Sheffield United v Aston Villa
The FA Cup, Third Round
Bramall Lane
08 January 2004

Former Aston Villa star Tony Daley, now fitness coach at Sheffield United, believes the timing is right for the Blades to cause an FA Cup shock when the two sides meet this weekend.

Looking ahead to United’s clash with his old club at Bramall Lane, Daley said: "I think we’ve got a very good chance. Villa are having a bad run at the moment. They’re playing some good football, but the results aren’t going well for them.

"Apart from the blip against Wigan, our form has been superb. The lads are very confident, it’s a one-off game, we’re at home and Villa won’t relish coming to Bramall Lane."

Daley, who made over 250 appearances during a decade spent at Villa Park, also points to the lack of depth in David O’Leary’s squad. He said: "They’ve got a very good starting eleven, but their squad is not as deep as it should be. Villa fans know that and David O’Leary knows that.

"Don’t get me wrong, the kids they’ve got there are fantastic, players like Liam Ridgewell, Steven Davis and the Moore brothers, Luke and Stefan. But if they want to be challenging for a European place, I don’t think they should be relying on players at such a young age. They should have some more experienced players."

Daley retains great affection for Villa and he is relishing the rare opportunity to see them in action at close quarters.

"When the draw came out I was jumping for joy, said the 37-year-old Brummie. "It’s a great game for me personally to be facing the club I supported as a kid. I go down as often as I can to see them, although I haven’t been able to see them much this season."

Neil Warnock has guided the Blades to fifth in the Championship, landing the division’s Manager of the Month trophy after collecting 12 points from a possible 15 in December.

As Daley points out, a game against Premiership opposition will give Warnock’s men a taste of what lies in store if they can win promotion.

"The players want to play the likes of Aston Villa week-in, week-out, that’s what they’re striving for in the Championship at this present moment", said Daley.

"It’ll be a good test for them and hopefully next season we’ll be playing Villa in the Premiership."

As fitness coach, Daley has been working on the training ground with the United players to ensure they are fully prepared for the tie following a hectic schedule.

"Both clubs have played a lot of games over the Christmas period, but they’ve had a bit of a breather now and it’ll be a tough game. Sheffield United are a very fit side and I’m sure fitness is going to play an important role."