Romelle Donovan's Sheffield United challenge laid bare amid fan questions over Brentford loan man
Romelle Donovan, the Brentford loanee, has been limited to cameo appearances in recent weeks - but Chris Wilder insists nobody is guaranteed a place as competition grows throughout the Sheffield United squad
One of football's stranger quirks is that players can sometimes appear to become better when they are not in the team. Romelle Donovan is experiencing that phenomenon at Sheffield United, with the Brentford loanee not having started since their League Cup exit at third-tier Fleetwood more than a month ago.
Since then, his involvement has been limited to cameo appearances, with Tahith Chong cementing his place on the right of United's attack. Justifiably so, too, with the Curaçao international producing some promising displays either side of scoring his first Blades goal in the 3-0 win over Lincoln City earlier this month.
That hasn't stopped questions from a section of Unitedites about why Donovan has barely featured recently. But this is part of the experience for a young player adapting to Championship football, particularly one who, at 19, has already played more first-team football this season than might have been expected.
United, boss Chris Wilder insisted ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with Derby County, have made no guarantees to Brentford over his game-time, just as they would not request similar from their own young players they send elsewhere in the football pyramid.
Minutes have to be earned, essentially, and there is still plenty of time for the 19-year-old to regain his place. After the summer sales of Gus Hamer, Andre Brooks and Callum O’Hare, Donovan is at least one of the most creative players left at Bramall Lane.
Statistics from Squawka show that Donovan has completed 12 take-ons this season - modern-day football speak for beating his man - which is twice as many as his nearest challenger, Ben Brereton Diaz.
Donovan has been tackled more times than any other United player so far this term - which you could probably interpret in a few different ways - and he’s also won more ground duels - or tackles, to me and you - than any other United forward player, showing he isn’t exactly a passenger in that aspect of the game too.
But real-life football isn’t a computer game played with robots and numbers and the obvious conclusion is that, at the minute, Chong is doing more (or at least enough things right) to keep his place.
But Chong knowing he has to keep his standards high, knowing a good player is snapping at his heels, and Donovan fired up to make the most of any chance he gets? Surely that can only be a good thing for United.
“Rom, I'm delighted with his attitude,” Wilder said. “He can play off the left, can play off the right, can start and can come on. And understands that the biggest thing is getting three points for our football club and his football club.
“It's a squad game. I'm trying to construct a strong squad with competition for places right the way through the team. And that's how it's got to be, to try and keep raising the levels and raising the standards.
“Gone are the days when it's a month's loan or three months' loan. He's here for the season and he's a Sheffield United player. We had our team photo recently and he was on it.
“Yes, he’s got to get into the team. He's got to take those opportunities. But Rom's in a good place. I don't just want players getting in because other players are not playing well. It's tough, and everybody knows that.”
Chong vs Donovan is just one example of the tough selection dilemmas Wilder is looking for all over the pitch. There is real competition in midfield, for example, with Oliver Arblaster advancing his case to start with the winner last week at Bristol City.
Ryan One is pushing Ben Brereton Diaz for a start down the left while Jordan Ayew made his full Blades debut at Ashton Gate when Patrick Bamford dropped to the bench.
“Everybody wants to play, as we all know,” Wilder told journalists ahead of the Rams clash. “And you'll say to me: ‘Why isn't he playing and why isn't he playing?’ And I'll go: ‘Well, where does he fit in and where does he fit in?’
“Eleven starters and nine on the bench. And there’ll be some disappointed boys who are not getting into the matchday 20 as well, which just shows the level of competition.”
Donovan certainly looked like a player with the bit between his teeth when he came off the bench at Ashton Gate, with Wilder praising the “outstanding” attitude of all his substitutes as they closed out an impressive 1-0 victory.
That saw them get quickly back on the horse after the midweek disappointment of defeat at Portsmouth, which saw them lose 3-2 in the 89th minute after playing most of the game with 10 men following Hamza Choudhury’s contentious red card.
He will return to the United squad to face John Eustace’s men after his subsequent one-match ban and Wilder added: “Chong played on Saturday because he played well on Wednesday night. So, it's pretty simplistic. You get an opportunity, you play well, you put yourself in the manager's thoughts.
“I don't want to be chopping and changing the side. Tactically, we might tweak stuff. We might go three at the back, we might go four. We might think this is a game for Romelle, we might think this is a game for Chong.
“We might look at Chong and go, he looks a little bit tired this week, that he might need a break. We did it on Saturday with Jordan. He's been outstanding ever since he's walked through the door here.
“Pat Bamford scored two against Lincoln and could say: ‘Why am I not playing’ [at Bristol City]? But he came on and as he does, as they all do, they committed to getting us that win. I thought the subs were outstanding in their attitude.
“This isn't a selfish game of football that we're talking about. This is a team game where you have to be all in. I've said it all along. I think you've seen examples at the highest level this week. If you're not all in, you're not going to succeed. Our group is all in.
“They showed that with the response to disappointment and resilience at Portsmouth. We get Hamza sent off, a ridiculous decision which will stay with me and United fans for a long time.
“And we come back to get it back to two each. That's a team that's got character, that's got resilience, that's got determination, that's got togetherness. That showed its team spirit.
“And that's not something that I ask for. It’s something that I demand with this group, and any group that I've ever had, everywhere I've managed.”