Sheffield United 0-1 Sunderland: Below-par Blades crash out of the Carabao Cup

If things had worked out differently, and Bramall Lane boardroom politicking seeped into the bootroom, Chris Wilder could easily have been stood on the other side of the technical area for this Carabao Cup tie.
Muhamed Besic of Sheffield Utd and Dylan Mcgeouch of Sunderland: Simon Bellis/SportimageMuhamed Besic of Sheffield Utd and Dylan Mcgeouch of Sunderland: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Muhamed Besic of Sheffield Utd and Dylan Mcgeouch of Sunderland: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

Before luring Jack Ross to Wearside 16 months ago, the Sheffield United manager was the name Stewart Donald wanted to spark his sporting revolution at the Stadium of Light. The pitch was not successful. Wilder remained in situ. But the visitors' owner, who recently celebrated the first anniversary of his purchase, watched his club achieve a much more positive outcome last night.

Max Power, the player boasting possibly the greatest name in English football, was responsible for producing an equally impressive finish as Sunderland not only reached the later stages of the Carabao Cup but also kept their first clean sheet of the new campaign.

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United, despite being two divisions higher, rarely tested Lee Burge. A pre-game lightshow, designed to showcase the ground's revamped state-of-the-art floodlights, was the most memorable moment of the tie from their point of view.

In truth, Wilder was never really likely to leave United and move to the North-East. For all the problems he has experienced in South Yorkshire, not least the battle for control of his beloved Blades, things have usually gone swimmingly on the football pitch. Indeed, even though Sunderland landed the first blow of a thoroughly bemusing game, is was frightening to consider how these two clubs have developed since.

United were still languishing in the third tier when Wilder was first appointed. Now they are preparing to face Liverpool, the Champions of Europe, while Sunderland are looking forward to hosting MK Dons.

The difference in status was barely discernible as United's selection policy back-fired, although they should have snatched an equaliser when substitute Leon Clarke dragged with only a minute remaining.

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Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to be too concerned when the report his scouts compiled on this third round fixture arrives at Anfield later today. Even though the majority of those on display for United knew they were unlikely to feature against the Premier League leaders - which perhaps was part of the problem - the analysis of what became a thoroughly turgid contest will only encourage the German that United pose his squad very little threat. If that was the point of the exercise, lulling their next opponents into a false sense of security, then United could declare their latest body of a work a resounding success.

With Wilder and Ross acknowledging the league is their priority, it was no surprise to see both make a raft of changes. Callum Robinson, the only surviving member of the starting eleven which had beaten Everton four days earlier, was at the heart of United's best moves during a one-sided first-half which, thanks to Power's wonder strike, bizarrely finished with Ross' men boasting a slender advantage. The former Wigan Athletic midfielder, whose 30 yard effort Simon Moore was powerless to stop, was among eight new faces in Sunderland's side as Ross tried to provoke a response after drawing with Bolton Wanderers. The Scot's ploy worked, but only thanks to a combination of Power's moment of brilliance and United's inability to make their weight of possession count.

An opening period which began in promising fashion eventually descended into a fractious, unrhythmical mess. United controlled the action, with Robinson prodding wide almost straight from kick-off before delivering the cross which Lys Mousset nearly touched home. But even though attempts from Luke Freeman and Robinson were sandwiched in between those two efforts, they gradually unravelled as the evening wore on.

Power's strike, which left United's goalkeeper flailing as it pierced through the air like a tracer bullet, came like a bolt out of the blue. Sunderland had spent the early exchanges chasing shadows and scrambling back into position as United dragged their midfield this way and that. But after taking the lead, their confidence grew. Even though Wilder's men continued to dominate the ball, their use of it had become poor by the time referee Tim Robinson called the interval.

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Lys Mousset, making his first start for United since arriving from AFC Bournemouth during the close season, was inches away from getting a touch on Robinson's low centre. But United, given their superiority, should have created a whole lot more.

The second-half began in much the same fashion, with Wilder barking words of encouragement from the touchline as his team continued to press forward but appear short of quality. Indeed, before Leon Clarke and Oli McBurnie were introduced to try and inject some urgency into their performance, Sunderland were unfortunate not to double their advantage when Luke O'Nien scraped the outside of Moore's near post.

Mo Besic tried to drive United forward and Richard Stearman sliced high and wide into the empty Kop during the closing stages.

Sheffield United: Moore, L Freeman, Robinson (Clarke 58), Morrison, Jagielka, K Freeman, Stearman, Bryan (Fleck 70), Mousset (McBurnie 58), Osborn, Besic. Not used: Verrips, Stevens, Basham, Norwood.

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Sunderland: Burge, McLaughlin, Lynch, Power, Maguire (Dobson 90), McGeouch, Wyke, Flanagan, O'Nien, Embleton (hume 46), De Bock. Not used: Grigg, Leadbitter, Hume, Taylor, Connelly, Patterson.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Attendance: 11,675.

HighPoint: Sheffield United produced a few promising moves during the opening exchanges, although they created little as the match wore on despite enjoying the overwhelming majority of possession. So, while Mo Besic, Richard Stearman and Callum Robinson all produced above average displays, the most productive moment of the evening from United's perspective was probably the pre-game lightshow.