Seems so bizarre.Cullip left shocked at Blades exit as Webber arrivesEXCLUSIVE
Ian Appleyard
DANNY CULLIP has lifted the lid on the reasons behind his controversial departure from Sheffield United.
The defender joined Championship rivals Watford yesterday after being frozen out of the squad for last weekend's win over Burnley.
Manager Neil Warnock swapped Cullip for striker Danny Webber – who he feels will be a greater asset to the club's promotion push.
But Cullip, who cost £250,000 from Brighton and Hove Albion just three months ago, stormed: "I can't understand why the manager wants to swap me just two months after I have signed a three-and-a-half year contract?
"I am still in shock. I have not spoken to Neil Warnock since last Friday. He had made his mind up so what was I supposed to do?"
"All the players had a meeting with the manager last Thursday and I was told that I would be in the team against Burnley.
"Five minutes before training on Friday, I was called into his office and told that he wanted to swap me for Danny Webber. The whole thing was out of my hands."
Playing down talk of a bust-up, Cullip added: "There were no raised voices, I just wanted answers to my questions. I said 'I presume that means I am not playing tomorrow'. He told me to go away and think about things."
Cullip, who subsequently pulled out of the team's four-day break in Cyprus, is now faced with the problem of up-rooting his family for the second time in three months.
"It is a massive upheaval for my family. I was living in a hotel over Christmas. I have got a wife and two kids and I had just moved them up here into rented accomodation while we looked for somewhere permanent to live. Luckily for me, I didn't find a house.
"Now I am going to have to live with my parents (in the London area) and the family will have to commute down from Sheffield to see me at weekends."
Rejecting suggestions his partnership with Chris Morgan had not worked out, Cullip said: "For anyone to say that I cannot play alongside Chris Morgan is totally unfair. We played together three times in a 4-4-2 and won every game (against Coventry, West Ham and Crewe). Both Chris and I felt we could play together.
"I came up here with the belief that I would be a part of things for three years. I wanted to establish myself at Sheffield United and I felt I could have been a decent addition to the club."
Cullip's loan deal expires on May 7 – which means he could yet be available for involvement in the play-offs. Webber's deal ends on May 30.
Under the terms of the deal, neither player can take part in the Blades' Championship fixture at Vicarage Road next month. Webber, 23, started his career with Manchester United and joined Watford two summers ago.
His arrival will increase competition for places up-front following the recent acquisition of David and Tommy Johnson and the return to fitness of Steve Kabba.
Warnock backed up Cullip's version of events last night saying: "Danny has not head-butted me and I have not grabbed him by the throat. We had a conversation around a table in my office. He is 'forthright' in his opinions and he told me what he felt but the talks were sensible.
"I don't know if his partnership with Chris Morgan was a success because we did not really see them together enough times. However, his departure was a sacrifice that I feel is justified because I have wanted Danny Webber for a long time."
