NERVES OF STEEL

Selles must work fast to find hangover cure

- by NEIL SQUIRES

BRAMALL LANE may resemble an oasis of calm in comparison to the turmoil at Hillsborough - but there is no guarantee of plain sailing in the red half of Sheffield when the Championship season kicks.

Sheffield United are one of the favourites for promotion, but if they are to make it to the Premier League, then they will have to shake off the hangover from their playoff final defeat to Sunderland in May.

Since the second tier was rebranded in 2004, only six clubs of the 21 beaten in the playoff final have gone on to win promotion the following season.

One of them was Leeds last season, but history shows they were the exception rather than the rule.

The Steel City club faltered on the home straight last season, surrendering the automatic promotion spots to Leeds and Burnley.