MY ACCOUNT
Def Leppard frontman and Sheffield United fan Joe Elliott knows his boyhood club are huge underdogs against Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
In an exclusive column for LiveScore, the rock legend talks through his love for the Blades, how to stop Erling Haaland and Co and excitement at playing a homecoming show at Bramall Lane next month.
Blades over Wednesday
I was always going to be a Blade, really. My Dad was neutral to a point but he always leaned towards United over Sheffield Wednesday.
He used to go and see both because back in the day, it wasn’t as segregated and violent as it is now compared to when he was going in the 40s.
When we started going to the football in about 1971, I always just leaned towards the red side than the blue. At my school, everyone supported Wednesday so I was like ‘I’m going to go the other way’.
Def Leppard are back with an upcoming new orchestral album Drastic Symphonies and stadium tour in May. Hear the first track from the album here.
Underdogs
We’ve reached an FA Cup semi-final four times since 1993, it’s pretty impressive for a team of our stature. Let’s be honest, we know we’ll never be a top-six club.
Unless these new potential owners we might be getting are as rich as the City ones are, then we can buy our way to success like they’ve done. Until then, we’re going to be a feeder club.
I should probably be happy with us sneaking through 20 games 1-0 this season, but it makes you tear your hair out! Why can’t we ever beat anyone 6-0?
Wembley heartbreak
I wouldn’t say we’ve had the best time of it at Wembley. I’ve forgotten most of those FA Cup semi-finals, you tend to do that with bad results!
I went for our most recent visit for an FA Cup semi-final when we lost 5-3 to Hull. Great stadium and a lovely day out — but not a great result. To score three goals and lose is criminal.
We played Crystal Palace in the 1997 First Division play-off final. I was sitting next to Sean Bean and it was miserable because the result was just crap. Maybe we can actually make some happy memories there on Saturday.
David vs Goliath
As for Saturday, we’ll go there, enjoy it and take the money because we need it. I’ve been saying if we go better than an 8-0 defeat, it will be a result.
If Pep Guardiola plays the same team he played against Bayern Munich in midweek, which I hope he doesn’t, you can only pray for them having the worst game ever and us having the best.
David did beat Goliath and it’s happened before with City against Wigan in the FA Cup, but they didn’t have Erling Haaland in the team back then!
Be bold
I don’t think we’ll be parking the bus as such because I don’t think that’s how [Paul] Heckingbottom wants to play. As he says, if we get promoted, we’ll be playing the likes of City every week.
So why not go and give it a go now while we have the chance? The last four games we’ve played against Man City, we’ve only lost 1-0 three times and 2-0 once.
We haven’t been battered 6-0 like Burnley were so I certainly don’t think we’ll make it easy for them!
Bramall Lane homecoming
The days of bringing out an album every year are long gone, so for us to bring Drastic Symphonies out literally within a year of Diamond Star Halos is quite astonishing even though there isn’t any new material as such.
As much as we may have been through a few wilderness years, we’ve really got better as a band over the last 10,12 years and that is down to hard work.
We’re playing at Bramall Lane to kick off our tour and that will be incredible. I’ve got so many great memories of being there.
Joe Elliott was speaking to Cian Cheesbrough
