Chris Wilder might consider Sheffield United formation change in Championship finale vs Derby County
Sheffield United will be hoping to bring an underwhelming campaign to an end on a high when they visit Derby County on Saturday lunchtime.
Sheffield United will be targeting a winning conclusion to the 2025/26 Championship campaign when they face Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday lunchtime.
The Blades, who were beaten 3-1 by the Rams when they met at Bramall Lane back in November, will make the relatively short trip down the M1 looking to put the brakes on a run of two straight defeats after back-to-back home reverses at the hands of Blackburn Rovers (1-3) and Preston North End (2-3).
However, they will be going up against a Derby side that is still in the play-off conversation after securing a dramatic 3-2 win over QPR at Loftus Road last Saturday. They are currently two places and one point shy of the coveted top six places.
Ahead of United’s final outing of the campaign, here are five pre-match talking points...
A tweak in formation?
With Andre Brooks once again unavailable and Tahith Chong failing to pull up any trees in his recent outings, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Chris Wilder may decide to tweak his formation. The Blades boss has primarily gone with a 4-2-3-1 system since returning to S2 last September, but he has experimented with a system that has accommodated a front two at times.
Amid the absence of Brooks and Chong’s struggles, it may cross Wilder’s mind to lean on a system with two-man attack, meaning either Tom Cannon or Danny Ings might bag a start alongside Patrick Bamford.
The prospect of two strikers being named in the starting XI could see Wilder go with a 4-2-2-2 system, tasking Callum O’Hare and Gustavo Hamer with operating as the two most advanced midfielders, drifting inside from the flanks. The duo are renowned for their creativity in central areas, meaning they should easily adapt and provide United with plenty of flair amid the absence of any out-and-out wingers.
Targeting back-to-back away wins
After beating Watford 2-0 at Vicarage Road a fortnight ago, every United supporter was optimistic the Blades were going to build on that triumph in Hertfordshire and attempt to finish the campaign as strongly as possible.
Facing Lancashire duo Blackburn and Preston in back-to-back home games, those two fixtures, on paper at least, looked like ideal opportunities to get six points on the board and attempt to climb into the top ten. However, the Blades were put to the sword by the pair of them, conceding six goals in the process, meaning they head into their final day clash with the Rams having won just three of their last 12 matches.
United, for reasons that have been well-documented throughout the campaign, have been nowhere near good enough, but Wilder will remain determined to oversee a final day triumph and sign off on a high. After beating Watford in their last away game, the Blades will be eyeing back-to-back away wins for only the third time this season.
Derby eyeing top six spot
Just a year on from beating the drop on the final day of last season, Derby could be in celebratory mood when the full-time whistle blows on Saturday afternoon. The Rams head into the clash with the Blades in a three-horse race to try and secure the final play-off place alongside Wrexham and Hull City.
Wrexham are currently in pole position to snatch the final play-off spot, currently sitting sixth, while Hull are just behind them in seventh on goal difference. Derby are a point back on the pair of them in eighth.
A victory for Derby, coupled with both Wrexham and Hull dropping points, will see John Eustace’s side snatch the final play-off spot, while a draw will also be enough for Derby if Wrexham and Hull both lose amid their slightly superior goal difference.
The Rams have won each of their last six matches at home, turning Pride Park into a real fortress. With a sell-out crowd expected, they will be hoping they can do their bit and pull in favours from elsewhere to secure a top six spot.
The end of the road
With Wilder determined to oversee a transformative summer at Bramall Lane in the coming weeks and months, the trip to Derby is likely to mark the end of the road in a United shirt for several members of his squad.
The Blades chief has already made it crystal clear that departures will be a big part of this summer’s work in S2, meaning several members of the squad are set to be pointed in the direction of the exit. Starting with this season’s loanees, the trip to Pride Park will almost certainly mark the last opportunity for the likes of Tyler Bindon, Leo Hjelde, Ki-Jana Hoever, Djibril Soumaré and Chiedozie Ogbene to add to their United appearance tallies.
Only a handful of players are guaranteed places in Wilder’s plans next term, meaning the end of the road is likely to be reached for several. The likes of Ben Mee, Tahith Chong, Alex Matos and Danny Ings are among those likely to be moved on.
Familiar ground
The trip to Pride Park will no doubt evoke fond memories for United talisman Patrick Bamford. The striker spent the second half of the 2013/14 season on loan at Derby, making 23 appearances as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Just 20-years-old at the time, Bamford chipped in with eight goals and registered four assists. He was predominantly used as a winger at that juncture and later had spells on loan at Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley before eventually leaving Chelsea on a permanent basis to join Boro in Janaury 2017.
Scoring two goals against Derby in eight career appearances against them, Bamford has scored 13 goals in 28 matches across all competitions since joining the Blades in November. He has plundered 12 Championship goals and has three in his last three games.