The third coming of Chris Wilder at Sheffield United has led to a sharp uptick in performances and results after the Blades lost eight of their first nine games, but has the turnaround been left too late for a play-off tilt? @BeastlyOli from @SheffUtdWay is our oppo fan this week.

How’s the season been for Sheff Utd?

Overall, it’s been a disappointing season. At Christmas I was convinced we’d make the play offs after an excellent run of form, but it didn’t last and for what is the first time I can remember we’re a team whose season is all but over in February. Disappointing - but better than it looked in September.

Blades in the league so far…
Sheff Utd 1-4 Bristol City Campbell 14 – Twine 5, 51, McCrorie 26, Mehmeti 46
Swansea 1-0 Sheff Utd Ronald 66
Sheff Utd 1-0 Millwall Cundle 38
Boro 1-0 Sheff Utd Conway 64
Ipswich 5-0 Sheff Utd Philogene 20, 51, 68, Hirst 61, Clarke 78
Sheff Utd 0-1 Charlton Olaofe 90
Oxford 0-1 Sheff Utd O’Hare 65
Sheff Utd 1-2 Southampton Campbell 28 – Stewart 51, 58
Hull 1-0 Sheff Utd Akintola 30
Sheff Utd 1-0 Watford O’Hare 59
Blackburn 1-3 Sheff Utd Ohashi 40 – Henriksson og 54, Burrows 70, Campbell 90
Preston 3-2 Sheff Utd Dobbin 45, Tanganga og 46, Jebbison 58 – Brooks 10, O’Hare 16
Sheff Utd 1-3 Derby O’Hare 73 – Morris 24, 46, pen 63
Coventry 3-1 Sheff Utd Sakamoto 49, Thomas 60, Thomas-Asanta 90 – McCallum 25
Sheff Utd 0-0 QPR
Sheff Wed 0-3 Sheff Utd Campbell 11, 48, Cannon 90
Sheff Utd 3-0 Pompey Peck pen 41, Bamford 54, Hamer 73
Leicester 2-3 Sheff Utd Mavididi 53, James 83 – Cannon 2, O’Hare 4, Peck 32
Sheff Utd 4-0 Stoke McGuinness 10, Seriki 40, Bamford 44, Peck pen 77
Sheff Utd 1-1 Norwich Ings 50 – Soumare og 65
West Brom 2-0 Sheff Utd Heggebo 50, Grant 61
Sheff Utd 3-0 Birmingham Bindon 5, Hamer 28, Bamford 51
Wrexham 5-3 Sheff Utd Bindon g 9, Moore 28, 76, Longman 51, Windass pen 81 – Bamford 7, 15, O’Hare 24
Stoke 1-2 Sheff Utd Wilmot 65 – Riedewald 47, Cannon 53
Sheff Utd 3-1 Leicester Tanganga 36, Cannon 52, O’Hare 88 – James 90
Charlton 1-0 Sheff Utd Carey 46
Southampton 1-0 Sheff Utd Scienza 7
Sheff Utd 3-1 Ipswich O’Hare 38, Brooks 45, Bamford 66 – Clarke pen 60
Millwall 1-1 Sheff Utd Ivanovic 19 – Brooks 17
Sheff Utd 3-1 Oxford Peck 4, Brooks 66, Ogbene 83 – Peart-Harris 13
Sheff Utd 1-2 Boro Bamford 73 – Conway 19, McGree 45
Pompey 0-1 Sheff Utd Brooks 90
Sheff Utd 2-1 Sheff Wed Bamford 2, Burrows 19 – McNeill 53
Sheff Utd 1-2 Coventry Burrows 48 – Wright 52, Rudoni 57

How has the weird return of Wilder gone?

After a terrible start under Ruben Selles, Chris Wilder returned and - while it took a while to get going - he has one again proven himself to be the man whenever he is in the Sheffield United dugout. Sat on zero points, with only one goal scored after five games it really was looking super bleak for United and really until the derby at Hillsborough at the end of November our season never got going. Wilder deserves so much credit for how he’s got this team playing in recent weeks. More than a match on the nights in defeats too - Boro & Cov show that. If only we’d not pressed the self-destruct button in the summer it really could have been a very different story.

Four wins in seven coming into this, how are you setting up, how are you playing, what sort of side are we facing this weekend?

A completely different side to the one you took on at the start of the season. We have experimented with 4-4-2- and that delivered our best form of the season, but in recent weeks we have reverted to the 4-5-1 we used to great effect last season. It’s getting the most out of Gustavo Hamer - he has seven assists in his last seven games - and Patrick Bamford has given us the focal point striker who makes the system tick. Out best performances have come in defeats against Boro & Coventry, while scrappy wins over Portsmouth & Wednesday delivered the points. The biggest issue though is the goalkeeper - statistically Michael Cooper is the second worst keeper in the league and it more than passes the eye test. After a great season last year he’s having a shocker and a contender for the worst individual season I’ve seen from a goalkeeper on a long time.

What was done in January? What was left undone?

We made four signings in January - recruiting back up full backs on loan and two central midfielders who immediately got themselves sent off. Kalvin Phillips is still suspended after his red card in the derby, while Rothwell should return after he served the last game of his suspension against Coventry. The signings were very much tinkering at the edges, while the club really needed to prioritise a goalkeeper and a centre forward.

Summer Ins >>> Nils Zätterström, 20, CB, Malmo, £3m >>> Ehije Ukaki, 20, RW, Botev Plovdiv, £500k >>> Mihail Polendakov, 18, RB, Septemvri Sofia, £500k >>> Mark McGuinness, 24, CB, Luton, Undisclosed >>> Tahith Chong, 25, AM, Luton, Undisclosed >>> Japhet Tanganga, 26, CB, Millwall, Undisclosed >>> Alex Matos, 20, CM, Chelsea, Undisclosed >>> Danny Ings, 33, CF, West Ham, Free >>> Ben Mee, 35, CB, Brentford, Free >>> Jairo Riedewald, 29, DM, Unattached, Free >>> Patrick Bamford, 32, CF, Unattached, Free >>> Louie Barry, 22, LW, Villa, Loan >>> Tyler Bindon, 20, CB, Forest, Loan >>> Djibril Soumare, 22, DM, Braga, Loan Chieo Ogbene, 28, RW, Ipswich, Loan >>> Ben Godfrey, 27, CB, Atalanta, Loan

Winter Outs >>> Nils Zätterström, 20, CB, Genoa, Loan >>> Christian Nwachukwu, 20, LW, Serik Spor, Loan >>> Ehje Ukaki, 21, RW, Atromitos, Loan >>> Ryan One, 19, CF, Lincoln, Loan >>> Sam Curtis, 20, RB, Chesterfield, Loan >>> Louis Marsh 21, CF, Falkirk, Loan

Where is the team strong and weak?

I’ve covered our weaknesses but for posterity- defensively we are so easy to get at. The first shot on target goes in every week and so trying your luck early is probably a sensible tactic. We have a lot of attacking talent and with Hamer in form, Bamford scoring at a goal every other game and Andre Brooks amongst the most in form players in the division in 2026 I would back goals at both ends in this one. The midfield can be an area of weakness but with Jairo Riedewald returning off the bench against Coventry and Rothwell being back we should be fully stocked in that area for a partner to play alongside star boy Sydie Peck.

There’s a sort of assumption Sheff Utd are going to come in hot and make the play offs, not many points but plenty of teams between you and there, how do you see it panning out?

I think we miss out. Playing well and matching the best teams in the league was great for the confidence but we’ve left ourselves too much to do. Those two defeats to Boro & Cov, and falling nine points behind Wrexham, means that we need way too much to fall in our favour for it to be a realistic target. It’s a shame because I do really believe on current performances we are in the best four teams in the division, but the proof is in the pudding and over the season we don’t deserve to be in the conversation.

Any sympathy for Sheff Wed on Sunday?

Nope.

Look, it’s a tricky situation all round because of their off field issues leaving them with no chance of even being close to competitive this season. And, of course, in that wider context, it’s people who sit next to me at work, or who live next door and you feel so much for them as you see it draining their love of watching their team. But relegating your biggest rivals, on your home ground, whilst completing the first “double double” in the Sheffield derby since the 1950s is an occasion to savour. It’s history and will forever be the ultimate bragging rights. Sheffield is Red.

Links >>> Sheffield United official website >>> Bramall Lane ground guide >>> Blades Ramble — Contributor’s YouTube channel >>> The Sheff Utd Way – Contributor’s Website/Channel >>> S2 4SU — Message Board >>> Sheffield Star — Local Press

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