⁠Plymouth Argyle will feel Michael Cooper inevitability as Sheffield United clash looms | OneFootball

The goalkeeper left Home Park for Bramall Lane in the summer and has hit the ground running in Yorkshire

Plymouth Argyle will be quaking in their boots as they head to Sheffield United this Saturday, with Wayne Rooney’s side earning just one win in their last ten league games, while the Blades continue to battle at the top of the Championship.

Chris Wilder’s team aren’t messing around in their quest to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking and have dropped just two points from their nine home games so far this season, winning their last eight straight.

The clash in Yorkshire will see the best home record face off against the worst away record in terms of points per game, with the hosts’ 2.78 topping the charts, while Argyle’s two draws from ten games on the road sees them register just 0.20 points per game away from Home Park.

With three goals during that time, there hasn’t been much to cheer about for the Green Army when they set off on their travels this season, and with a familiar face in the opposition goal this weekend, they won’t be fancying their chances of getting much out of the trip to the Steel City.

Michael Cooper continues to excel after leaving Plymouth Argyle for Sheffield United

Michael Cooper was a wanted man in the summer, with the Argyle academy graduate reportedly turning down a new deal at Home Park in the hope of getting a move elsewhere and bringing and end to a 15-year association with the club.

That move eventually came around as Sheffield United were said to have stumped up £2 million for his services, with another £2 million tied up in add-ons, as the shot-stopper immediately proved his worth between the sticks at Bramall Lane.

The 25-year-old was given the gloves by Wilder the second he signed on the dotted line in Yorkshire, and has since kept 12 clean sheets in 18 league games, conceding just nine goals in that time as the Blades jostle with those competing for automatic promotion from the division.

A star penalty save against Sunderland last weekend further cemented his status as one of the most highly-rated glovesman outside of the Premier League, as he kept the Black Cats at bay before Tom Davies’ late winner saw United claim a 1-0 win.

In total, the former Argyle man has been the difference between his side conceding 4.1 more goals than they have done this season, with only four goalkeepers able to top that figure heading into the weekend, such is his influence on his new colleagues.

Not only is he showing his capabilities when the ball is coming his way, but his composure and assuredness with the ball at his feet has also been a welcome addition to the United side, as he plays a vital part in keeping possession ticking over in his new surroundings.

Plymouth Argyle will not fancy their chances against Michael Cooper

None of this is news to Argyle of course, who saw Cooper perform miracles on a near-weekly basis during his time at Home Park, as he helped the club secure promotion to the Championship, before establishing themselves as a second-tier outfit in the previous campaign.

Rooney [pictured] will take his side to Bramall Lane looking to get one over on the man who caused him plenty of headaches over the summer, as his elongated departure crept into the start of the current campaign, although few will fancy their chances given their recent away form.

The Greens are still yet to get a victory on the road under their new boss, with just three goals, two points, and eight defeats summing up what has been a terrible start to the campaign for the travelling Green Army, with performances a shadow of that seen at Home Park since the start of August.

The Pilgrims’ return of 0.74 xG per 90 away from home proves just how little threat they offer to the opposing goal win they don’t have the Devon air in their lungs, and as they prepare to face a Premier League team in waiting, they will likely just be trying to keep the scoreline respectable at Bramall Lane.