‘The Blades’ Form Has Just Been Fantastic’
- Sheffield United travel to face Leicester City in the Premier League on Thursday (6pm BST kick-off)
- Reporter for The Athletic, Richard Sutcliffe, shares his thoughts on the Blades’ season
- The turnaround since the start of the season has been amazing, Sutcliffe says
- He also adds that the team spirit has proven key to a successful season for Chris Wilder’s side
Chris Wilder’s side have enjoyed an impressive first campaign in the Premier League, a division they had not graced since 2007, until promotion from the Championship was earned last season.
Sutcliffe, who has reported on the Yorkshire team’s progress back in the top flight, believes the team started to improve following City’s 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane in late August.
“It’s an amazing turnaround because I think back to the Leicester game and that was the ‘welcome to the Premier League moment’ for Sheffield United.
“It was a close enough game but the quality for that first goal - they lost the ball in midfield, the ball went to James Maddison, one touch, he played Jamie Vardy through and he scores.
“I think everyone looked and thought this is the third game and that’s the first time they’d really seen Premier League class and you thought Leicester are going to have a fantastic season, you could see that.
“I thought Sheffield United would stay up, but that it would be a struggle and, with two or three games to go, they would be 15th, 16th and just holding on going into this game.
“It’s just been remarkable. They had a bit of a dip after the resumption of the Premier League but their form over the last two or three weeks has just been fantastic. They will fancy themselves going into Thursday night.”
The Blades come into this game against the Foxes on the back of three straight home wins against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 so far in July.
Their away form has been equally impressive, as has their creative use of overlapping centre-backs, a tactic that has remained after serving the side so well in the Championship.
Sutcliffe continued: “I did wonder when they won promotion, if they play like they have done in the last two years under Chris Wilder, surely with teams like Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester, they could be opened up.
“But they’ve stuck to their principles, used the overloads out wide and it’s just worked.
“They’ve had two bad games. Manchester United away, which they lost 3-0, and then at Liverpool over Christmas, but otherwise they’ve competed well and they’ve been better than a lot of teams.
“It’s fair play to the adventurous spirit that they’ve stuck with because some people just didn’t expect it.”
United’s top scorers - Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset - have six Premier League goals each and Sutcliffe says the collective spirit within the side has been key to their success, rather than being reliant on a single goalscorer or star player.
“It’s the team rather than individuals,” he added. “There was quite a bit made after the last two home games against Tottenham and Chelsea. A few pundits were saying not one Sheffield United player would get in the opposition team, which is probably fair, if we’re honest. But as a team, they won both games.
“McBurnie is playing well, he’s not got a lot of goals when you compare him to Vardy, but his all round work is just phenomenal. And Sander Berge, the record signing who came in January for £22M, is really starting to settle.
“But my player of the year would be Jack O’Connell, the left sided centre-half. He bombs forward as much as he can and uses his delivery from out wide. He missed the first few games after lockdown had lifted and they really struggled without him.
“Jack Robinson did okay defensively, but going forward, O’Connell brings so much to the team and I think he has been my standout player from a very good team.”
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