Sheffield United must overcome main weakness to deliver Chris Wilder demand in the run-in
Sheffield United’s final seven games of the Championship campaign look set to be about nothing more than finishing as strongly and as high up the table as possible.
Although they can still mathematically qualify for the end-of-season play-offs, the Blades find themselves 13 points shy of the top six with just 21 points still up for grabs.
Last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Wrexham has left Chris Wilder’s side sitting 17th in the Championship table, meaning the chances of them overcoming a 13-point deficit and fighting their way through a snaking queue to gatecrash the top six are slim to say the least.
Due to a catalogue of reasons that have been documented throughout the season, not least the club’s decision to sack Wilder and appoint Rubén Sellés last June, United are poised to miss out on returning to the Premier League this time around. All they can realistically focus on now is trying to finish what has been an underwhelming campaign as strongly as they possibly can.
Following the international break, United will begin their final sprint to the finish line with an Easter weekend double-header, facing Swansea City at Bramall Lane on Good Friday and Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Easter Monday.
Their final five games will see them take on Hull City (H), Watford (A), Blackburn Rovers (H), Preston North End (H) and Derby County (A). Although each of seven aforementioned teams, mathematically, still have something to play for, Bristol City, Swansea, Preston and perhaps Watford are on the verge of being in a position where they can whip out the flip-flops and head for the beach.
However, Hull and Derby are fighting for a play-off place and Blackburn are fighting to preserve their Championship status. But regardless of what’s on the line for each of their seven remaining opponents, United’s players will be consistently reminded not to take any of them lightly amid Wilder’s desire to finish the campaign as strongly as possible.
“We have to go through things, we have to work hard, there is going to be some downtime for the players in terms of getting away and clearing their heads and hopefully coming back for the last seven games of the season,” the United boss told BBC Radio Sheffield after last weekend’s defeat to Wrexham.
“I can assure you it will be foot down in terms of working with the players and trying to find a way. I said in the presser in the week that I think I know what we need to do and how we need to change it.”
Wilder is always demanding high standards from his players, and that will not change over the final few weeks of the season despite a mid-table finish appearing to be the most likely outcome come the end of the campaign.
As the table currently stands, three of United’s last seven games will see them take on teams that currently sit in the top half of the table, and beating top half teams has been a challenge for United all season, highlighted by their tally of just 16 points from a possible 63 against the sides that currently occupy top half berths.
Of their remaining opponents, Hull, Derby and Watford currently sit in the top half and are still targeting top six finishes. Hull are currently fifth, Derby are eighth, three points off the play-offs, and Watford are ninth, seven points off the play-offs.
If United are to finish as high up the ladder as possible, they must try and pick up some points against those pushing for promotion. Considering where United were when Wilder answered their SOS call back in September, a top half finish would be very respectable.
Despite currently sitting 17th, United are only three points away from breaking into the top half, and they have the second-best goal difference (zero) of any team currently in the bottom half, meaning that puts them at a slight advantage in their quest to finish as high up the ladder as possible.
Coming up short against top half teams has been a theme of United’s season, meaning they will be determined to try and overcome that particular weakness in the coming weeks to deliver on Wilder’s vow and attempt to finish the campaign as strongly as they possibly can.