The red flag Sheffield United need to factor into contract decisions

Sheffield United will be the better in the long run for what this torrid season has taught them. And the long run is what’s cost them.

One stat I saw shows that United have conceded 24 goals in the last 15 minutes (plus stoppage time) - compared to only six scored. Another reveals that if games finished by the 85th minute the Blades would be six points better off and still in with a fighting chance of staying up.

It’s worth focusing on this for several reasons - even though one of them is something United could do nothing about. The depth of quality on opposition benches has been a killer at the business end of games. But it’s very relevant, and regrettable, that Chris Wilder has felt forced to withdraw some of his better players at the self same stage because they have been on their last legs. And without equivalent quality to replace them.

So the late fade-outs are more than explainable, even if the Blades reversed that with the richly deserved stoppage time point snatched in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea. They won’t face that degree of mismatch if back in the Championship next season - but fitness levels generally are a red flag that will certainly be factored into the award, or not, of new contracts.

Beyond that, the Blades must have more go-to subs than has been the case throughout a campaign that was undercooked from the start. And that need will be sharpened if more youngsters join the likes of Will Osula, Andre Brooks and Oli Arblaster in and around the first team.

Younger players carry inconsistency as a natural part of their development. Physically and mentally, could any of them play through a whole season? That said, in quality terms, I doubt there will be a better player in the Championship than Arblaster next season. Assuming United hang on to their outstanding 19-year-old midfielder. He and Gus Hamer are looking a potently creative, as well as combative, midfield pairing in the Premier League, let alone the league below.

The way they shone together against Chelsea, at the heart of an exceptional team performance, gives Wilder tremendous hope for the future. There’s no doubt the club could be tested over several talents at the younger end. In my eyes, keeping them will be even more key than summer recruitment to what happens next.