James Shield's Sheffield United Column: The new - and very big problem - now facing The Blades

By his own admission, Chris Wilder likes to plan.
Sheffield United are sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers: Darren Staples/SportimageSheffield United are sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers: Darren Staples/Sportimage
Sheffield United are sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers: Darren Staples/Sportimage

The Sheffield United manager isn’t someone who likes surprises, at least not in the footballing sense. So when the dust settled on his team’s promotion celebrations earlier this year, he sat down with his assistant Alan Knill, first team coach Matt Prestridge and head of recruitment Paul Mitchell to try and identify the type of problems their club might face when it made its long awaited return to the Premier League.

Politics will have been one, as the battle for control between two warring co-owners edged slowly but inexorably towards the High Court. Finance, given the importance of signing players with top-flight potential, also probably featured on their list of likely challenges. But even though a few imponderables were almost certainly factored in - the departure of Mark Duffy certainly fitted into that category - I’d be prepared to wager the cost of a ticket for Sunday’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers that tempering expectation levels did not arise during their conversation.

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As welcome as it is, (even though, after leading 2-0 at one stage, they will have been disappointed to draw the game), last weekend’s result against Manchester United has left Wilder grappling with a difficult conundrum: How best, after positioning his team as plucky underdogs, does he now attempt to ease some of the pressure on their shoulders throughout the remainder of the campaign?

Speaking immediately after the match, John Fleck tried his best to keep the theme alive when he claimed United always have to “work hard” because they don’t have the “same ability” as other, more established teams. It is an argument, with all due respect to the Scottish midfielder and Wilder, which sounds hollower by the week. They might not have the same experience, illustrious CV’s or depth of resources - which is likely to become an issue as the season unfolds.

But in terms of raw ability, as the meeting with opponents who lavished £130m on two defenders over the summer, United are certainly equals. Taking the clash with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s men in isolation, less than a handful of the Norwegian’s players would have forced their way into Wilder’s starting eleven.

Strategy, devising a model for success and sticking religiously to it, has been the catalyst for United’s remarkable progress under the 52-year-old who, only 42 months ago, took charge of a side which, lacking direction and purpose, had just finished mid-table in the third tier. That - careful thinking combined with cunning recruitment and a willingness to offload ineffective performers - is one of the most important qualities folk tasked with running a club can display.

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Those at Old Trafford, where Phil Jones was recently awarded a new contract to supposedly protect his value, have shown very little of it in recent years. The centre-half, who spent 45 minutes being embarrassed by Lys Mousset before mercifully being withdrawn at half-time, might be worth £30m or so on his employers’ account sheet. But no one, after witnessing his latest hapless contribution, would be tempted to pay even a tenth of that. Of course Jones has talent. It will not, clearly, be realised with United’s namesakes from the North-West. Which begs the question why he remains in situ? Let alone being considered for PL games? Jones would not have survived in South Yorkshire for so long, precisely because United, in the bootroom at least, are calculated rather than chaotic. So it will be fascinating to see how Wilder and his cohorts attempt to overcome the challenge - and publicly dampen expectation levels whilst maintaining ambition behind the scenes - their rise to sixth has created.