"Fitter, stronger, faster” - Pundits' view as Sheffield United suffer opening-day defeat at Watford

That was the view of Sky Sports pundit Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, the United Women’s striker, after Joao Pedro’s winner sentenced Paul Heckingbottom’s men to defeat in their opening game.

United’s best chances came in the first half, when Iliman Ndiaye and Daniel Jebbison forced saves from Daniel Bachmann, but the Blades struggled to get to grips with Watford’s pacy, exciting front three at the other end.

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Asked if United did enough to take more from the game, Sweetman-Kirk admitted: “Not for me. The fitness was a big thing for me, it was almost like a Premier League side against a Championship side.

“They were fitter, stronger, faster in every aspect of the game for me and in the vital moments, they were more clinical in the final third.”

United were hit by injury and availability issues on the eve of the game, with Chris Basham and Jack Robinson injured and new signing Anel Ahmedhodžić unavailable as he served a one-match ban left over from his time with Malmo.

“There are injury issues, Ahmedhodžić being out as well,” Sweetman-Kirk added.

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“I was excited to see him, he will add some pace into that backline and the timing of his tackles, he’s unbelievable.

“It [the defeat] is not fatal, of course not, at this stage, but it’s not looking fantastic. But there’s time to go.”

Fellow pundit Jobi McAnuff added: “They [United] just lacked a little bit in that final third tonight.”