5 reasons why the Steel City derby is one of England's fiercest fixtures

#4 Different philosophies

The divide is evident even on the managerial front. Image: Chris Wilder (left) and Alan Knill of United

How the two Sheffield clubs have gone about their business has meandered through the decades, but they've rarely agreed on how to do so.

I could walk you through the history, but that would take far too long, so let's focus on the here and now. Wednesday's new owner has invested heavily in the squad, bringing in ex-Premier League players through several multi-million-pound deals. This, though, has backfired hugely in the past two years, slumping to the lower half of the table and recently being under a transfer embargo due to breaking Financial Fair Play regulations.

United, meanwhile, have always been shrewd in the transfer market, preferring to rely on their academy than splashing the cash. Phil Jagielka, Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton, Harry Maguire and most recently, David Brooks, have all graduated and made their way to the top of the English pyramid.

The contrast is even evident on the managerial front; the Owls opting for Jos Luhukay of the Netherlands, who has managed several top-flight clubs around Europe.

The Blades, meanwhile, have Chris Wilder guiding them, who hails from Sheffield and is a through-and-through Blade, having been a ball-boy, player and manager of United.

I won't pretend the dissimilarity is on the scale of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but it makes for a fascinating contest.