Riley Roberts
This time last year I penned a piece on my own Medium page, giving my thoughts on the entire Blades squad and the manager. This year I thought I’d do the same here on The Pinch.
September 2026 is a very different time from September 2025: a new (familiar) face in the dugout, a few new (mostly familiar) signings on the pitch, and, most importantly, we’ve got more than nil points on the board.
The squad is decent to good for the level, maybe not quite as good as when I tipped us for a play-off place on the pod a couple of weeks back (we’ve lost Hamer/O’Hare in that time), but I do still think there’s a lot of quality in this side.
Goalkeepers
Michael Cooper (GK, 26)
Despite a tough run last season, I’m still confident enough to say Michael Cooper is at least a decent goalkeeper at Championship level. He commands the box quite well, and is capable of making the big game-winning saves that you need from your ‘keeper – a quality he’s shown so far this season.
There’s something about the way that Cooper dives, though, which doesn’t convince me wholly, and I think it might be down to his relative lack of height for a goalkeeper. Still, he’s a good #1, and we’d already be worse off without him this campaign.
Verdict: Good Number 1.
Adam Davies (GK, 34)
Adam Davies played the most league games he ever has for Sheffield United last season, with 13 appearances. While there were a few errors, it wasn’t the disastrous run you’d have been forgiven for expecting, though I’m not going to be excited if I ever see him in the starting XI this season.
Verdict: Subpar-to-average backup.
Defenders
Femi Seriki (RB, 24)
One of the more enjoyable players to watch over the past two seasons, Seriki is injured at the time of writing, and his presence is already being missed. I might be slightly biased as a big fan of his, but I will admit his game has a few deficiencies.
He can be a bit over-exuberant defensively and isn’t the best when 1v1 with a winger, but his pure power enables him to win enough duels that it’s never gonna be the biggest issue in the team. He’s great at taking people on, and improved his end-product last season; for a team that wants to use its wide men to create chances, as we did last season, he’s a great asset.
Verdict: Important starter, potential sellable asset.
Matt Doherty (RB, 34)
We’ve seen little of Matt Doherty in a Blades shirt, but he’s a player who has experienced the game at the highest level. I think his nous and technical ability give him enough to still be useful at this level, despite being at least half a decade removed from his prime, though he doesn’t seem to be trusted right now, potentially on fitness grounds.
Verdict: Decent squad player.
Hamza Choudhury (RB/DM, 28)
It’s been a shaky start for Hamza back in a Blades shirt, but he was a very obvious summer signing, given Wilder’s intention to add experience to what he frequently describes as a young squad, and the repeated acquisitions of former Sheffield United players.
His 2024/25 loan stint was undeniably positive, though the make-up of the team was very different to what it is now. Back then we played a pretty possession-heavy style – it’s worth noting that Choudhury’s only experience at right-back before joining the Blades had come in Maresca’s possession-heavy Leicester team, where he often inverted into central areas. Is he really a right-back in a traditional sense? No.
Verdict: Steady player, subpar stylistic fit.
Jamal Baptiste (CB/RB, 22)
A top prospect at youth level with both West Ham and Manchester City, Baptiste is 22, but has only had one proper season of first-team football, with 37 League One appearances for relegated Rotherham last season. I thought he was okay in the couple of games that I caught, and looked particularly nice on the ball. He started off shakily there, but seemed to pick up more praise as the season went on.
Verdict: Likely needed another loan.
Japhet Tanganga (CB/RB, 27)
The Blades captain seems to split opinion in the fanbase, but I’m of the opinion that he’s a good player for the level, and is the type of player you want to build your team around. He’s a great athlete, competes well in the air, and is arguably our best CB on the ball.
He can be a little bit rash at times, and potentially you could even say inconsistent, but his top performance level is right up with the best centre-halves in the Championship in my opinion.
Verdict: Key player.
Mark McGuinness (CB, 25)
I actually didn’t realise McGuinness was so young, and while he’s clearly not favoured right now, it might help his resale value. McGuinness is pretty big, and that makes him an obvious threat from set-pieces, despite only having the solitary league goal for Sheffield United.
Personally, though, I just don’t really like McGuinness as a defender. When contesting aerial duels he seems to get mispositioned ridiculously easily for a man of his stature, and while it didn’t lead to goals conceded in the games he’s played so far this season, over a full season it will cost you.
I don’t mind him as a pure box defender – he defends crosses well, and while the set-piece threat makes us more dangerous, I think we play at a defensive disadvantage when he starts.
Verdict: Useful option to help see out games, not good enough to start.
Liam Kitching (CB, 26)
As I said on the podcast after his signing, I’m not 100% sure what to expect with Kitching, and his debut vs. Norwich left me with more questions. Kitching seems to be quite adventurous with his passing, though the execution wasn’t perfect.
In his most recent performance against Wolves, at the time of writing, he put in a great display and even showed some ability in getting forward from the LCB position, which was a very promising sign. He started 37 games for the runaway league winners last season, and you don’t do that if you’re not good.
Verdict: Top-end Championship starter.
Rhys Norrington-Davies (LB/LCB, 27)
I loved RND at LCB in the first half of that 2022/23 promotion season, but since then his career has been massively disrupted by injuries, to the point where his current level is quite hard to pin down.
He hasn’t disgraced himself in his appearances this season thus far, despite what seems to be an ability to make one monumental error per game, and he had a fair loan spell at QPR last season. That’s enough for me to say he can have some kind of role this time around.
Verdict: Emergency cover.
Sam McCallum (LB/LCB?, 26)
A player I really came to like last season, after probably disappointing a little in 2024/25, McCallum has a baseline where you know more often than not you’re going to get at least a very steady showing from him.
He’s a great athlete, as evidenced by having probably the greatest leap in all of football. He’s pretty solid defensively and can give you a bit in attack with his crossing. Decent ball-carrier. He’s not all that sound when it comes to his passing, but he has a nice skillset for a Championship left-back.
Verdict: Good Championship player.
Harrison Burrows (LB, 24)
A decent contrast to his fellow LB McCallum, Burrows is technically very good; he can pass, he can cross, and he can shoot, but he probably lacks a little defensively, and his small stature means the physical side of the game isn’t his strong point.
Burrows, like Choudhury on the other side, is clearly more suited to a possession-heavy side, which all current evidence suggests we won’t be this season, but I like a lot of his qualities, and he is only 24.
Verdict: Top-end Championship LB, questions about stylistic fit.
Midfielders
Jaïro Riedewald (DM, 29)
Last season, I was a huge fan of Riedewald. He’s technically sound, secure without being flashy, and reads the game well. This season, though, he looks slow, unfit, and far too easy to bypass, albeit from a limited sample size. I’m a bit unsure where I stand on this one, to be honest.
Verdict: Has quality, past his physical peak. Squad player.
Sydie Peck (CM, 21)
A player who is probably struggling with the side’s lack of a real identity at the moment, it’s been a challenging start to the season for Sydie, despite a couple of recent positive showings, and while his quality can be quite inconsistent, he’s a young player with a lot of experience for his age, and one who can definitely change a game.
He’s a great battler, does have a quality pass in his locker, and even added goals to his game last season. He’s a player who does blow a bit hot and cold, as many young players do, but as a club we can do a lot worse than championing these types.
Verdict: Key player. Huge potential.
Kalvin Phillips (CM/DM, 30)
A former England Player of the Year, and a former £50m man – those are two things that definitely don’t happen if you aren’t a good footballer, and Kalvin Phillips definitely is.
His career has been on a downhill trajectory since he went to City, and loans to both West Ham and Ipswich did little to stop the slide, but at his absolute best, he’s an elite player at this level, and we’ve seen a couple of glimpses of that so far this campaign.
He’s physically very strong, has a good eye for a pass, and his experience playing at the absolute top level is a great asset. Whether we can consistently get good minutes out of him is a huge question, and potentially the answer defines our season.
Verdict: Top-quality player, fitness questions.
Oliver Arblaster (CM, 22)
Pre-injury, I don’t think there were many better midfielders in the Championship than Ollie Arblaster. His quality on the ball and ability to impact games in and around the box made him a top prospect.
His time has been heavily interrupted since, but I’m still a big fan of his qualities and have faith that he can get back to that level. He’s got a good engine and is classy with the ball, and I’ve enjoyed his performances for the most part this season. I think he’s in our best starting XI.
Verdict: Needs consistent game time, potentially a great player.
Joe Rothwell (CM, 31)
Rothwell is a very talented player who has been promoted from this division before. Does he have the energy and legs of the likes of Peck and Arblaster? Absolutely not, but he’s got a very good pass on him, and has been around long enough to develop his decision-making with the ball, which is often good.
In games where we want to dominate the ball it makes sense to have a player with his qualities in there, but I’d have a few others above him in the midfield hierarchy right now.
Verdict: Solid option to have.
Forwards
Romelle Donovan (RW, 19)
From his seven games in red and white thus far, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen from young Romelle Donovan. He’s an exciting player in the sense that he loves to take players on, and has the potential to start a promising attack at any moment, but he’s also a hard worker who likes to get stuck in and never neglects his defensive duties.
He’ll have off days, being a young player whose game is still a little rough, but there’s a lot to like about this man.
Verdict: Exciting player. Best option in his position.
Tahith Chong (RW, 26)
Chong hasn’t been able to feature much this season through injury, but it’s safe to say that he hardly set the world alight in his 21 league showings last season. He too likes to take players on, but he can be very loose with the ball and in my opinion, he doesn’t offer Donovan’s ability to make something out of nothing.
Verdict: Versatile, bench player.
Ben Brereton Díaz (LW/CF, 27)
Another player, like many of this squad, who splits opinion in the fanbase, Brereton Diaz was praised for his output in his first two spells at United, but he hasn’t hit more than 10 goal contributions in a league season since he left Blackburn in 2023, and is yet to register a return this season.
He’s industrious, and as shown in his time at Ewood Park, he can be a big source of goals making runs in behind off the left-hand side, but his general play always looks a little untidy to me, and he isn’t a huge 1v1 threat for a wide player.
Verdict: Steady, but potentially underwhelming first choice in his position.
Ryan Oné (LW/CF, 20)
Ryan One’s career is yet to truly kick off, but could this be the year that happens? One is quick and strong, and is great at getting shots off, whether he’s playing on the left or as a #9. His technique is a bit rough but he’s highly rated for obvious reasons, and actually has quite a similar profile to Blackburn BBD.
Verdict: Rough, but potential to make a huge impact.
Jordan Ayew (CF/RW, 35)
Ayew is past his best, that’s a certainty, but I did like him as a player during his Palace years, where he always seemed to be efficient. His two years at Leicester were a disaster, though, and at 35 it’s hard to see him recapturing his top level. He came in as we were very short of options out wide, and he will provide an experienced option.
Verdict: Depth.
Tom Cannon (CF, 23)
This one is probably the hardest to write out of any player in the squad, as I’ve probably been Cannon’s biggest critic since, and in fact, even before we signed him. If I’d penned this at the start of the window, I’d have said he wasn’t good enough, but this season he’s been by far and away our best attacker, in my opinion.
Cannon has always been a good finisher, but he looks so much more well-rounded in his general play now, particularly when it comes to physically duelling with defenders. Just because I used to really not rate him, he’s got potential to become one of my favourite players.
Verdict: Purple patch, or the real deal?
Tyrese Campbell (CF, 26)
Tyrese Campbell has played 79 games for United, and has only found the net 17 times, which is a pretty underwhelming-sounding record, but I really do think he has the ability to be at least a double-digit league goalscorer in the Championship.
I like Campbell’s instincts in and around the box, and I think he’s a good runner in behind, but his physical level and inability to play 90 minutes are serious drawbacks.
Verdict: Good CF, but needs to stay fit.
Patrick Bamford (CF, 33)
Bamford was our top scorer in the league last season despite joining after the window had shut on a free (Ayew-esque), and thrived in a team that was pressing high and creating a lot of chances through cutbacks. This year his role has changed, and his performances have suffered.
While his general ability to link play was good last season, he’s struggled with the demands of playing a sort of hold-up role this season, often receiving the ball from high punts up the pitch. I still think he’s a good Championship striker, but more’s needed from him right now.
Verdict: Good Championship CF, not a target man.
Utility men (man)
Jamie Shackleton (RWB/RW/CM/RB, 26)
They say availability is the best ability, and while versatility may be second, it’s the former that Shackleton struggles with. Shackleton can cover a lot of positions, but I’m not sure he’s good enough in any to be a serious option. He seems like a player who needs to find regular football somewhere, because despite claims he’d have a big role this season, I can’t see it being here.
Verdict: Emergency cover.
Manager: Chris Wilder
I love Chris Wilder. If you’re a Sheffield United fan, and you don’t, then you’ll have to explain that one, because your viewpoint seems mad to me.
He shouldn’t have been replaced last summer, despite there being understandable reasons for replacing a manager whose side had way outperformed the underlying metrics, in favour of a younger manager with a more fluid approach.
That change went horribly, and while I’d have even liked a fresh face post-Sellés, you can’t deny that, for at least some portion of last season, Wilder had us playing at a level which was probably above that of the squad at his disposal.
I find our transfer business this summer to be pretty lazy, and that is a criticism of Wilder, in my opinion, but on the flip side, he absolutely knows how to get results in charge of Sheffield United. He’s got to find a style of play that maximises the ability of the players in the squad once again, and my heart says he’ll be able to find the winning formula.
Agree with all of this tbh.
I did get slightly anxious towards the end though, thinking that you’d somehow forgot about Jamie Shackleton.
Lazy transfer policy is spot on, we’ve gone from an ill conceived AI approach to a ‘who do we know lads?’ approach. Our scouting and recruitment is back in the eighties whilst most of our rivals have structured their clubs properly in this are and are now benefiting.