Former Premier League boss warns against judging Sheffield United on one huge defeat to Newcastle United

Sheffield United’s critics have been told not to pay too much attention to Sunday’s shocking 8-0 defeat to Newcastle United, with reference made to how the Blades have battled so far in this campaign.

Martin O’Neill took Leicester City from the Championship into the Premier League and knows how difficult it is for a newly promoted side to pick up points in such a difficult division.

The former boss says the Foxes’ early points on the board were a great help in settling into life in the top flight back in 1996/97 but added that performances by the Blades so far should give them cause for optimism.

Back when O’Neill was in charge at Filbert Street, Leicester picked up four points from their first two games but then lost their next four, however that good start had given them reason to believe they could compete in the Premier League.

The Northern Irishman is of the opinion that there shoud be no panic about the Blades’ 8-0 hammering by Eddie Howe’s side but he does offer caution that United need to gain a win soon.

“The problem is the longer you go without winning a game the harder it becomes and the games that you are expecting, what you always term ‘six-pointers’, they become really big,” he said on Talksport. “That’s the problem. Getting beat by Newcastle United, if they had been beaten three [nil] no one would bat an eyelid. But having seen them the previous week be so durable against Tottenham, it was a performance that I would never have expected but even so don’t make a judgement on one particular game. 

On his own experience, he added: “Getting that win [for Leicester] helped - we drew our opening game against Sunderland and then we beat Southampton, Emile Heskey got a couple of goals and so we have four points and that gives you a little respite because the next handful of matches we found really difficult. Then we got a bit of mojo about ourselves and a bit of self-belief and drove on and eventually we finished 9th in the league and won the League Cup on top of that.”

And O’Neill believes that one win could turn around Sheffield United’s season.

“We are looking at a league where each one of them [newly promoted Burnley, Luton and United] have a point on the board after six games so you wouldn’t need to be a soothsayer to say that they are in trouble,” he added. “What I think, the minute you can get the three points, you go and win a game and Sheffield United were unbelievably close at Tottenham, we are talking about Tottenham, to getting the three points on the board and they end up with none. It was a similar story against Man City.

“Getting that win, getting those three points no matter how you get them, suddenly gives you an enormous lift and it gives you a chance. And when some of those other sides have only got four or five points, then you are not that far off. We all knew it was going to be difficult for Sheffield United.”