Oli McBurnie "burden" message underlines what Sheffield United need to get back to their best ahead of seismic summer
Oli McBurnie’s return with Hull City offered a timely reminder of what Sheffield United passed up in the summer - and the type of player they now need going forward as part of Chris Wilder's big summer rebuild
If things had gone slightly differently in the summer, there is a big chance that Oli McBurnie would have been wearing the colours of Sheffield United when they lined up against Hull City at the weekend. Instead, Unitedites - and boss Chris Wilder - had to wonder what might have been as an excellent No.9 performance looked to earn his Tigers side a big three points.
It wasn’t to be ultimately as a remarkable late show from United saw them win 2-1 and end a six-game winless run, putting something of a dent in Hull’s promotion bid in the process. By the time the late chaos began, sparked by a controversial penalty award before the man currently wearing United’s nine shirt, Danny Ings, scored a late winner, McBurnie had already made way.
He has already spoken about how much the subsequent reception from Unitedites meant to him and his family, with his love and respect for this football club running deep. It’s no secret that he was close to returning in the summer, before then-boss Ruben Selles said no.
Had Wilder remained in post after last season’s play-off final defeat, it probably wouldn’t have even been a question. Instead he has helped spearhead Hull’s Premier League promotion push while Wilder was left trying to steady the ship at Bramall Lane after returning to a club anchored to the bottom of the Championship.
Relegation has been comfortably avoided but that hasn’t dampened the frustration in some sections of the United fanbase ahead of a key summer in which Wilder must transform the culture of the club as well as right the wrongs of this campaign on the pitch.
Ironically, both in attitude and ability, McBurnie is exactly the sort of figure United need. And having been a key part of surely the greatest team of United’s modern history - which pushed for Europe in 2019/20 before being derailed by Covid-19 and finishing ninth in the Premier League - he is well positioned to know what’s needed to get the Blades on the right path again.
“I think having Chris in charge will be the right thing for that to happen,” he said. “I think there was a crazy summer where not a lot of people knew what was happening, or why it was happening. But credit to the owners. I think they very quickly realised they had made a mistake, and put that right.
“I think to be in charge of this football club, you have to understand what it's about and the expectations of the fans and everyone within the football club. I think there are only certain people who can do that.
“There are only certain people who can carry that burden. And I think Chris is the man to do that. I think having Chris in charge is a great start to getting this club back to where it belongs.”