Sheffield United's next challenge is clear after post-international break improvements
Sheffield United have climbed to within touching distance of the play-off places after two wins in their last three Championship matches.
Six points from the first nine on offer since the extended international break came to an end earlier this month have represented a solid start to the restart for Sheffield United.
After suffering a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat to Portsmouth in controversial circumstances last Wednesday night, United bounced back on Saturday by securing their second away win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Oliver Arblaster scored the only goal of the game, crashing home an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area after just five minutes, and his goal set the tone for what proved to be a solid away performance and a deserved victory.
Six points from a three-game week have seen the Blades climb from 18th to 11th in the table since the international break, reducing the gap to the play-off places to just two points. They are also now seven points clear of the relegation zone.
After losing Andre Brooks, Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare during the summer transfer window and failing to bring in direct replacements, United were never expected to make a flying start to the season. Manager Chris Wilder has needed time to establish his preferred system and adapt to life without arguably the Blades’ three best players from last season.
Although not all of United’s performances have been glamorous or eye-catching, a haul of 15 points from their first 11 outings represents a respectable tally. Considering how the transfer window unfolded, most Blades supporters would have accepted being in this position at this stage of the season.
Having beaten Lincoln City and Bristol City since the international break, United will be hoping to continue building momentum when they welcome Derby County to Bramall Lane on Saturday. The Rams will make the relatively short trip to S2 having won just one of their first 12 matches across all competitions this season.
Injuries have wreaked havoc with Derby’s hopes of finding any sort of rhythm so far this season, with boss John Eustace currently without his first-choice goalkeeper, three centre-backs and four full-backs. Against Stoke City last time out, the Rams’ back four consisted of two right-backs, one centre-back and a winger, highlighting the scale of their defensive troubles.
Although Wilder will be the first man to point out that there is no such thing as an easy or straightforward test in the Championship, Derby’s current injury crisis and poor run of form create an opportunity that United need to take full advantage of.
Kicking off at 12.30pm on Saturday, the match presents an opportunity for the Blades to record a third win in four games and move into the play-off places ahead of the 3pm kick-offs. Although their stay in the top eight may only be brief, reaching those positions would build momentum and generate greater confidence within the squad and the club as a whole.
Regardless of how the table looks at 5pm on Saturday, United need to build on their recent wins over Lincoln and Bristol City by demonstrating that they can turn Bramall Lane back into a fortress. The Blades got the job done against Lincoln in their last outing at S2, winning 3-0 without an awful lot of fuss. The challenge now is to make Bramall Lane a place that opponents fear visiting.
United’s home form throughout 2026 has not been anywhere near as good as it was in previous years, meaning they need to rebuild the impressive home record they enjoyed in years gone by. Derby’s current predicament offers Wilder’s troops a great opportunity to record back-to-back home wins for the first time since February.
Should they secure all three points this weekend, the next challenge will be to make it three consecutive home wins when they face Wrexham next Friday night. The Red Dragons are another side currently sitting below the Blades in the table after an indifferent start to the campaign.
Of course, Wilder and his players will quite rightly continue to take things one game at a time, refusing to look too far ahead. However, it feels as though a corner has been turned since the international break, making these back-to-back home games an opportunity to lay down a marker and turn their fortunes in S2 around.