Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United warning as Huddersfield Town pick up crucial win in survival bid

Former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock is not expecting an easy ride against his old side this week, despite the Blades having little more than pride to play for at the John Smith’s Stadium on Thursday night.

Huddersfield Town, who had looked dead and buried before Warnock came back to the club in February, pushed three points ahead of third-bottom Reading with a game in hand to come against already-promoted Blades, after victory over another old club, Cardiff City.

Their final game of the campaign comes against Reading and despite looking a little more comfortable now, the battle to avoid the final relegation spot could still come down to that match at home to the Royals next Monday.

That’s how Warnock is planning as he maintains that the visit of the Blades, who won 4-1 against Preston on Saturday just a few days after confirmig their promotion, will still represent a huge challenge for his side.

“I’ve always thought it would go down to Reading, it still might,” said Warnock. “Sheffield United are a good side, and Paul Heckingbottom has done a great job there. People said they might take the foot off the pedal now they’ve got promoted. Looks like, didn’t it? They really took their foot off the pedal on Saturday when they won 4-1.

“But it just shows what you can do. I think the lads have probably surprised themselves, we’ve got better players than what they were achieving. Sometimes you do under-achieve and they just need an arm around them. I’m glad I’ve come in and done my bit because we needed an old head.

“I think if I’d been there for three months we’d have had a good chance of the play-offs, as it’s such an open league apart from Burnley.”

Warnock added: “We’ve come this far and it would be the icing on the cake (to survive). We can’t let it go now. The lads enjoy playing for us and the euphoria is there but, when you’re in relegation trouble, jobs are at stake. I do feel a bit of responsibility.”