Rotherham United boss fires attacking warning to Sheffield United ahead of derby clash at Bramall Lane

After back-to-back games against fellow promotion-chasers Burnley and Norwich City, the Millers travel to a United side who have won their last three – and hammered the table-topping Clarets 5-2 in their last outing.

The Blades are not underestimating the threat of Taylor’s Millers, who make the short trip across the border 17th in the table – but the new boss was inevitably asked about the task of stopping in-form Blade Iliman Ndiaye, the World Cup-bound youngster who has scored nine this season and three in his last three games.

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“He’s one of many,” smiled Taylor, who took over at the New York Stadium last month following the departure of Paul Warne to Derby County. “They’ve got some good players and good personnel. We have to have our wits about us, we have to defend well and see out individual moments of quality, which generally we’ve done, certainly away from home.

“But I’m not looking for a defensive performance, first and foremost. I can’t keep asking this group to go out and defend for 90 minutes. It’s not what I want or they want or our fans want. We have to go and attack the opposition and the positive signs in our attacking play recently have been there for people to see. So as much as you mention opposition players, come full time tomorrow I want to be talking about our attacking players. We’ve not got many left, but I want to be talking about them.”

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Taylor will be without a number of players for the trip to Bramall Lane, including former Blade Conor Washington, but ex-Wednesday defender Richard Wood may feature in defence.

“We’ve got attacking players as well, who can create individual moments,” Taylor added. “It was good to get Cheo [Ogbene] back on the pitch for longer at the weekend, so he’s closer to starting the game. He’s a player who can make a difference.

“We have a number of players who can do that. And there’s no better showcase game to show that than against your local rivals.”

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