Premier League has to take share of blame for Sheffield United's woes

It’s not only about Sheffield United’s shame. Routine routings at Bramall Lane are bringing the Premier League into disrepute. For the integrity of the competition and the good of football generally it simply has to part with more of its riches to level the playing field.

The bottom three of the Premier League is the top three of last season’s Championship. Three of the top four of this season’s Championship is the bottom three of last year’s Premier League.

It would be insulting to everyone, including manager and players, to defend Monday’s 6-0 demolition and demoralisation by Arsenal. I’d expect a lower division side in a cup tie to make it closer. But here’s the thing. How is football - and clubs like United - to end this vicious cycle? The introduction of an independent regulator cannot come soon enough.

What is certain is that it has little to do with managers and players - in the overall sense that they can or should do better. We should all stop thinking in those terms - which is why I will never stop believing that Paul Heckingbottom, without whom the club would have faced a crippling financial crisis, was incredibly unlucky to lose his job.

An irresistible force is at play. Money. Enough to go back up if you were there, not enough to stay up. That’s what the future has to be all about and not before time, although the Blades will hope the upward part of the cycle remains in place when they meet their expected fate. With Chris Wilder at the helm regardless of any or all results to the end of this campaign. Much as he has been unable to reverse the slide and is presiding over a level of defeat that is unacceptable. For which the Blades hierarchy bears ultimate responsibility.

Top status was effectively surrendered before a ball was kicked. But that doesn’t absolve the Premier League as an entity for this hugely damaging imbalance. Damaging most of all for the spirit of competition and fair play.

There are the odd exceptions but if you can’t realistically hope to muscle in on the big boys then what’s the point of joining them in the first place? More money filtering down the leagues and the abandonment of parachute payments wouldn’t just help the EFL. Arguably the Premier League can be the biggest beneficiary.

It can only lower its prestige to have games - well, non events - like Bramall Lane is serving up right now. This is a place that, for all the home team’s lack of top quality, was supposed to be a fortress of some hope; or at least a potentially bruising place to visit. United, as a club, has surrendered its own trademark. You can attribute blame from top to bottom, mostly to the former. But you have to keep going up the executive ladder to pinpoint the major reason for this cutting adrift.

Much as a Premier League season can be fun even for a relegated team, no fan can enjoy this level of detachment. That’s a more pressing a concern for the competition than it is for any of its member clubs. And I use the word “member” very loosely.