United haven’t exactly set the Championship alight, but they’ve lost just once, sit four points off the top and are already in a far healthier position than they were at this stage last season.

So does any of the rest really matter?

Sam, Riley and David look at the gap between results and performances, whether underlying numbers should temper the mood after a win, and whether fans sometimes need to simply enjoy three points rather than immediately ask how sustainable they are.

Because a win is a win.

But if that’s all that matters, why bother watching the game?

Phil Ridley

Last night’s win at Blackburn brought back memories and a feeling I’ve not had about United in a very long time.

Nothing to do with scraping a win when we maybe didn’t deserve it, or travelling over the Pennines to deepest, darkest Lancashire. Just the simple joy you get when your football team wins.

Nowadays, absolutely everything is analysed, overanalysed, dissected and spun in every direction you can think of.

There’s the brilliant Roy’s View, telling us what opposition fans think about us before and after a game, or what to expect from a new player before we’ve seen them play. Then there’s Sam and Riley, looking at and explaining every stat possible on Formline.

It’s all brilliant. I, along with many others, read and listen intently to every article and new pod in the hope of learning something I’d never have found out otherwise.

When a game’s being played, there are all manner of ways to find out how it’s going and how well or badly United are playing. There are always plenty of reactive Twitter posts, positive and negative, depending on how the writer views the amount of liquid in their cup. Sky Sports News always has a has-been at the ground to give their ‘expert’ opinion. Some people even have these dodgy stick things that apparently allow you to watch every game, among other things, for a small annual fee…

But last night was different, for me at least. It reminded me of being a kid again.

I’ve mentioned before that I was brought up near London in the 80s and early 90s. Other than Teletext or the rare occasion we were talked about in the national press, my only real source of United info was my dad. He’d ring to tell me all about the most recent game or the signings we were making.

Anyone who knows the legend that is my old man will understand when I say that most of what I found out came from a pretty negative point of view.

One thing that lack of constant info gave me was a real joy in finding out we’d won a game, after the event. I rarely got to find out how we’d won and, in truth, I didn’t really care.

Which brings me back to last night and our win away at Blackburn.

My wife and I have a rule when we’re on holiday: phones stay in the room when we leave the hotel. So, as we headed out last night, the last bits of info I had were the positive reports from Leicester about our new signing… and a starting XI I couldn’t figure out.

We chose to avoid bars with football on while walking around the streets of Palmanova.

I only found out we’d won when we got back to the room and I checked my phone. Just knowing we’d won, and very little else, gave me a buzz I’d not really felt in years. I went to bed without doing any more digging into how we’d won.

Obviously, I’m now going to have a deep dive into all the brilliant information available to us. But I’m going to keep in mind something I think many of us have lost sight of.

We won a game of football.

When it comes down to it, that’s all that matters to a football fan!

Up the Blades!

Riley Roberts

Norwich (H) 1-3

The first game of this Saturday-Tuesday double-header saw the Blades take on Norwich, in a game where one side had displayed a concerning level of performance but managed to pick up points, and the other had looked pretty decent while losing three of their first four. There was also an interesting subplot as Andre Brooks and Anis Ben Slimane returned to Bramall Lane.

Michael Cooper - 5
Might’ve conceded three goals, but I’m not sure there was much he could’ve done about them, truthfully, and he was overly exposed in a fragile defensive display.

Hamza Choudhury - 3
Was once again exploited at right-back, with Musaba taking him on with ease throughout the game.

Japhet Tanganga - 4
A poor display from the captain. His movement for Toure’s goal in particular saw him pick up a lot of criticism, and while I’m not sure he could’ve done much about the situation even if he’d played it perfectly, the optics weren’t good.

Liam Kitching - 5
An up-and-down game which saw a couple of frail moments, but also a desire to be ambitious with the ball at his feet, though those attempts were often unsuccessful.

Rhys Norrington-Davies - 5
Made a silly mistake which saw him booked right before he made way, but I actually thought he’d had a solid game up to that point, with Brooks the only man in the Norwich front line failing to get onto the scoresheet.

Jairo Riedewald - 3
A poor display, as Riedewald never seemed to get up to the tempo of the game, getting beaten to balls it felt he might’ve won last season.

Sydie Peck - 5
He came under a little fire for his performance, but I felt that was harsh. He was the midfielder most likely to make something happen in the game, especially in a first half where we looked pretty decent.

Romelle Donovan - 5
Didn’t come off for him going forward, but he continued to show an impressive work rate as he often got back when he had to.

Ben Brereton-Diaz - 5
Pretty quiet game really, but it was his pass that found Campbell for the equaliser, and was an example of the type of pass that will regularly lead to chances. A positive moment.

Tyrese Campbell - 5
Set up the opener, but didn’t really see much of the action.

Patrick Bamford - 5
Again struggled with most of his #9 duties, but did find an excellent finish for the equaliser.

Subs:

Kalvin Phillips - 4
I’ve liked Phillips thus far this season, but this display was sloppy, as he struggled to get control of the game.

Average rating - 4.5

Blackburn (A) 2-1

With all due respect to Blackburn, this was a great fixture to see in the calendar. Following a tough afternoon on Saturday, the last thing we needed was to face another top side, and a heavily depleted Blackburn side is about as comfy as it gets in the Championship, though no away day is too easy. The Blades started awfully, going 1-0 down, and would’ve been 2-0 down if not for an offside, before scoring with our first two shots of the game and seeing out a win in dogged fashion, even if Blackburn’s chances may have warranted a result in their favour.

Michael Cooper - 6
Beaten by a great finish for the first goal, but denied Cantwell early in the second half with a great stop.

Hamza Choudhury - 5
Was heading for another sub-standard performance after a terrible decision to play a ball into a marked Peck, which led to Blackburn’s opener, but he did also deny a certain goal with a clearance off the line after HT.

Japhet Tanganga - 6
Back to a good level of performance from the skipper, as he won most of what came his way and had to do a lot of defending in the box with United looking to see out the game.

Liam Kitching - 6
An equally solid display from the man alongside Tanganga. Another who was important in seeing out the three points.

Rhys Norrington-Davies - 4
Made way at HT in a sub I really liked, as Wilder, despite the scoreline, had clearly recognised there was an issue with our performance. I thought RND looked pretty uneasy when he was in possession in this one, with the odd loose touch among the lowlights.

Sam McCallum - 5
Didn’t have a superb time on the ball, but was another who chipped in defensively.

Joe Rothwell - 7
The best performer during his 58 minutes on the pitch, imo. Rothwell played a number of nice passes, and one of those led to Peck’s goal.

Sydie Peck - 7
Was dispossessed for the opener, though I took more issue with Choudhury’s decision to give it to Peck in that position than with him losing it. Rebounded in the best possible way by playing a huge hand (G+A) in both Blades’ goals.

Romelle Donovan - 5
Had some nice moments of ball control where he kept possession when others might’ve lost it, but ultimately didn’t impact the game too much.

Ben Brereton-Diaz - 5
I really didn’t like a lot of BBD’s early play, as he seemed to treat the ball a bit like a hot potato, but the defensive side of the game, which is still important for a forward, was there, and he helped out massively.

Tom Cannon - 7
Scored with a really nice finish and generally put in a pretty sound display at the top of the pitch.

Average rating - 5.73

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.

On this episode of Hang It in the Louvre, we welcome lifelong Blade Paul Kemp into the Pinch Wing to curate three defining Sheffield United images.

Paul has been going regularly since 1987, watching from the Kop and carrying the red-and-white flag into exile in south Derbyshire. And he has brought some marvels along with him: the Kop without a roof, the Blades without a care in the world, or so it seemed, and the sweetest taste of the century.

Plus: Kalvin Phillips, Liam Kitching, free agents, the ownership vacuum and a Norwich side whose numbers look almost the exact opposite of United’s.

Thanks to everybody who submitted a question - we’ve done our best to answer them along the way!

Riley Roberts

O’Hare is gone. Hamer is gone. Brooks is gone. With deadline day bringing a close to a challenging window for the Blades, Bolton came to town as we searched for our first win of the new campaign. Going behind before the conclusion of GCB was hardly an ideal start, but it was a spirited display as we twice came from behind to eventually nick all three points with a last-gasp Romelle Donovan goal.

Michael Cooper - 8

It’s never the best sign when your GK is MOTM vs a newly-promoted side at home, but Cooper made some excellent stops, and keeping it at 2-2 eventually proved vital.

Hamza Choudhury - 3

Not an ideal return for Hamza, as Bolton’s Gale gave him a torrid time. Both of Bolton’s goals and many more of their chances came down that side.

Japhet Tanganga - 5

Had some good moments and some bad. Scorer of our first home goal this season.

Mark McGuinness - 5

Another who had some suspect moments, including for Bolton’s second goal, but he was there to deny a certain goal when blocking McAtee’s goal-bound effort with Cooper beaten.

Sam McCallum - 5

He was also part of the miscommunication that allowed what was basically a free header for Bolton’s second, but he immediately sprung back to life as he squared it to Bamford for a tap-in at the other end.

Jairo Riedewald - 4

Didn’t convince me with his performance. Seemed slow to react to loose balls, and I thought Phillips looked more assured when he came on.

Sydie Peck - 5

I thought Peck was fine. His corners regularly hit the first man, but it was his free-kick which found Tanganga to equalise the first time, and he kept play ticking in the middle of the park.

Romelle Donovan - 7

It didn’t always come off for him, but the desire to make stuff happen was brilliant to see. And, of course, topping off his performance with a late winner was about as good an ending as you can get.

Ben Brereton-Diaz - 5

Looked quite sharp early on, but his impact in the final third was minimal.

Tyrese Campbell - 5

Impressed me with his runs in behind in the first half, one of which should have absolutely led to a goal when he put it on a plate for Bamford, whose finish was lacking.

Patrick Bamford - 6

Again, probably didn’t have his best day in terms of back-to-goal/hold-up play, but I felt he was unfortunate not to win a few fouls, and he picked up his goal by being in the right place at the right time.

Average rating - 5.27

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.

One great goalkeeper is a luxury. Sheffield United somehow ended up with three.

On this episode of Memory Lane, Andrew Hague is joined by Ian Parkes to revisit the remarkable early-90s era of Simon Tracey, Mel Rees and Alan Kelly: three keepers who, at their best, could each make a claim to being among the best the Blades have ever had.

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Phil Ridley

People say keepers are just a bit different, not wired up the same. Not wired up at all in some cases…

Maybe being the northerner with a funny accent at my primary school was where my being ‘a bit different’ started. I certainly remember it being about that age when I started chucking a tennis ball at the concrete steps round the side of my house to test my reactions when it bounced back in all different directions, and throwing myself about on the concrete path trying to stop it. Mum would always berate me for ripping another pair of school trousers or cutting my knees again.

This is where my fascination with goalkeeping and goalkeepers started. Whereas most kids brought up in the 80s had footballing heroes like Gary Lineker or Bryan Robson, my idols were Neville Southall, Nigel Spink and Steve Sutton.

Bringing it back to United, good goalkeepers are one thing we seem to have often been blessed with.

I reckon my earliest memories of going to the Lane were being fascinated with John ‘Budgie’ Burridge. If ever you need an example of us keepers being a bit different, he’s the GOAT! Not only was he crackers, but he was a bloody good goalkeeper too, despite being pretty small at 5’11”.

I clearly remember Hans Segers being brilliant for us too while on loan for a short period. What an impact he would go on to have for United a few years later… allegedly.

After Budgie, we’d have a few barren years of goalkeeping greatness, with unremarkable keepers such as Phil Kite, Andy Leaning and Graham Benstead.

Then Harry Bassett brought in a young 21-year-old from Wimbledon for just £7,500 who would go on to be probably my favourite ever United player.

Simon Tracey was an absolute revelation and became part of Blades folklore by being a major part of the Bassett-era sides’ rise through the leagues. He went on to remain at the club for 15 years.

You could say he wasn’t the most alert-looking of blokes, but Trace was another example of keepers being a little bit different to the rest. He had incredible reactions and could make saves he had no right to make look so easy. I can clearly remember a stop he made in front of the Kop at Anfield from Ray Houghton. Houghton just stood there in disbelief and applauded it.

He was also pretty good with crosses and brave to a fault, as he would find out thanks to the boot of Ian Rush breaking his cheekbone after he bravely dived at the striker’s feet in the first game of the 1990 season.

Tracey’s kicking let him down, a theme for United keepers throughout the years, and he was prone to the maybe far too frequent rush of blood to the head. Or ‘brain farts’, as I remember hearing one of his errors leading to a Norwich goal described towards the end of his Blades career.

That said, in my opinion Tracey should have had an England cap or two. He was definitely better than that clown Woods the other lot from S6 had between their sticks around the same time. He did apparently make a squad once but had to pull out before it was announced due to a back injury.

The 1992 signing of Alan Kelly meant Tracey had fewer opportunities over the coming years. Although, ironically, Kelly got his chance through another one of Tracey’s brain farts, after Tracey was sent off for two stupid bookings against Spurs. Pretty sure the second yellow was for stopping a Spurs player taking a quick throw-in by grabbing his arms.

Alan Kelly was the perfect goalkeeper, and another Bassett bargain, this time from Preston. Big, commanding, brilliant shot-stopper, great with crosses and pretty much unflappable. Unusually for a goalkeeper, he rarely ever made a mistake.

His performance at Wembley against that lot was incredible and saved us from a bit of a hiding, in truth. Although I reckon, with the modern-day Twitter experts, he would have been slaughtered by some for Waddle’s free-kick if that was today.

On that point, I regularly get stick from mates for defending keepers too much. Keepers’ Union and all that!

But I honestly think some people think that just because we’ve conceded, it has to be the keeper’s fault, no matter what mistakes or poor play have gone before it. While I don’t think he has been as good as last season, Michael Cooper has suffered a bit with that this season.

Back to Kelly after my ranty digression…

He went on to play over 200 games for the Blades and cemented himself into Blades folklore on Paddy’s Day 1998 by saving three penalties against Coventry City to help us to another FA Cup semi-final. A feat he had similarly achieved five years earlier against Blackburn.

Widely regarded as United’s greatest-ever goalkeeper, Kelly eventually left to join Blackburn after reportedly turning Wednesday down because it was Wednesday. Legend!

During the Kelly and Tracey years, we also signed a relative unknown from West Brom who would go on to leave a lasting legacy at the club for more reasons than just his ability.

Mel Rees only actually played eight times for the Blades before he was diagnosed with cancer. But what an impression he left. How Mel had never really held down a first-team place anywhere is beyond me. A tremendous keeper taken far too soon.

His lasting legacy was leading both teams out and his lap of honour at the FA Cup semi-final, when Sheffield came together in applause and respect. He died less than two months later.

Rest in peace, Mel.

The next Blades great keeper was another bargain signing, this time from Bury. Paddy Kenny.

Initially signed on loan to cover another Tracey injury, we signed Paddy permanently for just £45,000. Ridiculous really for a keeper who went on to achieve so much, both with United and elsewhere.

I actually think Paddy was a better keeper than he was given credit for, although let’s be honest, he didn’t look the part from day one. Bald, a touch on the tubby side and a little bit erratic in how he played, but he was a brilliant goalkeeper and a great servant for the club. He went on to make nearly 300 appearances. It would have been more but for getting banned for a year for taking the wrong cough medicine.

How Paddy ended up leaving left a sour note for many, as it seemed he jumped ship after the club had stood by him during his ban. I’m glad that in more recent years he has had the opportunity to tell his side of the story, and I think most Blades have forgiven him now.

And rightly so. His time at United deserves to be remembered fondly rather than for a sour ending.

We’d have another barren spell for a few years, with keepers like Mark Bunn (great at kicking, couldn’t stop a shot), Steve Simonsen (couldn’t catch a cold, can’t take a penalty), Mark Howard and George Long.

Simon Moore came in at just the right time in the Wilder League One season and gave us exactly what we needed. Calm, assured and an all-round good goalkeeper. A brilliant servant for the club and rightly still highly regarded by so many.

He wasn’t quite good enough to play all the way through our journey up to ninth in the Premier League, but was the perfect number two to the next legendary Blades keeper.

Despite never actually being our player, Dean Henderson felt like he was a proper Blade.

His announcement to the Blades Twitter family, tweeting the words to the Greasy Chip Butty Song along with a picture of a bottle of Hendo’s shortly after signing the first time around, set the tone for how the Blades would come to love him.

Henderson was already a pretty much complete keeper when we signed him, despite never having played as high as the Championship. He truly announced himself early in the promotion season with an incredible three-on-one save late in the game against Norwich to stop them taking the lead, a game we would go on to win with an even later Billy Sharp goal.

His antics during games will always be memorable, a fake dive taking the piss out of a Lee Evans wild, high-and-wide shot against Wigan being my personal favourite.

It’s a shame we couldn’t have signed Deano permanently, but he had ambitions higher than us at Man Utd. I’m glad he’s gone on to prove his worth at Palace, especially with his contribution in the FA Cup final against City. Should be England’s number one for me.

Since Henderson, we’ve gone back to a barren spell of average at best.

Ramsdale cost a fortune and wasn’t great for most of the relegation season, despite ending up as our Player of the Year, winning an England call-up and forcing a move to Arsenal. At least we got more than our money back.

Wes Foderingham was better than he was given credit for in my eyes. Brilliant shot-stopper but terrible with his feet. Some of the stops he made in that Premier League season were ridiculous, the one from Mo Salah especially!

Grbic, garbage.

So on to the current number one.

Does Michael Cooper go on to be the next Blades legend keeper?

Whether he regains his form or not is likely to be a key factor in how well we do this season, and the signs so far are pretty good. After his performance in last night’s win against Bolton and his contribution to the draw away at Cardiff, we’re arguably already four points better off than we could easily have been.

I’ve thought for a while that this season will determine how his legacy at the club is viewed.

If his performance levels continue in their current vein, there’s every chance that, in years to come, he’ll be thought of in a similar way to the likes of Tracey, Kelly and Kenny.

Riley Roberts

Back in Wales after a solid EFL Cup performance that saw Cannon and Donovan earn starting places. It was a disastrous start, followed by brilliant five minutes, followed by another eighty spent desperately defending. The performance was worrying, but the result, all things considered, was a positive one.

Michael Cooper - 6

Started shakily when allowing a Moylan effort to sneak in at the near post, but his kicking was pretty good, and he went on to make 8 saves as Cardiff created a bucket load of chances.

Jamal Baptiste - 4

Another who played a hand in the opener, I felt Baptiste improved as his game went on, but it was ultimately not a first league start he’ll remember too fondly.

Japhet Tanganga - 5

Had to do most of his defending deep in our own box, which you wouldn’t necessarily say suits him, but he put in a fair display on the whole.

Mark McGuinness - 4

Booked after being taught a lesson in aerial duelling by Salech early doors, and the Cardiff #9 generally got the better of him all game. Earns some credit for a sliding tackle when already booked, that he had to time perfectly.

Sam McCallum - 4

I personally thought Ollie Tanner was a standout performer for Cardiff, and he was in direct competition with Sam McCallum on that side. Both in and out of possession, we were left wanting more from a usually solid performer.

Sydie Peck - 2

Can’t say I’ve ever seen a worse performance from Sydie Peck, with a host of sloppy moments seeing him give the ball away far too easily.

Joe Rothwell - 4

Less destructive in possession than his midfield partner, though he too looked to be playing below his standards.

Romelle Donovan - 4

Basically a non-entity in the game due to our play totally bypassing him.

Callum O’Hare - 6

Got his goal with a nice finish, but was probably fortunate to win a couple of fouls after losing possession easily around the halfway line.

Patrick Bamford - 4

Started well setting up O’Hare’s goal, but he didn’t offer enough at the top end of the pitch in terms of hold-up play.

Tom Cannon - 7

Won and scored a penalty, and looked better than he ever has when it came to battling with defenders in the air.

Subs:

Rhys Norrington-Davies - 6

Came on and had a couple of bursting runs that briefly took us out of our own half.

Average rating - 4.67

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.

Alec Hawley

Now that the wonderfully gifted Gus Hamer has taken his cheeky smile, stunning goals, and exquisite assists back to Coventry City, the Blades have 2 big problems to solve - who will occupy the Hamer zone on the left, and who will replace his creativity and output (17 GA last season and 16 GA in the one before).

Of course, as that shows, Hamer was never really a winger on the left of the 4-2-3-1 in which he generally excelled. Instead, he’d cut in on his favoured right foot for shots, pinpoint crosses, and precise through balls, leaving the wing free for the left back (generally Harrison Burrows or Sam McCallum) to surge forward. He had a particularly good relationship with Burrows, another technically gifted passer whose quick feet and quick brain matched Hamer’s.

The £6m rising to £8m reported fee for Hamer didn’t really reflect his talismanic importance to the side, but was a reasonable sum for a 29-year-old in the last year of his contract.

However, even in the best circumstances, replacing Hamer at that fee is extremely challenging.

And we are definitely not in the best circumstances.

So, while Chris Wilder and co. apparently search for a left winger on loan to add a spark to this team, let’s take a look at what we’ve done in the two league games since Gus left.

Against Birmingham City, Wilder went with a 4-4-2 with Callum O’Hare on the left. As always with O’Hare, he worked incredibly hard without the ball (even winning a header against a Birmingham CB at one point), but he struggled to really impact the game out wide. It’s no surprise that his best moment - the driven through ball that set Patrick Bamford through for the Blades’ only clear-cut chance - came when O’Hare found himself in a central area.

O’Hare doesn’t possess Hamer’s passing range, doesn’t really excel taking on a fullback 1v1, and doesn’t really cross, so sticking him out there doesn’t really work.

Yes, he can, in Wilder’s words, “do a job” on the left, but playing him there neutralises the strengths of arguably the best attacking player at the club.

Regardless, while the defence was solid, the attacking numbers were damning - 3 shots in 94 minutes, 1 on target, and a paltry 0.29 xG.

Something had to change and, perhaps spurred by injuries to Ryan Oné and Tahith Chong, Wilder went back to the future for the trip to Swansea City.

The back 4 was out, and in its place came a sort of 3-1-4-2 (technically a 3-1-2-2-1-1) that had Joe Rothwell sitting in front of the back 3, Femi Seriki and Harrison Burrows flying forward as wing backs, Oliver Arblaster and Sydie Peck playing as attacking 8s, and O’Hare playing off Patrick Bamford as a second striker.

To facilitate all this, McCallum shifted from his usual left back role to an overlapping left centre back, and looked remarkably comfortable there.

This produced another 0-0, but while the defensive solidity remained, the Blades became a much more potent attacking force, improving from:

• 3 shots to 12

• 0.29 xG to 1.46

• 1 shot on target to 2 (this is less impressive admittedly)

And O’Hare came agonisingly close to scoring the first Blades league goal of the new season when he bustled into the box, the ball fell to him and he hit a lovely half-volley that resounded off the bar.

While that was his only shot, he felt far more involved throughout and this central role meant he was often our most advanced player without the ball, leading the press and harrying the Swans.

The Hamer zone was filled by a combination of Sydie Peck and Harrison Burrows, with Burrows in particular showing some of the technical ability that made him such an exciting player two seasons ago (92 points and all that).

Now this switch hasn’t suddenly solved everything - O’Hare hitting the bar 39 minutes in was United’s first meaningful shot on goal, and the whole thing is clearly a work in progress.

And it will have winners and losers too. It’s hard to see where Romelle Donovan - the 19-year-old right winger who joined on loan from Brentford as a replacement for homegrown star RW Andre Brooks - fits for example.

But Wilder has successfully switched system to suit personnel before; 4-2-3-1 was adopted in the first place to get Hamer and O’Hare in the same team.

And this latest switch feels a much better fit for our best players. As well as Burrows and Peck combining down the left, Arblaster and Seriki did the same down the right, Rothwell used his passing range to dictate from deep, and McCallum played LCB like he’d done it all his life.

As these relationships get more developed and the players become more confident, this feels like it really could become a viable path forward in a post-Hamer (and post-Brooks) world.

Assuming that is the case, how does that affect our recruitment? Are we really going to sign a left winger for a system that doesn’t suit one, or will we instead look for a natural backup/competitor to Bamford in the targetman role? CB is still a clear priority, and Cannon has been linked with a sale; could that free up funds for an actual permanent signing?

Maybe we don’t need to replace Hamer at all?

Or maybe Wilder will return to an old favourite, Ben Brereton Diaz or BBD as he’s known to most of the football world. He’s already had 2 spells at the Lane, first being far more effective in the PL than anyone expected (7 G/A in a Blades side that already felt doomed when he arrived in January 2024) and then underwhelming when he joined a United side battling for automatic promotion in January 2025 (also 7 G/A but in a team that was dominant rather than struggling).

But if you’ve forgotten, he’s a very different player to Hamer; in fact it’s slightly ludicrous they play the same position.

More than anything, BBD wants to get in the box and score and what he lacks in technique and creativity, he mostly makes up for with powerful running and some explosive finishing.

If BBD does join the Blades for the third time, it might signal Wilder preferring a more direct style now his long-time assistant Alan Knill has departed, and there have definitely been signs of this against both Swansea and Birmingham.

BBD’s versatility may also appeal to Wilder as he can play right wing, left wing and up front. If part of the answer to replacing Hamer is greater tactical flexibility and frequent switches between 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, and 3-1-4-2, then you can see why BBD might be in line for yet another return to the Blades.

One thing’s for sure: what happens next will be fascinating.

Sam, Riley and David dig into the tactical shift behind the Blades’ start: far less possession, far fewer chances, a much tighter defensive shape and some eye-catching numbers at both ends of the pitch.

Is Wilder building new defensive foundations, or has the correction gone too far? Where are the goals supposed to come from? And how long will supporters tolerate percentage football if the wins don’t follow?

Riley Roberts

A trip to South Wales was our first away day for the second successive season and, despite being under the cosh for the first 40 minutes, we offered more threat than we did in this same fixture last season, while also keeping a clean sheet. A good away point, where the team’s overall performance was probably greater than the sum of the individuals, as we now hold the record for the worst attack and joint-best defence in the Championship so far this season.

Michael Cooper - 5
Was never really called into action, making it hard to rate him above the benchmark.

Femi Seriki - 5
Struggled to make things happen for most of the game, as he was unsuccessful in taking players on, but many of our better moments came when he was played in down the right.

Japhet Tanganga - 6
Impressed me again, as he won his individual duels more often than not.

Mark McGuinness - 4
I don’t want to be too harsh, but he was caught under the ball on a couple of occasions, and it felt like a better attacking side would’ve punished those little errors.

Sam McCallum - 6
Playing in a less familiar LCB position, but was again solid, doing the defensive work he had to.

Harrison Burrows - 4
Had a couple of weak moments defensively, and his most impactful forward move saw him booked for simulation.

Sydie Peck - 5
Picked up on a few loose balls early on, but his impact on the game was minimal, and he probably wasn’t as tidy with the ball as he’d have liked.

Joe Rothwell - 4
Looked the more threatening midfielder with his passing, but his biggest moment in the game came when he lost possession deep in our own half and allowed a Swansea attack to unfold.

Ollie Arblaster - 6
Looked the liveliest of the midfield three, with his defensive contributions the real highlight.

Callum O’Hare - 5
Had arguably our best chance of the game when he struck the bar and, while he was relieved of possession a little too easily at times, he often seemed to be in and around our better attacking moves.

Patrick Bamford - 4
Had to play a largely hold-up-focused role, which didn’t really work, more often losing out than bringing others into play.

Average rating - 4.91

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.

Fraser Campbell

Sheffield United deserves better; Sheffield deserves better. For too long, all three of the city’s significant clubs have suffered under misguided ownership. Even where the intentions have been good, the execution rarely has been.

Sheffield’s football clubs have long had an uneasy relationship with the people who own them — Sheffield F.C., Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday have all endured long periods of malaise and mismanagement at different points in time. This is simply the current chapter in the city’s ownership story, one where it seemingly fails to attract owners with both the best intentions and the resources to back them up.

However serious the fallout from the events of Wednesday 19 August 2026, the fanbase has an obligation to educate itself on the matter. None of us are experts, but understanding what’s happening is one of the few ways supporters can hold ownership to account. That can be done while still supporting the club and the players vociferously: the two are not mutually exclusive.

How did we get here?

Prince Abdullah bin Musaed Al Saud (”The Prince”) sold Sheffield United through the sale of shares in Blades Leisure Limited to COH Sports United LLC. COH Sports United LLC used a UK company, COH Sports Bidco Limited, as the vehicle for the purchase. Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen were the ultimate beneficial owners, via their respective trusts:

• L2K Sports LP and L2K Sports Management LLC (managed by William D. Wollesen and Hall Law Group)

• SHR United Family LLC (managed by Frederik N. Widen and UB Greenfelder)

Since the purchase, COH Sports Bidco has transferred its 33,200,000 shares in Blades Leisure Limited to 1919 Partners LLC in Delaware, while a former member of the consortium, Tom Page, has begun lawsuits against the owners in the same State, claiming he helped set up the takeover before being manoeuvred out.

During the current period of ownership, the club has been late on its first instalment owed to The Prince — paid only after a statutory demand (the step before a winding-up petition) — and has two final instalments still outstanding, which, with interest, are said to total around £35m.

In 2025, ownership explored bringing in a minority investor, essentially selling off a slice of the club to a new party while keeping hold of overall control. It's a fairly standard way for owners to raise capital without giving up the reins. That appears to have gone nowhere, and the talk now is of the secondary market instead, where existing shares get sold on to other investors rather than fresh capital coming into the club. It’s a different beast entirely: minority investment brings new money in the door; secondary market activity just moves the deck chairs around. And it’s usually not a good sign. Clubs and companies alike tend to go looking on the secondary market when they need liquidity fast, when nobody’s queuing up to invest properly, or when the existing owners are quietly looking for a way out. None of those are reassuring reasons for a football club to be doing the rounds.

The ownership has also allegedly explored a possible merger with Sheffield Wednesday, and been dragged into an ill-fated entanglement with James Bord (who bid for Sheffield Wednesday), his AI company, and a splurge on has-beens, unwanted players and speculative signings out of Bulgaria’s lower leagues. All while Chris Wilder and his staff were pulling rabbits out of hats to reach 92 points and go toe-to-toe with Leeds United and Burnley — and still, the club sacked the man entrusted with the rebuild and brought in Rubén Sellés instead. The less said about that, the better.

What next?

It is unclear where this leads, with more questions than answers.

How will current developments impact the club? It has already come out that there will apparently be no new significant permanent signings. Is this a sign of what’s to come? What role, jurisdiction and reach do the EFL, Independent Football Regulator and Football Governance Act have? Will this result in a forced sale (through fans, EFL or IFR)? Or is that a storm in a tea-cup?

Fans often expect a level of communication from owners and boards that no other business would provide, and that arguably they shouldn’t be expected to. That said, through a number of blunders, this ownership hasn’t helped itself, offering little beyond poorly-worded rehashes of prior statements, rather than timely updates.

All of this amounts to serious questions about competency, motives, and a great deal more.

For what’s its worth, it increasingly feels like the current incumbents will not be in charge come Christmas. Is this more hope than optimism?

It’s time Sheffield United fans demanded more, and said so more vociferously. That ire, however, should not – must not – be directed at the players, staff or anyone else at the club right now. They’re dealing with the cards they’ve been dealt. It’s time to stand by the club while backing Wilder and his weans, starting with Swansea away.

Some transfers happen. Others don’t. Some spend years living on forums, back pages and in the collective imagination of fans.

For Memory Lane Episode 17, Andrew Hague, Sam Parry and Tyrone James pick an XI of Sheffield United’s greatest transfer rumours: the players who were definitely signing, nearly signing, touted by ITKers, or simply discussed for so long that they started to feel like they actually did play for us.

There’s Warnock’s love of strikers, followed by more Warnock’s love of strikers, goalkeepers who never were, and defenders responsible for page upon page upon page on S24SU.

Eleven players. Absolutely no guarantees any of them were ever coming.

Let us know if we missed anyone.

Leave a comment

Riley Roberts

Opening day might well be the most exciting day of the year, but I think a few neutrals who caught this one on Sky might beg to differ after a chance-light 0-0 draw. For the Blades, it was the defensive performers who provided the highlights, as a Gus Hamer-less side struggled to create, with a pair of Bamford efforts either side of the break the closest we came to something to cheer about.

Michael Cooper - 7
Is Michael Cooper back? I think he might be. Saved what he had to, and made numerous good claims from balls into the box.

Femi Seriki - 4
Didn’t have a great game, imo. Passed straight out of play when trying to link with Donovan on a couple of occasions and, despite showing the right intent, lacked quality in his passing/crossing.

Japhet Tanganga - 7
My MOTM. Made a big defensive intervention in the first half when beating Priske to a cross, and that summed up his game, with good positioning and timing allowing him to cut out danger throughout.

Mark McGuinness - 5
Had a solid game, though I think people’s desire for a redemption arc may have clouded judgements a little. There were still a few occasions where his body positioning allowed their CF to get ahead of him in aerial duels, and a couple where this resulted in him having to drag his man down.

Sam McCallum - 6
Another, like Cooper, who it was nice to see back in action, and he had a pretty standard, solid Sam Mc game.

Joe Rothwell - 4

Per below.

Sydie Peck - 4
These feel like harsh ratings for the two in midfield, but I felt it was Birmingham’s midfield who had a better hold over the game. Both had good moments during the first 10 minutes, in which we started the brighter, but the progression from defence/midfield to attack was a weak point for me.

Romelle Donovan - 5
Didn’t have the required impact at the top end of the pitch, with 0 shots or chances created, but he dug in defensively when he had to, and I found that commendable for a 19 y/o loanee.

Callum O’Hare - 5
Struggled to impact the game off the left, and played a disappointing ball when he could’ve released a dangerous pass in behind, but then did find the correct pass when creating our biggest chance of the game, which Beadle denied Bamford from.

Tom Cannon - 3
Struggled to make it stick when receiving it up top, and was caught flat-footed in the box in the first half when a cross came into the near post. Not his day.

Patrick Bamford - 5
Had our two biggest chances of the game, but was also bested by Birmingham’s defenders when he had to play the role of focal point.

Average rating - 5.00

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.

Riley takes centre stage for our annual Championship 1–24 (until his line cuts out, and Sam treads water for five minutes). He ranks every team from relegation certainties to title winners, while Sam and David do their best to pick holes in it.

We get into the Championship’s tactical meta, the strongest and weakest squads, the teams we think could surprise, and why Sheffield United might just have enough to sneak into the expanded play-offs.

Season Preview 26-27: 1-24

Championship Season Preview & Predictions 26-27

Last year, when penning these forecasts, it was a mixed bag. I got a few right. I correctly picked Ipswich and Coventry to go up. I picked Wednesday to go down, but so did everyone else. However, I had Hull to go down and the Blades as 5th place. These were spectacularly wrong. Undeterred, we go again. Who are my picks for promotion, relegation and, of course, United?

It seems a stronger division. The three coming down appear all to be big contenders. West Ham, Burnley and Wolves are all loaded with talent but the fact they all should be comfortably top 6, shows the big gap between the two leagues. Certainly, in comparison to those who exited the Premier League a year previous, they all seem to be well set for a quick return. We recall the mess Leicester were in, and of course Southampton struggled to start the season, only coming with a late run.

Perhaps those coming up are not as equipped, in terms of spending power, that Birmingham and Wrexham were. Cardiff and Bolton return to this level but will be pleased to just stay up, you sense. Lincoln have the momentum but have lost a promising young manager too. There will be a bevvy of sides who could make a case for a playoff charge, especially with the extension of places down to 8th, but equally these same teams could easily be looking over their shoulder.

I will assess the runners and riders, the transfer business, the managers in charge and who will be the difference makers, in presenting my Championship picks for the forthcoming campaign.

Transfer info correct as of 5pm, Monday 10th August

1) Wolverhampton

I think the two automatic picks are going to be filled by two of the relegated sides. It is a lazy and predictable prediction but I see the three coming down all being strong contenders. Wolves changed their manager again but you look through the squad and they have a lot of players that should be playing higher. They really tanked badly last season, but the final months saw them improve and find a formula that was starting to work. They have not lost that many players but have a nice mix of youth and experience that will be too good for most sides at this level. Bringing back Raul Jimenez is a masterstroke and he will bag a hatful. Kieran Trippier gives them leadership at the back but will also weigh in with assists and free-kick goals. Adam Armstong was a signing made with one eye on the Championship. Joao Gomes moves onto Villa for 40 million but talented youngster Mateus Mane remains for now. Two former Blades loanees, Ki Jana Hoever and Tommy Doyle, are back at Molineux but neither seems to have much of a future with the club. It is a deep squad packed with power and pace – the only question marks could be around defensive vulnerabilities.

In

Kieran Trippier (Newcastle, free), Raul Jimenez (Fulham, free), Ladislav Krejci (Girona, undisclosed), Rafiki Said (Standard Liege, undisclosed)

Out

James Storer (Plymouth, free), Alfie Pond (Chesterfield, undisclosed), Joao Gomes (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Matt Doherty (Sheffield United, free), Tolu Arokodare (Ajax, loan), Leon Chiwome (Colchester, loan), Joao Gomes (Aston Villa)

Manager: Cesar Peixoto – The Rob Edwards tenure was bizarre. They chased him and paid a fair wad of compensation to get him from Middlesbrough. They still struggled but there were shoots of light towards the end of the campaign, so to sack him seemed bewildering. They have long had Portuguese links with players, managers and agencies all tied close together between the All Gold and Portugal. Peixooi has only managed in Portugal and not at any of the big 3 clubs so this appointment could be a risk but it has worked for them before in terms of going down this route. He has a very good squad so the club will be expecting him to lead them straight back to the top flight.

Key Player: Raul Jimenez – Surprised he went back as he played 36 times and scored 9 goals for a successful Fulham side but was a free agent and the pull of going back to Wolves saw him sign a two-year deal. He is 35 but he has enough quality, know how and finishing, to be the early favourite for the Championship golden boot. Seems to be a level beneath him and I think it will show.

Verdict: Champions. They have too much quality and I see them being a fair way of the rest of the field come May.

2) West Ham United

I can see why many have picked West Ham to go up as Champions. There is so much quality remaining with many choosing to remain. Playing in front of the huge London Stadium at Championship level will be bizarre and a touch embarrassing but that is where years of mismanagement off the field, has led them to. They managed to keep Jarrod Bowen, which is a real surprise but lost Summerville and Fernades for a combined sum of around £145 million – which will go a long way to offsetting costs of relegation. Walker Peters, Kilman, Ward Prowse, Wan Bissaka, Soucek all are still around as it stands. There are still holes in the squad and do not have the depth that maybe the other relegated sided have, but expect them to add throughout August. They will be the big drawer when they go on the road and teams will want to raise their games when they come to town, but if they can be strong at home and prepared to work hard then I do expect them to go back up at the first attempt.

In

Keiber Lamadrid (Deportivo La Guaira, undisclosed), Joel Veltman (Brighton)

Out

Krisztian Hegyi (Sparta Prague, undisclosed), Mateus Fernandes (Tottenham, undisclosed), Mason Terry (Port Vale, loan), Callum Wilson (Brentford, free), Crysencio Summerville (Al-Hilal, undisclosed), Callum Marshall (Luton, undisclosed), Freddie Potts (Club Brugge, undisclosed)

Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo – A manager who had been at this level before and whilst he has bounced around a fair bit, he always seems an affable kind of bloke who is a decent coach. I think West Ham keeping him, despite going down, was the smart thing to do. Whether he is still here in a year, even if they go up, is another matter. His know how of the Championship will be valuable if they do bounce back immediately.

Key Player: Jarrod Bowen Like with Jimenez, could start for many teams in the league above. Bowen has shown incredible loyalty to stay and sacrificed his international hopes, in the short term, to help try and get them back. His running in behind, finishing and perhaps most of all, work rate, will set the tone for the rest of the side and he will be prolific at the lower level.

Verdict: Automatic Promotion. They have kept too much experience and a Championship savvy manager – to not go straight back up.

3) Southampton

They do have a points deduction and the controversy over spy-gate will continue to swirl with the Saints still being the butt of many jokes from opponents. I was shocked the manager remained and he must repay his bosses by getting them near the top again. Despite all the criticism against him and the club – which they deserved – they did have a tremendous run to the end of the season and led Arsenal in a cup semi-final too. This is somewhat forgotten but they played some good football and blew teams away. I think if they had been allowed to keep their place in the final, they would have beaten Hull (of course maybe they don’t beat Boro without cheating in the semi-final build up?!). The squad is much the same with Ross Stewart the only notable departure. They have converted important loan signings, keeper Peretz and forward Larin, into permanent deals but also splashed the cash on Villa forward, Lewis Dobbin, for a cool 10 million. The rest of the squad has too much talent, to let last season’s ending, or the point deduction, hurt them. At the back Manning, Harwood Bellis, Stephens, Wood, Bree give them a solid foundation. In midfield Finn Azaz, Flynn Downes, Tom Fellows and start man Leo Scienza, will ensure that they will overrun most sides in this area. They might need another striker to throw into the pot but this is a stacked squad that might go one better – if they play fairly!

In

Daniel Peretz (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Cyle Larin (Mallorca, undisclosed), George Long (Norwich, free), Lewis Dobbin (Aston Villa, undisclosed)

Out

Ollie Wright (Gillingham, loan), Charlie Taylor (Derby, free), Oriol Romeu (Avispa Fukuoka), Alex McCarthy (Leicester, free), Samuel Tabares (Gillingham, free), Will Smallbone (released), Joe Aribo (released), Ross Stewart (Swansea, free), Nick Oyekunle (Leyton Orient, loan)

Manager: Tonda Eckert – I thought he would have left to be honest as although he admitted his indiscretions, these acts permeated across the club and clearly, he was at the head of these decisions. I thought his position was untenable but the club have been brave (stupid?) in keeping him. Maybe they are focusing on the things he did so well and realise their ‘may’ be a top coach here that propelled the Saints right up the league. He has to get a fast start of course as questions will be coming at him, if not but I think he will be determined to right the wrongs.

Key Player: Leo Scienza – The Brazilian winger ripped up the league in the second half of the season with his quick fee, direct running and array of skills, too much for Championship full backs. With Dobbin on the other side, teams will not be able to key in on Scienza as much – giving him even more space and time to wreak havoc.

Verdict: Playoffs (Promoted beating Middlesbrough in the final!) – The Blades had a 2-point deduction and ended on 90 points (92) so four points is not a huge amount to make up quite quickly. They will still be one of the favourites and I can see them making the playoff final again but this time actually participating in the game, and going up.

4) Middlesbrough

Statistically speaking, Boro should have gone up. They finished 2nd in XG and all their metrics pointed to the fact it should have been them joining Coventry to go up. The playoffs were of course bizarre, with them losing out to Southampton but then after the spying broke, getting their place back. Sadly, their late reprieve saw them put in a performance that reminded me of some of the Blades playoff final no shows – granted Hull were not much better. They have lost their best player in Hayden Hackney and their incomings do not really grab me. They are operating in a much stronger division competition wise. I think they still have enough to be around those new extra playoff places but I fear that they won’t have as strong a start (recall them being top in the early part of last season). McGree and Morris are two very good midfielders for this level and Brittain and Ayling give them solidity in the full back positions but Dael Fry will be missed. Up top was the issue last season with the inability to covert chances into goals. Tommy Conway is hard working but Whittaker remains hit and miss. They spent big (using some of the Hackney and Rogers sell on money) to get former Blade academy striker, Will Lankshear but signing him and Peart Harris, who both were at relegated Oxford, are not really signings that will hugely improve this area. Kyle Joseph and Sarmiento – provide wide options. They made some very good additions to the backline with keeper Vitek coming in (who did so well on loan for Bristol City) and Ashley Phillips (likewise for Stoke) from Spurs. It is a good Championship squad but I still think goals will be an issue and of course Hackney will be missed but if they keep up the level of chance creation, they will be there or thereabouts.

In

Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton, undisclosed), Myles Peart-Harris (Oxford, free), Kyle Joseph (Hull, undisclosed), Will Lankshear (Tottenham, undisclosed), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps, undisclosed), Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Radek Vitek (Man Utd, undisclosed), Finley Munroe (Blackpool, loan)

Out

Hayden Hackney (Everton, undisclosed), Dan Barlaser (MK Dons, free), Dael Fry (Birmingham, free), Sam Silvera (MK Dons, undisclosed), Delano Burgzorg (Preston, loan)

Manager: Kim Hellberg – Brought in when Rob Edwards left, he seemed to be well liked at Boro and kept them right amongst the top. They looked dead on their feet in the 2nd leg at Southampton and then never turned up against a mediocre Hull side. He will face pressure to keep them near the top and maybe questions might be posed if they do not hit start well.

Key Player: Will Lankshear – Key in the fact, he has to hit the ground running and needs to justify a hefty fee. Hopefully Boro will continue to create the amount of chances they did last season and he can profit.

Verdict: Playoffs. Boro look like a team that might have missed the boat with the managerial change last season and the end of season drama, perhaps derailing what for much of the season, looked like a promotion campaign. I do wonder if they can hit those heights again?

5) Burnley

Placed them the lowest of the relegated sides and that is simply due to them not having quite the quality and depth of the other sides above. They also have got a new unproven manager (which Wolves have too, to be fair). They always seem to be getting promoted at this level or getting relegated from the Premier League. I have a hunch that this time out, they may just miss out – due to the teams discussed above. They still should be too strong for most teams and have players that really will dominate at this level. They have lost Esteve, a key defensive lynchpin but former Blade Kyle Walker remains as skipper – despite rumours of a possible Lane return. There are still a number of holdovers from the last Championship promotion season but the loss of Jaidon Anthony to Brentford will be a big loss. Florentino Luis may find the lower level more to his liking, as an important player in midfield. Lyle Foster and Flemming should be a prolific duo at the top of the pitch. It will be interesting to see how motivated some of the players who remain – who have not played at this level – are, in terms of the work rate and application needed.

In

Lluc Castel (Espanyol, undisclosed), Ugo Raghouber (Lille, undisclosed), Ben Amos (Port Vale, free)

Out

Owen Dodgson (Stockport, undisclosed), Quilindschy Hartman (Espanyol, loan), Jaidon Anthony (Brentford, undisclosed), Loum Tchaouna (Coventry, undisclosed), Lesley Ugochukwu (Galatasaray, loan), Maxime Esteve (RB Leipzig, undisclosed), Jack McEvilly (Tranmere, free), Charlie Veevers (Tranmere, free), Luca Koleosho (Paris, undisclosed), Florentino (Ipswich, undisclosed), Ashley Barnes (released)

Manager: Nicky Hayen – Managed mostly in Belgium – and was at Bruge and Genk but does not stay at clubs very long. He also had a spell at Haverfordwest County in the Welsh League back in 2021-22! Burnley were seemingly all in on Craig Bellamy but could not sort out a deal for their former coach, with the Welsh FA, and deals for Rob Edwards and Steven Gerrard never materialised. Burnley went for Hayen – maybe on former manager and fellow Belgian Vincent Kompany’s recommendation – citing his football brain and impressive coaching skills. We will see if this translates to the touch Saturday -Tuesday rigours of the Championship.

Key Player: Zian Flemming – Not really a regular to begin the Premier League campaign but became one of Burnley’s most dependable performers and scored a fair few goals and was a focal point for them. He has proven himself at this level before and will do so again. Clever player who is good with both feet and in the air.

Verdict: Playoffs – I just do not see them having the power and pedigree of the side that cruised to the league a few years ago and then repeated this when they went up with Leeds, in 2024-25. In a stronger division and a new coach, they may just miss out this time.

6) Norwich City

Only 4 teams picked up more points than the Canaries after Phillipe Clement went in and they even flirted with the playoffs after a remarkable run. A number of players finished the season strongly and City have added two Championship performers in Andre Brooks and Sam Field, that their clubs would not have wanted to lose. Kenny McClean provides the experience and steadying influence in midfield and they have a lot of options up top in Kvistgaarden, Makama, Crnac and Toure. Jose Cordoba played for Panama in the World Cup and will potentially pair with Harry Darling in the backline but it is the defensive area where concerns probably still remain. If they can address this area, then they have enough in the rest of the squad to mount a strong playoff push. Brooks development will be interesting to observe. Potentially he could go right to the top but still needs to find consistency and goals/assists to his profile.

In

Bruno Alves (Cruzeiro, loan), Sam Field (QPR, undisclosed), Andre Brooks (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Darlin Yongwa (Lorient, free)

Out

Tony Springett (Leyton Orient, free), George Long (Southampton, free), Louie Moulden (Accrington Stanley, loan), Daniel Barden (Stevenage, free)

Manager: Phillipe Clement – Did an incredible job to take a team that looked doomed to relegation in the opening months of last season. He got them winning and playing entertaining football and without huge changes in personnel. If he had been there all last season, I have no doubt they would have been in the mix for the playoffs and expect this ascent to continue under his leadership.

Key Player: Mohammed Toure – Scored 9 goals in 11 games, after signing in February and also went to the World Cup with Australia. Power, pace and a clever finisher, expect Toure to one of the leading goalscorers in the league, in his first full season at Carrow Road.

Verdict: Playoffs – Clement is the X factor but they do possess some good players and enough at the top of the field, to ensure they will be nearer the top to start the season, than the bottom and I expect them to remain there.

7) Bristol City

They seem to be recycling through managers quite quickly as they seek that formula to contend. A year ago, they had Manning and then Struber before incredibly Roy Hodgson came in. The latest cab off the rank, is another young manager, Skubala, who hopes to replicate his winning approach, we saw at Lincoln, with a surprise promotion. City have made some changes to personnel with some long-standing players moving on but many of the those that were the basis of the side, remain. Knight, Horvat and Williams form the nucleus of the midfield but Scott Twine will be the goal threat, with his superb free kicks, continuing to be a cheat code at this level. Sam Tickle, a player that United were linked with, comes in to replace the excellent Vitek who was on loan from Man Utd. Sam Greenwood, Ballard and Tolaj come into the forward positions and all could be smart additions with Ballard and Tolaj scoring freely at the league below. The issues remain with a slow and fragile defensive line that can be exposed but they might make a run.

In

Billy O’Neill (Bray Wanderers, undisclosed), Sam Tickle (Wigan, undisclosed), Gibson Yah (Volendam, undisclosed), Jed Wallace (West Brom, free), Brad Collins (Coventry, free), Lisav Eissat (Maccabi Haifa, undisclosed), Sam Greenwood (Pogon Szczecin, undisclosed), Lorent Tolaj (Plymouth, undisclosed), Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient, undisclosed)

Out

Sinclair Armstrong (Goztepe, undisclosed), Mark Sykes (Millwall, free), Joe Lumley (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Josh Stokes (Reading, loan), Ross McCrorie (Rangers, undisclosed), Sam Morsy (released), Jamie Knight (Motherwell, loan)

Manager: Michael Skubala – Tried a similar strategy to last season, nabbing a young and upcoming manager from a rival. They will hope that Skubala is more successful than Ryan Manning. Lincoln had an up-tempo style that was hard working but quite direct, with goals coming all-round the team. He will have more talent and experience at Ashton Gate but hope to carry on his upward trajectory.

Key Player: Scott Twine – Finally found a home at Ashton Gate. He can have quiet games but finds big moments, with assists and goals and that is so important when the level of teams are so close at this level.

Verdict: Playoffs. The expanded format will suit some of those that always seem to be on the edge and a bright young coach and some new additions will see City take another step.

8) Stoke City

Last season the wildcard was Hull, who made the playoffs and then went up. It is easy just to plug the three that came down and then the missing playoff sides into the top 8 but it rarely always works like that. There is always one or two sides that surprise (and one or two that don’t quite hit their projected finish). Stoke seem to have been a middling side going nowhere for some time now. They have been closer to the bottom than the top but Mark Robins was a smart appointment and I feel he will get it right. They underachieved last season after a decent start and fell away but there is some talent and with additions to supplant the squad, I feel that they will be the team that comes out of the middle of the pack. They still have a wealthy owner and this summer seem to have gone and spent a fair amount (circa 25 million). Two former Sheffield based players in Soumare and Ingelsson will give them legs and bite in midfield but the stand out recruits seem to be Galbraith, the talented midfielder from Swansea for a reported fee over 10 million and then the striker, Milan Smit, who came in on loan but then signed permanently. They have an excellent goalkeeper in Viktor Johansson, and whilst Gibson and Wilmot are not the quickest, are two steady Championship centre backs.

In

Milan Smit (Go Ahead Eagles, undisclosed), Josh Griffiths (West Brom, undisclosed), Djibril Soumare (SC Braga, undisclosed), Ethan Galbraith (Swansea, undisclosed), Svante Ingelsson (undisclosed, Sheffield Wednesday), Luke

Out

Tommy Simkin (Doncaster, loan), Lewis Baker (Bursaspor, free), Darius Lipsiuc (Notts County, undisclosed), Nathan Lowe (Hibernian, loan), Emre Tezgel (Wycombe, loan), Favour Fawunmi (Oldham, loan), Steven Nzonzi (Dunkerque, free), Nikola Jojic (released)

Manager: Mark Robins – Always liked Robins as a manager and think he comes across as an honest and decent bloke. He did a great job wherever he was and much of the groundwork for Coventry’s promotion came from his work – that Lampard took on. He maybe has not quite found the formula yet in the Potteries but expect him to get a more consistent side performing this time.

Key Player: Sorba Thomas – An old-fashioned winger that likes to run at defenders and is direct but also works hard. He began last season in great form and perhaps did not maintain it but with more options at Robins disposable, he will be vital in providing the ammunition for the forwards.

Verdict: Playoffs – This pick could be miles off – I would not be totally shocked if they were mid table or lower but I have a hunch these will be one of the teams that emerges as a surprise contender.

9) Derby County

Derby have quietly moved up the league and the main reason I would attribute their success to, is Eustace who had got them playing a certain way but managing to turn tight games into wins. Former Blades Brewster and Brereton Diaz were contributors last season but the latter has returned to Southampton. Brewster ended the season injured, of course, and is not back yet. On a similar theme, Patrick Agyemang was the main man up top but he suffered a serious injury and won’t be back till the winter. Bobby Clark and Sammy Szmodics were signed permanently and Oscar Fraulo proved to be a good signing, once he settled. They have plenty of experience in Clarke, Travis, Morris and Charlie Taylor, who comes in from Southampton. Filip Bilbija, signs from Germany, and was prolific for Paderborn. They are a side that will continue to be solid defensively and the type of profile of player, is size and athleticism, which will go a long way at this level.

In

Bobby Clark (Salzburg, undisclosed), Charlie Taylor (Southampton, free), Filip Bilbija (Paderborn, free), Sam Szmodics (Ipswich, loan)

Out

Callum Elder (Lincoln, free), Ben Osborn (Stockport, free), Danny Batth (Millwall, free), Liam Thompson (Mansfield, undisclosed), Jake Rooney (Boston, free), Dajuane Brown (Rochdale, free)

Manager: John Eustace – Like Robins, Eustace is just a steady manager, who again seems to get the most out of what he has. He kept Derby up and then last season, got them really close to the playoffs. You look at their squad and you are not sure they can be contenders but he clearly knows what he is doing – as shown by underrated spells at Blackburn and Birmingham previously.

Key Player: Sondre Langas – Commanding unit at the back who can also get around and quietly became one of Derby’s best players. He was part of the squad in the World Cup for Norway.

Verdict: Agyemang’s return will see them turn a mid-table campaign into a late push for the final spot but might be tough to match last season.

10) Millwall

Had an excellent season last time and were in with a chance of automatic promotion. Cannot be understated what a great job Alex Neil did, as they finished higher than so many more fancied sides. They could not quite get over the line and then in the playoffs, Hull did a number on then. Statistically, they did not quite have the metrics to match their high league position but that says a lot about the efforts of the management team and the players. Always hard working and tough to beat at the Den, they will still cause many teams problems. I do see a drop off. They put a lot of effort into a stellar campaign and maybe will not be able to maintain that? Servais and Arconte are two players coming in for decent money, from Belgium and France respectively. Mark Sykes is a smart signing from Bristol City too. The rest of the squad is much the same. They have two giant centre backs, Crama and Cooper, who will be so important again, as will wide man Azeez. The issue is goals and a reliable centre forward. Coburn and Ivanovic, had moments, but both lacked consistency and were guilty of missing chances too. Lyndon Dykes give them another physical threat and seems a very ‘Millwall’ player!

In

Jenson Metcalfe (Bradford, undisclosed), Tairyk Arconte (Rodez, undisclosed), Mathis Servasi (Mechelen, undisclosed), Mark Sykes (Bristol City, free), Elkan Baggott (Ipswich, undisclosed), Kyrell Lisbie (Peterborough, undisclosed), Danny Batth (Derby, free), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton, free)

Out

Wes Harding (Plymouth, free), Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed), Macaulay Langstaff (Salford, undisclosed), Adam Mayor (Hibernian, undisclosed), Billy Mitchell (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Danny McNamara (Charlton, free), Rafiq Lamptey (Chesterfield, loan), Kamarl Grant (Bromley, loan), Joel Coleman (released)

Manager: Alex Neil – Another manager who just knows what he is doing and will always get the most out of what he has. Really feeds off the Millwall mentality and of the home atmosphere and the style of play might not always be easy on the eye, but they do have some talented players, so maybe that tag is unfair. He will continue to get some punching above their weight.

Key Player: Femi Azeez – Azeez was such a key man last season with 11 goals and 7 assists and his play out wide will be crucial again. Do wonder if some Premier League clubs may take a punt on him?

Verdict: Do not see them making the playoffs this time but they will still be top half and that is another positive season for a side that lacks the resource of other sides.

11) Wrexham

Wrexham finished higher than I anticipated last season and at one stage, looked set to make the playoffs before missing out. I thought they had spent well and brought in experienced Championship players, even if overpriced, for who they were (Moore, Broadhurst, Hyam). They shocked some of the bigger sides and actually were quite free scoring and maybe not quite the dull, one-dimensional approach we have seen from Parkinson’s sides before. They have not done as much business this summer and it has been a quieter, more understated approach but I do expect more signings to come in before the end of August. If they get the players they have been linked with, then they will be in the top half again. I do feel that there will be a drop off though. The goalkeeper needs to be improved and they concede way too many goals. There is enough at the top end, to keep in games and outscore sides though.

In

Danny Imray (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Ben Whiteman (Preston, undisclosed)

Out

Mo Faal (Port Vale, loan), Thomas O’Connor (Peterborough, loan), Andy Cannon (Fleetwood, loan), Paul Mullin (Rotherham, free), Tom Kelly (Bala, loan), Max Purvis (Bangor, free)

Manager: Phil Parkinson – I thought he might be jettisoned after promotion and I always saw him as a limited but successful lower league manager. He did really well, helped by some big spending, and the football was not always as direct, as I envisaged. I still think they might need to get a better coach to take the next step and I predict a season where they do not quite push on and then make a change here.

Key Player: Lewis O’Brien – Busy, box to box midfielder. Had an ok season and expect him to take it on another level this time.

Verdict: Second time at this level might be a bit tougher and the owners will have to temper expectation, that they will just surge up the top flight. They are now sides that can spend even more than them and thus, it will need to be smarter business and maybe a change in the sidelines might be needed to take that next step.

12) Birmingham City

Some expected the Blues to be right up there last season and build on the impressive Championship winning season from League One. They brought a number of players in. Many did not quite work with the likes of Furuhashi and Doyle no longer here after being much ballyhooed signings last summer. There were questions asked of Chris Davies tactically and some fans felt they became quite negative in style. The manager remains and the transfer business has been quite unremarkable with only Beadle and Solis returning and Dael Fry the main notable defensive capture. He will help the backline and further forward, it will be the likes of Stansfield and Ducksch counted on for goas. There is enough quality around but I do not see them pushing on unless they do spend significantly again – the squad looks light to me? They have a pending move to a new ground and a state-of-the-art training complex is part of that, so even though they have significant investors aboard, will have to balance all aspects of the club’s improvements.

In

Jhon Solis (Girona, undisclosed), Dael Fry (Middlesbrough, free), James Beadle (Brighton, loan), Luis Vazquez (Anderlecht, undisclosed), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo, undisclosed)

Out

Byron Pendleton (Shrewsbury, free), Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union, undisclosed), Kyogo Furuhashi (LA Galaxy, undisclosed)

Manager: Chris Davies – Was backed but did superbly to completely turn City around and many expected, perhaps unrealistically, another promotion push. Mid table was fine but fans now expect, seeing the new ownership. I think they may make a managerial change here before the end of the season, rightly or wrongly, in an attempt to take the next step.

Key Player: Dael Fry – Solid, no nonsense centre back that will come in and provide the experience at this level.

Verdict: This season may be more consolidative. I do not see a promotion side but not one that will struggle either.

13) Swansea City

Another side that seems perennially marooned in mid table. Another club with American ownership and the fanfare of Snoop Dogg being involved, gives them a story and some more international attention. Finished 11 last time out and did improve under Vitor Matos but were not serious promotion contenders despite possess the leading scorer in the division in Zan Vipotnik. He remains but they lost star midfielder in Ethan Galbraith, but got a good fee and reinvested in players. In comes Joseph Opuku from the Belgian league, Elijah Just from Motherwell (whose star rose after his goals at the World Cup for New Zealand), Leo Walta and Stephen Welsh from Celtic. Goncalo Franco and Ronald give the flair and creativity but it the likes of Cabango and Burgess that are probably even more important. Ross Stewart was a signing that will hopefully take some of the weight off the shoulders of Vipotnik. Maybe like many others, their owners will invest more in the playing staff but the new SCR rules of course mean smart trading is so important. Swansea will play attractive football but the soft underbelly will prevent a significant challenge again.

In

Leo Walta (Sirius, undisclosed), Stephen Welsh (Celtic, free), Moussa Yeo (RB Salzburg, undisclosed), Elijah Just (Motherwell, undisclosed), Ross Stewart (Southampton, free)

Out

Ethan Galbraith (Stoke, undisclosed), Josh Thomas (Fleetwood, free), Ricardo Santos (Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed), Sam Parker (Wycombe, loan), Liam Cullen (Leicester, undisclosed), Joel Ward (released), Ollie Cooper (Notts County, loan), Cameron Congreve (KVC Westerlo, undisclosed)

Manager: Vitor Matos – Seems well liked on the Welsh South Coast and another that does about as well as he can do against some bigger spenders and powerhouses at this level. Only lost 11 out of 31 and they certainly seemed to improve under his charge.

Key Player: Zan Vipotnik – 23 goals and the leading scorer in the league. Will be counted upon again. Can finish well and hits a clean ball, also very good on set plays. Wonder why no one has looked at him but a bit like his predecessor, Joel Piroe, maybe lacks pace/athleticism to make the step up?

Verdict: Similar sort of forecast and position to last season. They will have the bragging rights over Cardiff – who are back at this level but another mediocre season awaits.

14) Sheffield United

Last year, I had the Blades in the playoffs after just missing out on promotion but it was a fairly disastrous season with the Selles experiment failing badly not helped by some dreadful recruitment, both analytics based from the consultant James Bord and from the current scouting team. United were able to move away from the bottom under Chris Wilder and after some entertaining and high scoring wins, they looked like they could make a push for the top 6. However, whilst Southampton and Norwich, continued to kick on, the Blades trailed off. Poor discipline (6 red cards – the most in the division), and throwing away the most leads in the division (costing them 30 possible points) showed the weak underbelly of the group. Cheap goals and lack of clear style were factors but there were glimpses with attacking talent like the revitalised Patrick Bamford ably supplanted by the divisional assist leader, Gus Hamer. Young players Femi Serki and Andre Brooks became key men and much more consistent performers. The latter was sacrificed though, bizarrely to a divisional rival in Norwich, as the loss of parachute payments kicks in. Hamer is also departing, back to Coventry. Wilder talked about big changes and knowing what they needed to go but the summer has seen nothing of the sort. Ownership is locked in two court battles, one with the previous owner and another with a previous potential investor. This is not a good look for a group that has done little to impress in its intentions and plan. There is still talent around – with players like Cooper, Peck, O’Hare and Bamford all players that would get into many sides at this level but the lack of significant change with a number of unwanted players still around despite Wilder’s public criticism – means despite a lot of bluster about it having a different look – I am not sure it does looking at it? He will rely on improvements from within but not sure they can consistently maintain performances week in, week out.

The team is essentially the same minus the players player of the year in Brooks (replaced by a young Premier League loan player in Romelle Donovan) and a veteran right back Matt Doherty are not exactly game changing additions. I still struggle to pick out the style of United’s play. There is enough experience to ensure United should be in most games but the better teams are just erm, better! The board are wedded to Wilder now (giving him an extension to his deal) but this seems to be more around their complete lack of ideas on how to change the whole set up of the club with a horrific recruitment history in recent times, transfers taking an age to complete and a number of high earners stuck at the club (Cannon, Norrington Davies, Chong, Grbic, Matos, McGuiness etc) taking up places and funds that mean changes will be hard to execute. United lost the 2nd the greatest number of games last season and this squad seems weaker. Some players may have bounce back years but will need a number to hit the ground running. Season ticket sales are down and whilst there are still have other assets (both on and off the pitch) that means they are an attractive club; the current ownership does not seem to have any real strategy in order to push the club forward and be sustainable.

In

Romelle Donovan (Brentford, loan), Matt Doherty (Wolves, free), Kalvin Phillips (Man City, loan)

Out

Andre Brooks (Norwich, undisclosed), Alex Matos (Göztepe, loan), Mihail Polendakov (Ludogorets, loan), Zain Tahir (Oldham, loan), Jili Buyabu (Rotherham, loan), Sai Sachdev (Boston, loan), Christian Nwachukwi (Serikspor)

Manager: Chris Wilder – There is a large number of Blades fans that still love Chris Wilder but even those might start to question the lack of coaching and approach/style of football if results are poor. He has changed his coaching staff with Micky Collins and Phil Jones, replacing long term number 2, Alan Knill but pre-season there was no identifiable change in the way they played. Is Wilder yesterday’s man or is there still some something that can get his side galvanised? Only time will tell.

Key Player: Patrick Bamford. He must stay fit and replicate his goals tally of last time, or there is a worry where the goals come from.

Verdict: Bottom half Wilder will point to the defensive shortcomings last time out and will try to make us tougher to beat, so it might be a hard watch at times but I do not see this current squad being anywhere near a promotion challenge. There is way too much for them to be sucked into the scrap at the other end but then if more depart then suddenly even that might change. As it stands, unless there are significant personnel changes, this looks a side that will be right in the middle of the pack again. If signings are brought in at centre back, on the wing and more competition up top, they might push into the top half.

15) QPR

Rangers had some moments last season but after showing promise at various points, they tailed off badly and it was another disappointing campaign. They will look to try and find a better and more consistent showing this time.

Pierre Charles, formerly of our city rivals, comes in from Man City on loan and is a good keeper at this level. He won’t be quite as busy this season at least with experienced performers like Dunne and Morrison in front of him. Glenn Kamara, once of Leeds and linked with United, gives them some midfield bite. Ilias Chair, perhaps hampered by off field events, remains but has not been at his best for a while. On a similar theme, Tariq Lamptey, was a bit of a leftfield signing, coming in from Fiorentina. Still only 25, he needs to turn around a once promising career. I am not sure where the goals are coming from? Although Richard Kone showed enough to suggest he can score goals at a higher level.

In

Boy Kemper (NAC Breda, undisclosed), Calum Ward (Motherwell, undisclosed), Pierce Charles (Manchester City, loan), Tariq Lamptey (Fiorentina, free), Glen Kamara (Rennes, loan)

Out

Sam Field (Norwich, undisclosed), Steve Cook (Wycombe, free), Joe Walsh (Wigan, loan), Isaac Hayden (Leyton Orient, free), Murphy Cooper (Plymouth, undisclosed), Zan Celar (Basel, undisclosed), Cory Adjetey-Brew (Worthing, loan), Daniel Beddie (Dundee United, loan), Paul Nardi (Auxerre), Elijah Dixon Bonner (released), Heverrton Santos (Levski Sofia, undisclosed)

Manager: Julien Stephan – Still divides opinion with R’s fans, and losing the last four games of the season, to meekly finish the campaign did not help. He will know he has to make improvements this time out, or his position could be in jeopardy.

Key Player: Nikolas Madsen – Player of the year, the Danish midfielder has finally found form and a role that sees him as a key man in the Hoops midfield.

Verdict: I have them finishing the same position as last season. Do not see them making huge improvements.

16) Watford

They continue to be the head scratching side at this level. They don’t seem to be run like a successful football club should be, with a strategy to progress. The Pozzo family have supposedly wanted out for a while but remain much to the discontent of Hornets fans. They have sort of remained stuck in limbo and each year seem to lose better players with the usual managerial merry go round. Ended last season losing their last 5 games and only 1 point from the last 8. Finished in 16th. Losing Chakvetadze to their partner club Udinese was a blow but when your owners Dad is the owner of the Italian club, then favours can come back the other way. This was seen with the incomings from the same club – Bravo, Traore and Payero, who will hope to fair better than he did when he was at Middlesbrough. Their squad features a number of players from around the World and only has 3 English players in Bola, Grieves and captain Pollock. Luca Kjerrumgaard is the tall focal point up top but he did weigh with 9 goals last time and comes in permanently from…yes, Udinese! Irakunda looks set to leave with a transfer to Sporting in the works, just prior to the season commencing. There is the lack of spine and Championship know how but they have enough individuals to be in a similar position to last time out.

In

Amor Traore (Udinese, undisclosed), Iker Bravo (Udinese, undisclosed), Luca Kjerrumgaard (Udinese, undisclosed), Martin Payero (Udinese, undisclosed), Federico Ravaglia (Bologna, undisclosed), Jordan Zemura (Udinese, loan)

Out

Nathan Baxter (Leyton Orient, undisclosed), Giorgi Chakvetadze (Udinese, undisclosed), Jorge Hurtado (Deportes Tolima, loan), Vivaldo Semedo (Alverca, loan), Tom Ince (Tranmere, free), Nampalys Mendy (Metz, free), Tom Dele Bashiru (Aris, undisclosed), Pierre Dwomoh (released)

Manager: Alessio Dionisi – Had no idea who the manager was and had to look this up! 22 managers since 2012, which is incredible but they continue to cycle through them without any clear plan or willingness to build anything. He has mostly managed Serie B and you fear for him, if Watford struggle as I expect.

Key Player: Imran Louza – Can be frustrating at times and maybe overplays, takes too mamani touches but a quality operator and most of the play goes through him.

Verdict: They always seem to have enough quality in the squad to keep away from trouble but never enough to seriously contend and seem to be stuck at Championship level now. They have no real clear identity other than constant change and the lack of stability means they seem a club that might be soon looking over their shoulder.

17) West Brom

Last season was very nearly a total disaster. Ryan Mason did not work and they fell like a stone. Eric Ramsey did not fare any better and they had to quickly bring back in James Morrison – who has remained as manager. They had plenty in the squad that surely should have had them nowhere near the relegation places and they barely managed to stay up, only making a late run to get out of the relegation places. They have moved on a number of senior players and that was probably needed after the poor performances and attitude showed by the bulk of the squad last time out. They might not have made many signings but it is probably a case of addition by subtraction. The likes of Grant, Maja, Dike and Wallace depart with few significant incomings.

In

Barney Stewart (Falkirk, undisclosed), Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Chelsea, undisclosed), Matt Ingram (Oxford, undisclosed), Conor Townsend (Ipswich, free), Nolan Galves (Rodez, undisclosed), Felix Horn Myhre (SK Brann, undisclosed)

Out

Josh Griffiths (Stoke, undisclosed), Akeel Higgins (Wigan, undisclosed), Jed Wallace (Bristol City, free), Eseosa Sule (St Mirren, undisclosed), Karlan Grant (Charlton, free), Josh Maja (Le Havre, free)

Manager: James Morrison – Deservedly got the job after only losing 2 in 12 (indeed only last 2 in 15 in three spells as caretaker and now permanent manager). Has a number of experienced players that will help him stay clear of danger.

Key Player: Isaac Price – Still only 22, Price has really established himself at the Hawthorns now and was, and is, one of their most important players. 9 goals in 44 games, he was one of the few bright sparks last time out.

Verdict: It is hard to see them moving into the top half of the squad with another relatively inexperienced manager and a threadbare squad but there is enough to avoid the wobbles of last season.

18) Preston

A 14th place finish was very much in keeping with where Preston have been in recent seasons, and indeed for a long time! They seem to rarely be sucked into relegation trouble but equally never have enough to push higher. There were some good runs and periods last season but they were mired by inconsistency again. They need that investment to take the next step. Losing loan star Lewis Dobbin will not help and both Jebbison and Smith have moved on but they have done well to tie down another loan man, Alfie Define, for a significant fee for the Lilywhites too. Lee Nicholls comes in from Huddersfield to push Daniel Iversen in goal. They seem to be linked with new investment but nothing concrete has happened meaning it will be hard for them to take many big steps forward despite the wily Heckingbottom in charge.

In

Alfie Devine (Tottenham, undisclosed), Jusef Erabi (Genk, loan), Lee Nicholls (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Delano Burgzorg (Preston, loan)

Out

Jack Walton (Dundee United, undisclosed), Michael Smith (Mansfield, free), Noah Mawene (Fleetwood, free), James Pradic (Fleetwood, free), Ben Whiteman (Wrexham, undisclosed), David Cornell (released)

Manager: Paul Heckingbottom – Likeable fella who seems to be a steady Championship manager – who like many at this level relies on organisation and a solid defensive footprint to see them stay in most games. Perhaps lacking the attacking verve some fans might want to see but it is hard to see him pushing them much further without quality additions.

Key Player: Alfie Devine – 8 goals last season and PNE’s young player of the year, Preston spend reportedly close to 6 million pound to sign him and was a real signal of intent. He will need to take his impressive play on even further to move Preston further up the table.

Verdict: Hard to not peg them anywhere but mid to lower half. Just lack the depth and real quality to push much higher.

19) Portsmouth

Pompey have an excellent manager but perhaps last season with a touch underwhelming. Some (me!) thought they would build on the 16th place finish from their first time back at this level but they actually dropped off and finished 18th. They did have a number of injury issues to contend with and maybe some signings did not quite work but I still thought they may have pushed on but it never happened. In a much stronger league on paper this time out, they knew they would have to strengthen and the squad does look deeper. Striker, Marko Milovanovic, from Almeria, has come in but Rocco Shein has also arrived, from the Danish league. Odin Bailey on a free, looks a shrewd move, after doing well for Stockport last season but the bulk of the squad will be holdovers from last season. Ebou Adams and Marlin Pack are solid midfielders at this level whilst the likes of Devlin, Poole and Ogilvie may not be big games but all have become established performers at Championship level. Josh Murphy and Colby Bishop will be counted on for the creativity and goals but they will need others to weigh in more. Abu Kamara was a firm favourite from the promotion days and returns from Hull.

In

Odin Bailey (Stockport, free), Eoin Kenny (Dundalk, undisclosed), Rocco Shein (Fredrikstad, undisclosed), Marko Milovanovic (Almeria, undisclosed), Daniel Bielica (NAC Breda, undisclosed), Luke Brooke-Smith (Wellington, undisclosed), Abu Kamara (Hull, undisclosed)

Out

Andre Dozzell (DC United, free), Toby Steward (St Johnstone, loan), Reuben Swann (Braintree, loan), Makenzie Kirk (Barnsley, loan), Jordan Williams (Blackpool, loan), Ibane Bowat (Huddersfield, undisclosed)

Manager: John Mousinho – Seems to just go about his business and has established Pompey at this level. You wonder if other teams might have looked at him and maybe they have, but he remains loyal to the side that gave him a chance in management.

Key Player: Terry Devlin – Might not the kudos of others on the South Coast but has quietly been Pompey’s most consistent performers and can play a range of positions.

Verdict: They are used to the level now but the level has improved and not sure they have significantly?

20) Cardiff City

I was surprised they came straight back up last season. I thought they were a club that seemed to be going in the wrong direction so huge kudos for Barry Murphy for winning promotion with relative comfort. They lead the division most of the way too, until a late wobble saw Lincoln pip them to the title but they recovered brilliantly from a poor few years where managers have changed and looked a long way from the one that had spells in the top flight not that long ago. They scored goals aplenty from all over the field and blew many teams away at the lower level. The squad remained largely the same but the gap between even the Championship and League One became apparent and we will see that again. Perry Ng, Callum Robinson, Rubin Colwill, Chris Willock and Callum Chambers were part of the group who went down previously. Some players have regained confidence and form and perhaps they underachieved at this level last time but they have not added anyone of significance to the group, apart from a smart capture of one of Lincoln’s key players, Jack Moylan. The same collection that struggled only two seasons ago, will have the same issues. They have brought some young talent through in Dylan Lawlor And Cian Ashford and gave debuts to three teenagers in Tankiewicz, Donczew and Moreno last season.

In

Nathan Trott (Copenhagen, undisclosed), Jack Moylan (Lincoln, undisclosed)

Out

Ryan Wintle (MK Dons, free)

Manager: Brian Barry Murphy – After coaching spells at Man City and Leicester, the job he did last year to confidently turn around Cardiff, after the previous relegation cannot be understated. He will want to carry on the momentum and hope they can consolidate at a higher level.

Key Player: Rubin Colwill – Now 24, he has to show the undoubted talent he possesses at the higher level after standing out in League One. His brother, Joel, also part of the Bluebirds squad.

Verdict: Staying up by the skin of their teeth. I expect this pick may get criticised as some have them mid table or just below but the league is better than when they were last here and they are not.

21) Lincoln City

A remarkable promotion, that not even many Imps fans will have predicted. Good coaching, team unity and smart recruitment and Lincoln had a clear plan and beat off so many more fancied sides to win the title with 103 points. Of course, success means teams look at your assets and Michael Skubala, was picked up by Bristol City. Lincoln has tried to keep a continuity from within, with coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, from the backroom team put in co charge. They have also kept faith with the side that went up, making few changes. There are players in Darikwa, Reach, Collins, that you would not have thought would be back at Championship level perhaps but there are some talented younger players. Losing Jack Moylan to a fellow ‘promotion/relegation’ rival in Cardiff will sting. City will be about a clear plan and sticking together but you do not win as many games that they did, without some good individuals allied to this team cohesiveness. I think they will have some runs of games where they struggle to find points and will need to get off to a fast start and make sure they are tough to beat at Sincil Bank.

In

Callum Elder (Derby, free), Andrei Coubis (Universitatea Cluj, undisclosed), Joe Gauci (Aston Villa, loan), Mason Melia (Tottenham, loan), Tanto Olaofe (Charlton, loan)

Out

MJ Kamson-Kamara (Hearts, free), Zach Jeacock (Northampton, loan), Erik Ring (Kilmarnock, undisclosed), Jack Moylan (Cardiff, undisclosed), Zane Okoro (Tranmere, loan), Oscar Thorne (Colchester, loan)

Manager: Chris Cowen/Tom Shaw – Both part of the coaching staff with Skubala. It may see brave to entrust them but is probably a smart move as continuity and what made them successful, is absolutely what will help them be competitive at the higher level.

Key Player: Sonny Bradley – An experienced defender who has played at this level. His size and calmness will be important as City adjust to some much harder tests.

Verdict: A decent start and good home form will see them stay up, just.

22) Charlton Athletic

Finished 19th last season but for a long time, you sensed they might go but credit the demonstrative Nathan Jones doe getting them out of trouble. They used the loan system well with experienced players like Coady, Dykes and Clarke all contributing but these are not around anymore. In comes experience in Karlan Grant from West Brom and Danny McNamara from Millwall, at opposite ends of the pitch. Lloyd Jones, Reece Burke and Amari’i Bell all will be important holdovers at the back but look out for returning loan striker Micah Mbick who scored 7 goals at Colchester before an injury. Sonny Carey is a very underrated midfielder and Tyreece Campbell, despite inconsistency, can be a match winner out wide. This will be another season of fighting to stay up.

In

Ivan Mesik (Heracles Almelo, undisclosed), Billy Koumetio (Dundee, undisclosed), Karlan Grant (West Brom, free), Danny McNamara (Millwall, free), MIllenic Alli (Luton, undisclosed)

Out

Terry Taylor (Stevenage, free), Lennon MacLorg (Gillingham, free), Gassan Ahadme (Cambridge, loan), Macaulay Gillesphey (Bradford, undisclosed), Ty Ewens-Findlay (Crawley, loan), Karoy Anderson (Blackpool, undisclosed), Alex Mitchell (Plymouth, undisclosed), Kaheim Dixon (Novi Pazar, undisclosed), Lyndon Dykes (Millwall, free), Tanto Olaofe (Lincoln, loan)

Manager: Nathan Jones: Jones splits opinion and his dugout antics can irritate many, but his motivational skills and the job he has done at the Valley, cannot be criticised.

Key Player: Millenic Allli: Did well on loan at Pompey and he comes in from Luton. Quick and talented winger. Will want to get his career going again after signing for Luton for over a million pounds less than 2 years ago from Exeter.

Verdict: Relegated. They had a late run and were able to remain at this level at the expense of some giants in Wednesday and Leicester but I am struggling to find 3 worse teams than them this time around.

23) Blackburn

It is only a few seasons ago, the nearly made the playoffs. Two of the last three campaigns has seen them close to relegation and they have still have unrest behind the scenes. Each season experience seems to leave and their interim manager Michael O’Neill, went back to his National side, Northern Ireland. Tony Mowbray is back but more senior players have departed year on year – this summer notably Sondre Tronstad. The rest of the squad is lacking in all areas. Todd Cantwell and Adam Forshaw remain but so far only one notable incomer, former Stockport midfielder Jayden Fevrier. Only three teams scored more goals last season and there are holes all over the side. The three promoted teams will have a buoyancy and I would be surprised if at least one, possibly two stays up. So that means one of the strugglers from last season will go.

In

Moussa Baradji (Yverdon Sport, undisclosed), Jayden Fevrier (Stockport, undisclosed)

Out

Aodhan Doherty (Falkirk, loan), Osman Kamara (Crawley, loan), Nick Michalski (Crawley, loan), Sondre Tronstad (free)

Manager: Tony Mowbray – Crazy they have gone back to Mowbray after the club moved on from his steady, if dull, style a few years ago. The managers since have hardly fared much better not helped by the messy stuff at ownership/board level. He has had health issues but ‘knows the club.’ Sadly, the squad is bereft of quality.

Key Player: Yuki Ohahsi – He may have only scored 10 goals but the leading scorer is crucial at the top of the pitch. His goals and threat are vital if they are to stay up.

Verdict: Relegated. Mowbray is an experienced manager but the talent is not there and the squad seems to get weaker and weaker.

24) Bolton

It’s mad that Bolton have been away from the Championship since 2019 but after brining in Steven Schumacher to replace Ian Evatt, got into the playoffs and cruised past Stockport in a surprisingly one-sided playoff final. The squad that comes up remains largely the same with only minor tinkering. That might mean it is a season, where staying up would be considered a success. There is a real spirit and never say die attitude in the squad that was evidenced by so many late goals to get vital points. They scored 13 times in injury time last season! Blades connections are there in former loanee Ben Davies, who comes in and brother of James McAtee, John. They will try and be well organised, compact and make sure they stay in tight games. I do not see much between the three promoted sides but Lincoln were of course a fair way ahead of Bolton so that has to be taken into account and on paper they looked the weakest of those that came up.

In

David Watson (Kilmarnock, free), Ben Davies (Rangers, free), Akin Famewo (Hull, undisclosed), Luca Stephenson (Liverpool, £700K), Kyliane Dong (Augsburg, loan), Gaizka Larrazabal (Casa Pia, free)

Out

Szabi Schon (ETO FC Gyor, undisclosed), George Johnston (Luton, free), Kyle Dempsey (Port Vale, free), Sonny Sharples-Ahmed (Hednesford Town, undisclosed), Richard Taylor (Bromley, loan)

Manager: Steven Schumacher: Was moved on by Stoke relatively quickly after a successful spell at Plymouth. Quickly restoring his reputation after getting Wanderers up in his first season in charge. Will have circled the games with Stoke on the calendar.

Key Player: Josh Sheehan –Makes them tick in midfield. He is 31 so has been around a fair bit and in a largely young squad, will be needed to be the steadying influence.

Verdict: Relegated. Getting crowds in excess of 20,000 every week and pushing 25k will be a huge help but Wanderers will find the step up a challenge and don’t have the experience and overall depth.

Other Championship tips:

Leading goalscorer – 1) Raul Jimenez 2) Jarrod Bowen 3) Will Lankshear

First manager to be sacked – 1) Alessio Dionsi 2) Chris Davies 3) Phil Parkinson

Other competitions + leagues…

Premier League

1st – Arsenal

2nd – Man City

3rd – Chelsea

4th – Man Utd

Relegated: Hull City, Ipswich and Sunderland

FA Cup – Man City

League Cup – Man Utd

Champions League – PSG

League One

Promoted: Leicester, Luton and Stockport. Wednesday to finish 5th and lose in the Playoffs.

Relegated: Bromley, Burton, Cambridge and Wimbledon

League Two

Promoted: Salford, Port Vale, Bristol Rovers and Chesterfield

Relegated: Accrington and Newport County

Regards,

Deadbat – @Deadbat_DB

Women of Steel

Covering Sheffield United Women in 2023/24 and beyond.

By Ben Meakin

Second, what’s this all about?

Positivity? United have won a cup game, Kalvin Phillips is on his way and the Championship season is almost here. Negativity? Well, there’s plenty of that too.

Ben Meakin joins Sam for a proper pre-season stocktake: what looks better, what still worries us, and just how much can change before the window closes?

The conceit is simple: Ben plays the grumpy bloke sat behind you on the Kop; Sam plays the happy clapper in front. Together, they answer your questions, test some of Ben’s colder takes ahead of the new season and try to work out where the truth lies somewhere in between.

Tyrone James

I haven’t checked, but I’d guess I’ve probably done about four hundred United away games by now. And despite all the new grounds, stadiums, cities, towns, pubs and people I’ve encountered along the way, they all have one thing in common: they’ve all been set in jolly old England (and maybe just a few in Wales).

Yes, despite my gargantuan effort of following Sheffield United FC here, there and everywhere, I’d never set foot off this sceptred isle to watch them abroad. Until now.

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Bochum. Twinned with my hometown of Sheffield, and home to our opponents for the trip, VfL Bochum 1848. A football club I’d always admired thanks to my occasional love affair with the Bundesliga and my annual tradition of starting a Football Manager save with one of its clubs before inevitably getting bored with the spreadsheet simulator after about three months. (That said, FM27 is just around the corner and, yes, I will absolutely be buying it again.)

So, with match tickets secured, flights sorted, a hire car booked, and a generic copy-and-paste hotel reserved, my first foray into watching United on the European continent was a go.

There is always something incredibly weird about getting up in the middle of the night to go to the airport. I’m never sure whether it’s nerves, excitement, or that lingering fuck-me-why-didn’t-I-go-to-bed-that-bit-earlier feeling. Sleeping in your socks is the key. It’s the universal sign that these are no ordinary mornings. Smart.

Anyway, I was picked up at about the same time the birds decided to start their daily bellyaching and, bleary-eyed and armed with a GCSE-level understanding of German, the four of us set off on the long journey to our final destination.

Our first stop was Stansted Airport. I’m not sure what it is about airports that turns perfectly reasonable human beings into absolute nightmares once they enter the terminal buildings, but there was definitely a feeling of misanthropy by the time we got into the departure lounge.

We eventually boarded the Ryanair flight and for those of you like me amongst us that like to know; the equipment we were flying on was a Boeing 737-8. Pretty much the beige cardigan of aviation.

After a very short, uneventful flight, we landed in our second stop, Eindhoven (a cunning plan to avoid the more expensive German airports). The drive into Westphalia was stunning, punctuated by a Steely Dan/Oasis soundtrack whilst I lived my best passenger princess life. We arrived in Bochum safely, and once checked in, we went out to explore what the city had to offer.

After about an hour in Germany, I sort of wished I’d done that extra level on Duolingo. Nonetheless, the social establishments of Bochum were very decent, the mixture of cafe culture and pub culture was very pleasant, and I even had a couple of beers. The evening ended with a bratwurst, some piano jazz, and a very good (but relatively easy) people-watching game of ‘British or German?’

Waking up on match day in the tired but undeniably charming post-industrial German city, the morning began with a trip to see the Sheffield Ring. It was another nice little link with home, returning the favour for the aptly named Bochum Parkway back in Sheffield.

From there, we visited the local mining museum before making full use of the brilliant free public transport network and finally making our way to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. A visit to the fantastic fan park adjacent to the brutalist-inspired stadium ensued, and then it was finally time for the main event.

I was relieved to see Gus Hamer warming up but slightly disappointed not to spot Harry Souttar knocking about somewhere pitch-side. United lined up with a very strong starting eleven, and then the usual mix of players with very little chance of ever pulling on the shirt competitively for us, and, of course, the future wonderkids.

Backed by nearly 2,000 Blades in the away end, the pre-match atmosphere from the travelling support was outstanding, and the game started at a frenetic pace, with Bochum pressing aggressively and quickly proving that a desire to keep the ball moving could cause us all sorts of problems.

United struggled to meet, and then live with, the tempo at times, all the while with the hosts knocking it around confidently. Bochum’s number 10, Berkan Taz, probably should’ve scored, and young winger Alessandro Crimaldi had been a real handful throughout the opening half.

It was somehow 0-0 at half-time, and Bochum had come close again right on the stroke of the interval. No luck for Die Blauen though.

Wilder 3.0 had obviously had a few choice words during the break, because United came out all guns blazing after half-time. The Blades’ best chance of the opening 15 minutes came after a neat one-two between Callum O’Hare and Sydie Peck. Sam McCallum was found out wide, and his deflected cross dropped kindly for loanee Romelle Donovan, who somehow managed to scuff it wide when it was probably easier to score.

A raft of substitutions from both sides followed, and some nice link-up play between Hamer and substitute Joe Rothwell almost resulted in the opener, with the former going close, seeing his shot saved by home ‘keeper Timo Horn.

There was then a beautiful moment from the away end when, after the attendance was announced, the Blades supporters broke into a chorus of “You’ve only come to see United!” Superb stuff.

Back on the pitch, United substitute Tom Cannon then finally spurned a couple of decent opportunities, but in the end neither side could find a breakthrough. 0-0. Not that it mattered in the slightest. Either team could’ve won it, but this one was never really about the result.

The continued incredible support from the Blades saw a lovely moment with both United’s players and then with the home team as they were leaving the pitch. Bochum and their supporters had been absolutely first-class.

As we drifted away from the stadium, it was obvious that a genuine bond had formed between the two clubs and their respective sets of supporters, and there will have definitely been a few Blades leaving the away end with VfL Bochum as their new second favourite team.

The evening was then spent enjoying a few more local refreshments and continuing to bond with our German hosts (mostly through the international sport of table tennis).

By the time we packed up and headed home the following morning, it had been a successful trip for everyone. And while it would’ve been nice to celebrate a goal or two, it had still been an excellent few days in the Ruhrpott.”

In this episode of Memory Lane, Andrew and Sam rank the five best Sheffield United transfer windows they can remember. There is one simple test: how many of the signings were genuine hits?

That means some celebrated summers miss out because, alongside several outstanding arrivals, there were just as many players who contributed little. It also allows less glamorous windows to rise up the rankings because almost everyone who arrived played a meaningful part.

It is time to go window shopping.