City and Millwall.

He said: “Our performances are going in the right direction and we have been unlucky in the last three home games. Against Leicester, it should have been a win, against Norwich we should have won, on Saturday we should have won. Unfortunately, ‘should-haves’ get you relegated.

“We still have plenty of games to go and we have a big test against Reading. But, if we play the same way we have been playing, we might get our lucky break.”

The Blades are looking to strengthen in the loan market and the possible departure of striker Jamie Ward to Derby County would release funds. Ward, who has not been involved in the last two games, will be missing again tonight with Cork citing the player’s ‘lack of sleep’ following the birth of his son last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Former manager Dave Bassett, back with the club as a ‘football consultant’, will be playing a major role in any transfer negotiations.

Bassett has questioned the ambition of Adams’s predecessor Gary Speed, who quit to become manager of his native Wales.

“The international scene, in my opinion at least, is something that you look to get into 15 or 20 years down the line,” he said.

“Gary’s a really nice lad but surely, if you are ambitious, then you want to get a side like this one into the Premier League?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The club will hold an extraordinary general meeting on March 14 to ratify the conversion of up to £17.3m in outstanding loans into shares. The bulk of the money – £14m – is owed to owner Kevin McCabe having been lent to United in 2008 on the proviso it would ultimately be converted into shares. The move will improve United’s balance sheet and increase the stake McCabe holds in the club to 86.35 per cent.

Last six games: Blades LDLLLD, Reading WDWDL.L

Last time: Blades 3 Reading 0; January 26, 2010; Championship.

Referee: TM Kettle (Rutland).

Related topics: