Forged in Steel
Sheffield United’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United proved once again that the Blades are not afraid to take on the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Throughout the season so far, they have caused opponents no end of trouble with their gritty football and efficient attacking. Man United were the latest victims of the Chris Wilder effect, with Sheffield United’s boss making his side one of the Premier League’s toughest nuts to crack.
For a large part of the match, the Blades were in control, and led 2-0 through goals from John Fleck and Lys Mousset. Man United’s comeback to lead 3-2 was a reminder that Sheffield United are in fact a newly-promoted side and not Premier League veterans, as they were swept away by the visitor’s sudden momentum after three goals in seven minutes. But it was the final reaction that proved the qualities of Chris Wilder’s side – the heart and desire to battle to the end and grab a late equaliser through Oli McBurnie.
Upsetting the odds
Time and again this season, Sheffield United have upset the odds on the Premiership to frustrate some of England’s most established clubs. The draw with Man United was just the latest scare the Blades have given to some of the Premier League’s giants.
Arsenal suffered a defeat at Bramall Lane back in October, while Sheffield United also picked up all three points away at Everton. Draws against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and, of course, the Red Devils mean the Blades boast a fine record against teams that finished in the top half of the table last season.
Liverpool and Leicester City both managed to win at Bramall Lane, but those matches represented a massive struggle for the away side. Liverpool needed a goalkeeping howler from Dean Henderson to claim a 1-0 victory, while a Harvey Barnes wonder-strike made the difference for Leicester. The nature of Chris Wilder’s coaching methods is that Sheffield United are tough to break down, and teams have often struggled to unlock their defence.
This good form means the Blades currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table. The club were among the favourites for relegation before the season kicked off, so to be performing at such a high level speaks volumes of the manager and players alike.
How high can they go?
It seems unlikely that Sheffield United will be in or around the European qualifying places come season’s end. But the fact that they sit so high up the table after over a third of the season has been played, shows that this is not a case of luck. They have deserved everything they’ve got this season, and have added much to the Premier League while fellow promoted sides Aston Villa and Norwich City have struggled to make the step up.
Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham all currently sit below Sheffield United in the table, and you would expect all three to improve their performances and results as the season goes on. The Blades don’t have the firepower to compete with those teams in top form, so they may slip down the table as a result.
But if Wilder can continue to harness the belief that is rising each week at the Steel City club, then there’s no reason why they can’t continue to take some big scalps. Even a top-half finish would represent a magnificent achievement for the club and would be a strong platform on which to build moving forward. The ambition that Sheffield United have already demonstrated this campaign will motivate them to finish as high up the table as they can.