C’MON CHRIS, WE NEED A SHEFFIELD DERBY IN THE CUP!

FANTASTIC result for Sheffield United – and I don’t mean the win over Forest in the FA Cup.

I mean the one that came afterwards, the 2-1 win over Gillingham that lifted them out of the League One relegation zone.

Superb as their Cup run has been, my old side have never been able to recreate those performances in the league.

And before the Gillingham game, a lot of people I spoke to thought it would be another case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show.

By all accounts they didn’t play great and had to hang in at times. But they provided a performance of true grit, something the fans have been desperate to see.

They needed that and to finally do it must have been an incredible relief for manager Nigel Clough.

Now they can look forward to the next Cup tie, and a potential quarter final with bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who play Charlton this week.

What a wonderful game that would be and for obvious personal reasons, I hope Wednesday come through. We’ve not had a lot to shout about in Sheffield for a few years, and both clubs have had horrific seasons.

But it would be a chance to forget all that – a full house, a fantastic occasion and a reminder to everyone just how big football in the city is.

So Chris Powell, don’t be a spoilsport – concentrate on the league and let Sheffield have a big derby!