“Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Who said that? The philosopher Thomas Hobbes.

About what? Life without a governing authority. But I also think it captures what many thought of Kalvin Phillips’ first loan spell last season.

You’ve rather flogged this Kalvin and Hobbes thing, haven’t you? Probably. But I’m a fan.

Of what? Calvin and Hobbes. Philosophy. The philosophy of Calvin and Hobbes. Kalvin Phillips. Sheffield United. Fontaine’s new album…

Stop it.

Do people think differently of Phillips’ spell this time? We’ve accepted the theory of Phillips being really good. We’re beginning to see the reality.

How much has he actually played? Three starts, eight appearances and 440 minutes. Which sounds pretty uninspiring given we’re almost 25% through the season. But since the 2024/25 season, Phillips has completed a full 90 minutes in the league just seven times. And guess what? Around 30% of those — better expressed as the number 2 — have come in the last two months with Sheffield United.

Are you trying to hide a moan about Chris Wilder signing crocked players here? No. Seriously. I’m not. Anyone would have concerns about his playing time. But Phillips wouldn’t be playing for Sheffield United at this level if those concerns didn’t exist. And the deal seems to be appearance-based, which offers some reassurance that even if he never kicked a ball for Blades in anger again, we wouldn’t be, crudely, “spunking muneh”, as Wilder once put it.

Is Phillips adding much? Three goal contributions in 440 minutes is good going. But I’m more interested in what he’s doing for the spine of the team. He’s a solid vertebra. According to Opta, he’s tracking as one of the league’s best players for ground duels won and tackles. If he gets consistent game time, I think we’ll see United create more, and better, chances both in open play and from his set-piece delivery.

More assists, then? I fancy a few more of the “Oli Norwood” variety: cut back and whipped in among the bodies.

You sound almost excited. Tempered excitement. I’m worried about the Hobbes bit.

Go on… Well, we’ve seen how poor United can be this season. Phillips brings the sort of quality that could change that. Which makes the risk feel high: if his contribution ends up being “solitary and short”, United lose one of the best players in our squad just as we’ve begun to rely on him.

Should he start today against Derby? Yes.

Will he? Yes. Please. Surely?

Will he finish the game against Derby? It would be superb if he did. That would give him back-to-back completed league 90s for the first time since 22 May 2022. More than four years ago, or 1,616 days.

Plus, after being described as a “woke podcast”, we share our feelings with one another.

Where in the world is Romelle Donovan? He’s probably on the bench. Or on the coach travelling to Bristol to sit on the bench. He’s sitting down somewhere.

But less literally, what’s going on? His league minutes this season look like this: 60, 0, 45, 90, 77, 67, 0, 2, 12, 11. They tailed off after Blackburn, when a mistake trying to dribble out from the back led to a goal. There was a theory that his reduced minutes meant the plan was to start others, then let Romelle run tired defenders ragged. But brief cameos have rather undermined that.

Are you saying he’s not good enough to start? No, I’m not saying that.

But since Blackburn, the manager hasn’t started him. That isn’t a question.

Okay. What’s the manager doing instead of picking Romelle Donovan? Well, Oli Arblaster started in a notionally right-sided position against Wolves and Stoke. Tahith Chong started wide right against Lincoln, swapping with Ben Brereton Díaz at times. Against Portsmouth, Chong played there again, first as a winger and then as a wing-back after Hamza Choudhury got sent off.

So the gaffer is showing a willingness to make changes? I suppose.

Why so glum? It’s just not working very well, is it?

I’m asking the questions here. What isn’t working? The wide players.

But between Chong and Brereton Díaz, we’ve seen a goal and two assists in the last two games. Aren’t you just being a misery? That’s probably fair. And of course those contributions matter. Still, we could also do with someone who takes on his full-back and carries us up the pitch. Chong and Brereton Díaz are each averaging just one touch in the opposition box per game, which isn’t exactly keeping defenders awake at night.

And what’s the answer? …erm, Romelle Donovan seems, at worst, to be a plausible one.

Why? He’s getting twice as many touches in the opposition box. He’s also averaging 16.57 carries per 90, the highest figure in the squad.

Carrying what to where? The football. Towards their goal. In fact, there’s a modifying word for that. His 6.92 ‘progressive’ carries per 90 are also the highest in the squad.

Where else is he a “squad leader”? Through balls, one of Gus Hamer’s great strengths. Donovan averages 0.49 per 90, almost twice the next-best figure of 0.26 from Kalvin Phillips.

Anything else? Ground duels won. He’s winning 7.66 per 90, 24% more than Phillips in second, with a 47.7% success rate. When the manager lets him, Donovan usually gets involved.

It’s a small sample, though. Has he played enough for those numbers to tell us much? He’s played 364 minutes. Enough to make a case for more.

Enough to make the case against? You’ve got me there. It’s too soon to judge either way, and that applies equally to one mistake against Blackburn in a game we won.

Should he start today against Bristol City? I think so.

Will he? I can’t see it.

Would you bank on Romelle Donovan’s loan lasting beyond January? Probably not.

This week on the Formline, we pick through a mixed few days for Sheffield United.

First, the positives from the victory over Lincoln. Well, some negatives too. Then, what went wrong at Portsmouth and whether a performance with 10 men can tell us anything much.

We also look ahead to Bristol City, the latest stop in a run of fixtures that still feels important if United are going to turn an uncertain start into something more convincing.

Riley Roberts

Lincoln, 3-0 (H)

After a three-week international break, no one really knew what to expect from this one. Would we finally see an improved United? For 40-odd minutes, that definitely wasn’t the case, with no shots in the box before Bamford’s opener. The second half was better, though, with Chong and Bamford both adding brilliant finishes to give us our biggest win of the season.

Michael Cooper - 6
Cooper didn’t have much to do, but the one save he did have to make was a great reflex stop.

Hamza Choudhury - 6
Solid enough display from all of the backline, and Choudhury was no exception. Lincoln didn’t create much all game.

Japhet Tanganga - 7
Lincoln’s attack have caused plenty of teams in the division problems this season when they go direct, but Tanganga was assured throughout.

Liam Kitching - 6
Again looked ambitious with his passing, though the execution was hit and miss, especially early doors. He picked up as the team did, though.

Sam McCallum - 5
Started the game very poorly, giving the ball away far too cheaply, and against better opposition that may well have been costly. He did improve, though, in fairness, picking up the assist for the opener.

Joe Rothwell - 5
Another who probably had a decent game on the whole, but I find it hard to ignore a start where he was as ineffective as he was.

Sydie Peck - 5
United enjoyed more possession than usual in this one, and while that typically suits Peck, I don’t think he had his best day here. For all the ball he saw, much of it went sideways rather than forwards.

Tahith Chong - 7
Starting for the first time this season, Chong had quite clearly his best performance in red and white. His finish was top drawer, but his general play was good too, as he always looked to drive forward with the ball.

Ben Brereton-Díaz - 6
Another who looked threatening when he was able to run into space. BBD picked up his first goal contribution of his third spell with a brilliant cross to pick out Bamford for the third.

Tom Cannon - 5
Didn’t make the most of his opportunities with the ball, but his work rate never faltered and he gave the Lincoln defence something to think about throughout.

Patrick Bamford - 8
Two shots, two goals, two excellent finishes for Bamford. The third goal was really the best of Bamford: expert movement to evade two defenders before delightfully stroking it home with his weaker foot.

Average rating - 6.00

Portsmouth, 2-3 (A)

Could you ever find five minutes that sum up supporting Sheffield United more than the opponents scoring a worldie and then us getting a man sent off? I thought we actually looked a bit more purposeful with the ball before the red, with a clear focus on getting it wide and putting balls into the box, but Pompey had an easy time getting through us and a side with more quality might have scored before they did. The second-half fightback was commendable, but we stay equidistant between the bottom three and top eight after our fourth loss in six.

Michael Cooper - 5
Hard to be too kind to the keeper when we concede three, but I don’t think there was much he could’ve done about the goals, and he made a few nice claims from balls into the box.

Hamza Choudhury - 2
Had a wonderfully up-and-down game, playing some lovely passes, then getting skinned, then another lovely pass, then sent off. It was a harsh red, but it still massively impacted our chances of getting anything from the game.

Japhet Tanganga - 6
Thought he was once again more than solid in his duties, again up against a massive centre-forward, and he kickstarted United’s fightback with a really cool left-footed volley. Had we not conceded three, he’d be higher.

Liam Kitching - 5
Played some nice switches of play out to the right-hand side, especially in the first half. He came under a bit of fire for his pass leading to the winner, but I thought it was indicative that, even with 10 men, we were trying to win the game, and I’ve no complaints about that myself.

Sam McCallum - 4
Didn’t feel like he was ever really at ease in the game. Had a couple of moments where he was too hesitant to make a tackle and Pompey were able to keep the ball in good areas. Also conceded possession deep in our own half for a Pompey chance, though he was thrown under the bus a little by Kitching.

Joe Rothwell - 5
Both teams routinely went long in this game, and that’s never going to suit your technical midfield players. A victim of our tactical set-up.

Sydie Peck - 6
Unsurprisingly seemed well up for the fight when it felt like the whole world was against us at 2-0 and 11 v 10. He picked up plenty of loose balls in that second half.

Tahith Chong - 4
Had all the right desire as he got at his man and put crosses into the box in the first half, but was basically a cone defensively when moved to RWB after the sending-off.

Ben Brereton-Díaz - 5
Subbed at half-time, though I thought he had some nice touches despite not seeing much of the ball.

Tom Cannon - 6
Headed in the equaliser and, in all fairness, absolutely ran himself into the ground. I don’t think his general play was anything to write home about, but a goal and a good shift is hard to fault.

Patrick Bamford - 4
Missed a big chance at 0-0, though it wasn’t as easy as the stats may suggest given he was obviously expecting Cannon to get a touch. Didn’t have much of an impact.

Subs

Kalvin Phillips - 6
Looked well up for it when he came on. Won the ball plenty in midfield and it was his corner that was turned in by Cannon. Clearly has the quality to make stuff happen when he’s on the pitch.

Average rating - 4.83

Ratings system:

• 0 – Reserved for anyone who has a wayward effort at goal smash me in the face, unlikely to ever happen.

• 1 – Worst of the worst. Saved for disastrous performances, with result-altering mistakes.

• 2 – A terrible performance. Performances where a player offers very little and has many unsuccessful actions, ultimately proving to be a major detriment to the team’s overall performance.

• 3 – A bad performance. Negative contribution. Like a 2, just a bit less rubbish.

• 4 – A below-average performance. Not necessarily having a negative impact on the game; it could just be a player who struggled to impact the game at all.

• 5 – The baseline rating. All players go into a game starting on a 5 — it’s bang average, given out for an unremarkable yet solid performance, for a postman delivering the post.

• 6 – A decent performance. A player who gets a 6 has positively contributed to the game, and at the very least has had some impressive moments while being generally solid outside of them.

• 7 – A good performance. Awarded for players who had a noticeable positive impact on the game.

• 8 – A very good performance. A player who made significant contributions to the outcome of the game with their performance and consistently displayed a high level throughout.

• 9 – An outstanding performance. To score as high as a 9, a player needs to be dominant throughout the match, performing at a level well above the standard and/or making multiple game-changing contributions.

• 10 – A perfect 10, unlikely to ever see the light of day as nobody has a flawless game. For me to even think about giving out a 10 it would probably have to be a player doing something historic or unheard of.

This week on Hang It in the Louvre, we’re joined by Travelling Blade to choose three images from his life following United.

There’s Billy Sharp, arms outstretched after scoring his first Premier League goal at Bournemouth. There’s a deeply treasured photo from Sunderland away, capturing the friendships and community that have come from following the Blades, including the late Jonny from Shoreham View. And then there’s Chris Basham at Fulham, an image that marks a brutal end of an era.

(We’re not reproducing the Basham injury here. Everyone knows what happened, and if for some reason you’d like to revisit it, you can choose your own preferred level of gruesomeness.)

Three very different pictures, but all getting at the same question: what is it that makes following Sheffield United mean so much?

Tom Ackroyd: This piece is inspired by the recent Phil Ridley article about the simple joys of a win. I took the title from this line: “But last night was different, for me at least. It reminded me of being a kid again.”

I saw today’s game through that lens. I saw how a kid (or kids, in this case) can enjoy or endure a game at Bramall Lane.

First, a bit of context. I’m a fairly regular match-going Blade who, apart from three years at uni beginning with the Triple Assault season, has never lived in Sheffield. I grew up near Wolverhampton (yes, Cardiff 2003 was doubly horrific for me) and I now live just south of Manchester. Who I go to the game with, and therefore where I sit in the ground, differs from match to match.

I’ve got two girls who were both ‘christened’ at Bramall Lane before they reached the age of three:

Izzy (now 9): born the morning of Northampton away. First game: a glorious Premier League win against Burnley (3-0, Lundstram (2) & Fleck).

Zoë (now 6): first game: the mad Blackpool game in the Hecky promotion year (3-3, McAtee, Ndiaye & Norwood).

They’ve generally only known an exciting period of supporting United. In fact, Izzy had an unbeaten record until Wembley (the Sunderland episode). Played 12, won 9, drew 3, lost 0. Izzy was the until-then immovable object that sadly met the unstoppable force that is Sheffield United in the play-offs.

Right now clearly isn’t the best of times to be a Blade in recent history. And yet the girls still troop off to football training at school, or football parties, or holidays, proudly wearing the latest Blades kit. They are surrounded by shirts of Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Messi or (pleasingly) an ever-increasing number from Oli Norwood’s Stockport County.

Neither girl has a massive interest in watching United on TV, save for the odd midweek game, clinging on solely to aid bedtime procrastination. Since Covid, watching United on TV has become both increasingly available and increasingly soulless, even when we win. And then afterwards we are all guilty of spending too much time doomscrolling on #twitterblades and dissecting every element of every performance. For many of us, there is limited attachment to individual players given the churn in the squad.

But kids don’t think like this. And nothing beats live football.

Today I took the girls to the Lincoln game. Kits on show at the local station, heading over to Sheffield. Excitement and anticipation on the walk to the ground. They don’t care when the team drops and we see [redacted] is starting yet again.

The girls want to go to the club shop and walk around like, well, kids in a sweet/sports merchandise shop (“£18 for a pair of socks!” my wife exclaimed).

They ask to go and see my dad’s name, their Bompa’s, on the Joe Shaw statue in the car park.

They get to play games in the John Street concourse: ‘Play Your Squad Numbers Right’ and ‘Guess the First Goal’ (“Sydie Peck, 25th minute.” Oh dear, gamble responsibly, sweetheart!). They still love a photo with Captain Blade.

The game was the game. We all watched it. The perspective you get on row C in John Street, by the away fans, is not amazing for judging tactics or a performance, but it was nice to be sat with the girls and not be surrounded by some of the negativity that can drip from the roof of the Kop and South Stand during a first half like that.

This is not a criticism. It was just refreshing to go to a game knowing that, to Izzy and Zoë, the upside is uncapped (they were so excited for each goal) but the downside is almost non-existent.

Just from watching them both, I came out of the ground bursting with pride and joy. This feeling was clearly above and beyond what was proportionate for a win against a promoted team who were very unlucky to be losing at half-time. Yes, of course, a win helps; but I didn’t feel like this after the last-minute win against Bolton. And that’s because, for the first time in a while, being at BDTBL was like being a kid again.

Who’s actually progressing? Who needs more football? And what counts as young anyway?

We check in on the loanees, including Louie Marsh’s flying start at Chesterfield, Sam Curtis at Cambridge and Jili Buyabu at Rotherham, before turning to the players already around the first team.

Then it’s back to the Championship, as we preview Lincoln at Bramall Lane and ask whether this is the point where United’s kinder run of fixtures finally starts to count.

*Sorry about Sam’s audio quality!

What makes a great chant?

In this episode of Memory Lane, Andrew Hague is joined by Sam Parry and Karl McKenna to dig through Sheffield United’s terrace songbook.

It’s all about how chants spread, why the best ones are often completely spontaneous, which players were blessed with songs far better than they deserved, and why United fans seem physically incapable of keeping the same tempo for more than about 30 seconds.

We reprise this theme again. So, let us know what we’ve missed. And does anyone remember that chant Sam was reaching for at Millwall away at Christmas?

Leave a comment

Sue Forbes

It came to pass that I became a Sheffield United “supporter” in 1984 when the architectural firm I worked for designed the (then) new South Stand and I was given some shares in the club. But, as a single woman in her twenties, I would no more have thought of standing on football terraces than flying! Then grounds became all-seater and much safer, and I became a proud season-ticket holder in the 2003/04 season.

I’m not sure this is the greatest story ever told, but I thought I’d share with the good readers of The Pinch some random memories from just a few of my Blades-supporting away days by train between roughly 2005 and 2020.

They’re not particularly match-related. There’s no technical knowledge or tactical insight. They’re in no particular order or league position. There’s a preponderance of false starts. And a bit of opera.

Crystal Palace

Back in the good old days, when Corona was a fizzy drink rather than a deadly virus, we had something called “Swine Flu” instead. The dreaded lurgy had barely registered on these shores, but it was in the papers and thought to have come out of Mexico.

On the train down to London, a group of Blades supporters were tossing a large inflatable pig wearing a sombrero (of all things) around the carriage. Innocent young thing that I was, only just starting out on my Blades-supporting career, I didn’t know that Sheffield Wednesday and their supporters were colloquially known as “pigs”. I just thought it was a very clever play on the words “swine flu” and “Mexico”...

Hartlepool United

The train gets as far as York, where the station announcer is telling folk, packed on the platforms like proverbial sardines from cancelled trains, that the delay is due to a broken-down train further along the track.

But: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journey today.”

Oh well, that’s all right then.

My arthritis-affected walking pace is rather slow, and getting from station to football ground anywhere takes me a while, so, applying the “cunning plan” tactic, I leave quite a lot of spare time. The point of no return is fast approaching, though, when suddenly the trains get going again. By happily sharing a taxi from Hartlepool station (thanks, guys!), I sit down just as the referee blows his whistle for kick-off.

MK Dons

A really nice sunny day for being at the top of League One. A really nice, stress-free train journey (yes!). An overnight stay in a really nice hotel and a really good result.

Great fancy-dress costumes with lots of magic hats and foam bricks. Even the police are smiling at the carnival atmosphere.

There’s endless singing of Jack O’Connell’s song, and a chap celebrating by beam-balancing in the concourse in the light of a red flare. The MK Dons supporters stay to the end to applaud. The players come over and Billy Sharp throws a foam brick at JOC to “head back”. Chris Wilder pushes Alan Knill forward.

It’s a really good feeling being a Sheffield United supporter on a day like this.

Red and white wizards

And if you throw a brick at him...

West Ham United

Travelling to Upton Park, of fond memory. (Another architectural client, but that’s another story.)

Approaching Peterborough, the train comes to a halt because there’s a broken-down train further along the track.

But: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journey today.”

Well, you can’t get out of a train stopped in the countryside, so I just sit and wait.

I eventually get to London, through the Underground system, and arrive twenty minutes after kick-off.

And then, as Basil Fawlty never said:

“Don’t mention the... Tevez thing.”

Wembley

Play-off final against Burnley. Nothing train-related to report, only memorable for that one goal sailing past Paddy Kenny.

Say no more, but it’s a long walk back down Wembley Way.

Wembley Again

Play-off final against Huddersfield Town. The trains behaved themselves, so it’s only memorable for Steve Simonsen’s attempt to land a ball on Mars.

Say no more, but it’s a long walk back down Wembley Way.

London’s pigeons fear for their safety on the stadium roof.

Wembley Yet Again

FA Cup semi-final against Hull City.

Trains all good, and Stefan Scougall scores.

Yes, I’ll say that again: Stefan Scougall scores!

The Blades are leading at half-time and we’re all daring to dream (a bit).

Say no more, but it’s a long... well, you get the picture.

Northampton Town

Not really an away day, as I couldn’t travel to this one, but I came to Sheffield by train (crafty link there) to see The Mikado by Dore Amateur Operatic Society at the Montgomery Theatre. Bear with me.

Look, theatres tell the audience to switch off mobile phones, don’t they? But there’s always one, isn’t there?

She waits until the second act, mind, but it’s annoying seeing that phone screen keep lighting up out of the corner of my eye. About half past four, though, the penny drops that perhaps I’m not the only Blades supporter in the audience, and she might be looking at the score from Sixfields.

As the chorus skip into their finale, she fist-pumps the air and grins at her neighbour. So, taking that to mean what I think it does, I admit not all my applause at the end of the show is for the singers.

League One wilderness at an end!

Promotion beckons!

Proof that if you spend years wandering the wilderness, eventually your GPS remembers the way back to the Championship.

Norwich City

My first trip to Carrow Road, and a rather pleasant train journey through the Wetlands Nature Reserve and picturesque Ely.

Easy walk to the ground and back to the station after the match.

Only to find chaos, as trains have been cancelled since 3.00pm due to a broken-down train further along the track.

But: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journey today.”

Things might be bearable if the concourse food and drink kiosks remain open but, no, this is England and they close promptly at 6.00pm.

Trains eventually get going again at about 9.00pm and, travelling by the scenic route, half by train and half by coach, I finally get home at 2.00am.

Good job the Blades won...

(Yes, I know I’m repeating myself, but I assure you that, paraphrasing Oscar Wilde, “one is misfortune, three looks like carelessness”; these broken-down trains really did happen.)

Sheffield Wednesday

Bouncing Day (although we don’t know enough to call it that at the time) in the warm September sunshine.

I catch an early train, as the 10K race is being run in the morning, but it’s all over by the time I get to Sheffield. It proves prescient, though, as I get a timely tram out to Hillsborough and avoid all the argy-bargy that a lot of tram-travelling supporters suffer later. Sorry.

As I sup my cup of tea in the sunshine, waiting for the stand to fill up, I’m wondering where everyone’s got to.

Anyway, the rest, as they say, is history...

I give you Mr Mark “Bounce-Slayer” Duffy.

And just to prove I’m there, I pinch this screenshot after Leon Clarke scores the fourth.

Remember the arthritis? I can’t jump up and down, but my applause is sincere.

My hands need ice packs for the next three days.

Leeds United

The train rattles along in the miserable, pouring rain, and it’s still raining miserably when I get to the ground.

It’s a thoroughly miserable performance in the first half.

But then!

Basham “arrives”, the Leeds goalkeeper is sent off, and automatic promotion becomes a little more certain.

My taxi back to the station doesn’t turn up (it’s still raining), but grateful thanks to some lads from Doncaster who let me share theirs. They’re quite complimentary about the Blades too.

Thankfully, the train home is nice and warm, so I get a chance to dry off a bit.

The goal was so unexpected, even the back of the net had to Google what just happened...

The Premier League (First Time Round)

Excellent away days, even though every other match does seem to be somewhere in London!

And although the latter part is played behind closed doors (Corona is now definitely a virus and not a fizzy drink), no trains are harmed in the playing of this season.

Sadly, physical and financial constraints mean I can’t do away days any longer, but I’d like to offer my admiration and thanks to all those Travelling Blades whom I hear making such a racket on the radio.

Keep flying the flag!

Positivity.

With the international break offering some much-needed distance, Sam, Riley and David look for genuine reasons to be cheerful about Sheffield United: returning players, a system that worked last season, a run of fixtures that suddenly looks more inviting, and the possibility that the opening eight games were tougher than they first appeared.

There are caveats, obviously. Quite a lot of them.

But if United are going to change the mood around this season, the next eight games look like a very good place to start.

Riley Roberts

Positivity, really?

If you’re a regular listener of the Pinch podcast, this combination of title and author might come as a bit of a shock. But it’s far too easy to be negative when things are going badly. So, while I don’t necessarily feel great about our chances right now, I thought it might lighten the mood a little to list a few reasons why it might not be all doom and gloom. And there are a few!

1. Wilder has a record of getting results

While opinion is fairly split on Chris Wilder at the moment, with big questions over our style of play, there’s one thing even his biggest critic couldn’t deny: he generally has a very successful record in the EFL. Since 2010/11, Wilder has only twice seen his seasonal PPG drop below 1.4, and only once when spending the whole season with the same club.

That rate is enough for around 64 points over a full season, which would usually put you in contention for the top half. He’s a manager who historically gets results and, knowing his character, the doubters will be fuelling his desire to get it right even more. A fired-up Wilder has tended to be a good thing for Sheffield United in the past.

2. Returning players could transform the side

I don’t really like making the injury excuse because, even without the players we’re missing, we still have a side that most Championship teams would be jealous of. That said, Harrison Burrows and Femi Seriki in particular are two players who could transform this side when they return.

Last season, during the period when we looked our best, we created a boatload of chances by getting in behind out wide and playing cutbacks into the box. If we have any intention of returning to that sort of style, those two will surely play an instrumental role.

In attack, we’re sorely lacking in depth out wide, but Tahith Chong seems set to return to action after the international break, giving us another option. Young Ryan Oné will also be a very welcome addition to the wide forward department when he returns. Whether he’s trusted with many minutes remains to be seen, but he can definitely add an unpredictable spark to our front line.

Of course, injuries affect every side, but ours have left us with a mismatch of conflicting profiles. Provided there are no shock setbacks in training before the Lincoln game, we’ll surely be naming better squads after the break.

3. This squad is capable of much more

Alright, this is a bit of a cheap one, but it’s true. This squad is not a bottom-half Championship unit.

Patrick Bamford has two goals, but his general play hasn’t been the best. Choudhury has started poorly, Sydie Peck started slowly but has shown signs of improvement lately, and BBD is yet to register a goal contribution. Some of these players are much, much better than the level they’re showing at the minute. For that reason, it’s hard to believe things won’t pick up a little.

Even after the summer departures, we still have a comparatively big budget for the division, and that shows in the quality of players in the squad.

4. We found a winning formula last season

This is a bit of an amalgamation of the other points, and it does feel a bit weird to say given our final position. Still, Wilder took over a team heading for relegation and, in the end, had us disappointed to fall out of the play-off race.

Between November 2025 and February 2026, we played 21, won 12, drew three and lost six. That run comes out at 1.86 PPG, equivalent to around 85 points over a full season. That’s almost half a season of strong promotion-chasing form.

As mentioned, there have been departures since then, and the squad is most definitely weaker, but we clearly had a process that enabled us to pick up points in the Championship. Most of that run came with a mix of 4-4-2, 4-2-2-2 and 4-2-3-1. We pressed really aggressively out of possession and were excellent at getting in behind out wide with the ball, registering high numbers of box touches and shots in almost every game of that run.

Even with the challenging summer we had, nine of the starting XI that beat Stoke 4-0 at home last December are still in the building. Does swapping Brooks for Donovan and Hamer for BBD really mean we have to completely throw away what seemed to be an ideal system? I’m not so sure.

Obviously, it sounds remarkably easy to just switch back to a past style. As all FM players know, all you’ve got to do is click the ‘load tactic’ button and voilà! Of course, that’s not how real life works, but I really would like to see some of the principles that drove our play in that period make a return. I think we’d be much better off for it.

Honestly, I can’t help but feel a tad more positive myself after getting that out. Of course, we’ve been pretty bad this season so far, but the players aren’t bad and the manager isn’t bad. That’s usually enough to make sure you end up just about alright. The squad’s going to improve when Seriki, Burrows, McCallum, Chong and One are back, and most of this group were around when we seemingly did have a winning formula last season.

Even though the mood is poor at the moment, there are reasons to think this is merely a blip. If we can return to something approaching the level of performance we saw between November and February, then talk of this having the makings of a disastrous campaign could be, fingers crossed, well wide of the mark.

Every great era eventually ends.

In the final part of our Dave Bassett trilogy, we reach the downfall: relegation from the Premier League and the gradual sense that the spark which had carried United from Division Three to the top flight had fizzled out.

Huge thanks to Richard, David and Paul for joining Andrew on three bumper pods.

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Tyrone James

It’s funny when I think about how much time I spend watching this football club I love so much.

None of it is actual wasted time, obviously. Not like scrolling through social media endlessly with no real plan in mind, or spending forty minutes deciding what to watch on Netflix before eventually watching an episode of The Office I’ve already seen.

I mean more the hours spent standing in away ends after we’ve lost, watching Tom Cannon ballsing up another gilt-edged chance and wondering why I didn’t take up golf.

But nevertheless, ten months of madness had returned. Yes, it was time for my non-football availability to take a nosedive as I embarked on another season of following this basket-case of a football club up and down the country.

I love it.

Overheard: “He’s a patsy!”

Mansfield Town.

The first competitive away game of the season saw a trip to the lesser visited Field Mill. I normally wouldn’t be quite as enthused about a first-round Carabao Cup tie, but the fact it was a new ground for The Wife meant that we were actually looking forward to it. Even more so when United were ahead after just four minutes via a right-time, right-place tap-in from our new hero Patrick Bamford.

I liked Patrick Bamford once. Then I hated him. Now I love him. He won’t reciprocate, but that’s okay, I’m happy just pretending we have a bromance from afar.

After his somewhat fortunate first goal, United had a very comfortable afternoon, which was nice. The out-of-favour (or at least then) Mark McGuinness used every inch of his 6ft frame to head one in from a corner midway through the second half and the soon-to-be departing (though we didn’t know it then) Callum O’Hare added a third.

A resounding 3-0 win to start the competitive campaign. Lovely. Following United is at its best when you don’t spend the entire journey home discussing whose fault everything was.

Overheard: “If I squint, he looks a lot like Jake Gyllenhaal.”

Swansea City.

Next up was the first league away game of the season, and naturally we started with the longest away trip we’d have to make. I don’t mind driving to South Wales as it’s a lovely journey, it just takes about three hundred years.

Playing Swansea City itself isn’t exactly a fixture to get the pulse racing, but at least this was on a Saturday at 3pm. There are only so many times a reasonably employed adult can logistically navigate a Tuesday night in South Wales, and trust me, I’ve done my fair share of those journeys.

There isn’t much to write about a 0-0 draw, although Callum O’Hare hit the bar and probably should have scored. If I think about it too hard I might get really upset spending six hours in a car just to see a boring, goalless draw, but that’s the chance you take with this club.

At least it gave us a little quirk to cling to. Two league games. No goals conceded. No goals scored. The perfect start, if football was decided on being mildly difficult to beat.

By this point, we’d developed something approaching a footballing identity: Absolutely nobody scores.

Overheard: “He’s definitely using Just For Men.”

Blackburn Rovers.

Next up was Blackburn Rovers away. Not the cup game. The league game that took place about two weeks later.

There are only so many times I can travel across the Pennines in one season, having already decided to skip the aforementioned Carabao Cup tie. I didn’t do Cardiff City away either a few days before. Two trips to South Wales a week apart? No thanks. I do have some standards. Admittedly, those standards are all entirely football-related, and selectively applied.

I’ve spent decades refining the precise geographical distance at which I become morally opposed to travelling for Sheffield United. It’s an increasingly complicated system that makes absolutely no sense to anyone, including me.

Still, off to Blackburn I went. Sydie Peck went from villain to hero in double-quick time, half at fault for costing us a goal that saw us go behind yet again in a league game this season, before getting his fucking act together and sliding once across for Tom Cannon to score about his fiftieth United goal against Blackburn Rovers. Peck then scored himself, doing some sort of fancy flick with his foot and swung his left foot at it and the ball swept into the bottom corner. An undeserved lead, but one we eventually held on to. Jubilation in the away end.

That moment of quality aside, it was a poor game. Rovers can feel hard done by, as we hardly had to get out of second gear to beat them, but my goodness it was a poor game. Do results matter more than performances at this stage of the season? Ask me in November.

Overheard: “She’s a talentless oaf.”

Fleetwood Town.

Yes, there are only so many times I can travel across the Pennines in one season, but here I was a week later making more or less the same journey to Highbury Stadium, a ground we have a horrific record at, but one I am oddly quite fond of.

The third round of the Carabao Cup had seen us drawn away again for the third game in succession, and here I was, hoping that the cold September air wouldn’t be too harsh on a trip to the seaside - yes, Fleetwood IS the seaside and I won’t hear anything to the contrary. I don’t care if you don’t know where it is.

The less said about the game the better, as it turned out. When Fleetwood eventually took the lead through a Rhys Norrington-Davies own goal I was genuinely questioning why I do this to myself. I wrote in the summer that one of my fears was that Wilder wouldn’t be able to recreate the same sort of magic he had previously, and given some of the comments from the away end in this game my fears were starting to look pretty well founded. A first shot on target after 85 minutes against League Two opposition summed it all up. 1-0 to the Cod Army. Out of the cup and out on our arse.

Overheard: “It’s okay Andy, it’s just bolognese!”

Stoke City.

There’s always another game. Unfortunately for us, this was the in-form Potters at the bet365.

I hate lunchtime kick-offs. What is the point? An away game that is 90 miles away shouldn’t mean you’re having to leave the house at the arse crack of dawn to get there to enjoy the pre-match frivolities. Not that there are many to be found in Stoke-on-Trent.

Anyway, this was it, the comeback game. A disappointing result against Fleetwood and an awful performance all would be put right against the Potters. Right?

Wrong. A superb bit of quality from Kalvin Phillips and United took the lead for the first time in the league this season, and whilst it might have been somewhat undeserved, it was a real moment to remember.

That bit of quality was outdone by two late Stoke City goals. A case of we’ve seen what you can do – we can do better, and somehow United found themselves staring another defeat in the face. 2-1 Stoke, and the general disgruntlement and anger amongst our fanbase became a little bit more prominent. Eight games in, and there’s definitely a few worrying signs so far.

So, not for the first time in my Blades-supporting life, I’m actually looking forward to a bit of time away from United over the international break.

See you at Bristol City.

Back-to-back promotions had taken Sheffield United into the top flight. Staying there was another matter entirely.

In part two of our Dave Bassett special, Andrew, Paul, Dave and Richard pick up the story with United winless in their first 16 games, seemingly doomed by Christmas and Bassett insisting, against all available evidence, that they would stay up.

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Sam Parry

It’s 50 shades of Brexit out here. Well, fifty-point-something. And the question on the ballot: Wilder In or Wilder Out?

Like Brexit, the debate there’s as much emotion flying about as logic. Like Brexit, neither side can say with any kind of certainty what happens when they win. And like Brexit, I imagine most fans don’t appreciate the idea that they can be clumped together, and boiled down into loyal versus disloyal, positive versus negative, and in versus out.

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We are all Blades. And I don’t mean that in a happy clappy way, but rather that any group numbering the thousands can simultaneously share wildly differing opinions whilst still being part of that thing we call being a fan.

It’s for that reason that I really don’t like referenda. Especially when, unlike Brexit, the future of the Sheffield United manager isn’t a democracy (whether it should be is a question for a different article). And whilst it’s not, the people who run the football club should use the information at their disposal, which is naturally greater than what fans have, to make good decisions. The fact they have failed miserably in that task over a number of years, through many different individuals and across many different decisions, is why we’re having this conversation at all.

We’re now two years out of the Premier League. We no longer have parachute payments as a crutch. And the clue was in the name because once you lose parachute payments, what goes up must come if not tumbling and crashing, then listing and floating downwards. That doesn’t have to mean down. But it could.

The team today is of a poorer quality than when Chris Wilder returned us to the Championship from League One. And whilst it’s tempting to characterise our decline as something that might’ve been avoided, I think fans – all football fans – are prone to projecting evitability onto inevitability. Since losing to Sunderland, the trajectory was only going one way.

So let’s take Wilder out of it for a minute. In fact, let’s take Sheffield United out of the equation altogether, because decline is a natural part of football.

Bad bets

The reality for most Championship clubs lucky enough to shuffle from second class, with its fake plastic trees and alpine air freshener, into plush Premier League First Class, is that they are sniffed out and put back in their place. For the majority of newly relegated clubs in the Championship, the whiff of a return is strong. For some, the one-stop bounce back is relatively easy. For others, it’s harder. For many, it doesn’t happen. There have been 24 Premier League relegation spells since 2010 where a club failed to return within two seasons, eight subsequently did get promoted, and 16 did not.

So it’s muddled, I think, to characterise the situation as pure failure. The reality that some teams don’t bounce back to the Premier League is baked into leagues; we organise the pyramid by tables and only three can go up. And whilst those who don’t make the grade (like us) can attribute their ‘failure’ to wrong turns and sliding-door moments, the truth is someone has to lose out. This year the teams with parachute payments include West Ham, Wolves, Burnley and Southampton. They can’t all go up, and that’s why it’s so staggering that people running football clubs so often bet big on a future that’s less Grand National and more National Lottery. But still, they do.

For at least one of those clubs, decline is coming, just like it came for us.

Of course, I’m not saying we couldn’t have made better decisions. In fact, I mean the opposite. It wasn’t inevitable that Prince Abdullah gutted any hope ahead of our last season in the Premier League. Nor was it inevitable that Kieffer Moore would give the ball away in the last few minutes at Wembley. We can point out failings of owners and players and managers and recruitment teams. We can criticise transfer business; that’s a problem. We could’ve signed better. We could’ve sold to different owners. Why did we sack him? Why did we hire him? What if VAR didn’t intervene? What if Bristol City hadn’t scored 4 from 4 shots on target?

I’m not suggesting that Sheffield United were forced into the decisions we made. What I’m saying is, in choosing to gamble on bouncing back, we wrote the prologue for a story that could only ever be great victory in promotion, or great decline in failing to get promoted. Was there another way?

Ahead of 24/25, imagine a world where we sold Hamer, Souza and Ahmedhodžić. Imagine the fans’ reaction if we’d released the brakes on the top-flight riches more slowly. Instead, we not only kept our highest-paid players but doubled down over the season with Jamie Shackleton, Sam McCallum, Kieffer Moore, Callum O’Hare, Harrison Burrows, Harry Souttar, Alfie Gilchrist, Tyrese Campbell, Michael Cooper, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Ben Brereton Díaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury, Harry Clarke, Rob Holding, Jefferson Cáceres and Christian Nwachukwu.

We gambled. We earned 92 points. But Leeds and Burnley won that lottery; Sunderland nabbed the bonus ball.

The alternative arc on the decision tree was selling more and signing fewer players. No doubt I’d have called that path unambitious. You probably would have too. Because let’s face it, we all want to spend. If every transfer target was a referendum, they’d all receive a “yes” vote.

That doesn’t change the fact that the bet on bouncing back was a) the club’s bet, b) high risk, c) high reward and d) somewhat irresponsible. No doubt fans were happy to gamble. No doubt Wilder was happy to gamble - and that makes him complicit in the hand he’s been dealt today. And had we beaten Sunderland, the gamble would’ve paid off. But that doesn’t make it a good bet.

The risk was in making promotion the only measure of success. However good (or bad) the individual decisions in the transfer market, the gamble on each of them only paid off if we went up rather than if, you know, they were good transfer business. Selling Hamer to Leeds would have felt awful. I would’ve moaned on Twitter. But for the people running the club, would it have been a smarter decision to bank £13m?

The problem with “going for it” – with gambling on returning to the Premier League at the first or second attempt – is that a football club stakes its future on an outcome.

And that brings us to a huge paradox. Of course, I want us to do better, which in its simplest form means winning matches of football. But our dire situation today grew out of a desperation to win at all costs in the first place, at the expense of, for example, the unflashy building of a new training ground and the unsexy act of putting our best young players on long contracts.

We placed all our chips elsewhere and didn’t get lucky.

And this is the thing that frustrates me not only with the current owners and the previous owners, but the manager too: the difference between a good bet and a bad bet isn’t winning or losing. The difference between a good bet and a bad bet is the quality of your decision-making process.

And this informs both my critique of the last 10 years and where I place my vote in the Wilder referendum.

Pulling the managerial lever

It’s incredibly difficult, entirely counter-intuitive, and perhaps even impossible to forget the past when considering Wilder’s position. But it pays to look at today and not yesterday.

We could very well stay up. I don’t think survival is a ridiculously slim possibility. Neither is it off the table.

But if we go down, everyone will look at this season and see the hallmarks of a relegation. One-year deals. An older squad, full of injury-prone players whose career highlights are mostly behind them. Stalling assets who, at such a young age, have too much pressure on their shoulders. A lack of signings. A lot of sales. A lack of communication from the club about their expectations for the season. A strong whiff of desperation. A fractious fanbase. A fractious manager. Performances bottoming out. Players bottling it away at Fleetwood. And perhaps worst of all, the intangible gut feel of knowing that, on the pitch, Sheffield United are worse now than we were 10 years ago.

It’s all there in the tea leaves.

And the funny thing about clubs who are wedded to outcomes and not processes — clubs like ours — is that, if they fail to deliver promotion, afterwards they are left with fewer and fewer obvious levers to pull when things go wrong. Put simply: a financial situation that has to be managed so urgently it pulls the rug from under your feet.

The two obvious levers to pull are: 1) fire sale and 2) a managerial change.

The former has been pulled. But pull the latter, and none of us knows whether the hurtling car spins into a handbrake turn or crashes into League One.

I’m sure Leicester thought Ruud van Nistelrooy was the wrong man and then Martí Cifuentes was the wrong man, and then Andy King was the wrong man, then Gary Rowett was the wrong man, and now Russell Martin is the wrong man. I’m sure Luton thought Rob Edwards was the wrong man and then Matt Bloomfield was the wrong man and now Jack Wilshere’s the wrong man.

Maybe they were.

But it’s fair to say teams who double drop are always managed by the wrong men. How many managers do we want to sack to find out how far we fall?

If your answer is “just the one for now”, I wouldn’t be able to make a convincing argument against it. I couldn’t promise that things are going to get better. There are reasons to expect some improvement, which I’ll come to, but precious little in the football itself to inspire confidence. But we should be realistic about the fact that, whichever guy is in charge, we’re still going to need some luck: it’s far more valuable to Sheffield United that there are three worse clubs than us than it is imagining this squad can make drastic improvements.

None of that means to say Chris Wilder is the right man.

But if you agree with me that this season bears all the hallmarks of a relegation season, then you’d surely also agree that sacking the manager won’t, by itself, make them all disappear. Sacking Heckingbottom, after all, didn’t change a thing in the short term.

So is sacking Wilder now a good bet?

The main arguments I’d offer in Wilder’s favour look like this:

1. Every individual shuffling about the managerial job centre knows Sheffield United are in a bad spot this season. Quality candidates are hardly going to be knocking on the boardroom door if we sack him.

2. There’s a reasonable expectation that things should improve. Woeful as the football has been, when Femi Seriki, Harrison Burrows and Ryan Oné return, they will provide much better options and mean our bench is substantially improved.

3. There’s a reasonable expectation that a new manager would want their own players. In a season where we’ve already (loosely) backed Wilder to sign familiar faces, to change course and add to a bloated squad could make things worse (financially as well as on the pitch), not better.

4. It’s reasonable to have little faith in the ownership to make a constructive appointment. A bad appointment could easily leave us worse off.

5. It’s reasonable to expect a weaker team and a weaker performance level in the context of decline. That doesn’t excuse Wilder’s decisions, or mean he’s getting enough out of the players available. But it does mean judging him against what this squad can realistically do.

6. It’s reasonable to ask what a new manager could change with the players and resources available. A different approach might help. But before we sack Wilder, who at the club is a good judge of the footballing merits of Mr New?

7. But most of all: sacking a manager isn’t the only lever…

None of this means waiting forever to watch Rome burn. But sacking a manager in this situation, after eight games, is a touch too rich for my blood.

We’ve been too outcome-based; we’ve put too much faith in our bets paying off: now’s the time to think before we bet the house again.

Pulling a different lever

Why not, I dunno…

Bring in a coach? Bring in someone to take responsibility for recruitment decisions alongside the manager. Change approach on the pitch. Add a Director of Football or a Sporting Director or someone else to take the pressure off Wilder. Hell, bring in one good player in January.

Fans fixate on the idea that one man – whether it’s Wilder or not – can change the fortunes of a football club in a few short months. As I tweeted the other day, look at the talent we’ve lost over the last few years.

Is it not reasonable to think that departed coaching talent is just as consequential as the figurehead at the top of the club who, after all, can’t kick a football in anger? Is it not reasonable to think some of those names — from recruiters to coaches — contributed in the aggregate to so much of the success Chris Wilder delivered?

I don’t know. It’s impossible to measure. But there’s more we can do.

How about paying an external company to audit the way the club is run? We may not hear about it all that often, but many of the high-performing clubs across the EFL rely on outside expertise to recalibrate their operating model.

Is Bettis the right guy? Is there such a lack of footballing smarts at the club that Wilder is just stretched too thin?

The idea that one manager is the problem and another unknown manager is the solution oversimplifies a much more challenging picture. But at the same time, I wouldn’t disagree there’s an on-pitch problem.

I hate the football we’re playing. I hate the performance levels. And maybe a change can make a world of difference. I hate the recruitment. I hate that Wilder cited David Moyes’ Everton from 20 years ago as a model club. But sacking Wilder now wouldn’t change the structural issues at the club.

So my answer to the Wilder question — in or out? — starts with what we’re asking him, or anybody else, to do. If it’s just the expectation of one man being in charge whilst a club contends with the gravity of failing to bounce back, then we’re asking too much of one appointment.

Gravity, as Radiohead put it, “always wins.”

Wilder out is inevitable

And Thom Yorke, wrong about much, was right about that. Because however you view the situation today, eventually the answer to the Wilder referendum will be “out”.

Wilder has been part of too many gambles because that’s the task the club have given him - but it’s also what he and fans wanted too. He was the moonshot that took us to the moon, the bet that won, the numbers coming up.

We’re not in that situation today. Making new and better bets requires a process-driven approach. A process-driven approach requires new thinking. New thinking will, eventually, mean a new manager because it’s just not in Chris Wilder’s DNA to be the guy who builds success in increments. I don’t want a plan that depends on Chris Wilder changing his DNA. I want to change the manager when the structures are in place that mean managers can come and go without the whole club lurching from one chaotic but successful spell to another chaotic but unsuccessful spell.

That’s not too much to ask. Other clubs do it.

In fact, isn’t this the great lesson from the often-cited Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth model?

Whilst rich owners are a huge help, what sets them apart is a process-driven environment where club employees outlast managers, where collating information improves the chances of winning every bet, and where success is found in the aggregate, not the work of one man doing great deeds.

Their identities didn’t happen overnight. They were built through years of planning and good decision-making. And like Brexit, so much of this is about identity.

Wilder has been our identity for the best part of a decade. That’s a tribute to what he achieved, and a problem — or at the very least a consideration — the club should have spent that decade thinking about.

Eventually, there will be a Sheffield United without Chris Wilder. The task is to build a club that knows what it’s doing when that day comes. So sack Wilder, or don’t sack Wilder. Just don’t mistake either decision for a plan.

And btw, that’s a spoiled ballot.

Alan Pickard

Let’s take a moment. Fans. Content creators. Players. Staff. Everyone, take a breath.

Hear me out.

Wilder In Mob: you have a point. Wilder Out Mob: you have a point.

But the point is: none of you can be entirely right.

We’ve been at a level crossroads now since Wilder first left in 2021. A crossroads that essentially has a 90mph train coming through it.

The thing is, Sheffield United today are better off with Chris Wilder involved. I don’t think that is really up for debate. The bloke has his fingerprints all over the place. And with that come positives and negatives. So let’s cut to the chase and talk about what being “involved” means.

It’s been 10 years since he walked through the door. Look, I’ll hold my hands up: I wasn’t overly impressed with the appointment. But what followed was unprecedented. After a five-game start that played up to my initial sceptical view, we took the league to bits in 41 games.

Wilder bought some beer. He brought in some modern-day legends. And three years later, before Covid hit, we were going to qualify for Europe. We were. You can’t convince me otherwise. We’d have beaten Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. We’d have beaten a struggling Newcastle in the PL. I’m absolutely sure of it.

And then Covid happened. And time took its toll on him.

I said at the time: get him upstairs.

Get Wilder looking after the club. But he left. Hecky came in, and basically nothing changed. Summer happened, we appointed Slav and eventually Hecky took us back up blah blah blah blah blah.

HERE’S THE POINT.

There was never a plan!

Selling Berge and Ndiaye on the eve of the season and replacing them with Souza and Hamer was mental. Surely if we’d had Souza and Berge, Hamer and Iliman, we’d have stood a bastarding chance?

Anyway. Plan.

Contracts. Oooh yeah, let’s let ’em run down because they’ll be more motivated.

What? Have you heard yourself think here?

Anyway. Plan.

Let’s hope Hecky, who basically took us to a runners-up position with the best squad the Championship has ever seen, will pull rabbits out of a hat in the most competitive league on the planet.

Anyway. Plan.

Let’s talk about building a new academy…

Anyway. Plan.

Let’s bring CW back.

Anyway. Plan.

Gamble on promotion and run debts up.

Anyway. Plan.

Sell club and hope the next lot have a plan.

Shit.

Anyway. Plan.

Sign a very good striker to replace a game-changing centre-back.

Anyway. Plan.

FUCK VAR.

Anyway. Plan.

TRUST AI and some idiot who fancies a Spanish salesman.

Anyway. Plan.

SACK HIM.

Anyway. Plan?

WE HAVEN’T GOT A PLAN.

WILDER IS THE PLAN.

That’s the point. He’s always been the plan. He is Mr Sheffield United. And the problem is, footy has moved on, and we haven’t. We’re still planless.

So please, for god’s sake, start planning now. And what does that look like in my opinion? Well…

Do not sack him.

With him, we won’t go up. But we won’t go down.

Use this time to think ahead.

Chris goes upstairs, Derek Dooley-esque. Headhunt a head coach. Do not just appoint from a list of applicants; actually go out there and get someone. Go after a name. Go after someone we’ve never heard of. Maybe look abroad. Go after whoever. I don’t actually care.

But build a plan of what this club is, man.

Please.

Because right now, we haven’t got one.

And until we get one, please, for the love of God:

Do not sack Chris Wilder.

Last week, we asked whether we were being too harsh on Sheffield United. Results were decent to good. The table looked healthy enough. Maybe we were spending too much time worrying about performances and not enough time enjoying the points.

After back-to-back losses, let’s invert the question.

Are we being harsh enough?

Because if the underlying performances were already setting off alarm bells, what happens when the results don’t provide cover?

Riley Roberts

This time last year I penned a piece on my own Medium page, giving my thoughts on the entire Blades squad and the manager. This year I thought I’d do the same here on The Pinch.

September 2026 is a very different time from September 2025: a new (familiar) face in the dugout, a few new (mostly familiar) signings on the pitch, and, most importantly, we’ve got more than nil points on the board.

The squad is decent to good for the level, maybe not quite as good as when I tipped us for a play-off place on the pod a couple of weeks back (we’ve lost Hamer/O’Hare in that time), but I do still think there’s a lot of quality in this side.

Goalkeepers

Michael Cooper (GK, 26)

Despite a tough run last season, I’m still confident enough to say Michael Cooper is at least a decent goalkeeper at Championship level. He commands the box quite well, and is capable of making the big game-winning saves that you need from your ‘keeper – a quality he’s shown so far this season.

There’s something about the way that Cooper dives, though, which doesn’t convince me wholly, and I think it might be down to his relative lack of height for a goalkeeper. Still, he’s a good #1, and we’d already be worse off without him this campaign.

Verdict: Good Number 1.

Adam Davies (GK, 34)

Adam Davies played the most league games he ever has for Sheffield United last season, with 13 appearances. While there were a few errors, it wasn’t the disastrous run you’d have been forgiven for expecting, though I’m not going to be excited if I ever see him in the starting XI this season.

Verdict: Subpar-to-average backup.

Defenders

Femi Seriki (RB, 24)

One of the more enjoyable players to watch over the past two seasons, Seriki is injured at the time of writing, and his presence is already being missed. I might be slightly biased as a big fan of his, but I will admit his game has a few deficiencies.

He can be a bit over-exuberant defensively and isn’t the best when 1v1 with a winger, but his pure power enables him to win enough duels that it’s never gonna be the biggest issue in the team. He’s great at taking people on, and improved his end-product last season; for a team that wants to use its wide men to create chances, as we did last season, he’s a great asset.

Verdict: Important starter, potential sellable asset.

Matt Doherty (RB, 34)

We’ve seen little of Matt Doherty in a Blades shirt, but he’s a player who has experienced the game at the highest level. I think his nous and technical ability give him enough to still be useful at this level, despite being at least half a decade removed from his prime, though he doesn’t seem to be trusted right now, potentially on fitness grounds.

Verdict: Decent squad player.

Hamza Choudhury (RB/DM, 28)

It’s been a shaky start for Hamza back in a Blades shirt, but he was a very obvious summer signing, given Wilder’s intention to add experience to what he frequently describes as a young squad, and the repeated acquisitions of former Sheffield United players.

His 2024/25 loan stint was undeniably positive, though the make-up of the team was very different to what it is now. Back then we played a pretty possession-heavy style – it’s worth noting that Choudhury’s only experience at right-back before joining the Blades had come in Maresca’s possession-heavy Leicester team, where he often inverted into central areas. Is he really a right-back in a traditional sense? No.

Verdict: Steady player, subpar stylistic fit.

Jamal Baptiste (CB/RB, 22)

A top prospect at youth level with both West Ham and Manchester City, Baptiste is 22, but has only had one proper season of first-team football, with 37 League One appearances for relegated Rotherham last season. I thought he was okay in the couple of games that I caught, and looked particularly nice on the ball. He started off shakily there, but seemed to pick up more praise as the season went on.

Verdict: Likely needed another loan.

Japhet Tanganga (CB/RB, 27)

The Blades captain seems to split opinion in the fanbase, but I’m of the opinion that he’s a good player for the level, and is the type of player you want to build your team around. He’s a great athlete, competes well in the air, and is arguably our best CB on the ball.

He can be a little bit rash at times, and potentially you could even say inconsistent, but his top performance level is right up with the best centre-halves in the Championship in my opinion.

Verdict: Key player.

Mark McGuinness (CB, 25)

I actually didn’t realise McGuinness was so young, and while he’s clearly not favoured right now, it might help his resale value. McGuinness is pretty big, and that makes him an obvious threat from set-pieces, despite only having the solitary league goal for Sheffield United.

Personally, though, I just don’t really like McGuinness as a defender. When contesting aerial duels he seems to get mispositioned ridiculously easily for a man of his stature, and while it didn’t lead to goals conceded in the games he’s played so far this season, over a full season it will cost you.

I don’t mind him as a pure box defender – he defends crosses well, and while the set-piece threat makes us more dangerous, I think we play at a defensive disadvantage when he starts.

Verdict: Useful option to help see out games, not good enough to start.

Liam Kitching (CB, 26)

As I said on the podcast after his signing, I’m not 100% sure what to expect with Kitching, and his debut vs. Norwich left me with more questions. Kitching seems to be quite adventurous with his passing, though the execution wasn’t perfect.

In his most recent performance against Wolves, at the time of writing, he put in a great display and even showed some ability in getting forward from the LCB position, which was a very promising sign. He started 37 games for the runaway league winners last season, and you don’t do that if you’re not good.

Verdict: Top-end Championship starter.

Rhys Norrington-Davies (LB/LCB, 27)

I loved RND at LCB in the first half of that 2022/23 promotion season, but since then his career has been massively disrupted by injuries, to the point where his current level is quite hard to pin down.

He hasn’t disgraced himself in his appearances this season thus far, despite what seems to be an ability to make one monumental error per game, and he had a fair loan spell at QPR last season. That’s enough for me to say he can have some kind of role this time around.

Verdict: Emergency cover.

Sam McCallum (LB/LCB?, 26)

A player I really came to like last season, after probably disappointing a little in 2024/25, McCallum has a baseline where you know more often than not you’re going to get at least a very steady showing from him.

He’s a great athlete, as evidenced by having probably the greatest leap in all of football. He’s pretty solid defensively and can give you a bit in attack with his crossing. Decent ball-carrier. He’s not all that sound when it comes to his passing, but he has a nice skillset for a Championship left-back.

Verdict: Good Championship player.

Harrison Burrows (LB, 24)

A decent contrast to his fellow LB McCallum, Burrows is technically very good; he can pass, he can cross, and he can shoot, but he probably lacks a little defensively, and his small stature means the physical side of the game isn’t his strong point.

Burrows, like Choudhury on the other side, is clearly more suited to a possession-heavy side, which all current evidence suggests we won’t be this season, but I like a lot of his qualities, and he is only 24.

Verdict: Top-end Championship LB, questions about stylistic fit.

Midfielders

Jaïro Riedewald (DM, 29)

Last season, I was a huge fan of Riedewald. He’s technically sound, secure without being flashy, and reads the game well. This season, though, he looks slow, unfit, and far too easy to bypass, albeit from a limited sample size. I’m a bit unsure where I stand on this one, to be honest.

Verdict: Has quality, past his physical peak. Squad player.

Sydie Peck (CM, 21)

A player who is probably struggling with the side’s lack of a real identity at the moment, it’s been a challenging start to the season for Sydie, despite a couple of recent positive showings, and while his quality can be quite inconsistent, he’s a young player with a lot of experience for his age, and one who can definitely change a game.

He’s a great battler, does have a quality pass in his locker, and even added goals to his game last season. He’s a player who does blow a bit hot and cold, as many young players do, but as a club we can do a lot worse than championing these types.

Verdict: Key player. Huge potential.

Kalvin Phillips (CM/DM, 30)

A former England Player of the Year, and a former £50m man – those are two things that definitely don’t happen if you aren’t a good footballer, and Kalvin Phillips definitely is.

His career has been on a downhill trajectory since he went to City, and loans to both West Ham and Ipswich did little to stop the slide, but at his absolute best, he’s an elite player at this level, and we’ve seen a couple of glimpses of that so far this campaign.

He’s physically very strong, has a good eye for a pass, and his experience playing at the absolute top level is a great asset. Whether we can consistently get good minutes out of him is a huge question, and potentially the answer defines our season.

Verdict: Top-quality player, fitness questions.

Oliver Arblaster (CM, 22)

Pre-injury, I don’t think there were many better midfielders in the Championship than Ollie Arblaster. His quality on the ball and ability to impact games in and around the box made him a top prospect.

His time has been heavily interrupted since, but I’m still a big fan of his qualities and have faith that he can get back to that level. He’s got a good engine and is classy with the ball, and I’ve enjoyed his performances for the most part this season. I think he’s in our best starting XI.

Verdict: Needs consistent game time, potentially a great player.

Joe Rothwell (CM, 31)

Rothwell is a very talented player who has been promoted from this division before. Does he have the energy and legs of the likes of Peck and Arblaster? Absolutely not, but he’s got a very good pass on him, and has been around long enough to develop his decision-making with the ball, which is often good.

In games where we want to dominate the ball it makes sense to have a player with his qualities in there, but I’d have a few others above him in the midfield hierarchy right now.

Verdict: Solid option to have.

Forwards

Romelle Donovan (RW, 19)

From his seven games in red and white thus far, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen from young Romelle Donovan. He’s an exciting player in the sense that he loves to take players on, and has the potential to start a promising attack at any moment, but he’s also a hard worker who likes to get stuck in and never neglects his defensive duties.

He’ll have off days, being a young player whose game is still a little rough, but there’s a lot to like about this man.

Verdict: Exciting player. Best option in his position.

Tahith Chong (RW, 26)

Chong hasn’t been able to feature much this season through injury, but it’s safe to say that he hardly set the world alight in his 21 league showings last season. He too likes to take players on, but he can be very loose with the ball and in my opinion, he doesn’t offer Donovan’s ability to make something out of nothing.

Verdict: Versatile, bench player.

Ben Brereton Díaz (LW/CF, 27)

Another player, like many of this squad, who splits opinion in the fanbase, Brereton Diaz was praised for his output in his first two spells at United, but he hasn’t hit more than 10 goal contributions in a league season since he left Blackburn in 2023, and is yet to register a return this season.

He’s industrious, and as shown in his time at Ewood Park, he can be a big source of goals making runs in behind off the left-hand side, but his general play always looks a little untidy to me, and he isn’t a huge 1v1 threat for a wide player.

Verdict: Steady, but potentially underwhelming first choice in his position.

Ryan Oné (LW/CF, 20)

Ryan One’s career is yet to truly kick off, but could this be the year that happens? One is quick and strong, and is great at getting shots off, whether he’s playing on the left or as a #9. His technique is a bit rough but he’s highly rated for obvious reasons, and actually has quite a similar profile to Blackburn BBD.

Verdict: Rough, but potential to make a huge impact.

Jordan Ayew (CF/RW, 35)

Ayew is past his best, that’s a certainty, but I did like him as a player during his Palace years, where he always seemed to be efficient. His two years at Leicester were a disaster, though, and at 35 it’s hard to see him recapturing his top level. He came in as we were very short of options out wide, and he will provide an experienced option.

Verdict: Depth.

Tom Cannon (CF, 23)

This one is probably the hardest to write out of any player in the squad, as I’ve probably been Cannon’s biggest critic since, and in fact, even before we signed him. If I’d penned this at the start of the window, I’d have said he wasn’t good enough, but this season he’s been by far and away our best attacker, in my opinion.

Cannon has always been a good finisher, but he looks so much more well-rounded in his general play now, particularly when it comes to physically duelling with defenders. Just because I used to really not rate him, he’s got potential to become one of my favourite players.

Verdict: Purple patch, or the real deal?

Tyrese Campbell (CF, 26)

Tyrese Campbell has played 79 games for United, and has only found the net 17 times, which is a pretty underwhelming-sounding record, but I really do think he has the ability to be at least a double-digit league goalscorer in the Championship.

I like Campbell’s instincts in and around the box, and I think he’s a good runner in behind, but his physical level and inability to play 90 minutes are serious drawbacks.

Verdict: Good CF, but needs to stay fit.

Patrick Bamford (CF, 33)

Bamford was our top scorer in the league last season despite joining after the window had shut on a free (Ayew-esque), and thrived in a team that was pressing high and creating a lot of chances through cutbacks. This year his role has changed, and his performances have suffered.

While his general ability to link play was good last season, he’s struggled with the demands of playing a sort of hold-up role this season, often receiving the ball from high punts up the pitch. I still think he’s a good Championship striker, but more’s needed from him right now.

Verdict: Good Championship CF, not a target man.

Utility men (man)

Jamie Shackleton (RWB/RW/CM/RB, 26)

They say availability is the best ability, and while versatility may be second, it’s the former that Shackleton struggles with. Shackleton can cover a lot of positions, but I’m not sure he’s good enough in any to be a serious option. He seems like a player who needs to find regular football somewhere, because despite claims he’d have a big role this season, I can’t see it being here.

Verdict: Emergency cover.

Manager: Chris Wilder

I love Chris Wilder. If you’re a Sheffield United fan, and you don’t, then you’ll have to explain that one, because your viewpoint seems mad to me.

He shouldn’t have been replaced last summer, despite there being understandable reasons for replacing a manager whose side had way outperformed the underlying metrics, in favour of a younger manager with a more fluid approach.

That change went horribly, and while I’d have even liked a fresh face post-Sellés, you can’t deny that, for at least some portion of last season, Wilder had us playing at a level which was probably above that of the squad at his disposal.

I find our transfer business this summer to be pretty lazy, and that is a criticism of Wilder, in my opinion, but on the flip side, he absolutely knows how to get results in charge of Sheffield United. He’s got to find a style of play that maximises the ability of the players in the squad once again, and my heart says he’ll be able to find the winning formula.

How do you tell the story of the Dave Bassett era? You don’t. Not in one podcast, anyway.

In the first of a special two-part Memory Lane, Andrew Hague is joined by Paul, Deadbat and Richard to go back to where it all began: a struggling Sheffield United side and a manager who initially made things worse before changing the club completely.

This is the story of how Bassett took United from the third tier to the top flight, and created one of the most beloved Blades teams of a generation.

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