Sheffield United player ratings v Hull as 3/10 man "put out of his misery", 18-touch debutant struggles
Sheffield United player ratings from Hull City defeat as Blades hand initiative to promotion rivals
Sheffield United’s hopes of retaining top spot in an ever-changing Championship promotion push were dented by struggling Hull City at Bramall Lane tonight. Second top played third bottom in South Yorkshire but it was the visitors who returned home with three goals and all three points.
They were boosted by a shock lead as early as the sixth minute, when Alfie Gilchrist could only cut out a dangerous pass as far as former Rotherham United man Matt Crooks who curled a superb finish past Michael Cooper in the United goal. The Blades in truth rarely looked like testing Cooper’s opposite number Ivor Pandur in open play and went two behind in the second half when sub Matty Jacob found space in the box to turn home Cody Drameh’s low cross.
United called for the cavalry from a rare strong bench boosted by the injury returns of Vini Souza and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi but it wasn’t enough as they slipped to defeat on home soil, potentially handing their promotion rivals the advantage when they play catch up over the weekend after Harrison Burrows’ late own goal sealed their heaviest home defeat of the season. Here’s how we rated United’s players...
Michael Cooper 5
Well beaten by Crooks’ excellent strike for the opener and so often looked frustrated with the lack of options when he had the ball at his feet, having to go long to Brereton Diaz instead. Could do nothing about Hull’s second either after being left exposed
Alfie Gilchrist 3
One of the poorest performances of the season from the Chelsea man, for whom nothing came off all evening in truth. It began early on, when he cut out a pass but stumbled and watched Crooks run onto it and curl past Cooper to put the visitors ahead. He was lucky to get away with a strange passage of play midway through the first half when he twice lost the ball in United’s half, recovering well on one occasion but then seeing Peck block a shot that would have tested Cooper.
Absolutely ballooned a couple of passes intended for Brooks, one which the winger let squirm under his feet and another than was about 50 yards overhit after Brooks had begun his run. With Seriki out there was no real natural option to change it - at least until just after the hour mark, when Peck went to right back and Rak-Sakyi replaced him. United effectively finished the game without a right-back
Anel Ahmedhodzic 4
Had looked comfortable enough on an evening when so many of his teammates had struggled but he and Gilchrist couldn’t do enough between them to prevent Jacob poking the Tigers into a 2-0 lead in the second half which essentially ended the game as a contest. Then beaten far too easily by Pedro late on as Burrows’ own goal capped an evening to forget for the Blades
Jack Robinson 5
The skipper’s long throw caused a few issues in the Hull box while he was composed with the ball at his feet, even taking on his man two or three times in the first half before finding an option to lay the ball off.
Sam McCallum 5
Started at left-back in place of Norrington-Davies after his struggle on Tuesday night and almost got United back level in the second half with a well-hit strike on the angle, which was blocked behind by Jones. Made way just before the hour mark, allowing Burrows to return to his natural position after Souza’s introduction
Sydie Peck 6
Gave the ball away with a loose header that allowed Hull to break quickly and go ahead early on but gave a flat Bramall Lane some fleeting spark with a great tackle that left Alzate on the deck. Left visibly frustrated by a lack of movement in front of him when he was on the ball and was often seen gesticulating at Burrows alongside him.
Ended up playing at right back after Gilchrist was put out of his misery and gave everything in that position too, getting forward when he could. Never stopped running for the cause and was the best of a bad bunch for my money, finishing the game with more touches of the ball and three times more key passes than any other Blade
Harrison Burrows 4
Continued in central midfield with no other real options and his delivery from corners gave Hull some headaches, with ‘keeper Pandur frantically flapping at one as it arrowed into his box and was mighty relieved to see it land on top of his net rather than in the back of it.
Reverted to left-back after the welcome introduction of Souza but almost gifted Hull a second after getting in a tangle defending a bouncing ball under pressure from Kamara, but Cooper just about gathered it up. A late own goal summed up United’s evening as he volleyed Pedro’s cross against his own post and over the line before Burstow could force it home
Andre Brooks 4
Kept his place out on the right with Rak-Sakyi only fit enough to make the bench and picked out O’Hare with a good early cross but those moments were few and far between as he and Gilchrist struggled to establish any real cohesion on the right hand side, with attacks too often breaking down on that wing. His second half continued in much the same vein until he was brought off as part of a triple sub Wilder hoped would inspire something of a turnaround
Callum O’Hare 5
Had a quiet time of it last time out at Swansea but was more involved in the opening stages here, sending Brereton Diaz clear with a lovely pass that could have made more of a chance if the forward’s first touch was a little better rather than taking him down a more narrow angle.
O’Hare could have got on the scoresheet himself later on with a rare header after being picked out well by Brooks on the right, but he got too much purchase on his effort and nodded it over the bar, before flicking another cross - this time from McCallum - over as he dived forward. Then he went even closer in the second half with a third header which was looping into the Hull goal before Pandur got a touch on it
Ben Brereton Diaz 5
Made his Bramall Lane ‘debut’ on the left wing with Hamer out and almost marked it with a goal inside the first five minutes as O’Hare’s brilliant pass sent him free and he tried to catch Pandur out at his near post, but the Hull goalkeeper was equal to it and pushed it behind.
Had another half-chance blocked later on and showed some nice touches, especially considering the amount of football he’s played this season. Made way as part of the double sub to a good ovation after a workmanlike performance out on the left
Tom Cannon 4
The Blades new boy made his debut at the first attempt after his signing was delivered ahead of the 12pm deadline on Thursday but it wasn’t one he’ll care to remember, with a total of nine touches in the entire first 45 minutes - as per whoscored.com - summing up his involvement in the game, or lack of it. To be fair to the Irish international there wasn’t exactly a plethora of service as United moved the ball slowly and Hull defended stoutly after taking a shock lead early on. Couldn’t get in the game at all and finished with 18 touches
Subs: Tyrese Campbell 5
Came on as part of a triple change just before the hour mark and almost had an instant impact as he ran onto Brewster’s flick-on and lobbed Pandur, only to see the celebrations cut short by an offside flag that, replays showed, had been incorrectly raised. Had a few other sights of goal too but couldn’t get United on the board
Rhian Brewster 5
Came on for Brereton Diaz and played out wide left as United shifted to a 4-4-2 and did well to flick on for Campbell only for the offside flag to go up
Vini Souza 5
Made his return from a hamstring issue in the middle of the park and came on to a huge roar from the Blades faithful who have felt his absence keenly over the last month or so.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi n/a
Came on for Gilchrist on his return from injury and his first shot of goal, after Campbell won it back and teed him up, rather summed up United’s evening as he ballooned it miles over the Hull bar and halfway up the Kop