Sheffield United Q&A including recruitment, missed targets, training ground and newest transfer addition

The January transfer window is now in full swing and although recruiment is at the forefront of most minds of a Sheffield United persuasion, there is plenty more going on at Bramall Lane after the long-running takeover saga finally came to an end just before Christmas. Things are going well on the field, too, with United breaking for Thursday’s FA Cup clash against Cardiff joint second in the Championship table and just a point behind leaders Leeds United.

Our inbox was packed with questions from Blades fans for our first Q&A of 2025 and so we were only able to answer a select few - here are the burning topics that Blades fans wanted to address ahead of the FA Cup clash...

@TortosaExpat Is Des going to be employed by United or just continue as an advisor to the new owners?

DH: Des Taylor was brought on board by the former-would-be-new-owners - does that make sense? - Tom Page and Dom Hughes to help their bid for Bramall Lane, and stayed involved when Steven Rosen took control of the consortium which eventually bought the Blades from Prince Abdullah. The former Bournemouth scout had been advising the Americans on football matters and has now began a role at United, which we understand to be in the transfer department alongside the Blades’ existing staff including chief scout Jamie Hoyland and recruitment head Mikey Allen.

@_myfakereality Was the Errea deal through United World and are the club now free from it? Will we be looking to explore an alternative from next season?

DH: The Errea deal was United World-wide and so technically the club are now ‘free’ in terms of stepping out from under the UW umbrella. But don’t expect a new kit supplier from next season, as the process with Errea has already begun to maximise the chances of a timely release this summer.

To start negotiations with new suppliers after Christmas would be cutting it really fine in terms of signing everything off in time for the summer. For my money, and despite the quality/size gripes that some fans have had with Errea, their designs have been amongst the best in recent years and hopefully whoever follows them doesn’t just revert to boring, generic templates.

United's stance over fomer Ajax starlet Hansen after €3.5m bid reports

Blades linked with "fearless" starlet amid Stoke transfer uncertainty

5 players who could benefit from Sheffield United's Cardiff cup clash

@PerrinMelvyn Why didn’t Gus take a booking against Watford?

DH: This was asked a few times on social media, with the simple answer that it wouldn’t have made any sense for him to do so. Bookings are now competition-specific so even if he had picked up a yellow card on Saturday he would have still been eligible for the FA Cup tie against Cardiff, then missing the Championship clashes with Norwich City and Swansea City.

Interestingly red cards have different rules, so former Blade Callum Robinson misses the Bramall Lane cup trip as one of his three-game ban after being sent off recently. Confused? I don’t blame you.

@FaulMcPartney Wards or Laver?

DH: I’m not a huge beer fan but I don’t love timber either. Both are Sheffield icons but my first-ever shirt had the Wards logo on it so I’d have to go with that one.

For the latest Blades news straight to your inbox, sign up for The Star’s free Sheffield United newsletter

The Star has a dedicated Sheffield United WhatsApp Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click here to join

@rmwatchorn What are the plans for the training ground at Dore and when will we see anything?

DH: The simple answer is that we’ll have to wait and see what the new owners plan for it, but the location has been secured and in their goodbye message Prince Abdullah and Yusuf Giansiracusa revealed that the “new first-team training ground will accommodate a new first-team building as well as four full pitches, six 5x5 pitches and other facilities.”

In their own press release COH Sports reaffirmed their commitment “to enhancing the current organisation with the highest of quality in areas of need, to further improve the club both on and off the pitch,” and that will include the training ground site at Dore. The new owners are aware of the club’s desire to become a category one academy, which can only happen if the Dore site becomes operational and the Shirecliffe academy is dedicated solely to youth players.

Work on the Dore site effectively stalled while the ownership wrangle was ongoing and there is an estimated two-year timescale between it starting properly and the day that the Blades can start training on the new site. In the meantime their focus on the short-term in supporting Chris Wilder in the transfer market.

@EarnshawDaniel Are we looking at sending the recalled Curtis and Freckleton back out on loan along with some of our other leading U23s or is it very much dependent on the incomings for the main squad this month?

DH: It’s a case-by-case basis. I expect Sam Curtis to go out on loan again after being recalled from Peterborough, and probably the same for Freckleton if and when he comes back. But for the likes of Louie Marsh, Ryan One and the rest of the leading U23 players it very much depends on the business United are able to do themselves.

It’s not an ideal scenario to have players stuck on the bench or in the stands but United also can’t risk leaving themselves short, and Wilder has always been a big one on young players being in and around senior pros every day at Shirecliffe and picking up good habits.

@MarkHerrin64155 Can you do an article on the top ten fish & chip shops around the ground?

DH: Mark, yes I can. Including this answer in the hope my editor sees it.

@BettsyBlade85: Safe standing and poles removed on the Kop?

DH: This will be another long-term project that the new owners will have found in their in-trays after settling in at Bramall Lane. Removing the poles on the Kop was a project considered by Prince Abdullah if United had cemented their position in the Premier League, because of the cost and the logistics of doing so. It’s not yet known if the new owners share those plans but they will be aware of the feeling about it.

As regards safe standing, United’s stance has not changed since it was last addressed by chief executive Stephen Bettis last year in a meeting with the Blades’ fan advisory board. “From our perspective, we are supportive of safe-standing and aware that supporters would embrace it,” Bettis said at the time.

“But the honest answer is that we won’t do it until we redevelop a stand. At the moment, logistically it would be tough, and we would have to move people around, which would make some people happy and some not

@joegmckenzie What stopped up signing Tom Cannon and Michael Johnston in the summer?

DH: Quite simply, the takeover. Both were high on Wilder’s radar and may have arrived had the Americans got the keys to Bramall Lane earlier. But in the end the deal stalled and stalled and only got done just before Christmas, and they went elsewhere. Johnston in particular would have been a real asset in this side while Cannon remains a player of interest.

@jeblade Will the new owners be doing a press conference to introduce themselves and let us know what future objectives are? For example stadium upgrades, when is the new training ground due to be complete?

DH: Hopefully. We have asked the question, both of the club and the new owners’ public relations representatives. Their initial soundbites have been positive but ultimately they will be judged on their actions rather than their words.

@jonkay19: Any plans for re-stocking the men’s 3rd kit?

DH: Not currently. The third kit is made out of a specific (and more expensive) material, which meant that United were unable to place top-up orders with Errea like they have with the away kit. That was one of the reasons the club billed it as a “limited edition” in the summer when it was released.

@brizzleblade: What sort of side do you think we’ll be putting out on Thursday? Entire XI full of academy players or will the likes of RND, McCallum and One get a run out?

DH: It’ll be a mix, I believe. Some of the obvious names won’t be anywhere near the starting XI - like Michael Cooper, Callum O’Hare and especially Tom Davies - but for others it’s a good chance to get some rhythm and maybe impress Wilder. So I’d expect the three you mentioned to get a run out alongside a few younger players. Stay tuned tomorrow for my full predicted XI!

DH: Always good to hear from you, Paul, and thanks as ever for your interest.