Sheffield United boss reveals Anel Ahmedhodzic's future plan after Wolves display hints at turn of corner

Anel Ahmedhodzic's best display of the season so far, at Wolves on Sunday, saw the Sheffield United captain look much more like his old self and also hinted that he may be about to turn the corner in terms of his individual form. The Bosnian was earmarked as one player that would take to life in the Premier League with ease but he has not found it as comfortable as many expected.

A mainstay of the defence that conceded the most goals at the 25-game mark in Premier League history, Ahmedhodzic was handed the United captain's armband after Chris Wilder's Bramall Lane return and his display against the lively threats of Pedro Neto, Mario Lemina and Co. looked much more assured. It also came from a more familiar position of right centre-half, having operated largely centrally since the loss of John Egan last year, after Mason Holgate's suspension forced something of a defensive reshuffle at Molineux.

Follow the latest from the Blades with The Star’s free football emails

There was an excellent touch to divert the ball over the bar with Lemina poised to score and a good show of pace to get back and snuff out the danger as Neto looked to break clear, either side of a flicked header from Pablo Sarabia that settled the game. He will need to maintain the same performance levels next Monday, when title-chasing Arsenal come to Bramall Lane, but the display led to the inevitable question of whether Ahmedhodzic is more suited to playing on the right of a back three than as its central point.

He has impressed in both positions before, taking the Championship by storm as an attacking centre-back last season but also impressing in the middle in an FA Cup clash against top-flight giants Spurs with Egan suspended. And, as manager Wilder revealed on Sunday, the 24-year-old - who was linked with a move away from Bramall Lane in January and could be sold in the summer, sees his future at the heart of defence. "His best position, as far as he's concerned, the one he wants to play, is the middle one," Wilder said.

What Wilder said about points deductions amid rivals' hearings

"He sees his future there, as a right-sided centre-half in a two, and he can play in a three. I always remember a game where he played Tottenham last season in the FA Cup and he was incredible as a central centre-half. What you're asking for at this level is for every player to produce their top performances, and your big players to produce really big performances more than not.

"He has to produce a performance because of the players he's up against. The movement of [Wolves'] front three is great, the pace of the counter-attack is incredible but we defended it well enough first half. Of course the goalkeeper's going to have to make saves and there's going to be some near-misses as well. But we saw that out and he didn't have a lot of defending to do in the second half." Defeat at Wolves left United eight points adrift of safety and the gap was then extended to 11 a day later, with confirmation that Everton's 10-point penalty for breaching financial rules had been reduced to six with immediate effect.