Warnock resigned to play-off chase

While Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion remain neck and neck in the race for the First Division title and Sunderland store up another game in hand, Sheffield United's Neil Warnock has added a new twist to the end-of-season drama by conceding defeat in his side's attempt to win automatic promotion.

United lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers in last season's play-off final, a damp squib of an end to a season of much promise. Apart from a blip in February, Warnock's team had looked the best bet to reach the Premiership via the play-offs, which made their uninspired display in Cardiff all the more difficult to stomach.

None the less, Blades fans hoped that those achievements would lead to automatic promotion this time. Instead, their team are 10 points away from the top two and will, by tonight, have played three more games than Sunderland, who appear to be the only side with a chance of denying either of the leading duo.

"In our last six matches, we have taken 11 points and I would just about settle for that again now," Warnock said. "There are seven games to go and I have told the players that four wins will put us in the play-offs." Given that Warnock is not averse to kidology, perhaps the statement should be regarded with a degree of scepticism but United's recent record does not bode well.

A run of five defeats in six games at the start of the year was where the damage was done and though wins over Watford and Millwall suggested a recovery, the last four games have yielded only five points.

Warnock's team host Nottingham Forest today and the manager may turn to personal motivation as a weapon by fielding two former Forest strikers, Andy Gray and Jack Lester.

Such a result would leave the Blades liable to be pushed out of the top six by Wigan Athletic, who should be too strong for Wimbledon at the JJB Stadium, and Ipswich Town, who could do themselves and their neighbours Norwich a favour by beating West Brom at Portman Road tomorrow.

Norwich have a chance to put three points between themselves and Gary Megson's side, at least for 24 hours, although their visit to Burnley might not be straightforward. Stan Ternent's team, who were play-off candidates themselves two seasons ago, have relegation worries this time but a 4-2 thumping of Ipswich in February showed that they are still capable of a high-quality performance.

Defeat would not be in the script for the 35-year-old Norwich striker Iwan Roberts, who is eager to make his 300th appearance for the Canaries today. The Welshman began the season with a triple target: to reach that milestone, see Norwich into the Premiership and take his tally of goals for the club, currently at 94, to 100.

Premiership ambitions have been behind Dave Whelan's designs for Wigan, although it is a dream that is proving increasingly expensive for the club's owner and benefactor. Still barely able to fill a third of the JJB's 25,000 capacity despite the team's success, Wigan suffered a £5.8m loss in winning the Second Division last season, bringing the club's theoretical "debt" to their owner to £22m.

Gates would surely increase with Premiership football but whether it will be enough to pay for a top-flight team is doubtful. But victory over that other club-in-search-of-an-audience, Wimbledon, today would bring the play-offs a step closer, as well as condemning their opponents to the drop to the Second Division.