Jonathan Burnett

Mon 24 February 2025 14:10, UK

Sheffield United have two key advantages over Leeds United ahead of Monday’s Championship clash, Neil Warnock has said.

Warnock has managed both the Blades and Leeds in his lengthy managerial career, achieving promotion to the Premier League with the former, and looked ahead to their top-of-the-table match at Bramall Lane.

Daniel Farke‘s Whites are two points clear of Sheffield United at the summit following their last-ditch win over Sunderland last time out, and victory would take give them a seven-point buffer in the top two.

Leeds secured a 2-0 victory over the Blades at Elland Road earlier this season, but with Chris Wilder’s side losing just once at home so far this term, United face a tough task as they head to South Yorkshire.

Neil Warnock backs Sheffield United to beat Farke-less Leeds

Speaking on talkSPORT ahead of a mouth-watering fixture between two of his former employers (24 February, 9:40am), Warnock gave two key reasons as to why he “favours” the Blades to win this one.

With Sheffield United having home advantage for a Yorkshire derby and Farke serving a touchline ban after his yellow card during the celebrations against Sunderland, he argued that Leeds are up against it.

Warnock said: “It promises to be a good game tonight, I think with Daniel [Farke] up in the stands, it quite favours Sheffield [United], with the home crowd – it’ll be full probably an hour before the game tonight.”

Leeds United riding the wave ahead of Bramall Lane encounter

Though they’ll only have a few thousand supporters in the away end to make up the numbers in what’s expected to be a 32,000 sell-out, Leeds fans will certainly back themselves to out-sing the hosts.

Similarly, while Farke won’t be stood on the touchline at Bramall Lane, he’ll still be in regular contact with his coaching staff to ensure that any substitutions or tactical changes made are done so on his watch.

Criticisms of Farke being too functional and formulaic did rear their heads earlier this season, with many United fans accepting that second-half alterations aren’t usually made until exactly the 70th minute.

Those changes 20 minutes from the end worked a treat against Sunderland though, with Joe Rothwell and Pascal Struijk coming on together to combine for both of Leeds’ crucial late goals at Elland Road.

Having outclassed Wilder’s Blades across every department in the reverse fixture, and with a chance to go five points clear at the top, Farke and Leeds will be keen to show that they’re certainly no underdogs.